i'm not sure how i feel about the archon quest as a whole but one thing that i can say is that i really like mavuika. so far throughout the story we've met archons who are all gods (in the eyes of their people at least) - and godhood, whether it ends up demanding devotion or fear, is something that undeniably seperates these archons from the people of their nations, as there's always this big "something" that people seem to believe makes a god "more" than them, and a lot of the time that seems to boil down to the idea that the gods are without flaws that are inherently human. obviously this is very much not the case in practice - it's arguably one of the main themes of the entire game that these systems of worship are flawed because the gods are inherently human in all the ways that actually matter - but the point is that people believe them to be flawless, so there's always this level of insincerity in their characters, whether they're in their role as a god or pretending to be human.
mavuika, on the other hand, almost seems to be the complete opposite of that - she is so, so sincere, to the point where it makes you suspicious of her intentions, because it's nearly the polar opposite of what we've gotten previously. and maybe she is just an incredibly honest person, which in and of itself is still very refreshing when it comes to archon characters, but i think a lot of it comes down to one thing - she's human, and the people of natlan see her as such. yes, she is still the archon, but she's not a god, and so they don't really revere her or worship her - they just extend the same level of respect to her that you would see people in other nations extend to their human leaders (take ningguang as an example.)
i think that having an archon who is so plainly honest and sincere - not just about their plans but about themselves, too - due to the fact that they are already seen as human and therefore don't need to maintain the perfection of a god is so useful for looking at how the archons are just as flawed and just as human as anyone else, and by extension how these systems of worship are flawed and almost redundant. we got another pretty obvious angle through furina - a human who was forced into the role of a god, and who played it perfectly - but having one who's just obviously human from the get-go is just. so nice.
36 notes
·
View notes
Ride 742: Sudden death match!!
Pag 1
1: Woah, Danchiku, oh-
And Sugimoto-san too!?
2: They passed us so quickly!! Such high pace!!
Huh!?
They're doing some sort of serious race!?
3: I get it
4: I can feel it
5: This guy....!!
Pag 2
1: He's not giving up at all!!
Pag 3
3: Earlier, at the line, I thought I had won this race
I thought he was far behind me and would cross the line with his head hanging down
4: And yet....
Pag 4
1: He caught up to me....!!
2: The preliminary of this race was already done on the “second day”!!
3: That time, the result
5: was a draw!!
6: So it would be better to have a more precise result, wouldn't it
We'll decide it with this lap!! The rules are simple: the starting point line is 4km from here, the one who crosses it first wins!!
7: And then the loser shouldn't “surpass” the winner anymore!! Sugimoto-san!!
Pag 5
1: Imaizumi-san too!!
2: …. yeah
It's better to make it clear with a proper race like this
3: So you have no regrets....!!
4: Let's go!!
5: Crush him, Danchiku!!
Pag 6
2: At the same time....!!
Ah.... “at the same time” again!?
3: Seriously!?
Are you being for real, Sadatoki!?
Pag 7
1: You're just seeing things as you wish they were,since he's your brother!!
Oon!! No that's not it, on!!
It's true, Kaburagi, I saw it too
2: They arrived at the same time, Sugimoto stretched at the last moment
3: Kawada!!
It's “san”!!
4: Are you an accomplice too!!
What are you talkin abut
5: A- amazing, Sugimoto-kun
6: Amazing!!
Pag 8
1: “Amazing”, huh, Onoda
2: Imaizumi-kun....
Pfui
3: You thought Sugimoto would win? ….This race
Huh
4: You didn't think he would, that's why when we heard the results you could say “amazing”
Ah!!
5: I'm- I'm sorry Sugimoto-kun!! I didn't believe in you, even though you worked so hard....!!
Who are you yelling at
6: Me too
Pag 9
2: During these past four days.... Sugimoto worked hard, but, after their race on the second day and after seeing how remarkably stronger Danchiku has gotten
3: When they decided to do another race, I thought Sugimoto would definitely lose
4: Then, when the time came
5: If you lose, you feel better if you gave it your all, so
6: “So you have no regrets”
7: I said that
But
8: He turned it around
Sugimoto really is amazing
Pag 10
1: Even with no one believing in him, with only his own strength, he snatched a “draw” against Danchiku!!
