#“I can fix him” vs “I can make her worse” who will win | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

depressed-sasuke · 4 months

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Kind of a weird question I hope you don't mind dhejeje but hypothetically if Lalo had to face all of the main villains in the dollar's trilogy movies (so like El indio, angel eyes, Ramon etc..)) who somehow are still alive how would it go?

Do you think he'd try to strike unlikely alliances for some ulterior motive? Or that he'd be more likely to seek out revenge for something they did to him? Maybe also trying to get their bounty?

Ok ok so this has to be one of the most exciting questions I've gotten!! My brain has been Turning super hard trying to think of my answer (THAT'S GOOD!!) I'm going to try to not make him a Mary-sue and see that all his fights are unfair and not crazy easy for him

Ookok!!

Lalo (17) vs Ramon, El Indio, then angle eyes! I'll go in order from first movie to last :))

There are ALOT of factors that change each villain!

Ramon would be the easiest for him to get to know, they're both Mexican, which makes me think Ramon would be more open to him, try to take him in like an apprentice

Boast how Lalos is better than his little brother.

His reason for killing Ramon would be more towards justice, he's drifting around and see's the towns gone to shit, Ramon has kidnapped some innocent lady from her family! Lalo can fix that, so he will.

Lalos is less of a plan guy and more of a shoot and see what happens! He'd keep his killings inside, instead of the back and forth with the baxtors. I'm sure he'd chat with the lovely lady once, and get all the information she knew about schedules and such, make a deal that he'll kill Ramon for a good amount of money.

Ramons viewing of Lalo would equal better trust, which means it's easier for Lalo to slip by in places he shouldn't be. After letting the family go he'd get back and try to pretend he didn't know what happened, but get surprised by Ramon clicking his shotgun.

Their battle would be a moving one, hiding behind walls and shooting at each other, Lalo having to deal with three other of Ramons men. Lalo keeps nearly getting his chest blown. But he ends up getting Ramon in the head. Towns saved, yay! And he gets good money from the baxtors, he's still young and thinks that's one's better than two, so he leaves it at that.

El Indios death would be for the money 💰 10,000 bounty!?! He could show off to his dads so hard lol

El Indio is more difficult, joining his gang won't be easy…and getting to know him is even worse. The guy screams crazy and deranged, but Lalo has a pretty optimistic personality, so trying to get along with him for the most part wouldn't be bad.

Indio would be suspicious, naturally, but Lalo taking his younger status to advantage would say he wants to join a “group” and he knows Indio is really dangerous, which will make his own bounty high when he gets one. Indio makes him fight one of his men to prove himself, and Lalo wins.

Being in a group is torture to Lalo, he's the youngest and new so he's constantly being watched and criticized by the other members. They eat when Indio says, stop and rest, travel, ugh! He especially hates being surrounded by criminals, he's no Saint, but his ego definitely believes he's better than them. He probably gets irritated and shows off by killing a few and claiming it as an accident.It was no problem as Indio kept sending him out in duos, probably to see if he'd still come back.

I figure Indio would find this a lie when he finds a few of the bodys with two holes in them each…

This time he can't sneak under someone's wing. Indio was hardly sad when his wing man died, why would he even think about taking some random kid under his wing? He'd end up exposing Lalo for being a bounty killer, since Lalo was after him and not the bank notes. Lalo would be too inexperienced to catch on and they would beat him. Indio would do the same thing of letting him leave and tricking his men to go after him.

One by one he goes through them, and finally he's at his wits end, tired, beaten, standing across from Ramon. I'd love the music to be from when Indio killed the man who betrayed him (or just El Indio theme)

youtube

Lalo wins, and turns Indios body in, winning 10,000$$$ He decides to return the money back to the bank, just left it in the front and road off.

Angel eyes 😨

The guy is smart, cold and calculating. Nothing Lalo would do could trick him! I suppose if he was still alive, Lalo would be upset at how he beat Tuco.

Perhaps Angel eyes can see Lalo as a Blondie 2.0 and try to get him to partner up with him, saying they're both strong and such. The two of them can get bigger paying bounties, Lalo going under someone else's wing once again. I feel like lalo is as sadistic as angel eyes, but they both put it away for a better facing personality. That would make a crazy fun little duo!

Except No way Angel wouldn't be planning for those two deaths. They would both know that Angel eyes wants to kill them and in turn lalos gonna want to kill him.

So the partnership would be futile and would end in a duel.

I don't think that Angel eyes would be the type to run away from someone actively chasing him. He's got enough ego and Age to think he'll outdraw Lalo.

That's a little boring! What if Lalo himself was after the 200,000!?!

He'd get into all sorts of trouble. Of course he himself would have both the names, after a beating he'd only give up the name of the yard, telling Angel he'd have to kill him to get the name on the grave.

I'm sure he'd escape from the group for a short period of time, but eventually they'd both end up at the graveyard together.

I'm kind of seeing why having two separate people knowing two different things is a smart idea. With blondie, he's able to negotiate into a fight by splitting the chances of who'll get the name on the grave.

With just Lalo, what could angel eyes possibly do at that point? He won't talk if beaten… but being held at gunpoint…I don't think Lalo wants to die that early. But!! He would die after giving Angle the name anyways!! Argg!!🫠🫠

He could possibly do what Blondie did, though!

It's all hypothetical anyways 😮‍💨 but fun!! My brain was WORKING during this haha!

I might just have to give Lalo his own little villain huh? Not too good at writing 😕

If I make any errors or if anybody wants further details about any of these interactions/Fights I'd be happy to explain! I'm kinda Bing writing it lol, so don't be afraid to tell me if somethings off!! :]

#the good the bad and the ugly #fankid #lalo ramirez #dollars trilogy #a fistful of dollars #the man with no name #tuco ramirez #el indio #angel eyes #for a few dollars more

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meowww-ffxiv · 2 months

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Dawntrail spoilers.

After Liios collapsed following the battle with Zoraal Ja, he woke up feeling like he was on his deathbed. Which was one thing. Erenville also came and snapped at him, "How could you do that to your brother? You almost died in front of him." Which, brat. But Liios didn't hold it against him.

And THEN Alphinaud and Alisaie came in, and they had a civil conversation for all of two minutes where Alphinaud updated the still-mildly delirious Liios about everything that had transpired since -- Zoraal Ja's death, Wuk Lamat taking Gulool Ja to Tulliyolal to visit Koana, Y'shtola and their friends working to secure a way to follow Sphene (Liios had been out for almost four days) -- when Alisaie interrupted, "Why is it that every time we find out something is wrong with you, it's after it has already come and bitten you in the arse?!"

If Liios wasn't feeling like shit, he could've probably mustered up a smile. Maybe some empty platitudes that would make her so mad she leave the room and refuse to talk to him again for a month. That'd be nice, wouldn't it.

But he was in pain. Worse yet, he was having to deal with the dawning realization that he might very well be running out of time. You can fix a lot of what went wrong in a body, but not a defect and not a heart defect.

So he was, for once, honest. "It doesn't change the outcome," Liios told them.

"What outcome?! Did you even have a plan?"

"The outcome," he gritted out, "that I need to be in that battle."

There was a moment of frosty silence before Alphinaud said quietly, "You are wrong. You did not have to risk your life. We could have managed."

"Winning is one thing. Winning without loss is another," Liios replied. "Can you look me in the eye and say that my presence affected nothing?"

They couldn't. Of course they couldn't. Liios still was the most skilled at fighting among them, on par with Estinien, if not better. And they knew he didn't just mean Zoraal Ja; he meant all the rest of the time too.

The silence was bitter. Unwell as he was, Liios felt that too, so he added, "A worn blade has little use kept out of battle. Better to wield it till the end."

"But you aren't a blade! You aren't a thing! Are you dense?!" Alisaie snapped at him. "You're-- You're our friend!"

"I am your Warrior of Light," Liios replied wearily.

...He could have broken a panel of glass over both of the children's head and it would have hurt them less, the way they looked at him afterward. Liios realized belatedly that he'd gone and said the absolute wrong thing yet again, but before he could claw back enough consciousness from his fever to try and fix the mistake, the doors opened to another group of visitors.

And the twins were sank into the background and Liios spent the rest of his remaining energy briefing G'raha on how to use the devices he had strewn about, to better assist mass healing should they need help securing Solution Nine. After that, he fell asleep, and woke to Y'shtola saying they were ready to pursue Sphene.

