#good guy garon

[petorahs]

i miss them

[emblemxeno]

I know Azura and Corrin get a lot of flack for not having shown the orb to the Nohrian Royal but ... weren't they supposed to conquer Hoshido either way ?

Pretty much.

Hypothetically, showing the orb to the other siblings and successfully getting them to fight against Garon relies a lot on unrealistic occurrences going their way:

1) The siblings believing Corrin and Azura are telling the truth. Elise would probably believe them, but wouldn't have the power to stop things by herself. Camilla could go either way in terms of believing, but ultimately she cares more about not dying. Xander and Leo though? Good fucking luck lol.

2) The siblings believing the orb isn't a trap or a falsehood. Leo only entertains this aspect in BR because he was beaten before Azura gave it to him. The other three literally can't use it, so even if Leo does, if he isn't convinced that the orb isn't a Hoshidan trap, why would the others go along with it?

3) The siblings getting over their fear of Garon to fight back. Even when the truth is on the throne in front of them, the siblings aren't gung-ho to kill their dad. Even after all the things he put them through, it's not easy cuz he was their fucking dad and to expect them to flip the switch is to expect poor writing. It's only when Xander inspires them that they're able to do so, and Xander is the hardest one to convince.

4) Having the power to effectively do anything. Azura comments that half of the Nohrian royal army is loyal to Corrin, Xander and Leo, and the other half is loyal to Garon, Iago and Hans. She says this in chapter 23, 8 chapters after the orb is relevant. Safe to say, there wouldn't be enough manpower to rebel against Garon at that point.

5) Doing something that's effectively believable to the player. When the orb comes up, the war has been underway for a while. The Cheve rebellion has been put down, with Scarlet, Orochi, and Reina dead. The Cyrkensia townsfolk are in danger. Corrin has crossed blades with the Hoshidan army more than once. Realistically, what could Corrin's group do to Garon, that also takes into account the war going on? Joining Hoshido isn't an option (and shouldn't be one cuz that defeats the purpose of joining Nohr in the first fucking place), especially when Ryoma is the way he is and Takumi is already possessed. And you'd have to be an idiot to think that Hoshido will just sit on its hands while Corrin rebels against Garon, as if they wouldn't take advantage of the opportunity to take all of Nohr out in one fell swoop. There's precedent for this already, with Hinoka, Ryoma, and Takumi willing to use Nohr's negative reputation to their benefit.

Do you guys know the Rhetorical Triangle of persuasive writng? It's ethos (showcase of author authority through citing of sources or taking care to establish a base argument), logos (building up a logical audience), and pathos (appeals to audience emotions). Most storytelling is persuasive. For your story not to be utter dogshit, you need the central theme/argument to be believable, the logic of a story's circumstances and context in order to believe it, and the emotional weight to get the reader to care and invest in it.

The above "solutions" to the orb issue, would sacrifice the ethos (Corrin sticking to their path, the Nohr siblings being consistently written) and logos (not having the power to start a rebellion, Hoshido canonically taking advantage of Nohr's internal troubles) established in Conquest before chapter 15, in order to maybe satisfy the pathos of some of the audience. I say maybe and some because only a fraction of the fandom has this double-think thing going on where they hate that Corrin gets worshipped and followed for "no reason" but also that Corrin should be totally believed and, in fact, followed earlier to topple the king while there's a war going on. Another subsection also hates Corrin for being a "spineless, whiny coward" so those people might also like this alternative better.

But again, that's a fraction of the total. What about the rest? How would they feel about this change in this story? How can you guarantee that they'd care when you've sacrificed two other major persuasive tools to possibly achieve one for a small and annoyingly persistent group of wannabe story writers? It'd look amateurish and erroneous, not to mention the script's prose in the English versions is already scuffed thanks to Treehouse.

The only thing left for them to argue would be "well, they shouldn't have added the orb in the first place, because it just results in these questions being asked" which... okay! Yeah! In the grand scheme, it doesn't serve anything more than getting Corrin, a character known for his trust, to trust Azura's word. But that kind of critique is useless, cuz it boils down to "well this story should've been better", which can apply to every damn story in the world, and has been said about FE stories in the past. Robin's fake Gules plan was the magic orb of Awakening, same with the blood pact in Tellius, same with effectively every villain dialogue in previous FE games (like Ursula in FE7) that betrays what their ultimate goals are, same with the Turnwheel, Divine Pulse, and the Time Crystal in the future FE games, and countless other examples. At some point, you gotta roll with the punches and accept what the game is trying to tell you, rather than deride it constantly, cuz eventually you'll just hate everything in every story.

Hell, why do you think people say FE stories have never been good? Not cuz they're actually bad, it's cuz people refuse to set aside their biases and faulty evaluations/expectations in order to appreciate what the writing is doing in the grand scheme. It's a lame excuse more than it is a meme, IMO.

[queenofalpaca]

Oh both Go to Sleep, Scrapper and Bode's Force Background have me super curious for the WIP ask!

Coming right up! thanks for the ask, Anon 🩵

Go to Sleep, Scrapper

This one is obviously inspired by Cal’s chronic inability to take care of himself. It’s planned as a 4+1 though I guess I could make it a 5+1 by just adding Cordova or something, we’ll see. It starts with instances of Greez, Cere, Merrin, and BD trying to convince Cal to go to sleep, and failing. Cal just has too many issues. Stubbornness, nightmares, insomnia, you name it, the guy’s probably struggling with it. The common theme here is that they all use some variation of “Go to sleep, [nickname]” btw, hence the title.

Cue the +1 in which Bode shows up, pulls “Go to sleep, Scrapper” and Cal promptly drops dead. Here’s a little snippet I do not remember writing 😅

It was probably stupid, but Bode needed Cal alive and well if he wanted to have any chance of getting to Tanalorr. He stepped into Cal’s path.

“Go to sleep, Scrapper.” It wasn’t hard to extend his presence just enough to shield the soft brush against Cal’s wobbling shields. He wouldn’t remember this tomorrow. Probably wouldn’t remember it even without the soft suggestion to forget along with sleep.

