#second image is a slight reference to lore | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lazaruspiss · 2 years ago

Text

Justice League x RW/BY: Super Heroes and Huntsmen (Part One)

gonna be honest i kinda keep forgetting that this movie exists. the animation and music is very... rw/by. for better or for worse. corny quippy one liners. it's very corny. adding a cut bc this'll probably get a bit rambly.

AHHH THE FLASHBACK IS A STILL FRAME. the first thing to make me laugh wasnt even a joke it was the single still frame flashback. well. there was a slight zoom?

it's trying to be funny so bad its trying so hard. the serious dialogue is corny but could be worse. overall its better than the crossover comics? making the DC characters teenagers seems pointless.

oh god the dialogue is so hammy. the fists are hammed. weiss good and weiss dad bad yes i noticed. christ im only 8 minutes in. physically recoiling at some of the jokes. like its nothing jokes its nothinggg.

IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE BRUCE? he's been on screen for like 10 seconds and he already sounds and acts like "wealthy teenage tiktok star tries to pander to the less ~economically privileged~" and god it keeps going it hasnt even been a minute yet. did they make them teenagers bc otherwise bruce wouldve run off and found some little boy to help him solve everything without the help of anyone else. is that why. bc honestly yeah adult bruce is hard to write into a team setting.

bruce continues to be embarrassing but also. im learning that the still image flashbacks are just a thing thats gonna happen in this movie. style wise its very much a rw/by movie, so its just probably not gonna hit for me. its the kind of show i watched in middle school and grew out of by 8th grade. even then, my interest kind of started and ended with the character design and the basic world building elements. emphasis on basic, trying to understand the more in depth aspects is a bit of a waste of time.

oh and im still at the 10 minute mark. "ive already gone through all the other dc x rw/by content" i thought, "might as well watch the movies" i thought.

i think theyre trying to write bruce doing a smart detective thing? unfortunately rw/by is very bad at writing people doing smart things. 1) cant stand bruces voice in this 2) god hes so annoying and this whole scene is embarrassing to watch.

GAHH. THE SAME FLASHBACK FRAME CLARK HAD BUT ZOOMED OUT THIS TIME. true cinema. and i think theyre alluding to time travel as well as dimension travel, so even the rw/by girls get to have weird "we're not where we should be" flashbacks.

diana manhandles the small boy, fun. it also rife with required reading bc if you arent fully dedicated to keeping track of all rw/by lore then fuck you. these movies dont seem to require much DC knowledge but they cram in a lot of references to rw/by lore that i only know from video essays put out by ex-fans.

hey guys did u remember that yang is lesbian. pretty cool right? right?? this movie is going by so slow.

MARI IS THAT YOU?? and jess... girls u deserve a better movie. oh vic got braids? nice. also that joke was nothing. all the jokes are nothing.

the best jokes so far have been. the ones about how convoluted and hard to get into rw/by is. because of course. sigh. i do think the DC characters are better utilized and integrated than they were in the comics at least. seeing mari and jess get animated is really cool, and overall i like the redesigns. a few of the characters have commented on suddenly being deaged but mari's acknowledgement of it is the first to feel like a natural line of dialogue rather than exposition.

montage of bruce learning to use his bat powers so that they can get that out of the way before he joins the rest of the group. separate things that were already discussed being re-discussed so that we can have a "everyone talks at once scene". they. what. huh? they had a normal conversation that landed on "lets split into groups since theres enough of us to reasonably do that. then they have an argument which ends at the exact same conclusion.

are they really gonna have a "yang thinks diana is hot and blake gets jealous" plot line? really? and another love triangle. cy tries to ask nora to explain this worlds weapons, noras boyfriend(?) gets mad and then cy gets mad back and ends up being the one everyone gets upset with. it feels a bit. just. super uncomfortable. cy wasnt flirting he was just. talking to nora.

oh thank god that bit is over. now back to jess! possibly the most interesting character here. her design is probably my least favorite of the bunch tho, just because it feel a bit... too anime? it reminds me too much of my danganronpa phase, lol.

jaune doing plot device things. jess introspection. its not the most interesting thing but its better than uh. whatever happened with cy earlier. sorry im still thinking about that. i think they were just going for hormonal and temperamental teenager moment but it uh. came off weird.

plot twist everything was uh. void. ptsd monster things. the plots about to get convoluted isnt it.

diana is pretty decently fleshed out in this one. and it looks like they didnt lean into the diana being hot as a source of relationship conflict that much aside from a few jokes, thank god.

for fucks sake shut up jaune i dont care about your dead girlfriend.

back to the monster fighting group, dear god theyre doing one of those. 2 guys fight over girl who goes "umm i can take care of myself >:(". GOD SHUT UP. FUCK. ITS A JEALOUS LOVE TRIANGLE PLOT. please let this die sooner rather than later.

bruce describes everything that was just established. bruce is emo. weiss tries to be nice. then back to jess and jaune. "i didnt realize how much i miss this place" yeah well i sure dont miss it. oh pyrra, however your name is spelled, you were the only character death that meant anything. now if only they didnt degrade her story into being all about jaune even in death.

have weiss and bruce just been on the computer this whole time. at least they eventually get a fight scene. lesbians to the rescue time. stuff and things. i still dont care and jaune. fuckin. creator self insert ass. he was originally comic relief/audience surrogate but turned into way too much of a main character. god jess deserves her own movie.

weiss please stop trying to recruit him this is just embarrassing. is this gonna be a whole thing? bruce deciding between earth and remnant? and god you cant put anime style gags in the middle of a serious scene. oh god theyre making bruce insecure about not having powers like the rest of the league. man who could've seen that coming. christ theres still 20 minutes left. FUCK AND A WHOLE SECOND MOVIE.

jess remains the coolest bitch in this movie. god why couldnt it be a jess green lantern movie.

lesbians on motorcycles, blah blah fight scene. oh god we're pretending batman is cool. fake flash? wheres real barry then :/ christ. they think this is a cool twist. tho possessed barry is pretty fun. god the actual canon explanation for making them teens was bc kilg%re figured the hormones would make them easier to fuck with.

obligatory "even teens can be leaders" speech. the determination of humanity or whatever.

HAAA BRUCE AND BARRY MORSE CODE COMMUNICATION. ok thats cute.

so smth smth final battle but theres a mysterious second bad guy so that they still have content for a second movie. i like how they show vixen's powers, that parts fun. jess does main character thing and kills big bad. bruces conflict about going home is resolved. cy goes and makes amends with nora and guy who likes nora, despite guy who likes nora being the one to cause all the conflict in the first place. they make the go home portals. set up for next movie.

#the rw/by stuff

1 note · View note

under-lore · 2 years ago

Text

EDIT 14/03 : Since many people have been sharing this post around (mostly on reddit) and incorrectly assuming it to be the full argument tied with the book reveals mentioned, please keep in mind this was made just a few hours after the book extracts were released and it doesn’t contain all the information there is at all about the book or even about the arguments made regarding the extracts. It was just made (in a slight rush, i may add) to briefly inform people of the overall discoveries made via the book a few hours earlier. There are more things to say about those with are not shared in this post !

So you may have heard about the Undertale legends of localisation 3 book currently available for pre-order of Fangamer.

Recently, a few images from this book have made their way online a few of them are very intriguing lore wise. At first i’ve suspected them to be fake due to the magnitude of the information given, but after verification those did in fact turn out to be real extracts from the book.

This book is a document which is both specified as "made with full access to Toby Fox" and "not part of Undertale merch" (Possibly to avoid the stigma about debatable merch canonicity due to Toby’s old tweet about it ?).

(Most) of it was not written by hand by Toby but it was said to be reflective of Toby's vision of the game and is therefore to be considered as official information.

The most important piece of information to have come out of this book as of today is the following section, more specifically the first paragraph.

And this tells us several very important things that seem to confirm and deconfirm a couple of old UT fan theories !

To start with the less important one :

1 - Chara is excluded from "The three members of the Dreemurr family".

This line coupled with the alarm clock dialogue and a couple lines where Toriel and Asgore refer to Chara in an odd manner seem to imply that Chara may not have wanted to be considered a Dreemurr (Which the Dreemurrs would respect, but the rest of the kingdom would still assume them to be Asriel's sibling), or that they were simply never properly 'adopted' by the Dreemurrs and only lived and were treated as if they were.

(is Chara not considered their child ?)

2 - The Undertale three entities thesis is correct. That is, that there is a trio of 3 entities able to control Frisk's body (Frisk, Chara, and the player.)

This has two sides, first off, it means that :

1) Chara does in fact, have to be bound with Frisk in every route and not just in genocide. There were already several ways to know this via the game of course, but no direct implication of this from outside media existed until now. (There were a couple indirect ones)

It is however not a proof of NarraChara as it could still be possible for Chara to fulfill this role described here by being around Frisk, but not necessarily also being the narrator of the game. Nevertheless, it does still fairly strongly supports the theory and deconfirms one of its antithesises).

And 2) : The second side is that this would also have to make the player a canon entity in Undertale as well in order to complete that triforce. The player cannot be a third party vying for control of Frisk’s body if they do not exist in-world.

You can also point out how just before saying that, the text also portrays Monsters, Humans and the player as a set of three and thus shows that Frisk must be a different entity from the player that way as well.

This book contains yet more information to be analysed and whilst i intend to obtain my own physical copy as soon as possible, until then updates regarding it will only be as fast as new information appears.

#undertale #Undertale theory #undertale frisk #undertale chara #frisk #chara #Asriel #toriel #asgore #undertale player #undertale asriel #undertale asgore #Undertale Toriel #chara dreemurr #sorry for being gone for like a whole month #im gonna post again now #hopefully

634 notes · View notes

destiny-smasher · 4 years ago

Text

DownRight Fierce Dev Update (9/2021)

Not sure if this is something folks here would want to see, but I'll share this update I shared with patrons for the original visual novel I've been working on, DownRight Fierce. It was conceived back in, like, 2014, but since just before the pandemic hit, I've been working on it as a visual novel. It's sort of like...if Street Fighter and Butterfly Soup had a kid? That was born before Butterfly Soup came out? And has been slacking off for a few years? There is a fully playable, mostly presentable demo of the prologue and first three chapters, feel free to contact me if you're interested in trying it out and providing feedback.

Thanks to the support I've received on Patreon lately, I've been able to commission more outfits for the main characters, new expressions, and was able to pay Hayley to re-organize the sprites so I have some more control over mixing and matching different things. We've also implemented a new pose for Nishiko's sprite when they're sending text messages (on their antiquated cell phone).

(all of the character art so far I have commissioned from my friend Hayley Sakura-Rose12)

I ended up deciding to have that sprite made when I implemented a whole text convo with Seiko near the end of Chapter 3. (or partway through the chapter, depending on what the reader chooses - OR they can even skip this conversation altogether, potentially)

The biggest updates to DRF lately have mostly been cosmetic: adding in more facial expressions and effects.

One example of this has been incorpating a more seamless and atmospheric effect for moments when Nishiko gets lost in thought.

There will be a recurring and increasingly important component tied to this, so I'm glad Jenny helped inspire me to pursue this kind of idea. You can also see here a version of Nishiko's sprite which has been visually updated with more texture, alternate color, etc., and that's something she intends to do with the other characters when time allows (she's been very busy for like, over a year now).

Fire and smoke are key visual symbols for Nishiko's character, so Jenny has been helping me figure out ways to express this more through the UI, etc.

(my wife Jenny has worked on the UI, giving it a more gritty look, and she's modified Nishiko's sprite in this image to give extra atmosphere to the character sprites; she also took a placeholder image and did work on it to showcase a potential art style for the backgrounds; we're considering something like this, though maybe including more color, perhaps intentionally depending on the setting)

But it's not just been visual stuff. I've also been adding in extra content, and incorporating more choices and elements that affect and are affected by the stats running in the background.

I've added in new short classroom scenes to help better illustrate Nishiko's experience inbetween social activities, while simultaneously using them to imply elements regarding Nishiko's attention span, as well as flesh out the lore of the world.

I've been a bit inspired by Tuca and Bertie in some weird ways, as well, trying to build lore within my own fighting game inspired world with references that double as, well, world building (like alluding to Street Fighter antagonist M. Bison via a political dictator who existed in this universe's history), including entire chunks of conversation that go in different branches based on weird Capcom humor that also serves to establish backstory.

Nishiko and Kayla bond over love of a dumb cheesy horror flick that's essentially one big meme featuring the 90's Street Fighter cartoon. The drinks in the vending machines are all Capcom references, but serve as a means of letting the reader more manually increase a stat of their choosing - and since they're vending machines, they recur, so as the reader might get to know what each drink is, they might make a deliberate choice to increase a specific stat on purpose, in a similar way to choosing to exercise, or meditate, or study.

A convo about Nishiko's prior schoolyear incorporates Dark Stalkers references while also, again, letting the reader affect stats in a narratively retroactive way.

I've fleshed out conversations in Chapter 3 to have lots of dialogue most readers won't see in a single playthrough, as well as making more efforts to lean readers toward experiencing certain scenes or moments they might have missed earlier, while allowing the possibility of skipping or missing out on scenes entirely should they choose.

For example, the end of Chapter 3 is focused on Nishiko's relationship with Seiko. There is a text chat convo that can happen in one of two different parts of the chapter, and an in-person convo I'm currently working on (the last planned new content for the demo). Both can be experienced, or one or the other, or the can both be skipped. I don't want to make the entire social life something optional, but I do want to have there be parts like this where the reader can choose to skip interacting with a character if they truly don't want to, to help reinforce the idea that every interaction is, in a sense, a deliberate choice.

Even something like picking 'the BAD' choices is something I want to not just feel like, say, Undertale's infamous 'genocide run' but rather something that is an expression of anger at the world around the main character, which even has some specific benefits - because people don't just become jerks because they like to feel bad, but because it serves them in some beneficial way. As a slight example, if the reader pushes Nishiko to become aggressive, their 'Psycho' stat will increase, which can lead to them having even more aggressive choices later, which further increase that stat. But as that stat increase, Nishiko will become more physically perceptive to certain details about the world around them, but in material ways rather than social ways. For example, they might sense certain inklings of things that allude to later plot points earlier than someone who is more cooperative and might learn more social backstory elements. It's likely not going to be some huge, monumental difference, but it hopefully will make a second playthrough feel noticeably different and give the reader more insight into certain things.

