#can kill for the sake of unity

[shironezuninja]

To paraphrase Robin from Teen Titans: “I Only Wish I’d Done This Sooner.”

[waywardsalt]

i think the hardest wide-scope or w/e part of the bellum x linebeck fic is def nailing down whatever the larger background plot is. i want there to be some… event going on in the background that they occasionally intersect with and has effects on the foreground events, but i can’t exactly figure it out yknow

[gingerdusk]

You're big on Zelda, so I'm curious. How would you rewrite TOTK, if given the writer's room?

Fun question! *cracks knuckles* Let's answer it.

I've answered about the disconnect between BotW and TotK before, so I'm going to take some of those ideas and run with them here.

I'm taking the intended route, for the sake of keeping coherence rather than just making up an entirely new Hyrule from scratch. Link and Zelda are the same as they are in BotW.

To start off, I like the Zonai.

I like that they're an entirely new race of people in Hyrule. I love how weird-looking they are. I love that they're not human race #87.

I also love their bastard not-Zonai lovechild thing. If we saw more examples of Zonai, I would love for this funky lil dude to be part of them, kind of like how the Zora have a ton of variation between them.

So why don't we do that? Why don't we give them a kingdom?

And why don't we put some meat on the bones of what was already built?

There are Zonai-esque ruins all over the Depths, mostly in mines for Zonaite.

Their color palette matches. Rauru's braids and Sonia's earrings match brightblooms.

And the three dragons, who have Zonai features (segmented, color-edged hair, long ears, blunt muzzles, scale beard mouths), could have been a catalyst.

A catalyst for what, though?

It starts with the Depths themselves, and the dragons breaking free.

See, in TotK, the three elemental dragons all dive in and out of the Depths chasms. There's no explanation as to why, and the only explanation we have for the chasms forming is that it was like...geysers of Gloom.

However, the dragons in BotW are confirmed to have carved these canyons:

So let's go back in time a little.

The Zonai live in the Depths. They're underground, away from all the chaos that Hyrule has ever had to endure. They worship the bargainer statues as gods, they collect the souls of those above that drip down into the world below.

They have a rich mining industry, and coliseums for their greatest warriors to test their mettle against captured monsters.

They have their Secret Stones, and the one who's allowed to hang onto those is their leader.

That'd be young Prince Rauru.

The elemental dragons, Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh, are testaments to why no one can be allowed to have the Secret Stones. They were consumed by their power, literally.

One day, they break free, as if summoned by an unknown force. They tunnel through the ground and into the sky, connecting the world below to the one above.

The Hylians cautiously venture below, or the Zonai above. Prince Rauru, keeper of the Secret Stones, and Sonia, High Priestess of Hylia, meet.

They fall in love.

They marry.

Their marriage marks a unity between the Surface and the Depths.

(Maybe throw in a lil Skyward Sword continuity, mention that while Hylia sent the humans to the sky, the Zonai fled underground to avoid Demise, to keep the Secret Stones out of his grasp. You don't even have to name drop him, just say they went down to avoid destruction.)

Suddenly, Hyrule (the center part of the map, based around the Great Plateau, not the whole sub-kingdom conglomerate it exists as in BotW) undergoes a technological boom. Ganondorf, neighboring leader of the Gerudo, is interested. He talks trade with now-king Rauru, but there's the sub-plot of trying to get his secrets, which he steadily grows obsessed with.

Meanwhile, the Gerudo make their own expedition into the Depths.

There. The stage is set.

Now Zelda falls into the past.

She's found by Rauru and Sonia. Adopted as their daughter, more or less.

Also, the two of them have a small child. Nintendo, you CAN'T set them up as "they're her ancestors" and then kill them childless, descendants don't work like that. Zelda's immediately endeared to the kid, who reminds her of Link. Lil half-Zonai girl with a wooden sword who swings it at anything that moves. There are memories, it's cute.

In the past, Zelda witnesses, real time, Ganondorf going mad with power. They get along well at first, he's cordial, polite, a model diplomat. But she finds his troops in places they shouldn't be, confronts him about it and gets brushed off.

She tells Rauru, he's unwilling to throw suspicion onto Ganondorf. They're semi-friends and diplomacy is important! He's got to run this kingdom right. He can't fail, this is the biggest thing he's ever done!

(Sprinkle in a parallel to BotW Zel's fear of failure)

Some of the memories fill in gaps about Rauru's power, also. He's got what Link can do, minus Recall. Ultrahand and Fuse mainly, but Rauru's been experimenting with Ascend, excited because it'll make passage between the Depths and the Surface so much easier, and we see where Zel gets her scientific excitement from. Regardless of how different they look, they ARE family.

Ganondorf and Rauru get into a fight one day. A BAD fight. Maybe because Zelda tipped Rauru off, and despite telling her no, Rauru looked into it anyways. Regardless, they march out in opposite directions, and Zelda overheard it in the hallway. As Ganondorf leaves, he gives her the most SCATHING glare.

He then declares war on Hyrule.

Rauru makes a bid for allies, trying to get enough manpower to fight Ganondorf's impressive military. It's a struggle at first, but Zelda steps in, being the leader she's skilled at being and telling the others how crucial it is that they help. Ganondorf, meanwhile, turns to forbidden arts in his rage against Rauru, gets infected by Gloom/Malice, becomes scarily powerful. First Blood Moon. The Gerudo are kind of unnerved by him.

We see Zelda and Sonia helping with the war. Sonia's got light powers, Zelda's are stronger, together they can destroy entire ARMIES of monsters, saving their warriors on the battlefield. A few instances of Little Princess trying to be involved like the grown-ups are, getting huffy when she's told no.

In the aftermath of each fight, Rauru runs around, sealing away the monsters' latent energy with green spirals. That's where the Shrines come from, though in the past, they're Luminous Stones—it's all faded by present day, the light bled out of them.

Sonia is on the battlefield against Ganondorf one fateful night, Little Princess wanders onto the field, both the girls panic about it, and Sonia tries to run away with her while Zelda affords them cover. THAT'S when Ganondorf strikes her—he's fast like a ninja, rushes past Zelda, strikes Sonia.

She falls. Little Princess tumbles.

Zelda races to Little Princess's side, picks her up to run away with her as Ganondorf gets Sonia's stone, and he transforms into the Demon King. He raises his army. Little Princess screams, and we see an uncontrolled blast of Hylia's power, like an erratic attempt at what Zelda did at the end of BotW.

It fritzes, Zelda hugs her tight and ducks down to shield her, and the power cascades across the battlefield, affecting monsters AND people alike. The war is in shambles. Ganondorf stares at the child and her guardian, and retreats in a hurry.

Cue Rauru running to their side.

He grieves his wife. Little Princess is kept safe by Zelda. The Gerudo shun Ganondorf and join Rauru's side, and everyone involved in the war dedicates everything to one final assault against Ganondorf, one trap to finally END him, to force him into the Depths and fight him on the Zonai's own turf. The Secret Stones are distributed. Rauru knows what he has to do, and at the climax of the final battle, he uses his Secret Stone to amplify his sealing magic, knowing it'll kill him in the process and locking Ganondorf away in the Depths.

Except, it's not that simple.

Gloom bursts out of the newly trapped Ganondorf's chest, flooding the Depths, eliminating everyone in its path. That includes the Sages, the assaulting army, and the VAST majority of the Zonai. Its sole purpose is to gather enough strength over time for Ganondorf to break his shackles, because the Gloom wants OUT.

(Subtly implied that the Gloom is the first iteration of Demise's curse of hatred, maybe.)

And Zelda is alone. Trapped in the past, stuck with Little Princess, her Secret Stone, and the last of Mineru's notes.

Gloom continues to fume out of the Depths, so they're sealed off. The Blood Moon keeps spawning new monsters, so Little Princess and the remainders of the construct caretakers are sent up to the sky, for her protection. Zelda's the one that orchestrates it. Her people once hailed from the sky, and it's always been known as a place of safety for them.

Is this self-referential to the history she's building, or a Skyward Sword reference? Who knows.

They go skyward.

Then the Master Sword appears, and Zelda knows what she has to do. It's compounded, of course, by crushing guilt over the fact that Sonia's death happened on her watch. She tells Little Princess to look out for the world ahead, tells her to be strong, and brave, and everything she wishes her dad had told her. Then ends it with a final message.

"I'm leaving you something very important. Take good care of it."

Then she goes off alone to become a dragon.

Present day.

Link's not guided by Rauru, he's guided by a strange, beautiful woman who looks kind of like Zelda (albeit with Zonai hair, eyes, and long claws), who has a deep regret for the world below and who knows the lonely world above like the back of her hand. She teaches him the basics of his powers as he visits the shrines.

The Great Sky Island is otherwise normal.

You go to Hyrule. The Light Dragon's the one that breaks the cloud barrier, and as she does so, she sheds a single tear. By the time you get to the tear's location, it's spread a mural of the memory it contains around it.

Whenever you Recall a tear, the Light Dragon sheds a new one somewhere else, and it's up to you to follow.

You're chasing Zelda, twice over.

Besides that, Hyrule's Surface is...largely unchanged. I'm still upset that the pirates assaulting Lurelin weren't ACTUAL pirates, so guess what, they are now. Splinter faction of Yiga. Also, River Zora take over Lake Hylia, there's a spat between them and the Sea Zora, and Yona is the princess of the Rivers.

Then you've got the Depths.

That's where you find the ruins of the Zonai civilization, and you start piecing together the world it contains on your own. You aren't told, you're SHOWN.

Rauru's ghost finds and guides you here. He has a moment of "hey, isn't that MY arm?", upgrades your abilities or shows you how to use them more efficiently (ups your build limit, shows you how to un-Fuse, teaches you DEscend, gives you Autobuild, things like that), then DIES-dies. You escort his poe soul to a Bargainer statue.

The biggest change to the Depths, though, is that under the Gerudo Desert, you find PEOPLE.

So remember how the Gerudo launched their own expedition into the Depths in the past? How the Gloom killed almost everyone and the world below was sealed off?

There were a sparse few survivors of the Zonai, and some unfortunate Gerudo researchers that also got trapped. The people down there now are descendants of both. They're not Zonai anymore, though.

They're Lomei. They evolved like how the Rito evolved from the Zora in Wind Waker. Their tribe name comes from the Zonai word for "loneliness."

Regardless, they're initially inhospitable to Surfacers, because Surfacers are how they ended up how they did. If you sneak into their city, you're captured, like a few unfortunate Zonai Survey Team members that have wandered in, only YOU can escape via Ascend. OoT Gerudo parallel.

You can earn the Lomei's trust by doing things for them (maybe beating all three labyrinths as a rite of passage?), and then they let you into their cities. They've got their own brand of tech based off of old Zonai designs. One of the Lomei scientists is working on a mechsuit—that'll be the sage that Mineru passes her stone down to. And it fits doubly, both because the Lomei ARE the descendants of the Zonai and because the Lomei technician and Mineru are both scientists.

The Lomei people give you more pieces to the complicated Zonai-Hylian puzzle, and they're the ones that first tell you the legend of the dragons-from-Secret-Stones. So you can either learn it from them OR get it revealed in Zel's later memories.

Besides that, the present plot is pretty much as normal. Still the same bosses. Still the same sages-help-with-everything, though each sage you rescue gives you another piece of what really happened at the final fight (rather than the same cutscene over and over), telling you about how Rauru sacrificed himself and the effect it had on the rest of the Depths.

