#Maybe doppels are allowed...

[albaricomics]

Okay doodle idea for later

That's not my neighbor x beach episode?

[writa-anon]

Francis Mosses (The Milkman) Headcanons ~!

a / n ~ havent written fanfic in a while and ive been a little obsessed with tnmn recently so i decided to write my little hcs for milkman! relatively wholesome and more just me giving him lore :3

GREW UP AS A MIDDLE CHILD, which is why he's so reserved and quiet. Doesn't really like the spotlight on him and lives his quaint life by himself satisfied.

TOOK PIANO LESSONS WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER. Still has that skill but typically doesn't like to flaunt. Has a humble old piano in his apartment he plays but very softly to not disturb his neighbors.

HE WORKS ANOTHER JOB AT NIGHT, WHICH IS WHY HE’S ALWAYS SO TIRED. His milkman job is a part-time job, hence why he rarely shows up during doorman afternoon shift. I'd like to think he works double to either help support his parents, child support for Anastasha, or saving up to buy a house of his own.

BIG SOFTIE FOR SMALL CREATURES. When he does his milkman runs around the block, he definitely pets the local strays and feeds them spare crackers he may have packed for lunch. He wishes he could keep one but doesn’t really have the time and plus the apartment complex doesn’t allow pets because of doppel precautions!

HES A BIT OF A MESS. but if he's not sleeping throughout the day, he definitely makes an effort in cleaning his place up and making a proper meal for himself. On overwhelming workdays though, his clothes are scattered everywhere and it's quick and easy meals for dinner.

HES A DISTANT FATHER. there's no way he ISN’T in contact with Nacha. They live in the same complex for crying out loud! He knows he's the father of Anastasha, however, was too scared to take on the responsibility of fatherhood, esp since this was in his early 20s. However, he does keep in contact with Nacha about updates and they are still on speaking terms.

BARELY SOCIALIZES WITH NEIGHBORS. He isn't necessarily buddy-buddy with any of his neighbors, however there is some acquaintance with Angus and Izaack (mainly because of their extroverted personalities, they must be known by everyone in the complex!).

SUPER SHY to physical affection or any type of affection for that matter. I feel like it would take a good while for him to do any sort of first moves. He would do a little secret admiring from afar just to warm up to it. Nothing too intense. Maybe leaving a rose or a nice compliment on the front desk while no one is looking. Definitely had to be hyped up by Isaack to go through with it. (I’m currently writing a fic about it!)

~~~~~~~

short but detailed. these are just my little thoughts :)

[wyfy-meltdown]

It is literally foreshadowed in her name Kyoko is bound to suicide with Sayaka as sakura's are heavily associated with kamikazes. Besides aforementioned timeline; In Portable, during the scheduled downfall of Sayaka, and eventual death at Homura's hands, Kyoko has a breakdown switching between laughing, crying, until eventually screaming in pain as she turns to Ophelia, saying she was stupid to think she could save Sayaka. Ophelia's labyrinth literally has little fish floating around, it's so clearly underwater, it's so clearly tied to Sayaka, there are staves with musical notes coming out of the ground of the labyrinth. And as if that isn't enough, the music playing is relatively similar to Symposium Magarum, at the very least a part of it, altered, slower, on a different instrument - it's there however if you listen close. Kyoko is so tied to Sayaka in her mind that even if in series they weren't on the best of terms, it affects her in death. Her feelings are obvious once stirred through enough, it's Sayaka that refuses any aid, or a chance at another way. There IS, another way, that through Kyoko, however Sayaka's ideation of a magical girl is heavily tied to Mami's image (not Mami herself, but how she presented, lacking the vulnerability she shared with Madoka) who is in complete contrast to Kyoko. The full "you die a hero or live long enough become a villain". No matter how much she runs away from it however, I feel that in Rebellion Sayaka embraces both sides (and creating the doppel system by proxy). On another note, and parallel, Sayaka chose to "give her life away", becoming a magical girl meant suicide to her in the end and, the argument with Madoka in the rain may had still lingered in the back of her mind, so Kyoko choosing suicide to keep her company mirrored that and maybe, just maybe, she felt understood through it. It was the ultimate sacrifice Sayaka made for love and association could be made to believe that Kyoko's suicide is also her confession. The magnet metaphor is due the blue/red but also you need to hold them in a certain way for them stick (as the same ends will push one another away, the same they did under the same condition) and when they do, they're insepparable.

Thank you for the opportunity to ramble ^^

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!!!

I've never been able to play/watch play throughs of the portable games, so I lack a lot of context when it comes to events and information presented in it.

Kyoko has a strange mild obsession with Sayaka and saving Sayaka, which almost reminds me of Homura and Madoka's relationship.

I feel the warped (not in the toxic sense, just unconventional sense) ideas that Kyoko has about expressing her love to Sayaka reflects her past and the wish she made for her father. To Kyoko, love means absolute devotion and sacrifice. In Japan, there's a myth that two lovers who commit suicide together are reborn as twins and/or reborn as the same person. Kyoko truly does see kamikazeing herself into Oktavia as a way for her to fully express the feeling of "I love you and I swear I won't leave you alone or abandon you for someone else".

While I believe Kyoko originally intended to warn Sayaka about wishing for others (sorta how Mami did), and pitied her because the circumstances of Sayaka's wish were so similar to her own, she fell fast and hard.

They're both so similar and yet oppositionally different. They're both so, so, deeply and desperately lonely and Kyoko sees this and sees a way for the two of them to overcome their loneliness together. But Sayaka has such a strong idea of "a good magical girl" and "a good person" she won't allow herself to connect with anyone else, especially not Kyoko, who she views as "evil" (I believe Mami played a part in this view).

They could've had a happy ending and saved eachother if only Sayaka wasn't so stubborn and Kyoko could take a gentler approach. The very direct "full-force love" style they both have, with the added "inability to properly confess without use of secretive acts of devotion" is why we got the ending we did.

