#I like the concept of them being rivals (it's hilarious)

[phoenixtakaramono]

【which is better: television or the radio?】

Thanks for 900! (🔗)

[nyaagolor]

The SV characters are written as such realistic teenagers that headcanoning their ages even a few years apart makes for such hilarious dynamics. I always defaulted to putting all of them at around 15-16 but playing around with ages and how it might impact their dyanmics is so fun AND funny

The idea of a really traumatized 19 year old Arven hanging out with a bunch of 15 year old girls is actually a genuinely hysterical concept to me. All these high school sophomores are just hyping the fuck out of this loser boy they picked up off the side of the road. He's part of the girlies now. He's their special little guy. He's the only one of them who can legally drive or buy lottery tickets so he's practically a god to them and they treat him exactly like they would any other 15 year old girl

Nemona being older already kinda slots her into a mentor-esque position and I think it's really fun to explore how her dynamic with Geeta intersects with her dynamic with the protagonist, and how the person that Nemona tries to guide ends up surpassing her and becoming a worthy rival. Also her and Arven being the older teens looking at the protagonist meeting the "formidable boss of team star" who turns out to just be this really rude 14 year old is really really good

Having the protagonist themselves be the youngest of the group, especially if it's by a few years, is another one of my favorite concepts, because all these older teens being so desperate for help and attention that they see a random freshman and are like YOU is really good. Also with the eventual realization of Oh My God the person helping me out with all this heavy stuff is so young what am I doing.

On the flip side, adult protagonists are not taken advantage of as a possibility in this game. The academy has adult students and also Clive exists so it isn't out of the realm of canonicity. It's extremely possible that Arven is like "hey little buddy can you help me find Herba Mystica" to a 45 year old office worker who is going back to school during his sabbatical. A fully grown man can just be adopted into this gaggle of emotionally unstable teenagers. They don't discriminate

Just generally speaking, these tiny tweaks can put some incredibly fun twists on character dynamics and I think it's really cool when people play around with the concept more

[sstar-nerd]

Ok, I have risen from the dead because these two are hilarious to me in their entire concept.

So everyone is talking about the Vox and Alastor rivalry especially with the season finale with Vox’s commentary and the torn photo. Like, those two fucking HATE each other so comically. Everyone says it’s more on Vox’s side but I disagree cause on the very first episode Alastor HATES having to deal with video and being recorded. Maybe we didn’t pick up on it before but he’s very subtly INSULTING Vox that whole time.

But, could anyone discuss how funny it would be if they were still friends THIS ENTIRE TIME. Has anyone had those two friends who throw insults and fight with each other 24/7 but they’re actually super close? Like BFF levels of close? Just me?

Think about it: Alastor’s radio broadcasting things were still there after 7 years. You can’t tell me Vox wouldn’t have brought those down at some point even if someone else used them? Or just built some as his own version to display some sort of power grab? Like c’mon even if they were there for an important reason Vox would have found a way to take them over.

It would just be so funny for both sides to hear only insults about the other- constant slander and threats almost daily. Vox will not shut up about how much of a has-been Alistor is and about how he was gone for 7 years just RAGING. And the other half Alastor refuses to allow TVs into the hotel, constantly insults videos or any V products, and keeps making sly insults about Vox ANYTIME a video or TV is even referenced near him.

So it comes a time for the two groups to team up for one reason or another and they’re both dreading it. Val doesn’t want to deal with a grouchy and pissed Vox the entire partnership and Velvette knows she won’t get a moments peace. Charlie is coming up with plans on how to get the two to get along while Vaggie is simultaneously strategizing how to keep them away from each other. Everyone else in the hotel is all tensed and worried.

Than comes the meeting. They’re staring each other down for a good couple moments as the others around them make awkward small talk and then:

Vox: NO CALL!!!

Al: I don’t use-

Vox: NO LETTER!!!

Al: I WAS BUSY!

Vox: Doing what? Being old?

Al: Regaining my sanity after our last brunch.

Vox: Oh I make ONE bland dish and you-

And then the two are arguing for HOURS. There’s not a soul in that room who has the bravado to get in between them or butt in. They’re all either terrified or seriously confused. Eventually the argument boils down to something akin to an actual conversation like two friends catching up.

Someone, I think Charlie, asks them about their rivalry and if they can work together now. Vox and Al share a confused look before they realize: they had never told anyone the status of their relationship. Vox is doubled over laughing while Alastor has his face in his hands trying not to do the same thing. Everyone is concerned.

When they’re done they have to tell the two groups how they knew each other for forever since their respective falls and had even heard about each other when they were alive. They became extremely close friends shortly after meeting and only became ‘rivals’ when they thought they were both becoming to arrogant and unchallenged.

Their friends are all horrified and confused.

Vox and Al think it’s hilarious.

[leportraitducadavre]

It's this article even real? I found it hard to believe someone would read the manga or watch the show and decide that Naruto "doesn't need the overdone Sasuke Arc".

First and most importantly, Sasuke singlehandedly moves the entirety of the plot forward, he doesn't have an entire arc dedicated to himself because he's relevant for every single arc the story possesses, and he's the reason key characters behave the way they do; taking away Sasuke's journey to make him a complying tool of the state wipes out the reasoning behind every villain's actions, therefore, it destroys them as well.

It's hilarious how this article exists to take away Sasuke's relevance within the story to give it completely to Naruto, something his fandom has wanted since the very beginning of the manga and that Kishimoto never complied.

In the Naruto series, Sasuke was Naruto's rival in the Hidden Leaf. However, he was training to kill his older brother, Itachi, for wiping out their clan. In time, Sasuke would learn Itachi did what he did to protect Konoha as their Uchiha kin wanted a coup. This enraged Sasuke, who nonetheless vowed to kill Itachi and exact revenge on Konoha.

Okay so, we start awfully, and no surprises there. Sasuke killed Itachi and later on, through Obito, learned about the reasoning behind his brother's actions. It's after this that he vows to bring down those who allowed and encouraged the construction of a system that pushed the Uchiha to rise up against this power dome and forced his brother to murder his entire family.

Regardless of the circumstances, Sasuke hated the fact he had to grow up alone. This is the reason he joined the Akatsuki, formed his own terrorist cell called Taka, and tried to murder Naruto after the wars against Obito and Madara.

No. You cannot use "regardless of the circumstances" when those circumstances are detrimental to his character's actions and the functioning of the system against which he, like other characters throughout the plot, stands. He not only hated having to grow up alone (a consequence of, once again, the genocide carried out BY THE STATE ITSELF through his brother), but also the indiscriminate murder of his relatives, both those who engineered the coup and those who were profiled based on biological conditions over which they had no control.

Also, there was one single war against Obito and Madara that stretched through a couple of days for which he participated in bringing down both of them as his idea of revolution didn't partake in their idea of absolute control of people's minds.

The Naruto movie (and obviously, the sequels) would be better served by doing something unpredictable. The Evil Sasuke arc is overdone, especially since it comes up in the Boruto era. In the latter case, a redeemed Sasuke keeps using it as a lesson to teach Boruto and Kawaki why they should not let rage guide them. Fans don't like being reminded how unnecessary this was in the source material.