Cal, predictably, dropped like a rock, right into Bode’s waiting arms. He had to take a step back to brace himself; Cal was heavier than he’d expected. Cal wasn’t bothered though, already snoring away into his chest. Bode huffed and pulled him into a more secure grip.

It took him a few moments to realise that the others had fallen silent, their quiet conversations stopped. He looked up to see all of them staring at him and Cal in various states of utter disbelief.

And that’s it. Just some cute little fluff about Bode finally getting Cal to take a dang nap. And possibly cheating a little bit to do so, lol

Bode’s Force Background

So you know the stony/rocky background going on in the meditation circle menu? This started as an effort to figure out what that might look like for Bode. That somehow split into both Haunting and the fic that’s still in this file, but I’ll tell you about this one (it’s the better one anyway, lol)

The idea is a 5+1. Yes again. I have a thing for 5+1s. They’re just easy to write, what can I say. This one’s angsty as hell tho (good job balancing things out, anon). The thing is, if I post it, this one will probably be called Haunting actually 😂

Now here’s the problem: this one features a big old plot twist. Trying to sell you this fic without spoiling it will make this description rather short. Bode is being haunted by Cal. He keeps catching glimpses of him, but he remains always just out of reach. That’s about as much as I can say.

What I will ramble a bit more about is what I came up with for Bode’s Force/Meditation background, and maybe you’ll even get an idea on what the big twist is. So. Bode’s a spy and he’s very good at hiding the fact that he’s Force-sensitive at all. Here’s my pitch: Bode’s meditation background changes to align to his current surroundings. Whatever place he’s in/planet he’s on, his background will change accordingly to a slightly surreal, dream-like version of the same place. The only common element is water (because the SpyScrapper discord is obssessed with the water/fire thing and I am not immune). In any case, the water. It seems natural at first glance. Rain on Coruscant, the river/waterfall on Koboh, a dripping sink on Nova Garon, stuff like that. But if you look a little closer, it might seem strange that it’s raining on the lower levels of Coruscant. Bode’s ‘true’ meditation background, when he’s not lying to himself and others and trying to make himself fit into his surroundings is a big old lake/ocean. Something something hidden depths, you get it.

And that’s as much as I’ll say (there’s more ideas on themes/metaphors but again, plot twist). One last thing though, because there isn’t yet enough angst: this fic will also feature the post-game Force Echoes. Make of that what you will, heh 🩵

Now for the next ask, I’m gonna need you guys to choose something I can drop actual snippets for 😂 unless you want to have the fics that are still mostly just concepts 😅

[cornytheclown]

It’s late at night and I’m thinking about the villain trio from FE Fates. The one in particular that I love so much (Iago, Hans, Zola)

They’re not the most developed, especially compared to other villains in the series. Some would even say that they are mostly 2 Dimensional! And they’re correct!

But despite that, they all got this sort of unique vibe to them, and through the interpretations of their text and actions in Fates + Heroes + other media that I find them in, plus some personal headcanons, I feel like I could give a decent read on the three of them.

I’m gonna segment these out into different posts so that they’re not too long winded. Also I don’t know the word limit on Tumblr posts, I’ve never made a post this long before.

Iago

Right off the bat, it can be agreed upon by everyone in the jury today - Iago is a asshole. Not just any asshole though - but a smart ass. A smug ass smart ass. He would lord over someone about his intellect and capabilities, taking great pride in it.

He’s incredibly gifted in strategy and intelligence, one of Nohr’s best tacticians. However, he’s also incredibly paranoid and over analyzing. Almost like he’s constantly strategizing both on and off the playing field. Which, given that he’s the head advisor to the King, and having a very key role in the court, makes sense. You never wanna let your guard down in that kind of environment.

But he takes things to a whole new level. He’s paranoid and distrusting of everyone whose not King Garon. He’s the kind of guy who plans out how to kill whoever he meets. And while surely he has his formalities (natural of someone in the court like him), he looks down upon just about everyone and suspects everyone around him of suspicious behavior by almost every action they take.

He has little respect for anyone who isn’t above him in some kind of way. Peasants are as good as dead in his eyes, just simple casualties in war (even if they’re not apart of it). Hell, it wouldn’t even be surprising if he used some of them as experiments for his Faceless. Everyone else who works under him or is below him in power is simply just to control or monitor with suspicion. And anyone who steps out of line for him is as good as gone (unless stated otherwise by his King)

Honestly, he’s just such a hater, he would be more than happy just to cruelly toy with someone he was spiteful against in particular. Not the kind of guy you’d want to be on the bad side of, as he certainly seems to take glee in the misery of others.

Anyone who seems like they could overpower him or be of a higher status however (such as a King), he seems willing to follow along with. So as long as he knows they’re on his side - and unless it’s King Garon - he’s still always a step ahead in case they inevitably betray him in his mind. Or better yet - he’ll be the first to betray them.

Hence why he’s so weirdly nice to Kiran in Heroes. Because his King is now under contract with Kiran, by extension, Iago now also serves Kiran. It’s easy to forget that Kiran, in the circumstances designed by the Order, is in charge of everyone. Including Gods. It’s stated in a Forging Bonds event that they literally cannot kill each other due to the magic of their binding contract to Kiran. The same would most likely apply to being unable to harm Kiran.

So Iago is doing what he can to kiss up to Kiran and give helpful advice for strategy, as a fellow Tactician. I don’t think much of it is anymore than sweet talk and advice to improve. At least until their Lvl 40 conversation, where Kiran earns his respect. Even offering to aid them, if they so wish to do evil.

Now I keep mentioning Iago’s constant devotion to Garon. I actually have a personal headcanon that’s probably not canon but I’m going to make it my canon, because Fates is a complete mess (affectionate). There’s gonna be spoilers btw.

My theory is that Iago’s devotion actually lies within Anankos more than anyone. Who, as you know, is possessing Garon the whole damn time. I don’t think Iago lacks devotion to Garon, but his heart is for Anankos.

I actually am in the camp that believes Iago is related to Mikoto, possibly her brother. And he is from Valla. And a devoted follower of Anankos, who might be a little bit extremely bitter about him choosing Mikoto. And having a child - Corrin. The reason why he has such a vendetta against Corrin is because they are the child of Mikoto and Anankos, and given their softer, kind nature growing up, he sees a bit of her sister in them (whom he hates). And doesn’t see them fit to be Anankos’ heir because of their softer nature.