I know you're asking anonymously, but I'm pretty sure I know who you are based off the expansion from a previous reblog/post lol. Thank you so much for ranting like this!!! I'm so happy you expanded on the previous ideas!!!

[mmixcelbleegg]

Fluffy riptide wip part two but it's my crackship jamais melody........wiuldve been my first time writing a romantic relationship

613 words I think? It was. I don't know it's Doppelgilly and Queen

Because something about them being like imitations and also Doppelgilly would be desperate to find a purpose and exploit queen sorta ordeal o don't know what they got going on

He’d been dragged out of a steadily acquainting, yet deprecating void, black ichor spewing from orifices as he hacked and coughed back to life from his place slumped against a wooden wall. It couldn’t have really been his choice — still upsetting obsidian hands instilling back consciousness just as fast as they left, ‘just to make it more interesting’. Didn’t stop a familiar brunette from strongly flinching back, a girlish shout prying into the air before hiding behind the ginger he was exiting the mess hall with. In of which followed an uncomfortable interrogation from the woman — her questions almost rapid paced. Things about the Navy, mostly, but also about his biology and ‘how on Mana was he made’. Not a ton of which Doppelgill could recount answers for. Hell, he just remembered his name, despite it technically not being His. He slinked downstairs shortly after, shutting himself off from a bustling crew to scheme in darkness after the flash bang that came with reflecting light of the sun.

How would he fulfill one of his more blunt goals now? He’s been lead so thoroughly in the dark all of his life, metaphorically or not, and one of the outs he could ever have to relinquishing some amount of burden, he is at a disadvantage from being found out. He could just keep tabs on them — using whatever scrap laid on the creaking underbelly of the Albatross and write well-needed information on these pirates. He’d find a way to relay what he’d learn, their naivety allowing him down there, despite Chip’s underlying uneasiness, he would be able to mingle with them and get them captured as intended. Or something like that. His brain was still a bit foggy after the weeks that passed after his semi-death caused by them.

Eyes threatened to shut with the stimuli of the world yet again under him and the drone of the sea’s gentle crashing filling ears that never truly heard them before. Whatever amount of time passes — his brain refusing to cooperate with senses just now being overwhelmed in its silence — until gentler footfall.

Creaking meticulously. Something. Humming? As it nears slid and shuttering doors. Despite muffled protests from that same silly red-coated captain higher up. And the light of oiled lanterns phased harshly into the storage as its entranced unfurled, the doppelgänger snarling as he scurried himself back against a wall. Kind of a freak noise, to be honest. Even with his fins flared against his head, he couldn’t understand why he was so bothered.

Pointed nylon boots welcomed themselves onto floorboards, scaling up Queen’s ever so formal attire, its elbows wrinkling as she held an iron-decorated tray. The contents less obscured as xey kneeled with grace and their musical voice procured the doppel’s attention.

“Captain! Or, how, la…” Xeir abrupt enthusiasm was quick to fade, a bit of remaining confusion as she sat onto their knees in front of him. The tray’s legs set down along with, a hand prompting it against swaying and its twin cupping its owner’s face, ridden with thought of how to handle this situation.

And endless possibilities flooded from the air of creation they radiated, “Don’t worry about it! I’m just like that guy upstairs —” maybe even better, as he scowled with the mere mention, “— You call me whatever, Queeny! :3”

It could be easier garnering any lost trust in the crew with someone who wasn’t really there for his malice.

But any delve further into that thought was yet again interrupted, the scent of fresh food from the tray unfamiliar to a body that intrinsically covered any entrance for it.

“What’ch you got there?” He forced a wavering smile

[velvvetcat09]

Herro,

I may have some hc’s for the piglin duo if you not already thought about it.

When they first meet, Ren is getting attacked by piglins cause he got a bit too close, and Martyn just so happens to pass by. Through some weird instinct, he decides to help out the hoglin and scares(?) the piglins away.

Afterwards, he just decides to stay with Ren, cause why not? (It may also have to do with the weird connection he feels between them, but that’s neither here nor there)

And Martyn, unlike Impluse, still has the golden axe he spawned in with.

Now this may not be a headcanon, but I wanted to ask:

How did these two get into the overworld? Since hoglins tend to avoid nether portals

And if they do get there, would they turn zombified?

But then again, Player Ren and Martyn could just meet them on Martyn’s habitual ep 1 trip to the nether so… idk

oooh!! that meeting idea is really good, that fits them right away!! maybe hoglin ren used to play with the baby piglins. piglin brute martyn used to see this. one day ren accidentally hurted a piglin and it went spiralling from there. as you said, martyn helped ren. they escaped, maybe they ran far enough that they ran into the nether dads.

the hybrids can communicate with their own species and across. they’re accepted into their species’ community, but knows that they’re not exactly pure like them. so finding another of the same kin, hybrids, and able to communicate; that can intice them to go outside their origin place.

oh dang i didn’t think about the nether portal and them going to the overworld problem 🤯

hmm maybe that can be their obstacle. both of them not wanting to pass the portal, because they don’t know what will happen. so when the nether dads escape to the overworld, they go without the piglin duo. time passes, players figure out that since the nether dads hybrids are from the nether, maybe the reason why player ren and player martyn couldn’t find theirs is bc they’re in the nether. so they go to the nether, find the piglin duo. they can’t exactly test it. forcing them to go to the overworld is a very 50/50 chance of them getting zombified. player martyn at one point given up on the idea of bringing their hybrids doppel into the overworld, but player ren is determined, especially since he gets along with his hybrid counterpart so well. maybe initially, there was even a truce between everyone, working together to figure out a way to bring hoglin ren and piglin brute martyn to the overworld

i think the ‘human’ part of their hybrid dna is doing the heavy lifting in not allowing the zombiefication when they pass the portal. that part of them already doing its everything to make each hybrids a stable state of form. (jimmy becoming vex from a vindicator is more of a necromancy thing, i’d say) so really, it’s a matter of them being brave enough to go through the portal, not knowing the actual result.

