jonny-b-meowborn · 1 year ago
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Christ just remembering my dream today, I went to school for one of my speaking exams, and in the building there was a lot of cameramen and news reporters, so I got super stressed out like, are they gonna document the exams or something? Did something happen in the area? I went to one room that's full of pillows n shit (it's an actual room we have at school irl it's fun) to like, wait and prepare for my exam, but one of the reporters approached me as soon as she saw me, asking me a shit ton of questions about an event that I've never heard of, but apparently was heavily involved in. But it was weirdly Trial by Kafka-like, where I never learned what the actual crime was. Apparently instead of my exam I was supposed to give a big speech defending myself live on TV and no one would tell me what was even happening. My classmates were absent, or if I saw one of them they'd leave before I could speak to them, and if they realized that I noticed them they'd quickly walk away to avoid me. The teachers were at best super disappointed in me, at worst genuinely disgusted with me for what I've done, and of course wouldn't tell me what it was. I wasn't allowed to leave the building, I couldn't even leave the relax room without being swarmed by reporters asking me stuff I didn't understand. At some point I couldn't take the pressure and stress and started panicking, yelling at everyone to please let me out or explain what's going on, that I was innocent and confused and scared, I felt like an animal surrounded by hunters. During this fit I saw my class's head teacher, who's a great and lovely and supporting man irl, but I couldn't get to him through the reporters around me, so I yelled at him for help, I screamed that he knows me, he knows I haven't done anything, but he just looked at me with this soul crushing disappointment in his eyes and for a moment I believed maybe I did something truly horrible. And my entire meltdown was framed as if I was being aggressive and attacking the reporters, even though aside from the screaming and trying to push them away to escape I didn't do anything. Eventually the show I was supposed to be on started, and I was dragged out of the relax room to the lecture hall, in front of a bunch of cameras and a microphone. I just stood there, silently sobbing, still having no idea what's happening. Some people in the audience around me, reporters or just teachers I couldn't recognize, were speaking softly to me that I should calm down and confess and it'll all be okay as long as I do what's right. I couldn't say anything and the cameras kept rolling, waiting for me to do something, and then the dream ended. What in the holiest of fucks
#i wouldnt call that dream a nightmare but it certainly was terrifying as shit#i especially remember the moment when i had this huge meltdown#i tried to crawl out of the room but was held by the reporters and cameramen like a feral animal#i cant even remember how any of them looked like or what exactly did i say i just remember the pure panic i felt at that moment#bonkers#but also tonight i had a real cool dream about some weird game that i found#about like a found family of monsters#that adopted a young girl#and their relationship was very wholesome#but the game itself was super violent and full of gore#there were three monsters in this family#a straight up skeleton a grim reaper type of dude with a big trench coat and tentacles and some more animal like creature#i dont remember the exact designs#i mostly remember the reaper#i think you either played as him or you could choose which monster you play as and i just picked the reaper most of the time#he attached with these tentacles that would shoot out of his trench coat#and just pierce enemies and fuck them up completely turn them to puddles of blood and organs#i dont remember the plot#but i do remember that in one of the endings there's some flesh dimension thats a huge threat and the girl enters it#and destroys it from the inside and isnt able to escape#so she sacrifices herself to save her monster family and the world#like i said some weirdly wholesome and touching dynamics between them in a world full of gross shit#id play that honestly#maybe ill try to think of an actual plot and turn them into my ocs#i love it when i have cool dreams with cool characters that i can adopt later#weirdly enough im worse at coming up with ocs when i actually think about it but when they come to me in dreams they're like really cool#bee buzz
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sweet1delusi0ns · 6 months ago
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Naruto boys n cuddles ──☆*:・゚
Characters: Naruto🦊,sasuke🗡️,kiba🐺, shikamaru🀄️,shino🪲,neji🎋,choji🍥,gaara⏳, kankuro🪆
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Naruto🦊-*