I will change where the Ganondorf's Army fight takes place, though. It's ACTUALLY very hidden, like the game was trying to imply it to be when you chase around Kohga. You do still have to do that, but he accidentally directs you to a place that's hidden in the tiniest crevice near Hyrule Castle, one that's very easy to miss and sitting in a veritable sea of Gloom. Once you finish the Kohga quest, a poe hovers outside of the crevice, which leads into an even deeper chasm that leads to the Underdepths.

The poe's your help to get through the maze there, and wherever it goes, Sundelions bloom at the corners. If you go early, before getting everything done, you have to navigate that place yourself, and it's a nightmare.

But you do it. You get to where everything started, and you beat the army, then Ganondorf, then he shoves his fist down his throat and goes dragon.

As he breaks through the ground and curls around Hyrule Castle, he SHATTERS it. The building crumbles to smithereens, crashing into the Depths below.

You beat Demon Dragon, Zelda catches you on her nose, it's over. You're in the spirit realm over sleeping Zelda.

The poe appears over your shoulder, drifts away from you, then materializes into Sonia. She says nothing, just activates Recall, turns Zelda back to normal, then cradles her in her arms. She gives her a kiss on the forehead, looks at you, then says the same line Zelda said to Little Princess ages ago, with the single change of one word.

"I'm leaving you something very important. Take good care of her."

She fades, as does the Spirit World.

You're falling.

Zelda's falling.

You catch her.

She wakes up, sees you, then hugs you and sobs into your shoulder.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Roll credits.

Bonus for the memory completionists, the True Ending has Zelda meeting the grown Little Princess up at the Great Sky Island, reconciling with her, both of them saying how proud they are of each other. Then Little Princess turns into a poe, and Zelda promises to take her to the Depths so she can be with her parents again. As they walk away, Sonia's poe tails after them.

And THAT is a way longer post than I expected to write. Whew.

[thethief1996]

For the past 100 days, Israel has been waging a genocide campaign in Gaza without any sort of reprieve from western countries. Palestinians are suffering from a human-made famine, surpassing the scale and speed of any other famine enforced in the past 75 years. Healthcare professionals are being cornered into Rafah by constant airstrikes, sniper attacks and bombardments at hospitals, forced to leave patients and medical supplies behind. Unmaned quadcopters opened fire on the maternity and ICU unities of Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital and killed 8 civilians. Yesterday, the hospital ran out of fuel and the babies in incubators might die anytime soon. Only 127 aid trucks are being allowed into Gaza of the 500 allowed before the war, under "normal" blockade conditions. The distribution of food and water is made basically impossible by the destruction of communications and the looming threat of executions against people gathered to receive it. Just today snipers killed 3 people in line to receive food in Gaza City and Israel officials have the gall to say the problem is that humanitarian organizations, whose volunteers are being executed at unprecedent rates, aren't putting in enough effort. The IDF drops leaflets telling desperate refugees to flee and then station tanks on the roads or bombs the safe zones.

Ever since I read South Africa's submission to the ICJ I can't stop thinking about how they label it as the demication of Gaza and its people. On every sphere of the government, there are statements calling for the anihilation of the people of Gaza (pages 59 to 67). The Prime Minister has directly adressed the army telling them to wipe off the amalekites (page 60), and South Africa showed tiktoks of the soldiers repeating his speech word for word before committing massacres. And yet they have the gall to come to the world and say they haven't targeted hospitals, they haven't withheld aid and that the statements are "random assertions." To prove that Netanyahu isn't a blood thirsty pig, they pasted a statement he made ONE DAY before the hearing started, which is frankly ridiculous we're supposed to believe isn't a PR stunt (page 34).

No western outlet streamed the highest stake court hearing in the 21st century, but you can rest assured they streamed Israel's pathetic defense. And Canada, Germany, the UK and the US, countries which have in no way reckoned with their own genocidal pasts, have come forward in defense of Israel like they have any moral high ground to patronize the world about genocide.

Take action, for their sake. Motaz has said "Don't call yourself a free person if you can't make changes. If you can't stop a genocide that is still ongoing". We need to fight in any way we can to stop their massacre.

Keep yourself updated and share Palestinian voices. Muna El-Kurd said every tweet is like a treasure to them, because their voices are repressed on social media and even on this very app. Make it your action item to share something about the Palestinian plight everyday. Here are some resources:

Al Jazeera, Anadolu Agency, Mondoweiss

Boycott Divest Sanction Movement

Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing protests and direct action against weapons factories across the US

Mohammed El-Kurd (twitter / instagram)

Muhammad Shehada (twitter)

Motaz Azaiza (instagram) - reporting directly from Gaza.

Hind Khudary - reporting directly from Gaza. Her husband and daughter moved South to run from the tanks but she stayed behind to record the genocide. The least we can do is not let her calls fall on deaf ears.

You can participate in boycotts wherever you are in the world, through BDS guidelines. Don't be overwhelmed by gigantic boycott lists. BDS explicitly targets only a few brands which have bigger impact. Right now, they are focusing on boycotting the following:

Carrefour, HP, Puma, Sabra, Sodastream, Ahava cosmetics, McDonalds, Disney and Israeli fruits and vegetables

Push for a cultural boycott - pressure your favorite artist to speak out on Palestine and cancel any upcoming performances on occupied territory (Lorde cancelled her gig in Israel because of this. It works.)

If you can, participate in direct action or donate.

Palestine Action works to shut down Israeli weapons factories in the UK and USA, and have successfully shut down one of their firms in London.Some of the activists are going on trial and are calling for mobilizing on court.

Palestinian Youth Movement is organizing direct actions to stop the shipping of wars to Israel. Follow them.

Educate yourself. Read into Palestinian history and the occupation. You can't common sense people out of decades of propaganda. If your arguments crumble when a zionist brings up the "disengagement of Gaza", you have to learn more.

Read Decolonize Palestine. They have 15 minute reads that concisely explain the occupation (and its colonial roots) and debunk popular myths, including pinkwashing.

Read on Palestine. Here's an amazing masterpost.

Verso Book Club is giving out free books on Palestine (I personally downloaded Ten Myths about Israel by Ilan Pappe. If you still believe in the two states solution, this book by an Israeli professor debunks it).

Call your representatives. The Labour Party in the UK had an emergency meeting after several councilors threatened to resign if they didn't condemn Israeli war crimes. Calling to show your complaints works, even more if you live in a country that funds genocide.

FOR PEOPLE IN THE USA: USCPR has developed this toolkit for calls, here's a document that autosends emails to your representatives and here's a toolkit by Ceasefire in Gaza NOW!

FOR PEOPLE IN EUROPE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace targeting the European Parliament and one specific for almost all countries in Europe, including Germany, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Greece, Norway, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Finland, Austria, Belgium Romania and Ukraine

FOR PEOPLE IN THE UK: Friends of Al-Aqsa UK and Palestine Solidarity UK have made toolkits for calls and emails

FOR PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA: Here's a toolkit by Stand With Palestine

FOR PEOPLE IN CANADA: Here's a toolkit by Indepent Jewish Voices for Canada

Join a protest. Here's a constantly updating list of protests:

Global calendar

Another global calendar (go to the instragram of the organizers to confirm your protest)

USA calendar

Australia calendar

Feel free to add more.

[sepublic]

Adding to the timeline of Darius and Eberwolf’s rebellion, it’s a fun little detail that right after almost being killed by Eda’s curse, they get a chance to talk with Raine properly and come to an understanding, which leads to the two suggesting the curse as a weapon against the coven; It makes sense, given how it completely negated two coven heads, and I imagine Darius’ Abomination form to be pretty unstoppable until it came across the decays of Archivist magic.

Raine seems to reiterate their refusal to involve Eda, and right after this scene we have Hollow Mind, which deals with the rebels’ attempt to invade Belos’ mindscape. Given Raine is established to pretty pro-murder, I don’t think it was as simple as learning the truth about the draining spell, since they seemed to have already figured it out; We see how damaging a mindscape can damage the individual themselves.

It seems their plan was to just assassinate Belos outright, since he knew the carvings necessary for the ritual. So was this Raine’s idea, a Plan B that they eventually pushed as a Plan A, because better to try taking out Belos ASAP, than let him attempt the draining spell at all, right? And of course this brings me to how the only other time we see a mindscape spell, it’s via Eda…

So did Eda teach it to Raine? After all, the mindscape spell the CATTs pull off seems to involve multiple forms of magic, so it tracks only Eda could do it for those reasons. That’s poetic; Raine using Eda’s magic to save Eda. Alas, it didn’t work out; The CATTs had to bail with Hunter’s presence. Maybe they would’ve succeeded if they’d made it in, or not, if it’s implied that Belos anticipated the attack; If Hunter heard rumors, it’s probable he heard it by eavesdropping on his uncle as Kikimora did.

And as for Luz? At that point, the plan was already a bust; She didn’t ruin anything. But she did put Hunter into the mindscape with her by accident. But as traumatizing as it was, it did inadvertently lead to Hunter’s survival, I suspect; If he didn’t see the truth with his own eyes, he might have realized it too late, and stuck with Belos up until the Day of Unity, and been killed at the skull. Kikimora wouldn’t have brought “Hunter” there herself, so the Hexsquad wouldn’t have followed her there, and thus King could not free the Collector.

In other words: Luz tackling Hunter saved the life of everyone with a sigil. Nice job, kiddo!

And so in a really roundabout way, Raine’s attempt to avoid using Eda to stop the draining spell saved everyone after all, as was Eda just dabbling in that kind of wild magic to begin with! That was one component to that whole outcome; The other was Raine confronting their avoidance by owning up to their mistakes, just as they own up to keeping Eda out of the loop for the sake of her kids, by involving all three. And look how it turned out!

It’s sad, but. It really took a lot of guts and acceptance on Raine’s part to face it head-on, eyes wide and back straight. They could’ve insisted otherwise, but by that point they’d learned their lesson to isolate Eda, after breaking up with her for doing the same to them. Different extenuating circumstances mind you, but it’s just. Wow. Likewise, Eda may have destroyed herself out of self-loathing at first, but this time she really is doing it for the isles, for the wild magic she always loved and defended; It’s how she earned the Bat Queen’s trust.

The first sacrifice was called off because it was done out of self-hatred, this one is done out of love, it’s actually for the kids Eda cares about, and not to cut herself off from them. And if it was those two Raine called it off for, it’s those two Raine lets it go on for.

[ladyloveandjustice]

so idk something that kind of bothers the "we must save men from the alt right pipeline" because "we're hating for their immutable traits"

why

why specifically are men the ones who we need to always do this for.

I think it would sound ridic to say this about terfs. Terfs are turning to terfism because they don't feel welcome, we need to be gentler and more loving and more of a community and they'll see the light. Terfs as a class are so oppressed by an unloving society :(

Or hey imagine saying this about white women. You don't have to imagine it it's been done and its bad. I think we've all agreed that posting a manifesto on how white women should be treated nicer by POC and its leftism's job to save white women from going conservative always sucks.

So why is it up to women now. Why is it up to us.

I agree leftism needs to be a more welcoming place that doesn't crucify people for mistakes, or react with hostility to questions. I personally want that. But it's weird to frame this as something we need to do for (mostly white) men specifically, but like, not like conservative white women, conservative woc, conservative trans women??? There's a lot out there.

I dunno. it rubs me to frame the message of this. I don't want to actively go around saving white men and boys from themselves/other white men, I've been asked to do that all my life.

I don't think we should be hostile, I'm not a person that would ever say kill all men (tbh even ignoring the fact there are marginalized men...language like that in general...kill all (enemy) has always been uncomfortable for me. Some people can change) I don't react to them with hostility, you know, men are just fine as long as they're fine with me. I'm happy to have them as allies, happy to get behind trans men, gay men, men of color when they need help.

