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#FINALLY I DON'T HAVE TO USE MY MAIN even tho its cool
schoenht · 11 months
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have you seen the (i think) official art of rollo without his hat before>? he looks so silly to me, i want to steal/wear his hat and immediately run away in fear of his wrath (also i'm salty about kalim not getting to be part of the event >:'( he's so perfect but he gets like nothing,, ignore my simping)
I THOUGHT I ANSWERED THIS I JUST SAW THIS TODAY OMFG
BUT YES I'VE SEEN IT he's just a lil guy i adore him deeply (i promise i'm not biting and squeezing him like a rubber chicken.) OK BUT TO BE FAIR. kalim deserves his own screentime away from jamil so hopefully he gets that soon !!!
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aihoshiino · 2 months
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I had an idea for a time loop Oshi no Ko fic.
Start with the breakup conversation between Ai and Kamiki. Ai can tell that Kamiki's taking it badly, but what's done is done. For time loop reasons, Kamiki immediately tells a jealous stalker about Ai's pregnancy and home address, and she gets murdered within the week.
Ai gets booted back to some time before the breakup. Once she figures out what's going on, she has two goals: Take advantage of the time loop to find a better way to break up with Kamiki, and don't get murdered. (Obviously, she does not realize that there is a connection between these goals.)
As one of Tumblr's premier Ai Hoshino fans, do you think this idea sounds interesting or—? Well, if you don't, I doubt you'd actually post this ask.
genuinely unironically and with ten thousand percent sincerity i fucking love that the legacy of my online presence is '#1 hoshino ai wife guy'. this is what i was put on this earth to do.
Joking aside tho… Godddddd I've always loved the idea of an OnK timeloop fic!!!! I actually think the story lends itself really well to that kind of premise - the story revolves around this central tragedy as its axis and has just enough soft magic supernatural elements that you can so easily bullshit up a natural feeling reason for this to be happening. I also think this idea works surprisingly well in a thematic sense, too? OnK is about cycles, at least in the sense of generational echoes, but it's also about narratives, those created by and about us, and about moving on from past trauma to reclaim your right to the future. Timeloop stories are really natural and well suited vehicles for those sorts of themes.
I also think it would be super fun to play with in like, a metanarrative sense as well? Idr if this particular thought ever made its way onto tumblr, but I love rolling the idea in my brain of Ai being 'narratively cursed' in a sense. Because Ai as a character in a story is kind of defined by her fate - her role in OnK and any of its derivatives is defined by the question of whether or not she lives and even in stories where she survives, it still echoes. The idea of making that something the characters in the story have to tangibly grapple with me is super compelling to me. Like, maybe it's a KagePro sort of thing where, even if her death at Ryosuke's hands is prevented, her death on that day is 'fated'.
I think this could be a really cool reflection of something in the original text the story doesn't really get as much time to go into, that Ai's tragedy is simultaneously preventable and avoidable & inevitable and unstoppable, purely because of the way the deck was stacked against her. Even if there was no Ryosuke, there would have been a hundred other men with knives in their hands. Her "fate" is inevitable because it's the end result of a whole Rude Goldberg machine of systematic and individual choices made to exploit her for her whole life. Ai can't ever escape the narrative because she has no control over it. Her one act of rebellion against it - her decision to become Aqua and Ruby's mother - is the thing that cements her doom.
Because of this, I don't think I would actually want Ai herself to be the center of a loop story focused on saving her? Like, her being the POV character would be interesting but I think another character would need to be the main looper. This is because, for me… I actually don't think Ai can ever 'save' herself.
Not in the sense that she is incapable of doing so, but because saving herself would destroy any chance of her salvation in the first place. Her entire life, she has been failed by every single person who had the responsibility to love and protect her and she is forced to uplift herself as a result. Ai saving herself is the final proof to her that nobody was ever going to help her, that she cannot be authentically loved or accepted as she is. Kindness was always conditional. Her love was never reciprocated.
This is why she has to be saved by someone else - because her salvation is someone seeing both Hoshino Ai and Ai of B-Komachi and choosing Hoshino Ai. That's why her fate is inevitable. Because everyone else will always choose "Ai of B-Komachi". She can only be saved by a person who sees all of her and decides to unconditionally love and accept Hoshino Ai with the full understanding of everything that she is.
Because of that… I think Kamiki would be the ideal looper in a scenario like this. Not only does it provide salvation for Ai, but I also think it creates a really interesting route to salvation/redemption for Kamiki; presenting him with not just the opportunity but the necessity to undo his mistakes and repair the damage he caused and. in the process, come to finally, truly understand Ai as a person, not as his savior. And in doing so, Kamiki saves himself, too.
That's just how I'd do it, anyway…! I don't know that I'd ever have the energy or drive to write this sort of thing myself, but people are free to mine this for ideas for their own fics/AUs/etc.
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fuutaprotectionsquad · 8 months
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Yknow I feel like I should have a main post where I share my Milgram opinions/verdicts (thought of this bc i was writing my sister's opinion on the milgram characters). So I'll go character by character.
Will anyone read this? I don't know but its here
Haruka: I relate to him a bit (shitty mother, intrusive homicidal thoughts, neurodivergence). I def feel bad for him but hes still really guilty in my mind. I just think the whole killing for attention thing is a really dangerous mindset you can't just get out of, especially if you're being told you're not in the wrong. And it definitely seems like he doesn't actually feel bad for the girl he killed, just feels bad because people are mad at him for it. Idk. But I enjoy his dynamic with Muu a lot, even tho its toxic i just think its really interesting. But I wish him the best and he deserves a hug. His songs are mid tho (/hj i like them)
Yuno: I love her personality and I think shes so fun, but I honestly don't think about her a lot compared to the others. But I love her and specifically enjoy her dynamics with (obv mostly in fan content) Kazui, Mahiru and Fuuta. Her and Fuuta are such a good platonic ship (romantic is fun too). Innocent vote, obv. I like her songs, but Tear Drop moreso than Umbilical.
Fuuta: Oh my god I wonder what I think of him. In all seriousness he's a major hyperfixation of mine at like every given moment. I adore him and i think he deserves better and to be innocent. Like he feels so guilty for what he did and he didn't know any better, everyone around him was encouraging his behavior and praising him for it. But then it got too far and all his friends abandoned him and blamed him like. Poor fuuta :( and he's like 100% right when he says him and es are exactly the same. On another note, major fan of 0309 (romantically, but either way works), and also love his dynamic with Haruka, Yuno, Mahiru, Amane and Es. His songs are both in my top three (backdraft being #1)
Muu: Tied for my fav character(? Fuuta might beat her idk) I love her personality and vibe and everything just ❤️❤️ queen shit. And her queen bee design is gorgeous. Typically my favs are men but shes one of the first women ive hyperfixated on this much. Again, love her dynamic with Haruka, not from a like. healthy relationships could make the characters better standpoint, but from a story perspective its interesting. But yeah guilty. As for her songs, INMF is my #2 and i like After Pain
Shidou: Honestly I used to be kinda indifferent about him and just found him to be boring but then I rewatched his voice dramas and read some fics and I like him more now. I feel really bad for him bc he went through a really shitty situation which he felt he had the power to change and was stuck in a shitty moral dilemma bc of it. And in the end he did shitty things to save those he loved and it didn't even matter. He feels so guilty and doesn't deserve it. Innocent <3. Also romantic 0507 ftw (0506 is cool too). Him and Amane are silly too. As for his songs i like them, but they're not my fav
Mahiru: i like her, but im not too like. invested in her ig. But i feel bad for her :( she just wants to feel love and like. clearly she did something wrong but she didn't know she was. She never intended to hurt anyone. So innocent. Unless we find out she like. did something really fucking bad then maybe guilty. But in I Love You it implies it was a mutual toxicity so it probably wasn't something super terrible? But anyway. I love her with like all the characters cuz shes just so fun to see interact w others, but specifically with Yuno, Fuuta, Shidou, Amane and Mikoto.
Kazui: Hes so fun i love him. Like all he wants is to be honest and be himself but he feels pressured to lie and then finally he tells the truth and his wife fucking kills herself like- jeez- poor guy. Like following the gay theory, i get why she mightve done it (imagine being told the romance you built your entire life around for like 20 years was all a lie, and that your husband never actually loved you and just pretended to and every time you kissed or something he was just pretending like. that sucks poor hinako) but its so awful that he had to go thru that. But anyway innocent, kazui come out we accept you. And stan 0507. Song wise cat is easily #4 but. half is ok ig
Amane: Yknow i love amane but I also hate her and i think part of that might be the fandom? idk. I feel sorry for her bc she grew up in such a shitty situation but also i think shes beyond the point where we can uninstill those ideologies. Like shes 12, not 5. And amane says it herself that she has as much of a free will as everyone else and that her decision to kill/stay in this environment should be valued. Not that i think she should remain in this abusive situation, but she's not just some innocent kid whose being manipulated, she knows what she's doing. Hence, guilty. I don't think either vote will change her or anything so im voting with my honest opinion. As for dynamics, i love seeing her interact with all the other prisoners, but especially Shidou and Fuuta.
Mikoto: I love mikoto a lot but im so on the fence about his verdict. Ive been voting him innocent but theres still a part of me thats like. debating it. Bc he shouldn't have to be punished for John's actions, and it sucks that that's the situation hes in, but its that or more murders are left to occur. The main reason i say innocent is under the idea that John could go dormant or just stop fronting as much if we reduce mikoto's stress (like he says will happen i think). But hes so complex and fun i love mikoto. Specifically i love romantic 0309 but also his dynamic w the smoking group and mahiru. Also i love his songs.
Kotoko: I love her but also fuck her for hurting fuuta (and mahiru too but mainly fuuta). She annoys me bc she was so quick to almost murder several people based on a preliminary verdict that was made using little information. Like she knew this wasn't a concrete verdict, but attacked them anyway. I get her ideology of "kill people who evade justice to protect the weak" but only when they've actually done bad things (ie. the guy kidnapping the little girl). But when she doesn't know what they did and knows the person accusing them doesn't either???? Like bruh. But i like her character shes fun. I like seeing how she interacts with es and everyone she attacked. And songs, harrow is okay and i really like deep cover.
Whew im done.
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ABOUT DEMONS IN BAYONETTA 3
It's so weird that some demons in bayonetta 3 don't come back, like the six arms, they were cool, and had development: in the first game they tried to play volleyball with the golem and failed, while in the second they actually do it! So proud of them but where are they??? Like, it would have been so cool to see them back...
Also, the train could have been replaced by scholopendra, I really miss that guy.
And the kraken could have been replaced by the hydra since they are so similar in use...
Or queen Sheba. Now, I know that most people don't like the ending, and they are right as hell. It would have been so cool if the three Bayonettas in the end summoned queen Sheba together and kick singularity's ass and as a reward for finishing the game (maybe only in infinite climax?) You get her weapon and her summon, even if it was just a recolour of Madame Butterfly... (I would prefer it to be her own demon tho)
I don't get why Alrune returned instead. In the lore there is only one version of the demons. Rodin is the same in every universe, and so are other demons. In Bayo 2 Rodin kills her and uses her to create the whip, so she shouldn't be alive, right? Instead she is. Weird.
Rodin being summonable is so fucking cool, I wish they gave us post game where Cereza uses his powered up form like with Gomorrah and Madame Butterfly and Baal Zebul. I just wish there were more of those fights tbh. The clocktower and the big split bats never got any action, while Madame and Gomorrah were summoned about three times... I get that they are fan favourites, but I really wanted to see other demons too...
The clocktower is so cool btw, it can give you witch time whenever you want, or can turn into a mech that can beat Rodin's ass easily (see my previous post), or it can slap big enemies, or make bombs rain on the battlefield! How cool is that??? All while being a clocktower! That's so cool. I admit that when I saw it for the first time I thought it was just a demon to fill the roster. But when Bayo used its witch time bell in a cutscene I audibly gasped (mostly because I didn't even try using it) like, how cool is it to be able to use witch time with the fallen clocktower of the umbra clan infested by the spirits of the fallen umbra witches??? The clock that symbolizes Rosa's death! It was a big deal that it was destroyed according to the previous games' lore, because a lot of witches died in it, and it was the same day that Rosa died (in the main universe)! And you get it by shooting Rosa and killing her as Cereza! That's so fucking good! I love the clocktower so much.