[muffinrecord]

Alright so: last we left off, Kirika was like "it's time to become a witch" and then she witch'd all over them

Now her doppel pops out! Also I love how big her doppel is here-- I think it's actually bigger here as a doppel than it was as a witch in the manga. Maybe. Maybe not, damn it's been a while since I've read it.

I kind of love Oriko's reaction? It straight up confirms that she has no idea what the doppel system is. Which means that when she got that arc 2 montage waaaay earlier in the event, she knew that the factions were fighting each other but she didn't understand why.

I feel like??? That's critical information to know??? This is why we don't trust Kirika with information gathering you guys.

I also like the live2-d. She has this genuinely shocked look on her face, then it narrows back into serious mode.

Cause like... at first I thought "damn Oriko, your girlfriend isn't dead and this is all you have to say?" But the more I think about it, the more I feel like Oriko was probably steeling herself for this moment-- she had mentally prepared herself to not only watch her one most beloved person die, but be the cause of that death. And so when Kirika is still alive... it breaks her frozen façade, and she allows herself a moment of genuine surprise.... Until she shakes it off and goes back into information-gathering mode.

[thehotgrandparent]

Do you think it would make sense if the people in TNMN (not just the neighbors, everyone) would have guns or something like that for protection?

Like ever since the announcement of doppelgangers, there’s now a law that allows people to have guns more easily for protection or something. Idk 🤷‍♀️

Ooh, yeah, definitely! Guns would be an extremely normal thing because if they get into a one on one fight against a doppel, how are they going to protect themselves if said doppel is faster, stronger, and (maybe even) smarter than them?

Guns would just be an easier way to protect themselves 🤷

[dreamerwitches]

Regarding Kazumi and Carola, I have a theory. Originally, Kazumi’s Doppel was going to be named Michiru Kazusa, but it was then decided against that.

I think the Doppels being different was meant to signify how Kazumi and Michiru are different. If Kazusa were to be made playable, I’d imagine she’d be a freebie that you could buy at the store, but if she looks exactly like Kazumi, that’d be disappointing.

I also just personally dislike the idea of them having the same Witch/Doppel. They can stand to be more original with them.

The Doppel Barrier is supposed to represent healing and recovery in some way, instead of failing and becoming a Witch. So it makes sense that even Kazumi, who’s not a real magical girl would have her Doppel be stabilized.

It’s similar to how Lapin, instead of becoming her Witch like she normally would, her Doppel summons her Witch so they can both be present at the same time.

However, this also makes me wish they’d done more in Magia Record with the concepts from Kazumi. Imagine if Evil Nuts in the Doppel System allowed the normal people infected with them to have control of their half-witches (as they’re called in the Puella Wiki). Or if Kanna copied the powers of the Magius and did her own thing in Asurano with the infected humans.

(Also if Kanna got a Doppel, it’d be named Dolly because of the sheep that was the first cloned and fully artificial being send tweet) Much to think about. Also sorry for rambling.

I dont think her witch would’ve been Michiru. Kazumi is technically a clone of Michiru’s witch, so it wouldnt be Michiru’s name. I see where you’re coming from though. But I can see them having witches with the same name but different forms like Homulilly and how her Portable and Rebellion appearances are different due to differences in timelines and such. They both have Carola but Kazumi’s is different.

Honestly, magireco Carola looks more like a witch that would suit Michiru, not Kazumi since its a solid cooking theme. Maybe thats so because Kazumi is basically very young and not so different to Michiru yet (hence why final Kazumi’s Carola IS more unique to Kazumi)

I never knew that about Lapin, makes sense why her doppel is so shit

And yes, I wish Kazumi had more love in magireco, so unfair

Thank you for your thoughts!

[fire-dwelling]

On the meta stuff in FF, are you against it on principle or just because of the execution, like the whole weird Tamaki twitter rant, ruining Soul Eater by proxy, etc?

I'm against the meta stuff in Fire Force just because of the execution, not on principle.

I'd be hypocritical to criticize meta stuff on principle when I've enjoyed, and likely written online repeatedly, about specific moments of meta stuff that work for me, whether it's a fourth-wall break, an Easter egg, a mythology gag, a reference, whatever.

I'm the guy who enjoys Chowder despite how much whining people at the end had about the fourth wall jokes. I'm the one guffawing when Catwoman in that Adam West animated Batman film offers to give herself up if Batman reenacts the ending of the third Nolan film and Robin says, "Holy unsatisfying ending"--because the entire Adam West series was a campy wink at the camera that reinforced the comedy and the superhero fantastic. I grew up on Animaniacs and Looney Tunes and Tex Avery cartoons talking right to the audience, acknowledging they are cartoons within their own world, breaking the suspension of disbelief, even when I'm watching the old Looney Tunes shorts on TV instead of at the movies but understanding the gags when Yosemite Sam is talking at someone in the movie theater audience: I can appreciate this stuff, I enjoy these meta gags, I laugh at them. But notice that all of those examples are comedies. Ohkubo instead wanted this stuff taken seriously--and it falls flat on its face.

This isn't even like forcing references for the sake of it, however awkwardly done to the point that they take the audience out of the story: see every remake, every bit of recent Sonic the Hedgehog content, every mythology gag in Doctor Who that feels tacked on. (And even Who did better with the fourth-wall break because it is, intentionally or not, eerie and discomforting in order to make the mystery more engaging.) At least Buckaroo Banzai was, again, a comedy and an overall pastiche of the serial narrative that you jumped into it right in the middle so of course you don't know what the watermelon is for: that is the joke, the meta stuff is integral to the gag.

