#i just have a lot of feelings abt chasm arc

[ayatoscupid]

💭 ooohh xiao! <3

XIAOOOO oh my god i genuinely think that even up until today, the chasm arc was the most shaken ive EVER felt for any story moment in the game. after that cutscene with him i literally had to stand up and take a walk for 10mins to calm myself down bc i was SOBBING 😭

i think his development is Beautiful and i love how slow it is if that makes sense?? even by the end of the chasm arc he hasnt done a complete 180, but hes making a start to get better n taking that first step forward, and i just love that. i wanna give him a hug so bad n tell him that im so proud of him. hes a very carefully and beautifully written character. writing a character with years long of trauma and self sacrificial tendencies that they need to learn how to heal from can be tricky, but i love his arc so much :( i cant wait to see him again to see how far hes come

his arc (along w/ ganyu’s) actually gave me a LOT of inspiration for xue yin (my oc w/ ayato), bc an overarching theme for the illuminated beasts is them learning how to find new purposes in life beyond their thousand-years long duties n contracts that r done n they dont need to do anymore. i hold every adeptus n yaksha in liyue in my arms. xiao is like a brother to me who im really proud of TT💚

[watanabes-cum-dump]

PGR and the portrayal of war aka another compare and contrast to Genshin

One thing I wanna give to PGR’s story is how they handle war. Like, for the most part I think only war films capture that brutality really well, but for most fictional wars it’s treated more like just something that happened. All the dead people mean nothing to the viewer, and we only care when a major character dies. 

PGR is like that initially too, but as the story progresses and especially in recent chapters the horrors of war are highlighted. 

From the batshit crazy amount of deaths in Evernight Beat, to the look into the politics of the world government, the early construct programs and the claustrophobic shelter/bunker in Surviving Luceum. It’s all ugly, really, really ugly. There is no glory, because even skk and the Gray Raven as “the heroes” are still suffering and making lots of sacrifices. 

Can we also talk abt the NPC deaths? Bc those are the most tragic. 

Obviously, PGR will probably never kill off a playable/important character. But that doesn’t mean it can’t hurt if it’s an NPC. 

I wanna compare Teppei to the head Commandant. That old guy, Hans I think? I forgot his name. There are worst NPC deaths in PGR but I wanna compare head Commandant and Teppei bc they’re both soldiers. 

As much as everybody loved to say how sad Teppei’s death is, come on ya’ll it really was not that bad. Teppei was part of our little squad in the resistance but what the fuck do we care? Why is he fighting against Inazuma’s Shogunate? We don’t know. Seems like he’s trying to get buddy buddy with everyone given how all he does is get along with the traveler and want to get matching uniforms or whatever. 

He dies of rapid aging because of the delusions Kokomi stupidly bought from the Fatui no questions asked. Okay then. Uh, how sad? Yeah there’s that dialogue when he’s old abt oh he wants to get new uniforms but… didn’t that just feel like Hoyo was trying to be sad? Listen when they really want to be sad, they are sad. This is not bashing Hoyo’s writing, just Inazuma’s story as a whole. Come on, that arc was horrible and you know it. Hoyo’s writing is emotional, the recent Honkai chapters look like they’re gonna be tear jerkers (and I don’t even play that game) Xiao’s whole thing in the chasm, Himeko’s death, all of the we will be reunited quests with Dainsleif. I just really hated Inazuma sorry. 

Point is, it just wasn’t sad because we don’t know shit about him and Traveler doesn’t seem to hung up either. He was just a soldier, and the war against the Raiden Shogun was just one huge fucking joke. Stakes? What the fuck are those. The leader was Kokomi who we all knew Hoyo would never have the balls to kill because she’s a) a marketable waifu and b) not a mentor figure. We had Gorou who was just dogboy. I guess there was Ayaka but she isn’t actually part of Kokomi’s army (same with Ayato) there’s also Yoimiya but these are characters who the story would not benefit from killing. 

Head Commandant was different. I didn’t see his death from a million miles away (though I probably should have ngl) but then again when he was introduced he was kind of an asshole. I think PGR’s visual novel format helps its characterization a lot, not that Genshin’s format is bad, Dunyarazad is one of my favourite NPCs and she was characterized just fine. But the way they describe Head Commandant just tells you everything, same with the way he speaks. 