Despite his spite, he follows Anankos to the bitter end, by all of his orders given. Being too blinded to realize just how far gone his God has become due to their madness, brought about by the death of their close friend (the original King of Valla). Or possibly even not caring about morals and such, and just doing what his beloved God asks of him, regardless of consequence. Probably a mix of both.

Iago is a bitter, spiteful, manipulative snake of a man who needs to have everything masterfully under his control, and following the orders of both his King and his God. He serves the higher powers, and spits at those below him. Happily willing to let innocents die if it suits him. He will do anything if it means getting one up in a situation. He knows how to manipulate others and does so happily for his goals. He won’t hesitate to backstab almost anyone whose not above him. He’s smarmy and strategic, always planning his next move and watching everyone else’s every move to ensure that he’s always ahead of them.

There’s not much that’s very likable about him and I think he enjoys that! He wakes up every day extra early Just to be a hater. I also headcanon him to be a Theater Nerd, a lover of theatrics and literature. A classy, cultured man who brings out the same energy of a Musical Villain into his daily life.

Honestly, being the way that he is, naturally he has very few real friends. Between being sus of everyone and just being a generally nasty person, I think it’s kind of why he leans into the whole “cartoon villain” vibe. He has power over almost everyone, he’s an advisor to the King! And in the environment that he’s from, Nohr especially, as well as because of his status, it’s no wonder why he’s on edge and calculating. There’s bound to be a lot of targets on his head from those from opposing sides, or even others who would want to get ahead of him and take over.

Rather than risk something terrible to come out of putting his trust into someone, or even being anywhere near vulnerable with anyone, it’s much safer and easier to push everyone else away and become an infamously unpleasant sort. What does it matter if everyone hates you? You’re the King’s advisor! You have the power and you can control how everything goes, and you’ll always be a step ahead!

And when he’s lost that control…in the moment where he is at the mercy of the Heroes…he becomes a begging, pathetic mess! The man is a cowardly weasel! There’s a good reason why he wouldn’t scoff off Hans, and other then a mutual love of being horrible people and killing others, that’s because Hans could happily break him like a KitKat.

When you take Iago out of his element, where he’s Not ahead of the game like he thinks he is, and he’s left in a powerless state, he’s not too proud to beg for his life or flee if he can. If things are getting out of hand; he’s quick to get the hell out of dodge. Screw everyone else. And if he can’t do that, then well…best he can do is cry and beg and give fake apologies, hoping the other party won’t beat his ass.

Which is another reason why he’s most likely as nice as he is to Kiran - he’s at Kiran’s mercy! He can be sent home and back into his timeline whenever they want him gone. Best to avoid that by being a kiss ass and doing well for them.

Some other Misc. HCs about Iago:

Mentioned it before, but he’s a Theater and Literature Geek. And a terribly pretentious one at that.

The mask he wears, aside from being an aforementioned Theater Nerd, is meant to represent Anankos, and is from Valla. A bit of his golden accents are also common from there.

Being Mikoto’s twin brother, he is also Corrin and Azura’s evil uncle. Is in his mid 40’s, and despite being the same age, he looks 10 years older than Mikoto.

It was that thing of like, he felt like everyone liked his sister Mikoto more, because she was sweet and openly friendly. And when even the God he worshipped for so long favored her more, that’s where he crossed the line into pure hatred for her.

He joined the court and became Garon’s advisor not too long after Mikoto had Corrin. It was very tempting to want to kill baby Corrin, but by his King’s orders, he refrained. But he’s held contempt for them even when they were very young.

I HC him to be Gay, but I don’t think he’s devoted to anyone more than Garon and Anankos (neither one share those feelings).

With that being said, I firmly believe that he and Hans have something going on.

[randomnameless]

Small correction in regards to your last post: the background Concubine fiasco in Fates happened because Garon's concubines wanted to gain favor with him and ascend from just being a side-piece in his harem into being the defacto Queen of Nohr, with all the privileges and power that would entail, with them caring so little for their own children that they'd often send them into dangerous missions for their own benefit and would beat them if and when they refused; with all that in mind, it seems like the main cause for the conflict was just good old self-interest and greed, not the concubines wanting better lifes for their children.

Oh ok thanks!

Granted, couldn't the "I'm doing this for my kid" also be an official excuse?

If Elise becomes the next heir, then, of course, her mother would become the next Queen, or maybe the most important wife, since she's the mother of the heir? But it would just be a totally unwated consequence of her worrying so much about her daughter to make her heir, of course! It wasn't her plan from the beginning! Not at all!

the more I think about it, the more pissed I am at Lady Ionius's lack of existence or importane - Supreme Leader only mentions her once, when she said her dad was already married "for politics" before wooing Anselma, but unless Lady Ionius got him 8 children before he met Anselma, the guy must have had other concubines before Anselma caught his eye...

Damn, now I need to think of a name for Ionius's wife, I can't keep on calling her Lady Ionius!

Anyone has ideas?

[nowis-scales]

Reverse unpopular opinion on Fates? (Or if it's too general, just Corrin!)

This ask is in relation to this post.

I’m a menace to this fanbase at this point, so I’ll do both!

For Fates in general, I… just… so much. So much. The drama, the world, the tiny details, the way they weave in little bits of character intrigue… it’s wonderful! I love it! I’m going to actually have to stop myself from going on a rant about every individual thing, because there’s so much I can talk about, and it would probably be filled with a lot of trivia. Still, I’ll try to hit as much as I can without going too far.

I believe I’ve mentioned it before, but I am absolutely in love with the nature of the choice made in Fates. There’s always been some kind of discourse on which side one should choose, but the fact of the matter to me is that they both make reasonable sense. I know I’d be swayed to join the Hoshidans based on my empathy for their situation and their clear affection for “me”. At the same time, though, I might join the Nohrians because I’ve been where they were with people like Garon before — and I might want to help them create that change from the inside the best way I know how, and of course I’d want to be with the people I love. They’re both such good choices, but that’s what makes them difficult! That’s why we even bicker about what’s best in the first place!