Overdone? Did this guy actually watch the anime at least? The entirety of the plot focuses on the system flaws that even the protagonist is "set to change", Sasuke's arc is detrimental to the story as both Naruto and Sasuke observe the same issue from different standpoints, the former wants to keep the system and make gradual changes as not to "bring chaos" and the latter wants its complete destruction as a gradual change only guarantees greater injustices being committed over time until it is "changed".

Take Sasuke off of this equation and there's no reason for Naruto to even go on or have any introspection on the matter of Konoha's political and military system --and I'm being incredibly kind about this as even when Sasuke blatantly exposes it Naruto has a hard time grasping the most basic concepts to rebel against.

Additionally, Sasuke's villain arc would be a lot to condense into live-action, even if it's done over a trilogy. It could be done the way the MCU took 10 years to build the Thanos fight in Avengers: Endgame, but by that time, the story would be stale. Everyone would know what happened. The advantage the MCU had while adapting the source material is that it subverted the lore and crafted an original story. c

Does this author actually know what "adaptation" actually means? Or what it entails? What they seem to want is a reversion of the story as they desire to modify the entirety of the character that is the main plot device within the original product, not an adaptation. Also, what's with the last phrase? How can Sasuke be a loyal rogue? That's a contradiction in itself, is he a rogue of Konoha or is he loyal to Konoha? Pick one -you can't have both.

The advantage of Sasuke being a rebel without defecting from Konoha is that Naruto would have the help needed to fight the big villains of the franchise: the Ōtsutsuki. 

Sasuke fought alongside Naruto against Kaguya, bringing the union of former Team 7, without having to compromise his original ideals... did they just... forget?

Kaguya was the first alien who came to Earth, got sealed away, and then tried to return to enslave it. Naruto and Sasuke were reincarnations of her sons (Ashura and Indra, respectively), but the manga and anime didn't spend much time detailing how they would form their clans down the line and the emotional impact Kaguya had fighting her descendants.

Haha, come on, this is clickbait isn't it? Ashura and Indra are not Kaguya's sons, they're her grandchildren that reminded her of her sons, bet your ass this is a Boruto fan that just heard about the original series and wrote whatever this was without eyeing the og manga.

but the manga and anime didn't spend much time detailing how they would form their clans down the line and the emotional impact Kaguya had fighting her descendants.

That's because one of Kaguya's sons went to live on the moon and the other one, Hagoromo, had two sons on Earth (Indra and Ashura) who -as the manga establishes, founded their own clans (Uchiha and Senju respectively) that were at war until Konoha's foundation.

It focused heavily on Sasuke plotting in the shadows, and Naruto forming an army, realizing much later in the story of their link to Kaguya.

What? They learned about their connection to Kaguya through Hagoromo before fighting her, Sasuke also never plotted in the shadows, he blatantly tells them he wants a Revolution and later on decides to kill Naruto as he's his last connection to his past! That's the whole reason they fight!

By switching this up and making lineage a primary and not secondary arc, the movie can dial more into the emotional core: Sasuke and Naruto exploring their family tree and the overall theme of dynasty. Sasuke could learn more about how Indra developed a dark side, which passed down to the Uchiha, while Ashura's light gave way to the Senju and Uzumaki (Naruto's family) clans.

That's incredibly explored throughout the manga. The Senju are the only clan linked canonically to Ashura himself, the Uzumaki obtained Ashura's attention after the Senju disappeared as they were distant relatives.

Also, love the distinction of "Indra developed a dark side which passed down to the Uchiha" and "Ashura's light gave way to the Senju". Hagoromo favored this distinction by granting the totality of his power to one of his sons and expecting the other to be functional to his brother's decisions. If Hagoromo considered that Ashura's position was better than Indra's, why did he not teach his eldest son to make similar decisions? How is it that Indra decided to form a clan and a collective group of people if his idea was to move and gain power alone? How is it that Ashura, the being full of light, decided to fight his brother for power instead of seeking a peaceful solution to work together if what he wanted was power through union? Why did he not question the idea of a single person having the totality of command?

This would allow the movie to not hinge on Naruto and his fate with his Nine-Tailed Demon Fox (Kurama).

This just proves my initial point.

Instead, Sasuke would become a key player by garnering clues as to who Kaguya is. This would also unearth her plan to place everyone in a dream state (via the Infinite Tsukuyomi genjutsu technique) and drain their chakra. In other words, he would be the egotistical brains of the operation, while Naruto functions as the go-lucky muscle.

What's the point of doing all that if this exact thing ends up happening anyway without having to destroy any character's core? Are they serious?

This would not be different from what's been seen with Iron Man and Captain America, and Batman and Superman.

Brain minimized by the same comic story over and over again, what's the point of seeing a dynamic story repeated hundreds of times in different products? Is the main idea of this theme to make audiences like this guy believe that he possesses some kind of intellect because he can predict a plot he has seen thousands of times before?

Such an approach speaks to the legacy of both warriors, which makes them the yin and yang they were meant to be. 

Don't believe this fool. Sasuke and Naruto as characters explore the Yin and Yang implications very well as they are, he doesn't seem to understand what this metaphor actually entails.

Such a change fits Sasuke's destiny organically because this is the kind of sleuth he would become in the Boruto era, where he atoned and roamed the lands as a Ranger. This same development felt rushed and left-field in the manga, as he never did that kind of work before.

Making Sasuke a heroic anchor in the Naruto movie also works for the evolution of Team 7. To start with, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura were all trained by Kakashi, but their story felt disjointed. Naruto was preoccupied with bringing Sasuke home, Sasuke was off seeking Itachi and an army, while Sakura tried to quell the anger in both of them. This took away time from her personal development and detracted from the bigger threat of the aliens. By making the plot so convoluted, fans found it odd the Boruto era would marry Sakura and Sasuke, despite them never being developed as an official romantic couple.

By not splintering the team, Naruto's director, Daniel Destin Cretton, can focus on what made Team 7 work in the first place. Sakura was known to stop arguments and function as the team's mature, responsible leader. Naruto also liked her while she liked Sasuke. Sakura eventually realized she needed to change the views of Konoha and have the village recognize female shinobi more. This worked in the love triangle that allowed Sasuke to develop feelings for Sakura that would pay off down the line. This would also allow Naruto to understand he was meant to lead the Hidden Leaf.

What is removing Sasuke's entire characterization gonna do for the rest of the characters? The author is not saying Sakura realized this canonically, by the way the paragraph goes, what he implies is that she could realize this in the movie. So he’s telling us that Sakura didn’t notice she needed to change Konoha’s views about females because Sasuke wasn’t there to help her or what? It's Sasuke staying that detrimental to her development?

He wants to change everything about the original Team 7 in order to make them fit their Boruto’s characterizations. Hell, I bet he’s a Boruto fan who barely watched the original series, I’ll go as far as to state he used AI to write this garbage.

That also was Tsunade’s ordeal as well. Shikamaru questioned her involvement and was proven wrong when she “consoled” him after Sasuke’s Retrieval Arc and proved herself to be a good Kage. He’s asking something of Sakura that Tsunade already did.

