[Lotus wants to move in with you]

I was all set to pull an all-nighter to get an assignment done for work, but miraculously I managed to code the entire thing without a single error. 100's of lines of code: worked on the first try (and this is an infrastructure-as-code assignment, so unlike a website or application it either works or it doesn't). I'm not by any stretch of the imagination a world-class programmer. For that to happen is the equivalent of bullet jumping from behind a corner and clearing the room with perfect headshots all before your aim-glide expires. (Which I also can't do) So because I now have unexpected hours added to my night, I'm going to come up with more Lotus Lines. 271-280:

• "I worry that you might think I put all the burden on you. But I want you to know that I work hard for you! For instance: ...
  • "You don't think all those resources fit on your orbiter, do you? I've got secret warehouses and a small army of workers cataloging and couriering it all."
  • "Who do you think manages the relays? I can't let any syndicate control a Tenno facility; preferential treatment would spark chaos."
  • "I've got hundreds of Operatives that monitor Invasions, scout out missions to map objectives, and spy on the activities of our enemies."
  • "I hire mercenaries to clear bounties on Cetus, Fortuna, and Zariman when you're not available. I want you to feel like you can choose what mission to do."
  • "I handle the aftermath. Providing homes for defecting refugees, arranging therapy for rescue targets, debriefing reinforcements after defense objectives, etc."
• "I'll level with you. The hidden caches you help locate have so much more in them. Just one of those caches provide about a month's worth of funding for our operation. But I always give you the most interesting item they contain."
• "You probably take this for granted, but did you know that lasers and camera focus lights are invisible to most people? You see them so clearly though, right?"
• "I took a nasty spill in a K-Drive race the other day. I've got a big bruise on my thigh. Needless to day I did not get first place."
• "Ew! Guh! *cough* I thought the smell of Ceres would have worn off between there and the Dojo! Hooo! My eyes are watering."
• "Infinite blueprints are very strange. As you know, it's common sense for digital artifacts to self-delete on access unless a Cephalon consciously prevents it. That's how it's been for as long as anyone can remember! But those infinite blueprints defy common sense; they're freaks in the digital world."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

And now for 261-270:

• "You should let the Drifter come by once in a while. I don't want the only time we share to be me in a coma."
• "You should let the Operator come by now and then. I've literally been waiting hundred of years to speak face to face after all."
• "With Lua returned, the ecology on Earth will start recovering more rapidly. New Loka was so happy one of them hugged a nearby Cephalon Suda operative. Both of them started to blush and stammer. And now we all have a 'ship' to gossip about."
• "The Helminth can eat Sentient parts endlessly. It's reminded me what a good decision it was to move here rather than to suggest your Orbiter."
• "Maroo is such a--no, I'm the mature one; I won't say it. But I just got this: 'Hey 'Slow-tus,' when are you going to start paying me my cut? Your Tenno are using my Endo to enhance their arsenal! What do you even do? How lonely can one woman be, hogging all the Tenno for herself?' ...I saved her life! Ungrateful disrespecting little--."
• "How many people do you think can actually get their hands on Prime Warframe parts? Just Tenno, right? So why do you think every Syndicate demands one for their final membership level? They don't. Everyone else they just pays half a million credits."
• "Have you actually had Kahl's Kuaka Stew? Perfection. In fact I even heard Kaeli's mother say: 'When is that nice young man who makes that delicious stew going to visit again?'"
• "The Orokin's view of 'science' is not science at all. They did things like expose slaves to void energy, hoping to find patterns in the madness it caused. They called themselves 'scientists,' but all they did was torture innocents and hand the data off to Archimedeans to do the real work."
• "It's no surprise we keep finding new Warframe models. Orokin loved traumatizing and mutilating innocent people. So if their entertainment could produce soldiers that secured their dominance over the system, then you can imagine how enthusiastic they'd be in replicating the process."
• "I'm making a new weapon for you! I'm a perfectionist though so you can't see it until it's ready. But let's just say that when I'm done, Blast Damage will be your favorite!"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

2 hours ago, (PSN)Frost_Nephilim said:

Add foundrys to dojos 1st though,

I could NOT agree with you more! I have so wanted that at the Dojo.
You go get blueprints at your Dojo, but then you have to break your session, disband your squad, and wait through a loading screen just to go use the blueprint.

 

Actually what about this:
One of the new rooms I want added in this update would be a "Landing Craft Launch Bay." But wouldn't it be cool if instead it was something like an "Orbiter Maintenance Hangar?"

Think Drifter's Camp, but large enough to fit four Orbiters behind four landing craft docks. (With the Tenno-socket ready)

When you walk up to your landing craft, it allows you to jump into your Orbiter (the below deck section). You can use your foundry, upgrade your Arcanes, etc.

When you exit, you go back to the Dojo, with your squad not migrated and your current session in tact.

You can also visit your friends Orbiters by walking up to their landing craft.

(And if four Orbiters are not feasible through the hardware, then instead it could just operate like the Dry Dock where the squad leader's Orbiter is there. But I'd like for all four because then it would look like an actual extraction point for Dojo missions.

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

Starting the second quarter, Lotus Lines 251-260:

• "I think I called an operative 'equipment' the other day. Is that how I see my operatives, or am I just tired?"
• "Thankfully no one kissed me or anything while I was Natah! ...You're not responding ...Why are you not responding!?"
• "Tomorrow is 'Archwing to Work Day,' are you planning on taking part?"
• "Kaeli and I have started to become good friends. She likes venting about the stress of managing operatives, but I can tell she likes it. She's even ended some of her messages by calling herself 'Blue Girl.'"
• "How did Parvos retrieve Vala from the Granum Void? Can he just enter and exit as he pleases now? Or did she get sent in at a point in time prior to his escape? But if she did, then why didn't she help during the events of the Deadlock Protocol? Ugh! All this thinking is just making me hungry."
• "Your decision with the Kuva...
  • "...was certainly the right choice. It's dangerous and gross worm-chick blood. Good job."
  • "...made me proud when I heard it. The scientist in me would have also wanted to understand it."
  • "...surprised me. I didn't expect you to be able to stomach that kind of thing. I'm sort of impressed!"
• "Of course I was listening when you learned about the history of the Eidolon. As an infertile sentient myself, I admit that it sounded alluring. But I've already made up my mind. I fight for the Tenno now."
• "Don't feel guilty about subsuming a Warframe. Even if the body gets destroyed, its mind and heart exist in all over copies of itself simultaneously."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