And don’t get me started on the drama the choice creates. I’m sure I’ve made the joke before, but I’m the kind of person who hates drama in real life, but absolutely loves it in my fiction. Lucky for me, Fates is full of that good fictional drama. Even the things that don’t seem like they could be much to toy with turn out to be pretty big things. Take the fractured relationship between the Hoshidan siblings, for example. It doesn’t seem like it might be that much beyond some character intrigue at first (which I personally eat up anyway), but it ends up being a major catalyst in Conquest as well as playing a big role in Birthright. Most of the decisions taken within Fates to create drama are used to tell you a lot about its characters — you learn the depths of Flora’s self-hatred through her demise, about Hinoka’s steadfastness when fighting against her own siblings, about Xander’s quiet desperation for Garon’s return to normalcy… it kills me that so many of these things were tampered with by the localization team because they’re just so good! There is absolutely no fear of making you feel bad for what you’re doing in the game, and I would argue that there’s often times where they’re more subtly telling you that even your favourites probably aren’t the great people you might think they are. And I think that’s something that really captures the essence of what it’s like to be at war, but also to be the person caught between. It’s knocked for not being morally grey, but of the games I’ve played, I’ve found that it’s probably one of the ones that’s more willing to confront characters acting poorly.

Speaking of that, one of the things I really, really love is that they tell you information about the world through a lot of tiny details. They don’t just vomit a bunch of information on you; they work to weave it into the little things. You don’t outright hear that Silas tends to get too absorbed in gossip as a consequence of being the guy everyone likes, but after a few support conversations, you start to notice it. You might not recognize that Felicia is actually really emotionally intelligent, but after a few supports, you realize that she’s prone to the words “don’t you lie to me” and can almost always figure out when people are putting up a front. Even with the localization’s attempts at scrubbing Hoshido of its sexism, it actually turns out that it cannot be erased — because it always shines through, whether it’s Reina telling her life story or Hinata remarking on the abnormality of the female samurai or Takumi’s fixation on physical strength or Ryoma’s overall self-expression being aloof at best and a burning rage at worst. They build all of these little things into the text, and I love just picking them out and examining them like I’m mining for gemstones.

The best part about some of these tiny details, too, is that they’re not even just story-related. They bury them in the mechanics, as well. Like have you ever noticed that more of the Nohrian royal siblings are pre-promotes than the Hoshidan ones because they’re supposed to be more well-versed in war? Or how Charlotte’s heart seal makes her class into a troubadour, suggesting that she really does have a heart of gold beneath her rough exterior? Even the way money is used in the game, with the Hoshidans positively rolling in it and the Nohrians having to manage a tight budget, is a show of care for these small details. They don’t shy away at all from implementing the details of character and world building into the way they actually structure the game, which I think is really interesting!

I could probably go on forever if you let me, but these are just some of my favourite things that the game comes out with. Fates really speaks to me because even if it’s not the perfect FE game, I can still feel the love that those who worked on it put into it. It’s absolutely not without its merits, and I love it to pieces for what it is.

As for Corrin, well, I’m gonna offer a particularly hot take in opening my gush about Corrin: for some people, it seems as if the reason why they don’t like Corrin is simply because they are not Ike. For me, though, that’s precisely why I like Corrin. While there’s nothing wrong with protagonists like Ike, I find they’re much more common due to their obvious popularity, so seeing someone who’s more about being heroic in a soft and gentle way has always interested me. In particular, I think what stands out about Corrin’s nature is the way that it is so integrated into the choices they have to make. Their decision is already so difficult, but to put so much energy into caring for others, avoiding hurt, and just generally wanting the world to be a better place — while having seemingly no choice that will allow you to do just that — it really plays into the struggle of the situation. Corrin’s gentle-hearted nature is what gives them power as a protagonist, because they’re not willing to just throw in the towel and do only what makes them happiest. They still want to go out of their way to try and help everybody, even if it’s not good for them, even if it causes them a whole lot of pain in the end. Their biggest concern is still how they can come out with the best outcome for the scenario.

And honestly, I think something is added by the fact that Corrin is sometimes obviously wildly out of their depth! Sometimes they make decisions that are a little ridiculous, or may not be the most clever choice at the time, because it adds a layer of humanity and jives well with their backstory. A kid raised in a tower is not going to have instant leadership qualities. While Corrin does have things like caring and charisma going for them, they’re more than able to cause trouble if they don’t think about how their actions as a leader will affect others. They’re not so thoughtless as to willingly fling soldiers into danger, but they stick tightly to their own moral code. I think that in terms of relatability, going for this kid who’s out of their depth but still trying their best to make a better future is a great thing for a protagonist. The fact of the matter is, that’s what a lot of us would be in Corrin’s situation, so as an Avatar character it does make sense to have them be this way. I think Corrin’s gentleness and humanity are overly dismissed as unhelpful and boring, but the fact of the matter is, it’s much more genuine than a lot of the other stuff out there. There’s no attempt to make the ultimate cool guy that everyone will love — there’s an attempt to make someone who’s more of a person.

Overall, both Fates itself and Corrin deserve more credit for being what they are. Sometimes we become some absorbed by all of the things we think are bad that we can’t even see all of the amazing stuff in front of us, and I think that with a little more time and attention, more people might recognize that there are actually some pretty great things in Fates that deserve their respect. As someone who loves this game deeply, I’m glad that there are people out there who are willing to give it a chance... or maybe even more than one! 

[chacerider-casual]

You had me hooked at Godzilla

Are there robots? Cus I remember reading robots somehwere

And these guys give me superhero vibes, do they have superpowers? Or are they like, power rangers but high tech

Fun fact! The original head of the company that makes Ultraman, Mr. Eiji Tsuburaya (may he rest in peace), was the special effects director for the original Godzilla, before he split off to create his own production company! (Yeah, Ultraman's been going a while... Off and on since 1966!) So there's a good reason Godzilla is an easy comparison to make, and it's not just because of all the kaiju!