Gomorrah is underwhelming tbh. I expected something more powerful. Like, Madame is good during all of the game, but Gomorrah is just, kinda there??? I love it, but I rarely use it. If I ever used it at all, actually...
BAAL IS SO PRECIOUS. I love her so much! Little (not so much) frog that sings! And when she sings it's such a good attack too! It hits everything and some people use her against Rodin too. She just wants to sing for her master, and when she finally does... Oh boy! That was an amazing scene! The rhythm game was hard tho... So I kinda killed the mood by taking some damage and I am so sorry. The little hands coming from hell with glowing sticks to vibe to her music is so funny, and both of her designs are so appealing. One side is "hehe royal froge" And the other is "queen of opera". Anyway she uses her tadpoles as bombs and that's fucking hilarious, it's like, a dragapult situation, the kids just explode!
The two big bats are cool I guess... They didn't get much screen time and are useful only in like, three situations, which all involve a barrier that makes enemies invisible. And if you squint hard enough you actually see the enemies on your own when they attack so it's not that useful. I like that they separate when they attack but Labolas does that better.
Labolas are four good kitties and I would die for them.
Madame Butterfly is so fucking funny for no fucking reason! She does a kamehameha and kicks butts while taking a nice bath, what an icon. Maybe they overused her a bit along with Gomorrah.
The war train is... Underwhelming? Is that the right word? Idk... Like, you have all these flashy fights but then time stops so that you can place binaries on the battlefield... Baal's song does it's job better. If you wanna hit multiple enemies at the same time use Baal. Basically useless in any boss fight and awkward to use in battle. A shame, really, because I like the concept of throwing a fucking train in someone's face.
Cheshire Is cool, as much as I hate playing as Viola, Cheshire is so goofy and silly when he attacks. He's a good kitty.
Phantasmanereae is cool, but I preferred the black version in other Bayonettas... It's still cool, don't get me wrong, it's just... I don't know. It's cool that it can use webs to imprison enemies but I don't use it much. I prefer its weapon. I like to walk on walls.
Malphas crow is actually so cool in white, and it looks so smart! That's a smart boi right there, I am sure. It has so many eyes! So cute! I wanna pet one.
The kraken... I don't use it much. Similar to Gomorrah, but it's not as iconic so... Meh. I know there was a glitch where people used it to win against Rodin but it's been patched before I started playing so... Idk. Cool that it's basically both the first and the last boss I guess? Gives me that sweet ringkomposition feel I like (and I don't like spelling). I like the ink theme, but I never really use it's summon or its weapon unless it's for using all weapons.
I think that the demons are over? There is Jeanne's version of Madame Butterfly, but I never use Jeanne because i like witch time a lot. And it's basically the same demon.
(Yes this post has become a review of the demons mid writing, thanks for noticing)
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OMG I'm such a dumbass I knew you did one on the GR Yaris before too, and I love her ALSO, but I actually meant the GR Supra 😳🫣 (slip of the tongue)
Gotcha.
Since I managed to take some two weeks to answer this (got distracted both by real life obligations and other posts that were meant to be very quick to make. Meant to.) y'all may have forgotten, but our dear friend of the blog had asked for opinions on the GR Yaris, hinting to its controversial status. Turns out the GR Supra is what that request, and thus that hint, was actually about - so let's talk about the car and the controversy that engulfs it.
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In 1993, Toyota launched the fourth generation of its rear wheel drive sportscar (well, arguably a bit of a Grand Tourer, i.e. something more oriented to cruising than a sportscar) the Supra - which was born a quarter century earlier as a more upmarket, six cylinder version of the Celica, graduating from Celica Supra to its own dignified name with the third generation I talked about that one time I forgot to check what blog I was reblogging with.
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But this time, things would be different. Most notably because the inline six the Mk4 Supra came out with was an absolute MONSTER.
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Remember how I talked about the GT-R's RB26 engine being one of the greatest, most coveted production engines to ever come out of Japan? Well, the 2JZ-GTE is the other.
It was larger at 3 liters, no less powerful, and to reduce turbocharger lag it used two of them sequentially: first air goes in the smaller, more responsive turbo, then gradually some of it gets sent to the bigger turbo to make it start spinning, then when it gets going the two are finally used in conjunction. (Imagine the big turbo as a hung husband that takes a while to get it up and the small turbo as an eager stepson ready to take over until the hung one can join in for a spitroast. Or something. I don't watch porn with real people, but from what I gather the plots seem to resemble how sequential turbos work.) It even at one point got Variable Valve Timing, i.e. the ability to vary the time in which the valves open depending on engine speed, which allows to optimize tuning for performance and efficiency! (Cool thing to go over in detail if y'all want me to.) And also, the kind of things that engine is able to take make me wish I hadn't used up my porn analogy quota.
See, to chop off eons of nuance, an engine is just a big block of metal with a lot of bits attached, and the two main measures of an engine's potential are the slope of the line in the Bits Fiddled With / Power Output graph and how far up (It's up, right? The second axis you specify is the vertical one, right?) you can take it before the block becomes the weakest link - with another important point being when you need to start messing with internals, i.e. the components inside the engine, e.g. pistons (the things the boom pushes down), camshaft (the thing the pistons spin) and connecting rods (you can guess).
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So for instance, just to make the point that an engine can be beloved without having much overall tuning potential, in one of Toyota's most beloved engines, the 4A-GE four cylinder illustrated above (yes, the one from that white and black car in all the eurobeat videos), some pin the block's limit as low as 250hp. The 2JZ, tho? It can take 800hp without even messing with the internals, and once you get your grubby hands on those you can keep pushing the line to some 2000hp. That is two Bugattis. That is 40 times my car. That is well above the power level where "tires that will at any point grip" and "tires that are in any way road legal" stop intersecting.
I am not in the slightest exaggerating when I say that this and the Skyline GT-R are widely regarded as the top of Japan's 20th century automotive production. The Messi & Ronaldo of the Japanese Domestic Market. It is absolutely no coincidence this was the hero car in The Fast And The Furious.
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And then in 2002, as all things, its production ended, and given the abysmal sales and catastrophic recession, Toyota decided that would be that.
And then, years later, The Teasening began.
I want to stress, almost half of my conscious life (I choose to believe the stretch from birth to kindergarten is just run-up) the world was in some state of getting teased with talk of a new Supra. The trademark on the name was renewed in 2010. In 2014 they dropped the FT-1 concept, and of course that became speculation about what the production version would look like.
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Because come the fuck on, it's not gonna look like that.
Or was it?
Only five entire years and much more teasing later would we officially get an answer, when after seventeen years, the Toyota GR Supra (and for those wondering what GR means, y'all should've clicked the Yaris link >:C) hit the streets.
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You know what, good enough.
Good enough to earn itself a sea of words of praise, Jason Cammisa's "The most punch-above-its-weight sportscar ever made" just some among them.
It did have its share of problems at the start, like its power being 335hp and not 382, a lack of manual transmission, and the inability to spec it with a less powerful 4 cylinder engine - well, I don't know who considered that last one a problem, but Toyota's updates solved that one too.
The Supra has a much bigger problem than those though, one no little update can solve. That red car in the background.
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See, the new Supra is actually a joint venture with BMW, who made a new model of its Z4 roadster out of the platform. And unlike with the other joint-venture sportscar Toyota sells, people are big mad about that. Why?
See, the interior is engulfed in BMW switchgear and the drivetrain is all BMW (the manual gearbox took until this year to come out because BMW did not have one for that engine so Toyota had to modify another BMW transmission to fit), giving people the impression that this was less of a joint venture and more of a BMW project that Toyota tacked its design on top of, which is a problem whether true or not.
See, a range-topping sportscar is supposed to represent what the brand is capable of - having it done by someone else (or so the criticism goes) is a bit like performing Hallelujah in playback.
Actually, a better musical analogy: You know "I'm back bitch" singles? When a humongous artist drops a new record with a humongous lead single about absolutely nothing but reaffirming they're the biggest fucking deal in the universe? Without Me, Bad, Gimme More, so on. Well, think of SexyBack - one of the most monumental phenomenons of its decade, most incontrovertibly proving Justin Timberlake sat atop the goddamn world. Now, imagine if, after all the years that went by between that record and the next, when he finally came out with Suit And Tie all the verses were Jay-Z. Going from a humongous statement about having the power to reach the top of the game and stay there to having to get absolutely carried by what in this logic is essentially a competitor. Basically, that's the critics' complaint: the supra went from 2JZ to too much Jay-Z.
And therein lies the other problem of the Supra: the Supra.
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See, any time you evaluate something, you do so relative to its context - and when you give it a nameplate, you make that context include where else that nameplate has been. An undeserved name may not just be stupid, but even outright kill the car in some's eyes, see the case of the Dodge Dart, or get me to talk about the Ford Capri prototype recently spotted if you want to find out what I'm like when I lose my cool. (I'd liken this phenomenon to undeserved Grammies but I already used my music analogy quota too.) So the Toyota Supra does not just need to be good, it needs to deserve the name. And some argue it doesn't. But why? This thing is no less powerful, no slower, hell it's not even any bigger or heavier and we've gone over how rare that is these days! So is it the lack of backseats and a targa version? No, no one gives a crap about those. It's something deeper.
Sometimes, the problem with a revival is people base their expectation not on what the original was like in the context of its time but what it's like in the context of today (for example, I've heard people call the latest GT-R "too computerized, too assisted, far from the pure driving experience of its predecessors", when its predecessors had some of the most technologically advanced driving assists of their time and could only be called "pure" and "analog" by comparison with cars decades newer). But of course, that'll only be some people - so if what the original car looks like to modern eyes and what the original car represented at its time are two different enough concepts, any revival will receive some criticism for not being one of the two.
But for the Supra, this compounds with another problem: the original Supra (as in the previous generation, since no one gives a crap about the first three), to modern eyes, looks like a thousand-horsepower flame-spitting beast, because that's what all Supras have been turned into, and that's why you know of Supras in the first place (it sure isn't because people bought it!), and that, consciously or not, exacerbates the problem of misplaced expectations to a level akin to hearing an NBA player is about to have a brother and expecting the baby to be a 6'4" three-shooter.
But I wasn't asked about the controversies, I was asked about my take. And my take is: no realistic expectation of what a Supra would look like today was disappointed - at least not by where the car stands today. Well, unless the expectation involved backseats.
"But it was made by BMW" and so? This is a new Supra, and a good one - what does it matter how it got here? Especially when this is an upgrade over the Z4 in every way - looks way better, drives better, and now has a manual that the Z4 doesn't.
Okay, almost every way: the Supra's roof won't get out of the way. If only though, if only. Could you imagine a Toyota product that looks this good, sounds this good, goes this fast, and has a drop top? ...and maybe backseats?
Well, I can.
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Yes, the badge and core concept may have some people consider it from midlife crisis mobile to old man's car. (though we know it's not a car bought by old men because if that was the case someone would be buying these). But just try to imagine sitting in this thing.
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Take a couple of seconds to take in that picture and truly immerse yourself. You're in a Lexus LC500 Convertible, with a V8 at your right foot's command, its spectacular sound ready to battle the perfect sound system serenading you with your fanciest CD, because of course Lexuses still come with CD players.
Are you immersed? Okay: Someone just called your Lexus a midlife crisis car. See? You don't give a shit either, do ya.
Automatic only though. The pain. Oh, and it kind of costs as much as two Supras. But, you know, neither of those Supras will be convertibles!
Links in blue are posts of mine about the topic in question - if you liked this post, you might like those!
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bitwynn · 2 years
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Not a fan
A SAGAU Impostor AU Songfic
Song used: Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
...so I caved. Yep. Starting a new series even though i already have one. To be fair, i felt like i needed a break from that series since that beast needs a whole lotta world building and im planning for it to get into some heavy fucken subjects. This one tho is more chill and light-hearted, since theyre all just a bunch of kind of disconnected one shots that are all kind of connected. So like-- when this series gets a lil longer, you can literally start from any fic since its all connectedly disconnected. A better example was my original idea of me just writing the end goal where they finally defeat the impostor like-- directly after the Castaway fic to rlly show how connectedly disconnected it is but i refrained myself since i wanted to write more wanderer. Been playing as him a lot but i havent rlly done the archon quest yet lol but hes just a blast. Hes an annoying lil shit (affectionate)
Blue for Barbara, Yellow/Gold for Zhongli, Green for Wanderer, red for Diluc, Italics is Reader/General, Combined is Everyone. Colors only used for singing parts.