He cuddles like a monster, more than once have you almost been suffocated because he rolled over onto you, and he ALWAYS falls asleep when cuddling so the only safe way to cuddle is either him holding you so he subconsciously realizes your there or lay flat on top of him so he can’t roll around. No matter how you cuddle you always catch him smiling and giggling. He's so happy all the time with you😭
Sasuke🗡️-*
He doesn't know which way is the best way to cuddle. If he faces away from you he feels like he's being cold but deep down he wants to be held. If he faces at you he doesn't know how to act but he does want to hold you too, until he realizes you could just lay on him instead! He can hold you n you can hold him but doesn't have to feel obligated to make eye contact or anything, Also so he can hide his smile since he got to be tough yk
Kiba🐺-*
Always sprawled out on your lap or hanging on to you from your shoulders, almost like a back hug. He peaks his head out from your neck to see what you're doing. The only reason he would sprawl out on you is if he's tired he falls asleep in like 4 seconds. And snores...really loud. But he thinks it's nice you let him sleep anyways
Shikamaru🀄️-*
Let's be honest, he's asleep before you can even get into a position. But if he is awake he prefers to spoon you so he can "protect you" he says. In reality he just likes holding your waist, also so he has room to kiss your cheek whenever
Shino🪲-*
He honestly wouldn't care as long and you were both comfortable and happy, he mainly wants you to be happy actually. But if he had to choose a favorite it would be you laying on his chest. He likes that fact that still be on guard if something happens but can still cuddle, also he likes running his fingers up your back softly
Neji🎋-*
"I refuse to be apart of a time wasting activity when I could be working!" "Shut up and get in bed neji." "...fine". He acts like he's so bothered by cuddling but in reality he would break if you stopped asking for them. He doesn't like cuddling laying down he's scared he will let his guard down to far, so you try to cuddle while just sitting. He rests his head on your shoulder mostly. Also refuses to admit but he wants you to play with his hair, so every time he lays on you he starts fiddling with his own hair until you do it for him.
Choji🍥-*
With enough begging and food you can pick whatever cuddle position you want. One time you asked if he could lay on your chest and he was so scared of hurting you, but you assured him that's what you wanted. He finally rested on you waiting for you to chime in begging him to get off but to his surprise you let out a content sigh. "Your like a heated blanket choj" you comment while a smile grew on both of your faces. From now on that's your signature cuddle position
Gaara⏳-*
Took a while to convince him to try but once he agreed you had to explain it all. "We just lay down and relax together, hold each other if you want!" He raised an eyebrow "what if I don't want to relax though...?" You chuckle at his worried tone "I'll protect you don't worry nothing will happen, just come lay down". Once he's situated you slowly reach your arm over to pull him close. He squints in reaction but once he finally realized that this wasn't as bad at all he loved it. more specifically he loved being in your arms. Every now and then he'll demand "hold me."
Kankuro🪆-*
Dude doesn't even ask he just grabs you and prays you're not in a bad mood, most of the time you're not. He holds you as close as possible to his chest so he can leave kisses on your forehead or kisses on your neck, sometimes you reach up to playfully pinch his cheeks or pull him by the hair to get a real kiss before relaxing in his arms. He secretly loves when you touch his hair especially when you pull it
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mapoeggplant · 7 months ago
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skip to loafer chapter 60 analysis and brief character study on shima // spoilers
a light and fun chapter that hides something between the lines: how frankenstein's loneliness and revolt becomes a mirror for shima's feelings
(since the translation is very fresh, very very close to the release of the chapter, i will try to use the raws more. this is a way to make you curious to read the translation and also to support sensei in a way! hope you guys understand)
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it's actually funny how much i'm surprised by every skip to loafer chapter. of course, some things i feel were expected to happen, but others appear suddenly and drive me completely crazy — that's the gift of takamatsu, who’s able to have fun with her own characters to the point of unfolding a delicate writing, that's much deeper than it appears to be.
i think it's cute and fun how shima's jealousy starts to be used as a comic relief in the story. it's something very innocent, which doesn't harm either party, but rather makes something new bubble up inside him, a feeling he wasn't familiar with before. he knows how it hurts to see mitsumi with other people and how he wants to be close to her, but he still doesn't have the necessary repertoire to express exactly what he feels.