But I do know some women just give a dni because they're traumatized. And idk, maybe they deserve to be treated gently. Maybe everyone does.

I think leftists need to be kinder and more welcoming sure. I think we need to focus on change and banding together But framing the convo around saving men. That men are special and alienated and we're specifically failing them somehow. It doesn't sit well.

I do thing putting stuff into a binary of good or evil and just kind of reinventing conservatism in that way is a huge probem,...I don't know...Can't we just be nicer and in-fight less for the sake of being welcoming in general? For everyone? Can't we come together and be more accepting of people because a community is stronger together? Can't we have unity and nuance because of that?

I don't want to do it to save men from their own decisions, I don't feel inclined to engage with hostile guys, I just want to be nice and open and we all have less of a feeling people might turn against you over any little thing.

[pincushionx]

Thinking if a version of TOH where Hunter stays loyal to Belos until the day of unity. 

(AKA me making Hunter suffer more in the hands of brainwashing and making everyone hate him.)

[sorry for any grammar mistakes I’ll edit this later.]

That Hunting Palismen was a successful mission for him, he never answered Luz’s question and was able to escape the hand dragon with his staff and the palismen. Flapjack escapes however and flys off to Luz but the rest of the palismen are handed to Belos. Flapjack feels a tug towards Hunter but can’t bond with him due to a wish never being shared between the two. Hunter is praised for his success by Belos. Luz resents the Golden Guard even more now due to the fact that now all those palismen will now be given to the emperor. She definitely feels guilty for those palismen eventual deaths.

Flapjack stays with Luz but doesn’t bond to her. He allows her to use him in his staff form but they have no real connection and can’t communicate. He more or less just lingers around the owl house and will follow her if asked. It’s an odd situation but it’s not totally unheard of and unbonded witch and palismen working together.

Eclipse lake happened but since theirs no failed missions that waver Belos any thoughts on his competence to do the mission, he’s allowed to go. He goes ahead without kikimora and the scouts, meets Amity and Eda at the fools blood where he becomes known but beats them to the empty lake. Once Amity arrives he does not having the same mental breakdown as before since their are no previous failures to trigger it but he is a bit on edge. Him and Amity exchange brief words with her being hostile due to how upset Luz was left after the palismen incident. He states that it was just part of the job and before he leaves he spots the necklace. They fight but he has the upper hand due to having his artificial staff. He demands for the blood and she gives it to him but is still able to break some on to her glove.

(I personally don’t know if Belos didn’t want to let him go to Eclipse lake because of the failures or if he didn’t want to risk his grimwalker being killed or harmed in it but for the sake of the story it’s due to thinking that Hunter was incompetent)

With the lack of Flapjack telling him to focus on other stuff, Hunter only drowns deeper into his loyalty to Belos. As a result he has no interest in appeasing the Coven heads since he realizes more that he’s technically above them. Therefore he grows no bond with Darius. And Darius only views him as Belos little dog.

Any sport in a storm does not happen. Instead Hunter spends his free time resting (only because the day of Unity is getting closer) and practicing his infiltrating and lying techniques due to the rumors of a rebellion. He goes to the library to further research. He sees a book on grimwalker when learning about these techniques but it’s only fairy tail stuff, surface level but it does say that they are made up of dead things, Hunter shrugs and continues going through the library. However grimwalkers are now in his subconscious

Hollow mind, Hunter confronts Darius, Eberwolf, and Raine like in canon and Luz interferes like canon but more out of aggression then curiosity. She doesn’t tackle him but steers his attention away giving the other three a chance to runaway. He traps her in a bubble kinda like how Lilith did and flapjack tries pecking him but he he just traps the bird in his wood form. As result he doesn’t step on the potion and recognizes the the set up as an attempt into the emperors mind. He confiscates the potion as evidence. He reports this to captains and scouts over crow phone in quick alert so they can come over and search the market. He argues with Luz for a bit before taking flapjack away much to Luz horror. I imagine in a sonewhat humiliating scene for Luz, that he transports her to Eda in the bubble in the night market in front of others to see. It has to be embarrassing for the Golden Guard to return you to your guardian who was once a wanted criminal in a bubble in front of many others to see. Resentment from Luz and her friends to the Golden guard only grows. King sees that the Golden Guard has a wooden Flapjack and is able to secretly grab the bird under his cloak, saving the palismen.

The night market is searched and the news of the attempt to infiltrate the emperors mind is let known to Belos. He proud of Hunter for not allowing such a thing to happen but also disappointed that the witches responsible were not caught. Hunter gets punished for this and is left with a scar through his eyebrow. He swears to catch them and bring them to justice to Belos. The rebellion has a new specific enemy. Belos tells him he better not fail.

Labyrinth Runners, Hunter is put with Adrian to infiltrate Hexside and stamp the students with sigils. He sets up an invisible forcefield around the school to prevent anyone from escaping. He helps with the illusion so a few student get the “fake” sigil before Gus sees and reveals the illusions. Gus sets up the large illusion that covers the school. Adrain paired with the golden guard reveal the illusion and are able to catch more students and sigil them. Gus eventually gets caught and Hunter who’s more interested and following orders then be petty has Gus be stamped before the whole, “making Gus see his memories” thing happens, it’s still happeneds but he gets stamped before hand. The fight breaks out and while the students can handle fighting scouts, when face against the Golden guard with his artificial staff and military order do they falter. Eventually everyone in Hexside gets sigils including Willow and Amity. It’s a failure for Hexside and a win for the emperors coven. Soon all the schools besides Hexside has their students be given sigils.

O titan, Where Art Thou, While not in the episode, The Golden is brought up in discussion when talking about the topic of day of unity, Belos and the draining spell. They all view him as in obstacle and the obedient brat of Belos.

Clouds on the Horizon, Luz gets the news that students have been given sigils including her friends and girlfriend. This only makes the plan to stop the drawing spell more dire as now children are involved too. They also get the news that a coven head the golden guard are to blame which only fuels the hatred. Luz meets up with her friends but the atmosphere is tense due to the fact that they have sigils now. They break amity out of her house. Luz has some help thanks to flapjack. They don’t face kikimora since Hunter is still in the emperors coven. She probably off dealing with some packages and goods since she’s been demoted. Hunter in the meantime is with the scouts capturing the finale of the wild witches and given them sigils. They all fight and leave Odalia and leave on the blimp with Alador. Luz is not taken to Belos.

Kings tide, the plan is being done. News of most of the isles being stamped including children and all wild witches make it to them and things become tense. The golden Guard walks besides Belos. Darius stares at him for a moment, looking at the person who wears the golden guard uniform but is nothing like the man who did before. Kikimora not there so that whole bit with her doesn’t happen. Belos quickly gets rid of the collector. That whole sequence with Luz never happens. Belos doesn’t get his sigil and will remain stable. Eda gets found out and the golden guard along side the coven members stop the plan. Hunter makes a snarky comment. Belos in there and simply watches, Hunter returns to his side. Belos pats Hunter on top of the head, agitating the rebellion adults more. He really is a dog. The eclipse happeneds and the spell begins.

The draing spell takes effect. Hunter collapses to his knees and looks up to Belos in utter betrayal and confusion. The rumors that the day of unity was actually a doomsday was…true? He questions Belos and Belos simply smiles at him. He bends down and pulls down Hunter mask and flicks his cowlick. He tells Hunter that he’s been a very good grimwalker and was the best he ever had. That it’s a shame he can’t take him to the human realm due to his witchy assets. He grabs Hunter face in an almost affectionate way and tells him that he wished Caleb was more like him and it’s sad that he has to die. He slips Hunters mask back on and leaves to go to the portal and Hunter is left there on his knees shaking and in shock. The kids go up the podium stand not for Luz this time but for the adults, they see them crumbled.

They also see the Golden guard. They are met with him shaking on the ground. They note on how small he looks. They stare at him for a moment. He’s the only one of the emperor coven members conscious. He looks up them “I…I did-didn’t know this would happens.” They would say something but they don’t have the time. They all weak due to the sigils and are running out of time. They go to Eda before going down to where the portal is. Hunter in moment of strength grabs his staff, gets up and teleports away into the portal room.

Just as the he other see Belos about to leave, amity grabs him with her abominations hand and pulls him away, in this rush, Belos second form appears. They fight the beast like in canon and where he thinks he gets the upper hand, Golden guard appears and blasts Belos. They are shocked by the appearance of the golden guard. Hunter may be loyal to Belos but not enough to warrant the death of everyone in the isles. In rush of the moment to keep Belos away from the portal, he teleports every one down to the ground to the golden guard pit and to the collector. He stops fighting and just stares at the out in horror and so does everyone else. The collector shadow appears.

Belos tries escaping but the others get their attention back and continue to fight. Luz and flapjack are mainly the ones fighting with the other supporting due to them being effected by the drawing spell. King is letting the collector free. In the moment if the chaos Hunter turns over and blasts Belos with the upmost power he could muster that’s practically vaporizing and splatters Belos all over the place. He hit with the ‘splash zone’ everyone just stares at him in shock.

The golden guard has killed Belos. The collector now free boos at this saying he wanted to do that. Though does congratulate him on being the first grimwalker to win against Belos in the grimwalker cycle game. All the other Grimwalkers lost except him. This reveals the Golden guard to be a grimwalker. He asks the other what game to play and the owl house game comes up but first he must stop the draining spell, the collector laughs and teleports them up and moves the eclipse. Then the game starts and in the rush of the moment once they realize what’s going to happen they escape to the portal.

Instead of Hunter going through, King is able to escape with them. Flapjack gets left behind, too distracted by Hunter. The Golden Guard simply stays in too much shock to move, the portal closes and the collector laments that fact that he just lost his playing partner, he looks at Hunter and decides that a grimwalker will do. That he never has the chance to play with a grimwalker before because Belos breaks them before he gets the chance so this should be fun. He asks Hunter how to play the owl house game.

Hunter knows nothing of the owl house

…

Possible ending. (That I Like)

Belos posses Hunter soon after he recovers inside him a bit to get to the collector. At the same time the others come in a lot sooner after thanks to King being a titan. Probably only a month or less. The whole issue gets resolved a lot sooner but now they have to fight a possessed Hunter once they reach the collector. The fight I imagine is harsher then in canon due to them not knowing g Hunter besides all the bad stuff he did and splattering Belos. In the end Belos is forcefully ripped out of Hunter by the collector, and is killed by Luz officially. Flapjack gets to live due to Hunter not drowning in this version. They simply stare at Hunter awhile as he gets up, they never seen his face before when he wasn’t possessed and now they are met with an exhausted scarred teenager, a teenager they all hated because what he did and stood for and all they can feel now was a sense of pity. Luz offers her hand, he accepts.

Eventually everyone is free from being puppets. The rebellion crew come around and they see the Golden guard. A scarred, traumatized teenager. Darius offers kindness for once, Hunter shakily accepts it.

Second possible ending

Hunter gets possessed during the final fight and Belos is rid of sooner by the collector. The ending is mainly focused on the collector now that Belos is gone. Also the fact that Hunter gets possession trauma sooner than season 3

Alternative endings.

1. King is left behind in canon and Hunter remains with him to be with the collector and they develop a bond together since they a both playmates for the collector.