1 minute ago, (NSW)Probably_Asleep said:

I'll generate some Lotus Lines before I try to sleep and realize it's too muggy in my house. This also gets me to one quarter of my 1000 goal! Okay so 241-250:

• "In my opinion, the Void is just one big 'screw you!' to anyone who tries to make sense of it. On a void mission? With void fissures? Corrupted are already there? But they get corrupted by the fissure? The Void doesn't care! The Void is all: 'Here is what I think of your ability to reason!'"
• "Have you thought about inviting Ordis along with you on some of your missions? You know Otak and Loid are also Cephalons, and they can go on missions. Ordis needs some fresh air sometimes."
• "Hey, roomie! Wanna watch something tonight? There's a new action movie that just became streamable. It's called:...
  • "Lithassic Park."
  • "Crouching Kavat, Hidden Nikana."
  • "Stolen."
  • "Land Wars."
  • "Frame Fighter: The Legend of Banshee."
• "My date cancelled. He said a crazed Tenno sabotaged his entire facility and he wants nothing to do with me. So, are you up for a Capture mission?"
• "At this point Pazuul should just mail us an Archon Shard every week. It's inhumane of him to just keep reviving this fellow Archons when you're around."
• "As a terraformer, I can consume almost anything. But I cannot, even at gunpoint, stomach Argon Crystals. It's so void-washed that I wretch when thinking about it."

"Profit Taken" would have been better than "Stolen" now that I give it some thought. That mistake will haunt me.

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

I'll generate some Lotus Lines before I try to sleep and realize it's too muggy in my house. This also gets me to one quarter of my 1000 goal! Okay so 241-250:

• "In my opinion, the Void is just one big 'screw you!' to anyone who tries to make sense of it. On a void mission? With void fissures? Corrupted are already there? But they get corrupted by the fissure? The Void doesn't care! The Void is all: 'Here is what I think of your ability to reason!'"
• "Have you thought about inviting Ordis along with you on some of your missions? You know Otak and Loid are also Cephalons, and they can go on missions. Ordis needs some fresh air sometimes."
• "Hey, roomie! Wanna watch something tonight? There's a new action movie that just became streamable. It's called:...
  • "Lithassic Park."
  • "Crouching Kavat, Hidden Nikana."
  • "Stolen."
  • "Land Wars."
  • "Frame Fighter: The Legend of Banshee."
• "My date cancelled. He said a crazed Tenno sabotaged his entire facility and he wants nothing to do with me. So, are you up for a Capture mission?"
• "At this point Pazuul should just mail us an Archon Shard every week. It's inhumane of him to just keep reviving this fellow Archons when you're around."
• "As a terraformer, I can consume almost anything. But I cannot, even at gunpoint, stomach Argon Crystals. It's so void-washed that I wretch when thinking about it."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

I'm not a fan of mornings. Not a fan at all... but I am a fan of Lotus Lines! Here's numbers 231-240:

• "I hate to burst your bubble, but the enemies aren't actually stronger in the 'Steel Path.' Teshin just retunes your frame and weapons to make you so weak that even the weakest enemies are formidable. I think it's silly, but as long as you're safe and completing the missions, what do I care?"
• "Sometimes I wonder why your Helminth is so much less ambitious than the hive mind attacking this system. Even when your Orbiter laid dormant for hundreds of years, it never stirred. Perhaps it all comes down to the nature of who became each core."
• "Physically, it's a strain on your ship to stay at the Drifter's camp. Your 'Orbiter' is meant to--unsurprisingly--orbit. Ordis complains, but I get the sense that he likes the job security."
• "Want to hear my best pickup line? Okay here it goes: 'Tenno, my body has been updated with a new quest.' ...You look unimpressed. Is it not good? SAY SOMETHING!"
• "If we made a Warframe out of a Tenno, would that mean it could transfer into itself? Would that create some sort of feedback loop? I guess we should not rip a hole in reality."
• "Tau Damage is an example of tertiary elemental amalgamation. I won't tell you the recipe, but let's just say it's two opposites contained inside an energy bonding agent."
• "Warframes of the same model share what's called a 'causal ancestry.' So when one evolves today, the changes travel to yesterday, and they all have that new form today."
• "Some phenomenon are still unexplained. For example, occasionally you or your Warframe just 'blink out of existence' for a moment. It has something to do with being next to deep chasms; like you dropped down there and then suddenly didn't."
• "Obviously Warframes do not need to breathe, so why does it matter when the enemy 'cuts off life support' or 'releases toxic spores?' I think it has to do with energy absorption within an enclosed space, but I'm not sure."
• "I've been keeping quiet about this for a while now, but when are you going to get that thing on your neck removed?"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

Ah... no work days (aka: "full night of sleep" days). But I'm awake and ready to create some more Lotus Lines (221-230):

• "I spoil my pets. Beds, toys, play areas... But when I find someone to adopt them I can't bear to take their toys away, so I give all of it to the new owner. It's... expensive."
• "Hey, roomie! Wanna watch something tonight? There's a new rom-com that just became streamable. It's called:...
  • "Must Love Kubrows."
  • "New Messages in Your Inbox, Operator!"
  • "Fortuna Kiss."
  • "What to Expect When Cloning."
  • "My Squadmate's Wedding."
• "I get why the Corpus and Grineer try to destroy Conduits. But I can't figure out why the Infested have their own Demolyst Units. Why do they care? Maybe those units were originally Demolyst Units before infection, and their intense desire to destroy a Conduit persisted after their mind was taken over."
• "Is that an Tenebrous Ephemera? It's so cool! That unlight looks great on you! Back in Tau you would have made all the birthing vessels swoon."
• "We eliminate remaining enemies after a successful interception so no one will learn of our espionage. But you may be thinking: 'Obviously they do know if they keep sending reinforcements!' But not au contraire, Tenno! I their personal comms devices can't make it past our signal jamming. The reinforcements are because of the radio silence."
• "The enemy has a different response for Survival vs Exterminate missions. But those are our categories for mission types; from an outside perspective they look the same. So how do they know? Do we have a mole?"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

In a 2-hour meeting. The kind of "open room" concept where everyone can collaborate (but what actually ends up being personally 1.6% relevant, 98.4% sitting there with nothing to say). So what better time than now to crank out the next set of Lotus Lines! Now for 221-220:

• "What happens when two Tenno try to transfer into the same Warframe? I like to imagine you'd both fit inside, but that's probably wrong."
• "Archons were created by my brother to keep the peace in Tau. But that does beg the question: 'Was there disunity among the Sentients?' Short answer: Not really; my brother was just a paranoid control freak."
• "I was at a bar with Little Duck the other day, and I don't know what led up to this, but I remember suddenly seeing her slap someone and yell: 'You don't get the goods, EVAH!'"
• "Archons are Warframe and Sentient chimeras made in the Tau system by Erra. But Warframes were made in the Origin system when the Sentients returned and started the Old War. They can't both be true, right? I think the 'Prime' frames had to have predated the Old War, and someone is lying about who really invented them."
• "Did you send me an inappropriate message? No? I wonder who this is from then... oh wow... okay never mind; this couldn't have come from you."
• "Who was running your missions while I was being controlled as Natah? You didn't just pretend I was there, did you?"
• "Orokin Towers in the Void are packed with security systems, but why? Sentients avoid the void, but the Orokin never used them as a refuge during the Old War. There has to be something in there even scarier than death. I don't think the security is to ward off intruders. I think it's to keep something from escaping into our reality."
• "Why haven't you been around to visit me lately? Are you mad? Is it because I accidentally migrated your squad host? I'm sorry, okay? I just dozed off and my head landed on the keyboard."
• "Perhaps to his credit, Ballas never crossed a certain line when he brainwashed me into thinking I was his deceased lover. Or maybe he knew that would 'break the spell' so to speak, and he was just strengthening his control over time. If that's true, then you saved more than just my life."
• "♪ Chee bop! Who's that lonely sentient girl!? Nobody wants to date her-- ♪ ...Oh, hi! How can I help you? You just walked in just now, right? Just now, right!?"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

It's time for 211-220:

• "Okay so get this: The Corrupted are being controlled by the Orokin facility to defend itself, right? But the Warframe Cryopods at Taranis and Belenus are a part of the facility! So why is the facility trying to destroy a part of itself? Just what, or who, are in those pods?"
• "Warframes seem to have the ability to bend the rules of our reality. But contrary to what you might think, it's not an Operator or the void that empowers those skills. It's the intensity of their will, frozen in time by trauma and mutilation. Some call it a 'wish,' but I think it's more like a 'curse.'"
• "It's a good thing they don't deploy Demolyst units to Defense Missions, but I don't really know why. If I had to guess, I'd say it's because their equipment requires the Conduit itself to operate."
• "The other day I woke up from a dream screaming: 'Stop kicking the helium barrels!' I have not idea what that dream was, but I had tears in my eyes."
• "It's very demoralizing to the enemy when you deactivate one of their alarms. They're probably thinking: 'Great, now everyone is going to think it was a false alarm and not come.' That's probably why they don't try turning back on."
• "I don't necessarily want you to kill, I'll have you know. I'm sure some missions like Mobile Defense would be much easier if I had you exterminate everyone in the facility first before I started the hack. I try to keep the murder to a minimum when I can."
• "Nora Night, by my guess, is on the ocean floor. I'm talking about Nitain Extract. No one has more of it that she does, but it's produced from ocean vent microbials. She's got everyone looking for the source of her broadcasts in space. They're looking up and can't find her, but she's looking at them from below, laughing."
• "Solar Rails are categorized as 'Orokin' structures, but they're obviously Tenno architecture. It's an ever-present reminder that the Tenno were at one time a force directed by the Orokin. Those stations are probably the first structures ever built by Tenno hands."
• "Little Duck is amazing at cards. I thought I had a good 'poker face,' but I've lost a lot of bets to her."
• "Riven mods have a tiny sliver of their own will. It's almost as if something, or more accurately a 'fragment of someone' has been imprisoned inside one."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

This exercise has really started to affect how I think while playing the game. I'm now always wondering what the Lotus Line would be as I see each piece of content. And with that, 201-210:

• "Tenno Relay's may seem peaceful, but they might be the most heavily defended outposts in the system. The Grineer don't even try attacking one without a Fomorian class vessel as the vanguard."
• "When will the war between Corpus and Grineer end? At least the Orokin and Sentients had the decency to obliterate each other and leave the system in relative peace after their war."
• "You'd think it would be possible to have a Sentinel and a footed companion accompany you at the same time. Wait... have you... never considered that possibility?"
• "Nef's main incentive to fight his Razorback is an upgraded Gorgon. I mean, really? I'm pretty sure he'd get more interest if he agreed to destroy some Gorgon instead."
• "If you're not planning on using your Moas, then could I borrow them for a while? I need some dance partners for a side project I've taken on."
• "The Orokin loved the idea of mind control. Just look at Void Fissures! It's not the void that controls them, it's what the void connects them to."
• "Warframes don't need eyes. Their senses are so sharp in fact that it's believed they see the world in 3rd person perspective. Are they right?"
• "How can you put toxin damage into a beam of energy? That question has haunted me for hundreds of years. My best guess? Squirting stuff."
• "Sure, just come in without giving me any advance notice like you always do!" *sigh* "Sorry, I'm distraught today. We failed a rescue mission."
• "I can't make the Master Rank tests any easier for you. I'm sorry; it's just that I care too much about you to stifle your growth. _{That, and they're a pain to reprogram...}"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

Finally hitting 200! Lotus Lines 191-200:

• "Legs is a marketing genius. That ugly color? The paint formula that can't be painted over with what you have on the Orbiter? That's no accident. He knows you'll be back."
• "You've mastered all your Intrinsics! There's plenty of scuttlebutt going around that you've become a yar-minded captain."
• "To this day, I still can't understand why the Treasurers get onto the public channels and announce their presence. Are they just idiots? Or are they being controlled?"
• "What did you dream about all those years while your Warframe was deactivated?"
• "I'm working on a way to give your Warframe more Mod Slots. So far though all my tests have resulted in disaster."
• "I've been wondering lately about what happens to Forma when it's bonded to a living beast? I hope the little guy doesn't feel any pain..."
• "Usually I try to plan missions with standardized strategies, but the Assault Mission at the Kuva Fortress was a special case."
• "In that last Mastery Rank test, you worked it entirely differently than I had expected. I'm not complaining! I'm happy to see you come up with creative solutions."
• "Not to sound all 'Orokiny,' but I would love a dedicated foot-rubber. Someone whose sole mission in life was to wait for me sit down so they can work all my knots out."
• "You've kept emails from me dating back over a year ago!? I didn't know I meant that much to you. I'm touched, Tenno."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

7 hours ago, Quest said:

You're not you when you're hungry. Eat an archon shard.