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and then, to add an additional element to the plot, sensei chooses frankenstein as the play for the school festival, shima's second great performance. she chooses a story of loneliness and desire, of a monster made of scraps of other people who tirelessly seeks his space in the world while being denied by his own creator — doesn't that sound a little familiar to you?
shima is, whether we like it or not, a fragment of other people's expectations. he is everything his mother wanted him to be, but also his broken expectations. he’s also made up of all the desires he represses and the times he was used by people as an object to be displayed. shima is a monster made of other people's expectations who seeks in other people's warmth a way to find a cure for his own loneliness.
and this ends up being even more explicit when he shows that he is truly happy and fulfilled when acting in the play. for the first time, he's not doing this for his mother or any adult's validation: he's doing it in the name of himself, his wants and his own way. he is slowly making peace with acting and his complex feelings surrounding it.
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but, like it or not, shima still hasn't gotten rid of all his traumas, and this becomes slightly clear when sensei chooses to make a game with the lines of two different characters: shima and his internal monologue versus ujiie, a person who has slowly been causing him some complex feelings.
"i thought to myself it would be nice if i could perform this role better than anyone else" followed by "isn't that the bare minimum?". it's as if ujiie, unintentionally and through no fault of his own, was embodying a mixture of shima's personal ghosts and all the expectations that were thrown at him throughout his life.
isn't that the bare minimum? you've lived your whole life playing the role of someone who wasn't you, of a puppet. so...isn't that the least you could do? facing the scientist who created the monster, wouldn't that be a way of being able to face everything that was built in its place?
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i think it's beautiful the way that sensei plays between shima's old feelings and these new ones that he's been discovering little by little. yes, he is finding happiness in acting again, finding his space in the world, but he is also developing a new feeling that he has never felt for anyone before. seeing mitsumi surrounded by so many other people gives him a somewhat irritating itch, which he himself doesn't know how to resolve — after all, he's a teenager, no teenager really knows how to resolve such complex feelings.
this makes him expose his neediness. seeing mitsumi, the girl he likes so much, surrounded by people who aren't him, makes him act like a needy teenager who doesn't know how to ask for attention.
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different from what the girls thought at first, i don't think shima tried, in any way, to manipulate mitsumi. i really agree with yasaka on this part and i'll add even more: i believe that even he doesn't really know what he's doing. not even he knows exactly how he feels about mitsumi. but what he feels, at the moment, is an enormous desire to be with her and have her all to himself. he just needs to find a way to express his feelings in a clearer and more rational way (but i think that will take a while). It’s almost like the monster on his journey to find his beloved.
now about the other parts of the chapter: seeing the girls come together to discuss something that mitsumi was so afraid to tell before makes my heart fill with joy. seeing a group of girls so unique, so concerned about each other and so comfortable opening their hearts to each other makes me happy in a surreal way. i love, love, love the way in which sensei develops their friendship and how she always, always tries to show how much the girls are willing to help mitsumi even without knowing exactly how.
reading "yeah, none of us have that much experience with dating" is so cute to me. they are teenagers, they are also, for the first time, facing a wave of new feelings, new challenges — and the great luck is that they have each other to support and seek help.
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i'm also very happy how yazaka is, little by little, gaining new friends and opening up more. i confess that in the past i didn't know exactly how to interpret her character, but now i want her to get more and more involved with girls. she deserves to have a group of friends who count on her to express doubts and seek help, just as she also needs that same support system.
well, as the girls said "all we can do is watch over them" and that's exactly all we can do too. i believe that this journey of self-discovery, for both shima and mitsumi, still has a long way to go and i think this is extremely special. this just shows how much they both love each other as people and are willing to try to meet each other halfway so that all their feelings are equalized.
once again, we have an amazing chapter in our hands. sensei keeps getting better and better, surprising us every damn time. i'm just so happy to be able to read such beautiful story and lucky to experience all of this. we're so damn lucky. remember: please support sensei if you can, by buying the chapters (via comic days or the online version of the magazine or the volumes). thank you SO MUCH for reading!! will love to discuss more with you all 💛
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purplecritter · 2 years ago
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theories/thoughts/analysis about touchstarved after playing the demo a few times
Under the cut because it got long (I exceeded the post character limit...) Also spoilers btw. PS: All the links are to posts on the official social media accounts or their kickstarter, with the exception of the animated trailer screenshots that I got from here.