It was hell of a fight, him vs. all the Scions (rather unfair, that) to let him come with. But Liios asked them very bluntly if any of them knew how tech worked better than he did. None, of course. So he went.

And the twins were left on this side of the barrier...

Thankfully everything ended really well, or as well as it could. The final fight needing only Liios's soul spared his body from any further stress, and Living Memory taxed him not at all, though it was a very strained time between himself and Ptolemy, who had also insisted on coming along.

But talking to Ptolemy was far easier than fixing what he'd broken with Alphinaud and Alisaie.

Especially because Liios had no idea what, exactly, he had broken. He didn't feel like it was trust... or at least nothing different than before where they found his new and much reduced limits the hard way. Liios only knew that whatever he said had deeply, deeply wounded them.

Because both of the twins hadn't spoken a word to him that wasn't a group conversation since then, and usually Alphinaud and Alisaie loved talking to him about anything under the sun.

Liios was THIS close to calling up Ameliance to ask for advice. But he should probably ask G'raha first. But he also should try to figure out himself, right? Or ask Alphinaud and Alisaie directly.

He hadn't figured out how to deal with it yet.

So now, one month and two weeks after they'd wrapped up with Dawntrail, he was still in limbo.

#liios suvali #dawntrail spoilers #look. he did ask estinien. and estinien said he should probably talk to the twins directly #painfully correct advice. liios doesnt want to do it

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pheedraws · 4 months

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who will win? heinrix 'i can fix her' van calox vs livea 'i can make him worse' von valancius

#had to take my save back to footfall but his romance is Fixed and i'm just #bleating pathetically at the screen #how am i supposed to choose between devil v closeness when both options are so *chefs kiss*#genuinely not felt this catered to by a canonical vg romance since kaidan lets GO

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eve6262 · 1 year

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now vs then

OT 2 SPOILERS // Throne and Father-centric, not ship (hopefully obviously).

Sometimes it’s hard to read Father.

Mother is obvious. She doesn’t bother hiding her emotions, because why should she? She’s the one with the whip, the one who makes the plans; her obvious glee makes her all the more frightening. Mother doesn’t care about that sort of thing.

But with Father, it’s harder.

The two of them are in one of the upper rooms of the den. Most Blacksnakes aren’t allowed up here, having rooms in other buildings across the New Delsta backstreets or something in the basement, but Father said she was special because of how young she joined them, so she lives in the den. The killing and crime she could do without, but a fluffy bed and pretty pictures are nice to come home to.

Father sits at the desk, though he’s turned around the chair so he can watch her practice her knife work. Every now and again he gives a pointer- “A little more momentum, less force-” and she complies. There’s a smile on his face.

His eyes are...harder to read.

There’s something that she thinks is supposed to be pride, in there. It’s probably to do with his own knife skills- second to none and killer of the most well-guarded targets, he’s certainly got reason to be proud of that. She’s gotten well enough into her own skills to understand how hard it is to fully master so many different blades and wield them as well as he does.

But something else is completely foreign to her. It’s not like the way his eyes glitter when he describes the fresh scent of blood, or the thrill of the kill. It’s not like the way his eyes haze over a little when he’s had one too many glasses of whiskey, and his voice gets a little raspier. It doesn’t even look like the time she mentioned that she liked talking to Pirro because he was nice to her, and he knelt down on her level and said, “If he ever tries something on you, you come tell me, okay?”

She, of course, said, “Why would I need to do that?”

And he laughed. And then looked her dead in the eyes and made her promise. Maybe it’s a personal thing.

It’s always a personal thing with the Blacksnakes.

Not for Throné, though. She likes Pirro, is friends with Scaracci and Donnie, but she doesn’t go out of her way to hate other people. Nobody’s ever done something so mean to her she wanted to hurt them. It’s never been personal. Maybe that comes with being barely twelve years old, maybe that comes with hating the smell of blood. She isn’t sure.

Not a lot of things are concrete aside from her collar. The way Mother’s temper flares at the slightest disgrace; what was courtesy yesterday is disrespect today. The whip marks may never truly heal from her skin, especially from that one incident with the blood.

She hated that.

But Father’s eyes had been something special.

That’s what it is now, she realizes. The second thing in his eyes. Whatever it was, it’s the same thing as when he bandaged her back after Mother whipped it bloody. She was only ten at the time, and her own eyes held tears she was trying furiously to hold back, but they simply wouldn’t have it. It’s been more than a year since then, and now she knows better. The tears will be stayed, or else Mother’s wrath gets worse.

It also gets worse when she doesn’t see tears, to be fair. There’s no winning in this house unless you’re Mother or Father. Or maybe one of the dealers at the poker tables.

Father makes a noise in her throat and she stops on instinct. Looks up to him- even sitting down he’s so tall- and walks over to her in that strange gait she’s heard Pirro call a ‘stalk’. “Good job, Throné.”

He pats her head. She closes her eyes and pouts, because now her hair is all messed up, and he laughs. But she does miss the warmth of his hand when he pulls it away. Still, she fixes the part around her eye, now out of place and hard to see through properly.

“Come on, then. I have some work to do. Do you wanna come with me?”

“...Okay,” she says, because accompanying Father on his work is better than staying in the den with just Mother. Even if there’s the smell of blood.

“I hoped you’d say that,” he says with a familiar glint in his eye, and beckons her along.

---

It took a while for her to figure out what that look in his eye meant.

She didn’t think about it even after he died. Even after the word “dad” spilt from her lips like the blood from his stomach, the life leaving him even as he held her hand and wanted nothing anymore but the love from a daughter he’d thought he’d lost. He had it, in the end. Claude didn’t get what he wanted, and neither did her true mother, and neither did Mother-

But maybe at least Father is happy in whatever hell he’s in. Happy that he got his daughter.

It took a long, long while. But she finally saw it again.

In Osvald’s eyes.

Elena has apparently discovered some huge conspiracy within whatever organization controls the labeling of soulstones. Naturally, Osvald agreed to accompany her, and Throné was bored, so she decided to tag along. In secret, because Elena is a nice girl and Osvald’s daughter shouldn’t be caught mingling with thieves.

He’s probably noticed her by now, though.

She’s ranting about something or other. It sounds remarkably less like the man himself and more like Partitio rambling about whatever new invention he’s discovered, excited almost more than Ochette catching a whiff of good meat. The look in her eyes is soft but determined, a combination she’s never seen before but wants to associate with pure-hearted children.

Osvald is of course proud of his daughter. It’s in his eyes- pride, and what she can now safely define as affection.

It’s almost unfathomable to think it was in Father’s eyes.

Almost.

Because wasn’t that what it was all about? Mother cared for nothing, Claude dispassionate, Pirro setting aside whatever reservations he had in search of luxury. But Father was nothing like any of them. He told her where to go, gave her a warning but knew she’d follow because he never cared about this game. None of it- not the garden, not the tests, nothing.

He wanted a daughter. And Claude took that away from him. So he hid, and bid his time, and knew that the only thing that could get him his daughter was his skills with a blade, and so he used them. And then, when he had her, he realized:

What did he have to give her?

The answer wasn’t much. A life of crime. Of death. That she didn’t enjoy, he must’ve realized. That fateful day, when he asked if she liked the smell of blood, and she asked for the raspberry jam she loved back home. He’d given her some, but looked contemplative as he stared out a window. Perhaps he forgot, in all his quest for the things he wanted, that not everyone was as bloodthirsty as he was.

And yet he tried anyway. He did, in the end, give her the one thing she wanted- her freedom. With Father alive, there could be no freedom, even if he had simply handed over the key. He knew the truth- the spiraling, awful, toxic truth. He knew the Lostseed tale and the man who presided over a fallen kingdom.

It was a gift to him, too. A chance to finally leave the hell of a cesspit that was life for him- a wife taken, his daughter raised into this awful cycle, having to deal with Mother as a cohort.

“Father. Wherever you are...”

She starts down the path, realizing that Elena and Osvald are gone. She’ll catch up. She always does.