I'd love to see a Warframe/Skickers crossover commercial. AND here's 181-190:

• "This jerk came up to me yesterday and was like: 'You look like a girl who prefers Ferrite Armor.' It took me a while, but eventually I got it."
• "Is that the Basmu!? Let me see! Hmm... mm... Beautiful. It's ju-- wait... Heat and Electric? No Tau damage!? Tch, just a cheap imitation. Take it back."
• "I also have a glowing orb, but you don't see it because civilized Sentients dress decently."
• "When you run Defection Missions, you may notice some particularly thick Grineer taking up the rear. If you have to save just one, that's my favorite. I call him 'Growneer.'"
• "Earth used to have rings like Saturn. Historians believe it was because an ancient people had an odd obsession with satellites that one day led to the death of their entire civilization. The rings have all since been mined away."
• "If you've participated in Naberus, then you've probably heard about Blue Kuva. Interesting idea, right? If you could spend a night inside another body, would you? Wait... you're a Tenno; that's what you do every day."
• "What is THAT!? A 'Mother's Mask?' It's ADORABLE! Who's selling those? Here, let me sign the inside of yours..."
• "Oh... sorry... it's just, Caliban makes me a little uncomfortable."
• "Prime frames are the original, but don't let that affect your view of the rest! All Warframes share the same heart with their prime progenitor. Possibly even the same memories!"
• *sniff sniff* "Mmm! You smell like Archon Shards!" *stomach growl* "Uh... did you... just hear something?"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

I should be working but I'm going to get these out of my head so I can focus. Lotus Lines 171-180:

• "Don't feel bad about your incredibly low accuracy. Remember: ammo isn't free, and most of what you use is stolen, so you're actually shooting the enemy's hard earned credits into the floors, walls, and ceilings!"
• "As you are now no doubt aware, I have a 'hanger management' problem. I'm sorry you had to see that."
• "Sentients do not expel gas, okay? That's the truth. And if Hunhow tells you anything different, that's only because he's a horrible liar that doesn't know when to keep his ugly lying mouth shut."
• "Every time you 'bullet jump' in a mission, I quietly say: 'fwoosh' over here. I just started doing it one day, and now it's practically a compulsion."
• "I've been using the excess energy your Dojo generates for some experiments. Those reactors don't have an 'on demand' feature, so it was just going to waste."
• "Here's some Corpus hacking advice: Align the 3-prong cells on the outside first; that'll show you where the 1 and 2-prong ones go. Or you can just build cyphers if your brain hates making decisions on a countdown."
• "Just like Iron Wake, all the syndicates have bases here and there. But unlike Steel Meridian, they'll probably never let you know where they are."
• "The void mission nodes are unique in that they have no traces of growing infestation, and yet they do have ancient infested. Couple this with how it caused sentient infertility, and a trend emerges: It strengthens old life, but rejects new life."
• "Your 'Tenno powers' are not useless."
• "If I were to pick a focus school, I'd go with Unairu. Not because of the skills or anything! I just love the way they move when they're idle."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

Lotus Lines, 161-170 (I'm keeping the numbers in so I don't have to look back and count my posts):

• "Tenno, you're really good at using single target weaponry! Like, really very good. I'm not sure if this counts as a reward, but just know that I brag about you a lot to others."
• "I often wonder what sort of people the frames were in their previous lives. I think Nyx must have been a psychologist."
• "Ever since you awoke, the market for container manufacturing has skyrocketed!"
• "We weren't allowed to cuss in our developmental stage, but Erra would sometimes signal me over and whisper one. We'd both giggle because we felt like such rebels. I sometimes miss the days when that was seen as pushing our moral limits..."
• "I've got a 'Pedestal Prime' in my closet. What a waste of credits... that Ki'Teer is a genius salesman."
• "The Helminth is really the backbone of any war that relies on Warframes. Though practically immortal, the frames will wear out eventually. Our enemies never figured that out, thankfully."
• "The Orbiter was built to integrate the Listet, but that doesn't mean other landing craft can't be used. I liken it to the age old riddle: 'Is the best underwear the most comfortable? Or the most provocative?' Thousands of years, and people are still arguing about it."
• "You scanned a Kuria, right? How do you feel about that look as a hair style? I'm weighing my options."
• "Here's a riddle for you: There are more Tenno than could ever have fit in a classroom. Why? My theory is that students sat on each other's laps and shared seats. With two rows and two columns that could easily amount to... wait no... that's still not enough... hmm... I'll keep thinking about it."
• "Sentients have two parents, and they get their babies by a flying creature creature with a long beak that... you're not buying it, are you? Well I won't tell you how it actually works! And don't try to imagine it! Go do a mission or something!"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

On 11/14/2022 at 2:30 AM, Yrkul said:

Old PnP RPG name, inspired by norse mythology, and it kinda stuck in all the MMOs I've played through the years. If you've met an Yrkul before, there's about a 50% chance it was me.

I wish I could be impressed with myself that I actually guessed norse mythology, but that was a total shot in the dark on my part. I'm impressed you've held it for years. I'll keep an eye out now for it.

On 11/14/2022 at 7:29 AM, LillyRaccune said:

This sounds so cool! Yes please 😻

Thank you LillyRaccune. My plan is to keep this thread alive long enough for DE to run out of their own ideas and start looking at the Fan Concepts. Sort of like that broadcast in "I AM LEGEND" that he did every day. (But I'm hoping I don't end up like he did at the end) --If you've never seen the movie though then sorry for the spoiler.

On 11/14/2022 at 6:35 PM, (XBOX)Rez090 said:

I'd rather see this as a player trade market instead of something involving Lotus, either trading materials for other materials or players selling/buying materials with credits.

Thanks Rez090. I like trying to understand other's points of view because it might be representative of a larger, less vocal body of dissenters. I've just passed my 300th in-game day, and I've never once traded with a non-clan member. (And the dozen or so clan trades I've done have really only been to help us get ready for some boss fights) So, for me, the idea of moving something as useful as a materials exchange into a player-controlled environment sounds miserable. I like NPC interactions like I like the self-check-out at supermarkets.