2. King is left behind and the golden guard is sent off with the other. This much more messed up version of Thanks to Them. Now they have to navigate an extremely strain a hostile relationship with Hunter and the others. Hunter face gets revealed forcefully, showing that he just a tired and scarred teen who is also powerless they find out later when his staff is no longer working. Things are pretty intense. Camila of course being the bridge between them since she just see Hunter as a clearly abused teenager who’s also done wrong. (I really like this idea, I wish we saw more of the hexsquad being hostile with a Hunter they barely know.) (this gives me a dog left behind vibes)

3. No possession , Belos dies and stays dead.

Other alternative versions

1. Hunter doesn’t teleport to the portal room which results in the collector being let out a different way, many probably die due to it taking longer

2. Belos takes Hunter with him to the Human realm

3.. The rebellion decide to deal with the golden guard ahead of time so he gets kidnapped, (insert found family thing, or really intense whump) (fun idea to explore)

4. Hollow mind does happen somehow which leads to the events being similar in canon and Hunter bonding with flapjack later. (Closer to canon story )

5. Darius, Raine and Eberwolf decide to fight the Golden Guard instead of running away, (not a pretty sight )

6. The Golden guard gets defeated during labyrinth Runners, it’s revealed that he’s a powerless witch and is also a beat up teenager. (Angsty wowie) this pretty much Hunter being captured by a bunch of teenagers (many who he forcefully gave sigils to)and teacher. (This idea seems the most fun to explore to me)

7. Flapjack dies in hunting palismen cause he gets given to Belos , so no flapjack :(

8. Hunter going more rogue, being more like an Azula then Zuko. Like more murder n stuff. (Pretty OOC but another idea I want to explore)

Yeah, just a some fun idea I wanted to write, I think of scenarios with Hunter not meeting the hexsquad like in canon a lot so I wanted to write down what I think would happen plus some extra ideas.

Also I love seeing my boy get hurt. Why do we do this to our faves lol. I don’t have the motivation to write an actual fanfic of this so here just the gist of it. I might write oneshots based on it though. We’ll see.

I also wrote this earlier but the original draft got deleted :’)

[sketchbonked]

forgive my incoherence but i NEED TO DISCUSS arcane and specifically a storytelling device that i think is really interesting (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

the device i’m talking about is specifically the bridge between the two cities and how it demonstrates both the divide between them and the divide (and unity) between the main relationships of the cast. in this essay i will dissect pretty much every single scene that takes place on the bridge and their implications for the story that we've come to know and love.

The very first scene of arcane is actually on the bridge, specifically right after the enforcer attack where vi and jinx’s parents were killed (images from capthat attached below).

This serves to set up one of the main conflicts of the series, in which the people of Zaun and Piltover constantly clash over the subject of Zaun’s freedom, with Zaun usually being brutally overpowered due to their lack of resources.

However, this scene also sets up a very important aspect of the relationship between Vi and Powder. In the scene shown above, Vi and Powder are walking through the aftermath of the battle. There are bodies everywhere and the corpses of their parents are clearly visible. Powder, probably at Vi’s instruction, is covering her eyes, presumably so that she doesn’t see the corpses to protect her from the trauma. Vi, however, leading her sister to safety through the rubble, has her eyes wide open and sees everything. This illustrates a major aspect of the dynamic between the two sisters. Vi will always try to protect Powder, but ultimately can’t do anything to stop her little sister from seeing the horror around them in the end. Toward the end of the scene, Vander scoops them both up and carries them to safety, much like how in Season 2, the rift between them is patched when they find Vander again (even if he’s now Warwick and not the same father they once knew).

The important thing to note in all of this is that it takes place ON THE BRIDGE. We as the audience understand the tone and significance of this structure immediately. We understand that Vi and Powder have suffered and will suffer at the hands of Piltover. and the cycle of violence. The opening scene on the bridge sets the stage for basically the entire series to take place, and several more pivotal scenes happen here.

For example, this scene between Vi and Vander in the following episode is incredibly important for Vi's character. Vander takes her here after the enforcers raid The Last Drop. When she asks why they're there, he responds with, "You still don't understand." "What i don't understand is how you can work with them. We were here. We saw what they did." She says to Vander, "I grew up knowing that I'm less than them, that my place is down here. I want Powder to have more than that, and I'm willing to fight for it."

There's a lot to pick apart here, but one of the most important things to come from this scene is Vi's statement that she wants the best for Powder and is willing to fight for it. Vi is, at her core, a fighter. It's what she's famous for. It's one of her first scenes in the second act of both seasons. But a vital part of understanding Vi is understanding why she fights. She fights to protect the people she loves. Her devotion to those she cares about is strong enough for her to put herself in harm's way for their sakes. We see this when she goes to rescue Vander, when she fights Sevika to find Jinx, and countless times throughout the rest of the series until the very last episode, when her last scene with both Jinx and Vander shows how scared she is to let both of them go.

We can't ignore the foreshadowing here, either. Vi expresses her anger at the fact that Vander is working with the enforcers to keep the undercity safe, saying that she doesn't understand how he can cooperate with them after all the hurt they've caused. The tragic irony of her words comes to fruition in season two, around seven years after this scene.

Vi becomes an enforcer upon Caitlyn's request, believing that she'll truly be able to help the undercity from the threat of violence that they face if she's able to bring in Jinx. Obviously, Vi expresses her unease about this to Caitlyn, but ultimately it is her decision to do it for the 'greater good'. As the fans, we're angry at this decision, just like Vi was angry at Vander. Ultimately, the scene she has with Vander on the bridge shows how she really does turn out like him. In Silco's own words, killing is a cycle that started long before him and Vander, and one that will continue long after the two sisters are gone. We see this evidenced in how Vi falls into the exact same archetype that Vander does--the blindly loyal, if somewhat misled, knight--and compromises her own beliefs and values to protect those she cares about.

After Episode 2, we don't get any more bridge scenes until Episode 7, after Jayce orders the blockade on the bridge and Viktor comes back from visiting Singed about their 'quandary'. This is the first scene between them where we see how entering the political sphere has affected Jayce's own mentality.

One of his lines in this scene is "Do you have any idea how this looks? I order a blockade and my own partner violates it?" Not only is this one of their only arguments in Season 1, but it also is the first example that we can see of how the divide between Jayce and Viktor is growing. Jayce cares more about his public image now than he did before, and this is the first time we see him actively exercising any kind of power over Viktor. Jayce replies to Viktor's explanation for his visit to Zaun with, "Well, you didn't say they were from the undercity!" Viktor gives him one of the nastiest side eyes I've ever witnessed in animated television and says, "What difference does that make?" His tone is quiet but apprehensive, like he knows exactly what Jayce is about to say. "They're dangerous!" Jayce exclaims.

Viktor reminds Jayce with no small amount of bitterness that he is from the undercity. Jayce is taken aback by this and immediately apologizes, but Viktor smacks his hand away. To me, this scene amplifies everything that drove the two partners apart. (For the purpose of this essay we're only focusing on what the writers explicitly want us to think, even though I do believe that they're married with four kids.) Jayce is the golden boy of Piltover. Even if he comes from humble beginnings, he's still the one raised on pedestals and dubbed the Man of Progress. Viktor, on the other hand, is constantly underestimated by everyone around him. People expect Jayce to do great things but don't understand that he and Viktor rely on each other for all the progress that they make as partners. Their different backgrounds didn't matter as much when they first met, because Piltover and Zaun were largely at a tentative sort of peace.

However, as the turmoil between the two cities grows, so does the turbulence of their relationship. It's only in the season finale when Jayce first speaks up for the independence of Zaun and introduces Viktor as his partner and his equal to the Council. The scene is one of his shining moments in the series, an instance where he shows how deeply he values Viktor's opinion. It's also the moment where he resigns from the Council, where he rejects the greatness that was thrust upon him in favor of doing real good with Viktor by his side. Jayce is a scientist, a scholar, a blacksmith. He was never made to be a politician.

By the time Season 2 rolls around and Viktor becomes the Herald, their paths have diverged once again from that single moment of unity. The story that Act 2 of Season 1 tells is how Jayce and Viktor are sent on two different roads--Jayce to politics and Viktor to an early death. Season 1's finale shows how, for an instant, Jayce and Viktor are once again united as partners with the common goal of restoring peace and helping both cities as a union.

This also reflects the current situation of the two different cities: Zaun and Piltover are on the brink of war, yet a peace negotiation between Jayce and Silco attempts to stave off this catastrophe. However, much like how martial law erupts between Piltover and Zaun, Jayce and Viktor are separated in Season 2 because their paths are now different. Jayce wants to return to science and his old life with Viktor, but Viktor's vision of the glorious ovulation leads him away from Jayce, away from what makes him human. In the show's finale, we see Jayce and Viktor reconcile, and in a similar fashion we see movement toward peace and independence for Zaun after their deaths transportation to a lovely cottage in the woods where they have four beautiful adopted children. To make a long story short, the fallout of their partnership directly mirrors the political tensions between their respective cities, and their reconciliation represents the slow healing that both nations will have to undergo.

We're still not done, by the way, because in that very same episode we see the infamous bridge scene between Jinx and Ekko.

I could go on and on about how this is the first Caitvi hug or the moment where Jinx completely loses her faith in Vi's loyalty to the undercity, which shows again how Vi is leaning more into Vander's stoic role while Jinx is leaning more toward Silco's aggressive pursuit of independence, but for the sake of giving your eyes a break I'll leave it at that.

And of course I have to mention the fact that Jinx blows up all the Enforcers on the bridge with her butterfly bombs. This scene is absolutely insane because this is really where everything begins to escalate.

The six enforcers that Jinx killed in the earlier episodes obviously didn't help relations between the two nations, but Marcus and Silco's bargain kept war from happening. But once Jinx murders the Enforcers and Marcus along with them, it's considered an act of war, and she doesn't stop once to consider the implications. To me, this entire span of like five minutes is when Jinx officially goes off the rails. She feels betrayed by Vi, abandoned by her sister, and uncertain about her own usefulness to Silco. However, the way in which she lashes out has disastrous consequences for the diplomatic relations of the two nations. People in both the undercity and topside suffer because she does this. As I said before, the bombing on the bridge is a declaration of war, one that even Jayce and Silco can't broker a peace for.

Furthermore, this scene is part of what convinces Caitlyn that Jinx is a monster, and it shakes Vi to her core once she sees what her innocent Powder is capable of. She doesn't love her sister any less for it, but it makes her afraid. Jinx attacking both of them also starts what is possibly the most significant bridge symbolism that we see in the entire show: Jinx and Ekko's dance fight.

I don't have to explain what this fight means, but I'm gonna do it anyway because I love their story so much. This moment shows how much Jinx has changed from the girl that Ekko knew. They've both changed, really. Ekko isn't the little kid that trailed after everyone anymore. He's the leader of the Firelights, a fierce fighter, and he's burdened by the need to defend the undercity from both the Council and the chembarons alike. Similarly, Jinx has left Powder far behind her. She's ruthless, but still fragile to even a glimpse of pink hair. They're both Zaunites, but they represent such different parts of their nation. Ekko is the Boy Savior. People view Jinx as nothing more than a loose cannon until she launches a nuke at the Council.

This scene is fucking insane by the way. The regret in his eyes when he sees how scared she is. Because he doesn't want to do this to her. Because he still loves and cares for her even after everything that's happened to them. We as the audience understand exactly what Ekko's thinking. It shouldn't be this way. They were friends. They shouldn't be trying to hurt each other, but that's what war does. Ekko knows that if he gives her a window, he's opening the door to the suffering of countless other people, but he can't bring himself to do what he has to.

Going out of chronological order for a sec, I do want to bring up the parallel to this in Season 2 Episode 7 because it's just so good.

In the alternate universe where Zaun is independent, Ekko stands in the exact same place where he saw Jinx's limp body surrounded by the corpses of the enforcers that she'd killed. Compared to the other universe, where Powder's living happily and both nations are prosperous, it's night and day, especially for Ekko who's seen firsthand how the struggle for power has affected the ordinary people of Zaun. Here, he sees children running and playing where civilians and rebels alike had been killed years prior. For Ekko, it's a total wake-up call. Later, at the rooftop with Powder, he confesses that he once gave up on the Undercity, that he once gave up on her. Powder replies by saying that she's never seen him give up on anything.