Does he know what character development is? Why should they change everything about the original series to fit better the spin-off? Is the spin-off that it's badly written as it couldn't follow the original's characterizations, not the other way around.

According to his page, Renaldo Matadeen, "author" of this abysmal take, focuses on: As a filmmaker and scriptwriter, Renaldo loves to dissect the nuances of stories, especially narratives involving people of colour, minorities, and the socially-displaced. He believes art is a medium to reflect and provoke, and loves engaging in content that evokes this energy. 

So you mean to tell me that Sasuke, a metaphor for the socially displaced people, a survivor of a state-sanctioned genocide, and a revolutionary is somehow better by being stripped of any value inside a story that focused on his struggles, to begin with? That somehow the story would be better if he, a minority, was more complacent with the State that represses him?

[takerfoxx]

random thing, but I find it hillarious that Sayaka's two methos of flirting are "Spend quality time with them over a lengthy period of time" or "Die tragically in front of their eyes after knowing them for three days", and it was the latter that worked

Honestly, it was probably longer than just three days, but if I can take your silly concept seriously, there is something to be said why Sayaka/Kyousuke didn't work, but Sayaka/Kyoko did.

And that is that Sayaka and Kyousuke just really took each other for granted.

Like, Sayaka had grown up with Kyousuke. They've always been together, so she just sort of assumed that they were meant to be. After all, she was by his side through his recovery, always was there for him, so of course they were fated to get together. It never even occurred to her that she might have a rival for his affections.

As for Kyousuke, his focus was on his dream, and how he had suddenly lost it. Yes, he cared about Sayaka and yes he appreciated how she had looked after him, but to him, that was just his good friend being a good friend. His attention was elsewhere.

Meanwhile, whether it be wanting to take her out for being a dumbass rookie who dared stand where Mami stood, or trying desperately to save her life once she had snapped back to her senses, Kyoko was nothing but focused on Sayaka. She took every step of their relationship completely seriously no matter how things were between them. Whether her motivations were heroic or selfish, there was no doubt that Sayaka had Kyoko's full attention, even when Sayaka was so wrapped up in her own turmoil to notice.

But to make it kind of silly again, it was probably all kinds of hilarious when, after Sayaka had become an archangel and could see the whole picture, how it must have finally hit her that Kyoko had feelings for her. Like...

Sayaka: Damn, Madoka. You wanted a secret admirer for so long, and it turns out that you had the single most extra admirer in history! Girl was down bad!

Madoka: Well, so did you! I mean, Kyoko did lay down her life for you in the last timeline. That's pretty...extra, isn't it?

Sayaka: I guess you're right. Huh. That scruffy mutt turned out to be pretty all right after all.

Madoka: ...

Sayaka: Wait, what are you implying?!

...

Sayaka: No way. No way does Kyoko have a crush on me. No way.

Madoka: W-Well, I can see all of the timelines that Homura went through, and it does seem like it.

Sayaka: But why her? I spent so much effort on winning Kyousuke's heart, only to pull...her?

Madoka: What's wrong with Kyoko? I mean, she's strong, she's smart, she's really funny, and she's really pretty as well.

Sayaka: But she's a girl! I mean, okay, Homura's the single gayest person I have ever met, and that's fine! Um, and if you are too, that's okay! But I'm me! I like boys, not girls!

Madoka, who's known Sayaka their whole life: Er, Sayaka? Are you sure?

Sayaka: ...

Sayaka: Fuck.

Madoka: Well, it's not-

Sayaka: Why couldn't it have been Mami?!

...

Sayaka: I should go down there. Just, you know, to look after her.

Madoka: You like her.

Sayaka: It's not that! It's just...she did sort of die for me. I mean, it was another version of her, but even so. That kind of means something, right?

Nagisa: Just admit that you like her.

Sayaka: Stay out of this, new girl! No one asked you!

...

Madoka: ...and that's my plan to save Homura!

Nagisa: Will there be cheese?

Madoka: I mean, probably?

Nagisa: I'm in.

Sayaka: So, just so we're clear, you want Nagi and I to follow you into this fake Mitakihara City, where we will pose as ourselves as we keep an eye on Homura to figure out what's going on?

Madoka: Right.

Sayaka: And several other people that we all know and care about have already been lured into this labyrinth.

Madoka: Yes! Like my family, and Hitomi! And Kyousuke! And Mami!

Sayaka: And Kyoko.

Madoka: Oh. Oh! Um, yes.

Sayaka: Then I'm in.

Nagisa: Ha! Get it, girl!

...

Sayaka: ...and in conclusion, that is why you should totally move in with me.

Kyoko: Cool, let's go.

Sayaka: Wait, really? You really want to?

Kyoko: A place to sleep. Food. Don't have to clear out at the crack of dawn. Hanging with my best girl? I'm in.

Sayaka: ...

Sayaka: Was it really that easy THIS WHOLE TIME?! I mean, COME ON!

[kinokoshoujoart]

hello hello i just wanted to say i love your rock art and you're hilarious and i have a question.. apologies if you've explained this somewhere before but i'm curious if you believe rock was adopted (and along with that, what's going with the picture of the child who is not rock and does rock dye his hair, etc.) and what other rock headcanons you have that you haven't shared yet, if you're willing to share them. (also thank you for doing the 30 days of hm challenge--it's making me so happy to see your daily rock art)

woah i’m so happy you like my art!!! thank you so much for the ask <33 i’m having tons of fun doing these challenges too! thanks for making em!

ohhhh man the adoption theory… i’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this for so long, this answer might get pretty long sorry about that. i’m really glad you asked so i have an excuse to talk abt it :D

⚠️spoilers / taking clown man seriously warning⚠️

i’m thinking rock was first designed as a guest at the inn, but that late in development the connection between him and tei+lou was added

looking at the concept art for tei, his bio says 「元旅人だったせいか、ナミやロックのような人物を好んで泊めるようだ。」 which roughly translates “perhaps due to being a former traveler himself, he seems to enjoy hosting people like nami and rock” uh... hosting, huh? travelers, huh?

tbh rock’s original concept art/description feels to me like. he was meant to be the annoying trust fund kid prodigal son who is blowing his rich parents money to travel on the longest vacation in the world. and everyone responsible for creating this character hates him so so so much

so i think some of the Themes about rock were unintentional at least for the first game, but were rolled with for anwl with the total revision of his character + addition of his heart events and rival heart events. especially with his 2nd rival event with lumina, ESPECIALLY with the ingame rumor lumina isn’t actually related to romana

the photo was there from awl though… so maybe the idea was meant to be hinted at in awl

stuff that makes little sense to me if rock was their son—going from well-tread to lesser tread:

shares no physical features with them aside from having darker skin tone than most of the cast

rock even brings up the fact that he looks nothing like his parents just to get defensive and say it’s none of anyone’s business

does not speak like either of his parents. more apparent in jp. he sounds. “trendy” (he tries)

tei and lou didn’t design the inn with a room for a child… his ass is NOT supposed to be in that room!! it’s for van!!