(Happy one month since demo dropped!)
Mhin
I'm starting with them because I play favorites.
Mhin's silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights the crying eye (guilt? pain? blood? Their pupils almost seem to glow red, I wonder if it's connected) and the beak (in a way that reminds me of the skull of a bird rather than a live one).
The red choice connected to them is about asking if they're a scientist: their precision is almost surgical, though when asked if they've studied anatomy or medicine their reply is “Not quite” so it must be something similar enough.
When Vere complains about their first encounter with Mhin, he mentions that their dagger (visible in their in-game art) is an antique. Perhaps they inherited it, maybe from a mentor? It’s a curious choice of weapon for a hunter: stilettos (it’s described as such in the demo) aren’t ineffective in battle (especially if wielded by a physically strong fighter, which they absolutely are), but they are favored by assassins because they’re easy to conceal, they strike precisely and deeply but without letting much blood leak from the needle-thin wound.
As far as design goes, the clasps on their hood looks like a mix between the quaternary celtic knot and the triquetra / trinity knot. Symbolically, the latter is associated to the Triple Goddess (more on this in Leander’s section) or three elements, while the former represents the four elements or the four seasons or the four cardinal directions, and is often used as a symbol of protection.
Their fatal flaw is that they “resist change at all costs”. I'm led to believe that they became a Monster instead of being born one. I think it either happened not that long ago or they lost control over it recently, and that's what spurred them on their search for a cure. Them being described as “outcast” also makes me think that they could have been exiled from wherever they came from, perhaps because the people found out that “a monster hides within their frame”.
When questioning them about Ais, they say “I'm not going to risk my life in the hopes that any of them is different” which shows that they’re distancing themself from their situation (i.e., being/becoming a Monster).
Their hate towards Monsters could be either a projection of the hate they feel towards themself (if they were aware that there was a Monster inside of them before they lost control and hurt someone, for example) or just because one took over them and by extension they hate every Monster because of it. If the “lost control and hurt someone” thing is true I'll also add that they might be working as a Hunter as a way to try and atone. It could also be a way to expel the more violent instincts (I��m assuming they have some) into something productive.
The “they're afraid of being hurt. Or worse” on their relationship chart with Kuras feels to me like they're afraid of hurting him, also because when you ask them how they get along with him during the demo, they say “Few people are willing to help others; fewer when there's any risk involved” and I'm choosing to interpret that they think of themself as the risk. I know I'm really pushing it on this aspect but the “If you stay too close to me, you'll get hurt”+“Find someone safer to ask for help” only fuels me more. Their monstrous form also looks less defined and more liquid compared to the others, maybe because it's not as developed so it doesn't look as solid?
Vere is also said to be often provoking Mhin in order to make them lose control: he's confident in himself enough to think that he'd have the upper hand in a fight with Monster!Mhin, probably because they're a skilled hunter but they don't have that much experience over their monstrous side. Mhin dislikes Vere because he’s “the embodiment of everything [they] hate about Monsters”: while Mhin holds back from their nature and seeks a cure, Vere wants to give in to his instincts without restraints.
In the demo, they get defensive when questioned about the Senobium, but when they say “Whatever you're looking for, the cost may be higher than what you're willing to pay” I think they're speaking from experience.
It's interesting that it's implied that they slept with Leander once. Judging by the comment about the Wet Wick being the “perfect combination for making mistakes”, they're not enthusiastic about it. I’m guessing that they don't like that Leander has seen them with their guard down? Or they
Unless I missed something, it's unknown where in Eridia they're staying. I'll say it's probably in a different direction from the Wet Wick since they make a point of saying that they're only going there to protect Kuras (instead of, for example, “I live nearby anyways so I'll take the same road”).