I find that scene so beautiful not because they kiss, but because Ekko truly had the chance to have everything he'd wanted, but he didn't take it. Instead, he goes back to his own dimension, to his own nation. The first thing he does when he gets back is talking Jinx off a ledge, and a day later he's in a battle fighting Noxian soldiers and soloing a god to defend his city. Ekko is loyal to the people he loves. He doesn't want a life with anyone if it can't be with Jinx. It's what makes TimeBomb so beautiful, because they both always love each other, even if it doesn't end well.

On the subject of the bridge fight, we see the aftermath of it in Episode 8 of Season 1 when Silco comes to Jinx's rescue. He has the chance to go after Vi here. She's right there, watching him, unsure of what he'll do. We expect him to go after her, or at least to send one of his men after her.

Instead, he looks away and carries Jinx to safety. Vi is an active threat to him and the empire he's built, but he prioritizes his daughter over his legacy, over the nation of Zaun. I really wasn't surprised in the slightest when he refuses Jayce's offer. He would never have given her to them. Not for anything. And the evidence is right there in this scene. His actions here aren't motivated by pride or hunger like his other moments are--he ignores Vi and carries Jinx away out of love for his daughter.

Technically this scene doesn't actually take place ON the bridge, but I'm counting it because it's directly under it. Ekko and Heimerdinger meeting for the first time is an interesting scene because it's the first interaction that Heimerdinger has with an actual citizen of Zaun. Viktor counts, but he hasn't lived in Zaun for several years. Ekko is the first person he meets who's actively experienced the oppression of the chembarons and the Council from both ends, and Heimerdinger is one of the few topsiders that Ekko actually trusts throughout the course of Season 2. They form a mentor-student relationship, though if you ask me I think that Heimerdinger learns more from Ekko. Their friendship shows that peace between the two cities isn't impossible. It's a beacon of hope in the dark times that follow the end of Season 1. Coincidentally, it's also the last bridge scene that we get in Season 1, and we don't get another one for a super long time--in fact, it's a full season that passes before we get another moment, but it's a pivotal one.

Episode 8 of Season 2 is Piltover and Zaun mobilizing for war with Noxus, preparing for the worst. Jayce calls for aid from the undercity, and at first it seems like a helpless fight. We follow Gert (the blue-haired Jinxer who dies in the first moments of Episode 9) for a few scenes, and eventually a few of the Zaunites end up here.

Steb and the enforcers are waiting for them, and once they cross, they greet them silently. That might just be because Steb doesn't talk, but their silence amplifies the power of this scene. Not a single word is spoken, but we as the audience understand the weight of what's happening. Zaun has spent the entire series actively being preyed upon by Piltover, but the first step toward reconciliation is made by the oppressed nation itself. When this group of volunteers steps onto the bridge, it's a peace offering, an acknowledgement that even if the two cities are meant to be two separate nations, they are meant to be allies, partners, sisters. It's a powerful scene. All the bloodshed that happened on both sides is faded here in a demonstration of unity, even if Zaun is still the one who will pay for it. As the audience, we expect there to be an ending with a total 50/50: Zaun and Piltover being treated as equals with Zaun gaining the respect it deserves. However, just like in real life and war, Zaun's ending isn't fully satisfying. They make steps toward independence, like with Sevika's position on the Council, but how much does their standing really improve?

The final scene on the bridge is similar to its first appearance: both occur after a heavy loss. The first scene has dead bodies littering the ground, Zaunites killed at the hands of the enforcers. In its final scene, Zaunites and topsiders alike stand together on the bridge, lighting slips of paper to mourn their loved ones who died in the battle against Noxus.

This really just brings everything full circle to me. The message of almost every scene on this bridge is simple: even with all of the losses we experience, there is always hope that we can heal. Arcane's themes of hope, war, and love conquering all are part of what make it such a masterpiece. Sure, the bridge is a concrete structure that connects two separated cities, but it's both literal and figurative. It represents healing and pain at the same time, the duality of life that the show captures so beautifully.

Anyway shoutout to the bridge for carrying Arcane. (Also, all the images are from capthat.com)

[qiu-yan]

a lot of what nie mingjue does makes sense if you consider his specific code of ethics, his position, and the fact that he's known for pretty much his entire life that his cultivation path will kill him and has accepted this fact entirely....but the one thing i don't understand is why he swore brotherhood with jin guangyao. from nie mingjue's point of view, jin guangyao is already the guy who faked a suicide to escape from nie mingjue after nie mingjue tried to bring him to justice for straight-up murder, and that's not even getting into all the fear, anger, and trauma nie mingjue must still be bearing from the wen yao confrontation at nightless city. why would you want to tie yourself via sworn brotherhood to someone who has already done all this shit to you?

consider also the fact that nie mingjue knows his saber cultivation will lead him to become more unstable, impair his judgment, and may even affect his perceptions of reality - which means that he needs confidants he can trust. jin guangyao, via the whole suicide gambit, has already proven to nie mingjue that he is not trustworthy. so if nie mingjue knows that trustworthiness is necessary and that trust is something he's going to need, why would he choose to tie himself to someone he already thinks of as untrustworthy?

some potential reasons i can think of (written from nie mingjue's pov, so they might read uncharitably):

first (1), there's nie mingjue's stated reason of "wanting to correct jin guangyao from the path of evil" (something along those lines). there's at least two different ways you can take this:

1A: nie mingjue wants to do this in order to protect others from jin guangyao: first, nie mingjue sees jin guangyao as an emerging threat no one else has yet recognized, and so wants to keep an eye on jin guangyao / keep him in check. if jin guangyao can be "corrected to the righteous path," then fewer innocent people suffer. second, nie mingjue wants to protect lan xichen from jin guangyao. from nie mingjue's pov, lan xichen has been completely taken in by jin guangyao's charm, so jin guangyao could pose a danger to him as well; by inserting himself into the sworn brotherhood, nie mingjue can be there to protect lan xichen.

1B: nie mingjue wants to do this in order to save jin guangyao himself: nie mingjue still loves jin guangyao and wants to save jin guangyao from the path of evil, for jin guangyao's own sake. confucius (and aristotle, and marx, and a whole bunch of other dudes) does say that if you see your friend doing something morally wrong, then as their friend you have a duty towards them specifically to object to their behavior.

second (2), there are also some more practical / political reasons:

2A: the sworn brotherhood secures a more stable future for nie huaisang, since it entails long-term connections with the jin and the lan.

2B: a sworn brotherhood between high-profile members of different sects after the ordeal of the sunshot campaign could help in encouraging more postwar intersect unity, which would be necessary and beneficial in a time period in which everyone's still struggling to recover from the war. this sworn brotherhood ties the jin, the lan, and the nie together as allies, meaning they can share resources and information as they rebuild. of course, this does entail the exclusion of the jiang - but my personal opinion is that they all lowkey expected jiang cheng to fail and for the jiang to decline / be absorbed by another sect.

third and finally (3), there are the simple interpersonal reasons, unrelated to morality or politics:

3A: nie mingjue still cares for jin guangyao and therefore still wants a relationship with him. at the moment he swore brotherhood, he was still willing to try and mend things with jin guangyao.

3B: nie mingjue wants to make lan xichen happy, and lan xichen clearly wants the sworn brotherhood.

3C: if nie mingjue refuses to swear brotherhood, lan xichen may very well go ahead and swear brotherhood with jin guangyao anyways. which would lead to lan xichen and jin guangyao becoming closer, while lan xichen by contrast drifts further way from nie mingjue.

probably some aspect of all of these (plus some other reasons i forgot) are true at once. what's interesting, though, is that one can construct two overlapping yet also separate categories of reasons - separated by whether one believes nie mingjue still holds personal affection for jin guangyao or not.

[thewhizzyhead]

warriors 2024 and the art of giving meaning to struggle

alrighty ramble time: let's talk about luther and how he managed to fuck up NYC for good. if luther were like i dunno lex luthor, i'd say his move to destabilize gang relations in nyc is a very fucking calculated move because i really do have to give credit to him in actually achieving the goal he set out for himself because his decision to kill cyrus,,,,aka the one that organized the "Please No Gang Fighting" summit that aimed to unite everyone against the bigger baddies of NYC,,,essentially fucking killed any and all chance of such a peace summit and unity initiative from ever happening again. because, like, after seeing a beloved and seemingly untouchable leader be murdered in front of all of you despite explicit instructions to Not Bring Weapons, would you even risk witnessing that chaos again in another summit? would you trust that forming a united force work after such a tragedy? is there even a possibility of finding trust among other NYC gangs if someone among their number killed your very hope? so yea knowing how the movie ends with just the gramercy riffs saying that the warriors (with two dead people and one arrestee in tow) are off the hook because someone else witnessed luther killing cyrus,,,the original ending is actually quite hopeless when you think about it in their shoes. in the words of movie swan himself in the movie, is what they end up with all their night of sleepless fighting and struggle is worth? hence, i now really see why warriors (2024) decided to make what I consider to be the 2nd biggest diversion outside of the genderswap: making cleon live - because otherwise, the warriors' struggles surviving the night can be said to be struggle for solely struggle's sake.

in the musical, cleon is an astute believer in cyrus and the future cyrus envisions for all of NYC - thus, she becomes the harbinger of cyrus' hope in the form of still breathin' and somewhere in the city. her being alive doesn't detract from the widespread tragedy faced by the NYC gangs - i still really believe that no matter what, luther effectively killed their one shot at true unity and trust - but in cleon's own words: "What do you do when they kill everything you believe in? Give it meanin." the decision to keep cleon alive is warriors (2024) counteractive measure at the absolute shithole luther placed NYC in because in her message of keeping the dream alive despite situations that are, realistically speaking, impossible to wholly recover from, gives their struggle meaning, purpose, and direction - the end goal being hope. that theme of hope despite and in spite of adversity now becomes evident on as to why we are made to be invested in the warriors' journey home and their subsequent growth. in mercy's decision to leave the orphans for a place of belonging and pride that can make her finally hold her head up high. in ajax's and fox's decisions to retaliate against their pursuants among sleazy old men in blue. in swan's persistence in getting the rest of her crew home alive despite still reeling from the loss of her leader and her fellow warriors. all attribute their own reasons to why they resist and rebel because they ultimately hope for something fucking better. ultimately, warriors (2024) exists because of the want to give more meaning to struggle in the form of hope amidst hopelessness. in the movie, the warriors find their meaning in the sweet simple bliss of survival - in making to coney island's sunrise. but in the album, another meaning is emphasized among not just the warriors, but the marginalized communities of NYC in general: their meaning of struggle goes beyond surviving the night - because they carry on and carry forth the dream of one day having a city where they all come home alive. because after all, isn't the formation of grassroots rooted in resistance - and isn't resistance born out of the want and hope for something better?

[salty-dracon]

As long as you keep your mouth shut, everything will be okay. (accomplice!takumi x eito)

genre: angst, platonic or romantic

length: 1.2k(?)

summary: "It's for everyone's sake." Takumi reflects on Eito's assertion from the previous night. Someone is being killed in a nearby classroom, and he's helping the killer fabricate an alibi. When Eito comes back...

content warnings: female character death (offscreen), eito kills someone, main character having feelings about being an accomplice to murder, self-admonishment, blood, showering with your clothes on

AN: I was enamored with the idea of a route where Eito's ideals of having the group stick together goes too far, to the point where he becomes a serial killer and culls anyone he sees as a threat to the group's unity - and of course, a route where Takumi becomes his accomplice. This minific is entirely based on pre-release information and a silly idea I had where Takumi hoses down Eito's blood-covered coat with a garden hose.