---
Is this the real life?
You were running again, the spears and arrows of the Millelith chasing you all across Liyue.
Is this just fantasy?
Zhongli was by your side, steadfast as a rock as he shielded you from their weapons-- both with his Jade Shields and his body.
Caught in a landslide,
A loose rock almost sent you tumbling down into the depths of the Chasm, Barbara grabbing you just in time.
No escape from reality.
Diluc recognizes the path you were taking towards Tiangong Gorge, immediately rushing off to the Chasm's Maw and letting loose Dawn-- his phoenix rising up into the sky like a blazing beacon, just buy the rest of you more time. He'll rejoin you once again, he knows the path you'd take. He's your main afterall.
Open your eyes,
The three of you make it, the relief from seeing the glow of the blue Waypoint almost bringing you to your knees.
Look up to the skies and see,
You stumble in, Barbara hauling your arm over her shoulder as Zhongli collapses the tunnel behind you. You may be Overseer of Teyvat but he is the Overseer of Liyue, and its stones still answers to his call. There is nothing left but the browns and greens that creep towards the borders of Liyue.
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Your little group exit the cavern, the fresh air of the rainforest cooling the sweat on your backs and you see Haypasia's "little neighbor" peeking up from behind a leaf.
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
The tiny Aranara, though a little hesitant that more people could see him now, takes your hand and guides you through Avidya Forest. Thank goodness you had caved from your siblings nagging and finally done at least a part of the Sumeru quest.
Little high, little low,
You were still unfamiliar with the lands of Sumeru, trusting your little lettuce friend to lead you to a place of safety, of rest.
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me,
Lettuce, as you had affectionately named him, lead you all deep into the rainforests of Sumeru all while deftly avoiding the little village of forest rangers and the rangers themselves. You hadn't said a word to him but you knew, deep in somewhere, that he would be leading you somewhere safe. Somewhere protected.
Though this... wasn't what you expected.
To me.
He turns to your group, the smell of tea faintly wafting from the pot he was tending. "I don't think I need to introduce myself, do I?"
-
After the short but silent panic that washed over the three of you (it took the you and Barbara 5 minutes to even get a centimeter pulling Vortex Vanquisher out the cave wall while Zhongli aggressively apologized to him), the four of you were sat on the floor watching the Wanderer tend to the bubbling pots of food he was making.
There was a strange... very not tense(?), and very awkward energy in the air as he set aside cups and bowls for all of you, his own cup still full with steaming almost black water. Zhongli was very noticeably trying not to stare at his oversteeped tea.
Little Lettuce had already left, presumably to keep an eye on the area or watch out for Diluc. You didn't want to use him as a shield or a way to break the ice or something but god-- the energy in the air was just so uncomfortable.
You all watched Wanderer in this terse silence prepare your food, his soft chopping of the grilled unagi sounding like death knells in your cave. He took each of the bowls he set out, placing a considerable amount of rice in each and a small handful of dried seaweed and sesame seeds. Bringing out a jar of umeboshi from his inventory, he placed each slab of unagi with a single umeboshi atop the bed of rice and seaweed.
He pours out the tea onto the rice, 1, 2, 3... and stops. He cocks his head. Frowns.
"Wasn't there supposed to be four of you?"
And the silence was broken.
"W-well, little lettuce already left--"
"Not the aranara-- wait, you named him lettuce? Tsk, whatever. Where's the other one? The red one?"
"Oh, uhm, Diluc?"
He nods, the small scowl on his face almost carved into him. You feel your face heat as you turn your face away from him.
"He ran off. To the Maw. Let out his burst as a diversion to buy us time --but he'll find us. He'll come back. He knows the way, he knows how I think, he knows what I'll do. He'll come back."
Wanderer sighs, disappearing the extra bowl. You're not sure whether you said all that to stop his retort or to diminish your own worry.
You're shaken from your thoughts by Barbara holding your hand. She gives it a squeeze, and you squeeze back, thankful for the comfort.
"Are you just gonna keep staring at your food or do you want to die of both exhaustion and starvation?"
"Okay, eating now!"
You're handed a warm bowl of Shimi Chazuke, Wanderer's specialty. It didn't look like its in game icon, only having the plump umeboshi on top of a bed of rice and seaweed with the pale tea glistening in the light. But you had come to learn that many things in game didn't translate directly, there sure as hell no quest or mention of a "Divine Overseer, and yet-- and yet.
You bring the bowl up to your face, the warmth soaking into your aching, tired hands and its steam gently caressing your face. You mix a portion of the rice together with the tea, scoop it up, and put it into your mouth.
And practically turn into jelly at the taste.
"Umai...!" you moan, savoring the taste of it all.
The fresh rice soaked in the bitter tea tasted amazing, each bite slowly turning into a different flavor as the oils and sauce from the grilled unagi gradually mixed in with the rice. Cutting up a bit of the eel with your spoon, you mix it with the rice and your mouth burst with deliciousness.
The eel was grilled to perfection, plump and juicy and flaky. And with the addition of the tea, it introduced flavors you hadn't even imagined from a simple grilled fish.
As you were about to burst that plump little plum, the Wanderer stopped you, a strange look on his face. He handed you a handkerchief.
"Wipe your face, the flavor's gonna be off if you mix it with your tears."
Stunned, you took the handkerchief. "Oh."
It... had been a long time since you've eaten good food and found a place to rest. Too long.
You hold it close to your chest, eyes squeezed shut as you tried to calm down. After a moment, you wipe away the sweat, and tears, and snot, and grime that had accumulated on your journey. It had been such a long time since you first found kindness in this world, even if that kindness came from an emotionally stunned automaton designed to be a god.
You chuckled to yourself, a wet little thing, as you realize that you kept weeping harder and harder with each swipe of the cloth. You bury your face in it, the handkerchief practically soaked with your tears as you take a few calming breaths to finally stop your tears.
"I'm... I'm sorry, I-- its been a while since I've... yeah. Uhm..."
You take a breath, still wet with your snot. "I, uh... I'm gonna keep this, I uh-- ruined it. I'll, I'll clean it though! If you want it back."
Wanderer, handily ignoring your breakdown just earlier, cringes in disgust. "No thanks. Keep it, you need it more than me if you decide to bawl your eyes out again."
Despite the harshness of it, you soften, tucking the offending handkerchief away. "Thanks." "Don't ever mention it."
He reclines back into his little designated space in your cave, and hesitantly stokes the fire with his anemo vision. You pick your unfinished bowl of chazuke, umeboshi still waiting to be eaten. It was good to know that at least there was a few things that didn't change now that you're here.
"Are you finished yet? Stop gawking at your food and finish it so I can do the dishes."
Yep, some things just never change.
You finally finish your meal with the silence in the cave now something much more comfortable, the crackling of the fire and the quiet rushing and clanking of dishes almost lulling you into a sense of "you don't have a bounty placed on your head and are definitely not running from anyone and everyone for fear of them betraying you and handing you over to your megalomaniacal doppelganger".
Wanderer, having lost the argument of who does the dishes against Barbara, was definitely not sulking in his little corner and absolutely not fiddling with his new(?) anemo vision. "So, why'd you come here to Sumeru anyways? I know you definitely were not looking for me, considering the fact you tried to impale my head on sight. Which to be fair," he chuckles at Zhongli's sheepish face, stood near the cavern entrance. "I would do the same."
You absentmindedly plucked the strings of your Windblume Lyre, the instrument becoming a sort of stimming/coping device, helping you deal with everything that had happened to you. He hummed to himself, the cogs turning in his head. "I can't think of any other reason why you'd come here-- finding and trusting in me is a huge gamble that you won," he clarified, turning away from Barbara's blank stare. "the ancient Khaenri'ahn technology scattered around Sumeru won't be of any use if you were considering taking the fight to your impostor, the Irminsul Tree could be a good reason but I can't see any way you'd use it to help you, though knowledge is always good to have anyways."
He scoffed, reclining into the dirt of your cave. "Archons, imagine how ridiculous it would be if you just ran here because you had no choice but to! Like a bunch of scared animals, ahaha!"
You slowly sink behind your lyre as he continues.
"In my time here, you're infamous for always evading their grasp-- heck, there's even an entire division of scholars here dedicated to just trying to figure out how in the world you do it. Some say you're a master at faking trails, some say you have some sort of... psychic power that lets you read the mind of your enemies so you can anticipate their moves."
He shrugs.
"Honestly, I'm more inclined to believe that last one-- in my brief time as your Vessel before your descent, you somehow managed to find information about me, despite my entire existence being wiped from the Irminsul Tree. Add to that the experiences that your other Vessels had, and it's a pretty compelling case." A sigh. "Shame that probing is one-sided though, a peek into the mind of the 'Divine Deceiver' or 'Overseer' or whatever fancy title you call yourself would be quite intriguing. Who knows what schemes are you cooking up in there. Now tell me,"
He straightens, eyes boring into yours from where you were, at this point, hiding in shame behind your lyre. "why are you here in Sumeru?"
"Aha... ha... haaa..." If you had a pyro vision, your face would be on fire by now. You had to turn away, the warmth of embarrassment creeping down your neck. "Well, uhm..." You clear your throat, gulping as you try to even find the words to explain how much of a legitimately normal person you are, who was practically forced to grow brain cells specifically for scheming because if you didn't you would die.
"So, uh...ah he he he... heh..." you take a breath, a shaky grin on your lips. "So, you know how reality is sometimes stranger than fiction?"
He raises an eyebrow.
"Well..."
You vaguely gesture, hoping that your flailing would get your message across.
He stares at you. He stares some more. He blinks.
"No."
"Yeah."
"No..."
"Yeah...
"NO."
"YEAH--"
His mouth drops in shock as he tries to process what you're implying. The rumors painted a... much prettier and mightier picture of you than the both of you thought.
"I-- you-- wha-- how-- what?!"
He takes a breath, chest rising despite his lack of a need for air. He pinches the bridge of his nose, and you get the feeling that he's restraining himself from grabbing you by the shoulders and shaking you stupid.
"So, you're telling me. That the 'Divine Deceiver' and their little posse made of a literal god, the once-captain of Mondstat's Knights of Favonius, and Mondstat's most renowned healer idol, have, quite literally, been running around like rats all over Teyvat and somehow, somehow staying alive by a thread?!"
"I KNOW MAN, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW WE'RE STILL ALIVE--"
"Oh my--"
He begins to growl, a black orb of anemo energy collecting in his palm. You squeak as you try to scramble to your feet, his face full of rage.
And the whirling winds in your cavern suddenly stops, Wanderer dismissing the dark energy in his hand. "Oh, relax."
He blows a raspberry at you, as you groan and sit back down. You bring your lyre back out from where you unconsciously disappeared it and clutch it like a lifeline.
"God, I never knew your idle could be that scary."
"...Idle?"
Barbara waves off his question, a sheepish expression on her face as she fixes her curls back into place. "Its... complicated. You'll learn more about it as you travel with us." She hands him the used and cleaned bowls and utensils. "You... will travel with us, right?"
He scoffs, taking the bowls and disappearing them with a flash of light. "Of course I will. Its literally in my name. Besides, I have nothing that ties me down anymore so I might as well wander with you guys."
She smiles at him, ever sweet and ever kind. She settles back down near the fire, drying her soaking hands. Though Zhongli is still taking watch by the cavern entrance, you could see the slightest look of pleased approval in his face. "Though if you are going to be travelling and running from the law with me, we need to make a plan instead of scurrying around like rats."
And at that, the entire cavern groans in exhaustion. "Not now, please." "We'd like to have some rest first, Wanderer!" "Please, fuck, no-- I've had enough scheming for 3 thousand years--"
"Wait, so you did have a plan going into Sumeru?!"
You wave him off, hands going to rest back upon the strings of your trusty lyre. "Well, it was more of like... a guideline? A safety net? We had a couple ideas on what to do if we ever ended up in Sumeru and we, yknow, ended up in Sumeru so we'll probably do that."
You pluck a couple strings as you remember what you "planned". "I hadn't finished the Sumeru main quest yet and I hadn't unlocked all of the Statues of the Seven yet either. We were thinking of unlocking all the Statues first since, without them, my 'all-encompassing' game map is jack shit here in Sumeru, and then we were thinking of finishing the main quest to both progress the story and better the... political? climate here along with a few other benefits. After that..."