The planned demo will feature the prologue and the first three chapters. By the end, all four main characters will be introduced, and the reader should get a pretty good idea through bits of writing and visual presentation that the choices they make won't change the primary narrative, but will affect certain details and aspects of how things play out. This is actually related to a big plot element itself that will become important later. But for now, it's been really fun adapting content I wrote over five years ago into this format, fleshing it out, and trying to work out ways to not only make that content function better in an interactive format, but also just how to lay more foundation and foreshadowing for what's to come.

While the visuals are still far from finalized even for this demo, I do have a private build uploaded for anyone genuinely interested, as I still haven't received much in the way of feedback so far. I'm planning on releasing a public demo to itchio later on when we can get the visuals to look more finalized.

#DownRight Fierce #visual novel #lgbt #indie games #game development #fgc #fighting games #street fighter

12 notes · View notes

bewitching-elizabeth-olsen · 4 years ago

Text

Press: A Thorough Breakdown of All the Marvel Easter Eggs on WandaVision

POPSUGAR: WandaVision has finally arrived, and it’s chock-full of hidden goodies for Marvel fans to devour! While the series is built upon a mystery that we’ll be spending a reported nine episodes trying to figure out, the smallest details in each episode provide clues on where the show is heading. From supermarket banners to foreboding commercials, viewers have an abundance of references and callbacks to classic comic lore and pivotal MCU moments. Are they setting the stage for a big reveal at the end, or are they just fun details included for fans to enjoy? While we try to figure it all out, scroll through to see what we’ve gathered! And check back every week for an episode-by-episode breakdown as WandaVision progresses.

WandaVision Episode 7 Easter Eggs

The episode opens the morning after Wanda has expanded the border of the Hex, finding the Avenger hiding from the world under her comforter. The comforter in question has a hexagon pattern, which is both a nod to the overall theme of the show as well as a metaphor for how Wanda is literally hiding away under a hex.

Billy and Tommy run into the room to reveal that their video game console has been messing up. Everything in the house is glitching, trying to transform back to earlier versions of themselves.

Billy also tells his mother that his head hurts and things are “noisy.” Since the twin inherited his mother’s ability to read minds, it seems he’s able to hear the thoughts of everyone in the bubble (and near it on the outside, since he was able to hear his father when he was dying). It’s a sign that Billy’s powers are growing, which means we could see the little boy reach his Wiccan potential before the end of the season.

Wanda wanders into the kitchen as the news drones on in the background. The news station is called W.N.D.A. or Wanda. The newscaster makes pointed comments, noting that there’s “not a thing weighing heavily on your conscience,” and that they “hope your little ghosts arrived home safe last night. It’s always such a treat to see those creepy kiddos out and about once a year.” The comments refer to Wanda’s building guilt at her actions in the previous episode and the rare appearance of children during the Halloween episode.

As Wanda makes her breakfast of “Sugar Snaps,” a nod to the big Snap of the universe, her milk carton reverts from its modern design to the old school glass bottle and back. The carton has a missing person’s ad on the back with a picture of a little boy on the back. This could be a reference to the oft-mentioned absence of children of Westview, and what could have happened to them.

Wanda and the twins “break the fourth wall” frequently to talk to the camera in the same vein as Modern Family.

This week’s theme song sounds similar to The Office’s, which also usings talking head segments like Modern Family. The opening credits are similar to the show Happy Endings and allude to the show’s focus on Wanda, even attributing the creation of WandaVision to her with the title image. Vision is notably completely absent from the opening credits, but there’s a clue that someone else is watching in a message that reads, “I know what u are doing Wanda.”

Agnes stops by to take the boys off of Wanda’s hands, which the exhausted mother is exceedingly grateful for. The twins are visibly uncomfortable with the idea, with Tommy asking Wanda if they have to and Billy telling his mother that someone has to stay to take care of her. It seems like they can sense that something is off with their “kindly” neighbor.

Wanda sends them off with Agnes, but once they’re gone, her magic goes incredibly haywire. All the furniture begins glitching again, with the stork from the painting in episode three making a reappearance. “I don’t understand what’s happening,” Wanda laments during a talking head segment. “Why it’s all falling apart and why I can’t fix it.” The off-screen interviewer responds, “Do you think maybe it’s what you deserve?” which visibly unnerves Wanda, who notes that they aren’t supposed to speak. It’s another sign that Wanda does not have as much control as she’s been led to believe.

Cue the sixth commercial, and it’s even more pointed than any of the others have been. It’s an ad for the antidepressant Nexus, for “when the world doesn’t revolve around you. Or does it?” The drug allows people to anchor themselves to the reality of their choice with side effects that include “feeling your feelings, confronting your truth, seizing your destiny, and possibly more depression.” Whew, the pointed commentary is even making me sweat. Nexus is a nod to two things: Wanda’s crippling inability to deal with the trauma she’s been through and her depression that’s pushed her into the creation of Westview, and two Marvel comics concepts. The first is the Nexus of All Realities is a kind of gateway point between dimensions from which all universes in the multiverse can be accessed. (Remember, Wanda’s next reported appearance is in Multiverse of Madness.) The second concept is the existence of Nexus beings, people who have powers that can alter reality, probability, and the Universal Time Stream. Guess which two Westview residents are considered Nexus beings? That’s right, Wanda and Vision! The commercial can either be just a cheeky nod to the couple’s seemingly infinite power or an allusion to the bigger picture that WandaVision is leading to.

While Darcy and Vision are attempting to make their way to the house, the doctor gives the synthezoid a brief rundown of his origin story, explaining how he died twice in an attempt to save the world. Vision points out that it seems like someone is trying to keep him from getting home, which spurs him to fly off, leaving Darcy behind in the blocked truck.

Billy and Tommy are watching Yo Gabba Gabba in Agnes’s lowkey creepy home. (It tickles me that Yo Gabba Gabba is more canon in the MCU than the X-Men or Fantastic Four right now.) While Billy pets Agnes’s bunny Señor Scratchy, he notes that he likes being around the older woman because he’s unable to hear any of her thoughts. “You’re quiet inside,” he says, an allusion to the idea that Agnes can hide her thoughts from him because she has magic.

Back outside the Hex, after the super-rover isn’t able to penetrate the field, Monica decides to run through it again. As she struggles through the barrier and we watch her, a montage of dialogue from Captain Marvel plays. The voices of Maria, Nick Fury, and Carol play over Monica getting through, and as Captain Marvel says “when they were handing out little kids, your mom got the toughest one,” Monica she pushes through to the other side. She lands in the stereotypical three-point-stance of all Marvel heroes, and her eyes glow, showing that she can see energy. We just witnessed the rise of Photon, folks! (Or Spectrum or Pulsar.)

Monica confronts Wanda in her home, and as their fight spills onto the lawn, the residents of Westview watch from their own homes. The delivery man is wearing a “Presto Delivery” uniform, a reference to the magic words said by magicians before they pull a magic trick.

In the first blatant show of Agnes’s ulterior motives, the older woman stops the fight when she realizes Monica is getting through to Wanda and pulls the young mother into her home. But when Wanda gets there, she notices the green bug and rabbit in the living room and the lack of her sons’ presence. When she asks Agnes where the boys are, she’s told to head to the basement, where the big showdown occurs. The scene hints at the eventual disappearance of Billy and Tommy.

Wanda notices a book on an altar, which could be the Darkhold, also known as The Book of Sins, The Shiatra Book Of The Damned. Originally a collection of papers known as the Chthon Scrolls, the book contains all the spells and ideas of the evil Elder God known as Chthon. The book is a conduit for Chthon’s power and can open a doorway from Earth to Chthon’s dimension. If that book is in Agnes’s basement, it stands to logic that she may be working with the evil god. The Darkhold emits an orange glow, which is a distinctly different color than the purple of Agatha’s magic.

Speaking of magic, Agnes finally reveals herself as the witch we’ve known her to be. Although the show tells us that “it’s been Agatha all along,” it still doesn’t ring completely true. There’s definitely more at work than just Agatha’s magic.

In the mid-credits sequence, Monica is caught snooping in Agnes’s backyard by Pietro. Her eyes seem to glow purple, the same color that signals Agatha’s magic. Does this mean she’s now under the witch’s spell?

WandaVision Episode 6 Easter Eggs

The opening credits for episode six seem to be a tribute to Malcolm in the Middle, which ran for seven seasons between 2000 and 2006.

The entire Wanda and Vision family wear their comic book character costumes for Halloween.

There’s another reference to Thanos’s snap as Director Tyler Hayward talks about dealing with the repercussions of all the people “who left.”

The terrifying Yo-Magic commercial seems to foreshadow Vision’s future. Even though Wanda was seemingly able to bring Vision back to life, it looks like he won’t stay alive for long as it’s implied that he can’t exist outside of the Hex later in the episode.

Blink and you’ll miss the fun Disney movie Easter egg on Westview’s movie theater. The sign outside the theater shows a double feature of The Incredibles and The Parent Trap. Connecting right to Wanda’s family, The Incredibles is about a family of superheroes, while The Parent Trap is about a pair of long-lost twins reuniting.

Wanda’s changing accent has been brought up countless times by fans, and in episode six, Pietro makes a slight reference to it when Wanda asks, “What happened to your accent?” to which he quips, “What happened to yours?”

There is another reference that Agnes is actually Agatha Harkness as she is spotted wearing a witch costume on Halloween.

It appears that Vision has no memories pre-Westview, as a conscious Agnes tells him he’s one of the Avengers, and he has no clue what she’s talking about.

The episode further hints at Monica’s powers as Darcy confirms that the Hex rewrote her cells on a molecular level.

A few interactions between Pietro and Wanda have fans wondering if he might actually be Mephisto in disguise. Not only is he fully aware about Wanda creating Westview, but he makes several references to the devil and hell throughout the episode.

WandaVision Episode 5 Easter Eggs

Wanda and Vision’s brand new house, suitable for a family of four, is reminiscent of homes in ’80s sitcoms such as Full House and Growing Pains.

When Agnes comes in to offer her babysitting help, she refers to herself as “Auntie Agnes,” which is eerily close to her comic counterpart’s nickname, Auntie Agatha.

An uncomfortable break in conversation leads Agnes to ask Wanda if she wants her to “take it from the top.” Though Wanda appears confused for a moment, she readily smoothes the conversation and carries on. Vision is visibly perturbed, though Wanda attempts to redirect his attention. It seems like the facade is fading all around.

To the surprise of their parents, Tommy and Billy age up five years while the two argue over Agnes’s break in character.

This episode’s opening sequence shows Wanda and Vision growing up, which we know didn’t happen in real life for the synthezoid. The theme song sounds very similar to those from Family Ties and Growing Pains, and consists of lyrics noting that “we’re just making it up as we go along.” Sounds pretty close to how things are going with Wanda and Vision!

When Wanda’s scans come back, they’re inconclusive and show up blank. Considering Monica gains her powers due to bombardment by extradimensional energies in the comics, it’s entirely possible that the blast from Wanda back in episode three, coupled with passing through the forcefield around Westview twice, have given her those abilities. We could be seeing the rise of Photon!

While Jimmy Woo is explaining Wanda’s backstory to the agents of S.W.O.R.D., Director Hayward asks if she’s ever used a “funny nickname” like the other Avengers. She hasn’t, in fact, she’s never been referred to as Scarlet Witch in the MCU ever. Since her powers are different from her comic book counterpart, there’s never been a reason for anyone to call her a witch.

That never-before-seen post credits scene from Infinity War has officially made its debut. Director Hayward reveals footage of Wanda entering S.W.O.R.D. headquarters to steal Vision’s disassembled body. The video harks back to a moment in the comics where Vision was kidnapped and taken apart — but still very much alive. Much like that Vision, the one in Westview has his memory wiped and doesn’t remember anything before he woke up in his new world. So, the question is whether Vision is actually alive or not. Wanda’s hallucination from episode four might suggest he’s a walking corpse, but there’s more to the story.

Jimmy mentions that Wanda’s stealing of Vision’s body violates the Sokovia Accords, which haven’t been mentioned since Captain America: Civil War. Unfunnily enough, the Accords were a direct response to the mission gone wrong in Lagos where Wanda lost control of her powers and caused the death of many civilians.

Darcy mentions that Vision is playing “Father Knows Best in Surburbia,” referencing the ’50s sitcom.

Tommy and Billy find a dog that, with the help of Auntie Agnes, they name Sparky. The Vision family has a dog with that exact name in the King and Walta comics, but he’s green. Sadly, he meets a similar fate as his live-action counterpart.

Wanda blatantly uses her powers in front of Agnes, who has seemingly handled the magic around her with ease. It’s almost as if she’s used to magic.

Darcy calls the Westview anomaly the “hex” because of its hexagonal shape. Although the magic has been taken out of the phrase, Wanda’s powers are known as hexes in the comics.

Jimmy, Monica, and Darcy try to understand how Wanda can revive Vision and control the Hex, which takes much more power than she’s ever displayed before. Monica notes that Wanda has always been powerful, being the only Avenger who was close to taking down Thanos singlehandedly, which Jimmy interjects to note that Captain Marvel could as well. Both are empowered by Infinity Stones, with Carol’s Kree biology giving her a power boost.

When Jimmy brings up Captain Marvel, Monica is visibly uncomfortable and changes the subject back to Wanda. What happened there?

Vision’s office mates learn about the sweet glory that is dial-up internet! But when he and Norm open their first bit of electronic mail, it’s a transmission picked up from S.W.O.R.D. talking about the Maximoff anomaly.

Vision breaks through Norm’s conditioning, revealing that he’s under the control of a woman (alluding to it being Wanda). He directly references his family, a conversation that Jimmy mentioned in his notes in the last episode.

The twins have aged themselves up to 10 by this point and are seemingly completely aware that Wanda has control over certain aspects of life, like time. They point out that it was Saturday when they woke up, but Wanda says it’s now Monday. She apparently changed the day to send Vision to work. Is their awareness because they also have magic or because she doesn’t control them?