rock remembers moving to the valley for the first time but there’s not even a hint he was part of their travels, even though tei/lou were traveling until reaching the valley (you’d think rock’d jump at the chance to brag about being well traveled)

the inn is older than the farm your dad and takakura started but rock says he never met your dad (lou and even lumina did meet him)

we can now actually look at all the photos in the inn of tei and lou and their travels, none of them have rock in them.

which brings me to the infamous photo…

other than the fact it isn’t rock, we don’t know anything for sure. both the original and remake have scenes where tei talks about this picture (strange hoe / blessed milker) but he never acknowledges the kid in the photo at all, just talks about the country they visited. it’s bizarre.

the jp flavor text when examining the picture says 「夫婦ふたりの間にうつっている小さな男の子はロックではないようです…」— “It seems that the little boy between the couple is not Rock…”.

there’s a ton of room for guessing, but personally i hc they lost a child. based on what i can see of the picture, the kid has the same hair color and skin color as tei and lou, and a similar build to them…

taking into account that rock dyes his hair, rock’s / his kids’ natural hair color is actually the same exact hex color code as cecilia’s…

if the fact that he dyes his hair is meant to say he’s their son, his natural hair would be black, yeah? but instead it’s cecilia brown

rock’s son also is described oddly specifically as “looking exactly like a small Rock”. you know who doesn’t look like rock’s kid? the kid in the photo :(

funny enough even in anwl it never occurred to me that rock was a natural blond. his eyebrows are dark and … damn those roots. i guess i just assumed he was dyeing his friggin toddlers hair

i also hc they’ve known rock longer than he’s been part of their household, and that he’s either the child of a friend they traveled with in the past or a kid they met in the “country far to the south” they traveled to a long time ago. he reminded them of their lost kid in some way

phew i hope that wasn’t too long… i’ll end on some

lighthearted rock hcs :D

i don’t want to overwhelm anyone so this isn’t all of them… haha…(makes the most overwhelming post ever as a devious little trick)

thank you 4 reading this far :3 please take my OH DEAR GOD WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS WHY WOULD YOU MAKE ROCK REAL wip as a little treat

since he says he’s an “earring and tattoo” kind of guy in anwl. he has a shitty misspelled hidden tattoo that says something like “never don’t give up”

the answer to rock’s question about why there’s no record player at the inn is because he literally yeeted records like frisbees as a kid

similar explanation as to why the guest beds are blocking both balcony doors. they literally had to rockproof the inn

moved out to live independently as soon as possible without any planning, proceeded to get fired and banned from every workplace in the world (failed salaryman)

surprisingly good vocabulary, piss on the poor reading comprehension though

his stash is in the statue in front of his southern window

[aquaquadrant]

Hiii question!!!

What would the hels be for each member of the soup group, and what part of the original players do they represent?

I remember we know Pearl's already, but I forgot her name and what trait she is. I think it was something about 5 am Pearl with less chill?

Impulse.. I don't think we've met his yet? My guess just knowing Impulse probably has something to do with pettiness and also untrustworthiness (3rd life)?

And Gem! This is who I was really asking about but I decided to add the rest of the soup group in because why not :) My guess is that it has something relating to Geminislay? I would also assume based on 4+ years of watching her that her hels counterpart would likely being very sarcastic and have very dry humour. Like the rare times Gem pulls the sassy card are always hilarious and I think that hels!Gem should get to speak like that all the time :)

Also would you be okay with me taking this au/universe and writing some of my own stuff using different characters? As of right now I don't think I'll actually post it anywhere, but I have a lot of silly ideas mainly regarding the soup group and empires crew, but since this is you and Lunar's au I wanted to ask first before actually going anywhere with them <3

oooooo ok so first off, absolutely. while i’ve done a lot of worldbuilding for the HTP au, i def don’t own the concept of hels or helsmits- that was a gift bestowed to the fandom by welsknight and my interpretations are just one of many. all i can claim to really own are my original versions of the helsmits, who again, are one of many, and my storyline. so i’ve got no prob w you doing your own thing, and if i did, that’d be pretty unreasonable of me imo.

BUT YES, soup group. so we’ve actually met both pearl and impulse’s hels so far in ‘from eden,’ though only very very briefly. pearl’s hels is opalescentmoth, a giant monstrous moth hybrid who lives in a cave and eats players that come across her. she’s huge and has big fuzzy wings and antennae and multiple arms and massive compound eyes. her defining traits would be unhinged-ness (??? however you’d say it) and silliness. so yup, basically 5 am pearl all the time, but now she’s a man-eating monster.

impulse’s hels was introduced more subtly via a chat convo as instinctEV, atlas’s rival in the redstone business. he’s a demon like impulse is in this au, but with all his demon attributes cranked up to 11. big scary boi. horns, fangs, glowing eyes, forked tongue, forked tail, maybe even some kinda freaky demon legs, the works. but one of instinct’s defining traits is insincerity, so he sorta throws ppl off with his supposedly kind demeanor. in reality he’s more preoccupied with his other defining trait, hyper-efficiency, and only cares about other players so long as he can use them.

now, neither gem nor her hels have showed up in the au so far and probably never will. i do have a vague concept for her tho. i’ve always pictured gem as some variation of deer hybrid, whether it’s just an elf with antlers, a faun, or full-on cervitaur. so her hels is capricornslay, a unicorn hybrid (yes i know the actual capricorn sign is a goat, don’t come for me). i haven’t nailed down her traits, mind you, just the Aesthetic. she’s a centaur with a horn, and she’s like the old-fashioned unicorns on medieval tapestries and the side of vans, all delicate with the cloven hooves and lion-like tail. big ‘the last unicorn’ vibes. but her deceptive beauty and gentleness belies a hidden viciousness. she portrays the dark side of the forest, like that creepy old bog and mossy decay vibe, while gem portrays the light side of the forest, the cheer and vibrancy and life. cottagecore and dark cottagecore, u know the vibes.

[teecupangel]

Hey, so, assassins creed x Idols (Kpop?). From the comments of the other post I remember the band "Now United" where every member is from a different country, maybe it can be used as a concept for the band?, idk I'm just giving ideas but I really want to continue the idea of them as group bc I found it hilarious lmao.

I tried looking for the post where we talk about this but I can’t find it anymore TTATT

(Also, it’s kinda funny that I’m answering this ask now the same day I watched the last Hololive concert with my friend. What a coincidence lol)

So, first things first, since my idol era happened during the early 2000s with Jpop, I’m going to borrow the setup of Debut or Die for this one to make it feel more Kpop XD

First things first, we’ll set up what we need in the idol group:

Lead Vocalist

Sub Vocalist

Main Dancer

Lead Rapper

(there are other parts like “Face of the Group” or “Main Visual”… aka the most photogenic one, maybe even something like the group’s composer/lyricist if we want that)

Anyway, we’re focusing on those 4 because this is the formation for Desmond, Altaïr, Ezio and Ratonhnhaké:ton.