There are robots sometimes! The big focus is on the titular Ultramen -- aliens made of light from a distant galaxy, (usually,) capable of being large or small, generally do-gooders and capable of fusing their life with a human host for mutual survival -- but there have been both robot antagonists and robot friends throughout the years. The current season, Blazar, is very new-viewer friendly and has a giant mecha-godzilla-esque mecha that our heroes pilot (starting from episode 3)! His name is Earth Garon and we all love him.

As for superhero vibes... Kinda! As I mentioned, Ultramen can fuse with humans for mutual survival - Ultras need intense solar radiation to survive more than a few minutes, which Earth's atmosphere unfortunately blocks, so fusing lets them hide in the human's body on Earth to survive long-term when waiting for kaiju to show up, and lets the human hide in the Ultra's body for combat! (Well, there's other situations too, because not all "Ultramen" are from the same place, and others find other solutions... but that's the most common way.) So the protagonist is usually very superhero-like, with a "secret identity" of sorts! (EDIT: ... And yes, Ultramen themselves typically have superpowers. The most basic is beam attacks, but there's been everything from healing powers to energy weapon summoning to CRAB MINIATURIZING BEAM to summoning black holes! They're a bit magical like that.)

But then there's usually a government Defense Team, or other human allies, who are trying to solve mysteries and save Earth themselves, with human technology! So that part's often more got Star Trek vibes than Power Rangers, I'd say, but they'll often have combining jet fighters or mecha and such, so a bit similar after all, lol. A big theme is humanity trying to find its own place in the universe and grow to protect themselves!

... Though, that's mostly in proper seasons. Zero's a bunch of movies, usually set out in space with very few humans (or human-looking characters) at all, so it's very much a larger-scale sci-fi superhero romp there. A bit more Star Wars than Star Trek, but still it's own thing and very fun!

... Ah, I talked too much again. Well, if you need any more rambling about my favorite series, I'll be around, lmao

[dirtyoldmanhole]

all right, chapter 25. whooo.

under the cut cuz this post got massive ~~

part one of ch25!

small recap:

to the average player, the only thing you'd know about gunter at this point is he raised corrin / was her combat instructor. pretty typical boring jeigan. he had one weird off-hand line about defying garon back in ch7, but otherwise pretty basic FE father/mentor figure. "kind of weird he's randomly showing up again"

ESPECIALLY kind of weird "why is there boss music" vibes in the last scene feeling ya dig?

even to gunter-romancers in the conquest route, you don't really get much new information. now, the sharp ones are more aware that the man's a little fucky, with the most famous bit being our very understandable "the ball was a WHAT" reaction to the supports, and a sneaky feeling he's always held a flame for corrin.

yes, the man is just a little fucky...

... but it isn't until we hit this and the next chapter in this specific route that nintendo drops the rest of the anvil on us. :D

chapter starts tame enough, but classic genre horror fans are probably muttering 'oh shit this feels familiar'

"DON'T SPLIT UP GUYS...."

next few shots suddenly turn eerily cinematic.

again, classic genre horror film buffs are going to recognize this visual vibe. emphasizing corrin's isolation, fragility.

looming spaces.

nintendo is twigging on every single 'horror vibe' lever that they have here, especially with that stairway into black nothing.

ohhh shit

WHERE HAVE WE HEARD THAT LINE BEFORE......

(also note: first time that line is in sentence case, not all caps like anankos' regular lines. do you think she heard that line in his voice as he's slowly approaching?)

can you imagine how hot his body language is while he's stalking corri-/SHOVES THOUGHT DOWN

ANYWAY

(corrin and smart players know she's in deep shit. something's hunting her.)

RUN BABY RUN

(screenshots don't do this justice, the camera zooms in impossibly fast on her face in a staggering quicker speed than what we're used to)

screen goes white.

(also a common video game flag of SERIOUS SHIT WENT DOWN)

...

!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???!?!?!?!!?!?!!

[muffled screeching] WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT OH MY GOD (imagine running into this scene the first time being a gunterfucker)

OKAY.

WHEW

imma be blunt. i cannot see that scene in any other way of 'holy fuck balls that is some deeply INTENSE sexual undertones there' for your vanilla nintendo game. i don't think it's just me being brain rotted either.

it's the way the camera does that lo-ooong slow pan from super far out (mirroring that 'isolationist' feeling from before')

it's how the camera focuses/ends WAY too zoomed in. diagonals, not "stable" shapes and lines like more comforting squares and circles.

it's how we're kind of uh, uncomfortably reminded of unconscious corrin right there.

........(especially when you know anankos is literally possessing him still right there?

it's how, even with the janky sprites that is not strictly.... speaking.... how you'd expect a "wholesome" caretaker figure to lean over corrin all concerned-like.

way too close. bending OVER her with way fucking too much familiarity. he's kind of staring at her way too intensely and reveling in that blatant vulnerability.

there is some distinctly badwronghot predatory vibes here.

text boxes pop up again.

he plays off wHATEVER THAT FUCKING WAS super chill.

(there's a throwaway line in my slowburn fic about corrin offhandly thinking how gunter's always been a very good actor/pretender. this scene in particular was what I was thinking of there. )

(i literally just noticed. that's his pleased/smiling sprite. you would THINK your wholesome caretaker dad would be nearly frantically worried over corrin. right? right????? )

especially when she uh says? this?

he kind of all the sudden remembers 'oh shit yeah you'd be worried you're in danger'

(hahaha....)

NOW she thinks 'don't get separated'

(i also think this is the first time corrin's very cautiously thinking '......he's hiding something'.)

both of them, actually.

i actually ran out of image maximums for the post so PART TWO of ch25 coming up tomorrow. :D

[teaveetamer]

I think it's hilarious how reddit, twitter, youtube and game FAQS are being like "if only we could have a game with Engage's gameplay and 3H's story/writing" but most people on tumblr are bein like "noooppppeeeee"

I dunno if I'd call it most people on Tumblr but definitely myself and some of my mutuals, I suppose?

I won't even say it's the worst written game ever, or that it doesn't have it's positive points. I just find it frustrating that it gets a lot of really undeserved praise from the fandom.

I mean it's a bit of a low hanging fruit but. Honest. Honest to god. Look me in the eye and tell me the absolute botched abortion that is the Agarthans are good writing.