You make a face, much more aggressively playing at your lyre. "We really didn't want to split up the party but, I kinda wanna finish the main story quest in the Chasm but also we need to collect all the Dendroculous and Electroculous for more stamina and stuff. But also, I kinda wanna visit Dragonspine since..." You let yourself trail off, the makings and ideas of plans evident in your voice.
Wanderer merely stares at you for a moment, the game terms flying over his head as Barbara mouths at him, "I'll tell you about it later". You sigh, dreading the planning of tomorrow as your fingers calm on the strings. "But, we can plan tomorrow. Please. We almost died multiple times again." He sighs, relenting. "At least you have the skeleton of a plan."
"Yes!"
Humming, you sink into the soft ground, thanking the soils of Teyvat for giving you some comforts in this trying time. What little grass in the cave caresses you in gratitude, as you pluck at your instrument.
The Wanderer sighs, as he prepares a small pot of tea. "You've been messing with that thing all night and its about to grate at my ears. Do you even know how to play?"
You chuckle a bit, sheepish as you hand the lyre over to Barbara who plays a quick, jaunty tune with a flourish. "Well, I can sing...?"
He sighs again, bowing his head and resigned to the confirmation that you were much more... ridiculous than the gossip and rumors painted you as. "Then why are you the one with the lyre?"
You shrug as Barbara starts up another little song. "Gives me something to do with my hands. Helps me calm down. Diluc and Barbara have been teaching me though when we have the time."
Your soft smile at Barbara's song turns cheeky as you turn to him. "Wanna hear what they've taught me?"
"Sure, better than forcing this inane conversation."
You giggle maniacally as you smile at Barbara, the singer immediately catching your drift. "Follow me?" "To the ends of the earth."
You laugh, as she tunes the instrument to the right notes. "Not like that you sap!" "I know, I know! But yes, of course. His song right?"
You nod. "Yep."
"'My' song...?" Wanderer tilts his head in confusion, before realization dawns on his face.
"Hey, just because it has my-- ...that name, does not immediately mean its 'my song'."
The two of you handily ignore his slip up, you drinking some water in preparation for singing and Barbara testing the lyre if its in tune. "Oh, please," you say, sitting up. "you haven't even heard the full thing yet! It's definitely your song."
He sighs, leaning back against the cavern wall. "Very well then. Indulge me."
-
You start, reciting the beginning "poem" from memory. Barbara watches and waits, fingers hovering above the strings. Wanderer cocks his head, clearly interested. She begins playing as you get halfway, the lyre an excellent substitute for the piano. You continue, the Wanderer scoffing a little at the poem's mention of a poor boy needing no sympathy, but you pay it no mind. He hasn't heard the rest of the song yet.
"Mama,"
Barbara picks up on her playing, wringing the lyre out for all its worth for those deep chords and piano-like sounds.
"Just killed a man,"
You summoned the small drum you bought from a merchant in Inazuma in preparation.
"Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he's dead,"
You close your eyes, swaying to the tune of the song.
"Mama, life had just begun,"
You didn't need to open your eyes to know that he's really listening now.
"But now I've gone and thrown it all away!"
You quickly tap on the drum, trying in vain to mimic the band's performance.
"Mama!, oooh,"
Zhongli was sat at the entrance with his legs crossed and humming along.
"Didn't mean to make you cry,"
Wanderer was still. You could almost hear the turning of the cogs in his mind.
"If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,"
The steady beat of the drum was a stark contrast to the deep, heavy feeling inside his chest.
"Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters."
His Vision pulsed, as his hand unconsciously came to caress it. Was this what it was like to have a heart?
Barbara's fingers were gentle on the strings as a set of footsteps approached the entrance of the cave. You could hear Little Lettuce's pitter-pattering and the dulcet tones of Zhongli and Diluc's voices as they catch up in the short time they've been separated.
"Too late, my time has come,"
He had closed his eyes, listening intently to the music as the waves of sound rocked him gently and deeply into his sea of memories.
"Sends shivers down my spine,"
He can see it now, those old fleeting moments of happiness before they were all ultimately destroyed.
"Body's aching all the time."
He could feel it, suddenly hyper aware of his joints and limbs. The feeling of phantom strings and hands pulling and pushing him like he was some puppet. (But it wasn't like he was ever anything else.)
"Goodbye, everybody. I've got to go,"
He could hear it, everyone's cries and wails of despair filling his ears as he sailed towards Inazuma City to beg the Shogunate (his mother) for mercy that they would not grant.
"Gotta leave you all behind to face the truth."
He could also hear the Doctor's cackling laughter as he began to weave his web of lies, webs that would replace the strings that she had put on him. That he had cut away.
"Mama!, oooh,"
He could see it, the light shining through the patches in the walls and the roof of that old hut. The kind and innocent smile on that sickly, young face.
"I don't wanna die,"
He could see it, red, red, red lapping up and eating away at the walls and roof of the house. Red, red, red all around them. As if he was asleep in a meadow of flowers. (or sinking into a pool of blood)
"I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.!"
You all gave him his moment, deep in his sea of memories. Diluc was wordlessly playing the zither, an imperfect substitute for an electric guitar. He'd noiselessly joined into your impromptu concert after he was caught up on the situation by Zhongli who had promptly disguised the mouth of the cavern as some kind of rock formation.
As he played, you thought back to the Wanderer's words. To the moment you first heard him say that-- his character teaser. Your heart had clenched back then, tears pricking the corners of your eyes but you couldn't help chuckling at his words-- that ever iconic song playing in your head. But you know that there was nothing to chuckle about here, Wanderer holding the brim of his hat in an almost vice-like grip. His jaw is clenched.
You all silently agreed to let the solo drag on at least a little bit longer. He takes a sharp breath. (You all know its his way of saying his thanks.)
Barbara begins plucking the lyre in a jaunty little tune, and you couldn't help but crack a grin. The atmosphere's heavy, but it's beginning to lift anyway.
"I see a little silhouetto of a man,"
The Wanderer scoffs, already knowing the next few lines by heart thanks to you. You all readily ignore the wetness in his sound.
"Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?!"
You were surprised at everyone joining in. Wanderer especially, being caught so off-guard that he jumped in his seat. "For the nth time, no I won't!" Barbara giggles as you push onwards, a manic grin on your face.
"Thunderbolt and lightning!"
Diluc only smiles at the mildly disgruntled Wanderer, his Divine Overseer and Mondstadt's Deaconess having stood up to sing their hearts out. "I'm pretty sure that's not gonna be the last time you say that to them."
"Very, very frightening, me!"
The singing duo once again became lost in the music of the song, belting their hearts and lungs out for their one audience member. Said audience member could only crack a smile and reply, "I had a feeling."
"Galileo, Galileo,"
You had all but screeched out said scientist's name as you pointed to Zhongli. When faced with the Wanderer's incredulous look, he could only gain a fond look in his eyes, shrug and say, "You get used to it over time."
"Galileo, Galileo,"
"Wait, you're all used to this?!" Barbara's sheepish as she answers. "They sing as a coping mechanism. We kind of picked it up over time as well." Diluc shrugs again. "It's better than alcoholism."
"Galileo, Figaro! - Magnifico, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,"
Wanderer cringes-- despite this, a smile is growing on his face. "You don't have to vocalize the echoes, you imbecile!" You merely put a hand to your forehead, aiming to up the drama with your next lyrics.
"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me,"
He feels the tug of old memories, of old traumas still clinging to his skin. But he pays them no mind, knowing he must march onwards to the future. A future paved by a ragtag group of wanted divine beings and important people that are beginning to worm his way into his chest.
"He's just a poor boy from a poor family,"
Oh no. He's feeling it again.
"Spare him his life from this monstrosity!"
He cannot help but watch you all sing.
Barbara's fingers fly on the strings.
"Easy come,"
He felt what he felt back then, before she had forsaken him.
"Easy go,"
He felt what he felt back then, before he was fooled into thinking he had left him-- left them.
"Will you let me go?"
He felt what he felt back then, before he was torn away from him with no bigger enemy to blame but his own mortality.
"Bismillah! No!"
It was affection. It was care.
"We will not let you go!
(Let him go!)"
Oh archons, he's starting to care.
"Bismillah! We will not let you go!
(Let him go!)"
For hundreds of years, he's hardened his heart and closed himself off from everyone and everything. Sworn to scrub himself clean of human emotions.
"Bismillah! We will not let you go!
(Let me go!)"
And yet, for those same hundreds of years, he had never fully closed himself off-- never fully scrubbed away the feeling of... feeling.
"Will not let you go! (Let me go!)"
He couldn't help but glance at those two, fingers flying across the strings of their instruments. Humans, can they really be trusted?
"Will not let you go! (Let me go!)
His eyes slowly drifted to the other two, one ancient and the other practically a newborn. Can the gods really make him feel anything other than loathing?
"Never let you go!
(Never, never, never let me go!)"
He takes in their entire performance, all of them being their pure, complete, and unadulterated selves. With no masks to keep on, or roles to maintain. Merely singing, and dancing, and playing these instruments just for the heck of it.
"Oh, oh, oh!
No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
For centuries, he has roamed this world-- seeing and meeting many new people, and yet never regarding any of them as his companions.
"Oh, mama mia, mama mia!"
Would he be able to regard these people as such?
"Mama mia, let me go!"
Would he be able to trust them, like the did with the others? To stay and not break their promises with him?
"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,"
Would he be able to hold on to them, and they not let go as they had been claiming over and over?
"For me!"
Well, he has no choice in the matter. He's stuck with them now, as wanted fugitives.
"For me!"
Only time will tell if they forsake him like those before him. At least he's safe in the comfort that the world had forsaken them as well. Just like him. He hopes that strange sort of kinship makes you understand. He hopes it makes you stay.
You whooped with joy as Barbara absolutely nailed that note, Diluc quickly shredding on the zither afterwards. You would've given it to Zhongli but-- the man hasn't played a guitar before. And you need a certain "je ne sais quoi" to really pull off what Queen was doing. ...Also, you needed the sound of a guitar for the song.
You glance back to the Wanderer, mostly silently listening this whole time. He was lightly bopping his hand to the beat. You smile, taking whatever victories you can get. "Beelzebub? Really?" You blow a raspberry at him, preparing for the next part of the song. "I'll tell you about it later!" You clear your throat.
"So, you think you can stone me and spit in my eye!"
Diluc hits that sick riff.
"So, you think you can love me and leave me to die?!"
Barbara, even if she's practically undetectable underneath Diluc's strumming and your-- excuse me, Zhongli's drum beating, is still managing to bring up and compliment every single one of you performing.
"Oh, baby!"
You swear, if you all weren't wanted fugitives forced to live on the LAM because of a crime you didn't commit, you'd be a killer band.
"Can't do this to me baby!"
You do gotta thank Zhongli for subtly swiping away the drums from you-- you frankly weren't quite sure how you'd be able to focus on giving this song the power ballad it deservers while also playing an instrument.
"Just gotta get out,"
Despite all your peeking on Wanderer for his opinions on the song and to check on his emotional state, you weren't exactly omniscient. You were, afterall, still performing and still getting lost in the music.
"Just gotta get right outta here!"
So you didn't notice the twinge of an... almost fond emotion lacing his face as he watches you rock out to this classic. What can you say, Diluc kills it on the zither.
The sound builds and builds, Barbara layering on top of it and you not being able to resist the urge to air guitar to it as it slowly reaches its crescendo... And crashes back down, Zhongli and Diluc humming along to the sound.
"Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah,"
You gasp for breath, the end of the song finally coming up. Diluc's energetic playing slows down, signaling the finale.
"Nothing really matters,"
You feel sweat dripping down your skin, having danced and moved around-- possessed by the power of the song.
"Anyone can see,"
You lean your back against the cave wall, relishing in its coolness as you bring the song to a close.
"Nothing really matters... Nothing really matters, to me..."
You sigh as you sink, pleased and satisfied at everyone's performance.
"Any way the wind blows..."
Zhongli finishes it off with the rapping of the drum, mimicking a cymbal crash to his best ability. Barbara beams at the Wanderer, who looks like he's regretting singing along to that last part.
"So," you ask, out of breath. "what'cha think about the song?"