Buuut I suppose it would be nice to have more trade options among players. While it doesn't affect my style, I can certainly see how the trade limitations could be frustrating. I guess DE doesn't want people to get materials that are beyond their current progress in the Star Chart, but among players that have already beaten the entire chart, I feel like those "embargos" should be lifted. So yes, I think I can understand the value of a player-trade alternative if I look at it from a more social and seasoned perspective...

 

And now for more Lotus Lines! This will be 151-160...

• "Nobody is brave enough to admit this, but the Infestation actually smells really nice. Like lightly-toasted flower petal extract."
• "The Stalker tries to avenge the various bosses running this system, but it's not as though he likes all of them equally. You'll see when you go to Ceres."
• "Tenno, I'm worried about you. I don't want you to think that the only way people will like you is if you run errands and gather treasure for them. Your 'standing' with me is always maxed out, okay? Not all of your relationships are transactional."
• "Could you turn around for a second? I need to pick something out of my teeth."
• "I'm not sure if it's the Operator or Warframes, but you guys are so fidgety! I hardly ever see you just relax or sit still."
• "There's a rumor that if you build 100 Ascaris Negators, then you'll get a new mission node opened on Mercury. But don't do that. Really, don't."
• "Hello! Do you think you could do me a favor? I need you to stand right there for a second... good! So, how do you feel? Anything feeling off? No? Hmm... another failure."
• "Remotely hacking a terminal during Mobile Defense missions is very exciting! I've got an arsenal of payloads I iterate through, and sometimes I even need to construct them on the spot. I'm not sure what's more intense: You slaughtering all those enemies, or me straight up slaying my keyboard."
• "Why didn't the Sentients build a Solar Rail in Tau? Who says we didn't? If you can think of the magic password, then I might even tell you where the other side is!"
• "There are not many Sentient females. Praghasa was... let's just say she was 'competitive.' Ballas was able to influence my thinking partly because of my intense desire to be a better, more loving mother than her."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

On 2022-11-12 at 3:51 AM, Yrkul said:

Shipping is an abomination unto Nuggan. Just saiyan...

 

I like your username. I'm not sure if it's 'you are cool' or a mythic Norse deity. The mystery is kul to me.

On 2022-11-12 at 4:11 AM, (PSN)Potrapo_potato said:

Okayy, so who’s lotus would show up? Because whats the point if the clan leader has a really just horrific lotus, i would assume it would be client based, but you know there’s different lotus designs some people could have a different sized lotus and she may not have a chair/chamber available. what about the people that are just starting, lotus is in no danger(they think) and they haven’t even seen the new war (hopefully) maybe just lock the door? Or make it operator accessible only?

my clan’s dojo is one of the fully decorated ones with doors blocked off for certain rooms so i could also see the lotus getting stuck, unless each room had a “lotus accessible path”(auto detection) or a “lotus accessible?”(toggle). The pathing could have to scale as well, depending on the chosen lotus.

i still like the idea though

Good questions/points. While I did think about decorations during missions, I didn't think about them during Natah-wandering. I'd say the simplest solution would be the classic slight-of-hand trick. Already start her in a random room sometimes when you go to the Dojo, with no explanation with how she got there. Then, when she's not visible to anyone, she just leaves.

As far as who's Lotus, I'd definitely vote for everyone seeing their Lotus, but the furniture question is a good one. I can think of three solutions off the top of my head:

1. Lotus is a mimic (thanks again ProvokedMoss) so she could adjust her form just enough to still have the selected Lotus model, but still fit in her various stations. That would be more work for DE, but it would be cool looking in my opinion.
2. For every Lotus model, there could be a different style of interactable furniture/objects for her. There are only like, what, 5 models right now? 3 of which are just humanoid, so that leaves a total of 3 models for every object she interacts with. Again, more work for DE, but I think that would also be fun to see.
3. Just have her not use incompatible items, and adjust her dialog to call it out. Things like: "Next time you're going to buy something online, make sure to check the reviews! I bought that chair based on the picture, and you can see how that turned out."

Finally, I'd say yes on locking the door for pre-New-War. New players need to form an attachment to the Lotus anyway before they'd appreciate the references as well as understand why she'd be there.

On 2022-11-12 at 8:28 AM, (XBOX)Rez090 said:

I'm a nope for mainly all of this. Would rather she have a spot in our orbiter instead and no shop involved. Just her.

I won't begrudge you your opinion. I want to make the Dojos more canonical and non-parasitic. My friends moved on, but I kept building our Dojo, and I want it to mean something. So I thought: If not friends, then NPC's! And who else but the Lotus? The other characters already have places you can travel to.

BUT: I can see a different point of view for someone with opposite circumstances to my own. If you're a low ranking member of a crumby clan who only lets you contribute resources, then yes, the Orbiter would be a much better choice. My recommendation though? Build your own clan. A Dojo (that you control) is 100x better than the Orbiter. (But a Dojo you can't control would be worse, I can't argue with that)

EDIT: By "crumby clan" I don't mean the clan itself is crumby. I mean that the ones managing it don't give any freedoms to their members. I think it would be a pretty crumby experience to be invited to a clan and then exploited for resources without being given a creative voice for the Dojo.

As far as the shop goes, imagine this scenario:
Say you have 196,278 Ferrite, and only 20 Tellurium. But you want to--I don't know--make some Operator pants that require 30 Tellurium. So you go to the Lotus and, wouldn't you know it: She's offering 1 Tellurium for every 15,000 Ferrite that day! So you hand over 150,000 Ferrite, get 10 Tellurium, and you've got your pants cooking in the forge! AND the transaction adds enough affinity to Lotus that she gets another skill point. You use it on her Cache Perception skill set, which now lets you see hidden caches in Sabotage missions within 30m; now your cache-grabs are efficient enough that you actually are excited to farm them.

Personally, if there were a system like that, I'd be using it quite often. It's a new use for resources (which many players really need) and a system to grant permanent QOL buffs to missions. Win, and win.

I mean, if not a shop, what would you even do otherwise?

 

Lastly (sort of): Thank you everyone. It's always such a boost to my mood to log on and see the notification bell. Even disagreement means somebody read it, which means I haven't written this much only to have it ignored. And, though I know this is a pipe dream: Maybe, just maybe, someone at DE will want a break from their daily slog and decide to go on the Fan Concepts page, they'll see this idea, see that people are talking about it, give it a glance, and think: 'You know... why don't we make the Dojos a part of the real game? And why haven't we made the Lotus someone you can interact with? And we should use some fan concepts now and then so people know we listen...' And poof! All my platinum, farming, planning, and brainstorming will mean something. For that to even be a possibility, I thank you.