People shit on Garon and co. and Sombron and all the other one dimensional evil guy characters for being stupid villains who villain but these guys get a pass. The guys that have been sitting on a nuclear arsenal for a thousand years and just. Decided it would be better used to scare you at the end of a couple of routes instead of... I don't know... bombing the ever loving shit out of Rhea while she was away from the monastery at the Battle of Eagle and Lion in part 1? The villains who drag the story down so much people frequently cite their near complete disappearance from the plot in AM to be a positive for the route?

[fatesdeepdive]

Entry 97: Easily Explaining A Better Plan

Revelation Chapter 8: Traitor's Brand

The gang arrives at Fort Jinya. Yukimura comes out and calls Corrin and Azura traitors. Side note, Yukimura is one of only two units not recruitable in Revelation. Corrin begs Yukimura to listen to their claims that Nohr isn’t the bad guy and he tells them to fuck off. Yukimura reveals that Takumio has been captured and Ryoma is missing.

This battle reuses the map from Chapter 7 of Birthright, except with our units approaching from the south instead of defending from within. Corrin fights against Yukimura, Saizo, and Orochi, sparing each of them. Corrin asks for help in ending the violence, but no one listens. Saizo tries to suicide bomb, which is a bit of an overreaction. Kaze and Sakura show up and tell him to knock it off.

Corrin finally gets a chance to talk and says that the murder of Mikoto and the invasion of Hoshido weren’t caused by Garon. Except, they were. He was working for Anankos, but he absolutely was responsible. Corrin sucks at explaining things. Saizo says Corrin has an overactive imagination, which isn’t helped by Corrin being unable to explain anything.

Corrin is not some manipulative, intelligent Game of Thrones character. If they were, they would have went to Hoshido, told them that Azura remembers another man manipulating Garon from the shadows, and asked for help in ending the Nohrian invasion by taking out the true leader of Nohr. Then, they could have taken their new troops to Valla via the lake portal. Next, they could have invited Xander to a peace talk and shown him the truth with the crystal ball. Xander would have no problem grabbing a few squads of Nohrian troops for the invasion, allowing for the gang to invade Valla and kill Anankos. But no we have to watch Corrin be an idiot and characters randomly trust them for half of the game.

Sakura and Kaze decide to join. Corrin tells Sakura that it sucks they can’t explain things to her, in front of the lake which is a portal to Valla. Fucking ridiculous. Also Subaki and Hana show up. And I grabbed Mozu between chapters.

Support: Beruka/Xander

C: Beruka warns Xander that he is in danger.

B: Xander realizes that Beruka has been hired to kill him. He tells her to try it, knowing that he has weapon triangle advantage.

A: Beruka kills her employer out of loyalty to Camilla. Beruka resigns from the army, but Xander demands she stay, saying that he shouldn't banish people for thinking about dishonorable actions. And I mean, compassion is great, but Beruka is still an assassin. She has done dishonorable things.

S: Beruka avoids Xander out of guilt. This upsets him, because he's in love with her. Beruka says she isn't fit to be queen but Xander says Nohr needs a queen familiar with the dark. Beruka asks if Xander would kill her if he had to to save Nohr. Xander says yes, but it would haunt him til his dying day. Beruka accepts, not wanting to come between Xander and his kingdom.

Review: An excellent Support, with Xander being a badass and a good leader.

Support: Leo/Peri

C: Peri invites Leo to go kill some random person with her. Leo is horrified and stops her.

B: Leo explains that killing is wrong. Peri is confused by this, because they kill enemy soldiers constantly. Leo struggles to argue what the difference is.

A: Leo explains that killing is always wrong, but there are circumstances where you must kill in battle to serve a higher purpose and make sure good prevails. And honestly, he'd have a point if he A: didn't constantly kill unarmed enemies so Corrin doesn't have to, and B: wasn't part of a brutal invading army driven by no motive besides conquest.

S: Leo realizes that people will try to hold Peri accountable for all the evil stuff and marries her to protect her.

Review: This is a really interesting Support, but not quite for the intended reasons. Peri, and I can't believe I'm saying this, is right in this Support. She's right that there is little difference between her killing for fun and the actions of the Nohrian army, especially those of men like Hans and Iago. This Support fails by not having Leo acknowledge his own shortcomings. In many ways, Leo is just as cruel and evil as Peri. They both kill constantly. The only difference is that Peri likes it. But, at the end of the day, what solace does Leo's guilt give to his victims?

Support: Charlotte/Odin

C: Odin immediately sees through Charlotte's bullshit and assumes she's evil, stating "your villainous 'tees' and nefarious 'hees' have no effect on me!"

B: Charlotte explains she lies to make men like her. Odin relates to this desire and tells Charlotte she's doing it wrong. Odin gives Charlotte advice on how to act like Odin.

A: Charlotte acts like Odin. Other people think she's weird. Odin is amazed.

S: Odin falls in love with Charlotte because she acts like him. Charlotte punches him to make sure he'll still love her.

Review: A pretty good Support. Seeing Charlotte do Odin's weirdness is fun, as is Odin being completely oblivious to the fact that people don't like his act.

Support: Effie/Keaton

C: Effie works out by carrying around a tree trunk. She assumes Keaton can carry it and tosses it at him to catch. He almost dies.

B: Keaton and Effie go hunting. After a rabbit runs under a tree, Effie offers to rip the tree out of the ground. Keaton instead suggests they lie in wait.

A: Effie bench presses two trees at once. Keaton gives Effie homemade jerky.\

S: Keaton proposes. Effie says yes and promises to protect him, because she is clearly far stronger.

Review: Why is Effie being stronk so amusing? Maybe it's because the rest of the cast are mostly human in capabilities. Whatever. This one was good.

[emblemxeno]

I've always found it interesting that Takumi in Conquest has somewhat of a thematic throughline of always being Corrin's inferior.

Whenever the two of them fight, he always loses (and, according to the post-battle cutscenes, Corrin seems to have beaten him by themselves too), Anankos only chooses him as his vessel at the end because his plan to make his preferred and superior host, which was Corrin, viable for possession failed after Garon sat on the Hoshidan throne, Takumi's dialogues throughout the route heavily implies he's jealous of Corrin's skills and wants to prove himself the better fighter only for him to be proven wrong every time, etc…; it's even set-up in the prologue thanks to his inferiority complex and distrust towards Corrin.