“I hope you’re happy.”

this is pretty short and really only has me as the target demographic so I thought I'd post it on tumblr instead of ao3 if you want me to post it on ao3, leave a comment and I'll post it though, I get not wanting to read your fanfiction on tumblr lmao

~Eve6262

#octopath traveler #octopath traveler 2 #octopath 2 spoilers #throne anguis #osvald v. vanstein #elena octopath #elena v. vanstein #father octopath #writing #fanfiction

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homemadegirlbossbattle · 1 year

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ROUND 1 / SIDE A / POLL 8

Flynn Curtis (@ratwhowrites, art by @burnt-pheonix) vs. Venus (@acid-harbringer)

Flynn Curtis info:

Description: Flynn is one of the main characters of the story, her twin brother being the protagonist. This takes place in a fantasy world I have named Opal. They grew up together, with Flynn often being overshadowed by her brother and his accomplishments. While she was jealous, she tried not to let it affect her relationship with him. That is, until her accident. Her brother was messing around with his sword and it landed on her face. When she regained consciousness, she was met with the main antagonist, Romero Astrophel, and old friend of hers and her brother who was presumed to be dead. He offers her an opportunity to be the more well liked twin. He offered her more power, a partnership. She remains an antagonist for the rest of her part in the story. She is a mom friend who tries to keep others from making bad decisions while she makes worse ones. She favors explosives and various forms of firearms. The girl just likes fiery explosions. She is talented in making weapons, often used in her fights. She is mostly serious, especially when she is working, but enjoys pranks all the same. She also has a major sweet tooth. Lost her arm to a giant rodent attack. So she made herself a replacement.

Crimes: Attacking civilians, treason, arson, destruction of private property, destruction of public property, kidnapping, vandalism, theft.

Other notes from the submitter: She's a silly who should win.

Venus info:

Description: Venus is a robot made for resource allocation after humanity moved to a new planet. instead she decided to keep most of those for herself and created a faction based on the 'everyone for themselves' mentallity and flaunting wealth, the only things that matter are money and looks. While Venus can appear rather charming and good with words she is incredibly Vain and simply uses everyone to get what she wants, don't make a deal with Venus because she'll do anything to weasel her way out of giving you your payment. Unwilling to her get hands dirty she pays others to do the dirty work herself (dirty work meaning assasinations most of the time), she has financially assisted with the assasination of the leader of the Saturn faction because she had great disdain for their superior technology and fixing robots for free, wich made them a financial danger for her (she makes a lot of money from robot parts and revives). Venus herself has many backups of her body for if she gets killed, or just bored of her current looks she frequently swaps out her parts, mainly her head wich kind of became a trend in venus society. Venus sets most of the fashion trends in her faction. she is a lesbian and built herself a wife who mainly acts as a body guard and accessory.

Crimes: hoarding of resources, slander, scamming, exploitation of workers, supported assasination on the leader of a faction that she wasn't enemies with, hired hitmen, making people pay to live,

Other notes from the submitter: how far can we take the acceptance of lesbian wrongs?

#poll #oc poll #hmgbb

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queenofnohr · 7 months

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Odeline Heaven's Ward Relationship Overview

Zephirin

Sympathetic to her plight, but ultimately has a job to do (pre-ARR)

Encourages the Ward to interact with her throughout the events of HW

Charibert

Wants to persecute her as a heretic sooooooooooooooo badly

(pre-ARR) If she smells Charibert coming, she'll veil herself back up bc she does NOT want to deal with him

(after revival) bites each other bites each other bites each other

Technically her savior

Though because he was the one who persecuted her "family," he was the one she had to fight in trial by combat (real rin vs medea hours; aka she wins not bc of her magic but by mana burst punching him in the gut)

literally "the one that got away" for him. his white whale. LOVES fighting her

Grinnaux

"look at this funny bitch"

Leans slightly neutral toward her, but thinks she's entertaining

Adelphel

Knew her as the weirdo who indulges Jannequinard during his tenure as a Durendaire knight

Wanted/wants (?) to fuck her ngl. He's 22. big shrug.

Gets along fairly well with her even though she rejects his advances

Thinks she's naïve despite being younger than her for thinking ppl don't break their vows of chastity constantly in ishgard

Even tempered, thought things would work out until the very end because they were friends :(

Paulecrain

Eyepatch to eyepatch communication

by that I mean he recognizes her as (somewhat) cut from the same cloth as people who'd struggled to get by in Ishgard

Gains some amount of respect for her after she bests Charibert in her trial by combat

While it isn't really surprising to him that an Au Ra would thrive outside of Ishgard, seeing her when she returns, he wonders how high she plans to climb wrt status

Slightly bitter at her position as House Fortemps ward in HW, especially after learning she's a Problem Child now

On her part, she wants to see him succeed because she does consider him a person (as with the rest of the Ward) and is frustrated to see him content with his lot as it is - when asked "Doesn't [he] want more?" he half-bitterly replies with, "Where else is there to go when you've made it into the Ward?"

Is so fucking confused as to why she rubbed elbows with Jannequinard for clout and she's just like. "He was the only one stupid enough to take me"

post revival, he probably grounds her a lot of the time like "even if you're warrior of light, you're still just a person"

Haumeric

Was On Her Side during her scandal and sent her to complete her schooling afterward; despite this, because of her past trauma, she distrusts his acts of goodliness

Her scandal is what made him seriously consider stepping down from the clergy

(post revival) "I can fix her" "I can make him worse"

Thinks she's a good Halone-fearing woman and thinks her "fall from grace" is a tragedy

unintentionally bullies Odeline after reviving over stuff like pointing out she cried over the Ward or unintentionally making her beg for cock

likes sticking his dick in crazy so, you kno.

Last Ward member she fucks

Guerrique

Likes to fuck with him

before she likes to fuck with him u kno? (post-Ward reviving)

He broke her arm on accident once and feels really bad about it so he sort of lets her behavior slide

Figures out her vibes faster than anyone else but doesn't comment because it's not his lane

First Ward member Odeline fucks bc she thinks he'll be an easy conquest. why would she think this. he's literally exploded a dragon's head with a swing and broken 22 of his axes because of his strength. the reason is she's a little stupid and has a god complex.

Guerrique asks if he should name a new axe after her after they fuck and she's just like .........

Noudenet

Classmates in the Scholasticate

Would bitch about her magic constantly, making her strive to get better

Thinks her mana bursting is big poggers though ("It was very imaginative")

Tells her to study with Charibert rather than Haumeric when she's learning magic from the Ward mages

Janlenoux

BLUE HAIR SQUAD

The only one who can make her calm down maybe a little (with his cooking. Real What's Cooking in the Emiya Household hours)

Technically knew her as the weirdo who indulges Jannequinard when he served House Durendaire

Ward members not listed I'm still cooking for! To be updated as I add more lore~

#odeline tag #long post

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saspectrum · 2 years

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how so did they butcher it? i haven’t read the manga

in the manga he is a medical student who couldn't care less about human emotions. he pities his patients and puts on this good man mask in front of them only to throw away their wills (that they entrusted him with) without even showing their relatives.

he's becoming a doctor because his father was one. Chishiya thinks that maybe sharing professions with him could lead to them having a real father-son relationship. talking about his childhood, he says that he only ever knew saw his father's back, never his face, because he was too busy studying medicine bent over his desk.

Chishiya hopes that saving lives as a doctor could make him more sympathetic and could led to him finally understanding life. his view on humans doesn't really change and he is left with a dislike for others and himself.

during his first game in the Borderlands (which is not shown in the tv series) it is said that he has "no concept of human life". he is willing to risk others to win and progress in the games. he openly cheats just to see if he can get away with it knowing full well that being caught means death.

he's not particularly attached to his own life, he thinks he exists purely to show "how empty a human can be". his victories are dictated by his intelligence, sure, but he wants to go on in the Borderlands to see what happens next. to show others the kind of genius he is and to find other interesting people to play with and win against.

for him, games are just games.

he's selfish, he's willing to throw his companion's lives under the bus (like he did before the ten of hearts game in the first season) and he isn't interested in anyone's survival but his own.

the fact that Arisu and Karube played the Oni vs Humans game to search for a doctor and Chishiya didn't help them says that much. he could have helped people in so many occasions and he didn't.

during the King of Diamonds game he mocks Kuzuryu. telling the attorney his choice (100) is his way to challenge him, to understand how little his own life is worth and what the man would give away to repent for his old life's sin. Kuzuryu in fact doesn't save him in the manga, he presses both 1 and 0 and lets fate decide who lives and who dies.