Monica sends an ’80s drone into Westview after working out that Wanda’s Hex is rewriting reality to suit each era occurring in the bubble, and the drone would need no era-appropriate change. Though she attempts to speak with Wanda through the drone, Director Hayward commands agents to fire a missile at Wanda instead — directly ignoring that Monica said she doesn’t see Wanda as a danger. The action results in Wanda leaving the Hex and confronting the S.W.O.R.D. agents outside. She’s wearing the suit we last saw her wearing in Infinity War and Endgame and has her accent back, although it’s much thicker than it’s been since Ultron.

Episode five’s commercial is more pointed than any of them have been. Lagos brand paper towels directly reference the city in which Wanda accidentally killed several people in Civil War by blowing up a building. Thus, the Sokovia Accords were born.

While Wanda and the twins are searching for a missing Sparky — with no one calling out the fact that Wanda disappeared for some time — the mailman tells the boys that their mom “won’t let him get far.” It seems almost like a dig at how no one can leave Westview, like the doctor mentioned during episode three.

When Agnes reveals that Sparky died after eating too many azalea bush leaves, the boys ask their mother to reverse his death. Agnes seems particularly surprised by the idea of Wanda having that ability despite having seen other displays of her power and watching the twins age up rapidly twice. Wanda tells the twins that they can’t reverse death as there are still rules to things, which almost seems hypocritical considering her circumstances. Is she trying to say that she hasn’t revived Vision? Or is she simply trying to keep her boys from expecting too much from her?

Later that night, Vision reveals that he unearthed Norm’s repressed memories and demands to know what’s going on. He tells Wanda that she can’t control him, which she cooly responds asking him, “Can’t I?” Although the credits start rolling, their argument continues as Vision unleashes his frustration with not knowing his past and his confusion over their circumstances. Wanda tells him that she doesn’t control everything, saying, “I don’t even know how all of this started.” Vision believes it began subconsciously, but chastises Wanda for letting it get that far. Wanda reiterates that she isn’t controlling everything, which gives weight to the theory that there’s someone else behind the scenes. But who could it be if Wanda isn’t the “she” that Norm was referring to?

Mid-argument, the Vision family doorbell rings, which Wanda states she didn’t do. I’m inclined to believe her because when she opens the door, she is genuinely shocked speechless. At the door is her “brother” Pietro, now sporting the face of Evan Peters. Darcy asks the question we were all thinking as the episode closes, “She recast Pietro!?”

WandaVision Episode 4 Easter Eggs

This episode opens with the heartbreaking reveal that Monica Rambeau was one of the people lost to the Snapture from Infinity War. She returns from Endgame’s Reverse-Snap in a hospital where she had been awaiting news after her mother Maria’s surgery.

As Monica is waking up, we hear familiar voices echoing in her head. It’s Captain Marvel calling her by her childhood nickname, Lieutenant Trouble.

As Monica weaves through the chaos of people reappearing in the hospital post-Reverse-Snap, she finally locates someone who recognizes her. Although Maria survived the surgery five years ago, she died from cancer three years ago in real time, having not been blipped with her daughter.

We finally have some information on S.W.O.R.D.! The acronym stands for Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division, rather than the meaning in Marvel comics, which is Sentient World. It sounds a little more ominous, right?

Maria’s badass legacy continues well past her friendship with Captain Marvel; according to S.WO.R.D.’s acting director, Tyler Hayward, Maria helped build the agency during its inception. She was the acting director until her death.

Tim gives Monica a mission to help out the FBI in the town of WestView, NJ, where something super freaky is going on with a missing person’s case. This confirms that WestView is, indeed, a very real place.

Welcome back, Jimmy Woo! Monica’s FBI contact is none other than Scott Lang’s parole officer and semifriend, Agent Jimmy Woo.

Jimmy reveals that a person in witness protection has somehow dropped off the map in a town that no longer seems to exist where no one recalls anyone who lived there. In an attempt to figure out what’s going on, Monica sends in a S.W.O.R.D. drone that vanishes inside the forcefield. It’s revealed to have transformed into the retro-style helicopter that Wanda picks up in episode two! We can only assume that since it’s an item from the outside world, it gained color when it entered Wanda’s reality to show that it doesn’t belong.

Darcy Lewis is back! Now a doctor in astrophysics, Darcy is called to help figure out what’s gone wrong with WestView. She’s the one who figured out a signal for the broadcast and is the owner of the hand we saw watching Wanda and Vision in episode one.

The mysterious beekeeper from episode two is revealed to be S.W.O.R.D.’s Agent Franklin, who journeyed through Westview’s sewers to investigate. His hazmat suit became a beekeeper’s uniform, and the cable around his waist becomes a jump rope as he travels through the tunnels.

Darcy explains that the sitcom that’s become Wanda and Vision’s life is literally being broadcast through the signals that S.W.O.R.D.’s viewing, with an audience and everything. There’s no explanation for how this is happening, but Darcy and company watched those first three episodes just like we did, credits and all.

Darcy also points out that Vision is supposed to be dead-dead, which leaves his presence in WestView still unexplained.

While Darcy and Jimmy can identity a majority of the neighbors we’ve met in WestView to their real-life counterparts, Dottie and Agnes are the only ones who are missing real information.

It’s revealed that Agent Woo was the voice behind the radio disruption, just as we suspected! But while we can see Wanda and Dottie’s reaction to the call, Darcy’s broadcast didn’t show the same thing. She explains that someone is “censoring” the visuals they’re receiving, which means someone knows they’re watching.

Back in the sitcom WestView, we see that Monica’s slip-up resulted in Wanda blasting her through the house and the energy field. It’s the first time we physically see Wanda using her powers again, so she still has them. But the lapse in her facade has consequences — when Vision returns from his talk with Agnes and Herb outside, Wanda hallucinates him as she last saw him in Infinity War, a corpse with his head crushed in.

It’s important to note that Vision seems to become more aware of the strangeness of their world with each episode. It makes sense because no matter how human he may seem, he’s still a synthezoid who has always been able to see beyond the superficial. It harks back to his “birth” in Age of Ultron. He’s omnipotent and always learning.

When Monica lands back in the real world, all she says is, “It’s all Wanda.” That seemingly serves as an answer to what’s going on in WestView, but it’s not a whole answer. Wanda seems just as confused and unaware as everyone else, but she is willing to stay in her “perfect” world. The question is, who put Wanda in the position to have her perfect world?

WandaVision Episode 3 Easter Eggs

Much like the comics, Wanda magically becomes pregnant! But this time around, things are progressing much more quickly, and her doctor isn’t Dr. Strange.

The first of the episode’s weird glitches happens with Wanda and Vision’s neighbor Herb, who is attempting to saw through the brick fence separating the two houses instead of trimming his hedges. When Vision points out that his aim has gone a bit askew, Herb’s detached reaction is a bit creepy. He thanks Vision but keeps sawing through the wall! And unlike the previous weird behavior, there’s nothing that triggers the moment, especially not from Vision or Wanda.

Wanda and Vision contemplate what to name their baby boy, with Vision suggesting Billy and Wanda throwing out Tommy. (The argument becomes moot when they have twins!) These are the names of the pair’s sons in the comic, who later become members of the Young Avengers. In the show, Wanda chooses her name because it’s “all-American,” which is also a fair indicator of why her perfect reality is framed around sitcoms. Vision cites William Shakespeare as his inspiration and uses a quote from As You Like It that seems pretty on the nose. “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” seems like a pointed reference to the fact that WandaVision is, in fact, all a show.

Wanda decorates the nursery using Simser brand paint, which is most likely a nod to Jeremy Simser, a storyboard artist for Marvel Studios and WandaVision.

The second glitch appears when Wanda says the residents of WestView always seem “on the verge of discovering our secret.” Vision has a moment of sobering clarity where he notes that something is wrong in WestView, citing the incidents with Mr. and Mrs. Hart and their neighbor Herb. A second after his says this, reality glitches and the scene starts over with Vision seemingly worry-free. The last time this happened with the beekeeper, it was clear Wanda was the culprit in turning back time, but in this case, she doesn’t seem to do anything to force the change. This suggests someone else is pulling the strings.

Wanda mentions that their child could be human or “synthezoid,” a term that originates in the comics. Although fans like to joke that Vision is an android, he’s technically a synthetic human. He’s not made of metal or machinery — in the comics, his body is composed of the bioengineering tech of Dr. Helen Cho, while in the MCU, he’s made of organic tissue mixed with vibranium and “powered” by the Mind Stone.

Vision jokes that Billy will be just like his mom, which is funny because, in the comics, Billy has magical abilities similar to Wanda’s powers. Tommy ends up having superspeed abilities like his uncle, Pietro.

It’s time for the third commercial! Much like the previous episode’s watch promotion, this break references Hydra — though a tad more directly. It’s all about Hydra Soak, and the message is decidedly more pointed than we’ve had before. “Escape to a world all your own, where your problems float away,” the announcer says. “When you want to get away, but you don’t want to go anywhere: Hydra Soak.” Marvel: Agents of Shield fans will recall that Hydra Soak HAS been mentioned on the show. During the series’s Framework arc, Phil Coulson claims that Hydra is brainwashing people using soap, so he makes his own. Is the commercial another sign that Hydra is behind the mystery of WestView? Is it a warning that no one in the town will be able to get away? And what’s that about finding the goddess within?

The actors in this ad are the same ones as the previous ones, Victoria Blade and Ithamar Enriquez. Their recurring presence might mean they have some significance in Wanda’s life. Maybe they’re her parents?

In what feels like an ominous follow-up to the Hydra Soak commercial, the doctor reveals that he and his wife won’t be taking their trip away after all. “Small towns, you know, so hard to escape,” he mutters, pointedly. I think we’re starting to get the hint, folks! Wanda mentions she is a twin and that her brother was named Pietro. It’s been a hot minute since anyone has talked about MCU’s Quicksilver — he made his debut back in Age of Ultron, the same film in which he was shot and killed.

When Geraldine lets it slip that she knows about Pietro’s death at the hands of Ultron, Wanda interrogates her and discovers her necklace bears a familiar symbol — it’s that damn S.W.O.R.D. logo, and Wanda is apparently not a fan.

In another sign that something is UP, Agnes and Herb seem to warn Vision about Geraldine. They note that she’s “brand new” to town with no family and start to say that “she came here because we’re all —” before they’re cut off. It’s worth noting that the two figures that may be MCU versions of formidable Marvel characters are the ones who seem to understand that strange things are going on in WestView. If Agnes and Herb are the MCU’s Agatha Harkness and High Evolutionary, they would definitely be the ones in the know. But why would they try to warn Vision about Geraldine if WestView is a trap?

Agnes is wearing her infamous brooch as a necklace that could be referencing an MCU supervillain mentioned before. The necklace has three figures close together, with the center figure holding what looks like a giant scythe. Is it another clue that the Grim Reaper is on his way?

Wanda literally throws Geraldine out of town — though she tells Vision that she had to run home — and Geraldine passes through what seems like a magical forcefield. While fans have been assuming WestView is a fake town, this shows us that physically, it’s a very real place. But it’s currently bubbled off with a barrier that Wanda can apparently allow people in and out of. And the song that plays as Geraldine finds herself outside the barrier? “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees. It seems pretty appropriate for a situation that feels like a surreal dream.

When Geraldine lands on the outskirts of real WestView, she’s instantly swarmed by cars and agents all bearing the S.W.O.R.D. logo. Since we know Teyonah Parris is playing the adult Monica Rambeau, it’s safe to assume Geraldine was an alias she used to go undercover in WestView. Combined with the mystery agent watching the show within the show from episode one, we can conclude that Wanda and Vision are being closely observed by S.W.O.R.D. for some reason. But they clearly aren’t the ones in control, since Monica is so easily forced out. What will they do next?

While the opening credits of this episode are a reference to The Brady Bunch, it’s the end credits that give us another clue about the big bad coming our way. Just like the previous episodes, Wanda and Vision are framed in a hexagon as the end credits roll. The symbol is so important because it’s the preferred shape of the creators at Advanced Idea Mechanics, or AIM, who are last seen in Iron Man 3. Remember the beekeeper suits that resemble AIM agents’ clothing? It seems like the evil organization might be making a comeback.

WandaVision Episode 2 Easter Eggs

The opening credits for this episode aren’t just an adorable homage to Bewitched but a whole bevy of Marvel Easter eggs! The illustration of the moon happens to be surrounded by six stars, and we can’t help but be reminded of the Infinity Gauntlet.

When Vision phases through the floor, there’s a dark shape that looks exactly like the helmet worn by Marvel supervillain Grim Reaper hidden in the space. In the comics, he’s the brother of Wonder Man, whose brainwaves were used in Vision’s creation.

When Wanda goes to the supermarket in the opening, three references hang above the aisle! Bova Milk refers to Bova, the humanoid cow who raised Wanda and Pietro on Mount Wundagore. Auntie A’s kitty litter is a witchy reference to Auntie Agatha or Agatha Harkness, whom we’ve discussed before, and her cat-like familiar named Ebony. And Wonder Mints is most definitely a cheeky reference to Wonder Man, aka Simon Williams, the superhero who Vision’s brainwaves are based on in the comics!

When animated Wanda and Vision settle on their couch, the small figure on their side table is a statue of the Whizzer. Featured in 1982’s Vision and the Scarlet Witch, the Whizzer thought he was Wanda’s father but later discovers he was wrong. Whizzer and his wife were offered the chance to adopt Wanda and Pietro when they were kids on the mythical Mount Wundagore, but they declined.

When Wanda hears a crash outside the house, she heads out to the front, where she finds a colorful toy helicopter in an otherwise black-and-white world. Not only does the red-and-yellow helicopter have the number 57 stamped on it, but it also bears the S.W.O.R.D symbol! The number is likely in reference to Vision’s first appearance in Avengers #57, while the symbol hints to the presence of S.W.O.R.D outside Wanda’s perfect world.

The creepy, cult-like refrain spoken by the fundraiser organizers of it all being “for the children” seems to be a reference to Wanda’s involvement in the comic event The Children’s Crusade. The story follows her son, Billy, who’s trying to gain control over his reality-warping abilities by looking for a missing Wanda.