“Fluorescent lights form the outline an elderly man in the air. He is wearing the same standard issued commandant uniform. Every meticulous pleat is as stern and upright as his expression. The man’s eyes are slightly clouded with age, but his posture remains upright like that of an unyielding pine” (Echo Aria) 

Immediately he’s like the token “god damn it kids these days” conservative asshole who softens up to the main character. Except, we see him talking to one of the humans around his age who was left behind on Earth during the Punishing Virus’ outbreak. And then he’s not just asshole old man, he’s asshole old man who’s seen shit and wants to keep pushing forward in this horrible war without exploiting children (cough cough Nikola) That second part (not the children thing) is driven home during Evernight beat when he tells everyone to evacuate so he can finish the job. 

We don’t see it obviously, but we are given every grisly detail about his death as the Punishing virus turns him inside out. How he’s sweating blood and looses feeling in his limbs, yet still pushes forward to try and save as many people as he can. 

I took quite a few screenshots so that I don’t fuck up my facts 

But you don’t need to read all of that to know this man’s conviction

These two screenshots are all you need. 

The only medal he needs is the blood drying on his chest to prove that he lived and died as a soldier. 

Though I wouldn’t say his death made me cry, it didn’t have to. It hit hard. He was characterized for Echo Aria, and died in Evernight beat, and from his death on, everything goes to shit and the reality of what war is dawns on the player. 

I say this having watched 1917 and Saving Private Ryan; I think PGR displays the reality of war really well. This is some heavy fucking baggage and not for “spicing up your character with some trauma’s sake.” It’s really part of the story. Welcome to PGR, the baggage is free but at what cost :’) 

[yj-98]

Ok can I be a hater too. Just for a sec.

Yeah fanon Tim and Jason can be pretty bad. But you know what the worse fucking thing is? Fanon Cass and Jason.

First of all the way some of them think that Cass and Jason gets along? At all? If Tim at most feels distant disdain and co-workership for Jason, Cass would straight up hate that bitch.

The thing is that Cass does not hate killers. She is pro-redemption. She does not care that you killed she believes that you can stop and be better. But I think what would set Jason out from the others is that he wants to make others kill as well. Mainly, Batman.

Cass would hate that. So much. Because Batman? Who is this big symbol for her that stands for everything she believes in? In helping people, in saving people, in giving it your all to do better and find another way.

It is different with Jason because I totally believe that Cass is down to work with people who think that in some occasions, you can do nothing but kill (Helena.... God I am so insane about the potential of a Cass and Helena relationship) but Jason fully believes that you should take the power of killing and direct it towards someone. To choose and paint a target on someone's back and shoot.

I do think that Jason's relationship is very complex and interesting and more than just "I kill people bc they deserve it" but for Cass it does not matter.

(Ok this is very long apologies 😣😣😣)

CAS UR ALWAYS WELCOME TO BE A HATER WITH ME!! u dont have to apologize ... ur so right . youll have 2 forgive me because i do tend to avoid fanon cass because the . rampant racism and misogyny makes me want to die. and i have not Yet read a whole lot w/ cass in it

this is related to what rus and i were talking abt in the replies to a post, esp what she was saying about like. especially cass would not stand his ass

i really do think that jasons ability to get along w/ cass (and tim) would hinge on his own journey. one that they have not rly given him in any meaningful way. bc ur right unless jason was working towards the change (ill be so real idk what theyre doing w/ him rn. i stopped paying attention to a lot of what dc writes w/ him post-resurrection) aside from the rubber bullets thing, it just.... does not respect her character motivations to have them just. Get along.

this is all also hinging of course on the direction of batfamily/wayne family writing. and like. whether or not you WANT them to get along eventually or for jason to have any sort of meaningful divergence from the motivations he had like. over a decade ago LOL............

this chasm between cass and him within the family could have a lot of weight if dc cared! the writing could be fun. if dc cared. like i said w/ the other stuff. there could be interesting arcs to be had if the characters had to work for some kind of resolution or common ground. in the meantime (or just as a baseline) i really feel like there should be someone who is the foil to jason amongst the 'kids' who can be the counter. it would just make for better writing overall

idk if any of that made sense but. i am shaking your hand.

[autisticcassandracain]

I’m still thinking abt Duke’s comic in #19. It’s just so frustrating something that’s been sat on for like 2 years was ‘resolved’ so poorly. And maybe it would have been fine to end it with getting Duke’s mom back, but then they had to heal her and reveal Duke’s identity to her in so little time. And I just know that the next time we see Duke they’re going to do a time skip to where everyone’s settled into a new normal with no actual development from point a to point ‘everything’s great’. And the same thing happened with Cheer, where a writer had to resolve a years old chasm between Bruce and Jason’s ideology in 6 issues.