Okay, let’s be honest. We’re going to put Desmond in the lead vocalist part because it’s me XD

But, putting him as sub vocalist would be a random reference to the fact that Desmond’s voice actor, Nolan North, sang the sub vocalist part of Saint Row IV’s Opposite Attract singalong scene

(this also help show how high Nolan North can sing I guess?)

Also, also, Ratonhnhaké:ton has to be the lead vocalist. His voice actor, Noah Watts, has a 13+ min video showing why Ratonhnhaké:ton should be the lead vocalist.

Altaïr would be the main dancer because I like the idea of Ezio being the main rapper and Altaïr’s body build would make him a good dancer.

So our final setup would be

Ratonhnhaké:ton – Lead Vocalist and Maknae (the youngest by one year)

Desmond – Sub Vocalist and the reluctant leader

Altaïr – Main Dancer and maybe their dance coordinator?

Ezio – Lead Rapper and Face of the Group + Main Visual

Now, I think you asked what Edward’s part will be?

Normally I would say Edward can a retired idol turned into this group’s manager but let’s fuck with the timeline and make everyone around the same ages and turn this into…

ACB48

hehehehe

(for those wondering, this is a reference to one of the longest idol group in Japan, AKB48)

So Desmond’s group would be part of ACB48 together.

Other groups include:

A group composed of Edward, Arno, Evie and Jacob (fans jokingly calls them the Hundred Years War Group)

A group composed of Shao Jun, Arbaaz Mir, Nikolai Orelov and Aguilar de Nerha.

A group composed of Kassandra, Alexios, and the twins Eivor and Havi.

A group composed of Bayek, Aya and Basim.

(Modern Assassins will be assistants or managers. Other historical Assassins can have their own group: like maybe Malik and Federico with their own group??? An all girls group of Claudia, Mary Read, Anne Bonny (even if she's not really an Assassin), María, Rebekah and Roshan)

And, of course, one of their rival idol group is made of Haytham Kenway, Shay Cormac (who was once part of ACB48), Daniel Cross and Maria Thorpe. (The CEO of their company is Warren Vidic)

Since they’re all of similar ages (around late teens early to mid twenties), Edward and Haytham are brothers and Ratonhnhaké:ton is their half-brother. Whether they’re cousins with Ezio is up to you.

[bluemoondust]

✧General Yandere Headcanons — Childe/Tartaglia✧

This was a request that got consumed by the inbox, but here it is! My very first time writing Childe but I hope you all enjoy! Especially the original requester! 😊

Edit: FINALLY I MANAGED TO WRITE THESE DOWN (Ｔ▽Ｔ)

Warning(s): He is his own warning, Possessive Behavior, Mentions of Murder, Sadistic Tendencies, Hints of Manipulation

This man is a lot to unpack, but to make it simple, he is very much a possessive, manipulative, and sadistic yandere. Regarding the manipulative part, he isn't one to use manipulation often even if he is truly good at it. No, he prefers other methods when dealing with matters he must attend to. You are no different. Childe is the type of yandere, in reaction to growing feelings for you, who will immediately find ways to get closer. He would honestly love to spar with you if you're someone who does know how to fight. It will just bring the two of you together! Don't hold back comrade! He will be able to tell, after all.

To answer the question if he is aware that his feelings are wrong: that part doesn't really matter to him. So what? Nothing is normal when it comes to him, so why should he be concerned with something like this? He loves you. That's all there is to it. Unconditional love that he is willing to give you if you just let him. His way of loving is just more unique than others, but is it really so different? People often say they'd do such much for the person they hold dearly. Childe would agree as such.

He definitely talks about you to his family. They always hear a mention of you somewhere in his letters and it just brings them elation! They're all so happy to see their beloved son/brother take an interest in someone. Plus, with what he's said about you in writing, you must be a keeper. This leaves you in quite the bind when you finally meet Teucer, who excitedly speaks of you becoming his in law after spending much time with you. "Aren't you just great with kids?" Childe states as the two of you are hanging out with his brother. You're a natural.

But oh, does he find rivals so interesting. Jealousy is a funny concept to Childe—hilarious even. There's no feelings of such if anyone hangs around you too often because they're wasting their time. They will never have you no matter how hard they try. It's a fruitless endeavor. However, if they'd like to be difficult with him, he invites them to do so! It's just another excuse to immerse himself in the thrill of conflict. There is also the plus of just getting rid of those pesky foes as he knocks them down a peg... To the point where you'll never see them again. They should have not started a fight they could never win. It's only common sense. To add more insult to injury... Childe deems rivals as not worth the energy to feel jealousy. All he is concentrated on is how he'll cut them down to size.

Speaking of which. This man is not above slaughter. Especially if he's killing for your sake. You might be having a bad day and I would highly advise this if it was due to someone dampening your mood. Do not tell him that someone caused your day to turn sour. Do not tell him their name or who they are. Childe can be perceptive when it comes to you, so he can tell when you're upset. He'll of course ask you why the long face and listen intently. He's watching your face the entire time as you speak and then he asks, "Did someone cause this?" It's... Unnerving. You can't explain the expression he has at all while waiting for your response.

"I can get rid of them if you'd like." This would bring a surge of fear in you, despite the smile on his face. He could laugh it off later and play it off as a joke, but both of you know full well that he isn't joking. That moment would probably be your first major red flag if you haven't detected anything else yet. Sometimes, because of how Childe doesn't see a problem with his feelings being unhealthy, he does things on a whim. He loves you, right? So, wouldn't it be reasonable to show as such by getting rid of problems in your life? Though maybe in this instance he was just looking for an excuse to draw blood, but who knows.

I don't think he'd be too much of a danger to himself, except for the fact that he does take on fights where he has a disadvantage. But that's the thrill of it. It just depends. As for others, it's extremely obvious that he can pose as a threat to other people. However, that is only reserved for those who threaten your life or are getting too close for comfort. Childe is... Okay with you having friends but his possessive traits get the best of him as he hovers around you. Staring down at your friends with that damn smile.

That is why, when questioned if he is selfish or selfless, it's odd. Childe can act selfless such as when he takes things on for you even if it wasn't asked of him. He could be a decent boyfriend. On the other hand, he leans a little more into being selfish. Especially if he's done a lot for you already. There is a part of him that believes that he deserves you—deserves the right to have you. It is something you should come to understand. No amount of fighting against him will change his mind. And oh does he encourage you to fight him off. You'll never win. You're not strong enough, darling. Ever time you get put in your place is proof to him that he has the right to claim you as his.