Pag 11
1: Keep going!! Let's keep going with the race, Danchiku!!
2: Even though he's having such an hard time, he's still following me!!
3: Since earlier I've increased the pace many times
4: Garuaaa
Even if I tear him off
Pag 12
1: Every time
2: While saying
3: “Kuaa kuaa”
“Kuaa kuaa”
5: Kuaaa-
6: Kuaaaaaaa
He catches up to me
Pag 13
2: You keep following me....
3: No....
4: You're the one who said “please follow me”, Danchiku
Pag 14
1: Garuaaa!!
2: Ahhhh
Don't make fun of me, there's no way!!
3: Aaaaaaaa
4: Hiigaruaaaa!!
There's no way I'll lose!!
Pag 15
1: To Sugimoto-san!!
4: I was careless – I was careless and that's why he caught up to me!! The second time too!!
I won't be careless this time!!
Pag 16
1: Ill take a plunge firmly, throw my handles, and cross the line
2: At full throttle!!
The last curve!!
3: He's not following me anymore!! He's....
Pag 17
1: He's here!!
Cough cough
2: Kuaaaa
We're entering the final sprint!!
3: Dammit, this guy is gonna stretch from here!!
4: Hiigaruaaaaa!!
Take a plunge!!
5: Take a plunge!!
Pag 18
1: Throw your handles!!
Pag 19
1: Wooooah!!
No... wait, even now....
2: It's a draw!!
Ya!!
On!!
Woah
3: Dammit, what happened, Danchiku what are you doin!!
You should be much stronger..... should....
Pag 20
1: Don't tell me.... that Sugimoto-san.... is strong too!?
2: You.... you mean it's a draw for the third time!!
How long will they keep going, at this pace it won't ever end!!
3: …. no
5: It's a shame, but there's no time left...
6: This lap is the last
87 notes
·
View notes
Are you still doing the wip ask game? If so, can i ask about number 5?
I love this one and I'm so embarrassed that it's still a wip oh no!!!! This should have been completed a long time ago to celebrate hitting 1,000 followers but uh... it sorta snowballed into way more than I thought it would and this cute little oneshot is now way more than that. Whoops.
It started as a @stealingyourbones prompt that I added on to, which you can read here! Then I posted a wee little wip wednesday sneak peek, and this snippet (is it still a snippet if it's over 1k words?) carries on from there :)
👻🦇👻
Danny doesn’t join him for what is, unexpectedly, a pretty great meal.
“Holy shit, you guys,” he murmurs, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "You’re missing out.”
“Come on, Jay, it can’t be as good as the Big Bat Deluxe.” Dick whines in his ear. “You love those.”
“No, I love the Red Hot Hood Bites. That’s all I get at Bat Burger, and don’t let me hear you telling the others that I get anything else.”
“Please, Jason, don’t think we don’t have everyone’s BB order on file, who do you think you’re talking to?”
“Fuck off, Timbits. Go eat at Red Robin.”
“Hey, fuck you!”
Jason elects to tune out the ensuing list of threats in favour of finishing his burger. He’s heard them all before and he’s like 80% sure that Tim won’t actually hide his body in a Red Robin—if only because it wouldn’t take the World’s Greatest Detective to figure out who did it and he'd be so deep in the fucking shit that he may as well join Jason.
Aside from the food (seriously, that sauce! He’s going to need to rustle up a copycat or something, he can’t leave here without a recipe), the Nasty Burger is a pretty sad affair.
It’s a little run down, the vinyl covers on the seats peeling and suspiciously sticky, and incredibly quiet. The only other people around are the two teens behind the counter, bored and on their phones, and two kids, probably around Danny’s age, sitting in the corner quietly arguing amongst themselves. There’s an ungodly amount of food in front of them, but only the guy seems to be eating.
Jason sighs and looks at the rapidly cooling Supremely Nasty Meal meant for Danny. Taking a few of the fries won’t hurt, will it?
He peels the paper bag away from the greasy mess and digs in. Huh, they really skimped on his lot, there’s only like half a carton in here.
“So, you gonna bring us back something or are we going to have to starve?”
“Haven’t decided yet.”