But there is next to nothing integral to the two major meta moments in Fire Force: Tamaki's role in this world, and the book Maka's parents read to her at the end.

The former is the one time we have someone as a symbol of any larger aspects to this world that, without them in it, the world collapses. (The story tries to make Shinra, Sho, and their mother take on those roles--but they are hardly embodiments of any detail, they aren't even cliche enough to be archetypal.) If it turned out that just about every character was purposefully so archetypal as to be needed for this world, maybe the meta stuff would fit better: Akitaru is the father to his soldiers, Takehisa is the blunt honest guy, Maki is the hot-blooded passionate one, etc. But, because Ohkubo managed to make these characters _not_ so one-note as that, he fails at even that setup. It's Gomez Addams trying to be a failure and succeeding despite himself, or The Producers: he failed at failing--he could have made this all so one-note then, surprise, it was like that on purpose, and he wasn't even that conceited, hipster, pseudo-intellectual enough to do that! Gah!

And the latter is just confusing: why is there now this book that has the exact same name as the manga? Why would a story about the origin of the world be called Enen No Shotobai--was the book at all about that amazing brigade, or was it about the origins of the world?

As I've said, the Tamaki rant was frustrating: Ohkubo was getting offended over his story being criticized, he broke the fourth wall to complain that readers didn't understand him (similar to the presence of the doppels of Joker and Benimaru allowed the original characters to complain how those characters are misunderstood) all to defend something I find reprehensible, where he tries to excuse his perving on an underage girl by claiming it's all about declining birth rates and idealized sexuality (which, again, he is saying is in the form of an underage girl: fuck this guy).

And, yeah, it ruins Soul Eater by proxy when it's part of the shared universe and shared timeline, rather than just a work by the same author or even, as someone else has suggested, if it was an alternate world or part of a multiverse.

And ending the story with Maka being read the entire manga as if it was a children's book account as to the origins of this world is one last middle finger to the readers. Anything more I can say on this would probably be the same nitpicking I've done: why is this the last moment for the story, why is Ohkubo reminding us of his better work (Soul Eater, with Maka here) within his inferior work (Fire Force), is this children's book selection something that we should shrug as a Death Child thing (of course Maka's parents would read this violent account to their child)?

Funny how next to none of this is ever brought up in Soul Eater. I know that a work, especially one trying to be quote-unquote "realistic," would not have characters suddenly saying, "Hey, remember how the Big Bang happened almost 14 billion years ago, and how dinosaurs died off 65 million years ago," because no one rehashes and info-dumps their world history and lore building like that. But seriously, no one ever brings up, "Yeah, this world used to be entirely on fire--that's why the soil is so full of carbon or whatever happens when you burn everything"?

So, yeah, that's another reason it bothers me: it's not just that it's trying to be meta, it's that even the meta stuff screws with pre-established details that make the worldbuilding less enjoyable and gets in the way of plot, setting, and character progression.

[magireco-collection]

Magia Day Livestream Summary

I watched it on Youtube, and here is what I understood from this livestream event. My Japanese isn't perfect, so there might be a few mistakes. Please feel free to correct me if you see any wrong info 🥺

First of all, there were tables for each faction (except for Puella Care) and pairs of character VAs participated in various things.

Magia Union: Iroha, Yacchan and Tsuruno

Folklore of 0: Rabi and Asahi

Neo Magius: Himena and Miyuri

Promised Blood: Ao and Hikaru

Tokime Clan: Shizuka and Sunao

+++ Mikage and Kagome's VAs had a table of their own and made comments.

The first part was a brief summary of what happened in arc 2 and each VA answered questions about those events. They also talked about how it affected their characters and what they themselves felt when they saw the main story.

Then they answered a few questions asked by players in Japan.

Then there was a quiz event and VAs tried to answer game related questions.

This one was about finding the 4* gacha animation and the only group who picked right answer was folklore of 0 group. Everyone else picked Shizuku 😅

Later on, Degarashi Mana made an appearance and she beat a blast gorilla team of Doppel Kyouko, Ashley + Tanabata Yacchan with Magirepo trio (Iroha-chan, Felicia-chan and Madoka Senpai) in mirrors.

There was an event story about everyone's favorite animals and factions were trying to help Mikage find her own. It was funny and I laughed so much because Felicia convinced Magia Union that cows are the best animals.

Mikage was saying humans are better than animals but she found a mysterious favorite animal thanks to Tokime Clan.

I think this much emphasis on animals might be a hint for future events, possibly Halloween. Maybe we can get a meguca or a duo alt with animal outfits 😅 My bet is on Yuna Tiger Alt, but any animal would be cute 🥰

Now time for the most important part... GAME INFO CORNER!!!!

RIKA UNCAP RIKA UNCAP RIKA UNCAP FINALLY RIKA UNCAP- 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

We will be able to exchange Magia Chips for more items such as limited event memorias, Overlimiter Core and Innocent Gem. If they allow us to get unlimited 4* girls I'm getting Himena like there's no tomorrow 😭 She is my favorite and I've been trying to get her for MONTHS, only to be spooked by other megucas 😔

There will be changes about Mirrors, atk and def teams???

Old players and newbies will cooperate

Last but not least, there will be an event for the ancient Kamihama girls.

I am really excited about Rika uncap + the ability to get Innocent Gems with Magia Chips. But I don't care about the ancient girls they look boring to me 🤦

[skyward-floored]

you said something about an essay about the doppels? 👀

I have so many thoughts and a big theory in particular that haunts me about the doppels, which I’ll try to condense into something readable but no guarantees because I’ve got lots of thoughts about em.

SO doppels are, as said by the Doppel Master (guy who activates them for you), “no ordinary wooden dolls.” Rather they’re sacred dolls that serve as a vessel for a hero’s soul, allowing you (Link) to vacate your body and take over theirs.