Wanderer waves off Barbara's tired but happy smile, poofing the fourth bowl back into existence and busying his hands. He prepares Diluc's Shimi Chazuke as he hums.
"Well, despite it being a complete emotional roller coaster and the utter gibberish that it contains, I suppose that its worthy being called 'my song', as you will."
"I'll fucking take it! Fives all around guys, good job!" You quickly double high five everyone in the group-- Zhongli letting you slam your hands down on his, Barbara being a quick pair of one-two taps, and Diluc just lightly bumping his full hands into yours. You turn to Wanderer, waiting for him to high five you. "You too, hat boy-- you joined in the song, you get some fives."
At least Diluc had the decency to look away when he huffed in amusement. "Hat boy?! Let me tell you, I've gone through many names and titles during my journey. And each one is more eminent than any ordinary mortal could ever imagine!"
As he said these words, his heart slowly sank to his feet as he saw the stupid, cheeky smile growing on your face. "Yes, yes... But! and I quote, 'they're all just water under the bridge to me now.
Call me whatever you like. Go ahead, let me see what you can come up with.'" The Wanderer's eye twitched.
"And that's the best you can come up with?! If you know me so well, oh, great Overseer, then you would very much know that I'm also telling you to not disappoint me! Tell me, All-Knowing Guide, am I not disappointed?!" You snorted, too tired from the day's events to feel any sort of proper fear and trepidation at this situation. "Then, I'll just keep thinking of names until something sticks, mushroom head." You pat his head. "Now, how in the world did you even get here Lulu?"
He sips from his bowl full of rice and tea. "Doro44 Sumeru Chasm sneakpeek. Would've gotten here faster if the place wasn't absolutely surrounded by treasure hoarders and Fatui. Had a bit of trouble finding it as well, since it was behind some rock walls." He grabs a small twig from the ground and starts drawing. "Its a sort of cave that's absolutely overgrown by giant roots." "You dare to ignore me?!"
You flash that same cheeky grin at him again. "We didn't ignore you, we just changed the subject!"
Nope, he takes it all back. He hates all of you.
---
AND THATS A FUCKING WRAP AUGHHHHHHHHH-- broooooo, you would not BELIEVE how hard this was to write. both because Bohemian Rhapsody is SUCH a long song but also because of SOOOO many outside circumstances. like BRUH i was supposed to release this like a day after my castaways fic but NOOOOOOOO-- life got so in the way man. my parents started breathing down my neck for chores, we had to visit my relatives in the province (still in the province btw lol), i got FUCKING SICK BECAUSE OF STRESS AND DUST ALLERGIES and i literally spent like-- my first few days sick making my sickness FUCKING WORSE since our house was literally covered in dust and i was the only one who could clean it fucking apparently. bro, i even spent this goddamn christmas fucking sick. ugh this has been such a hell week. literally the only comfort i found this week was all genshin related AHAHA-- i was playing genshin, visiting the SAGAU tag a lot, waiting for fanfics to update, just generally genshin brainrotting.
ugh thank god i finally released this one. i do have a lot of ideas for this down the road and hell dawg! i even got a request! thats the one thatll be coming up next. i wrote like-- a massive part of this sick and it got sOOOOO out of hand ever since i didnt get to finish it that day so i hope it sticks together well and is mostly coherent. enjoy!! :))
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oh-my-may · 4 months
Text
Hi it's me. Finished playing main quest in Wuthering Waves so lemme give you a few thoughts on it, and development with the game in general.
First of all I like the length of the main quests so far. Long enpugh to tell the story in proper parts that feel concluded, but short enough to not lose my attention. Overall gameplay for me for most parts of the story so far was like 2 hours I think? Very good length.
The final chapter focused more on Jiyan and the Threnodian more so than the Fractsidus, since their active involvement kinda came to a stop when Scar got arrested. They focused a lot on them in the previous chapter so that was alright with me. They'll save mlre important stuff for later, which is totally alright with me.
Something that WuWa does that I really like is giving us complete trial teams for certain parts of the story, so it felt even more immersive going thrpugh the battlefield with Rover, Jiyan, YangYang and Jianxin. Still a big fan of the combat in this game, I wonder what future characters are gonna be like gameplay wise and how they'll influence the playstyle and meta.
I like that we get scraps of Rover's identity and backstory pretty early on. They make it no secret that Rover woke up on the world before and had a previous life? And also the girl who wakes Rover up/gives them life or so in the very forst scene in game being explained pretty early on is very helpful. I wonder where they will take this story.
Also love Aalto and Encore. Kinda a sucker for quirky child with adult extroverted guy as their guardian who do shenanigens together. They were very fun.
The story boss fights don't feel too hard, which is very nice for someone like me who is only slowly getting a hang of the battle gameplay on mobile. Still have a problem coordinating my exact thumb placement at times. Me problem.
Final boss was cool. Havoc MC is very cool, too. Just MC on general. Still haven't taken her off my team, probably won't for a while. Slays with either Spectro or Havoc. Very refreshing. In hyv games I dropped MC at around level 50 and only took them again later (genshin with dendro and hsr with harmony now).
I'm quite curious to see where else they'll take the story now. The threat of the Threnodian is quelled (for now?) so the one enemy we have remaining is the Fractsidus. There's also the Black Shores ofc, who seem to know A LOT about the world and Rover'a origin. Very funny how I first thpught Chamellya was with the Fractsidus. Must have been the colour palette lol. Loved her though, but I'm curious to find out what her deal is and what she wants from us. They did tell us a few basic informations about Rovers origin and backstory, but its still very little.
There is still Jinhsi and the missing Jue. She will be playablw next patch and apparently Jue will be a new boss? Curious to see where this will go.
Thid leads me to talk a bit about current changes to the game. Because of certain improvements the devs want to implemdnt sonner rather than later they have pushed forward content by 1 week and already gave us Yinlin banner and second phase events. I understand that to a certain extend but I was really worried I wasn't gonna be able to pull Jiyan in time 😭 SO I decided to pull then and there and got an early, which was Jianxin. Wasn't gonna complain but I was kinda losing hope. Jiyan came through for me at like 40 pulls. This game has blessed me with lots of early 5stars until now. Idk if I'll get Yinlin, her gameplay is really cool tho. Gonna take some time to think. Bit since I habe decided to take WuWa more casually than hsr and genshin, where I am careful with who I pull for, I might just make a few pulls on her banner and see what happens.
I'm now at level 31 in the game and still have basically the entire map to explore still. They have announced that controller support is gonna be a thing for mobile in future patches, which means it won't be implemented in 1.1. It's okay, though. I have gotten a good understanding of most controls now and I'm starting to level my characters and look for good builds. There's just so many layers to the character leveling, and having the bosses cost 60 waveplates for the 2 drops you get feels kinda expensive. Apparently they will work on that too? Implement a system tp save excess waveplates when you have reached full storage of them like in hsr and stuff.
Overall having good experiences with the game so far! Really looking forward to future patches, maybe I might also save for Scar? Idk.
As always, some screenshots from my gameplay!
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(btw gotta mention love how basically everyone is in love with Rover. Everyone they meet is immediately down bad. Scar, Jiyan, Yangyang, Chamellya. Jinhsi... same)
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ema0rsully · 7 months
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TMNT 2012 x Gem!Reader
(You are a lapis lazuli. Your main purpose is to terraform earth and its inhabitants. But you are quite different than other lapides. Despite being created to terraform planets, you've come to realise the Diamonds weren't worthy of your devotion or your sacrifices. After all the things they've done to you.)
"So you don't eat?"
"Nor do you sleep?"
"Do you ever need to go to the bathroom?"
"Of course you would ask that."
"Hey! I can ask whatever I want!"
You stared awkwardly at the four creatures. You did not know what they were but Earth seemed to inhabit the strangest mortal creatures from all planets you had ever encountered. The only reason you have managed to differentiate between the four creatures was because of their coloured headbands. You find them quite entertaining, which is why you abandoned your duties to speak with them.
"Please, I apologise on behalf of my brothers. They lack mannerisms as you can see." The purple one says with an annoyed tone, still glancing at the red and orange. You only chuckle,
"That is fine, it is wonderful to finally talk to someone!".
Which is true, you never really get to talk to anybody on Homeworld. You do your job, accomplish your goal, return, get assigned to a new one and repeat.
"What's your planet like?" The blue one asked with an excited smile, ignoring the red and orange one's bickering.
"Ah, busy." You replied with no further information which only made the blue one tilt his head.
"Busy?" He raised a brow in confusion.
"Yes, busy. Y'know, colonising planets and turning them into resources for Homeworld." You explained which only made the red one turn his focus to you.
"Colonise? You're gonna colonise Earth?!" He accused in an intimidating tone.
You tilt your head. "Hmmm no. I find this planet enjoyable! The Diamonds can find other planets to colonise but I like this one." you say as you look at the night sky above them.
The four creatures gave a confused and sceptical look at you.
"Diamonds? Who are they?" The blue one asked you again.
"Our commanders. They're the ones who created us from the resources of planets they've colonised. We were made to serve them and devote our energy to them to help expand their colony and kingdom" you say with such passion, you won't lie, you sound a little deranged. But you won't lie about this as well, you still have a little admiration for the Diamonds. Especially your Diamond, Blue Diamond.
"Yeah.. totally not creepy. So, that's why you don't eat or sleep?" The red one crossed his arms and stared at you sceptically.
"Yes! I mean, what use would I be to my Diamonds if I were to slack off and take time for myself? I would be completely useless!" You chuckled at your joke but the other four did not laugh along.
"Huh, it's almost like you see them as your God." The purple one says which makes you tilt your head.
"Of course I do, they're the only purpose I'm alive." You cringed after the words left your lips.
It's almost like the words coming out of your mouth weren't yours. It's like it was programmed into you. To always praise the Diamonds. Love the Diamonds. Sacrifice for the Diamonds. It makes your throat itch. Your words earned a disgusted look from the red one.
"That's... fucked up."
"Raph!" The blue one glared at the red one.
"He is right. It is quite the mindset to have. But, it is accustomed to me that I don't know what to do without it." You said, giving a sad smile.
"Hey! Don't overthink it dudette! We got you covered! We'll help you through this." The orange one said reassuringly as gave you a side hug.
It was an odd feeling you felt in your stomach and chest. It felt, warm.
"Look, even tho we just met a couple of hours ago. You seem cool. Pathetic, but cool." The red one said with a smirk.
The blue one glanced at the red one and smiled at you, "Raph is right. You're cool and we liked talking with you. We should hang out more!" he said excitedly.
You looked confused. "Why would we hang? Shouldn't we enjoy the company of each other instead?" You asked which only earned you confused stares.
"That's what I-"
"That is it! You're coming with us." The red one swung a hand around you and led you somewhere.
"Was it something I said?" You asked nervously
"Nonono, we're just gonna 'enjoy each other's company' while we teach you common slang. You're part of the gang now. Welcome, the name is Raphael." The red one says with slight sarcasm in his voice.
The purple one catches up next to the both of you, "I'm Donatello-and Raph please be careful her gem- (Your gem is on your chest. He is worried Raphael's strong grasp around you might shatter your gem even tho it won't.). She did mention moments ago that their gems are practically their hearts and you should-"
"I know what I'm doing, Donnie," Raphael grumbled to Donatello.
A hand gently pats your shoulder.
"Leonardo. Don't worry, they mean well." Leonardo reassures you of his other two brother's behaviour.
"And if you ever get bored of these three losers, you can hang out with me! Michelangelo!" The orange one spoke with a wide smile.
Your blank expression turned to one of fondness and you smiled. This is exactly the interaction you wish to perceive back on Homeworld.
You just chuckled as the five of you walked out of the alleyway and onto the dimly lit streets to enjoy a nice group 'hang out' together with your new company.