Well, here’s another blast from the angsty past! The Strücker timepiece is a very obvious callback to Hydra and Baron von Strücker. The watch bears the unmistakable octopus skull symbol of Hydra, and Strücker is the Hydra leader who recruited Pietro and Wanda for the experimentation that gave them powers. He was later killed by Ultron in his prison cell. Does anyone else hear that ticking noise? Remember good ol’ Herb? In the comics, a character named Herbert is also the High Evolutionary who runs Mount Wundagore, the very same safe haven where Bova delivered the Maximoff twins. Time will tell if the super-scientist is the same character, but it can’t be a coincidence.

Wanda and Vision’s magic show has two gems that we’ve noticed! First thing, the literal Mind Stone happens to be the design on the doors of the Cabinet of Mystery that plays a huge part in their act. Second, Wanda and Vision use the names Illusion and Glamour for their actor, which are also the names of the magicians that Vision goes to see in an issue of The Vision and the Scarlet Witch.

Though we all enjoy a good jam, The Beach Boys’ “Help Me, Rhonda” gets interrupted by someone asking, “Who’s doing this to you, Wanda?” And doesn’t that voice sound an awful lot like Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo?

While it may seem weird that Wanda shows her pregnancy in an instant, it’s in line with what goes on in the comics. Wanda uses magic to help her have children, which checks out since her husband is a synthezoid.

Oooh, that mysterious beekeeper! Not only does their presence lead to the reveal that Wanda has some control over the reality they’re in, but it also sets off some alarm bells. Even though the beekeeper’s suit bears the S.W.O.R.D logo on the back, the costume is reminiscent of the yellow costumes worn by A.I.M., a military science organization founded by Baron von Strücker. Could this be a sign that Wanda is being watched by more than one organization? And is this a hint that Hydra is back!? (Obviously, it is.)

WandaVision Episode 1 Easter Eggs

When Wanda accidentally smashes a plate into Vision’s head, he jokes about his wife and her “flying saucers,” and she comments back about his “indestructible head.” Considering that Vision died after having the Mind Stone ripped from his head, it’s a dark joke to kick off the series.

Vision’s work tie has a visual reference to his comic-book alter ego! In Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s Vision, whenever the character dresses as a human, he wears a tie clip that emulates the diamond pattern on his chest.

Vision’s boss, Mr. Hart, is likely named after comic creator Steve Englehart, who created 1985’s The Vision and the Scarlet Witch with Richard Howell, a miniseries that heavily influenced WandaVision. It’s been heavily implied that Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes is the MCU’s Agatha Harkness, a witch who helped train Wanda’s magic back in the ’70s and ’80s.

When Wanda magically saves dinner, the bottle of wine she pours from is Maison du Mépris, which translates to house of contempt or scorn. As fans have pointed out since the trailer drop, this seems like a reference to the House of M comics storyline in which Wanda bends reality into a new world ruled by her family.

The Stark commercial break refers to two things: Avengers icon Tony Stark and his part in Wanda’s dark past. As Wanda and her twin brother, Pietro, explain in Avengers: Age of Ultron, their parents were killed by an explosive Stark Industries device, leaving the twins trapped under rubble. The Maximoffs were trapped by a Stark Industries shell for two days, expecting it to detonate before they get rescued. Even though Wanda eventually fights beside Tony in the future, there’s still some trauma from that experience and her brother’s death. If it weren’t for the Starks, Wanda could have been a completely different person.

The episode closes with a mysterious observer watching the “show” and taking notes on a pad with the logo of S.W.O.R.D. on the cover. For those who don’t know, S.W.O.R.D stands for Sentient World Observation and Response Department and is a subdivision of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s a counterterrorism and intelligence agency that deals with extraterrestrial threats to world security. Expect to see them around more.

Press: A Thorough Breakdown of All the Marvel Easter Eggs on WandaVision was originally published on Elizabeth Olsen Source • Your source for everything Elizabeth Olsen

#Elizabeth Olsen #Avengers #Scarlet Witch #Avengers Infinity War #Avengers Age of Ultron #Captain America Civil War #Kodachrome #Ingrid Goes West #Godzilla #Sorry For Your loss

17 notes · View notes

ssnakey-b · 6 years ago

Text

FF8 English-French translarison, part 23: Battle of the Gardens

Welcome back, everyone! We are nearing the end of the CD2 content and beginning one of my favourite parts of the game: the Battle of the Gardens.

And immediately we’ve got some interesting stuff as the dialogue between Nida and Squall:

In English, Nida asks “The sorceress is with them, huh? So this is going to be the final battle?”. However, French Nida is more assured, stating “The witch is with them. This is going to be the ultimate battle.”

Also, as you may have noticed, we once again have an example of the French version going back and forth between using the words “sorcière” (witch/sorceress), prêtresse” (priestess) and most confusingly, “nécromancienne” (necromancer) for Edea/Ultimecia. I know the English verison sometimes uses “witch” instead of “sorceress” as well, but the French version really likes to change what it calls them, although it does usually settle on “prêtresse”.

Anyway, back to the dialogue, English Squall replies with “I hope so,” but again the reply is quite different as he says “(yes, for whom?)” and indeed, it’s between parenthesis, implying he’s muttering it to himself, and making it very clear that he fully expects at least one of them to die.

Next, in English, Squall wonders “What should I do first? I have to give orders to everybody. It’s my responsibility.” in the French version, he’s more straightforward, thinking “I have to distribute tasks and give everyone orders.” Gotta say, I do like the way the English version emphasize Squall’s sense of duty a little more.

Geesh, we’re still on the first screen and we have yet more stuff to cover when it comes to Squall’s orders:

First, in English, Squall is pretty solemn about Seifer being there, as he says “As you may all know, Seifer is with them. I plan to settle everything, once and for all, with this battle.” French Squall is being a lot less cute about it, saying “One of us, Seifer, is fighting on the enemy’s side. Count on me to eliminate this traitor.” DAMN, French Squall ain’t fucking around!

Next, we have a bit of a strange difference in... lore, I guess? In English, Squall orders “1st and 2nd class Sabers” to go in the parking lot. In French, however, he orders the “grenadiers” to do so, which is rather odd for two reasons. First, as far as I’m aware, SeeD doesn’t use grenades (which would seem redundant hen you have magic anyway), and explosives seem to be more Galbadia’s speciality. And second, “grenadiers” as a specific unit isn’t a thing in the French army any more, and is usually associated with Napoleonic times, so that’s a bit of strange reference. Of course, I guess it could be kind of a non-literal term and refer to fire magic specialists.

Next, while giving orders to protect the quad and main entrance, English Squall splits the students between even and odd ID numbers. In French, it’s a bit more complicated, as he tells the “first year students” to get the quad, and the “candidates” to get to the entrance. I’m guessing “first year students” refers to new SeeD graduates and “candidates” to the ones nearing the end who can apply for the final exam but haven’t graduated yet.

Or maybe it’s kind of the opposite, and “first-year student” means people who just entered the cursus to join SeeD (as opposed to younger students who are getting a general education) and “candidates” are again the ones eligible for the final exam. Not that I really have any evidence backing it up either way. :P

And similarly, instead of telling students with an ID ending with 8 (which id a bit confusing considering he already gave students with even-numbered ID orders) to take care of the junior classmen, in French, they do follow through on the previous orders by having Squall tell the second year students to do so.

After the girls and Irvine tell Squall Zell is sleeping, English Squall is quite disbelieving an asks them whet they’re talking about. And in French, he’s actually extra snarky by asking “Are you kidding me right now?”.

And after Quistis says it’s their little secret, instead of wondering “... What’s he doing? We don’t have any time!”, he wonders “Are they drunk or something?”. Seriously, French Squall is so done with anyone’s bullshit.

Here’s one of the more amusing ones. In English, this guy says his status is “Indirect magic operative, level 2″. In French however, he says he’s in charge of... the film club. Now it’s clearly not meant to be a joke, I just find the contrast between the two version funny in this case.

Also, in English, Squall makes him a 1st class MG, as in Major General, presumably, which seems quite a high rank for someone whose background Squall doesn’t know (especially since I’m not even sure that’s how SeeD ranks work but whatever). In French, it seems a bit more plausible as he tells the guy “From now on, you’re the section B lieutenant”.

One thing I do like about the guy being in charge of the film club in the French version is how it shows how suddenly these kids’ lives can change in an instant in this game’s universe. It’s clear that for the most part, education in Balamb Garden is fairly standards, so one minute you could be minding your own business, hanging out with friend, engaging in normal high-school activities when suddenly bam! War gets dumped on you and you gotta adapt or die. Pretty of scary when you think about it.

There’s also a slight difference with these three guys. In English, the boys are part of the “Fire Platoon”, which make me wonder if it means they use guns (which again seems odd for Balamb Garden, but maybe it’s a thing) and the girl is a medic.

In French, however, one of the boys is explicitly a gunner (so I guess it really IS a thing), the other boy is a “nurse-fireman” (because one of these jobs just isn’t stressful enough on its own apparently) and the girl is a regular nurse.

Either way, I always loved Squall thinking quickly under pressure and making sure everyone has a role. It’s funny, there are many high-ranking (para-)military characters in video games, but it’s the only time I recall one actually acting like a leader.

The talk with Zell goes pretty much the same in both versions, I just find it funny that in English, Squall goes out of his way to encourage Zell & co by saying “Zell, I’m counting on you. Good luck, everyone.” whereas in French, he is much more laconic, merely saying “Good luck.”

Probably the smallest difference I’ll mention, but still an interesting one. In English, after the Galbadian forces invade, Squall tells the quad team to watch out. In French, he tells all “BGU Soldiers” to get ready. Both make sense, though I do like Squall giving more specific orders in English a little more. It gives the sense that he’s observing everything from the bridge and uses that to his advantage for tactical decisions.

Here’s another funny one. After Squall tells Zell to do whatever it takes to rescue Linoa, English Zell replies “Leave it to me!”. In French however, he seems less confident as what he says literally translates to “(Poor me!)” and it’s basically him going “(Oh, boy)”. This is especially funny when coupled with his confident-looking chest pat. I love the moment that imply that Zell is often not nearly as assured as he looks, but he puts on a brave face as to not demoralize his teammates.

Back in the headmaster’s office, where Kadowaki is once again proving herself to be the best NPC in gaming history by taking charge instead of Cid, there’s another amusing difference. In both versions, she tells Squall that it’s his destiny to fight Seifer, but while she’s pretty straightforward about it in French, I love that in English, she goes “It’s kind of like your destiny to face him”. Yeah, sort of or whatever. Look, just go kick his ass.

Another Irvine speech, another surprisingly big difference.

English:

Listen... Do me a favor. YOU... go help Rinoa. It may be too late, but don’t give up until you’re CERTAIN that there’s nothing more you can do!

French:

No way you can just leave her like that! Nobody abandons such a pretty girl, as long as there’s really nothing left to do...

By the way, that awkward phrasing at the end (as it should have been “UNTIL there’s really nothing left to do”) is indeed present in the actual text, so don’t blame it on me! And generally speaking I do like the English take on it better, especially as he goes “YOU help Linoa”. It’s like he’s saying “look, you gave the orders, we know what to do, but if YOU don’t rescue her, no-one can”.

And it really goes to show that in spite of the image he wants to give of himself, Irvine is surprisingly thoughtful. He knows Squall won’t be able to forgive himself if he doesn’t try to rescue Linoa, even if someone else rescued her, he’d feel like shit for not going for her.

There’s also a bit of an odd quirk in the English version a bit later, as Quistis says “we’ll clear a path. Once Squall arrives, we’ll move in.” which is a bit weird considering she’s talking to Squall. Even if you want to say she’s speaking to the group as a whole, it’s still a bit strange, especially as she’s still looking right at him. In French, she does address him directly saying “We’ll clear the path. Don’t worry about us.”

And so we get to Squall’s speech and while it’s very moving, I want you all to picture Linoa dangling off the side of Balamb Garden the whole time. Anyway, the first half of it is actually very similar in both versions. But then things get quite different:

English:

SeeD was formed to fight the sorceress; at least, that’s what I heard. And Garden was created to train SeeDs. So this battle is Garden’s destiny and also our destiny. It’s a grueling battle, and I’m sure you guys are all exhausted. But I don’t want to have any regrets. I don’t want anyone to look back and regret this day. So just this once, I want you guys to give everything you’ve got! For yourselves and for me!

French:

The battle we fight has many things at stake: everyone’s life, of course, but also the future of BGU and our democracy! This is why I ask each of you for one more push, non just for yourselves, but for everyone else. I count on you! I ask you to do your maximum, for you and for others.

And finally, I don’t know about you, but this is the moment I’ve been looking for. After Squall goes all tsundere on Linoa and claims him saving her was purely professional because they have a contract and it was everybody else’s idea and ti was a coincidence anyway and it’s not like I keep saving you because I like you or anything, so don’t get the wrong idea, baka, we get some small differences at first.

For example, while throwing Zell under the bus, instead of “Zell gave it to me, see? I’ve been holding on to it”, she says “Zell gave it to me. That was nice of him, wasn’t it?”. Rest assure that Squall swears to kill him either way. Also, I really like the animation of Squall’s shoulders tensing up and him rolling his neck while he thinks that. I don’t remember seeingt hat specific animation anywhere else either, so I lvoe that they gave him one for that of all things.

Also also, in both versions, he specifies that it’s his favourite ring, implying he owns many more. Behold Pimp Squall, blowing his cadet allowance on bling. Oh and while in English, he adds “You’d better give it back,” he doesn’t say that in French, which is yet another small detail that makes him come across a bit nicer in the French version.

People also noted that on top of lions in the FF8 universe not resembling our Earth lions, Linoa sounds out the the word like she’s never heard of it before, implying they’re fairly obscure mythical creatures. Well, that doesn’t happen in French and thinking about it, that’s a bit of a shame as that is an interesting subtle bit of lore.

But the question is: does this L I O N of his have a name? Sure does:

Yep, Griever is known as Cronos in French, tying it back to the time theme. Oddly, it’s lacking an H to really fit, so it might be a reference to the king of Titans as well.

So in both versions, Linoa says that it’s such an accident that people might think they’re together once she gets a copy of Squall’s ring. But what’ interesting is the specific terms used:

In English, she says “That’d be crazy, huh!? I mean, everyone might, y’know, get the wrong idea about us.”

In French, she says “The problem is that everyone will think we’re together!”