Creepy.

Especially when you listen to the Doppel Master “bind them to your will” (he actually says that), which involves shaking his staff and creepy chanting and then a bloodcurdling scream. After which they light up and Link is able to throw his soul around in between the three bodies (which I’m sure had no negative consequences at all).

But they’re just inanimate dolls, so all of this is much less creepy then it would be if they were, say... actual people.

Theory time!

All throughout the game you hear over and over about the Legendary Tri Force Heroes, who saved Hytopia in a time long ago and all displayed the three attributes of courage... those being pointed ears, thick sideburns, and side parted hair (that smells of lavender and friendship kgdjhdj). They’re also said to have an unbreakable bond, so much that they’re able to communicate without words.

But anyways, it’s never really said what exactly became of these heroes, only that they came from parts unknown and saved the land in a time long ago. The only clue we have of them is the statue in the middle of Hytopia showing their likenesses, which is rather stylized.

And yeah they look like the Links, but you know what else they look like?

...the doppels.

It’s never said who created the doppels, how exactly they’re made, or even where they came from. You’re just told you can use them, with very little explanation.

And while it’s possible the doppels were merely created to resemble the original Tri Force heroes, the sheer wrongness that the entire deal with activating and using them emits, as well as them being “sacred” dolls, makes me think there’s more to it.

Like maybe... the doppels are the original Tri Force heroes?

Now wait, you’re probably thinking, there’s only two doppels, which means that if they are the original Tri force heroes, they’re missing a guy.

Which is true, except there is a third one. He just isn’t in the castle with the others anymore.

The doppels aren’t allowed to leave the hall they’re in, except for going to the drablands. In fact, if you try to walk out as one of them then you get yelled at by the guard by the door and are firmly refused exit, unless you return to your original body and leave that way.

Why don’t they want the doppels taken out of the hall? What’s the big deal? Is the Doppel Master afraid of losing one?

Is he afraid of losing another one?

Maybe instead of being just empty husks they really are people, trapped, or cursed? Maybe there’s a way to break it, from the outside, but also a way to momentarily break free yourself from the inside?

Maybe one of them already tried?

Now I don’t know why or how they’d end up as doppels, or who would do something like that to anyone, no less beloved heroes (someone with a jealous grudge? Evil magician?) and I doubt most of the people of Hytopia, (including the king and princess) have any clue about the situation, but it’s something I think about every darn time I play this game.

[albaricomics]

i think what francis needs is moving to a diff country,but he has a child,friends ,parents maybe, after all and this will be complicated asf,and i'm sure some people will rlly miss him ( i hope 😭)

OH ANDNDNDN i wanted to thank u cuz u inspired me to draw again after 3 yrs 💓💓💞💞💞i had a rlly huge art block where i coun't find my style,a fandom,and idk something

but then i saw your pists with tnmn and i was like,,OMGG THIS IS VERY COOL WHAIT...HMMM... maybe i could draw again..? "

SO THANK YOUUU💓💓💓💓💕💕💕💕💞💞💞💞these days i wanna draw you again,i will do it this night maybe, it's ok if i post it anddd tag you in??

Moving to a totally different place would be more like escaping, he's got important relations here at the building 👀

Mayyybe what he needs is vacations, and yeah move out with his (so believed) family, away from all the doppel situation. What do y'all think? 🥛

---

I'm sooo glad you could get out of that artblock!! I get the feeling, if you allow me to give you a piece of advice, keep a little sketchbook with you at all times, and try to draw what you see, as fast as possible, even if you get to do five lines before you leave, that's good, you're gonna practice gesture drawings and will motivate you on keep practicing those with characters you know or things you made up!

Enjoy drawing again, and ty for these kind words, glad to know I was part of that inspiration 💞💞

[mickgaydolenz]

How do you think the Doppel-Gang would deal with grief?

oooof okay heavy question but here goes

princess gwen -> i think she'd double down and make her tough front even more tough. like complete steel wall, nothing gets in or out. she'd probably also make a lot of derisive comments about whomever or whatever she was grieving about, trying to verbally downplay their importance so that she could almost convince herself it doesn't matter. it'd be so obvious she was going through something, but also impossible to talk to her about it because she'd immediately shut down any attempt. i think privately she'd feel very numb, and probably vulnerable in a way that frightens her.

babyface -> similar to gwen i think he'd also go full steel wall. although, unlike gwen i think babyface is way more jaded to death and loss since it's been part of his life as long as he can remember. he's had to learn not to care, and as a result holds most people at arms length anyways. if he does care about something it's definitely hard for him, but that pain becomes self directed and he berates himself for ever having cared in the first place. overall it'd be hard to tell because he'd function normally regardless, although he'd probably become extra productive just so he doesn't have time to dwell on anything.

alexei -> i think he alwasy takes loss hard, despite dealing with so much in his situation, because he feels things very deeply. it would be hard to tell when he's grieving, aside from the people closest to him, but the most obvious tell is he loses his passion for the things he loves most (like dancing). he would also probably seek out comfort from his loved ones, and stick especially close to them while he works through his feelings internally. maybe even as he starts to feel better he'd express his emotions through dance, choreograph some kind of movement that allows him to purge the negative feelings lingering inside him.

ludlow -> precious crybaby ludlow would be a mess. he is openly grieving, he is openly sobbing, he is having a full on breakdown and he doesn't care a whit who is around to witness it. this boy wears his heart on his sleeve, and when he's upset everyone knows it. similar to alexei, ludlow would seek out comfort from loved ones but unlike alexei he would need to talk about what he's feeling and what he's going through. sharing in his grief would help him A LOT, and having people to support him through that is paramount to his recovery. ludlow would also be a huge reminiscer, recalling fond memories is super important to his grieving process.