I'm not sure what the point of all that rambling was exactly, but i just find that theme kinda neat.

I agree, I think it's one of the genius plot lines of Conquest's story.

We get the lowdown of how Garon got possessed and how, but we don't get to see it... except we get to with Takumi. The degredation of a guy who's just insecure and starving for affection and recognition, he gets defeated battle after battle against a person who only served to exacerbate his existing complex; Takumi already feels inferior to Ryoma, now this new brother/sister who his family fixated on and eventually sided against them is winning against his troops? Does a number on his psyche, and Anankos sees the potential of this wellspring of insecurity before taking advantage of it. A failsafe for if Garon fails.

It's really good.

[jeromefart]

WAAGAGHWGQGGA CAL USING THE DARK SIDE HELLO?????? AND THE PAUSE MENU IS ALL RED NOW???? THIS IS SO CRAZYY????

lowkey i predicted this 🤭 i had been hoping that cal would turn or theyd at least talk about it a bit because he really only has 2 options, fight the empire and die or live but join them

its interesting that cal isnt turning out so different from dagan. overcome with obsession and fear.. pretty familiar. and that one scene when cal was like “the order is gone and i know what i want” was giving me serious red flags because… attachment leads to fear.. you know the rest

and you can hate bode for what he did but really it was his best option. continue living in hiding until he dies or strike a bargain with the empire. it makes sense from his perspective. still heartbreaking though 😭 and when kata was like “who is that?” and he says “my best friend” oh that felt like being stabbed in the chest. it hurts soo good i LOVE IT

anyway im excited to see if he overcomes this or fully turns because even though they left nova garon the pause menu is still red and stuff. like merrin told him to not kill that guy and he stopped but he still has all of that built up inside. im gonna see if i can still use those dark side moves. OKAY i just fought some enemies and yes he is still using the dark side move. this is so crazy but i love it i cant wait to see what happens.

like when dagan bled his light saber right in front of cal i was freaking out and losing my mind and i lost my shit even more when it said “press l3 and r3 to give into the dark side” or whatever. like i went CRAZY. the sheer anger in his voice. but overall im shocked because of how much stronger he is when you use that move. its really crazy to physically see that the dark side brings you power, but also so much pain. i really love it this game is awesome

[luminouslumity]

Liveblog for Watching and Dreaming!

Okay, last episode. Here we go.

Oh, okay! So we're starting with drama right off the bat then! Great!

TITAN!

STRINGBEAN!

Oh God, poor Luz!

Poor Eda, but I've honestly really missed Lilith as an antagonist, even if it's only a dream in this case.

Okay, and now King is going to be traumatized! Wonderful!

Okay, ouch! This scene with Hunter hurts even more than the others!

Still horrified, but love the call-back to S1.

Aww! Reunion!

Rai Rai! I can't! It's just a shame this isn't the real Raine!

Oh, no... Belos, leave King alone!

This is so sad on so many levels! It's one thing to have an antagonistic chaos being, it's another if that chaos being just genuinely doesn't understand the repercussions of their actions! And of course he wouldn't, he's a child!

Raine, yes! Try and break free!

I'm really liking the action here!

Oh, so we're just gonna get the "try to get through to him" talk now, then. Okay.

The Archivists? Lore? Oh my god!

This poor baby!

GO, RAINE!

Oh, don't tell me that heart belongs to...

And it does! As if you couldn't get any more gruesome, Belos!

AMITY! YAY! And hearing her call Lilith Miss Lilith really makes me wish more than ever that we actually saw them interact beyond Covention.

Aww, more call-backs.

Dana, don't tempt us! But yes, please, I'd give anything for an Eda school days spin-off!

I hate Belos, but man I love his new monster design! It actually kinda reminds me of Garon from Fire Emblem Fates!

Yes, Collector! Go, little guy!

Wait, no! Collector! There are exceptions! That being said, the reactions from Luz, Eda, and King are hilarious!

LUZ, NO!

CAMILA! I'm not even joking when I say I literally started to cry at the same time she did!

YES! AVENGE HER!

Oh, the In-Between Realm!

I knew she'd be fine, but oh god, all of them are going to need therapy once all this is over!

King's dad!?

KING'S DAD! And I love his design!

Aww! He sounds so sweet!

WHY!?

Well, at least we get pretty animation out of this.

GOODBYE, KING'S DAD!

Again, poor Camila!

Glyphs! Yay!

NO, NOT HIM TOO!

NO!

LUZ! AND SHE LOOKS SO GOOD!

Aw, they're all fighting alongside each other! This is awesome!

I've missed you, red foliage!

Wow!

Again, this animation is amazing!

Raine! And she's whistling the song! Ugh, I can't!

Aww, Raeda nuzzlies!

More fluid animation!

YES, SHE SAID IT! SHE SAID THE THING!

BYE-BYE, BELOS!

Oh, fork you, man! How dare you even try and play the "I was possessed" card!

Okay, this is horrifying. Still, death by rain? How delightfully ironic!

Even now, he still refuses to see himself as a villain.

YEAH! STOMP ON HIM!

Aww, King! And of course the message would be a pun!

Aww, more reunions!

DADRIUS CONFIRMED!

Seriously, everything about this voiceover is great! Sucks that Luz can't do magic anymore, though. And I'm glad the Collector will at least be keeping in touch.

Aww, Hunter has a new palisman!

TIMESKIP! NICE!

Aw, the University of Wild Magic!

Amity looks so good! They all do, but Amity's is my favorite! Lilith too, actually!

King-ceñera! So sweet! And disgusting, but it's the thought that counts. And glyphs have returned! Cool!

A removal spell! Awesome!

BYYYYYEEE!

That was such a perfect note to end it on! Thank you for everything, Owl Crew! And I know we'll apparently be getting something related to the Azura series eventually (no idea if it's still going to happen or not though), but even if it's just books or graphic novels, here's hoping we can get more from this show in the future!

[fantasyinvader]

I think there's an interesting subversion to Edelgard.