Chishiya, on the other hand, would never "go with his gut" like they show in the series. he's extremely calculating and I was confused by that scene in the Netflix adaption. considering he was never part of the Jack of Hearts game in the original story, watching him alone and without a plan for himself made me think they wanted to make him more human and empathetic, whish he is not in the manga.

I think he's the least relatable in terms of humanity and motivations, head to head with Niragi, but Netflix decided to make him fully a fan favourite and "fix" this part of his character.

knowing that Chishiya is basically emotionless, depressed and over all an asshole that doesn't really care about anyone and actively tries to make their lives worse, him jumping in front Usagi to save her and him telling Arisu he's jealous of how naive people live life, is much more significant. he's trying to understand others in his own way.

he spent his life thinking everyone was under him, convinced that he was the only smart being in the world, only to understand the meaning of his existence in the Borderlands.

even when he talks to Niragi in the hospital and tells him he "was an asshole too" makes more sense knowing his real backstory.

he's never been a morally good character and up until the end he didn't have the capacity to change. he's just hoping to be less of a dick.

I really hope this explains even a little how Chishiya's character was built in the manga.

if you see any mistakes I'm sorry, english isn't my first language.

have a good day💖💖💖

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discovares · 2 years

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The longer it's been since I read Worm, the longer I think about it, the more I sour on it.

McCrae obviously has a talent for inventing uniquely creative powers - except he arbitrarily changes the rules and limitations of those powers, and can't keep 'what is true' vs 'what the PRT believes' straight.

McCrae succeeded in writing a story about 'doing the wrong thing for the right reasons' - except, he equates 'heroes' with 'status quo liberalism' and 'villains' with 'anyone else', which is what *really* makes his story so bleak: because if we have only liberalism and evil, we really *are* doomed.

McCrae wanted so very badly to criticize the superhero genre - but in failing to comprehend it, on almost every level, he wastes page after page on the same idea: 'what awful thing can I invent (and invent is the key word here) to justify this?'

When I think back to the parts of Worm I enjoyed, I do think of some of its darkest moments, albeit not exclusively: Leviathan, Regent puppetting Sophia, the Travelers' Interlude, Riley, even Aster, these are moments that, bleak or awful as they were, felt meaningful, or poignant, to me. Like they said something about Taylor, or her world.

...in Ward, our protagonist holds a girl aloft, while a thing nobody has any control over rips her brain to shreds through sheer gravity: a node of her brain, fixed in place, digging into her brain. What does that say, about this world?

At the end of Worm, everything failed, and that was half the point. Taylor wins, but in a way that makes her an ugly, dangerous, mad thing, barely human. And she says, before she's shot in the head:

"We're all so very small, in the end."

And I thought I got it. I thought he meant to humble us, who he must imagine wish to be heroes ourselves. To say, that we would do no better.

I don't believe that anymore. I think McCrae looked at the world, saw the many failures and deliberate evils of capitalism, and then... he believed the people pepretrating that evil when they told him that "this is as good as it gets."

Of course a man like that doesn't believe in heroism.

When that girl from Ward, who our hero tried to save, died whimpering in her arms, I despaired. When McCrae revealed that everyone in that town, every victim of that event, outside of anyone's control, had died as well, I only wondered "why? Why include this beat? It just seems so pointlessly cruel."

Having stewed on Worm and what I read of Ward for a few years now, I fear I've found the answer, the explanation for why I quit the sequel, but stuck with the original. In Worm, the world was saved in the end, despite everything.

Despite everything that her author tried to do to prevent it, Taylor Hebert was a hero. This new beat was there to rob her of that victory, to rob the audience of any hope that things might be good, or get better, or at least not get worse. It was simply there to say:

'Everyone would be better off dead'.

#Worm #Parahumans #If you love the Parahumans Canon that's great I just wanted to express why *I* don't so much anymore #Ward

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megamindsupremacy · 2 years

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Loki-centric fic recs

Fix it by laeveteinn

“You vs. those self-righteous Avengers … how would you like to win? But not just there! You can kill Thanos! You want the Infinity Gauntlet? Yours. Throne of Asgard? No problem.”

When Miss Minutes offers Loki and Sylvie a happier timeline, they accept.

Missed me? By rlybro

The final step of bringing down the TVA is by far Loki’s favourite one: catalyse the branching of the multiverse by messing up the Sacred Timeline.

——

Featuring: Confused Avengers, multiple Gods of Mischief, soft reunions, and one ex-bureaucratic agent who’s just going along for the ride.

The Collectible by lizardbeth

Loki lets himself fall at the Bifrost, thinking (hoping) death will follow. But death doesn't come - instead, it's much worse, as he's sold to the Collection of Taneleer Tivan. A telepathic hound becomes his companion in suffering, but their luck is about to change.

Monstrous purpose by Duce_gemini

"What a prison I will make of you." Caught in the machinations of a powerful being that is entirely too interested in his "destiny", Loki is cast to Earth and stripped of his power, his magic, and even his voice. Adopted by one of the pitiful ants, a street child named Book, Loki struggles to adjust to his new "prison" while trying to uncover exactly who this power is that has banished him and why it is so interested in the fate he glimpsed while falling in the void between worlds. And without his powers, it is only a matter of time before either his not-brother and his self-righteous friends discover him....or the Chitauri do. (Post Avengers/ Pre-TDW)

Half a league onward by lise

When it becomes clear that the Hulk can't beat Thanos, Heimdall sends him to Earth. But he doesn't send him alone.

Or, the one where Loki is going to avenge his brother, and/or die trying.

Mistakes made (and corrected) by adreamer67

In a different universe, Hela rebelled sooner. In a different universe, Hela Odinsdottir seduced Laufey with promises of power and convinced him to attack Midgard. In a different universe, Hela got pregnant, and didn't want to be. In a different universe, Hela left her newborn son for dead and went to face her father.

In a different universe, Loki Helajarson is two hundred and fifty years older than Thor. Let's see what happens.

(Aka my retelling of Thor I and the Avengers, but Loki is the oldest because I say so)

#mads posts #fic recs #marvel fic rec list #fic rec list

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flyinglotus777 · 3 years

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Netflix’s Squid Game

SPOILER ALERT! If you are interested in watching the series, I HIGHLY suggest you do so. This article will be an overall synopsis and my review of the show. For an in-depth analysis of the symbolism of the show and ending, scroll down to the fourth to last paragraph.

The Netflix show, “Squid Game,” written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk is a phenomenal Korean drama centered around our victor, Seong Gi-hun, played by Lee Jung-jae. Contestants were recruited to play in a life or death competition due to their lack of luck, financial knowledge, and influx of impending debt they have accumulated throughout their lives. We first meet Gi-hun as he is down on his luck. Living with his elderly, overworked mother (which in countries outside of the United States is not strange nor uncommon) Gi-hun was a friend to gambling, but that toxic love caused him to be in debt to a gang of (what seemed to be) loan sharks. When luck finally strikes him on the race track, life simultaneously decides to take an excrement on his reality. His debt seekers catch him on his hot streak and involuntarily sign him up to be a participant in the Squid Game.

Similar to many other of the 456 participants, they all shared a common denominator of being in situations it seemed only money could fix. Upon arrival the contestants were asked to voluntarily sign wavers in order to participate in the game, while unknowingly risking their lives, for the opportunity to win 456 billion won (which would be roughly over $3.5 million in US currency). The challenges were mostly based on nostalgic childhood games, both based in the United States and South Korea.

Now I knew due to the explanation in the introduction of episode one that if any player were to lose, they would die. So during the first challenge of red light green light, when players were bulletly penalized for losing I was not surprised. After the game, the players decided to rally together and quit playing. The influence of the cash prize split the decision down the middle, leaving the old man, player 1, to be the final decision. To my surprise he actually chose to decline, freeing all of the players. During the voting, many players screamed at each other as to why they would choose to stay in the hell hole as other players responded that the outside world was not any better if not the same as the harsh environment they were already in. This reality struck many contestants as they returned back to their reality of debt, dependents, and for some bounty hunts, thus resulting in them returning to the game.