[coredrill]

braeburn

i think it’s hilarious they just. had lulu talk about future superbia and then had a conversation abt it outloud. LIKE 😭 poor isami’s gotta be sitting there listening to lulu’s explanation like “yeah why not this might as well happen too” LMFAO

i’m so curious. Does Isami Know. cause he sure was talking at the end like he Knew!! even as bravern put his mask back on!!! baby rice cracker just how perceptive ARE u……………..

this show is so good cause i still cannot tell which direction they are going for with the End State of smith/bravern(/isami)(/lulu?)(/superbia???). but in the sense that Any state could work. Like. the thing abt this show is that when they put green smith on screen i have assumed that it’s metaphorical BUT it could also NOT be and his body still exists which is why bravern can bleed. like that one fucking unit13 concept. or maybe they gotta harvest bravern’s legally distinct LCL and ungoopify him or smth. and they’ve Also given him very distinct purposes for which to live and exist After The World Is Saved in both mecha form (be superbia’s rival and apply the “you are gonna fucking live” message to a LITERAL deathdrive) and also human form (eat food and drink beer (and also frot? like that seemed like isami was gonna get pancakeified if lulu did not interrupt LMFAO)). however most of the human form could Also manifest in the sense that like. he gets a New Bravern (3dprinted??) Body with taste buds and/or superbiaesque orifices!!! and i’m soooooooooooo excited to see which route they take!!! :3

there is Potentially something there regarding like. maybe bravern needs a new digestive system + lulu needed to develop her digestive system + there is still a device in her hand that i don’t think has been explained? or it could also be coincidence between them just wanting to set up the food theme early and using lulu as a means to that, and also the device being just a hint that she was Not A Normal Human. idk!!!! either way it’s nice to bring that bit abt smith helping lulu eat and then lulu being concerned for bravern full circle

sorry this screenshot quality is ass and also for drowning it, my friend sent to me but i had to share it here too cause like 😭 lewis smith i’m so sorry for ever doubting you on this blog, you DO pass the Kaworu Nagisa Threshold Of Dogshit Takes And Willfully Misinterpreting The Source Material 😭😭😭 and the show isn’t even over yet!!!!! get behind me white boy!!!!

[crystalelemental]

Alright, last one for the weekend. This one is a longer one (6-7 chapters, so not that long, but still), and I'm actually taking the recommendation of @books-are-my-life-stuff and posting a chapter at a time. We'll, uh. We'll see how that goes. The plan is one chapter a week on Sundays until the next DLC drops. Anyway...

Is FruitfulBattleShipping the name we're going with? I like it. Whatever we're calling it, Carmine/Nemona. I have seen the ship concept float around, and I agree with their beliefs. Consider this my contribution to the pairing. I actually love the idea, and hopefully those who already like it enjoy the fic, and those who hadn't considered will do so now. This chapter is just the setup, getting them to meet, but I hope it establishes the dynamic well. As usual, some spoiler-laden commentary under the cut.

Everyone has (correctly) gravitated toward a shonen-anime style protagonist/rival dynamic for these two, and I've seen a good deal of fanart around it that is admittedly hilarious. What I want to offer is how well that actually tracks to their personalities. Carmine is incredibly competitive, in the way where she needs to prove herself and stand at the top. She eases off of it by the end of the DLC's first act, but that tendency wouldn't disappear, so it's more likely to be something toward Juliana specifically as a friend. By contrast, Nemona has that aim to always improve herself and to have fun with what she's doing, hoping others will as well. It's a good initial setup.

What I think is interesting is the history that Nemona holds back. While she doesn't always right away, Nemona's gotten the sense that others don't like when she wins too easily, and adjusts herself to not be as overwhelming a force. Which can irritate people when they know she's not giving her all. I like to think that Nemona's battles go kinda like what's written: immediately all out because what's restraint, opponent expresses frustration, inner sense of conflict and fear they won't like her or want to battle, holding back. And Carmine being so expressive, and specifically so quick to anger, gets Nemona reacting to tone herself down. Which would go as well as expected.

By contrast, Carmine's...well, it's not a strategy, but she talks smack the whole time. She doesn't do so directly, though, not really. Her barbs are a little more indirect, the kind of attack that's more like "I guess I over-estimated you" and "maybe you just suck because I'm so dazzling." You know. The kind of social overtures that fly right over Nemona's head. Which is prime material for putting Carmine on the back foot in any engagement.

In essence, they are the perfect storm of missing each other initially. Nemona wouldn't internalize an indirect barb and completely disarms Carmine with sincerity, while Carmine would never accept Nemona holding back or accept that she could lose. It's perfect.

I'll keep the rest of the dynamic for later chapters. The only other thing I'll mention is, I brought in Ms. Tyme because in my head, that's probably Nemona's favorite teacher. Nemona is, in fact, straight-laced as a student, and a rule follower. Ms. Tyme, being incredibly strict about the rules and no-nonsense, is exactly the kind of teacher Nemona would respond well to. I hope you can see my vision.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one! As mentioned, I'll be updating once a week on Sundays.

[beevean]

Do any of the Curse of Darkness adaptations say that Dracula deliberately pitted Hector against Isaac?

It just occurred to me that it would make sense for Dracula to do that (after all, one Devil Forgemaster is easier to deal with than two working in tandem, should one of them turn against him). But I haven’t read any of the CoD adaptations, so I don’t know if any of them used that idea. It would be chilling if any of them explored that.

Actually no!

Personally I'm not too sure that deliberately pitting them against each other would be more convenient to Dracula than having them be coordinated: imagine conducting a war, and having to rely on two bickering teenagers :P But in canon it's a moot point, because it's implied that Dracula simply praised Hector as the more talented one.

PtR gives us this:

"Good for you that you can judge our Lord’s deeds… It’s not bad for my position. But I will not tolerate any disservice and betrayal towards Him."

"Take a look at this pathetic sight, my Lord, my broken sword used as a cane. My body is the proof of your expectations for him. Please ridicule me, scold me: next time, I will do whatever it takes."

(for context, Hector defeated Isaac by slashing his legs, and he didn't even have the courtesy of finishing him off, forcing him to deal with the consequences)

The second line pretty much sums up how Dracula saw his two Devil Forgemasters. Isaac knows, or at the very least believes, that Dracula would have expected Hector to win because he's the stronger one, and the proof is in how he utterly humiliated Isaac.

Speaking of Dracula:

“What did he wish from me, that he even rebelled…? Unforgiveness is my nature. The more precious things are, the more they resist and are lost…”

Another translation of that line is "So is one dear, so is one wrested away".

Dracula considers Hector precious. My first interpretation is that he's also thinking about Alucard, who opposed his father roughly at the same time... But make of this what you will.

The MF manga focuses a lot more on Isaac's insecurity of not being as good as Hector, but again, we don't really see much of how the two were treated.

Something to note is that while it was Isaac who warned Dracula that Trevor Belmont was becoming a concern...

... Dracula sent Hector instead, and left Isaac in the castle.

The implication is that Dracula trusted Hector, and only Hector, with the troublesome task of killing the Belmont.

Obviously Drac wants his best Devil Forgemaster back, and so he orders Isaac and his underlings to find out what happened to him - indirectly dooming himself in the process, because without Hector and Isaac protecting him, Trevor and his friends easily steamrolled through the castle. Neither Isaac and his underlings are happy with this, but while the former's protests got immediately shut down by Dracula, the latter are free to talk among themeselves.

It's nice that these guys think Isaac alone could do the job, but I don't know what they were expecting, shittalking Dracula and touching Isaac's sorest spot within earshot :P

This scene becomes outright hilarious in Japanese, because that "the Count favored Lord Hector that much" line is slightly different:

In context it does mean the same thing, but the verb used is 可愛がる, which...

