Finally, a legit curse slips out during a level with way too many spikes. “Fuck! I mean fudge! Ugh! Thats my only legit swear! The others don’t count!” Thats 3 whole outfits the AI gets to pick…. He hopes its not too horrific. He has to maintain that near nudity is not an outfit and hope it’s not like… super girly princess frills or something.

”Is it almost over? I’ve been playing for aaaaages” He whines to chat. 

(the pink number does in fact increase to 3!)

Big_Daddy: Hahaha, no.

SugarIsSweet: It's been... coming up on an hour and a half, now?

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Without spoilers; it's possible to speedrun TEIN in under half an hour, or 100% it in less than two.

cryptic1881: he's NOT on track to do that, lol

Big_Daddy: No, first completion is nowhere near a speedrun.

SugarIsSweet: He might still finish this stream, though?

Manager-chan: Maybe! But since we did just hit a new milestone... it's time to announce what the numbers are for!

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Pink numbers time!

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: 👀

“No! Bad! Don’t you dare tell!” If they know it’s for outfits they’ll demand to see them on stream! And what if they are humiliating! Worse, AI will probably want audience participation in the choices. “Come on I’ve been really very good about it! Let me off pleaaaaassseee.”

"I already told you I would, silly! Now, it's just the question of what the outfits actually are. Mayyyybe I'll go easier on you if you're good about this?"

Manager-chan: As you probably know, Valentine here is a new Eta, and he doesn't have a lot of nice outfits yet.

Manager-chan: I'd like to get him to try new things, but he's pretty shy... though he did agree to a little game with me for this stream!

Manager-chan: So, until he finishes this game, every time he says a bad word, that counter goes up! Each number means another new outfit!

cryptic1881: what kind of new outfits?

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: will there be pics?

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Something pink, maybe? 😏

SugarIsSweet: Are you taking suggestions?

Manager-chan: Haha, we'll talk about one or more of those things next time the number goes up!

Big_Daddy: So... in a few minutes, then? 😈

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: 😈

cryptic1881: 😈

“You’re all terrible, actually the worst. I said I’d wear them out in public or on stream… so please don’t make it too bad… I’m not like most Eta’s! So nothing you would see on lewd twitter please.” There, spilling deets to the audience. That’s sure to drive engagement. Does that count as good?

SugarIsSweet: Hmm... fair to not want to get forced into something sexy and revealing.

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Yeah, Valentine wants to be cute instead!

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: it's working!

cryptic1881: 😂

Focusing back on the game instead of the imminent fashion discussions soon reveals the reason why it had been speculated that more swearing would be imminent; while the first half of the third world had no drowning mechanic, the second half replaces the water with "polluted water"... which is apparently full of acid or something, and has a very quick 'drowning' mechanic, in that you die after three heartbeats of being immersed in the stuff (the game even plays up the heartbeat noise for it; ba-Dum-ba-Dum-ba-DEAD). What proceed are levels where you have to very quickly dive into and pop out of polluted water to grab loot or dodge spikes, levels that quickly flood with polluted water from bottom to top, and the odd level with murder frogs making the surface unsafe while you try to quickly dodge spikes, grab loot, and escape from the water (fortunately, it kills the frogs even faster than it kills you).

“Why would you make this? This mechanic is the worst! I haaaaaate thiiiiiiiissssss.” The desk gets some abuse now from rage slams of the controller. Poor desk. “Stupid fudging fudgehole, screw your mother.”

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: You say that now...

Some of the polluted water levels are completely ridiculous, in that the only way to get to the loot would be to maintain your momentum while bouncing in and out of polluted water at the right angles to avoid getting stuck on something and 'drowning'; that winds up being a clear skip after a bit of testing reveals how nasty it is. The next complication is spike enemies dropping down from the ceiling when you get close... which are just one more thing to dodge while avoiding death, and don't add that much extra complication (although the game tries to trick you with two enemies positioned to drop as near-misses to where you need to be, before the third drops right on you). Then there's a level where the loot is sealed in a small chamber right by the start, and there's a bunch of crumbly platforms over polluted water full of spikes, and it doesn't unlock until the crumbly platforms are gone (which proves relatively easy to do backwards, once Andrea thinks to try that trick again).

And then... there's a level with a couple of evil floaty blobs surrounded by clouds of gas the same colour as the polluted water was. A quick test confirms that the 'drowning' effect does indeed function in that radius.