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micecakes · 9 months
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Alright here we go, I haven't done this in years but decided to do it this year as a kinda roundup of some of the best games I've played this year and why I picked them, my kinda criteria for picking them is they have to be games I've actually finished, and actually came out this year, I don't usually include ports but remakes do make it in for me, and there will be a section near the bottom for games I did like a lot but didn't actually come out this year, so uhh let's get started i guess gonna get the Triple A junk out of the way first I think, so first off:
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Spider-Man 2, rly liked the first one and the Miles Morales games and this one just continued on the story and whatever, it improved on a lot of things over the first game and I think it ended up just being more enjoyable overall, plus like, 19 inches of Venom and whatever, villains maybe weren't as good as the previous game but there was some rly good gameplay sections with some of them, tho once again i felt like the sidequests fell a bit short but they did at least have boss fights and more villain stuff in them so that was good, good game 👍
okey, game 2 is
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Pikmin 4, and no i'm not editing this picture thank u, pretty much the best one in the series? just good overall and even tho i didn't 100% it i'm pretty sure the bonus mode you get is just a mini remake of the original game so that's cool, overall really good, definitely dragged near the end tho and kinda felt like it was going on too long, but still good, this was also like the only major Nintendo release of this year i played for more than like, an hour lol, outside of one dlc game 3 be:
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Final Fantasy 16, this one is weird because I both loved and hated it at the same time, not rly much to say about it other than its the worst 10/10 video game i've ever played, it has some of the highest highs in anything i've ever played and its offset by some of the most boring shit in the world that made me want to eat my own head at times, it's good but it's also shit, it also runs like absolute ass for no reason and square enix were convinced it was totally 100% fine and didn't need to be patched and even when they did it still didn't fix it, there's literally no way I can sell anyone on this game, play Asura's Wrath instead 👍 okey i guess 4&5 are kinda gonna be rolled into one so:
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Dead Space and Resident Evil 4 Remakes, both really good remakes of really good video games, but at the same time don't really replace the original versions? there's both no reason to play these over the OG releases but they're also different enough that it's fine for both original and remakes to exist, so worth playing if you like the original releases, i guess the only complaint i have is they cut out operation Ada and seperate ways from RE4 remake and then sold it back to us as dlc, but its actually more complete than the original version and worth the price i think, still annoying but hey, modern videos games babey
ok i guess next is like "non triple A games" and weird games that I enjoyed, not all of these are indie games but they're not triple A stuff so? 🤷
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Robocop: Rouge City, its basically Robocop 2.5 the movie the video game, it's kinda jank, it's kinda slow to be expected but it's pretty fun and funny just seeing Robocop interact with people and then like, grab people off their motorcycles and throw them into exploding barrels, it's dumb it's good it rly captures the 80s jank of Robocop pretty well 👍 next is technically a game that didn't come out this year but it did because literally no one uses apple arcade so
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Air Twister, this is probably the fucking weirdest game i've played in a very long time, i went in expecting to play a modern Space Harrier instead i got a lock on style shooter with a soundtrack that is just some band emulating Queen songs, no joke, i was just blown away the whole time at what was happening, it wasn't until i died and ran out of credits that i ended up in the games main menu which had so much stuff i was just clicking menus for about 20 mins and kept discovering more and more video game nonsense to play and unlock, SUPER weird, pretty fun, Yu Suzuki why did you release this on apple arcade originally and WHAT were you on when you made this sir, good job next i guess is
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Graze Counter GM, an updated/sequel to Graze Counter, one of the first Shmups i've gotten in to and it's just really fun, loads of characters, about 8? stages to play, good basic gameplay mechanics, bunch of different difficulties and options to play with and it's just a lot of fun for a 20 min ish run through the game, def inspired me to play more shmups and get better at them, good game next we finally got some FPS games
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Warhammer 40k Boltgun, classic boomer shooter style game, very stompy and heavy feeling but also really fast and fun, really enjoyed how colourful the game is and the fact there's a dedicated taunt button that does nothing by make you crack your knickles and yell things, only major complaint i had was there wasn't enough boss variety and one of the is kinda straight bs some of the time, but for the most part it was a lot of fun, also corvus helmet best helmet 👍 more FPS gamign which was a semi recent release?
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Sprawl, it's currently on sale but its cheap anyways, from the banner art alone you can tell the dev is a MGS and Ghost in the Shell fan, and playing the game you can tell that too somewhat, really fun really gritty and pretty fast paced, has controllable slomo bullet time which is now something I love in games?? soundtrack is good and yeah, it's just good, really cool aesthetically has that very gritty industrial kowloon walled city cyberpunk look and feel to it and very satisfying to play, really good. last thing for games this year is a DLC
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I really like the Xenoblade Chronicles series, and the XB3 dlc is a really good final wrap up of the game, lots of fanservice in the good way and just plays well and is fun, ties up a lot of story junk you'd want to know, I still think the XBC2 dlc is the best playing XBC thing but this is very good and just very fun, can't say too much without spoiling anything in the series lol but I enjoyed it a lot after finishing off XBC3 ok halfway there (joke) :^) next is games that didn't come out this year but I did play and really liked sooo
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I got into racing games i guess around this time last year, I picked up Gran Turismo 7 in maybe January or February and played it a lot since, not the most exciting game or best or feature full but it has stuff that I like, and as a result has gotten me more into cars, car games and just made me better at it, had a lot of fun and the big update they did semi recently has just made the game better yehaw time??
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not really much to say about Evil West other than it's what a new xbox 360/PS3 era action game would be like, just without the jank and with more convenience, not afraid to be cheesy and dumb its just a standard level based action game where you're a techno cowboy kinda guy fighting vampires, it's good it's fun and it's not that hard 🤠 nya:
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one of the first games I played this year was Stray cuz i got it in an early sale, I had no real idea what to expect and I enjoyed every moment of it, really good aesthetics and design and an interesting post apocalypse style world you get to explore, you really end up caring about all the robot people and the cat and everything, also you get a meow button so its good 😺 more FPS game
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I'd always seen this game just never picked it up, I think Severed Steel is one of my favourite FPS games ever now, the main story/campaign is only about 3 hours long, i beat it in one sitting and i think my face hurt when i was done because i was just grinning and laughing like an idiot the whole time because of how fun it was, there's also a bunch of extra modes to keep playing, the music is good and just everything about the game is fun which was my main takeaway from it, i didn't care that it was short I cared because of how much fun i had, highly recommend if you like sliding into guys, stealing their weapons and blasting them with it before they hit the ground, and with controllable bullet time if you want that too 👍👍 in a similar vein to the above, i guess the oldest game on this list is:
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Outrun 2006: coast 2 coast, its the home port of Outrun 2, which includes Outrun 2 and a bunch of extra stuff, similar to Severed Steel this is just the most fun I've had with a racing/car game, it doesn't matter that i'm not super into Ferraris or that it's not realistic or whatever, it's just pure fun, and I don't have to spend a million dollars at the arcade to keep playing, so that's good woa you made it to the end!!!!!!! but wait!!! I played a lot of games this year, and even tho what I said about the previous ones was true, it was kinda hard for me to pick an actual game of the year, i did enjoy a lot of stuff but it didnt feel like anything stood out to me SO much that it deserved a "best game of the year" position for me, so the closest thing to that was:
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Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, hit a lot of plus points for me, I liked that I had to play the game 3 different times for different endings and a true end type thing, i did get frustrated early on but i kept coming back to play more, it def felt more of an action game than a mech game but customizing and messing with builds to get through fights was fun, tank legs thank u, it was also a similar situation to when elden ring came out, and everyone was playing it at the same time and sharing tips and builds and stuff which felt rly cool and nice and added to the whole experience, my only complaint is i wish it just had an option to start a second save file and do it all again, but oh well. and that's it! there's a bunch of stuff I didn't include in this, but i think this list is good enough for now, maybe next year this'll be a youtube video instead? I hope next years games are just as good, if not better, but even if they're not there's still a lot to play and explore 🐁🐁
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the-sky-is-my-home · 1 year
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Endless list of things I love about post-ts haikyuu (misc. ver.)
having "part 2" chapters like the greatest decoy pt2, king of the court pt2, the greatest challenger pt 2... they show off so perfectly how everyone has grown!!
everyone getting their high school banners. looks so cool and is just a nice touch
everyone reuniting after the game it's just so wholesome
us not knowing who won the olympics or the ali roma/asas sao paulo game or the allstar match cuz it genuinely doesn't matter. no game is the end, and it's not the results that count but the process which includes both winning and losing and either way the world doesn't end. you keep playing and it keeps being fun. or you stop and find something else. just whatever makes you happy
kuroo and oikawa finally canonically meeting in the special
also oikawa and atsumu meeting. we so needed that, esp with iwaizumi there
the incredibly healthy outlook on volleyball the whole series has (this deserves its own post so I shan't elaborate here)
kageyama inviting kindaichi and kunimi to play together! finally these idiots get over what happened in middle school it's so nice to see. and kageyama's smile when they agree is so so cute
the fact that we got the beach volleyball outing with kageyama, kunimi and kindaichi (and hinata). like it's so good and such good closure. kindaichi gets to hit a spike off a perfect set from kageyama, looking like he has the time of his life. in the series proper, one of the ways it was shown that oikawa was a better setter than kageyama even if he wasn't at kageyama's technical level was him communicating with kunimi, recognizing his playstyle, and making the best use of it rather than berating him. in the special, even if kunimi hasn't played for years, kageyama assesses his play style and then suggests he should play beach volleyball for real, because it suits him. not only is it cathartic to see these three happy and on good terms, it shows off so well how much kageyama has grown since those days
the atsuhina dynamic is so good during the game as a whole there's so much there. they both replace each other's former partner, atsumu obv by doing the freak quick with hinata, but hinata also becomes a reliable emergency setter as osamu was, and pulls off one of osamu's moves from their game in hs. atsumu explaining kageyama's thought process to hinata (my points are mine, my hitters' points are also mine). atsumu blaming hinata for waking kageyama up even tho HE'S the one who called him a goody two shoes and got his character development started. hinata jumping for the quick and atsumu going "rn???" while osamu goes "yes this is the time to do it!!" and that's when atsumu gets his banner of "we don't need memories"
(honestly the kageyama/hinata/atsumu/osamu dynamic as a whole deserves its own post which also includes pre-ts stuff because there is just. SO MUCH)
and last but certainly not least, this:
all the little info we get about everyone. like yeah anyone would attempt to give the main characters of their story a satisfying conclusion. it's great haikyuu has done that, but it's amazing that like. basically every single side character has that. ikejiri still plays volleyball! he hasn't given up on it just cuz he sucks. who cares? I do! I care about aone and futakuchi still terrorizing volleyball players as an iron wall on a local team. I care about ukai and nekomata still having video calls. I care about fukunaga being a comedian. I care about saeko and akane being happy to see each other. I care about iizuna being able to keep playing, with a guy from inubushi no less. I care about suna still taking blackmail pics of atsumu like ten years later, now with access to instagram. I care that life has gone on for all of them, with or without volleyball in the picture, but that they're united by playing it together, at the same time, however flimsy or strong a particular connection might be. I care so much and haikyuu rewards me for it with so many good crumbs it's insane
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maria-ruta · 1 year
Note
Favorite episode of Steven Universe and why? Favorite gem design?
oooh ive been thinking about su again lately and I love this show a ton so I'll be glad to to answer (ill put under read more lol bc thats a lot of text haha)
Favorite episodes:
the cat fingers - ooohwhat a wonderful body horror! and the first episode of the eries that made me go "haha what the fuck?" when i was watching it for the first time
giant woman - first intruduction of fusion and cute song and opal! ah good memories <3
the roses room - oh also such a good one
first aperience of lapis and episode after that - wow what there are other gems? and crystal gems are hiding something and maybe not so good? and monsters are also used to be gems? wowza! also such a beautiful visual with all the water magic and blind lapis and water tower
sugulite episode -oh hell yeah! also strong in a real way is a great song
STEVONNIE!!!!!!!!!! "screaches" tbh I love all the episodes when they appear (maybe except for the car races) - the first one and the one where Stevonnie has to survive on some alien planet for a while is "cheif kiss"
two episodes when the green hand apears and when we find out Garnet is a fusion - ah a CLASSIC <3
on the run - the song, the first time we see the kindergarden, the I NEVER ASKED TO BE MADE holy shit im so emotional over this episode, might be one of my very favorites
the episode where Garnet and Steven go to investigate what is the claster and they see those fucked up mutants - HOLY SHIT IT WAS SO SCARY AND UNCANNY I LOVE THIS EPISODE SO MUCH also one of my most faves
episode where Pearl gets very mad that lion belonged to Rose and that Steven knows something she doesnt and that Rose has secrets from her - when you see how fucked up it is, when for a second you could see she wants Steven to fall, but also knowing later on whats shes been going through... can understand why (understand, but not excuse)- such controvershal feelings but hey thats why we love this show dont we?