Again. Make of this what you will.

(in case you're wondering, there are other verbs that express the concept of unfairly favoring someone, that don't imply... this.)

And just to cap it all off:

And there it is. There is no canon indication that Dracula played games with his Devil Forgemasters. He just liked Hector more than Isaac.

Interestingly, Isaac is not the first rival in CV who suffers from jealousy issues (Hugh Baldwin and Maxim Kishin come to mind, mostly the former), but in his case, the topic barely comes up, and it's never mentioned in the game proper - in fact, the opposite sentiment is said.

I'm okay with this, because he has already a lot on his plate, and he doesn't need to hate Hector out of jealousy: the betrayal is good reason enough. But it's implied that these negative feelings made him easy prey to the Curse.

[itskikanow]

In honor of the DLC coming out tomorrow I’ve replayed Error 143 to enjoy the adorable dork that is Micah Yujin. So let me gush about him will ya.

Micah Yujin is the main character and only love interest of the indie dating sim called Error 143 made by Jenny Vi Pham and her crew. The main premise is that you, the player, lost in a coding/hacking competition to your rival (Micah) and you as the sane level headed person as you are decided to troll him by hacking his computer and leaving a note “Ha, whose the better hacker now”. In response Micah hacks you back and puts you in his not discord server that he made and from then on comedy ensues.

The gameplay is pretty straightforward, it’s like every other dating sim. There’s the occasional hacking minigame that is just hangman which is neat, but the whole design of the whole game is so cool. I love pixel art and not discord looks fantastic with it. I also find it elegant that the parts without voice acting look like chat conversations, and the conversations with voice acting to be video calls is fucking great!

Also his voice actor goes hard!!! Corey Wilder is a talented va and I wish nothing but the best for them!^^

Micah himself is a funny playful cheeky guy with a shit eating grin on his face. His banter with the player is honestly hilarious and wholesome at times. He doesn’t hide the fact that he thinks you’re hot and he starts being flirty around day one or two. Him and the player have some good chemistry and they really match each other’s vibe. (Oh yeah forgot to mention but the player character actually have a personality in this game. They’re not a fully fleshed out character but it’s more than what the player character gets in these games. The only other time I can think something similar happened was in The Arcana [also a great dating sim I do recommend that])

The story spans out 5 days (well, 4 actually cuz day 4 is pretty short). In those 5 days the player and Micah get to know each other pretty quickly and it’s pretty obvious you both really like each other. And Micah puts his money where his mouth is because on day 5 he makes your dream first date come true. I find that so wholesome and sweet like on my first playthrough my first thought ‘I wanna hug him’ and ‘AAAAAAAAAA!!!!!’ (And that’s just one of the sweetest things he does in game, there’s like two other one which I both adore a ton.)

But I couldn’t because the game ended! 🥲🥲🥲🥲 (Thankfully the dlc is coming and will probably give me that option and I honestly cannot wait!^^) It is a short game but it’s definitely one of the best ones out there!

I also remember when this game first came out it got really popular in just a few short days. And I also cannot forget how in just one night a bunch of twitter ghouls jumped on the creator and accused her of fetishizing black men, hiring a va who voiced in a pe** game and how her writing is actually very racist because….. she shared some old concept ideas for Micah’s parents that are not even canon. Back then I was pretty scared about those accusations because I myself am not white and thought “oh fuck what if actual black people found something actually problematic that I’ve missed”. In reality what actually happened was a bunch of racists didn’t like that there was a dating sim out there with the main love interest being a half Korean half African American. And they hurled shit on both Jenny and Corey. I even saw people whom I used to follow take those accusations seriously and write it of as “ah even when we get a dating sim with a black love interest there’s always a catch”. (I was honestly baffled by them cuz, ‘wha- you can’t be serious! There’s gotta be something more to this’.) Thankfully Jenny managed to resolve that drama in the end by explaining everything in a tweet longer? (idk the exact name of it but you know what that is) and addressing every main accusation while also addressing how the harassment has affected her. I’m honestly proud how she managed to still write on Twitter where most would’ve gone silent to take a break from that bullshit. But she and Corey shouldn’t have been subjected to that kind of harassment in the first fucking place.

Still, I’m so happy that things are better now. I don’t have Twitter anymore (and I’ve been much happier since) so I don’t know if anything similar happened since then (hopefully not).

Amidst all that bullshit tho there were some people who gave genuine constructive criticism, one I can remember is about Micah’s inconsistent hair texture. Since there are a lot of artists in the team they all drew his hair a little differently every time. Jenny responded to that critique apologizing and doing some research before deciding what Micah’s hair type is gonna be. Ever since then his hair has been consistent in official arts. The assets in game hadn’t been switched out but by the sneak peeks she posted on Instagram, it looks like they’re gonna be finally.

(Ok I originally wanted to write down his hair type but I’m actually not sure what she said cuz I forgor but comparing his hair to pictures on google, seems to his hair is either 4B, 4C or a mix between those two. I’m sorry I don’t remember 🥲)

My apologies for the detour there. My final thoughts about the game though is that it’s amazing, fun and I adore Micah a lot! If you like dating sims, fun and wholesome cheesy romance then I can recommend it to you wholeheartedly!^^

[danglovely]

Kim Possible Episode Tiers: The B-Tier

Don't overthink it. These are all pretty good episodes.

Pain King vs. Cleopatra: The introduction of Monique! I have a weird affection for this episode because I can distinctly remember watching it when it was released (and then playing the stupid flash game associated with it). One-off villain and meh plot makes it okay.

Number One: It's funny to know that Will was introduced as Ron's romantic rival. Obviously the show is much better for them not pursuing that storyline. This episode successfully introduces Duff and has one of my favorite lines of the series.

The Truth Hurts: The half-episodes are about laughs. I don't think this one does amazing at it (apart from the initial Drakken/Shego confrontation), but it's sort of a fun high concept episode that probably would have benefitted from a full length expansion.

The Big Job: The Jr. and Shego relationship is actually pretty fun and could have used a few more episodes. This one is highlighted by how good the fight while trying to park in San Francisco is.

Ron the Man: The introduction of the Pandimensional Vortex Inducer and Dementor is a bit of a drag, mostly because I'm not sure how poigniant this episode is anymore by analyzing Ron's masculinity. It may be dated, but there's a lot of good here (including Shego asking Drakken how many men he can handle in a fight).

Mentor of Our Discontent: I have previously expressed my love for Lucre, but this episode detracts from that. I want to describe it as "diluted" because there's too much stuff going on.

Downhill: I think this is a really solid episode and maybe the only one where the high school plotline outshines the spy plotline. I don't have any particular fondness for DNAmy as a villain, but the theme of recognizing your parents as actual people does hit true for me.

Sink or Swim: Good episode and the first instance of "Ron is actually valuable." MORE RON AND TARA.

Naked Genius: I think this marks the point where Shego's respect for Drakken begins to deteriorate. It's a good high concept episode and I love that Ron is successful at making some fashion of doomsday device.

October 31st: It's a solid episode, almost in spite of the "Kim lies to everyone" plot.