During the whole season, I was trying to find the purpose of these games. We knew why the participants felt motivated to play, but I wondered what was the purpose of having them fight for their lives in the first place. When the PlayStation faced soldiers forced the doctor (player 111) to dissect the bodies for organs to sell at the black market, at first I thought that it was what the original game maker wanted which I thought was genius. Soon to learn that it was actually a violation to a code of equality that was placed inside the arena applying to all of those who existed, soldiers and participants alike. Which struck me as odd due to the soldiers being able to tote guns and wear masks based on their own hierarchy and the participants being collectively isolated and given numbers as if it was a remake of the Stanford Prison experiment. Nonetheless many soldiers faced the same fate as the players, and my pondering would meet the solution come the finale.

Let’s discuss players. I only favored Gi-hun because he was the protagonist, but throughout the story he grew on me as his big heart prevailed through the madness. I knew Choo Sang-woo, the embezzling business man and hometown friend of Gi-hun played by Park Hae-soo, was a psychopath when I saw him in a fully filled bathtub with his suit on. Running from the police, in debt or not, that’s just as much of a red flag for serial killer tendencies as sleeping with socks on or having too thin and highly arched eyebrows. The episode that he crossed Ali, the father of one from Pakistan with the missing fingers, made me hate Sang-woo for the rest of the series. I was infuriated and frustrated with Ali for being that naïve to believe that they could escape the round as a duo, but understood his perspective since up until that point Sang-woo was a dependable, trusted ally to Ali. However after that episode I didn’t care who won, I was just ready for Sang-woo to die.

Kang Sae-byeok, the skeptical and beautiful warrior from North Korea played by Jung Ho-yeon, deserves her own paragraph. Along with her beauty, her presence and demeanor was so bad ass. She was thrifty and intelligent, as her talent being pick pocketing. I was waiting for her to just be so bad ass. As the punk disguised to be gangster, Jang Deok-su, pushed her around which seemed to be normal behavior between the two, I was ready for Sae-byeok to twist his arm, send a plunging round house kick to his nuts, and cut his snake tattoo right off of his face. Although her exterior was tough, her heart was made of malleable gold which we got to see as she opened up to her female companion during the marble challenge and sobbed from her loss afterwards. Although she was not the killer bad ass queen I had wanted her to be, I still call her a warrior because of her resiliency throughout life’s and the game’s many obstacles and her drive to provide her younger brother with a better life.

Thankfully Deok-su got what he deserved as Han Mi-nyeo poetically decided to take both of their lives during the glass challenge. “You said we would be together till the end,” she said before diving into her inevitable death with her short lived lover. Mi-nyeo was incredibly annoying as I would often pinch the inside corners of my eyes and scratch my eyebrows when she would appear. However that crazy bitch served justice, and I love her for that.

I was highly disappointed by the demise of the detective Hwang Jun-ho, played by the handsome Wi Ha-joon. I was rooting for detective Jun-ho, as I’m sure we all were, on his pursuit to find his brother. I was not surprised that his brother was Front Man, as I had suspected that his brother must’ve died or been apart of the game making due to his absence in real life and the current game. After discovering his brother was the victor of his year, to me it only made sense that he would be apart of the game enforcement. As we saw from Gi-hun, a normal life is impossible to live after experiencing something so traumatic as a series of death ridden children games. However I was saddened and surprised that detective Jun-ho was unsuccessful in closing down the whole operation. I mean the man was close to performing forced, aristocratic fellatio in the name of serving and protecting the law. I truly thought because he had gotten so far and was so close to exposing the operation that the only choice he had was to be successful. At last he was shot and killed by his own blood, the one he had been looking for; providing us with a cinematic and heart jerking ending to detective Jun-ho.

Lastly lets discuss the old man, player 001 named O Yeong-su, whom I also nicknamed Poppy during the series. Deceivingly innocent and weak, I genuinely liked Yeong-su throughout the game play. I thoroughly enjoyed his relationship with Gi-hun and saw him as a valuable player in most instances. I believe he was one of the main reasons that Gi-hun continued to lead with his heart. Gi-hun claimed that Yeong-su was the reason he returned to the games and later found out that Yeong-su was the reason there were games in the first place. The climatic episode of the marble challenge was when their relationship had been defined as “gganbu” (which is a term for trusted, close friends in Korean, as explained in the series), thus Yeong-su establishing a special place in Gi-hun’s heart. During the challenge, Yeong-su begins to have an episode of what we all assumed to be dementia as the arena they are playing in is designed like his old neighborhood and he abandons the game to take a trip down memory lane. Gi-hun screams in frustration at the old man to play with him only to end up losing in their even and odd game and resulting in deceit, tricking the old man to let him be the victor. Now if I was Gi-hun, I would’ve convinced Yeong-su to let me hold his marbles for safe keeping and let him have a fun time reminiscing on his life while he ran down the clock. Then when it was time, I would’ve turned in all 20 marbles just as Sang-woo did and went about my business. It would’ve only been right for the old man to forfeit as he was already on his death bed, or so we innocently thought. Before I get into the ending, I want to talk about the last match between Sang-woo and Gi-hun.

Finally, the last game to see who would be victorious in a highly anticipated game of Squid between Gi-hun and Sang-woo. It seemed as if it were a battle between good vs evil; Gi-hun representing a more benevolent side as he would often optimistically look to help other competitors and extend the kindness he had been shown versus Sang-woo who represented a more vindictive and ruthless side, determined to hurt anyone in order to receive his highly coveted and long awaited prize in an arena that erased any foundation of morals or ethics as soon as the light turned red. Luck was on Gi-hun’s side as he had the opportunity to play offense. With a cunning mind and a vengeance for Sae-byeok’s death, Gi-hun delivered a can of whoop ass to his opponent. As the saying goes, the good shall always prevail. Perhaps his heart was too pure as Gi-hun halted from crossing the finish line and offered Sang-woo a chance to live, thus forfeiting the prize money. Needless to say, I applauded when Sang-woo committed suicide as it was the only right thing to do in his position.

A year passed by and Gi-hun seemed worse than before. Physically his style was bummy wealthy, a look pioneered by Bill Gates, but mentally he was in shambles. How could you blame him? Gi-hun discovered that the responsible party for these horrendous events was none other than his ggangbu, old man Yeong-su. The biggest, jaw dropping plot twist of the entire series. As they were joined on Christmas Eve and Yeong-su on his death bed, they placed one final bet on an assumed to be drunken, homeless man who sat on the streets as it snowed and waited for help to arrive. Yeong-su explained how he actually wanted to help people and give his money to people who needed it, but wanted to do it in an “entertaining way.” As Gi-hun flared with outrage towards the old man for finding amusement in killing people, the old man rebutted using horse races as an example of people’s amusement. Yeong-su also said he participated in the games because it was more fun to play than to be a spectator, which I had noticed him treating the competition as if it were adult summer camp. I had just assumed since he was old, he didn’t care if he had died or not.

I think most people will think that this show was a metaphor about how money and rich people are evil. However I think it can be seen as commentary on society as a whole, not just the wealthy. Yeong-su says on his death bed that it’s a test of humanity, and asks Gi-hun if he still has faith in humanity after what he has experienced. Although money was the luring motivator to win the game, people still chose to return to the competition to escape their problems. Sure, money was apart of their problems as all of the players (excluding Yeong-su) were in debt, but that was due to choices that they had made. Whether it had been through embezzling, gambling, lack of luck, or financial ignorance, it was the people who had gotten themselves into those situations. Money doesn’t have a personal vendetta against anyone nor does it have an inherent quality of good or evil. Money is a neutral energy used to be exchanged for goods and services. It’s people who designate that energy to their humane or inhumane desires.