Timetravel sandclokes episode - hey another fucked what the fuck :D also love how Steven is surprised he can be so annoying lol
befriending Peridot <3
Pearl Steven and Greg build spaceship
Garnet shares abuility to see the future, so Steven and Connie don't get into snowstorm
bunch of rubies arrive and everyone play baseball - so fucking cute fhgfdhjfg
Garnet's story of how Ruby and Saphire met <3
When we see Blue Diamond in person for the first time and she steals Greg and how team goes to save him - so much good stuff, they tears, caused by Blue, the human zoo, THE AMETHYSTS <3 the whole diversion plan, the WHATS THE POINT OF FEELING BLUE song <3
First aperience of Smoky Quartz, Steven and Amethist having troubles feeling like shit, Jasper's downfall, the "you killed my diamond, your diamond - Pink Diamond!" and "come here sis" - very good
Peral goes puk and has a crush on pink haired biker girl UwU
Bismuth episode
traveling into Pearls head episode
Garnet wedding <3
the final is also so good (even tho its rushed and I WISH so much that there would be more of gathering rebels gems throughout the galaxy to overthrown the diamonds, but I know how pressed the whole crew was to finish the series right here and right now... even with all that, I think they managed to make a great final! <3 )
AAAND steven the future too
how all the traumas finall catching up - good shit
especially love the episode where Steven and Peridot make dream show
and the two perls episode also very good
Pearl and Bismuth rollerskate UwU
and when Steven was with Jasper
and the final <3
woof that was long haha
Favorite designs:
I love the main 3 (i remember when i was teen i hated new designs, compared to the pilot, but later on I started to think that new ones are better... idk, I think Garnet's square afro and huge hips and Pearl's nose are SUPERIOR)
I really like Rose Quartz's design - shes so prettyyyyyy
I liked Blue Agate design! those boots wowza!
Peridot and her cool limbs (i dont remember the name of those thingies)
Blue Diamond has cool design but
THE WHITE DIAMOND??? oh man, I love her design! so stunning but creapy! the use of white and black, the wibes of b/w old tv shows? very very cool
I ALSO love fusion designs so much!!!
I especially like how more stable fusions tend to have less limbs and have more humanoid form
I like how fusions that have amethyst in there tend to have very sharp teeth and even extra maw (exept for Opal... but maybe she just doesnt open her mouth wide enough for you to see hehe)
I like Pearl+Ruby fusion (sorry I don't remember her name... I dream to draw fan comics about them but eh...)
I also like how gems, who've been healed from their monstrocity still have some kind of monster aspects
like little horns and such
I like the gem that used to be the worm, who eated shiny things haha shes cute
AND SNOWFLAKE OBSIDIAN????? whats her buisness looking so swell????? shes so cool loking but she only been there for like... five seconds ToT
ok im done thank you
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astro-break · 9 months
Text
Thoughts on the 13th and final ep of Hypmic Rhyme Anima+. For one last time, spoilers beware
Season 1 | Ep.1 | Ep.2 | Ep.3 | Ep.4 | Ep. 5 | Ep. 6 | Ep. 7 | Ep. 8 | Ep. 9 | Ep. 10 | Ep. 11 | Ep. 12
Final episode lets gooooo I'm sad that it been such a ride but all good things must come to an inevitable end
Damn i hoped there would be a chuuoku girls song
HAHAHA FOLDING LIKE PAPER
good, let it be destroyed, it would save the plot honestly
OOO new secret aliens song? Oh that english was smoothhhhh tom's VA's pronounciation has become very nice
LMAO poor kuko
awwww thats so soft of him, living in a willing illusion
as they should, good for them. Honestly i don't hate chuuoku but it just find it weird that get why the main characters wouldn't team up with him when their goals align
LETS GO I CALLED IT, I hope they actually don't use jakurai to heal him tho it feels like it would be a waste of character to do so
ah so a battle of differing ideals to a common goal? unfortunate if only they talked and let themselves come to a compromise, they would have been fine
oh thats cool, i like that speaker concept. very crumbling empire. very litterally hyakiyakou huh
hahaha that upsidown star is so on the nose that this man is The Big BadTM oh my gods hypmi does not know the meaning of subtle
awwww even in spirit they are still alive. Its the whole you die twice, once with your physical body and second with your memories
I love the typography for kaibyakumon's rap, its really pretty and the effects? damn the eam who worked on this particular rap really busted their asses huh.
something i do with they had akira and satoru speak with a bit more of an accent. like i get it, they moved to tokyo when they were young but they did come from nagoya and oosaka respectively. Betcha didn't know that huh, its only a tidbit on the official site
wwwww return of the sunfish!
hm, at least he makes some sense. I still don't like it but it does seem like a logical conculsion
oh thats proper body horror imagery there i do like it, very creepy
aww power of gay and friendship
i do think this song is nice, it has good flow and the beat is pretty nice with lots of oppertunies to change the genre. Like this big group piece is probably the bridge which is a nice connector to any more hard hitting places
and honestly i do like that they went for a softer approach here, that the thing that won in the end wasn't perpetuated violence but something gentle.
please don't actually, it would be fun if they were dead
oh i like the fact that []'s face is covered in shadows giving her the feeling of evil intent.
noooo poor doppo rippp
LMAO rip them their all stuck here
ah i do like having them being battle idiots, theyr so silly
eyyy hoodstars! ah, this was a nice final episode
i feel like it wasn't the best ending out there but it was satisfying. tied up some ends pretty nicely and kept the status quo without mucking canon up too hard. As an anime original storyline i think they handled it quite well
WHile I don't have all the thoughts to encompass this episode yet, it was overall really nice! i enjoyed the story overall and while the pacing was meh as always and you could tell where the budget went, the anime introduced really good characters that I really enjoyed. Beginning Gate quartet was so much more intresting to me than Secret Aliens. THe only thing I wish they could have done better is put some more focus on BAT and DH as it is their anime debut. Oh well, I'm happy with what we got anyways.
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pteropods · 5 months
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PART TWO OF MSC THIRD WHEELING SAGA:
Me: oh you played identity v too thats so neat!!!
Bai Liu: of course, its a horror mobile game made by a local (chinese) company, also quite interesting mechanics (even though its mainly from DBD)
Me: they worked together tho right? the games' production company
Bai Liu: Yeah they did, very cool tbh. Btw, did you play ranked? like won any esports tournament?
Me: me???? pfft nah i was like a casual player i guess. Who did you main?
Bai Liu: mostly player Survivor as Mechanic but I also dabble in playing Prisoner or Prospector. What about you, who'd you main (as a survivor)
Me: oh thats freaking fun man im a gardener main. What about Hunter?
Bai Liu: I mean I don't really main Hunters but i do admit they have pretty good designs, not so creepy to not get censored but quite intriguing and unsettling in their own way. Like Wu Chang? cool mechanic
Me: Right??? i could never play him though I'm mostly like a Naiad main?
Bai Liu: Naiads cool and quite OP, wish there was like a merman hunter too lol
Mu Sicheng: this pork is so good you guys i hope you two KILL YOURSELVES right NOW. ill set this table on fire . ill take all of it with my skill and we will finally be free of this purgatory. You guys have ANY idea how much time we're wasting right now????
Bai Liu: like , 4 minutes? tops?
Mu Sicheng: IT'LL BE 12 HOURS BY THE TIME YOU TWO ARE DONE YAPPING
Me: what if i killed you? shut up. let us talk about devising a strategy to collect the monster book pages
Bai Liu: oh yeah we havent been doing that havent we
Me: I mean, we've mostly been talking about the economy and horror gacha so no, also you guys havent told me what yall want and what yall are offering for this supper btw
Mu Sicheng: i want your damn life
Me: hey man I know im like famous but my life is probably worth more than your entire game inventory so like no thanks, can you give me unbothered henry instead?
unbothered henry: 🙉
Bai Liu: can i get like infinite mental bleach from here and keep it in my inventory? it counts right?
Me: well i have a lot stocked up so surezies what are u paying with
Bai Liu: a chance to browse all my irl game accounts in different games and try out all my characters whenever you want
Me: okay deal
Mu Sicheng: SERIUOUSLY??;?!!!??! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW?!?!?!?!
Me: system, mute disciple Mu Sicheng hes interrupting our nice friday night dinner right now
System: ['The Last Supper' Target Mu Sicheng is currently in Mute 🔕 mode! Time set to 3 minutes muted as there are 3 participants currently in the domain!]
Bai Liu: unbothered henry doesn't count as a guest? that's so sad
Me: nah hes a meal
unbothered henry: 🐵...
LMAOOOOOO
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isekai-crow · 8 months
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Solo Leveling - HypeHypeHype vs Haters
I'm. So. Hype. For. This. Show.
Solo Leveling is a big name this Anime season and there is so much hype around it, that its beginning to collect equal amounts of "this is over-hyped" comments.
The thing about Solo leveling is... it's main drive is not a character driven story.
It's a perfectly executed
Rule of Cool + Power Fantasy
done right!
Most of the people going into this show get it! And people have a right to nit-pick over what they enjoy. But I feel like most of the complaints I've seen are based on the fact that people think Solo Leveling is full of over-used tropes. I'd just like to point out that this story is almost a DECADE OLD at this point, AND HELPED START SOME OF THOSE TROPES. The anime coming out now does not make it some sort of revolutionary new story. It's basically a classic at this point, especially in regards to the gamification style reverse/modern world isekais. So like... if it's not your thing don't watch it and stop bitching?
The Solo Leveling manhwa was released in 2016, and was a big eye-opener for people who mostly read Japanese based manga to the world of Korean Manhwa. I know it did that for me when I started reading, and I've read so much manhwa now it's starting to rival my manga consumption (and I LIVE IN JAPAN).
Full digital coloring with beautiful color choices and almost sakuga style drawing by DUBU that made the characters and shadows come alive,
Scrolling panels that actually used the format to it's best ability instead of simply restructuring standard panel manga,
An ACTUAL SOLO COMBATANT with Necromancy? How often do we get Necromancy from the good guy?
A Glow Up brighter than the sun :D
The lack of fan service is a massive point in it's favor
A beautiful execution of a stats style leveling system that made me wishing there was more in the genre like it, and made sense in the world it was set in.
An MC in Sung Jin Woo who has both his own motivations and personality to help carry the story, and also the ability to superimpose your own personality and feel an echo of the losses and success that he attains himself.
I think one of the only thing lacking (and what is most complained about for the manhwa) is the fact the later half of the story was sped through because the artist DUBU died in 2022, which is of course right around the infamous (chimera) Ant Arc. My goal this year is to finally get into the light novel and give it a comparison, because I've heard good things that everything after the Ants makes more sense in the light novel.
PACING DO BE IMPORTANT Y'ALL.
I'm hype for the anime because I'm excited to see all this art in motion, A-1 Studios has done a beautiful job.
However, I'm not excited to know that the anime is based of the Japanese re-write of the light novel. All the names I've gone out of my way to memorize in Korean are now suddenly in Japanese, and Seoul has been replaced with Tokyo, and the fact that it's originally Korean has been completely erased.
I'm hoping that this is a good door way anime for Korean and Chinese manhwa/manwha, and that cultural erasure might fade if enough fans complain. But they'd have to be Japanese fans, who might not even realize the erasure has happened, rather than overseas fans who've only dealt with the Korean aspect, for any big name Studios to even give a shit, and I don't have high hopes... Maybe a smaller studio would be willing. (I'm always surprised at how surprised I am initially every time I'm reminded of how racist Japanese people can get, and yet. It's mostly the older generations that are dying off tho (at least in the circles I deal with, tho I've had my students parrot racist remarks from the parents.)
ANYWAYS. THE GOOD SIDE TO THIS IS.
The fact that they're taking a Korean manhwa and turning it into an anime with a big name Japanese studio is a nice step for broader horizons! I'm hoping Solo Leveling being such a big name with over seas fans, and being so popular in Japan as well, opens doors for the market in general!
This could lead to a further uptick in interest in Korean manhwa and light novels in general, which could hopefully lead to more being turned into anime, which could hopefully lead into more anime studios outside of Japan and a bigger market that can spread the workload on the animators out a little bit more! (It's sad to also think about the capitalistic goals this might help achieve instead though.)
(Also I learned there is a sequel to Solo Leveling. I'm not excited to have learned that one exists, much less to learn that it's bad. I won't be reading it, hahaha.)
anyways.
HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE...
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joviantwelve · 1 year
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watched spiderverse
impressions and theories below!
SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY!!!
ok so
1. glad they made the spot so cool. underrated villain in the catalogue
2. I FORGOT IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER AUGH!!!!!!! SOBBING
3. a lot of moving pieces tho so I can see why that was a necessary decision. matrix 2/3 vibes over here
4. totally called miles getting sent to the wrong dimension. number was wrong, mom's eye color was wrong, she said his hair was different.......tragic tho
5. I always love and hate it when a groundbreaking piece of media uses ideas I've had for a while LMFAO. like it's so frustrating in the sense that "now people will assume I am ripping this thing off" but cool in the "YES THE WRITERS FEEL ME" sense.
my main Rixile story has the "you're an anomaly not supposed to be here, as you are now, to begin with" kinda thing, complete with accidentally getting yeeted to the dimension you technically relate to but isn't your home, where everything is now bleak because history spun away from its course so bad.
so anyway RE: the end of the movie, I take it this is the typical comic book "crime rules the city" kind of dimension cuz there's just no hero at all. always fun!!
OK ACTUAL THEORIES
6. prowler miles will become good after being inspired by spider miles. i hope
7. I'm assuming the main theme is "you CAN fight fate because fate is just a made up concept" cuz they've already talked about the "predetermined events" just being based on their study and models and shit. science is meant to be challenged. prophecies are also meant to be challenged. this is just a prophecy with science on top. and might also be a metatextual commentary on comic book AU-type characters?!??!? maybe??
man we're really into meta movies lately huh. the EEAAO nod was very funny
8. in that vein I'm also assuming whatever happened to that dimension miguel hopped into was not directly related to him being anomalous but rather him mistaking correlation for causation. and showing him you maybe CAN rescue a dimension from collapse would challenge that worldview. and hey we have a collapsing dimension right there already in the story! let's fix that!!
9. it would be cool if there was a spacetime loopy thing going on and spot is what caused that thing to happen tho, and miguel just got the wrong idea from it. though I guess that might be too far from the other message of "shit just happens sometimes and you have to deal" and I don't want them forcing a golden ending or anything. just might be cool if miguel is mistaken. lighten up a little mr. manpain
FINAL THOUGHTS
10. spiders-man was my jokey wish for these movies and he was not there, tragically, but there being a third movie is at least some hope for me.
I don't even need him to do anything big I just want lord & miller to point out how fucking horrifying his concept is in their typical joke style
11. finally I liked all the cute little references here and there. in the best way you can do it which is "unobtrusive but if you know you know." spectacular spider-man finally recognized after all this time. jk simmons recognized as the only actor that is allowed to play JJJ. gotta love it.
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pansexualkiba · 1 year
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@panda-monium64 okay work sucked so let's go onto our next part! cause i like talking about my touhou ocs yknow
THIS IS PART 5 OF A SERIES.
TOUHOU NINGYOUSEI ~ FALLING OBJECT WAR
I think the fun part of every "war" plot I have (which is an astonishing two! this is the first one) is just. Attacking the final boss before the war can ever begin. It's EXTREMELY funny to me. Anyways, between CE and FOW, HSiFS got its full release, and the CE characters were actually based on a prediction on the use of the jade character in Tenkuushou - which is why its basis is crystals and why Eternity is a main character. Basically, my prediction was the final boss of that game was going to be a Fairy, because that would've been dope.
Okina's cool, tho.
I bring all this up because you're going to see a bit of influence in this. But just know that I decided "I don't have enough unrelated randos" and I went and put in THREE whole unrelated gorls.
Anyways, Plot: A giant Thing has crashed somewhere in Gensokyo! This happened in the middle of the night, so it's already the next day. Basically, just go and see what's going on! ...But, there's a weird feeling in the air. It's almost similar to the Miracle Mallet's energy...
Yeah somehow I ended up cribbing DDC's plot. The final boss should meet Seija...
ANIMIA Youkai of Aura Species: Youkai (Formerly human) Ability: Capable of reading auras A youkai born from a human. Because she's been around this long, it's near impossible to get rid of her. She runs a business as a humble fortuneteller. Because she doesn't eat her human clients, she's rather weak. Using her ability to read aura, she can view the emotions and general energies from people and locations. Any correct fortunes she tells are from sheer luck. Recently, she's seen an indescribable aura emanating from the hills, so she rushed to tell someone.
Hey youma fortuneteller from FS: git gud. Animia's kind of an inside brick joke NO ONE is going to get: a long while back, I decided to try and give the PC-98 characters their abilities. Animia's aura reading is based on what I dubbed as Orange's ability: aura manipulation. Basically, Animia and Orange are similar in that they're just complete random girls who happened to be in the way. The protag doesn't even listen to Animia's report... Well, such is the life of a first-stage boss.
KAZUSA IRIGUCHI Double-Speaking, Double-Tongued Villager Species: Futakuchi-onna Ability: Capable of having a long tongue A futakuchi-onna that lives among humans. Her lies are amazingly believable, and this is how she has evaded detection for so long. She constantly gets hungry, but she can't always eat. Thus, her second mouth has developed an extremely long tongue. Despite her condition, she enjoys caring for her twin sons, and runs an inn near the edge of town. Being a youkai, she was instantly disturbed by the crash, and went out to do some investigating of her own.
A completely unrelated girl! Also a canonical mother. We support milfs going out and shooting down baddies. I really have nothing to say about her, good OR bad, she's just here to be around- OH! So, what that last sentence means is, I think I meant to say that, since she's not really a strong youkai to begin with, the weird energy emanating from the crash site empowered her to second-stage level. Then again, I don't think I actually was thinking that far ahead when I made her. Ah well.
AKAME UNMARU Gazing Doll of Best Wishes Species: Doll (Daruma) Ability: Capable of creating eyes A daruma doll that was given life. Created for surveillance and reconnaissance for her somewhat lazy master, she was sent to survey the Human Village. However, due to being extremely easy to distract, she was instead attracted to the Myouren Temple, where she took up residence as an apostle and guard. To help with her duties, she can create eyes. These eyes are linked directly to her, and there's no limit to how many she can create. The overload may be a problem, though. Due to her young age and inexperience, she was handily defeated, and gave out information on her creator almost instantly.
I think she has the best stage and boss theme names yet (Walking the Step to Khembalung; Looking Upon Works of Despair ~ Daru-magic Eyes). Akame is so fucking fun and I kinda wanna do more with her. Plus, I don't think I've seen like, a daruma-based Touhou OC yet? If there is one, I wanna compare notes. Anyways, she's actually directly related to the plot, and can be considered a war deserter. Pog! I like her a lot. She returns later as a midboss, but by that point, it's too late for her creator.
RYUUSHI TEIKIATSU Sickle-Minded Bandit Species: Kamaitachi Ability: Capable of creating tornadoes A kamaitachi who ambushes various travelers for valuables. She herself has no use for valuables, but she adores things that sparkle, so she enthusiastically attacks travelers who carry anything remotely shiny. By first using her tornado creation to confound and injure her prey, she then robs them blind and slinks back into the night. This time, though, she's bitten off more than she can chew. Overall, she has no relation to the crash. She simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
UNRELATED GIRL! At least we're on the right path, but what is this girl doing...? Well, she's a kamaitachi. I don't really think there's much else to talk about with her. Frankly, I'm surprised we don't have a kamaitachi in the series proper already. That's it! <<Zun... Zun... I'm speaking to you via telepathy... Put a kamaitachi girl in an official manga...>>
NENDO AYATSURI Silk-Weaving Doll of Patterns Species: Doll (Bisque) Ability: Capable of manipulating patterns MOKUSAI AYATSURI Wool-Weaving Doll of Disguise Species: Doll (Ball-Joint) Ability: Capable of copying faces A pair of dolls created for tactics and espionage, respectively. Nendo is a Bisque type, and Mokusai is a Ball-Jointed type. Though they can be considered sisters, neither one thinks of the other as a sister. Nendo, despite her stronger ability, is physically weaker than Mokusai. Mokusai, likewise, is worse at danmaku but physically stronger than Nendo. Thus, the two work together to cover each others' weakness. They dote on Akame, despite her having gone rogue. The three were once regular dolls before being given life by their master for various purposes. Both are also apparently extremely good at textile work.
This is where Akame makes her return, but more importantly! The Ayatsuri girls (they aren't sisters)! Nendo and Mokusai might seem like Satono and Mai lite, but really it'd be more reasonable to call them analogous to the Tsukumos. They're even animated objects! Nendo being physically weaker than Mokusai is a reference to how bisque dolls are like, STUPID fragile. However, the ability to manipulate patterns is CRAZY broken in a bullet hell. So it cancels out, perhaps? Mokusai's ability is gonna get cribbed later by another character, but I've had like thirty precipication-based characters, it's fine.
KLARA GIDAYUU Mage of the Mystery Falling Object Species: Magician Ability: Capable of animating objects A magician who inhabits the Doll Citadel. Having built the Doll Citadel herself after hearing the plight of Medicine Melancholy, she animated Nendo, Mokusai, and Akame for various tasks. However, she felt as though their powers alone wouldn't be able to overthrow humankind. Thus, she attempted to animate her spellbook. This backfired tremendously, and it caused the crash, a fallen object that impacted the Doll Citadel, blowing it to pieces and releasing an incredible amount of energy across Gensokyo. As this was magic intended to overthrow the strong, it empowered the weaker of Gensokyo's inhabitants. Klara herself survived, but she has no idea what, exactly, she called down from the heavens. She was about to investigate, herself, when the heroine arrived...
I love how I call Klara the only survivor when. It was just her in the Citadel. Anyways, it turns out the plot is Medicine Melancholy's fault! Also, Klara was made before Sword and Shield was announced - I THINK USUM was the hot new thing at the time? - so she has no relation to the girl who tries to poison you (which does, in fact, make the Medicine and Klara friendship VERY funny). Anyways, I never actually settled on who would be playable in this, but I think Alice should be playable now if only because I think it'd be funny for her to immediately start hounding Klara after the game's over. "Your dolls are sentient. Teach Me This Shit." I have never played The Shattered Sky, btw. I don't even know if that's the plot. Speaking of!
METZTLI The Unknown Mystery Faller Species: Unknown (Alien) Ability: Capable of copying genes, creating metals An extraterrestrial life form that inhabits the Fallen Object. Their form is an illusion, created by copying the genetic formula of other beings and imitating their traits at will. Due to Earth's atmosphere and Gensokyo's magic, they have grown immensely powerful, but they themself are prone to illness. Through unknown means, they are capable of creating metals of unknown properties. The use of these metals is extremely flexible, which makes them valuable to Klara's war effort. Metztli is a quick learner, having learned the native language quite easily, but they do get stumped by idiomatic expressions and sometimes says things amazingly out-of-place.
ALIEN, ANATA WA ALIEN... So, a note on the name: it's a LONG, long running joke from my high school years to give my alien characters Maya names. I'm not sure WHY, but I think it's because I wanted my oc duo to have matching A-Z names, and I settle on Atl and Zyanya. Metztli is a reference to that. But one could also, like... Make an Ancient Aliens joke? And they'd be right, because this would make her a Hispanic alien, and as we all know, aliens don't like white people. Anyways, I call her indispensable to Klara's manufacturing, but the two have never fucking met, and if Metztli is gonna have her way, they never will meet. Metztli is so cool tbh, I just wish I thought the name through better.
This is such a nothing plot, really. Like, I call WBZ a nothing plot, but this one really is just nothing. It's essentially DDC2. The best thing to come out of it is Akame and Metztli, and Metztli is just sorta. Lounging around inside her rock. It's not even a spaceship, it's a rock. Girl is just outright a mutated space virus (who isn't immune to any Earth illnesses. Poor girl's about to get so many strains of the flu.). As for the other characters, once they manage to dispel the magic, Animia and Kazusa go back to their daily lives (with each other...? Old woman yuri let's go), Akame, Nendo, and Mokusai just sorta. Pal around with Medicine while Klara seethes in the background, Ryuushi starts slumming it in Marisa's house, and Metztli, like I said, is just in the rock. There's this kinda stupid little idea of her meeting Nue and Mamizou, but that's whenever that happens.
And all is calm... Until a strange-looking girl who feels vaguely familiar appears at the shrine.
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