What makes this seemingly small difference have such significance is how it leads to Squall’s reply a bit later as in English, he tells Rinoa “You sound like you want everyone to get the wrong idea.” teasing her a bit while kind of calling her out.

In French however, it take son a whole other meaning as he says “I don’t know if it’s really a problem...”

And this to me really sounds like Squall openly admitting that he does have romantic feelings for Linoa. After all, why else would a guy like him be okay with people spreading rumours about him being with a girl? If nothing else, he’s certainly admitting that he’s comfortable being paired up with her by people and that he’s got some things to work out once the battle is over.

Oh and Linoa’s reaction in each version also speaks volume about what Squall just said. In English, she just vehemently denies being up to anything, going “No-no-no-no-no!”. In French, she seems much more flustered, going “Huh? What... What do you mean?”

We’ve got one last difference to end on. And once again, it’s quite a meaningful one. It happens as Squall ends yet another rousing speech. In English, it goes like this:

Squall: “We’ve come this far. I guess there no need for me to say anything.”

Rinoa: “We’re still listening. Squall, we want to know how you feel.”

Squall: “I’ll tell you later... After we all get out of this. Let’s go.”

In French, it goes like this (note that Squall uses the pronoun “tu”, showing he’s addressing Linoa specifically):

Squall: My little memories don’t interest you, huh?

Linoa: Of course they do! Tell me what you really think.

Squall: I’ll tell you that, if we’re still alive after this trial. Let’s go!

I find it very interesting that Squall make sit more personal here, by talking to Linoa directly. It’s a good way for him to tall the rest of the orphanage gang that they can’t put the rest of humanity in jeopardy because of their childhood memories.

But really, I like this part in both versions. And in both, you once again have Squall basically admit that he wants to get closer to Linoa. So even if you don’t take it as a love confession, then it certainly shows that he wants to figure out how exactly he feels about her, that he definitely wants their relationship to be more than professional, and that he intends to work out how far he wants it to go. And on top of that, it’s also a good motivator for her to give it all she’s got. “Don’t you die on me, I’ve got stuff to tall you about.”

Hhhaaa, I really enjoyed that one! And I hope you did too. Next time, it’s the second and final battle against Edea, the end of the CD2 content and the beginning of a new battle. In the meantime, feel free to ask questions, either by replying to this post or through my “ask” thing, or to just make comments or add your two cents. I always love to see people’s reactions and their own interpretations of various elements. And it would be really nice if you could give this post a reblog to help spread awareness. I know some people think their own blog is too small for it to matter but I assure you, every reblog helps.

See you around for part 24!

36 notes · View notes

koisurufortunecephalopod · 6 years ago

Text

A Comprehensive Guide to DESURABBITS

Hey guys, your friendly cephalopod here to tell you all about the group I’ve fallen in love with!

(ripping of shades sorry not sorry)

So what is this group?

Formed as DEATHRABBITS (デスラビッツ) in late 2013 when the idol group usa☆usa Shoujou Club (usa☆usa少女倶楽部) of Mochizuki Emi, Okawa Yuzu, and Yasui Karin did a crossover unit featuring the section chief of their indies label G-ANGLE RECORDS and vocalist of the digital hardcore unit AKIRADEATH, Kanzaki Akira. While “Bucho” supplies backing death metal screams and often stands around menacingly in the background, the girls sing and dance like any other idol group. Their style is often described as “Japanese Death Pop”, often compared to BABYMETAL and (OG) LADYBABY with how it has maybe a slight bit of an edge compared to other songs in the idol genre, plus metal influences.

For the past six years, they’ve evolved their sound in a variety of different ways, trying different styles with their latest released song “Sotsugyou Shoujo- Mirai E” taking on more of a rock influence. They’re one of those groups that tends to just throw stuff at the wall to see what sticks. One of these being “ramen editions” of their singles. Starting in 2016, the singles sold at their live shows are packaged with dry ramen, and purchasing one also sends packets of ramen to disenfranchised areas of Malaysia. Unfortunately as of 2019, this is being discontinued (although the members and staff have expressed interest in replacing this with ramen edition goods). They’ve also changed their name (confusingly) a few times as well-- to Desu.Rabbits (です。ラビッツ) in 2016, and recently to DESURABBITS (デスラビッツ) in February 2019. Either way, most fans affectionately refer to them either as “DesuRabi” or “Rabbits.”

Also fun fact, Bucho is bffs with Ladybeard because of course those two are friends. They crowdfunded a unit song that’s a collaboration between their groups called “DEADLIFT RABBITS”

Members!

Mochizuki Emi (望月愛実)

Currently 17 and about to start her final year in high school, Emi is the youngest member of the group and was only a sixth grader in elementary school when she joined. Her parents were both involved in the music industry, leading her to become interested in becoming a singer from an early age. She’s the lead vocalist of the group as well as the center of all currently released songs. She’s the one who gets all of the long solo parts and has always had a rather strong voice since she joined. Emi’s grown up A LOT since the early days (they’ve never posted heights on their profiles, so we’re not sure, but she has guessed that she’s grown about 15cm (~6 inches) and has gotten a much more mature hairstyle. As the baby of the group, in some of their older material, she would often come across as a little spoiled and quick-tempered and compared to that she’s really mellowed out, becoming more mature and cool-headed. Her English pronunciation is impeccable, but she actually isn’t very good at speaking it in conversation. Before member colors were abolished in 2019, her image color was pink! She also posts song covers on her personal Youtube channel, but it hasn’t been active for a while.

Okawa Yuzu (大川柚)

Yuzu is the leader and often the one tasked with leading MCs and acting as the spokesperson of the group. Since joining, her catchphrase has been “Always full of energy,” which is something that describes her well. While she isn’t necessarily a ball of sunshine bouncing off the walls, she has more of an intense “Let’s give 100% to everything” sort of energy to her. She takes her role as leader very seriously; consulting with staff about the direction of the group and recently dying her hair ash pink and requesting that her new costume look “strong and like she can fight in it” in order to really highlight how their new era is about taking a new direction. Since early childhood, Yuzu has aimed for a career in show business. Originally wanting to be a talent or a broadcaster, she eventually studied dance in order to become an idol. From there she made connections with singer-songwriter and producer of other idols and artists (such as KOTO, Terashima Yufu, and TsubasaFly), SAWA. She is the best dancer in the group, so look for her if there’s a dance break. Her voice is the deeper one out of the girls, although she doesn’t get as many solo parts as Emi. It was announced recently that she will be getting her first center song as the double A-side with “Sotsugyo Shoujo”, “Demo, Nigenna.” She’s also an avid bookworm and very studious, and will be attending university this spring. Her member color was previously purple!

Yasui Karin (安井夏鈴)

Karin is the oldest of the three girls and the mood maker. She’s carefree and my pace beyond my pace. If she actually speaks during an MC (and isn’t just staring off into space the entire time), she will most likely forget what she’s saying halfway through the sentence because she’s always off in “Kariko World” as she calls it. She has a very distinct way of speaking that’s very slowly rhythmic, so she will often get speaking lines in songs (and recently something of a rap verse). Her singing voice is also the most “idol-like” of the three-- high pitched and sweet-- but while she also doesn’t get many solos, it’s very easy to pick out. Also she has such sweet guitar skills. She and Tomo-zo should totally collaborate. Totally. I can’t find much about her background, but I do want to say on a personal note that she was the first member to remember my name and that I was a Bucho oshi after even the first time I saw them. And every time she’s the one taking the cheki, the camera “somehow” doesn’t have any film in it and you two just have to hold that pose for a bit. Karin will also be attending university in the spring and I am so proud of her. She used to be the green member!

Kanzaki Akira (神崎晃) Bucho (部長)

The 41-year-old section head (or “bucho” in Japanese) at the record label G-ANGLE RECORDS with a background in singing in metal, grindcore, enka, and classical styles who was a vocalist in a handful of metal and rock bands from high school that never went anywhere, Bucho officially emerged in the music world in 2006 with the underground digital hardcore duo AKIRADEATH. As such, Bucho’s role in DESURABBITS is to provide backing death metal vocals (and rap). At 190cm (~6′5′’) with his gas mask and body armor, he can strike an intimidating figure. Despite this, he usually plays the part of a bumbling goofball of an “uncle” figure to the rebellious teenage girls. He himself is a huge idol wotaku (which is really annoying at events when you’re trying to get a two-shot with him and he’s wandered off to get in line for a different idol group. The girls however seem to find it hilarious to yell across the very crowded room for him to get back here because Loren wants to take a cheki with him) and has done video streams talking about the state of the idol industry. While he definitely doesn’t dance (but is incorporated into the choreography sometimes), he does his best in the back to kind of furi-copy or give gestures for the wota-gei if he’s not bumping into things. As technically a part of the record label staff, there is something of a debate over his status of a member. Since the early days of the group, there was a theme of “Emi, Yuzu, and Karin vs. Bucho,” with even several of their one-man concerts being titled as such and given the caveat of “if tickets sell out, Bucho will be fired.” However, as of their 2019 makeover, it was announced that they will be “graduating” from this image and “allowing” Bucho to be a member. In the earlier singles, his involvement was a lot larger (often having full verses), but his vocal parts have been scaled down a lot since 2015. Since 2018, he has remedied this by often having a DJ set up behind the girls and DJing live along with their performances (doing some sick mashups while singing, it’s pretty sweet), and their most recent song plays this up. He also does solo DJing as “DJ Bucho.” Not to be confused with “DJ Akira,” which is just what he calls himself when he talks in an “ikemen voice.” His member color was black!

Okay, so what about their music?

WELL I’M GLAD YOU ASKED. HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF MY OPINIONS.

“Idol STAR WARS”

Their very first song. The girls are at peak baby. Emi is a literal fetus.

I actually really like the instrumental for this, it has a bit of a gritty electronic edge to it. It sets the precedent for their style of “cute but with a screaming man”, but is a bit more so, because Bucho actually has verses???

The chorus is pure sugar pop though I love it

But what I love more is Bucho just hecking going off with the verbal keysmash screams after the final chorus. Fucking spectacular you funky bastard.

I’m pretty sure they only filmed like seven minutes of video for the music video. I’m not convinced Bucho and the girls were ever in the same building.

“Hell Near Bucho ~ Ugokisugi da yo Nihonjin 2013 ~”

The B-side off of Idol STAR WARS, so still pretty old form with the line distribution but

Bucho screaming about having a hernia for four minutes

ngl because of the title being partly in English and the album version having a random-ass intro with an American woman talking about Bucho battling an endless battle with the enemy of “hell near” i didn’t actually make the connection for months and thought this was like. DesuRabi Lore.

OKAY BUT THAT CHORUS IS SO CATCHY AND PEAK IDOL I LOVE IT

And A+ screaming I love it

I really want to see it live at least once because the “Hell! Near! Bucho!” chant part sounds like it would go so hard

“Koisuru Kisetsu”

Second single, getting into their style a bit more

But they still acknowledge that like... Bucho has a name.

I highly recommend checking out the subbed version because the things Bucho is screaming about are just. What.

Literal Rabbits to represent Emi, Yuzu, and Karin

Emi, Yuzu and Karin just being like “The lyrics are kinda dark... Bucho’s singing about his love life again lmao let’s just hecking change this song because we wanna sing something else

Just hecking shove him behind some fake cherry trees. He’ll be fine.

“Omatsuri JAPAN!! Kokuhaku Night”

This is probably their most straight-up idol song. Like you could legit just have this song without him grunting in the background, but why would you want that.

Like that sounds weird by itself but trust me it really pumps up the energy of the song

It’s one of the songs that’s an absolute bop at lives, especially when they shuffle around who does the “Daisuki desu” line. And then we mosh.

Listen it just has such a great energy that you don’t always get in the “cute summer love song” niche of idol songs and I greatly appreciate this

“DESURABBITS Gun no 7 Kajou”

Another one I highly recommend watching the subbed version for because it outlines the “Seven rules of the DESURABBITS Army”, and is basically the theme song and list of principals for the group and fans.

Music and MV aside, I want to say that this was one of the things that REALLY sold me on the group, as the rules are all “do your best at your life outside lives, be kind to one another and the live venue” and the fanbase really reflects that. Like they’ve welcomed me more than Gachamen/pinkos which is kind of an accomplishment.

Like you don’t gotta make your edgy idol group 2edgy4me, you can still be about respecting the fans of other groups and the other fans and just having a good time.

ANyways

Yuzu: Yeah we have no idea what the fuck Bucho is ever saying

Emi’s vocals in the pv are really great for her age and I wish there were better quality live versions for it recently bc dang she’s improved so much

This is another goes absolutely insane at lives with the “WE! ARE! DESURABBITS! DESU!” chant it’s amazing

I do kinda love the bit where it looks like they’re going to go into a dance break and all they do is... spin.

Also they call Bucho a mascot character

“Usagi no Kimochi”

Honestly this song is just kind of hilarious once you realize that it’s basically just “don’t talk shit online and come watch our shows”

Complete with Bucho fucking murdering the Twitter bird

They’re starting to change their styles a bit with many tonal shifts and fewer Bucho parts. I’m not personally too into the verses, but I do like the choruses

I really dig the way they go in on the “pyons” at the beginning as well as the piano parts

DJ AKIRA GA KONNICHIWA

“Chuuni no Natsu. Ojisan no Natsu.”

This is a very good summery idol song just in general and mood which I love, with that lovely piano, string, and Emi-solo intro. Very refreshing and nostalgic with a good energy to it.

THEY LET BUCHO SING!!!! About how much he wants to go to the beach but can’t because he has work just let him go.

But for real, I really love his singing voice here. It matches well and has a bit of a punk rock sound to it which is my jam outside of idols. Also in the last chorus the way all four of them harmonize is surprisingly nice!

Also as a song that really sums up the relationship between Bucho and Emi, Yuzu, and Karin, it’s hilariously fitting.

KUSAI, KUSAI!

O-Ji-SA-N!

“Nande?”

First things first the video is amazing like could you guys not shoot on the same day who came up with the story what is going on who believes Bucho could fight ninjas

But honestly that’s kind of the point

ngl this is my favorite DesuRabbi song, because:

A) HOOKS FOR DAYS. From the “nande naze nande naze nande naze” to the “chikirichi, chikirichi, chikirichi” to the “nande, nee, nande”

B) honestly joining the fandom I was in the mindset where I needed something to express my “why what what the fuck what why what”

and this song supports that that is okay. If you can’t have a happy idol song that is just like “lmao we don’t know what’s going on and that’s fine” idk you’re a stronger person than me I guess??