Job Unfair: Honestly, this might deserve to be higher. All of Shego and Drakken's weather machine manual talk is brilliant and Janitor Joe is a really likeable character. It's a real success at merging the A and B plots.

The Golden Years: Kim's nanna successfully completes the dance of going from annoying to awesome. It's also refreshing to see Drakken be such a proponent for the aged community. I also like the hint at his business sense from running the ice cream truck.

Motor Ed: Successful introduction of two good characters. It's a legitimately compelling problem that Kim doesn't know how to speak to someone that's paralyzed!

Showdown at the Crooked D: I enjoy that Shego takes interest in Drakken's high school bitterness. I could listen to Ron and Joss forever . . . it would be nicer if Joss liked Ron better.

Triple S: It's a very fun expansion of Senior's backstory.

Big Bother: I really enjoy the seemingly main story about Monkey Fist taking place in the background. I'm less into Kim being jealous of Yori and Ron hating his little sister.

The Cupid Effect: I am ignoring the real world implications of the existence of a "love ray." It's a fun Senior plot and I liked Ron giving Wade romantic advice (like, the dude landed Kim . . . he's doing something right).

Ill-Suited: I have nothing to say outside of Dementor attempting to convince Kim and Ron by wearing a house dress.

Grudge Match: There's a lot going on here with Zita, Larry, etc. It's just a decent episode.

Gorilla Fist: I think this is the first episode meant to make you realize that Kim is actually in on Ron. If I talked about it more, I could probably get sentimental enough to bump it up a few tiers (also the Monkey Fist/DNAmy plot line is hilarious).

All the News: Ron makes Kim suffer in high school and AdrenaLynn isn't the best villain. Should I have had this lower?

[dontbotherwiththepronunciation]

The queen wore a high-collared black silk gown, with a hundred dark red rubies sewn into her bodice, covering her from neck to bosom. They were cut in the shape of teardrops, as if the queen were weeping blood.

I love this part so much because my mind instantly goes "Bolton looks" and my Theon x& Cersei (interpretative dynamic I like ships when they are unclear) au involves a Tywin who didn't die and sent Cersei to be married off to Roose and everyone is miserable. She would be horrible to Theon, but I think it would be hilarious to witness this terrible contrast in the way both of them deal with public humiliation and overall distaste for life.

This is a dumb concept of course but I'm still fond of it. I know the theoncersei ship is mostly a joke but I read that one fanfic on life journal and I think it could actually be so interesting if it were taken as a serious idea. Especially if we have a Theon who has been at the hands of Ramsay, but not enough to be so visibly changed as to not be recognised anymore. The idea of him being suddenly trusted back into society with people expecting him to act like nothing has happened because there would be no visual evidence is so interesting and painful to me. It has the type of trauma one develops after a failed suicide attempt, but even more complicated. An AU where he is expected to be functional (or as functional as he was during agot-acok) while internally dealing with everything that has happened to him...

I think there is something liberating about the Reek persona in the sense that there is no one who expects anything from him anymore (Alexa, play Bob Dylan's "Like a rolling stone"). He was so indignant when Jeyne asked for his help and to me that was entertaining because there was anger and rage at his internal treatment of her (What had she been thinking, that he would whistle up a winged horse and fly her out of here, like some hero in the stories she and Sansa used to love?) How dare she demand something from him? And then there is even more of that during TWOW when he is mentally raging at her for not remembering Mikken's name (Really Theon? Are YOU going to get mad at someone for hesitating at names?). Anyways there is so much anger in Theon during and after his torture, but it is always purely internal. From the outside, he is every whump fan's perfect protagonist. Poor little soggy meow meow who has been rivalling Dante's concept in Journey through Hell. From the inside it's a completely different thing (I like both of them. He is a reversible sweater and you can find beauty on both options); The way he refers to his torturers as "The Bastard's boys" (a nickname he doesn't dare to speak out loud but has given them himself. He indirectly refers to Ramsay as "Bastard" even if he is terrified of him) , the snark, the "she'll pray for you to march, Reek thought, and she'll pray that you never come back to her bed.", the way he thinks about the spearwives.

And yet all of that has to be repressed in order to keep himself alive and (considering the circumstances) safe. He has to swallow his pride and fury and his defiance and endure and I love that. Swallow your pride, my friend, it's not the worse thing you could swallow.

Cersei is different. Cersei almost always openly shows her disdain and fury at everything and everyone surrounding her and even after going through the cruellest humiliation she has suffered (Alexa, play Bob Dylan's "Like a rolling stone" again but this time the live version where people are booing him and he is sarcastically telling them how wonderful they are) she still keeps her head high, or as high as she can.

I don't know, both of them are on my top 5 pov characters and I would like them to interact beyond comedic relief type of dynamics (although I like those too) and I think there could be interesting explorations. I think in this weird nonsensical scenario where she becomes Cersei Bolton she would probably act like an anti-Jeyne in the sense that she too would demand for him to act more according to her notions of Theon Greyjoy but replacing Jeyne's soft and tender pleads for help with unjustified harshness and cruelty and a mocking type of defiance. Jeyne pets the dog, Barbrey taunts the dog, Cersei just straight up kicks it. I like imagining she would steal him from Ramsay as to have something mildly diverting in her boring Northerner lifestyle and that could be fun to explore.

[alynnl]

Hmhm. Ship meme for Asobaroryuu, Vanlock, Susarei, and Homumiko? :O

For AsoBaroRyu. Oh boy. That is one combination that would have a lot of baggage to work through if DGS 2-4 and 2-5 are any indication. Honestly my one sticking point in this ship is Kazuma. He would have to mellow out quite a bit for it to work. Which is why I can't take this too seriously because it would be such a hot mess! (No shade to anyone who ships it and makes it work though. You do you.)

I like some platonic Kazuma & Barok though... and I head canon Barok van Zieks as the most Ace man who ever lived in Victorian England (and that is 100% projection on my part.) They would be a great investigative team though. They'd probably rival Sholmes and Mikotoba once they put their heads together!

Another hilarious ship. I love the concept of it. Just. The bickering and the tension between these two just give off the "bitter exes" vibe. But in order for them to be exes there had to be something there in the first place. (It would be so funny if being with Sholmes made Barok realize he was Ace somehow. lol) Never the less I still see the idea and have respect for those who ship it (especially if they have a sense of humor!)

I'm pretty neutral on SusaRei and that's not a bad thing. I just feel like the two of them could have had more screentime, or hints about their bond of friendship. I definitely see the idea (with Rei totally crushing on Susato/Ryutaro during that one trial in DGS 2) but honestly, I just see them as friends.

Aaaa, HomuMiko! It's got to be one of my favorite dynamics in The Great Ace Attorney as a whole. Platonic, romantic, queerplatonic, or something in between, you can tell these two have history. When they meet in the final case, they pick up exactly where they left off, as far as going on another adventure and starting up a Dance of Deduction.

The Great Ace Attorney really said "What if Watson was Japanese, and he and Holmes were both dads?" The answer is... we got two fantastic characters who make a good couple as well as good investigative partners, who should star in their own prequel spin-off! Fantastic!