 

Now for the true lastly, I haven't given up on generating Lotus lines:

• "Confession time: I really dropped the ball on that Raptor mission. Had I done my usual research, I could have just sent you in with three bombs."
• "Whenever I tell you during a Defense mission that reinforcements are available, I actually have them on the other line. I have to look into their Kubrow-pup eyes and tell them whenever you don't need them."
• "Because I can change my shape, there is literally no man in this entire system that I cannot go out with. And yet: I'M STILL SINGLE!!! It's like: the ones who are nice are too intimidated, and the ones who are not intimidated can't be nice. Ugh."
• "I can't think of anything more cruel than skewering a Sentient with Bonewidow's Meat Hook, and then just leaving it parked next to an Immunode Pod. But I'll keep trying!"
• "You may be wondering why I don't send you all the life support modules you'd ever need for Survival missions. Well, it's just cheaper to scrap the mission entirely than it is to pay for too many of those modules. If you take out enemies, though, then I can use existing bounties and contracts to budget for more modules."
• "The Obelisk that fell on Europa was the largest ever built. Probably the worst spacetime disaster of the last century. The movie was great though."
• "'Why are there no missions on the sun!?' I swear this Operator who loves her Ember has been nagging me to my wit's end. There's nothing to do at the sun! Sheesh!"
• "I can tell just by looking at you, you're someone who always gives their pet a little attention when you walk by, huh? Good for you!"
• "I'm not saying we should, but I would destroy you in a K-Drive race."
• "Have you been in a Murex? That's why my favorite color is blue."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

2 hours ago, ProvokedMoss said:

Fun fact, Natah was a Mimic Queen. Literally sent to transform herself into whoever she needed to in order to get to the tenno, thats why she can be Natah, Lotus, or Margilus. Her Lotus form is acutally based on Margilus in body and lower face.

 

So the envying mimics line still works, but I would make it a more "sometimes its nice to have peace and quiet" feel.

Wow good catch! That does ring a bell now that you say it. Thanks! In all honesty I can't claim it was intentional, but I agree with you that it could be interpreted more as 'I envy their choice of form' rather than 'I envy their abilities.' I will reflect on this moving forward...

• "Oh you're going out on another mission? Do you have enough grates for your entire squad to drop at the start?"
• "I borrowed your Magistar to do some exercises. And I used your Galvacord to help with some stretches. I know I should have asked, but then you might have said 'no.'"
• "The Grineer are ran by a few dictators who control people with propaganda and fear, while the Corpus are ran by a the super rich elite who use the concept of financial 'freedom' to enslave the poor. Is this new? Or did people of the past also deal with these kinds of corruption?"
• "The Gammacor was designed by someone who was obsessed with me in the past. He thought it would impress me. But like, it's a 'secondary' weapon! Am I supposed to be his 'secondary' woman? Pass."
• "I've been pestering Cephalon Cy to let me try out the Railjack's Slingshot, but he's such a killjoy!"
• "I didn't expect you to visit of the caves in Orb Vallis so soon! I suppose I 'under' estimated you! *snickering* Sorry, everything is funny to me whenever I drink the stuff Baro Ki'Teer sells me."
• "I want you to know that we don't inherit our parent's physical traits. I was worried that you might be thinking that ever since you say Hunhow."
• "The Loki frame is why I installed locks on my door."
• "I feel like I'm forgetting something... AH! We left all those other Tenno on the moon! I've... got some things to take care of..."
• "Who invented the various Focus Schools? They were adapted from Dax philosophies and skills. When the Tenno started to be used for combat, they had to be trained the veteran warriors. Teshin won't tell me what school he was in."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

6 hours ago, CoffeeElemental said:

OOF

There's something so delightfully symmetrical about someone with the username "CoffeeElemental" responding to someone with the username "Probably_Asleep." And with that:

• "Some people online said some very hurtful things about the shape of my body. After crying it out, I came up with the perfect response! Anyway, thanks for handling that Capture Mission even though it turned into an Extermination Mission."
• "Did you know you can refresh your Railjack speed boost quicker by toggling in and out of sprint mode? ...Why are you looking so surprised!? I HAVE HELPFUL THINGS TO SAY SOMETIMES!"
• "Have you ever wondered why you're invulnerable while performing a finisher? My brother thinks this is a dumb theory, but I believe that the laws of this universe will submit to something if it's 'bad' enough. I call it the 'epic force!'"
• "I actually had a Tenno ask me: 'If a Warframe is strong enough to be shot through the reinforced hull of a starship, then why does it get damaged by someone swinging a stick?' I just chuckled and said: 'Because the hull isn't fighting for its life.'"
• "Next time you go to Cetus could you pick me up some Mortus Lungfish? I saw a recipe for dip that I wanted to try."
• "A part of terraforming requires Sentients to be able to eat and convert any material into usable construction components. That's why you hardly find anything unique on Sentient ships; they're basically built out of dirt! That's also why I can always finish my plate no matter how badly its burnt."
• "Nef Anyo is bald, but he's wealthy. He's a maniacal dictator that oppresses the weak, but he's got that mustache. I'm conflicted."
• "If you were really good at aiming, then you could fire a weapon with punch-through, and then use another weapon through the same hole. But you're not, so don't try."
• "Many of the Warframes are based on ancient legends that have long been forgotten. I hope that when 'Legend of Lotus' is long forgotten, there will be a Warframe that still carries the spirit of what I stood for. Although every Warframe is a tortured soul broken and deformed by the unspeakable horrors of the infested. Tough call..."
• "Those Corpus Cleaning Drones are amazing! That would make a great gift for someone. Maybe someone that helps so much with missions that she doesn't have time to clean?"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

Maybe I'll stop at 1000. For now I don't seem to be running out of ideas so I might as well keep building the Lotus "when she trusts you" character:

• "When you went to fight the Jackal, I really did think that first moa was it. That was embarrassing. You may not have noticed, but I got a lot quieter after that point in the mission."
• "I have dreams too, you know. I'm not going to tell you how it ended, but last night I dreamt that everyone was a noggle statue."
• "I let Ordis run one of your missions once on Jupiter. He had been begging me for weeks. For some reason he's never asked since..."
• "Just because they're called 'Sentients' doesn't mean that every one you see can think for itself. Just like how not all Tenno are smart enough to remember the anniversary of my becoming their roommate..."
• "I really like that E'·phem·e·ra! Eph·e'·me·ra? Eph·em·e'·ra? I don't know how to say it!"
• "Sniper weapons may not seem to have a place in your arsenal when I keep deploying you to enclosed areas, but remember: Just because they're standing close by, doesn't mean they have any less of a skull."
• "If you're having trouble with Interception Missions, then you might want to try making some friends. NO wait that that came out wrong! I mean make them, in the forge. Specters! I'm sure you have friends!"
• "After that Hijack Mission, you're probably wondering just how much energy your shields actually have. Let's just say that a dozen Warframes could probably power all of Fortuna."
• "I tried my hand at drawing a Warframe I would like to see one day. I call it 'Awkwaros.' It's special ability is to make enemies so uncomfortable that they literally can't even. I threw the drawing away though. It was making me too uncomfortable."
• "Could you teach me one of your Narta's? They look fun."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

I was planning on stopping at 100 lines, but this has become therapeutic, and I'm starting to really like this secret side of the Lotus (even though it only exists in my subconscious). SO:

• "Do you remember The Sergeant from Phobos? Yeah, me neither."
• "Where does Teshin get off sending you on those awful 'Steel Path' missions!? Most people you run missions for are like: 'Please save us!' But he's like: [imitating Teshin] 'Go put your life at risk for honor and glory!' or some garbage like that. It really irks me, as you can see."
• "Margulis believed that the Man in the Wall was created from the Tenno children exposed to the void, but the Entrati say that's impossible because he was there before the Zariman Ten-0 incident. Personally, I agree with Margulis. Time has no meaning in the Void, and my gut tells me we're all caught in a causal loop."
• "There's no such thing as an 'inferior Warframe.' They were once people, whose interests and skills became the core of their power. People are not superior or inferior to one another, so neither are the Warframes."
• "The Sentients don't sweat, you know. So just because my clothes are dry doesn't mean I'm slacking off or anything. I'm assuming that's why you keep looking at my armpits."
• "Don't be offended when I call you 'Tenno' okay? It's just, I deal with so many and I get the names mixed up. I've embarrassed myself way too many times."
• "I haven't seen you in a while! I'm not mad or anything. It's good for you to take some time off and rest up. Welcome back!"
• "You didn't take something from the fridge that said: 'celebration desert for Lotus' right? You can be honest with me. I won't blast a hole in your heart or anything like that."
• "I took a look at your video feed while you were fishing. You were on fire! It was like: 'fwip', got one; 'fwip', got another, 'fwip', ten more! Amazing. I love spying on your... I mean uh... monitoring... _{whenever you're in danger and stuff...} [trails off]"
• "It's been a while since you applied for another Mastery Rank. I'm happy if you're happy, but I think it's healthy for the mind to work towards a goal."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

Making up for lost time, here's the 91-100 Lotus Lines:

• "I didn't say anything... embarrassing while I was full Natah did I? Truth be told, I was kind of a nerd when I was younger. I really liked acting all epic and cool. I just shutter thinking about all the poetic and philosophical rants that I prided myself on those days."
• "Things never would have worked out between Margulis and Ballas, if we're being real here. While I can't say for certain, I know that the version of her that he remembered was pure and tender. She would have left him the moment brought harm to children."
• "So I've got this theory. Just run with me on this one. First, Tenno don't need any facilities to eliminate... you know. But you do eat, right? So where does it go? It has to be the void, right? If I'm correct, then of course the Man in the Wall hates us! The Tenno have been crapping on his lawn for centuries!"
• "Sometimes our entire universe just 'flips out' for no reason. Doors don't work, people behave weirdly, and so on. If that happens, be sure to get a good night of rest. Just conking out and getting back into it always seems to clear it up."
• "Did you just scan me!?"
• "We don't know how the Parazon does what it does. Even if you change your Warframe, the new one will suddenly have an identical one to the last. I think it's manifest from the Operator's will."
• "If you get a rapid succession of headshots, it will sound identical to when I sprint barefoot on wet carpets. Just a tiny bit of trivia to brighten your day!"
• "I just finished this fan-fic romance novel about Councilor Vay Hek falling for a Sister of Parvos, and it was good. I'm so emotional right now!"
• "Getting hit with void energy for a Sentient feels like a railgun to the stomach while spinning fast enough to see everything as horizontal stripes. It's nauseating."
• "Thanks again for letting me stay here. Keeping the system safe is rewarding, but not necessarily fun. Doing it with friends, though? That's fun."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

It's been a while! Life got in the way, but it's time for 10 more Lotus Lines for when (optimism) DE decides my idea is the best one ever and makes Lotus an interactable NPC that validates the worth of our Dojos.

• "I want to like the Entrati, I do. But... those aren't Orokin skulls in the Necramechs..."
• "You know how the Mausolon syphons life energy to build its secondary fire? Well, I have a riddle for you: Why do robots charge it? Maybe think about that next time you run a Corpus mission."
• "Oh by the way, I had to buy a new keyboard and it's sort of your fault. The other day you entered a room filled with enemies and wiped them out in one shot. No survivors; no one was even alerted. And in the silence you said: 'That, was a close one!' And I literally 'erupted' in laughter. My drink went everywhere. I was so glad I had the mic muted."
• "Any time I wonder if the enemy deserves a Tenno to visit them, I look at their alerting behavior. I mean, think about it: You have an immortal enemy that can bend the very rules of physics, and you tell your comrades to COME and HELP you? A good person would get on the intercom and say: 'Evacuate! Run for your lives!' But not them."
• "You may think that you've only just mastered your void powers, but how do you think wall latching and aim gliding work? You think it's natural for a giant metal soldier to defy gravity just because you want it to?"
• "I don't know why people always want to add 'hopeless' before 'romantic.' Is it really hopeless to think love can be found? Okay, fine, I may be single going on several hundreds of years but... I'll find it one day! *sigh* I does sound hopeless when I say it out loud..."
• "When's the last time you restrung your bows? If you don't take better care of your weapons, I'm going to 'snap' at you! ... Oh c'mon! Not even a chuckle?"
• "When you're by yourself, I help out with the double-locks on some doors in your missions. But I don't do it when you're in a squad because then your allies would never stop running around. I swear it's like herding kavats with you Tenno."
• "Have you heard the latest song that the kids in the Bash Lab are listening to? It goes like: 'He was a K-Drive boy, but she never A-rrived, boy. He wasn't flair enough for her.' It's about a K-Drive boy who gets stood up buy a fancy rich girl. But don't worry, he gets the last laugh!"
• "Your Railjack Crew have a lot of nice things to say about you. We actually chat a lot since you hardly run any Railjack missions. They're like: 'We get paid to just sit in a docked ship all day; it's great!'"