Also the video

This also really marks the shift into Bucho taking a backseat to the girls, which ye Emi’s voice is clearly getting stronger

But tbh the highlight for me is Karin’s solo at the start of the bridge. Her voice is perfect for the whimsical tone they’re going for at that part of like “hey it doesn’t matter my dude!”

“Shitsuren Shitara Wasabi”

Okay, just gonna be up front, I’m not the biggest fan of their 2016-2018 “です。ラビッツ” era songs. They tried experimenting with songs a lot more with tone changes and different styles, and honestly I just found them lacking the same energy. However, I love this song a lot as it has that with that same “throw a bunch of things at the wall at once”

The tone is a lot more mature than their older material, but you still get the energy, especially in that chorus

The girls are the focus, and even though Emi still has ALL OF THE SOLOS, Yuzu gets some spots too, especially her spoken line which kind of makes this “her song” among her oshis and I’m really happy that she got that since she was the only one who didn’t have that before this

The lyrics are just so hopeful and good??? Idk maybe I’ll translate someday

WASABI WASABI WASABI KURE

“Sotsugyou Shojo-Mirai E-”

Or as I like to call it “When the heck did you guys get a budget???”

This is the first song with a different producer and uh... yeah you can tell. It’s radically different with a darker, rock image, but the lyrics are really hopeful and nice. I translated them over on my jp twitter if you’re interested??

THAT BASS THO

Yuzu’s voice suits this well with her very short solos. I feel like Karin’s solo singing part barely sounds like her, but I do like her little “rap”

And of course Bucho’s rap. What a nerd I love him.

Seriously where did they get a music video budget

I’m more into their old stuff just because that’s what I like, but I do really appreciate that they went for a harder sound but keeping the hooks and the hopeful outlook and the weird old man who stands behind them

This is most definitely the most intense dance they’ve done. Emi and Karin tried very hard.

Okay we get it so how do we follow them?

Unfortunately, on one hand, DesuRabi very much are focused on live performances as part of the underground idol tradition. They don’t have a very active release schedule, and while their Youtube channel sometimes posts live videos, it’s a bit sporadic. HOWEVER, they are a group that if you somehow manage to get to Japan, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out, if only for the fact that they have lives almost every weekend which are very cheap and very easy to get tickets to. Unless it’s a larger event or through a different event planner, usually you just reserve under a name and email and pay at the door. The DesuRabi Army is super nice and accepting and I will possibly be there.

But other than that: uh yeah, social media.

Official Youtube

Official Website

Twitter (group)

Twitter (Emi)

Twitter (Yuzu)

Twitter (Karin)

Twitter (Bucho)

They’re all fairly active on twitter (although Karin will sometimes just kind of... fade from existence). Emi, Yuzu, and Karin seem to have SOME rules on when they can reply, but Bucho just replies whenever he wants, which is often. Even sometimes when he isn’t tagged in the conversation or following you. They’re always very excited to see foreign fans, so tell them Loren sent you!

#desurabbits #desu rabbits #death rabbits #this is a bucho appreciation blog #idols #idol #jpop idol #with the kind of person bucho is there is always a 60% chance he will find this #please do not #but anyways please love them

17 notes · View notes

justgotham · 7 years ago

Link

Gotham will premiere their fifth and final season in 2019. The show has been a journey for the creators and actors, as they humbly and thrillingly brought their fans along on the ride, through destiny and rebirth.

This year at the New York Comic Con, Dark Knight News was invited to interview cast members (Sean Pertwee, Camren Bicondova, Chris Chalk, Cory Michael Smith, and Robin Lord Taylor) and the executive producer of the Emmy-Award winning show, John Stephens.

Sean Pertwee/Alfred Pennyworth

Q: So this season, Alfred goes through some major emotional stuff?

A: Well yeah, less than prior seasons actually.

Q: Oh, yeah?

A: Yeah, because the things that we actually find out ourselves with young master Bruce and Alfred, it’s actually sort of developed into the relationship that people always expected it to be. They were horrified at my original iteration when I was sort of brusk with him. The fans went “Hey, that’s not Alfred!” But now they understand, I was right.

It’s a sort of combination of the prior seasons where their relationship is the one we know and love, which is Alfred is there for him. We did a scene very similar to that the other day where he doesn’t baulk and says “I’m here if you need me,” and master Bruce is horrified. I think he rather misses it, I think he’s a slight sadistic. So, there you go. It’s not as emotionally driven in that way, there’s much more coming together.

Q: Will we get to see Alfred kick some more (butt) in this season?

A: Well, I think it’s out there. I get my ass handed to me on a plate, but I give a good account of myself. You see some, but not as much. I mean, I’ve been fairly physical. I’ve ended up in the hospital quite a few times as well. I might be visiting it again. I’m not quite sure.

See, that’s something I’ve really enjoyed. The fact that you never really get to see an Alfred be physical. And also, who taught him how to fight, and cook, and dance, and throw knives? Basically, what I’m trying to say is Alfred is Batman.

Q: The OG Batman?

A: Yes, the OG.

Q: Does Alfred/do you believe in true altruism? And do you think the city of Gotham, with so much evil in there, can it have altruism?

A: I think every city… I think the enduring legacy of Batman is exactly that. Everything is applicable to society, even now. That’s why there’s a need for the Bat because he stands up for the little guy. He goes “Enough is enough.” So there is light and shade in everyone. That’s the thing throughout out journey in the past five years. Everyone has been good and bad, has a capacity to love, the capacity to be evil, to do things wrong. It’s the path that you choose. It’s been interesting watching, just like any city, yeah. It just needs guidance… it needs a bat.

Q: How does it feel to know you’re going to be such a big part of the Batman lore. Even a hundred years from now, people are going to refer back to Gotham.

A: Very good point. I mean, I really do appreciate that. It’s really just dawning on me now. The thing is, enduring legacy of Batman is that he’s been relevant to every generation for years, and every 10 years there’s been a relevant character. I used to watch Adam West, and everyone used to laugh at the time. When I was a kid, that was super cool!

You know, I think this what we’ve realized now is that people’s interest and the way they look at these characters has been peaked, and people now see that fallibility. You don’t just wake up with an evil hat on. Like how Penguin became Penguin. You know, he was pushed into a certain point. He was bullied into being that person. So, yeah, that’s the story we’re telling. So, what we’ve discovered is that we are right. We are right in what we’ve done.

Jeremy Irons is a remarkable actor and in the movies he’s SAS (Special Air Service), and that was a conversation I had with John Stephens and Bruno Heller. Because I trained in the SAS, was conscripted as a marine, but I liked the idea of him being able to do anything with a Swiss army knife. Of course that’s why Batman is Batman, because he can do it. So yeah, our stamp is there now.

I think people will reference it. People will use it at as reference point now. Or question elements, like why did these people become who they are? You know, we’re very proud of that.

Q: Were there any of the elements of the character that you wish you could have explored more on the show? For example, his love life?

A: Yup. Exactly. Thank you very much for noticing. I sort of met a girl I liked, she died about 3 pages later. That was really… I thought we were going to go down that path with the beautiful Leslie Thompkins and that didn’t work out, because… I don’t know. There was a bizarre moment, but it wasn’t really scripted, with Fish Moonie. There was this kind of threesome between the three of us, and even Jada went “What was that about? I think that could be interesting.” Something to explore. He [Alfred] didn’t do well on that front. Tinder.

Camren Bicondova/Selina Kyle

Q: How are you feeling about rapping up your romance with Bruce? Are going to see an end to that maybe with just in the finale with the flash-forward or is this something that you want to leave hanging?

A: I’m not sure we’ll see an end to it. Actually, it will leave off with a question. It will leave off with a kind of open-ended sentence. I like that. I would like to leave that topic with a cliff-hanger, only because their relationship, once the legacy moves forward, it’s so unpredictable I wouldn’t want there to be a definitive end of them at this point, in this show because it wouldn’t be them, you know? I don’t think it would give them justice if that would happen.

Q: What can we expect from your character in this very last season?

A: A lot of trauma. A lot of self-work. A lot of really working through things or attempting to. To really go through, you know we’ve really seen Selina fight these inner demons with herself in the past, but we’ve never seen them. This season you get to actually see them, and it’s been incredible going to work. It has been super draining after the days are done, but it’s completely worth it because we get to see Selina in this raw state that we’ve never seen her in before.

Q: How do you prepare before each episode of Gotham? Do you have acting methods that are different than from when you started?

A: Yeah. My method now is I don’t know what I’m doing and, I don’t look at my sides and I don’t look at the scenes until I am walking to rehearsal. Which actually, releases any pressure for me and just forces me to go with whatever comes naturally. So pretty much during my rehearsals are the cold reads and it just forces me to live in the moment. Do what she (Selina) would do first, while before I would prepare two-days in advance, and if I didn’t know my lines before I went to bed, I would get really bad anxiety, where just now it’s just “I don’t know my lines, I’ll figure it out!”

Q: Is there a lot of room to improvise organically?

A: I mean, not verbally, but given what Selina goes through after the way Bruce helps her after the first episode is a catalyst to the rest of what she goes through this season. Through that I was able to improvise a lot more physically with Selina, because I’ve been able to kind of foreshadow what she is to become.

Q: Did you have to receive any fight-moves training this season?

A: Training? No, I mean production has never really pressured me to do any of that anyways. They’ve only told me like Danny just told me: “Don’t stop dancing. Just don’t stop dancing. That is a gift you are blessed with, just don’t stop dancing.” Other than that, they’ve never really pressed me about my body image, or my physicality. They’ve just always really trusted me in what I bring to the table talent-wise. Which has been a super-huge blessing because as a young woman, I face certain insecurities just like everybody and they haven’t said a word to me, you know? And they’ve just been like “Listen, you do you. You do you, boo.”

Q: That’s fantastic! The fighting sequences though, they didn’t make you pose practice in any way for that?

A: We definitely have rehearsals for those. This season has been a lot different for me, give that, you know [gestures to her leg in a brace] my boot. I injured myself over hiatus and the doctor told me it was something way less major than what it actually was, so I’ve been in this boot all season. So I’ve been really able to focus on the emotionality of Selina, and allowed my stunt-double to actually do her job which has been really great! Because I get to see her kick-ass and I just kind of sit on the sidelines, so “You go, girl!”

Q: In the comics, Selina is bisexual. Is the something you’d like to see more brought out or done in the show?

A: I never thought of them (Gotham) bringing it up. I’ve loved that they touched based on it in the comic books, and I would love to see them tackle that. We don’t see that this season. I think it would be great to see on television or film, I would love to see that incorporated into Selina’s character.

As far as if I would have loved to see it in this show? I would say based on what we’ve seen Selina go through I feel like, I’m actually glad we focused on the different things we focused on before the second sexuality, because she has been so focused on surviving and so focused on herself that she’s not in a place to really question her sexuality, and really experience and experiment with certain things. I think even her being involved with Bruce is too much. So I think, even though I would love to see it, I think she’s dealing with too much. I’m glad that we’ve touched base on the things we’ve touched based on. Especially in season 5, we touch base on more of her mental health. She’s suicidal at the beginning of the season. I think I’m proud we talk about that because I think that’s an important topic.

Chris Chalk/Lucius Fox

What’s up? What do y’all want to talk about? I’ll tell you everything. All the secrets! Even in the promo, they pretty much told all the secrets. That was crazy!

Q: What’s a typical day of filming like?

A: It’s very organized. Actually, I’ve been in a lot of TV shows in my day, and the fastest, of course, was Law and Order because they’ve been on the air forever. Gotham was pretty efficient. We still have a lot of creative say. We come in, you eat breakfast, you get your make-up on, do your hair and make-up. You go rehearse, you change things around if necessary and then we film. And then we laugh probably too much, we would probably have more efficient days if we stopped acting like children. But for some reason, me and Cory, and me and Ben (McKenzie), man! We can’t keep a straight face to save our life!

Even though Ben is professional, I bring the goofy out of him. So like, I hope they show you the bloopers. It might just be me and him. Nonsense! A day working with me, is going to be awesome. Efficient, but you’re going to laugh a lot.

Q: Is that what you’ll miss the most, the camaraderie?

A: Yeah, the thing that will be most missed, easily, is the mandatory friendships that come with TV shows. You have to see the person, so you have to like them. We’ll see what everybody thinks when it’s over, ha. But like, these people have been such an integral part this last four years.

With my father passing, with different traumas in each of our lives. We’ve been each other’s support system, and that’s just nobody’s job. Nobody has to do that, nobody brings their problems in, but people who genuinely care. Our cast genuinely cares about each other and so it is a family. And that’s not every show. It’s not every show. I’ve been on some shows where it’s been like “I wanna go home,” I hate these people, I love the work but hate the work. It’s nice to come to a work where it’s like “Leave the computer in the bag.” Instead of pretending to type so I wouldn’t have to talk to people.

Q: Have you worked with anyone you despise?

A: I haven’t worked with anyone I despised. I’ve worked with people I don’t like at all, ha ha. We’re not there in service of my own ego, I’m there in service of the words provided and trying to add everything I can do the process. I don’t take people’s nonsense personally. It’s just when I’m home hanging out with my wife, I say “Let me tell you what this guy did today! UGH!”

Q: As we’ve seen over the course of the series, we see Lucius as the voice of reason. Does he get to cut loose at all during this season?

A: This season Lucius cuts loose for him… He unbuttons his top button. […]

But no, he [actually] doesn’t. But he gets to meet the love of his life!

Q: Is that part what’s most exciting for your character or is there another moment you think is more exciting for you?

A: Oh! You know what my favourite moment is? Oh, no, but I can’t tell you.

Q: Do it anyways!

A: We talk about it during the panel. It’s working with one of the actors we were working with and he’s so super-talented, so you know it’s a HE. He’s just so super talented and creative that we just had so much fun. He kind of re-created what we had written, which was nice because in season 5 people are still bringing their A-game to honor the script we would have been given.

Q: How are you doing to make this season very memorable for the fans?