In the last few games, people have argued that the series puts importance on bloodlines and having "special blood." That there are lords who are good and should rule because of their lineage, but that hasn't really been the case. Working backwards, Echoes had Alm and Celica with their crappy-ass dads. Before that, we had Corrin with Anankos in addition to the Nohr sibs and Garon. In Awakening, Robin is the kid of Validar yet is just as heroic as Marth's descendant Chrom. Not to mention, Lucina or any of the second gen kids can have Robin as a mother. The Elibe games favor Ninian as Roy's mother, meaning the big bad of the sequel is his likely grandfather. Or how Seliph has Loptyr blood in him as well.

Blood doesn't matter. It never has. What has mattered is the quality of the person when it came to their rule.

The subversion though is, well, look at these. Most of the time, it's the younger generations that need to put a stop to the evil their families are tied to. Yet Edelgard is supposed to represent a moral decline, going from benevolent oudou to the tyrannical hadou. Her ancestors were the good guys, she's more in-line with those they fought. Not to mention, her family claims Seiros as an ancestor as well.

This relationship that has existed throughout the franchise is reversed here.

[sakuradreamerz]

@mahamatran

“Hey, did you hear...?”

“...there’s a figure that can speak to the dead!...”

“Speak to the dead??”

“Yeah! 

“Wait, seriously? I heard something about them raising the dead!”

“Are they with the Akademiya or a member of the Eremites?”

“Desert? Maybe? or under Ashavan?”

“A friend of mine told me that they know a guy that...”

“And she said he saw them use magic to raise her dead dog. They were a bit slow but they were good as new!”

“Oo! Can they learn how to do that to help my kid, next?”

...

Caravan Ribat was supposed to be peaceful...and yet...the words echoing from the next table were the complete opposite. Their words of excitement left every movement of her pencil shaky. Rigid in a sense.

The pencil strokes became rougher, slower, shakier, distracted from the page...

Calm...calm. No...these words....

Nothing was calm about them. These claims...to rise from the dead...to speak to those laid to rest...

Even in Teyvat, it seemed like she couldn’t escape the talk of the undead...nor necromancy, could she?

No more strokes on the page...but words were added to it instead.

Claims: Speak to dead. Raise others from death. Unknown entity involved. Uses magic. 

The more she wrote down those words, the more her mind flashed back to the past. 

One of constant death and bloodshed. Of Validar...and Grima summoning undead to face the Shepherds; her first friends. The Risen. Of King Garon’s corpse...Anankos bending the deceased’s spirits to his will...no matter if they came from Nohr, Hoshido, or even Valla...

Inhale...exhale...her sketchbook flips shut. The group still chatters on, their topic of interest seemingly flowing into the next. 

How many others latched onto this supernatural rumor?

[mach1ne-g1rl]

once again Comparing/Crossing over ROTTMNT with Something Else™. Today I bring you Fire Emblem Fates Rottmnt ! I'm thinking abt this as if it were an AU and the turtles take up the royal childrens' places. This is gonna be long, TLDR at the end.

First obv is deciding which side they're on and I do that by basing their personalities off of the other characters. So I was thinking Nohr. I think Hoshido would be a good fit for the sake of "Being The Good Guys" and Karai would make a great Mikoto, but the 4 siblings just. don't fit for the Rise Siblings, I don't think. Ryoma for Raph MAYBe works? Takumi for Leo or Donnie is like. Alright. I can't see Hinoka being anyone and Sakura is way too shy and (for lack of a better word) weak ? And I think I'd want April to be Corrin, only cuz I don't know who else Corrin could be.

I find the Nohr Siblings to be the best fit. Xander as Raph, alright I can see some differences but mainly I think it works. Camilla as Leo I think it alright. They're both laid back but deadly and. Look, they're both the face people. Kind of. Camilla is definitely self aware though. Leo as Donnie ??? literally a perfect match idc. I think it's a little funny that Leo doesn't fit Leo but oh well. Mikey for Elise also works really well I think, very friendly & the sunshine in everyone else's lives.

I have no idea who the Hoshido Siblings would be then but that's alright they don't matter here ..!! Azura I have /some/ thoughts for. My first was she's Venus de Milo (i know not rottmnt technically) but she could also just be Big Mama's Assistant since I feel like they're definitely supposed to be a turtle. I also have never read or seen anything where Venus was in so maybe their personalities don't fit at all. My second thought was Casey Jr. I don't have much to explain besides that I just . it makes sense in my head ? Like we don't know that much of Casey jr to begin with and maybe he's more excitable than Azura but !! Really don't know who else would be her !!! Someone help me !!!

Ughhhhh okay I know Draxum would be King Garon and the Dragon Form thing would be like Kuroi Yuroi Draxum but FUCKKK YOU UU!!! Hes my babygirl and im really upset You're making me do this ,, thats messed up,,,,,,, im just a little boy,,,,, who likes draxum ,,,,,,,,, how could u

The rest of Nohr is like the foot clan ig idk, Iago would be like Foot Lieutenant , Hans is Foot Brute .. I want Cass to be SOMEone but mm I have no clue who? Rinkha seeeems kind of close imo but she's not on Nohr's side so it might not be fitting? idk

April as Corrin also doesn't seem exactly right (mostly to me just cuz Corrin's the third youngest, but April's the oldest in the show) But it could still work I think kind of. Alternatively Casey could be Corrin? Might be a better fit? Then maybe April could be Azura ,, same 1st letter of their names ,,, But I think April Corrin works alright (especially if Karai is Mikoto :3) Mainly cuz I don't think April for Azura works that well, they're pretty different

Maybe the purple dragons are hoshido? or idfk the mudd dogs,, I don't think there's any other Group that has at least 3 members (besides the cookie scout girls but erm)

TL;DR: They're the Nohr siblings (Xander Raph, Camilla Leo, Leo Donnie, Elise Mikey, Corrin April), Draxum is King Garon (begrudgingly) and Azura is either Venus de Milo/BM's Assistant or Casey Jr :3

I'd love to hear others' thoughts I am begging for others' thoughts cuz I fucking !! love !!! talking abt this shit I love love love doing this Im so autistic