------

"Just stand outside. Pretend you spilled something, and you're mopping up the floor."

"That sounds suspicious. And what if someone tries to talk to me or help me out?"

"You can let them help you. But keep talking until they leave, so I know when it's safe to come out."

That was how Takumi ended up sitting next to a cleaning cart he'd wheeled over. After five minutes of pretending to mop up some spilled juice, he eventually got tired of it. No one had seen him, and there was no sign anyone was coming. He spent the next five minutes trying to dry the floor with some paper towels. He didn't want anyone to slip on a wet floor.

Surely it can't take that long, right?

… How did I let Eito talk me into this?

…

Footsteps. Takumi freezes as he hears footsteps coming from the classroom. But he relaxes, his mind connecting the dots. The footsteps were slow and familiar. Just like Eito had assured before, the assassination had been completely silent. Takumi hadn't heard a thing.

When Eito finally walks out, he nervously glances in every direction, before his eyes settle on Takumi. His eyes light up. His casual smile doesn't mask it- doesn't mask the bright crimson stains all over his coat.

"What's with all the-?!" Takumi covers his mouth. Shit. Did anyone hear that? His heart races as he listens carefully to the world around him, but there's nothing except the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Haha, this is a bit awkward." Eito reaches a hand forward to place it on Takumi's shoulder, but quickly stops himself upon seeing the red stains on his gloves. "It's not a big deal. It got messy, that's all."

"Messy?"

"She fought back."

"Are you okay?"

Eito looks surprised at Takumi's concern. "Me? I'm fine."

"W-We should get you cleaned up." Takumi says the first thing that comes to his mind. He kicks himself a moment later. You're saying that like he went out in the rain and got covered in mud. That's blood. Actual human blood. The blood of an actual human. One of your humans.

Up until yesterday, she was one of your group. She was hanging out with the other girls last night, eating snacks in the rec room and bantering with the others. They were talking about their school days and telling stories, as though they'd always been the best of friends. Maybe she was a little odd, but no stranger than anyone else here.

"Justice", "friendship"… did anyone deserve to die for that?!

No, no. You're thinking about this the wrong way. Takumi tells himself to slow down. It's not your fault, and it's not his. He doesn't know how to handle his emotions. He's never had a friend like you. He's lost, he's scared, and this war isn't helping him. Maybe to him, surrounded by death in the hospital and death in this war, killing is the only thing he knows how to do to protect the people around him. To protect you. And maybe even his idea of who needs to be 'protected' is off. But he's well-meaning. He really does love you. He loves everyone here. It's not as though he wants to cull the weak or satisfy sadistic impulses. He did it in the group's best interest. He did this for you.

Wasn't there a certain amount of kindness in that?

"Come on. There's a shower in the gym. We can wash up there." Refusing to touch him, Takumi motions forward. The gym is nearby. Eito follows, but steps quickly to be by Takumi's side. Takumi bristles at the motion.

As he glances up at Eito's face, Takumi realizes that he's acutely aware of the difference in height between them. He wonders what he'd have to do to escape being cornered by someone that tall.

The answer that results, after thinking about it for a bit, is that there would be no way to escape. His friend would probably kill without remorse, and walk away looking just like he does now- as gentle and innocent as he always did.

How are you so calm?

"Do you want to talk about it?" Eito asks, in a whisper.

"No." Takumi shakes his head.

"Are you scared?"

"I am."

"I think everything will be fine." Eito's voice carries an optimistic lilt to it. "Everyone will be okay now. There's no reason to panic."

You have no idea how much I'm panicking.

Eito's face falls at Takumi's silence. "So, what do you want to eat for dinner? Any foods you like? I've always wanted to try cup ramen. Do you think we can eat that here?"

"Mmm." Takumi mutters a response.

"Oh, right. Maybe you aren't hungry right now." He mutters to himself, rocking his head back and forth as he tries to think of something. "Oh, your jacket. It looks… well-loved. Where did you get it?"

Shut up. "It's a hand-me-down from my dad."

"That's nice. So do you have a good relationship with your dad?"

Please shut up. "Yeah. He works long hours, though."

"Oh. I see." Eito smiles his usual sweet smile. Takumi thanks his lucky stars that Eito can't read the feeling of dread rising up within him.

Takumi quickens his pace- in a few moments they're at the gym's doors. He silently checks for witnesses. There's no one inside. After motioning to Eito, the two of them enter and make a beeline for the showers.

Takumi leans against the wall outside the door to the shower section. "You wash up. I'll stand outside."

"Are you sure? We could go together."

"It's fine. I'll go later."

"Okay." Eito walked inside the shower room, out of Takumi's sight.

Takumi relaxes his shoulders, letting the accumulated tension roll off his body and seep into the ground below. It feels like that to him, at least- it's the only way he can temporarily relieve himself of the stress. His legs wobble- he straightens them, trying not to collapse.

"Hey, Takumi."

Eito's voice startles him.

"Takumi, should I just go in with my jacket on? There's not much blood on my skin, and the jacket is waterproof, so it should all wash off, right?"

Takumi shifts his feet. "I don't really know."

"Okay. I'm going to do that, then. I'll wash the knife, too."

Knife, huh? So you stabbed her to death.

Takumi shakes his head. Actually, I don't want to think about that.

First comes the creaking of the tap, than an exclamation- "Ahhh! Cold! Cold!" and then silence except for the rush of running water.

You idiot. You idiot. You idiot!

Takumi sinks down to the ground as he listens to the showers.

Don't call my name. Don't call my name again.

He buries his head in his hands as the sound of rushing water grows louder and louder- as though trying to punish him, torture him for what he just did.

Takumi, you idiot. He killed her. He killed her, and you just let him do it.

And she had a family. And she had people who loved her. And even if she denied it, you would have made sure she had a friend in you, so she didn't have to be alone.

For what? Justice? Friendship?

Oh, sure, you could confess to what you did. When they discover her body, you could tell them all that Eito killed her. And you know because you were there, and you didn't stop him, even though you were so close to him. And you could send the others into a maelstrom of chaos, ten times as bad as the one they're going to experience when they find her body. And you could shatter his trust in you, and the group would hate you, and everyone would suffer, and everyone would die, and humanity would die with you.

It's not worth it.

He's right. As much as it sucks, as ridiculous as it is, he's right.

As long as you keep your mouth shut, everything will be okay.

[very-straight-blog]

Aegon and Aemond. Brothers. Rivals. They can't stand each other. They're jealous of each other. The shadow of the Iron Throne looms ominously over Aegon. It suffocates him, haunts him in nightmares since his childhood. From the moment he heard his mother's prediction: "Rhaenyra will kill us all if you don't become king." These words rang like a bell in his head for several more days, and then they died down, but didn't go away. He tries to drown the fear of the future in wine – somehow, this makes it even worse, alcohol leaves an aching emptiness inside, and also a terrible hangover. He stopped trying to live up to his mother's expectations a long time ago. And his father's? Well, he would never be better than Baelon anyway. It's hard to compete with someone who never existed. A dead boy can be absolutely, oh so perfect. The only son Viserys wanted. His promised prince. Aegon is jealous of Aemond. He's everything Aegon couldn't be. At some point, his quiet younger brother became taller than him, stronger than him and – damn, probably even smarter than him, otherwise why would he spend so much time in the library? It's not in Aegon's nature to compete, so he just gets angry and plans to become even worse, just to spite everyone. Self-destruction is now his habit. Aemond condemns his brother – condemns his bad manners, his depravity, his weakness. He had burned out all the weakness in himself a long time ago. He had to and realized it quite early – in Driftmark.

They often think about that night – never talking about it out loud. What can they even say? Aegon winces and looks away, seeing the ugly scar on his brother's face when he removes the eyepatch. He remembers his hungover, confusion and nausea from the sight of the eye on the table. Aemond's eye. Then a slap and a feeling of helplessness. That whole night feels like a delusional crazy dream. He never admits it – not even to himself, but guilt has been haunting him ever since – he's been trying to numb it with alcohol and sex, along with the rest of his feelings – hatred, loneliness, pain – Gods, Aegon feels too much. Sometimes it seems to him that he feels everything at the same time. Aemond doesn't feel anything. He forces himself to clamp emotions inside like a spring – one day they will erupt, he feels it. In his memories of Driftmark, there're only bitterness and anger, and also the realization that now only he can protect this family, and it means he needs to be strong. Aemond isn't quite sure what this means, so he looks at his mother – she sacrifices herself for the sake of duty, she does what's required of her and never complains. Aemond decides that he'll be the same. He grows up several years overnight and tries very hard not to cry.

When Aemond's anger finally bursts at dinner, Aegon raises his cup without even thinking. "We are family. You may cuff him about as you wish at home, but in the world, we must defend our own." He's already let him down, it won't happen again – this thought flashes through his mind when he hits Luke's head on the table. He had wanted to do this for a long time – these little bastards look too happy, too loved, even despite their questionable origin and the fact that one of them maimed his brother. That evening, for the first time, they feel a strange new feeling – something like unity.

[vihattu-thethoroughbredofsin]

Some thoughts about Cybertron in the Transformers One trailer (SPOILERS!)

I was most interested in the shown state of Cybertron in the trailer. Instead of the rather familiar image of a metallic futuristic and technologically advanced planet, the trailer shows a completely different state of the planet's surface. There is some kind of organic life here, and it looks interesting.

Many compare it to Cybertron from the endings of BeastsMachines and Cybertron (Galaxy Force) and the Cyberverse. But I won't agree. In the first case, the idea was that Cybertron, for the sake of balance, should combine its wild distant past and present, creating a techno-organic unity, in the second case it was a symbol of the rebirth of the planet and the return of power to Primus, and in the third it was a rather lazy and crooked way to show the world of Cybertron, which worked incomprehensibly and contradicted itself. At least that's how I understand it. Here, one gets the impression of a completely different idea.

The surface of Cybertron looks to be covered with organic plant life, not techno-organic, and this is interesting, given that most of the ground looks to be made up of metal and crystalline structures.

But most importantly, this vegetation looks somewhat wrong, but in a certain sense. It's like it doesn't belong here.

What I mean by that. Some of the plants look natural, while the rest looks out of line with the rest of the environment and even other vegetation. And this is not about the quality of the graphics, everything is just fine here, and therefore it seems to me that this impression is made intentionally.

Here is an example where plants look organic (first 3), and where they no longer combine with the place of growth (next 3).

And the appearance is strikingly different, as if these plants are not from the same biome, which leads to one thought, but more on that later.

On the other hand, animals, they are obviously completely metallic and mechanical. And, interestingly again, we see only these deer or antelopes, no flocks of birds or insects on the background, some small animals.

All this gives me the impression of a kind of post-apocalyptic world either at the stage of dying or at the initial stage of rebirth. Most of the territory is a wasteland of metal and ground, and the plants seem to be in separate oases. This may hint either that plants are gradually taking over the planet after a cataclysm, or that life is gradually dying on the surface.

We see the ruins of buildings covered with vegetation and the bodies, presumably of the Primes, also overgrown with some kind of plants. But all this does not look peaceful and whole.

At least there is an artificial danger for representatives of the fauna.

And since the Quintessons are definitely involved in the plot, I have two ideas about what's going on.

1. Techno-organic quintessons alter the planet for themselves and create suitable conditions and an ecosystem for themselves on the surface. This explains why the plants look so different, the Quintessons could have imported them from other planets or their native home. This would explain why antelopes resemble our animals so much, they could have been created under the impression of the fauna of other worlds. The ruins of the buildings could belong to transformers, who were enslaved and driven to live and work underground. Or transformers were also created in the image and likeness of someone as a workforce.