A: Well I’m going to show up to work and do my job, but what the writers have done is taking everyone’s expectations, being “I don’t care about some of them because we have to create what we have to create,” but honoring some of the favorites. Giving each appreciator of canon, a morsel to leave with. In this “No Man’s Land” arc, you’re going to see so many villains that we won’t get to play with specifically because we’re only 12 episodes.

But it’s so nice to go “Ah! There’s that person.” “Wait, is that person going to become that person?” So when we go down in a sense, there’s some intrigue left. It won’t be a bow on the top, it’ll be “Aww, man, there’s no more??” I like that about the show.

Cory Michael Smith/Edward Nygma

Q: There is kind of a love Pentagon, between Riddler, Penguin, Jim, Sam, Lee, what is that dynamic like?

A: Aha! I’ve never thought of it quite like that. I loved that you called it that. It is an interesting season where we all crossed paths again, and at this point 5 years in, there’s a lot of history, there’s a lot of broken hearts, a lot of resentment. So there are wafts of it. It’s interesting that it does happen that all of us are all in the same space, at the same time, and it creates a tense environment. Ed is NOT looking for love this season. I think they’re all a little over it. They’re pretty cynical people at this point.

Q: Is much going to be made about how you are resurrected after the season 4 finale, or are we just kind of skipping past a lot of that? New powers?

A: At the top of season 5, the conflict I am stuck with is that everyone has their territory, and are arriving in their own way. I am blacking out, waking up in strange places, not knowing what I’m doing, who I’ve been with. I’m causing problems for other people, and I’m hiding out in my library, just like losing my mind trying to figure out what’s going on, finding a pattern.

Is this Ed Nygma as an alter-ego to the Riddler doing this, doing something, or am I messing with myself? Am I self-destructive, is something else controlling me? I have no recollection of what happened, and so I don’t know what’s going on. Eventually, I go on a quest to figure it out, traversing through the city and you know, my surroundings, I start crossing with other people. I spend a lot of time with Gordon and Penguin, A little with of Barbara, Stabby Babs. As I become aware of what is actually going on, it’s pretty alarming. There are some events that really rock Gotham, and it’s quite shocking when we realize who’s responsible, and who’s controlling things. It starts playing into this bigger conflict of man vs. state. Citizens vs. Government.

Q: Mental health is such an important topic in Gotham, do you think if Riddler got any help that he needed, he could have redemption.

A: I think if he lived in a more civil society, where you could potentially have a peaceful life, perhaps? I just don’t think Gotham is that place, you know? It breeds crazy and it requires crazy to survive. But I do think he has the capacity, I think one thing that is riveting about him is that he does have the capacity or had it, at least to lead a normal life, and to be a good guy/ To be on the right side of things. I’ve always tried to keep that relevant to the character.

Robin Lord Taylor/Penguin

Q: You recreated the Penguin pretty much. Everybody is always talking about the Joker, but you’ve really brought the Penguin back to life. What do you think?

A: Thank you. Well, I share credit with our amazing showrunner, our executive runners: John Stephens, Danny Cannon, Bruno Heller… the vision started with them, and I just, I am the vessel. I just showed up.

You know, when I auditioned, I didn’t know really know what I was auditioning for. They wrote a big scene. So everything I brought to that scene just instinctively happened to match their vision where they wanted to take the Penguin in this story. Again, sometimes lightning strikes, and sometimes you get the job, and sometimes it leads to amazing experiences like Gotham. It’s just incredible.

Q: It seems that every season, the Penguin transitions into something else. What can we expect from this final season?

A: The story that I feel Gotham is telling is how this city, Gotham city, corrupts and destroys love. When we start the show in Oswald, there is this shred of humanity. He’s still trying, he is Fish Moonie’s umbrella boy. He’s failing, he’s figuring it out. There’s something, I don’t know if identifiable is the word? Something sympathetic there. Like we know what he’s trying for and why he’s making these decisions.

By the end, I think that humanity, that gentleness, that if deep down underneath if everything had gone right for him, he would have been a good person I believe. But by the end of this story, they were telling me “I want all of that humanity squashed out, he is a monster. He is a monster, he is a super-villain.” Gotham city has taken this person and the people who love him, and they’ve beaten out every shred of humanity. So in the end, we see the super-villain we all grew up knowing. You see someone who could really challenge The Batman, and that’s where we’re going to be at the very end.

Q: Following on from that, throughout the season the Penguin had a specific person or group of people that he’s considered a targeting for revenge. After he got the revenge on the death of his mother, who’s going to be the target for the final season? Where is he going to go?

A: It’s actually really great, I think when that happened at the end of season four when he avenged his mother’s death, I feel that released him. Like that was really the last piece of vengeance that had not been spoken for, that last bit of revenge he hadn’t gotten yet. And then he got it! And in season 5, he’s taken over City Hall, he’s absolutely the most powerful he’s ever been, and he wants to rebuild the city, especially the crime syndicate in his image. In his design. He’s there to remake Gotham in his image, and so yeah, I think there will be revenge. I don’t know where he’s going exactly, I haven’t read the final episode yet, so I don’t know. But the way these alliances are changing so fast, we’ll have to see if Gordon is the friend he always thought he was. If Riddler was the ally he thought he could be… we have yet to see. So revenge could be coming for any one of them. I don’t know who it is.

Q: Is there any chance of a spin-off for you, after Gotham?

A: I mean, I haven’t heard anything. You know, if there is a talk about it, they should really let me know because when we wrap the final scene, I’m walking upstairs and shaving my head. I’m going back to blond! They better get what they need to get because this [gestures to his Penguin-like hair] is going away immediately. I tell people it’s an amazing time for television and entertainment in general because look at it! The fans, Comic Con, is such as phenomenon. The fans, through social media have a voice. They can choose to keep characters coming. You know, if there is a desire for it, this has been the most gratifying character I’ve ever played in my life, and I owe everything to this character and this job, so if they wanted me or needed me, or if the fans were into it. I would be there in a heartbeat.

Q: Speaking of fans, how do you think they’ll react to the finale?

A: I mean, I think they’re going to stoked! Absolutely thrilled! Because I’m thrilled because I get to show the traditional Penguin from the comics. And really having seen the designs, and taking in visually the character, I think it is one of the most closest, film version of the classic comic book Penguin that’s reached media. They’re all classic in their own way but this I feel is just so close to the original source material, that I’m so excited to play it. You know, it just gives that little bit of legitimacy, like being the actual older Penguin that’s overweight. Who, you know, is a monster. You know who, all of this stuff that’s happened to him, has lead up to that, and I think everyone is going to be really thrilled. I’m thrilled!

Thank you guys, bless you. Thank you guys for supporting our show, for writing about our show and reporting on it! It means so much to all of us! Thank you. Cheers!

John Stephens/Executive Producer

Q: So what and how much of you goes into these seasons, particularly season 5?

A: What goes into it? My son was looking at an old picture of me from season 1, and he said: “Dad, you had great hair then.” And I said “Uh…yeah.” It was a real before and after shot.

You know, a lot of people and ideas go into it. Ideas and people who devoted years of their work and lives into it. It’s not all mine, but it is a lot of work. Certainly feels that way. And I think also at the same time, people who become deeply invested are all the actors you see, in their characters and in their world. When I talk to them about what they’re doing, it’s always clear that they’ve been thinking about it a lot. They’ve been thinking about who their character is, what they going to to be doing.

Q: The theme of identity is just so important in GOTHAM. What inspired to make such a focus on it?

A: To me, it all springs from the books themselves. I mean, I think the idea of identity and duality is so integral to the Batman myth. It goes with Bruce being both Batman and Bruce Wayne to the point where you are saying is he Batman pretending to be Bruce Wayne or Bruce Wayne pretending to be Batman? Whether it’s Two-Face? The issue with the Jekyll/Hyde duality I feel is something we try to hold true to the centre of the show. The idea that you can actually create the person who you are going to become, and I guess the decision to tell the growing up story of Bruce Wayne, rather than skipping over than like how it has traditionally been done. If you see someone actually make the decisions of who they’re going to be when they grow up, he is making the decision from being a kid to being a superhero.

Q: Is there any chance we see baby Batgirl in this season?

A: No comment, ha ha.

Q: What is all that talk of not being able to officially name the Joker, where does that come from?

A: You know, I think a lot of it is frankly continuity. Because of the fact that Batman has to be present at the creation of Joker, and Batman doesn’t appear in our the show until the very, very, very end. Everybody called the Joker before that, or even for us to say he’s going to be the Joker I think would disrupt that continuity in a way, I also feel like we could say there are certain things like one day they want to do in the movies, which I want to protect. But I also believe in a case where there is a mystery around who that character is. What his real name is. You know, and I think saying that his name is, or knowing his as well as we might know him as well before his generation maybe is not something I want to do.

Q: This season is shortened. The shortest one so far. Did you struggle with that or was it relatively easy to wrap everything up in less time?

A: Definitely struggled with it. You know, there’s that old saying to a friend that goes something like “Apologies for the long letter, I didn’t have the time to write a short letter.” And I think that’s actually really true. To actually take a lot of material and condense it down is more difficult than just kind of telling the whole thing without a lot of room to breathe.

So it was really hard to get in everything we wanted to get in those last episodes. It was really stepping back for all the characters, and knowing which ones we wanted to hit and saying “these are what we absolutely need,” and building a story around that. But that took some time.

Q: And did you wrap everything up, or is there a lot left up to the imagination?

A: We’re leaving it to the imagination.

Q: How was it like working with two youths on the set, for something that was dark, and still is dark?

A: It was great. Sometimes you worry about having them, you know, stabbing or killing somebody… but they’re naturals at it!

Q: Is there anything you wished you did that you hadn’t?

A: That’s a really good question, but no. I believe we left no stones un-turned.

#selina kyle #Edward Nygma #Cory Michael Smith #Oswald Cobblepot #Robin Lord Taylor #Camren Bicondova #Alfred Pennyworth #Sean Pertwee #Lucius Fox #Chris Chalk

40 notes · View notes

perpetually-jungshook · 8 years ago

Text

Without You: Bloodstone (Part 22)

Genre: AU, bts!werewolf, fantasy, angst

Warnings: language, violence, suggestive content

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: Werewolves, contrary to popular belief, are usually gentle creatures. Except for a very specific set of circumstances, they would never hurt a human (on purpose). The few unfortunate times when mistakes were made put a permanent dark mark on the beasts and people began labeling them as monsters. What the human population failed to recognize was the fact that they were protecting us from something much more sinister. Luckily, a few survived and the gene was passed down hereditarily until one day finding its way to me… in the form of my best friend.

Loyalty is often as blind as justice should be, as unstable as a lightning storm ought to be, and as misplaced as an opinion in the truth.

Chapter 22:

As soon as Munhee brings most of my personal effects from Jungkook’s room, I manage to take a shower and wash away some of the dirt and dried blood. The small rivulets of discolored water inevitably draw my attention to my arm. I can’t help but stare at the dark marks that penetrate my skin, knotted scar tissue, mapping the places I’d been torn open by his teeth. I reach up, delicately tracing my finger tip across the unnatural dips and rises. I can’t feel myself touching them, but for some reason, the flesh around the marks is sensitive enough to make me shiver.

Half of me wants to sleep, the other half can’t seem to settle down.

I shut off the water and take my time drying myself and getting dressed. I have nowhere to be, after all. My only job right now is to wait. Maybe I can practice some magic.

Rolling onto the newly made bed, my limbs feeling like they’re stuffed full of those… oh what are they… the little things bean bag chairs. Micro beads? Foam pellets? Why am I focusing on this? I groan and turn onto my side, letting my hand fall open so my palm faces up.

The green flame flickers to life and slowly spreads, dancing almost lazily. Probably tiredly.

I wish Munhee would teach me something other than revelation magic. An image of the white flame conjures behind my eyelids. No. That probably won’t come for years. Munhee was exhausted after using it for mere seconds. I can’t even imagine how much energy that might have taken. The pink flame I’d seen earlier comes to mind. Medicinal magic? She’d used those flowers… Calendulas? Maybe the stones and herbs make different colors. Or would they all be pink? I smile at the thought. At least this is keeping my mind off of-

Thud.

I sit up, attention darting to the opposite wall. That has to be Jimin. But what is he doing? Throwing himself against it? I wait and listen to the quiet, disturbed only by the white noise of the vent circulating cold air and the rhythmic sound of water dripping.

I can’t help but think of Jungkook when we were first brought down to the bunker, chained up to the wall. Jimin is an older werewolf, so he would have more control. But does the second imprint cause wolves to revert back to that feral desperation?

Curiosity gets the better of me and I force myself to stand up.

The door isn’t locked, and this fact causes me to feel a bit safer. Munhee didn’t feel the need to segregate me completely. Or trap me. The thought is unwelcome so I push it aside in favor of slowly making my way down the hall to the next door.

It’s eerily quiet, but not the chill inducing silence that surrounds a demon. Maybe everyone is outside.

Thud.

Jumping back in surprise, my shoulder hits the concrete wall. That had sounded a lot closer than I thought it would. Maybe Jimin isn’t actually restrained. Or worse, maybe he had been restrained and broke free.

For a moment, I consider returning to Jungk- to my new room. I’m playing with fire. But then again, I do that all the time.

“Jimin?” I whisper, slowly pushing myself away from the wall.

He can probably hear me, wolf form or not, but there’s a pause. A long one.

“Eun,” I recognize his voice immediately, though it’s severely muffled and subtly hoarse. “Open the door.”

My eyebrows knit.

“Why can’t you open it?”

Obviously, it’s locked. Otherwise he wouldn’t have asked. Well, he didn’t ask. He demanded. I take a deep breath, trying to quell the resentment that’s growing in my chest. I want to say there’s some sort of explanation for his behavior besides selfishness, but no answer seems adequate for mauling me, for treating me like this.

“Open the door.”

My heart aches and my injured arm seems to throb. I’m not sure if it’s some kind of supernatural, intimate bond connection to Jimin’s frustration or if it’s in my head. Whatever the case, I’m tired of letting him walk all over me. He’s not Jungkook. He’s not my friend.

“Give me one good reason,” I say, tone hopefully firm.

There’s another pause, then a soft whimper. He transformed.

“Jimin.”