Leading to the next point of the wealthy and how they are seen to be evil due to having wealth. Although I do believe that there are some wealthy people who act as villains, money didn’t create the villain inside of them. Those people were going to behave maliciously whether they have money or not. The VIPs, who were spectating the finale of challenges, were tied to a bank devoted to the wealthy and gambled on the competitors who played (and most likely helped subsidize the events). We place judgement on them, but as Yeong-su said, people gamble on horse races. Although people are not animals and by my knowledge I don’t believe most or any horses die during these races, it is still the principle of watching an entity being tortured for amusement, which is not only confined to the wealthy population. When the concept of killing and tormenting living breathing beings for amusement is normalized within society, the lines begin to blur on who is okay to perform and who is not. Take the audience of this show for example, we all watched a show where hundreds of people were mercilessly killed for the desire of winning a cash prize for our own amusement, thus making “Squid Game” the number one show on Netflix at the moment. Although the show is fictional and brilliantly written, this Hunger Games concept is not new. We come in contact again and again with the idea of people who are disadvantaged given an opportunity to better their lives through inhumane means, including risking their own lives or actively sacrificing the life of another, and being spectators on the edge of our seats who can’t seem to look away. It is no different than a Roman gladiator match in a grand colosseum, which in modern day would be a MMA fight at the MGM hotel. We blame it on the rich who are ridiculed for creating these events, but at the end of the day it is the people, rich,poor, and everyone in between, who continue to still go along with it and to some extent desire it. Which makes me question, what does that say about humanity, and do I actually have faith in us? Although Gi-hun went through hell and back, he still remained pure of heart and used his wealth to enhance his life and those around him; proving that wealthy people can still be benevolent and desire righteous good. Similar to Gi-hun, the optimist in me wants to believe that there are still people in this world with good hearts, but I guess we just have to wait until the time comes to see.

Ultimately the show was phenomenal, and definitely sparked a desire inside of me to watch more Korean dramas. I don’t think the show will have a second season. Simply because I think the story line would be better cut off there, thus leaving the audience always wanting more. However if season 2 ever comes out, I’m ready for Gi-hun to take a Liam Neeson approach to ending the Squid Game and hopefully with a beard. Thank you for reading my article. I know it was incredibly lengthy. I have just finished the season after a 2 day binge watch, and have a lot of emotions and thoughts ruminating in my brain. Let me know what you think of the show and what you think of the article. Did anyone else notice the paintings of the games on the walls of the dormitory?

God bless.

#squid game #netflix #review #korean drama #kdrama #series review #web series

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picnokinesis · 3 years

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your profile on ao3 mentions you like Pacific Rim have you ever considered a series 12 cast (so 13 + fam + master) pacrim au? bc weirdly enough i feel like spydoc would actually be drift compatible

OH MY DAYS ok I had to write this out on a note on my phone because I have so many thoughts, pacrim aus come like BREATHING to me, but consider:

Koschei Oakdown (he/him), teenage heir of some kind of rich and powerful business man who moved his family inland when the Kaiju attacks began. His father is essentially grooming Koschei to be his successor, but Koschei has zero interest - all he wants is to go back to the coastal city of Vancouver where he grew up, so he can stay with his best friend Theta Lungbarrow (they/them) and study things he's actually interested, like xenobiology, since he's certain that the only way to defeat the kaiju is to understand them. It only takes a few weeks for him to get sick of the whole thing and run away, heading back to Vancouver - but the day he arrives, the kaiju Karloff attacks. He survives, and finds Theta, who also survived - but their parents were not so lucky. Koschei's parents believe that he's dead, and Koschei has no intention of correcting them on that, and so him and Theta end up in the care of the state, and he begins to start studying xenobiolology. Theta, on the other hand, has become somewhat obsessed with the idea of jaegers, after watching Brawler Yuhkon fight against Karloff - the first jaeger to ever fight a kaiju - and win. They want to build jaegers and be a pilot, and even Koschei won't deny that there's no way the two of them aren't drift compatible.

Fast forward a few years - Theta and Koschei are two young but brilliant scientists working for the PPDC, Theta in J-Tech and Koschei in K-Science. Theta is working on a new technological approach to building jaegers and also messing with the Drift interface, to see if the synchronisation between pilots can be increased, whilst Koschei is looking for weaknesses in the kaiju's biology. However, they're both entirely invested in each other's research and tend to argue quite intensely in order to brainstorm and have breakthroughs - much to the despair of everyone in the j-tech and k-science departments. But one thing Theta wants more than anything is to pilot a jaeger - even though on paper they have no chance, having not been to Jaeger academy or anything. But Caitlin Lightcap (the pilot of Brawler Yuhkon and inventor of the drift interface) also didn't go to jaeger academy. She just put herself in the position where they HAD to let her in a jaeger by completing the first drift with D'onofrio and saving his life. And so, because Theta entirely lacks self preservation, they persuade Koschei that it's a good idea to test out their new drift technology on themselves. Because the other issue is funding - no one wants to support an experimental rig or jaeger design until Theta can prove that it works. So they will.

And that's EXACTLY what they do, and they're extremely lucky it doesn't kill them but they get it to work and it's fantastic. The Drift is stronger than any before it. And so (after the pair of them get pulled out of an experimental rig and get into a LOT of trouble), they manage to persuade the PPDC to 1) let them build a new jaeger and 2) be the two who pilot it, since they've alread forged a drift bond in the new interface.

And so the jaeger Gallifrey Ember is born.

BUT THEN. They have several extremely successful deployments, until one fateful night where it all goes very wrong. I'm not sure exactly what happens because this is all off the top of my head this morning and I'm currently walking to work HAHA but I'm gonna say that maybe Koschei thought there was some xenobiology knowledge that they could use to fight against this specific kaiju (which is something he's done before and it's partly why their missions are so successful) but as he goes to dig for it, he accidentally pulls up the memory of the Karloff attack, and ends up chasing the rabbit. Only, because the new interface has their minds so intertwined, it knocks the pair of them out of alignment even worse than it would have otherwise (especially since their trauma memories are from the same event) and their drift just goes completely. As you can imagine, it all goes very badly a la Gispy Danger vs Knifehead, only the city they're trying to protect gets hit pretty bad and there are a LOT of casulaties - more than ever since the jaeger programme started deploying. I think in the end it's Theta who, mostly bearing the neural load alone, has to do something drastic to stop the kaiju - maybe killing it in a way that spills Kaiju Blue everywhere and just poisons the land/water. Anyway after that Theta is EXTREMELY ANGRY at Koschei, and he's mad at HER for being mad at him because sorry for having trauma memories and accidentally triggering them?? But she's like I KNOW I also have those memories and you left me to basically pilot alone??? But anyway it's all a mess, Gallifrey Ember is basically destroyed and the pair of them are injured, traumatised, and unreconcilable, and so they decide that they're never drifting again and basically go separate ways. No one ever uses Theta's drift or jaeger tech again because it's considered too dangerous or volatile.

FAST FORWARD SEVERAL YEARS AGAIN. Enter Ryan Sinclair - young j-tech engineer who looks at the original Gallifrey Ember specs and is like "hey, no, this WORKED but it's just it went wrong one time and now no one will touch it, but maybe I can fix this old beat up jaeger and make it work again?". And so he rebuilds the jaeger - and names it Gallifrey Inferno instead. But, of course, no one wants to pilot it because of it's history, and also it really needs two pilots who are used to this sort of interface, rather than trying to train two new pilots (also, what new pilots?? The funding for the jaeger programme is getting cut by the day, and the jaeger pilot academies are all getting shut down). So, in short - they need Theta and Koschei back.

Yaz and Graham are there too - Yaz was in jaeger academy, but then the funding got pulled so her cohort got dropped, and now she's a security guard for the Shatterdome, but she still desperately wants to be at the heart of the action and actually making a difference. Graham is one of the guys who drives the carts across the Shatterdome deployment floor HAHA but he's great, he talks to EVERYONE in the Shatterdome and knows exactly what's going on underneath all the bureaucracy. He's also Ryan's granddad - they're somewhat at odds, but they're also both still grieving over the death of Grace, Ryan's nan, who died during a kaiju attack.

And then I have no idea - the three of them team up to drag Koschei and Theta back? Although to be honest I bet if Theta found out they were rebuilding their jaeger, they would be breaking into the Shatterdome IMMEDIATELY, so maybe Yaz catches them sneaking in hahaha. But obviously, even when Theta and Koschei are back together they are very reluctant to drift. I imagine that they both also have a lot of problems with ghost drifitng and stuff because their drift was so strong. And then...I want there to be s12 parallels, but I'm not quite sure what happens but I feel like Theta ended up being made to work on some weird slightly unethical drift project by the people who control the funding of the PPDC because they want to know more of the impact of the drift on the human brain, especially such a strong drift (I'm thinking like...ok so in one of my favourite pacrim fanfics, Newt gets forced to work in a drift project after his kaiju drift, but he keeps the fact that Hermann also drifted secret to protect him - but it ends up being pretty rough for Newt) but then obviously they're forced to keep the whole thing secret so they don't even tell Koschei. But eventually when the pair of them drift again, Koschei finds out (which then is the equivalent of him finding stuff in the Matrix). But he doesn't find out everything because it's all a mess and maybe the drift is off kilter because of it? Not sure. But yeah! This is all extremely rough so...y'know. Could probably develop it further. My only other thought is that the other jaeger pilots are alternate versions of thoschei or doctor-companion team ups.