[crossedsabers10s]

Hi, I wanted to let you know that I am a huge fan of all your stories and when I saw this Tumblr account I was really interested in all those short stories that you wrote but the one that I completely fell in love with was how the Damon from Strikes Thrice travels to the canon world and I was wondering if you ever thought of expanding on that a bit more. I have fallen in love with the idea AU and Canon collaborating and how the original  Canon characters react to their alternative selves and their lives and the relationships that they’re in. but I never see authors writing that way and when I saw your story My heart skipped a beat I was so excited and it is such a good story overall.

First off, thank you!!!

Tbh I really love the canon meets AU stuff too, it’s one of my favorite things to read. Or the ones where canon reads the books or reads a fic.

It’s also one of my favorite things to daydream; it helps me with characterization sometimes, trying to figure out how x event changed this reaction and so on and so forth.

Like one of the things I’ve been thinking about recently is how hilarious it would be if Ursa Major’s Damon, Katherine, and 5yo alter!Hope met the canon cast. Mostly I’m picturing everyone’s faces when this tiny strawberry blonde child starts babbling in some absolute mishmash of languages—New Orleans’ French, Italian, American English, British English, with a scattering of Old Norse in two different dialects—about her Uncle Damon and Aunt Kitty.

And Damon basically being a responsible adult figure in her life makes everyone collectively twitch. But he is. And the kid mentions Enzo at one point, in relation to him being her mother’s friend/person.

Or her meeting teenage canon Hope—I still need to watch more of Legacies tbh so I don’t know too much about it—and it going like:

“New sister!”

“…half-sister. Technically. Even allowing for dimension travel.”

“Sister.”

“Half-sister.”

Slow blink. “Sister.”

Onto ur main question—Strikes Thrice is still somewhat fluid, so the set up changes every time I picture it.

But one of the base things that remains the same is that Damon is part of his own—… okay so I’ve been thinking about it like political blocks? He and Enzo and Dagur are a group. Mess with one, mess with the others. And, collectively, they have leverage. Not just because Dagur’s super strong—though that too—but also because they have teamwork and their combined deviousness is stupid high. So he’s a lot cockier than canon Damon. Hard to do, lmao, but he manages. And he’s also more—hyper? almost. More likely to joke around and maybe less defensive on the whole. Hence the mention of glittery nail polish. He likes shiny things, has no shame, and his friends started it. So why not? It was kind of a way to differentiate between them, that doppel!Damon is a bit more upbeat. Sometimes Jenna’s alive and therefore she and Damon bicker. A lot. Like all the time. So you have casually mentioning her and how she’s an annoying baby vampire. Because Jenna and Dagur have—had? Depending on the day they’ve ether had a fling and broke up because Jenna realized that Dagur is like. Actually crazy. And then gets with Alaric a la canon which spawns a vampire hunter dating a vampire subplot. Or they’re together and Jenna learns to just roll with stuff. Which puts Elena and Jeremy under Dagur’s protection independent of Damon. For the record, Jenna and Dagur having a thing prompt conversations like:

“Huh.” Enzo tips his head to the side, watching Jenna blush. “Well. No one tell Damon.”

Damon walks in. “Tell me what?”

Dagur points at him. “No killing this one!”

“Wha—what does that—…. W a i t”

Because Damon has absolutely killed one of her girlfriends before and he maintains it’s not because he was jealous that she was paying him less attention but the running joke is that is was absolutely that.

Oh! And he’s also just like the tiniest bit physically stronger than canon Damon. Because he’s shared blood with Dagur and it’s left a mark. It also makes his temper worse is it’s a recent thing. Which they figure out because doppel!Damon is used to people who can and will throw down and laugh it off a second later. So he does something a bit too vampiric making Canon Damon take offense and they grapple. Except other Damon is more used to fighting and is just that tiniest bit stronger so when they clash he plows other Damon over and then starts making jokes about it.

Anyways, hope this isn’t too rambling lol

Thanks for the ask!!!!

[silvermoon424]

If Charlotte saw Mami as candy when attacking her, what do you think Oktavia saw? Hitomies? I mean, in one timeline there was a minion that looked like her right? Also, I know Homura manipulated the memory of Sayaka at the end of Rebellion, but Nagisa still remembers? Also also, I know nothing about Magia Record, what timeline it is? Also also also, hi!, I love your blog!

First of all, thank you!!

Also, I like the idea of Oktavia seeing Hitomis when she sees her prey! There's no answer in the manga (unlike with how we see that Charlotte sees Mami as candy), btw, so it's up to interpretation.

There's no canon answer with how much Nagisa remembers in Homura's new world in Rebellion. She certainly seems to be happy and carefree; some people have speculated that Nagisa does remember everything, but has decided that she'd rather live happily in Homura's new world and abandon her duties to the Law of Cycles. Once again, it's completely up to your own interpretation as no canon answer is given. Maybe the fourth movie will clear things up?

As for Magia Record, it's a bit complicated. It takes place in one of Homura's alternate timelines, but it's revealed that the timeline basically split off from the regular timelines and is it's own thing now. To give you an idea of how far removed it is from the regular timelines, a bunch of magical girls (including the Holy Quintet) came together and actually beat Walpurgisnacht, therefore accomplishing Homura's initial mission.

Unfortunately, Madoka is still a magical girl in this timeline, so Homura's mission isn't truly accomplished. The magical girls of Kamihama (the setting of this story) are trying to find a way to get rid of the Witch system by implementing something called the Doppel system instead, which allows a magical girl's Witch form to be summoned in a safer form without actually turning into a Witch herself. It's already implemented in Kamihama, they're just trying to get the system to be implemented worldwide.

But yeah, needless to say the Magia Record timeline at this point (namely Arc 2) has already surpassed the original PMMM timeline.

[doppel-drop-distance]

Doppel Spotlight: Giovanna

Surprise~!