2. The planet was originally organic. Quintessons could fly here for resources or in search of a new home and begin to cyberform the planet, gradually killing organic life that remained only on small areas of the surface. At the same time, antelopes can be mutated or cyberformed animals that are gradually exterminated by the shown protection system. The buildings could belong to the alien race that originally lived here. At the same time, transformers can be a workforce created by quintessons.

This is definitely a very interesting and new look at Cybertron and the past of this planet, and it seems to me that the authors of the cartoon clearly decided to show Cybertron like this for a reason, there is an idea behind it.

Well, let's wait to see what happens.

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.218 thoughts

[We Have a Title]

(Contents: Immediate reactions - excitement, character analysis - Ruin; thematic analysis - unity; speculation - Ruin/arc progression)

Hype

I think I've made it clear that I'm not a fan of hype. I don't like when expectations are constantly being built up and blown out of proportion, as that can only lead to disappointment. I much prefer a pleasant surprise where I can be proportionally excited with what's happening in the moment rather than allowing the pressure to build beyond what can be reasonably maintained

UU doesn't usually have a spoiler problem, at least not in my personal circles, so I was surprised that there was someone passing around leaks for this chapter. I managed to avoid them, and boy am I glad I did, cus this was the hypest god damn chapter in the whole run so far

Ruin's comeback, Fuuko's brutal display, and of course, Andy's return! I've said a thousand times that Tozuka is a master of iconic panel composition, and not only were there a ton of great panels here, but that final two-pager was just absolutely sick!

Fuuko's hair fluttering in the wind, Andy's blazing descent from the sun, the symbol of Fuuko's Unluck pinned to Ruin's back by the symbol of Juiz's Unjustice, the Sun and Moon both positioned at the top of the page as if watching on as everything unfolds. This is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one - no longer is Fuuko the lone leader of the Union, her right hand is returning to usher in the final phase, and everyone is bearing witness, the heavens themselves shining a spotlight on this momentous occasion

I kid you not, I was shaking when I realized what Fuuko was doing, and it took everything I had not to scream and jump with excitement when Fuuko dropped what will no doubt become her most iconic line in the series (my wife was still asleep, I didn't want to wake her). If I'd seen any spoilers, my realtime reaction would have been split up between knowing what happens out of context and then seeing it in context, and neither would have been nearly as fun, so I'm so glad I got to have the experience I did

Ruin

Onto the chapter itself, I definitely wasn't expecting to see Ruin this soon. I thought for sure we'd get a breather chapter or two to hang out with Tatiana, but I think Ruin is a character we can make an exception for

The first time Ruin showed up during the falling action of an arc, it felt a little like drama for drama's sake at first; I got over it pretty quickly, since it was clearly being used as a narrative device for transitioning into the next phase, but I could understand if people felt like a new character being introduced as a game changer is a bit of an asspull

This time, though, Ruin doing that is a callback to his introduction, an established modus operandi for the character to serve as an explicit agent of the narrative towards...well, ruin. Frankly I would have been disappointed if he'd come back any other way, as this way allows us to see the difference in how the Union responds to him

Before, no one saw him coming, and Fuuko got killed for it. Now, while no one was "ready" for him, Fuuko was able to react in time to make sure that no one died and then even got to retaliate in a way that demonstrated shocking level-headedness in the face of her own killer. Whereas Andy struck in a blind rage without any concern for what kind of ability Ruin might have, Fuuko immediately and brutally removed his head with the intention of inhibiting his regeneration. She was wrong, of course, but she made a conscious effort to win the fight rather than simply reacting on instinct as Andy did

While Chikara and Gina did end up getting hurt, they're not dead and likely not permanently wounded either (corneal damage is perfectly healable, it's retinal damage we'd need to worry about). Ruin is still very much a credible threat, but the Union of today is not the Union of yesterday, and they're definitely fit to overcome the so-called King of Negators

Ruin's Redesign

That said, I am left to wonder if the Ruin of today is the one of yesterday. His design has undergone some interesting changes, all of which completely incongruent with his own ability

Not only is his hair shorter, it's also lost color on one side, and the scar over his left eye has started to spread down his torso and arm, almost like it's metastisizing. Unruin's name implies it's supposed to keep its user perfect and pristine, but Ruin himself has only gotten worse for ware over the course of the loop. I'm wondering if this is a side effect of Unruin, like the more he uses it the more corrupt his body becomes, and it isn't negated by Unruin specifically because it's the cost of the ability and therefore the proper judgment of God or something

The fact that his hair has started to lose color further cements the parallels between him and Andy. Previously he just had the scar over the same eye, but now his hair has become short and slicked back, split between black and white while his scar creates a delineation in his skin tone, not unlike when Andy's personality reemerged from his Remember wound when Victor was in control of their body. The scar moving down the left side of his body also means it now covers the areas of Andy's 1985 and DEAD END tattoos, suggesting that perhaps his personal journey that we haven't been privy to is a parallel to Andy's after waking up from his own grave

Speaking of tattoos...I haven't seen anyone mention that Ruin is missing his Sun tattoo. What this means is unclear, but if I had to guess, it's a sign that Ruin does not currently occupy the role of Regulator. He hasn't been "chosen" by God yet, which I think suggests that this isn't L100 Ruin crossing between loops, it's L101 Ruin, whose life hasn't quite taken the same path as it did before. This might even explain his body - L100 Ruin told us he was sickly, so perhaps L101 Ruin simply got Unruin later this time around. Perhaps that scar is the deterioration of his body from his illness prior to gaining Unruin, and therefore either outside of the ability's purview or, again, seen as God's will and therefore not an imperfection

Ruin's fighting style also seems to be a bit different, as not only does he not seem to be making blood claws or moving through shadows, he also removed his shirt (which was UMA Blood last time) without turning it into some kind of construct first, suggesting that he doesn't have Blood or Shadow with him this time around. Instead, he seems to be fighting more like Andy, using his Soul to fire his own blood as a weapon, as evidenced by the fact that his fingernails were bleeding after attacking the Union

It's definitely possible that I'm misinterpreting it, but I have to imagine that this is a new Ruin being manipulated by Soul rather than the same Ruin going about business as usual. We'll most likely get that answered for us next week, so I wanted to get my speculations out of the way now

Ruin's Future

So if Ruin doesn't have his UMA friends with him and isn't a Regulator, what does that mean for his role going forward?

I don't think any of you will be surprised to hear that my thinking is that he's going to join the Union, as I've been speculating that for a long time and other folks have definitely followed suit since. I am saddened by the idea that he won't have his companions with him, but they could easily serve as an upgrade/character moment for him later, so I'll take it for now

The main crux of my thinking right now is that Ruin is clearly poised to undergo a character arc. As I said, he's starting to resemble Andy more and more and Victor less and less, suggesting that he's going to transition from being the one Negator that serves God and become the final Negator that opposes him

If the Union is a collective of the oppressed rising up against their oppressor, then Ruin is a bootlicker who fell for the propaganda that there was nothing he could do to resist the powers that be and joined them out of a sense of learned helplessness. The idea that Tozuka or Fuuko would see someone so brainwashed that they embrace their own enslavement and just leave them to blissfully suffer their fate runs pretty antithetical to the story we've been told so far, so I think it's far more likely that the coming chapters will be used a way to change Ruin's mind and teach him that he has the agency to live for himself and not live as the cultish servitude of a God he's never met and who clearly is willing to sacrifice him at a moment's notice

When Fuuko said there was still one member left to recruit, obviously she meant Andy, but the timing of that statement immediately preceding her noticing Ruin seems quite deliberate. Andy isn't present, sure, but for all intents and purposes, he's already part of the Union. He doesn't need to be recruited, just retrieved, and that could feasibly happen at any time since Andy could probably just decide to come back on his own. Instead, Ruin is the only Negator that still needs to be shown which side is correct, so while Fuuko may not know it, she was most likely talking about him, not Andy

Even her line about completing the Union with Andy's return can be left open to interpretation, as the act of his returning could either complete the Union with his arrival or with his help in proving the lie that Ruin believes in to be wrong

Of course, I don't think that can happen with just Andy showing up; rather, I think that the most recent additions of Tatiana and Kururu ideally would play a part to help flesh out their inclusions, though I wouldn't object to Julia getting Unjustice here. If absolutely nothing else, I'm banking on Chikara using Unmove, eyes or no eyes. What better time to learn how to use his soul to overcome his weaknesses than when he literally doesn't have eyes?

Unity

Whoever participates in fighting Ruin, I'm kind of hoping it ends up being a Summer or a Sick situation, where the group is so well coordinated that they basically just combo Ruin to hell and back. While the alternative of either Andy soloing Ruin or Andy and Fuuko tag-teaming him would be sick as hell, it wouldn't do much to further the themes of unity overcoming oppression, so it'd be much better for everyone involved to get to participate

Like I said before, the Union serves as a symbol of overcoming oppression through unification, so we can't have one or two members carrying everyone else - they all need to contribute to the whole, at least in some small way. After all, that's what Soul is afraid of, the Union having enough members to overcome anything that's thrown at them

Given the current political climate, Fuuko's retort to Ruin's claim that humanity has no hope of beating God struck a chord with me.

"It's the opposite. They're afraid of the Union being complete. The Ten Superior Rules normally only intervene during Quests. The mere fact that they've sent you here as an assassin is proof that they're panicking."

Union-busting, voter suppression, gerrymandering; those in power make a concerted effort to ensure that the masses believe that opposition is useless by removing every means of opposition available to them, but the message it should send is actually the reverse. Why are they taking away the means of opposition if opposition is useless? If it wouldn't work, why do they care? Why not let us struggle in vain until we learn on our own that it's pointless to try, that we're wasting our time?

Because we're not wasting our time. Our struggles may seem pointless, taking years and years, generation after generation, but change is inevitable. A stone is not split in two by the final blow, but the hundred that had gone before. So long as humanity perseveres, we move ever closer to happiness, even if the path there is arduous

Every loop, the Union has managed to hold back Sun from destroying Ark. And yet, the Regulators were new to Juiz in the 100th. Sun's most direct agents, with the ability to permanently remove players from the game, only became a problem at the end. Why? Because the Union isn't the only one running out of time

If Sun managed to destroy Ark even once in the last 100 loops, the game would be over, just as it would be if Juiz had managed to kill Sun, but neither of them have succeeded. Which is to say, both sides have reason to be desperate, to be feeling the pressure now. And between the two, only one has been getting stronger, by amassing more allies

Meanwhile, Soul's the only one who seems to think of his team as friends. He mourned the loss of Beast and Language, he offered to keep major enemies alive for the sake of Change and War's whims, and he tried to enable his entire team to escape Andy's defenses by rallying them to work together. The rest of the Master Rules, though?

Infighting for who gets which seat, abandoning Soul when he was trying to benefit everyone, insisting on taking glory for themselves. Everything that God designed the Roundtable system to do to the Union, it ended up doing to the Master Rules instead; it divided them, when it should have unified them

Just like Ruin is a demonstration of the Negators falling for God's propaganda, the Master Rules are a demonstration of the Union falling prey to the rigged system. Fortunately, the Union are Negators; the Rules were never going to be a problem for them in the first place, now were they?

Soul

Of course, since Soul is the only one to actually be trying to operate as a team player, naturally he's taken all of this into account already. Sure, the Union's about to be complete, but we all saw him smiling as Andy finally left his post

Soul's plan was never to have Ruin kill off the Union, though it would have been nice if he had; no, his plan was to get Andy's crispy, bare ass off of his goddamn house!