#taka replies #anon #doctor who #pacific rim #pac rim au #SKSKSKSKS CAN YOU TELL #I LOVE PACIFIC RIM #i am actually at work now which is why it's taken me ages to actually finish typing this #i am not writing this as a fic #just putting that out there now #HAHAHA #long post

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danzinora-switch · 4 years

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Typing the Turtles (ROTTMNT) Part 3 - Leonardo

This started out as an investigation into the turtles’ insecurities, because one thing the show does so well is demonstrate that they are still teenagers. And being a teenager is a confusing experience - there’s angst, drama, exploring one’s identity, a lot of growth, and overall figuring out who you are. That’s a messy process, too! And we see this mess in our turtles: they mess up, they’re learning, they self-doubt, they have fears and insecurities, but they’re also discovering their strengths and how to overcome their inner obstacles.

So after thinking about all this way too long, here’s my psychological breakdown of each turtle (I’ll be referencing MBTI and the Enneagram a ton, but will include links for more general information on those if you don’t know what I’m talking about).

Parts One and Two found on the links for Raph and Don.

Leo: ESTP, 3w2

The Achiever, the Entrepreneur, the Charmer, the Explorer

I’ve wanted to say this for a long time: Leo is such a 3, he is such a 3 it hurts, oh my goodness. Read this: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-3 and tell me that isn’t Leo to a T.

It took me a little longer to figure out the MBTI for him, but he has a lot of similarities with the ESTP. This does mean we need to step away from the ‘frat bro’ stereotype of ESTPs, though. They are a lot more keen than convention would suggest.

Really, a big thing with Leo is his need to be The Best. What that means, to him, is normally something physically-related. He needs to be the best at sports or performing certain moves, which we see in episodes like The Longest Fight where he bets he can pull off the impossible skateboard move, or Shell in a Cell where he asserts he can out-perform Ghostbear. Additionally, episodes like Air Turtle really showcase the ugly side of his competitiveness. But he also desires physical perfection. He is rather image-conscious, fretting about his body in Stuck on You, and routinely referring to himself as the team’s Faceman. The biggest example of this was his idea for a disguise in Hidden City Job: the Turtle Adonis. An adonis is considered the peak physical ideal, handsome and attractive to boot. If this drive doesn’t scream Enneagram Three I don’t know what does.

Leo at his worst: Leo’s competitive side can certainly get the best of him. We see this in episodes like Air Turtle, where his ‘win at all costs’ attitude starts to alienate him from the group. Raph has also described him as a ‘poor winner’ which refers to his tendency to gloat when he does beat out the competition, or was proven right (Bug Busters, The Gumbus, You Got Served, LAIR GAMES). He’s smug, gloating, and when he does lose tries to wiggle out of it through technicalities. The one time he says something isn’t a competition is after Mikey beats him at Skateball (You Got Served). And when he ‘loses’ the Lair Games, Donnie’s win comes with a catch that Leo built in.

Threes do this for approval and validation, though, and we see that underlying his need to be the team’s Champion in Minotaur Maze and Portal Jacked! “I’m nothing without them!” he cries to Hueso. “What good is a team with just a Faceman?” Threes have a need to distinguish themselves from others, to be admired, to have attention, so that they then feel valuable and worthwhile. Other people, then, are necessary. When Leo wants to get on the Wall of Champions in Minotaur Maze, his brothers factor in to his unmet needs. “...because what good is being a Champion if you can’t rub it in your brothers’ faces?” Leo doesn’t just need to be The Best… he needs others to acknowledge it, as well.

Average Leo: He’s got a practical eye for situations and the quickness to adapt and act as needed. The ESTP is known for being bold as well as perceptive. We see this in fight scenes such as Battle Nexus: New York when he is quick to determine that physical comedy is the key to making the sprite laugh and immediately changing his approach.

He also displays a remarkable amount of common sense when making decisions. In Origami Tsunami, as the guys discuss becoming heroes, he’s the one who shoots down ideas until they reach a more achievable goal: taking on paper thieves. And he’s got a point, can you imagine the turtles taking on a spine-breaker or mangler at that point in time? When everyone else is blinded by ideals concerning fixing the Mutant Menace, he’s the only one who asks “anybody down for staying home during the anti-mutant panic?” Of course, he still goes along with their adventure, because ESTP’s live in The Moment, so why not?

Something else that I want to mention is Leo’s appreciation for the Machiavellian. He has an incredibly intuitive grasp on it, and actively appreciates twists, turns, betrayals and deceptions. His love for magic probably stems from this (The Clothes Don’t Make the Turtle) and he is the only one enjoying the series of betrayals in Warren & Hypno Sitting in a Tree. Hidden City Job also expands on the fact that Leo doesn’t have a problem with betrayal, as he revels about brotherly betrayal happening all the time. He’s cool with being betrayed… just know that he can betray you back. It’s all fair game.

This can have upsides and downsides. On the upside, his understanding of trickery can lead to brilliant plans and solutions such as what we saw in Many Unhappy Returns, where he was able to outsmart Big Mama herself. On the downside, this kind of behavior is not always the best move - his family does not appreciate being left out of the loop of his schemes, or actively being manipulated as part of them (Leo’s plan in Many Unhappy Returns worked, but he still left his brothers alone and exhausted, and did not consider the emotional effect it would have on Splinter being sent back into the arena). At that point it’s no wonder he asks “why does no one trust me?” Because you tend to have an angle, ‘Nardo. Be careful how you use that.

He is also incredibly persuasive. This is partly why I feel he is a 3 wing 2, ‘The Charmer’ because he knows how to communicate to get what he wants. When used for the right reasons, we see him settle discord such as cooling the mobs in You Got Served or apologize when he knows an apology is needed (Todd Scouts, Air Turtle, Hidden City Job). We see it used neutrally (and a bit skeptically) in Many Unhappy Returns when he declares he’ll just go to see Big Mama and “turn up the Leo”. It can also be used deceptively, however. Todd Scouts shows this when Leo is the one who convinces Todd that they’re ready to kick things up a notch by going out alone… when really they just want to get away from him. He’ll also use words to get under people’s skins: dismissing Warren Stone in Stuck on You, but also pointing out Donnie’s beach ball fear in Mind Meld. He knows which words will get the responses he wants, for better or for worse.

Leo at his Best: Leo is the team’s motivator. He’s the one giving the others the pep-talks and encouragement they need to continue (Origami Tsunami, Finale: Rise). Donnie said it best after Leo’s redemption in Air Turtle: “your confidence is giving me confidence!”

Because that’s the healthy thing about Threes: they strive to reach their own full potential, which also inspires others to reach theirs. Leo doesn’t like to fail/lose, but he won’t let anyone else succumb, either. He has the most confidence in each Mad Dog’s ability. “I knew you guys could handle it!” he says in Many Unhappy Returns, and points out with amazing accuracy just what his brothers are capable of. He not only believes in himself, he believes in those around him. And he’s able to inspire them when they’re feeling down about their own abilities or not enthused about the task (see his speech about standing up for the paper men in Origami Tsunami).

This also includes encouragement and compliments in other areas. Regarding the Shell Hogs: “Donnie, these are amazing! And I know everything I say sounds sarcastic, but I’m being completely genuine this time” (Stuck on You). When Mikey isn’t sure Hypno will like him: “What? Of course he will, you’re adorable!” (Newsworthy). To Raph, “Does this place have smoke detectors? Because you’re on fire, Big Daddy!” (The Clothes Don’t Make the Turtle).

He’s also able to step in and take charge when Raph falls because he can see what action needs to be taken (that practical and observant, yet bold ESTP side coming in). When Raph gets separated in the sewers, Leo’s the one who doesn’t treat it casually and gets the others moving to find him (Man vs Sewer). When his older brother is hypnotized by Hypno in Stuck on You, he quickly reacts and tells Mikey and Donnie what the plan is and enacts it. We see this leader potential grow bit by bit, and his awareness of each individual’s role on the team allows him to step back from areas that he knows aren’t his forte: Raph can handle the ‘teamwork’ stuff, Donnie has got the technical know-how, and Mikey takes care of positive outlook for any situation. Leo can keep things fun and inspire confidence. His puns help lighten the mood, his jokes break the ice of tense situations, and he never stops believing in their own abilities, which keeps them all going (Donnie’s Gifts, Many Unhappy Returns).