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

While I'm on the forum, I might as well generate 10 more lines:

• "Where did Little Duck get her nickname? What is a 'duck?' I've searched through so many archives and nothing has turned up."
• "Isn't it odd how mods can be connected to technology from any age? Who invented them? Things like these things keep me up at night."
• "I really want to see what happens when the void element gets combined with others. Is it a primary one like toxin or heat? Or is it secondary? It's a shame there are no innate void mods or weapons."
• "You seem pretty annoyed. Is it because the 'assassination' targets never seem to stay dead? Well, maybe this will cheer you up, I have a secret. Come over here. [whispers] _{THEY HAVE ALL STAYED DEAD}."
• "I heard something interesting the other day. It would seem that part of Corpus recruit training includes an entire day dedicated to: 'Keep your lockers locked!' And in that class they say that Tenno are dirty thieves who will go through any unlocked locker they find. Well, get back out there you dirty thief!"
• "It just kills me that I can't tell Saya about Onkko. I don't know how you keep a straight face, honestly. Remind me never to play cards with you."
• "There is nothing--and I repeat: nothing--more exhausting than asking Cephalon Simaris what his interests and hobbies are. Worst. Date. Ever."
• "I have a present for you! Or... I had a present for you. I accidentally left it in a Grineer facility. But don't worry! I'll create a mission so you can go and get it."
• "If you let me help with disruption missions, then I could tell you which direction the demo units are coming from. But Vox Solaris has this dumb notion that everyone involved gets a share in the goods, so they won't let me."
• "The one thing I miss about my previous form is having longer fingers. I also liked having claws for whenever I was cooking."

[Lotus wants to move in with you]

11 hours ago, Quest said:

I've been following this thread for like 2 weeks out of morbid curiosity, and I still can't tell if this is serious or just a very elaborate troll.

But if you are serious, I'm not a fan of the idea of having more things restricted to a dojo. I'd much prefer this to happen in the drifter camp or even just a new room in the regular ship.

As far as the voice lines are concerned, I am conflicted to say the least. Some of them are great. Some of them walk a very fine line between being funny and being overly risque/inappropriate. From your other posts on this thread, I can only assume this is deliberate. And some lines, while not necessarily alarming, simply don't sound like they would come from the Lotus specifically. I would much prefer a lot of them go to Ordis, or even just a new character entirely.

First off, thanks for following. I'm never sure if things are just being sent to the void or not.

Secondly, I'm surprised about the dojo hesitation! My take on it is this (it's a bit ranty so I'll cordon this off as optional reading):

Spoiler

The dojo is the most customizable space in the game (if you're the owner of the dojo). Not only is the decoration versatility higher than the orbiter, but the entire floorplan is as well. With that context, the dojo (in my opinion) is the most personal space in Warframe. It represents the most of you. I can see the counterargument of course: the Orbiter is completely under your control, while the dojo is a community space, so the "you" represented in the dojo is divided by its participating member count. (Which can range in the 100's or more) But if you're a small Clan, then the dojo easily surpasses the orbiter in personal investment. And what that proves (at least to me), is that the dojo has the highest potential personal investment in the game, and therefore is the prime candidate for primary personal expression. So it's sad how nonessential it is. Once the research is done, it's done. Drydocks are available at relays. Trading is more useful at the bazaar where you're not limited to clan members. I'm not sure how many people do Lich Training. In my experience, the most useful thing it provides (at least for me) is when running The Index (which might be a bug for all we know). For something that means so much to some people, wouldn't it also mean a lot to add canonical elements and non-parasitic gameplay to it as well? Why not add an optional range of quests and upgrades? Why not add a useful shop? It would finally justify all the personal investment that thousands (or maybe just hundreds) of players have put into it. Floorplans would actually mean something if you had to run a mission there. And the hollow, lonely halls would finally be lively if you had NPC's wandering around, along with other players there to interact with them. It would breath life into the system.

TL;DR: Why not take a feature with essentially just emotional significance, and give those emotions validation by adding a practical value? I only see that as a net gain.

Thirdly (or... tertiarily? This is why I use bullets), That's completely fair about the dialog. My only defense is that it's the nature of brainstorming. For what it's worth, I'll define some boundaries I put on my brainstorming (but it's also ranty so I'll once again make it optional:

Spoiler

I start with a topic (syndicates, other NPC's, mysteries, etc.) and I try to imagine what the Lotus would say about the topic. Then I flavor it with the mindset that she's actually a real person, who doesn't have a lot of friends (going on hundreds of years now), and therefore isn't well versed in social cues; her previously seen demeanor was a well-controlled front built out of uncertainty and an inorganic grasp on interpersonal interactions. So it's those three elements: Player-significant topic, Lotus' insight, and how introverts open up when they feel comfortable in a 1-on-1 conversation. (Because if I'm going to relate to someone, they'll have to be an introvert) I set those boundaries, and then I just force my stream of consciousness to spit out whatever 10 lines it wants. And the result is the 70 lines you see above. The only thing I'd add to that is that, as I've written them, a personality for the Lotus has started to form and that has started to shape what I feel like she would say.

TL;DR: I'm writing a new character; the Lotus when she's around a friend. As a born introvert, I can say confidently that who we are is split between who we do and don't trust. Writing (at least for me) is a feedback loop of brainstorming and intuiting. I hope it's not offending anyone though. I just let whatever occurs to me go on to the page.

FOURTHLY, about the risqué stuff. I do try to put a limit on that. My thought is that good friends censor hurtful comments, but are free to say anything else in the spirit of comedy or concern. My best friendships have all had that level of openness; so it's natural that writing a "friend Lotus" would have overly personal things. But my limit can probably best be described when listening to Varzia. Her dialog is lower than I'd ever see the Lotus going, even among friends.