I know, I know, about time, right? The hypothetical Soul Gem has broken, and the Doppel Spotlights are back from the dead! Er…temporarily, anyway. I can’t say for certain how many more of these I’m up to doing just yet. It’s a bit too early for me to make any big estimates or guarantees. But! This Doppel analysis has sat here unfinished for quite some time now! And you all have shown such lovely support that I couldn’t help but be excited looking at all this old material again. So as a gift to you all, let’s finally analyze the Doppel of our main protagonist, Iroha Tamaki!

This analysis will contain spoilers for all of Magia Record’s first arc! This does include anime-specific content, as I will be discussing certain scenes from Episodes 5 and 7! You have been warned!

Let’s dive in, shall we?

GIOVANNA

Doppel of Silence

Feature: Cuckoo

“The master of this emotion is aware of how pitiful her Doppel is and refuses to look at it. This Doppel wordlessly wraps around and strangles anything it doesn't want to hear as it continues its search for something to fill the hole in its heart. While it should be calling for someone, it is cowardly and afraid of acknowledging the reality it has concealed, and so it remains, silently covering its ears.”

It's been a while, so how about we start things off with a little refresher?

Both Giovanna and Campanella’s names are direct references to Night on the Galactic Railroad, a Japanese novel written by Kenji Miyazawa. In the story, a shy boy named Giovanni travels on a star-bound train with his close friend, Campanella. To keep things brief, I’ll leave most of the general plot details out. However, if you’d like a lengthier summary, I suggest reading the summary I provided in the previous Doppel Spotlight, which is linked here.

I should also mention I actually located an English-translated copy of Night on the Galactic Railroad! As a result, I can quote the story directly, although I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the translations or my own interpretations. Please keep that in mind as you read!

The opening scene of the novel establishes early on that Giovanni is a reserved, self-conscious boy. In class, he is certain he knows the answer to the teacher’s question. However, when called on, he doubts himself and stays silent, bringing upon the jeers of his classmates. Campanella, who also raised his hand for the question, willingly chooses not to answer, despite also knowing, in order to show some sympathy for the flustered Giovanni.

This opening scene is likely what is referenced in Giovanna’s nature as the Doppel of silence. Giovanni stays silent out of self-doubt, and as a result believes himself to be pathetic. Iroha also silences herself in her own way, being very passive, self-conscious, and reserved at the beginning of her story. And, true to that comparison, her Doppel’s reflections of insecurity make her feel pitiful, to the point where she refuses to look at it.

Giovanni’s character can also be representative of Iroha’s inner loneliness. With his mother sickly and his father out of the house, Giovanni is too occupied with taking jobs and caring for his family to have time to talk. More often, he is bullied by his peers. The only exception is with Campanella, who doesn’t bully him, and even sympathizes with him. As Giovanni and Campanella travel on the Galactic Railroad, Giovanni’s loneliness is at its clearest. Campanella begins talking to Kaoru, another passenger on the train, and Giovanni becomes morose with jealousy. See this quote here:

“Is there really nobody who will stick with me to the edges of the universe and beyond? Campanella just sits there jabbering away with that little girl, and it hurts me more than anybody knows.”

Iroha is also incredibly lonely, deep down. She lives on her own, with parents away on business trips. The anime implies she doesn’t have a lot of friends either, with her classmates talking behind her back instead. Worst of all, her sister, who she values more than anyone else, is completely absent, Iroha being the only one that remembers that she exists. Such relationships sound awfully lonely, don’t they? It’s only through her bond with Yachiyo and the rest of Mikazuki Villa that Iroha grows into her own, letting her optimism, warmth, and confidence shine through.

Giovanna’s connections to Giovanni tie her quite close to Campanella, Yachiyo’s Doppel. And, well, Yachiyo is certainly not the kind and sympathetic Campanella at first meet. Her first encounter with Iroha is cold, brutally honest, and fully intent on keeping Iroha out at any cost. We learn later on that this attitude is a wall Yachiyo puts up to protect people – that she believes the people that get close to her die, and that she still struggles with the guilt of her past. Yet, it is Iroha who shows sympathy to Yachiyo, breaking down that wall between them. For example, let’s take a look at Chapter Six. After a trip to the Memory Museum Uwasa, Yachiyo has been reminded of the death in her life and is reflexively closing herself off again to keep Iroha safe. Iroha once shriveled up in response to Yachiyo’s intimidating rejection, but now, as her friend, she isn’t having it. She says this:

“You saying there’s nothing you can do to help Tsuruno and the others… It makes me feel sad…Lonely…We fought together all this time…But more than that, I’m angry. I’m angry with you, Yachiyo...”

“I’m your friend, Yachiyo. And as your friend, I’m going to take out that Uwasa, all on my own! I’m going to be the one to protect you. I’ll smash this made-up idea you have of me sacrificing myself for you!”

Just as Giovanni interprets his journey with Campanella as a sign to stay diligent in life, Iroha’s friendship with Yachiyo allows her to steady her own resolve and fight adamantly. Their namesake connection is a sign of their bond, and their newfound devotion to fight together and protect each other.

To wrap up this Galactic Railroad talk, have you noticed that in many of the anime’s early episodes, Iroha is riding on a train? In fact, it is on a train that Iroha is whisked away to Zenobia’s Barrier in Kamihama, where she meets Yachiyo for the first time. Perhaps a stretch, but a fun little detail regardless.

Anyway, there’s far more to Giovanna than story connections! Giovanna’s silent nature reflects a lot of Iroha’s character struggles: mainly, her feelings of denial, and her inclination towards self-sacrifice.

“This Doppel wordlessly wraps around and strangles anything it doesn't want to hear as it continues its search for something to fill the hole in its heart. While it should be calling for someone, it is cowardly and afraid of acknowledging the reality it has concealed, and so it remains, silently covering its ears.”