Leo Relationships:

(While Leo has a competitive episode with each of his brothers: Shell in a Cell, Lair Games, and You Got Served, there is more going on than just that).

Raph: Both Leo and Raph have strong gut feelings that can be blindsided. Leo picks up immediately that Big Mama is not trustworthy while Raph is more than happy to believe her, but Leo is blinded by his fan-love for Jupiter Jim to realize that Marcus Montcrief is a crazy and suspicious adult, which Raph becomes aware of early on (Bug Busters, Jupiter Jim Ahoy!). They both can be a little too head-first when diving into plans, such as checking out the creepy bus in One Man’s Junk or doing their best to help April in Hypno: Part Deux. But they do trust each other to have each other’s backs, and there’s (thankfully!) no Leo vs Angst in this version of their characters. It really allows them to be comfortable with each other (and egg each other on with more than just missions: see the pizza pigeon in Mind Meld).

Donnie: In some ways Leo acts like a foil for Donnie. His own natural confidence counterbalances a lot of his twin’s insecurities. They butt heads over it, sure, with Donnie perhaps taking things too seriously and Leo seemingly not taking them seriously enough, but I like I said in Donnie’s typing: one’s chill and one’s uptight. There’s a ton of back and forth between them: they are the epitome of siblings fighting one minute and getting up to no good together the next (Example from The Mystic Library: Leo grooves out with Donnie’s rap one moment and tries to get him kicked off the team in the next scene). They may antagonize each other in Lair Games, Smart Lair, the beginning of Snow Day and Hidden City Job, and so much more, but also demonstrate brotherly love (and antics) in Operation: Normal, the end of Hidden City Job and Smart Lair, and, of course, Battle Nexus: New York. “For Donnie’s honor!”

Mikey: Leo sticks up for Mikey a fair amount, especially to Raph. He supports Mikey trying to open the portal in Mystic Mayhem, and going out on his first solo mission in Hot Soup: The Game. We actually need more Leo and Mikey episodes; of the two we have one is a competition episode (You Got Served), and The Gumbus has Leo tag along intent on proving Mikey wrong. It seems they like to hang out during the down time a lot, as they play in the arcade and skateboard off-screen in episodes such as Mrs. Cuddles, You Got Served, Mind Games, and Sparring Partner. And of course, we have the gripping image of Leo protecting Mikey’s shell with his own in Battle Nexus: New York. I’d really like to see them get up to more shenanigans, though. (hint, hint @nickelodeon, @netflix).

Ultimately, Leo is a confident, competitive turtle striving to reach his full potential. He is normally great at encouraging his brothers to do the same, and devising grand strategies, but tends to forget the emotional effects his actions can have on them, especially if he gets carried away on his quest to be The Best. He’s still learning, and these traits will likely flesh out as he grows into a more leader-like role.

For more information on the ESTP and Enneagram 3 personality types, click here:

https://www.16personalities.com/estp-personality

https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-3

https://www.crystalknows.com/enneagram/type-3-wing-2

https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.155775924.2701/flat,800x800,070,f.u5.jpg

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watayaaratamblr · 3 years

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Why fans can still hope for Chiharata:

1) Chap 165 was the peak of "Chihaya doesn't see Arata because she is full of Taichi" trope yet that wasn't enough to sink the other ship, we got back to strongly expect an Arachiha end be it Arachiha shippers or even so many non-arachiha shippers which says a lot about how this trope wasn't enough vs what Arachiha has. This can be also said about when Chihaya chose to go watch & cheer for Taichi over watching Arata's match vs Shinobu. Fans back then thought that it was a clear indication of who was truly in Chihaya's heart but few chapters later Chihaya rejected Taichi & while thinking of Arata too. 2) Arata was the reason Chihaya stopped worshiping Chitose. Chitose will come & see her & he will be there playing in the same time as her. Chitose was told by Taichi that he was rejected & she didn't tell him to have hope as Chihaya is stupid & might realize her feelings like Kana said before. What she told him instead is to stop wasting his time because Chihaya's strongest desire lies within karuta & we all know that Taichi is not as invested in the sport as her. 3) Arata being written till now to give up Chiha (vs blunderer & Shinobu, Chihaya even witnessed that & was worried) & to avoid thinking about her when he is in his grandpa mode - Now Arata is being developed into a person different than Wataya hajime, a person who wants to fight for his seat & desires. to stop being "selfless" & to become Taichi's serious rival who takes action for what he really wants. (& we learned that he really wants to hug Chihaya & before that to become someone she deserves to be hugged by) 4) Arata "wanting to be himself" which was linked to "i'm not my grandpa" & "love love love" out of the blue (which is not out of the blue if we think about it carefully), we saw how he defied his grandpa's illusion for Chihaya's sake for example in 226. 5) "Chiha" that both Arata & Chihaya keep losing (while Taichi won it), Chiha "hating" both (coz both lost their initial passion i'd say). Is it not natural to think that winning it will be after fixing something probably shared by both? 6) Again Chiha being there when Chihaya said "I will always love Arata & karuta" (which I believe isn't a forgotten/meaningless confession" + being there in Arata's confession (practically being the starting point of the confession while it was absent in Taichi's confession.) 7) Chihaya saying that Tare is Taichi's card for her & Tare being NOT a love poem but a poem about the friend who knows what's in her heart which is the perfect description for Taichi in Chihaya's heart & journey. 8) Arata's unanswered confession left for the end where Chihaya did NOT ask for time to be more experienced and stuff like that which can suggest asking for years, but she asked him to wait until she defeats the queen + Chihaya's feelings about not being able to love & be loved until it's someone she can sit across in karuta + her wanting to return the passion she got from Arata + how would Suetsugu write Arata's rejection at the end of the manga, bc if he wins the title, that'd crush his happiness with his win, & if he loses the title, that'd be even worse. How many chapters are still left to write him getting over it? 9) Also Arata coming to tokyo that was explicitly linked to being "near Chihaya", he said that to her twice, in his confession & when she asked him to wait. He wouldn't come to become a 3rd wheel in Taichi's & Chihaya's relationship would he? Arata is already written as a guy who would keep his distance from Chihaya not to interfere between her & her boyfriend (when he though she was dating Taichi). 10) Taichi's rejection being given plenty of time, now he seems to have accepted it better (I believe he still has feelings for her but he can live with it healthily now unlike few months ago & it's easier to write him getting over it bit by bit that, all this, Arata won't get.) 11) Arata's place in Chihaya's life after he no longer is a love interest. Taichi is well set as the closest friend. Arata WAS written as a childhood friend, a love interest, an admired karuta

figure & a rival. Now the rival seat is fully taken by Shinobu chan, the childhood friend doesn't have much effect for a main character after Chihaya got closer friends who are constantly pushing her back now; the admired karuta figure is also gone after she defeated him (or maybe even clearer after she witnessed him losing to her final rival: Shinobu). If Arata is no longer a love interest, what then? He would be better off the title of a main character which Suetsugu is not giving up. She will balance the trio somehow & Arata will be given an important place in Chihaya's world as important as Taichi's & I can't think of anything without "romance" at least not in the short remaining time of the manga. 12) Poem6, is also still telling an incomplete story of two lovers who can't meet without the bridge of magpies. 13) Arata's attachment to card 77 "Se o hayami" which is clearly between only him & Chihaya (for him), this is another story I believe is incomplete and it is related to only the bond between Chihaya & Arata. 14) The rematch that will most likely be in the Oe Cup. while it can be an ordinary re match, it can also be one to end the manga by going back to it's very end which is the subject of Chihaya transforming from an empty fan girl to someone with overwhelming PASSION and that, she got it from Arata. Also the 1st volume has lot about what changed in Chihaya's feelings that was brought not by having Taichi around but by meeting Arata, him not going easy on her, him taking her seriously & being straightforward with her & him being a source of passion too. Suetsugu said that she will link the end with this volume. (This makes me expect a good closure between Taichi & his mother too).

#chihayafuru #wataya arata #ayase chihaya #arachiha #chiharata #chihaya x arata

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