Thud.

The scratching is quiet at first, but grows in volume and desperation. I look down the hall again and, finding no one, step closer to the wall, leaning against it.

“Calm down. Tell me why you want me to open the door.”

A few seconds pass and I’m surprised to hear his voice, “I need to see you. Please.”

I’m an idiot. A blind, trusting, only-sees-the-good-in-everyone idiot. I could leave the bunker. I could go back to my room. I could wait for Munhee. But no. My throat pinches as I pick what must be the stupidest option available. I walk over to the door, turn the deadbolt, and open it.

It takes a few seconds for me to realize I’m not being mauled or tackled or attacked. My body relaxes out of its tense flinch. Until I see Jimin.

His clothes are shredded, body visibly trembling, skin painted in various shades of reds and purples, and for the first time I see in his eyes something that isn’t disgust, anger, or hate- though I can’t quite place a name to the emotion. The corners of Jimin’s lips twitch up in the ghost of a smile.

“Hi,” his voice cracks.

“Hi.”

What quality dialogue. I sigh and lean against the door frame, half exhausted, half trying to hide myself behind it. Why do I keep giving into them? First Jungkook and now Jimin. At least Jungkook only wanted to protect me. I have no idea what Jimin’s intentions are.

The boy with the coffee colored hair takes abruptly step forward, making me shrink back.

“Stay where you are,” there’s authority in my voice, the same type I used with Jungkook when we were training. If Jimin has imprinted on me, it would only make sense that he would listen, right? Wrong.

Jimin continues forward as if I hadn’t even said anything. He stops just before the invisible line I’d set subconsciously that would’ve caused me to slam and lock the door. Leaning heavily against the wall for support, his gaze never leaves mine.

“Munhee doesn’t know your here. Does she,” it’s less of a question than a statement and makes me want to grimace.

Of course he won’t ask if I’m alright. Why would I expect that from someone like him?

“No, she doesn’t.”

Jimin lifts his hand as if he’s going to touch my face, but I back up immediately, retreating into the hallway. I don’t have time to close the door. Jimin steps past it without a second thought, his arm resting on the doorframe, still supporting himself. There’s a slight sway in the way he’s standing. An unbalance.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” his voice is just a whisper as his eyebrows knit, not in confusion but concentration.

“That’s a lie,” my heartbeat starts to thrum in my ears. “You bit me.”

Jimin visibly stiffens, “It was an accident.”

“Werewolves don’t bite humans on accident. Not even when they’re feral.”

“Okay, you’re right but-”

I search Jimin’s expression for something I’ve never been able to find. Remorse? Guilt? I interrupt him, “There’s nothing you can say that’ll change what you did. I’m sure you know exactly what the consequences are.”

He swallows audibly, “Yeah.”

“That’s all you have to say?” the words slip out before I can stop them.

Jimin’s gaze drops to the floor, lips pursing subtly, “What else do you want from me?”

“An apology,” at this point, I’ve given up all forms of honorifics and pleasantries with him, but I try to keep the spite out of my tone, instead using breathy exasperation. Out of all the things he’s done, at the very least I want to think he’s sorry about it.

Jimin says nothing.

The sound of air blowing from the ventilation system and a distant dripping of water are unsettlingly loud.

“So that’s that then,” I sigh, chest aching. “You can’t even give me that much.”

“I’m not going to pretend to regret something.”

“But you’ll lie about doing it on purpose.”

Jimin takes a shaky breath, reaching up to push his hair back, away from his eyes, “I’m sorry. There.”

“You don’t mean it.”

His upper lip twitches in what I can only assume is annoyance, “So you want me to apologize, but the one I give you isn’t enough?”

I’m about to respond, but Jimin’s attention flicks sideways, causing me to look as well. One of the mistletoe double doors opens and Munhee enters. She sees us immediately, her expression contorting in anger, “What are you doing out?”

There’s no confusion who she’s addressing. Jimin pushes himself off of the door frame, whole body suddenly rigid. A low growl claws up his throat, “You locked me in my fucking room.”

Munhee quickly looks me up and down, assessing the situation, probably searching for injuries. Her tone is tart and as she bends down to adjust her boot, I see the glint of the sliver knife. She slips the weapon into her sleeve. There’s no way Jimin didn’t see it too.

“I was afraid you’d do something to Eun.”

“Does it look like I hurt her?”

Munhee pauses as if she’s confused, a small crease forming between her eyebrows, “Is that supposed to be a trick question? You bit her. Now get back in your room so I can clean up the mess you made. Again.”

I glance at Jimin and almost feel bad. She’s practically openly threatening him with a knife. For the boy with the coffee colored hair, this place seems to be as much of a prison as I originally feared it would be for Jungkook and me. His gaze meets mine for a moment before he, without further protest, returns to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Munhee relaxes, the point of the knife appearing behind the hem of her sleeve before she bends down to place it back in her shoe. At first, I expect some kind of lecture about letting Jimin out. I also expect her to lock the door again. But she does neither of these things, instead pulling some crumpled yellow flowers from her pocket.

“Go sit down on your bed. I’m going to try to get rid of more of that scar tissue.”

“Thank you,” I give her a polite bow before she leads the way into my room.

I try to get comfortable with my back against the wall, letting my arm rest in Munhee’s lap. She sits beside me, examining the scars. The flowers are resting in a pile on her thigh, all but one, which she crushes in her hand. The pink flame blossoms and she presses it against my forearm.

“Is that healing magic?”

“Sort of,” Munhee sounds less aloof than distracted, but both tones are present. “Think of it more like a reaction. I’m sure you’ve read about it somewhere, but magic can be classified into five main types. Revelation, sigil, reactive, summoning, and dissipative. Any ‘spell,’ ‘potion,’ or whatever other term you want to label it… they’re all a mix of these categories.”

“Do all of them look like fire?”

“No, dissipative and summoning magic show in the eyes. It’s why wolves’ eyes turn yellow when they’re feral.”

I’m a bit surprised, “But wait, you said werewolves weren’t magic like… what we practice.”

“That’s true. The wolf part of their bodies is something that we can’t do- transformation, but their mind, the feral part, the spirit, is summoning magic.”

Well huh. That makes sense.

I’m about to ask another question when a knock on the door interrupts me. Munhee stiffens, the pink flame extinguishing, “Jimin, I fucking swear-”

“Noona?”

The voice makes me perk up. Jungkook?

Munhee relaxes again, but looks a little more tired than before, “You okay?”

“Yeah… may I speak to Eun?”

My heart flutters with a strange mix of nervous anticipation and excitement.

“You know what Jimin will do if he finds out you’re here right?”

“Yes.”

Munhee looks down at my arm. The scar tissue is less pronounced, not as dark and angry, and I begin to wonder if she’ll eventually be able to make it disappear altogether. She picks up the flowers, dropping them carefully in her pocket again.

“Alright, I’m sure you two have some stuff to talk about. I’ll be down the hall in the living room if you need me,” she excuses herself, opening the door and stepping aside to let Jungkook in. His eyes immediately flick around the room as if looking for immediate danger. Then they settle on me and he softens.

He bends into a deep bow as the door closes, leaving us alone, “Eun-ssi, I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you.”

Jungkook never uses that honorific with me, unless he feels he’s made an unacceptable error. My heart hurts, chest pinching tightly. I want to get up and comfort him, but something about the action seems out of place.

“It’s okay, Kookie,” I give him my best, most reassuring smile. “I’m alright see?”

I hold up my arm.

“No bleeding. I’ll probably be a little bruised but-”

“It’s not just that though,” Jungkook stays an uncomfortably large distance away, considering we’ve spent the last couple months sleeping in the same bed with him practically wrapped around me. He seems to choke on his words for a moment, black hair falling in front of his eyes as he hangs his head. “I loved you.”

✩✩✩♔✩✩✩

A/N: HECK YES. Bloodstone is back. Hopefully I’ll be posting with more regularity now that I’ll no longer be working. Thanks for reading~

Send me your theories/questions here. Or just come say hi ;)

Support me/Donate and get some super rad 😎 rewards

Much love ~🐰 xx

#without you: bloodstone #bloodstone #bts fanfic #bts angst #jimin fanfic #jimin #jimin angst #werewolf jimin #jungkook fanfic #jungkook #jungkook angst #werewolf jungkook

82 notes · View notes

thebluephilosopher-blog · 8 years ago

Photo

This is a lesser known but I think great game. Frankly I have seen far worse get several games. The slight twist being that in almost every game you play, goblins are the bad guys. Well in this one not only do you get to play them, you are the good guys! So lets dive into this.

Plot: The plot is, shall we say straight forward. We start with the beginning explaining that a mage greeted the goblins. Originally there were only 5, each with their own characteristics and personality. But as time went on there were hundreds and still growing. Each fell in line under one of the original 5, forming separate clans. You start out one day doing your usual work helping the master build the 'great machine.' When suddenly something goes wrong and the cave starts to fall down on the stone crusher clan, lead by Grommel. As you escape the master teleports out mortally wounded and when Grommel asks who did this, all he says is "brother" before dying. So nice beginning, suspicion of betrayal. However some red hellfire goblins are spying and see the dead master. The stone crusher clan moves to bring these ill tidings to Grax, leader of the hellfire and they are attacked when they get close. Turns out that they suspect Grommel of killing the master. Grax does not believe any of your protests of innocence so when you battle your way to the confrontation where you find Grax has laid a trap for Grommel, in the form of a room filled with gunpowder and igniting it himself. It fails and with no leader the Hellfire clan joins them. Basically the same thing happens with each group as you add them to your team. Up until the last group. That is where you find out that the last leader, Nassus, who I might add is the most evil looking and sounding goblin ever, is surprise surprise the one who tricked the other goblins against Grommel and Killed the master. However it is so obvious is almost impossible not to know this. The reason he did so was apparently the mage had a bit of a god complex. The 'great machine' was actually a soul bomb, a device that would kill and harvest all the souls of every living thing in the world, save for the one who uses it. Basically it would give the user the power of a hard reset to the world, to remake the entire world in the users image because they would have unlimited souls and the power to make all the living things to their choosing. Sort of how he used souls to make the goblins. The game ends with Nassus going into a portal vowing to just build a new one and try again, while Grommel throws his hammer at his head while he does. The game ends with even Grommel wondering if he is dead or not. I will just say that leaving your ending open is the best way to end a game. Gonna make a sequel? Perfect, leave people speculating. Just going to do one game? Still works and leaves the fans chomping at the bit for something new, or making up their own fan fiction.

Sound: Music is alright, nothing that will blow you away. They use fake speak to simulate goblin language, frankly I find this is an underrated method. For example, people HATE Starfox Adventures because they mixed up the letters for a legitimate way to change the language to both be usable and sound alien yet still be functional if you know how it works. This game uses half the effort and just has certain voices saying gibberish it. However the sounds are recycled so much you can tell they only have about 3 sound clips for each. So nothing to write home about but they tried.

Gameplay: Your usual game mechanics. Souls and gold are currency. Souls for making units, gold for buying upgrades, new units or defense towers. However they change up the style of each clan to have its own unique sort of ability's. For example, the stone crushers have the only healing unit and are well balanced with bonus armor. Hellfire have the most ranged units, most range and most sight. You almost always want them. Storm bringers use magic, have the most possible health and can have magic armor that acts as a health buffer. Plaugespitters have the most speed, can move through obstacles with ease and have acid. Over time the enemy loses a steady amount of hp for each hits. Meaning a small amount can do more damage to a large group. Finally the Nighthorde. pretty much death is their theme. They are melee focused but they loot more souls from battle, can actually generate gold from kills and can kill things with a single hit. you can only have a max of 3 clans so they play off each other, changing how you play against your enemy.

World: Not to lore heavy but the world is fleshed out. I already explained the difference but the units have very different looks and designs. I have to say that this is one game that does goblins right. Even as the good guys you solve problems the goblin way. Is the enemy using a thick forest for cover while they shoot you? Burn it down. Is somebody using some device to rain destruction down on your units? Bust it up. Very simple problem solving skills. No thinking about the aftermath or ecological repercussions. There is a ham-fisted charm to it. Anyone who just likes getting right down to the fisticuffs and does not want a story heavy plot getting in the way of the fun will love it. I have played through several times over and each level's sort of gimmick still gives it a unique play.

Characters: I have already gone over this but basically I will just sum these characters up in a goblin way.

Gromel: Big strong viking like leader of tough grey goblins. They work hard and strong good rocks. Frax: Boss of red gobbies. Make things go boom boom. Even own troops. Faine: Ruler of the Blue Stormbringers, master mage and commands the lighting as he wills. Few can match his wit and ingenuity. Syst: Great leader of the green clan that roams the hills. His will shapes the vines and bramble, twisting the very jungle in his favor. Nassus: Leader of purple nighthoarde, keeper of sssouls, maker of death and massster of lisssspsss. Pretty much mossst evil guy around.

Monsters: Just the goblins here, although I suppose the legendary units count too. Unless you count sheep and lava slimes.

Final thoughts: Overall this is what I would call a fun game that doesn't take itself too seriously. Not everything fun has to be complicated, time consuming or difficult. In fact I would say difficulty scales with fun. If a games controls are very specific, or requires pinpoint timing and mistakes are punished with fatality, you are robbing the game of enjoyment. Which do you think is more fun? Memorizing all the moves a character has and then carefully practicing them so you can do them on cue or having a button that does the activated move, halving the time to master a character? Would you rather just do the thing that makes you feel awesome, or would you like to earn it over a long time? Now I know some people will say you should work for it, or earn it. But are games really about "Earning the fun" through Work? Or are they supposed to be the reward themselves? Good questions to think about, till next time.

Brought to you By:

TieTuesday- Speaking of fun, here is someone to take a look at. Do you like watching good games, bad games or an adult playing games meant for little kids? Then he is the guy for you. This guy loves to be good at really bad games. In fact I think he placed second in worlds fasted playthrough of Sonic 06. Great sense of humor and even a few old references for nerdy peeps. Check him out here https://www.youtube.com/user/TieTuesdaySA and I know for a fact he has done the best lets plays of Super Godzilla and Mission impossible.

#Review #video games #goblin #commander #tietuesday #great game #fantasy #magic #humor #goblin commander #retro game #rts

0 notes