When you think of someone “strangling anything it doesn’t want to hear”, concealing their own reality and being afraid of acknowledging it...well, that sounds a lot like someone who doesn’t want to accept the truth.

Iroha shows quite a bit of denial in her search for Ui. The odds are stacked against her for a lot of Arc 1. She finds little to no clues wherever she searches, and the Ui she encounters from the Uwasa of the Commoner’s Horse is only a fake. Iroha is certain that Touka and Nemu, Ui’s closest friends, will remember Ui. But, they do not, and only ridicule Iroha for her seemingly impossible set of memories. Throughout Chapter Ten she is belittled for sticking to her goals. She’s ensured on all fronts that Touka and Nemu aren’t believing her, and that there’s nothing she can do to change their minds. But, no matter how many times Iroha is told by the world that she’s believing in a lie, she never lets her belief go.

“I’m still going. No matter what you say. I’m bringing Ui back with me…She’s the whole reason I came back to Kamihama.”

This stubborn determination, when twisted by the corrupt perception of a Witch, is far more like paranoid desire: an aching, fearful need to find whatever is missing in her heart and get rid of whatever threatens it.

Following this, let’s talk about Giovanna’s feature: a cuckoo. Cuckoos are solitary birds, shy and secretive, and best known for their calls. Yet, Giovanna’s beak is tied up with cloth. She cannot call for anyone. Her journey to find Ui is painted as one of futility: Giovanna searches and searches for the one she’s longed for, but in the end, is too afraid to call out to her.

Here’s a fun detail, by the way:

In Episode 5, when Iroha summons her Doppel for the first time, Giovanna actually does not have bandages around her beak (which is why she’s able to let out that high-pitched shriek):

In future appearances, however, Giovanna does have the bandages around her beak.

Come to think of it, Giovanna looks rather... different in her first appearance, doesn’t she? Not only is her beak not bandaged, but her colors are a lot redder and more decayed, her cloak is worn and full of holes, and the crown around her head is gone. This may just be a stylistic choice for Iroha’s first Doppel, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign for something else. Maybe that Giovanna is angry with the Commoner’s Horse Uwasa for projecting an illusion of Ui? Giovanna does fight a lot more aggressively here than in any other appearance, after all - she wraps the Uwasa up and drills into it with her beak. Meanwhile, in her second appearance, she only attacks an Uwasa with her bandages.

Giovanna’s unwillingness to call for others actually brings up an interesting facet of Iroha’s character: her sacrificial devotion. The reason that Iroha unleashes her Doppel in Episode 5 is because she neglects her own needs in favor of others. She believes that she must be strong on her own to find Ui, a thought reflected by her own Doppel’s words in Episode 7:

“Stronger…If you don’t become strong, you won’t be able to find anything! Cover your ears! Shut those eyes! Silence determines fate!”

When Iroha fails to find Ui within the Uwasa of the Commoner’s Horse, she is filled with despair. Ui was right before her eyes, proving the beliefs that even she may have begun to doubt. Yet, in that same instant she recognizes the Ui she sees is nothing but an illusion the Uwasa projected for her. So close, and yet so far. When Iroha begins to succumb to her despair, she even mentions that it might’ve been from the shock of not seeing Ui.

With all of these feelings, all of this disappointment and despair, who does Iroha use her only Grief Seed on? Yachiyo, of course. At this point in the story, Iroha wants to be friends with Yachiyo, but they are not seen as equals. She is not comfortable enough to open up to Yachiyo about her feelings, and neither is Yachiyo with her own. Yet, Iroha still sacrifices herself to keep Yachiyo from falling to despair. And by staying silent about her own woes, Iroha falls to her despair for the first time, summoning her Doppel.

Let’s keep this topic in mind and focus on something I haven’t addressed before: the Magia Archive artbook! There are some production notes in here that provide insights on the meaning and symbolism behind a Doppel. Unfortunately, I don’t know Japanese, but I did find a translation of Giovanna’s section, courtesy of @greenyvertekins. Here is a small piece from it that I would like to highlight:

“The motif is a bird flute and a saint with a rabbit-like appearance.”

The theme of a “saint” struck me as a little odd, at first. I wasn’t sure where I was supposed to get that idea from her design. But, it did lead me to a unique little find, which is probably a stretch, but maybe kind of cool anyway?

(credit to Silvermoon424 on Reddit for the scan!)

It’s a bit harder to see in the official art, but that crown circling Giovanna’s head – to me, it sort of looks like a crown of thorns. A crown of thorns is a very striking sign of self-sacrifice.

And sure, this is the stretchiest stretch that ever stretched, but those drop-like patterns on Giovanna’s body are red, and kind of look like drops of blood, right? Beads of blood that have also been associated with the crown of thorns, r-right? Right…?

Phew…I’ve been going on for a while, haven’t I? Is this…is this longer than the first one? I don’t even know anymore…Let’s silently wrap this up with one more, fun little stretch on my part.

Both cuckoos and bunnies, which are elements of Giovanna’s design, are symbolically representative of spring. Spring is cherry blossom season in Japan, and the Eternal Sakura Uwasa lives near a cherry blossom tree only said to bloom when Touka, Nemu, Ui and Iroha are united again. At the end of the event Cherry Blossom Dreams, the Eternal Sakura even remarks that “spring can finally begin” because they are all together. So, if you squint really hard, maaaaybe the springtime connections here are representative of Iroha, Touka, Nemu, and Ui’s union under the cherry blossom tree. But probably not. I’m just having some fun.

And, that’s it! That’s all I’ve got for Giovanna! Wow! That sure was something!

I hope you all enjoyed my silly little analysis! I know some of these connections are a bit loose, but I like drawing whatever parallels I can with what understanding I have, haha. It was great to write one of these again and share it with you all!

If you have any of your own thoughts, additions, or corrections, do send them along! I would love to hear other interpretations!