With Ruin attacking, Andy is a must for fending him off, so Fuuko was forced to bring him back. Now that he's gone, the Master Rules aren't restricted by his soul, and can leave the Master Room whenever they please (though they may still be restricted to acting during Quests, it's somewhat unclear). What this means that while the Union is complete, so too is their opposition

Really that's the perfect scenario, though. The Union has to beat back all of the Master Rules sooner or later anyway, so why not just make it a battle royale, huh? A bit more of a traditional shonen battle format, like with the fight against Under during the Spring Arc. And I'm willing to bet Fuuko considered that when deciding to bring back Andy

Speculation

With Andy's return and the Master Rules set free, we're just about to enter what I presume to be the penultimate phase of the story, as all that will be left after defeating the MRs is to face the Gods. I don't know how Tozuka plans to pace this, whether it's going to be a free-for-all like I said or if the MRs are going to have individual arcs with some breather chapters in between, but it's clear that we're moving into the endgame

Personally, I'm hoping for the latter. I shudder to think that that brief moment of Tatiana looking at Chikara's photo of her is the last bit of downtime we'll get before the epilogue, but it's definitely possible. After all, after Spring we had the Final Cherry Blossom Viewing, and then suddenly we were dealing with Revolution and Ragnarok. If we're going to have another high-tension, no-breaks stretch like that, Ruin's return is the most appropriate time for it

That said, I wouldn't hate it. That was a super exciting time, and some of the best story beats in the whole series came up during that storyline, so I have faith Tozuka can handle it just fine. I just want to see some more chill moments, y'know? Especially since Andy's coming back! No one knows him yet! We need him to reestablish his dynamics with everyone!

I want him to be happy to see everyone! I want memories to stir in Yusai's soul of a love long lost! I want Gina to see what her past self saw and angle for a triad with Fuuko! I want Julia to see Victor in Andy and form a bond with him as an altered soul!

Rip, Billy, Shen, Feng, Nico, hell even Void - there's so many opportunities for resolving rivalries and grudges, I need Tozuka to give us at least a couple of them before we hurtle into the endgame and no one has time to say anything fun to each other ever again!

But I suppose I'm looking a little too far ahead. We still need to deal with Ruin right now, and after that we should be seeing how everyone reacts to Remember. Hm, I wonder if maybe we're going to have an entire Remember Arc, actually, like a macro-version of Gina going into Fuuko's book and meeting her past self? I'm not gonna hold my breath for that, but that'd be a neat way to extend the runtime while also finding a perfect excuse to get some more characterization for everyone

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

[knightlyrose]

Rating: 4/5

A very good book, falling just shy of greatness.

Becky Chambers comes highly recommended to me on all fronts, and I will definitely pass on that recommendation, at least for this book. To Be Taught is a tender-hearted and fresh look at the concept of exoplanet exploration, forsaking the highly colonialist concept of terraforming in favour of "somaforming": the manipulation of astronauts' physiologies to suit the planets they explore, rather than bending alien nature to human will.

While the book features some plot and narrative elements that always appeal to me, such as a small cast of characters stuck in a confined space for extended periods of time, and speculative taxonomy, the book's main appeal to me was this unique take on Change in the face of the New.

Full Review [spoilers]:

I did quite enjoy the small cast locked in their little pod lightyears from home - one of the most lasting images from the book to me is the sheer misery of the crew when they're stuck, surrounded by shrieking slug-like alien animals on a wet and rainy planet for months on end, all slowly breaking down in unique ways.

But more importantly to me, To Be Taught addresses the all-too-common colonialist trope of terraforming, explicitly tackling its cruel implications and - crucially - imagining an alternative. Terraforming is the logical conclusion of colonialism, and its inescapability in fiction drives real world ecological disasters such as the destruction of deserts. Somaforming is, in my opinion, the ideal framework of approaching any kind of journey into the unknown - from personal trips to seeking new habitats for mankind. One must always expect to change and be changed. One must never presume to force or shape the change of the other. Change upon the other will occur, but we must be willing for it to emerge naturally, and potentially at pains to ourselves.

The book could have used more depictions of this change for the exoplanets - one of the more memorable scenes is when a crewmember is forced to kill an alien animal for the safety of both the mission and the broader ecosystem, and it deeply affects him, but I wish the book delved into more of how their mere presence will alter these worlds forever.

The aforementioned crewmember, Chikondi, is the site of the most engaging of the character work and his bond with the narrator, Ariadne, is both tender and narratively satisfying. His reaching out to her with the same rhetorical techniques she used to try and breach his depression forms one of the most impactful scenes of the book, where Ariadne is coaxed back from the brink of unfeeling suicide with the reminder of the inextricable links between herself and others.

This book is very focused on the reciprocal nature of the relationship between the astronauts and the people they've left behind. The politics of the book are occasionally tenuous (with the only named country of the 23rd century seemingly a seceded Cascadia), and the depiction of the crowdfunded stateless space program often verges on the breathless and gushing. It does fit the character of the narrator, but I would have appreciated more subtextual question-raising of the nature of this organisation.

Nonetheless, the emotional bond between the astronauts and Earth carries the entirety of the story, and saves its ending from seeming non-committal or weak. The ambiguity of whether they will return or continue onwards could seem like the failure of the author to make a call one way or the other in a lesser book, but here it's the logical conclusion of the values the characters all hold, and the system that has brought them this far at all. Despite my hesitancy at the politics of the book (though I do concede the light touch is preferable to a screed, which novellas are always prone to becoming due to their short length), the ultimate message of unity, collaborative decision-making, and foregrounding the well-being of mankind over exploration for exploration's sake is one I can get behind.

Prose was unremarkable in a good way. Ocasionally breathless, but never to an immersion breaking extent (indeed, while a little passé, it suits the narrator). No lines jumped out to me as spectacular or anything, but genuinely interesting vistas of exoplanets were depicted in engaging and evoking ways, and the most emotional moments weren't bogged down with overt sentimentality, allowing the actual impact of the scenes to shine through.

It's a good book, and one that has me eager to read the rest of her stuff.

Recommended for: Star Trek fans, anyone looking to get into sci-fi but are put off by long ass books, eveyone sick of terraforming, readers disappointed by The Deep Sky, people who still have faith in kickstarter, and evolutionary biologists.

[cosymelody]

Happy Halloween everyone!

YIPPEE! Part three for all the Four lovers out there! I kinda forgot about this for a few days then suddenly remembered it so I'll try to get the final part uploaded some time tomorrow ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

.•♫•♬• 𝑷𝒕. 𝟏 •♬•♫•.

.•♫•♬• 𝑷𝒕. 𝟐 •♬•♫•.

.•♫•♬• 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝑷𝒕. 𝟑 •♬•♫•.

Four made an attempt to get up to protect you and finish off the Lizalfos, only for Cyan to frantically and silently gesture for him to stay down. Cyan's eyes were filled with worry and urgency, knowing that Four's safety was just as important as each of yours. Four reluctantly obeyed, understanding that their role was to support and protect from the sidelines, trusting in Cyan's expertise and strategy.

Orange rushed into the battle with an odd amount of speed that no normal person would be capable of, effortlessly dodging the Lizalfos' attacks with swift and precise movements. Their agility was mesmerizing, leaving Four in awe of their skills. It was clear that you had some hidden abilities or training that you hadn't revealed before.

As Orange charged towards the monster, Crimson and Gray each lifted their swords just as Orange did, preparing for the final strike to kill the beast. Crimson let out a loud growl as they swung their sword at the Lizalfos, followed by Gray, who was laughing maniacally, and Orange, who remained silent as they landed the final blow with a skull-shattering hit. The monster let out a deafening screech as the combined force of their strikes brought it down. The victory filled the air with a sense of accomplishment as they stood over the lifeless body of the slain monster.

Each of them took deep breaths as they regained their composure and surveyed the aftermath of their battle. The beast lay lifeless before them, its once menacing presence reduced to a mere carcass. As they exchanged glances, a shared understanding passed between them—they had proven their strength and unity in the face of danger. Orange was the first to speak up after they all calmed down a bit.

"Well, this sure is interesting. To think that you two could get along so well in the heat of battle. However, knowing you both, it was probably only because of your shared love for violence." As Orange chuckled, Gray and Crimson exchanged playful glances.

"Oh, come on now," Gray retorted with a smirk. "You know how far in the deep end we are when it comes to our bloodlust." Crimson chimed in, roughly nudging Gray. "Yeah, it's like a twisted bond we share. But hey, at least we can finally channel all that negative energy into something useful." The trio shared a laugh, their unity evident in their banter.

Four and Cyan watched as the three chatted before Cyan slowly and nervously walked over to join the group, with Four following behind. Orange immediately saw their approach and talked in a pleasant and caring tone, almost like a parent would to someone they care about. Orange was clearly the dominant personality in you, followed by Gray and Crimson, who were slightly tied for second, and Cyan, who came in last.

"Ah, I'm glad to see you both. This whole ordeal was quite troubling, wasn't it? Thankfully, it's over now, and everyone is safe and sound now." Orange gestured for Four to join the conversation, acknowledging their presence. The group gathered around, their expressions filled with relief and anticipation as they prepared to delve into a thorough discussion about the way you were split now.

"So, I assume you were well aware of this effect that your sword caused? I guess it makes sense with your nickname, Four." Four nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, my sword has always possessed this unique ability to separate individuals into four parts of themselves. It's a power I've come to understand and control over time."

"Ya know, this wouldn't have happened if you just respected our damn boundaries. For fucks sake, we told you that we needed some alone time, but no, you just had to follow us and keep pushing our buttons." Crimson spoke in an aggressive and irritated tone as they glared at Four, their fierce gaze piercing through him. Gray let out a mischievous giggle as they poked Crimson's face, which only made Crimson's anger shift to Gray.

"Easy, Crimson. Well, it's good to finally know about this situation." Orange spoke softly as they glanced back at Gray and Crimson, who were roughhousing nearby due to Gray messing with them. "It must have been quite the journey for you, learning to harness such a powerful weapon. I can only imagine the challenges you faced along the way."

Cyan nervously stood by Orange as they continued to talk, feeling a mix of curiosity and concern for Crimson and Gray's escalating conflict. Eventually, the two stopped fighting and got back up, with Crimson returning to the conversation between Orange and Four while Gray made their way over to the carcass of the monster and started picking at it, occasionally giggling to themselves.

"Hm... Remember how I said that the sword splits the user into four different parts of themselves? I'm curious about each of you and which parts of you all are." Four spoke up, his voice tinged with a mix of intrigue and curiosity. Orange and Crimson exchanged glances, unsure of how much they were willing to reveal. Meanwhile, Gray's curiosity seemed to be piqued as they abandoned their poking and joined the conversation, eager to explore the depths of their own fragmented selves.

"If you can't tell by now, I'm pretty sure Crim over there has our anger issues and spite." Gray said while giggling a bit, Crimson snarling and glaring daggers into Gray. "Not to mention their rage and hatred for monsters and some people that come with it, hehe." Orange, sensing the tension in the air, decided to diffuse the situation. "Let's not forget that Gray also has their fair share of inner demons," Orange interjected calmly.

"Yeah, like how they're technically insane. After all, they are the embodiment of our broken and deranged minds." Crimson growled out as they stared at Gray, who only laughed a little at Crimson's fierce and defensive nature. Gray shrugged off Crimson's comment, seemingly unfazed. "Insanity is subjective," Gray replied with a smirk hidden under their mask but clear as day in their voice. "But I prefer to think of myself as uniquely eccentric rather than broken."...