“What a shame,” Timbo starts, with a theatrical air, “for I am still trying to decide whether or not to tell you everything I’ve learnt about the Fentons. Perhaps we could come to some sort of arrangement?”
“You finally made yourself useful and got through those firewalls?”
“Yeah, once I managed to get my hands on a native laptop. It’s weird, but whatever was keeping out my tech lets anything bought directly from Amity in. Having such localised security—to the point where even my stuff can’t penetrate?— is beyond strange. I don’t like it.”
Jason leans back, and reaches for Danny’s milkshake, finding it surprisingly light when he lifts it up. Seriously, what is with the half portions here? He turns round and glares at the spotty teen behind the counter, who doesn’t look up from his phone. Whatever. It's not like Danny’s going to drink it anyway.
Looks like the two kids in the corner have made up, if their stifled laughter is anything to go by. Most of their own food is gone now, too, so perhaps the real reason it’s called the Nasty Burger is because they stiff you on the food.
“This place is weird.” says Dick, in a rare case of being right.
“You don’t know the half of it…” Tim sighs but doesn’t offer up anything else.
Jason’s been trying his best to ignore it.
The weirdness, that is.
There’s an electrical charge in the air so strong it almost feels like he’s swimming through static. Each breath makes his steps bounce like he’s walking on the moon. If he turns too quickly, if he stands up too fast, his head spins like he's breathing too much oxygen.
No matter what Tim thinks he knows, it’s not the full weirdness of Amity Park, Jason's sure about that. Being here itches under his skin, and he resolves not to delve any deeper into it. Not with the way the green swims on the edges of his vision.
The sooner they figure out what’s happening here, the better.
“What’s your price?”
“Two Supremes and a six pack of Nasty Nuggies. Cake shake with two shots of espresso.”
Jason rolls his eyes as Dick splutters in concern.
“Shake and espresso? Tim, you have a problem.”
“It’s just a frappuccino. There’s no difference.”
“Then get a frappuccino.”
“I want a shake.”
“Then there's a difference! And the difference is that Alfred will kill us for enabling you!”
“As riveting as watching Timberly’s mental and physical wellbeing disappear before our very eyes is, what’s your info?”
“The same for me, please!” Dick butts in, yet again. “Except with a coke instead, because I’m normal.”
Both Tim and Jason snort.
“Yeah, not gonna touch that. Tim, info, come on.”
“Alright, alright. Hey, so, what’s your favourite thing about being adopted?”
“Tim, I swear to God, if you don’t get to the point right now, I’ll—”
“You’re right! It’s that none of us are actually related to you.”
“And yet somehow, I’m still stuck with you all. Point, Tim, get to it.”
He grabs the burger meant for Danny and begins to unwrap it. If he has to listen to Tim being all smug about whatever he’s found out, he’s doing it with a burger in hand.
“Did you know that Willis Todd’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather was a Nightingale?”
“What’s a Nightingale? Aside from the obvious.”
“A Nightingale is about two generations away from becoming a Fenton.”
“Oh, what the fuck? You cannot be serious!”
“Serious as a cake shake with two espressos in it.”
“No, my… Someone ate my other fucking burger!”
Danny’s burger has a huge, bite-sized chunk taken out of it. Literal teeth marks in the bun. A slice of tomato slops limply onto the table, painting his shirt with splatters of weak tomato juice, the red half moon taunting him. Sauce dribbles out mournfully.
The two kids in the corner are staring openly now, faces red with how hard they’re laughing.
Jason sinks into his chair with a groan.
This fucking town.
Is this how they treat outsiders? Take bites of their burgers while they laugh on—but then why only do it to his spare and not both meals? The teenagers behind the counter aren't even paying any attention, so why bother pulling a prank like this if you're not going to—
Danny.
Jason whips his head around as if he can catch the invisible little shit, but just like on the street, there's no sign of him.
Has he been here the whole time, invisibly eating the food Jason offered him? Except the packaging was still perfectly wrapped, the sticker still attached, how in the hell had he managed to eat the burger without damaging it? Did he get to it in the kitchen? Or does he—
“Wait, hold up. What the fuck did you just say?”
47 notes
·
View notes