“Can I trade a specific outfit for a swear? Because gnnhhhh this game deserves it. I’m not good at this kind of game! I’ll do cat ears and tail for a swear because ugh!” Desk controller slam! Cat ears would not be too bad since it can be worn with normal clothes, and they are frustrated! Not like the pink headphones don’t have ears on them already.

Whats even the view count? It seems to be mostly the same people chatting the whole time.

There are about three dozen viewers. The number fluctuates a bit, but it's in that range. Clearly, more are lurking than are actively chatting.

Big_Daddy: What, only cat ears and a tail?

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: 😍

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Lewd! I approve! 👍

SugarIsSweet: Maybe with a cute pink hoodie instead?  Like https://rb.gy/hfanby

Manager-chan: Sure! I'll allow it!

The next level, it becomes evident that you can bounce off the evil blobs emitting toxic gas just like with the murder frogs... because otherwise it'd simply be impossible to cross the screen-length bottomless pit. If you time your bounces correctly, you can get tiny gasps of air while 'riding' the floating toxic deathblob... but missing the landing, or landing wrong, or failing to bounce high enough will all cause death.

“Fuuuuuuuucccccckkkkk youuuuuuuu. You’re mom is a bad whore you stupid game. Go eat the nastiest of unwashed ugly bastard junk.” Andrea has FEELINGS about this game now. It’s a lot less cute and more real than saying darn and fudge. “There. I payed for that with kitty ears. And I’ll wear it over clothes you perverts!”

Andrea is failing… alot… getting stuck on stages often. The poor desk receives more and more abuse. “Why did I let myself get talked into this game!”

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Was that two bad words?

SugarIsSweet: I don't think 'whore' counts?

amoralCompass: i do

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: me too

cryptic1881: yeah, it's very bad language 😆

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Bit of a stretch; it's not a swear?

Big_Daddy: Sure, 'whore' might not be a swear, but it's 'vulgar' and 'derogatory' according to my dictionary here... which is basically how it describes all the 'bad words'.

Manager-chan: The deal related to bad words, not swears, so sure; I'll count it.

(the number in the corner increases twice, going to 5)

Manager-chan: Valentine already picked out one of the five, but I haven't decided about the others yet.

SugarIsSweet: Understandable. With or without the hoodie I suggested?

Manager-chan: Hmm... since he just said 'cat ears and tail' without specifying... I'll give him both of those, plus optional hoodie and underwear, so he can wear less of the outfit if he wants to! 😀

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Sounds fair, lol

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: are you taking suggestions, then?

Manager-chan: I'm not, like, promising to take them? But I can't stop you from making them, either.

The next levels include; jumping between spike-covered pillars in areas filled with toxic gas, being chased by evil toxic blobs while making a series of difficult jumps... and a nasty map that's basically entirely poisonous, between toxic gas above and polluted water below, darting quickly and precisely between each tiny pocket of safe air... and then back through it all a second time to get the loot! (the pause menu suggests this last is also the last level in Overflow, so the poison theme is probably about to change).

“Whoooo-are does not count! If you play mean with deals I’ll stop taking them!”

The poor desk is abused further and if they weren't an Eta class and still a human they might actually have damaged their lip with how hard they are biting it to hold back curses. He is downright angry at this game. He hates sucking at something, and in front of people is even worse.

The irritation in Andrea's mental voice is clear as she responds to that last outburst.

"That's not how it works, you dummy! You know that the point of all my little deals and games are, like, so I don't have to punish you directly? Or at least, not as much? That means that you get a lot more choices and stuff... but it also means you've got more room to get in trouble! Do you think I'm, like, being too mean, or going too far? If I am, it's because you're being a brat, and most Partners would already have punished you for your bad language and rude behaviour."

There's a slight pause while she gives Andrea a moment to absorb this, and then she gives a more specific warning.

"I think that controller can't take much more of that! Throwing a temper tantrum and breaking your own toys isn't very cute... except maybe in a little girl; there are some very bratty Handheld models that play up that kind of thing. If you're going to keep acting like them, maybe I should get you some outfits in their style? And maybe even an easier and less-stressful job for you to do instead?"

There it is, the reminder he’s not dealing with a person, but a set of a goals. The way she’s talking to him makes him vividly remember his training, and he goes very quiet and pauses the game. He whispers too low for the mic to pick up. “I’ll be good… please don’t take this away from me, people expect streamers to rage at rage games…”

"Sure, but there are limits and stuff? Cute is a fuzzy boundary, appropriately enough! I wanna give you enough flexibility to be cute in your own way... but you were straying a bit, so I thought you could use a reminder!"