It’s not fair that Duke fans have to wait 2 years for 2 issues of comics, and then the writer making those comics has to fit 2 years worth of plot into said 2 issues. It leaves Duke’s character feeling too stagnant and too rushed all at once. Batman Secret Files gave a really good setup of two conflicts with a lot of emotional value: The growing schism between him and his community (shown by the Robins, but Gotham Nights #8 shows more people he’s found himself estranged from), and the disappearance of his mom. I was really excited to see how the resolution of the former would be executed, but seeing how the latter turned out I’m afraid of it being rushed to a shoddy, saccharine conclusion as well.

I've never read Cheer because I'm a known Jason Todd Hater and have no opinions on it for the same reason. I also really didn't like the direction Secret Files headed with the Robin Collective. I've talked about it before but I think the way the former Robin gang has been treated since We Are Robin ended is disgraceful and Secret Files in particular is outright character assassination as far as I'm concerned. Now that that's the only storyline they still have going with Duke I'm even more annoyed by it. I don't think it's possible to write a satisfying arc where the jumping off point is the complete assassination of the themes and characters of We Are Robin, and now I can't even hope they'll just forget it exists because it's the only thing left to be resolved with Duke.

I mean, there are things DC can still do with him; they still haven't properly gone in-depth on how he functions as a daytime vigilante, and they still haven't properly resolved the Gnomon mystery. But considering that Elaine's kidnapping was clearly a set-up for a dropped Gnomon storyline, it's safe to assume that the guy won't make an appearance anytime soon. And DC seems to try everything they can to avoid acknowledging Duke as a daytime vigilante in any meaningful way, so. With Duke's family conflict resolved (presumably, bc I doubt they're just gonna let his dad stay jokerized), that leaves Duke to flounder with no direction.

It's amazing how much a single issue completely kneecapped his story potential in future DC Comics, and it's impossible not to speculate about an editorial mandate, considering the clear departure from whatever arc was planned. At best, it probably has to do with whatever Dark Crisis is up to. At worst, this is editorial deciding to wrap things up since Duke doesn't sell well enough.

I hope something comes along soon that gives Duke a new ongoing arc, otherwise his future in DC Comics looks pretty bleak.

[stackthedeck]

you know abt the spider clones!!! what are your thoughts on them if you don’t mind! :)

I ADORE THE SPIDER CLONES (or triplets or twins, clones feels mean) and no one talks about them!! or when they do they're dunking on them!! Keep my sons' names out of your mouth!!

I adore Ben Reilly because the evil clone trope is so over done, he's so much more interesting because he's neither good or evil if that makes sense? I mean he is good, he's very good! He's his own spider-man and he has all of Peter's memories but also the baggage of being a clone, but he still chooses to be good in his own way. I love Scarlet Spider, his costume design is so fun, in some many ways he's just an edgy version of Peter. He's like let me put a little vest on over the suit, like that's everything to me! My headcanon is that Peter is trans and so there for his genetic clones would also be trans. And I like to think that Ben hasn't had top surgery yet because unlike Peter, he didn't have a supportive family, he had an evil scientist so gender-affirming care wasn't the top priority and that's why he wears that sleeveless hoodie over the suit.

When Ben takes over as Spider-Man for Peter, a lot of Peter's close friends are like...what the fuck, who's this guy? Which I love because he's not just a clone, he sounds and acts differently! He's his own person! He named himself and he's more than Peter's clone, he's his brother

I love that he and Peter are friends and that they help each other out! Love that Peter truly thinks of him as a brother which is just so special because they're both so short on family! Love that he dyes his hair blond to be different!! Love that he has twitter and still cares for Kaine! He's just a little guy doing his best!! Nobody talk to me about Chasm I'm still processing But I have so much love for him, specifically because of Spider-Man: Life Story, which everyone gives shit, but I like it, I think it's good!!

And Kaine does the whole evil clone thing UNTIL HE DOESN'T and it's so good!! He has a whole redemption arc and it's not centered around Peter, but Ben and it's perfect. It's not about him accepting he's a clone, it's about him making peace with his brother! And then he takes up the mantel of Scarlet Spider, never spider-man and it's just so good. Like he's trying so hard to be evil, but he's still got Peter's memories, still has the core of him and he has all these moments where he's like "fuck...I'll take up this great responsibility but I'm going to complain about it."