As if to cover for that moment, she sends another message at the same time.

Manager-chan: You've been pretty hard on that controller, Valentine? Is something wrong with it?

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Yeah, I think the jumps have gotten a little less responsive.

Big_Daddy: Come on, dude; there's no way you can tell that by looking!

cryptic1881: he might just be tilted?

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: Yeah, just baby streamer things, I think? No one watching should be shocked to learn that we Etas aren't perfect!

SugarIsSweet: Even experienced human streamers still take breaks for bio stuff now and then. It's no big deal if he needs a minute or so.

He puts on a smile for the stream before anyone gets suspicious. “Hey guys, I’m fine. Just needed to calm down. Manager-chan is picking out enough outfits for me as it is.”

He keeps playing the game, and is much better at not slamming the desk or even fake cursing, he really was playing it up before because thats just what people do is exaggerate reactions for content.

SugarIsSweet: Fair enough!

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Some streamers' attempts went way worse!

With a bit more focus and perseverance, Andrea is able to make it out of the toxic area, and into a new zone! It... looks like a split in the path, and is appropriately named "The Split".

Signposts point down, up (one skull), and forwards (two skulls, and through a wall... but it looks very suspiciously like a destructible wall). The skeleton in the left upper area belligerently insists that you "back the fuck off" (in between calling you an ugly, stinky 'descender'), because it found the game cartridge first, and it hid it ages ago... before promptly mentioning "i'm glad i built this false wall, really keeps out the riff raff".

… The game is heavily hinting to do the false wall… but skulls usually show difficulty… This seems like a trap of some kind. “Do I let the game fake me out? It really wants me to do the false wall. One skull or two…. But it wants me to do the two skulls… so I should do one skull? Is this a princess bride situation where I’m trying to think too many layers deep?.” Paranoia wins out. “One skull, fudge it.”

And Andrea sends the character to the top path with one skull.

cryptic1881: definitely overthinking, lol

Big_Daddy: Zone order doesn't really matter? You can go back whenever you like.

LP_Outside_Any%_Glitchless: Mostly true, but it matters more in a blind playthrough.

amoralCompass: ?

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: I know what you mean, but don't explain yet, because spoilers.

Manager-chan: Yes; he can find out on his own later.

The top path leads to the "Wall of Sorrow", which over the course of the first few levels seems to be themed around bottomless pits (on every level so far), spiky walls that slide in and out on several levels...

...soon followed up by this zone's new mechanics; cloud-platforms that are weighed down by the character (but float back up when unoccupied), and ghost enemies that drift across the screen from right to left while bobbing up and down.

It's refreshingly easy in comparison with the last few levels of the Overflow... which is to say that tight timing is still needed to slip between spiked wall segments and stationary ones, and a bit of trial and error is needed in steering a given cloud up and down to avoid enemies, but the game is clearly pulling its punches... for the moment.

SugarIsSweet: WoS first? Interesting route choice!

cryptic1881: he's cute when he's all serious and concentrating!

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: he's cute all the time!

Big_Daddy: 👍

waluigi7: 👍

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: 👍

Gosh reading chat and being called cute so often is kinda… a thing. Theres definitely feelings about it, he just hasn’t decided wich ones yet. At least everyone is gendering him correctly. He whines. “Guyyyssss stop calling me cuuuuuuute. It’s distracting me.”

He’s doing his best to get through, pure platforming challenges like this are kinda refreshing, not much worse than something from mario or yoshis island.

SugarIsSweet: Aww, he's blushing now! Sooo cuuuute!

Manager-chan: Yes, he is!

xXxFemboyFan69xXx: 💖

Alex_Eta_2ndGen: 💖

cryptic1881: 💖

The next level immediately ruins the 'pure platforming' aspect with the addition of a much nastier enemy than anything that has appeared in the game so far; a fairly quick skull-headed vulture thing that can fly through obstacles, and swoops around diving at the character. Its first dive at a given position is rather inaccurate, but the followup will hit.

This mostly seems to complicate any task that involves waiting for the right moment with the distraction of dodging any accurate swooping attacks. The fact that you can bounce off the vulture's head is either a small mercy, or a supremely wicked deed; it's not clear which, yet.

“YOU ARE NOT HELPING MANAGER, don’t encourage theemmmmmm.” You know what makes tricky platforming designed by a sadist even harder? Being bullied by chat is what.

He dies ALOT.