The flowers in their pin design look similar to cornus kousa, or some other type of dogwood, symbolizing hope, resilience, renewal (I also found: rebirth, new life, strength, regret). After a long and grueling winter, Eridia greets the first dogwood blossoms with relief. These flowers are known to cling tenaciously to life even in the worst conditions, from barren wastelands to ruins perpetually shrouded in Fogfall… Really poetic meaning! I imagine Mhin as the dogwood flower, persisting even after the Tragic Backstory that made them lonely (“barren wastelands”) and their Monster Form (“shrouded in fogfall”)
Leander
Leander's silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights only his eyes (they share the color of his magic -> maybe it's how he uses magic that contributes to him being “monstrous”?).
Nothing to note about his red choice except that it is unlocked by generally following his lead (taking the flower when he offers it, touching him without hesitation).
Speaking of his magic, an Alchemist MC notes that it extraordinarily powerful, enough that he doesn't need incantations or spell circles to cast it. Kuras mentioned that Leander prefers the company of those similar to him and that the Bloodhounds are mostly people who've endured the hardships of Lowtown, so I can't help but wonder if Leander was always a natural at magic, or if he did receive training but was later cast out, or maybe he left by choice?
A recurrent symbol in Leander's design is the triangle, as a detail mostly (on his coat, boots, dangling from his belt), but there's also one that looks like the alchemical symbol for earth (🜃) attached to the brooch on his chest; another symbol for earth is, you guessed it, the serpent, whose other meaning is duplicitous nature as well as renewal and rebirth. This connects to the ouroboros (present in his earring as well as in the background of the sticker and charm kickstarter rewards), symbolizing the cycle of death and rebirth and with relevance in alchemy as the “all in one”. The same theme is also present in the symbol of the triple moon (on his belt) symbolizing the stages of birth life and death and more in general three aspects united in one; the white lilies symbolizing renewal, regrowth, rebirth. The green feels fitting too, since it's often used to symbolize health and abundance.
Alongside the little triangle shape, attached to his belt there are a key (which is not the room key he gave MC), the head of which reminds me of two snakes knotted together; there's also a... I have no clue what that glowing red globe-spike is actually. It's the only other red item (along with the gem on the earring sword hilt) on Leander, but in some of the concept art it was green instead, so I think it's at least somewhat connected to his magic or the source of it. The shape of it combined with the red glow reminds me of Eridia’s towers’ architecture but that’s probably a stretch. I also feel like the symbol on the central part of the triple moon belt buckle is relevant: it immediately reminded me of a spell circle, and after doing some digging in sacred geometry, I’ve found that its 6 petal-like shapes (lilies also have 6 petals...) look similar to the hexafoil, “germ of life”, or the central part of the “seed of life”, which is connected to the divine creation of the world in 7 days/phases; a series of interconnected hexafoils make the “flower of life”, the meaning of which is creation (both in general and of the universe itself), and that everything’s interconnected to everything else... I couldn’t help but think of the “As above, so below” tagline in the Bloodhounds' poster; the sentence has so many interpretations in alchemy/esotericism but the gist of it is, “things in the higher realms of existence are just like in the lower/earthly plane” and “what happens in a large scale also happens in a small scale” and “common material things can make pure spiritual things”.
Overall, I'm thinking that all the green-glowing details on his outfit might be arcane foci, to help him cast magic without using incantations. As of right now, I’m willing to bet that Leander's connected to the Allmother (the traveler in the cart prayed to her) and/or the Abbess (the leader of the Senobium, I think): many of the aforementioned symbols also have ties to femininity and/or feminine qualities.
Other big things in his design are the eyebags and scar that goes from the cheek to the arm. I don’t have much to say on those, probably the scar is going to be connected to some important backstory event and the eyebags are a clue to suggest that there’s something troubling behind the bright and positive persona that he presents as.
If we want to take the name literally (I do), we could assume that Leander and his Bloodhounds are not simply a group of mercenaries, but mercenaries with a cause. Hounds are a breed specifically intended to track something specific (or someone specific) by scent. Given the animosity shown by them at the mere mention of the Senobium, it could have something to do with that, but perhaps it's also something more personal to Leander.
Let's get to the biggest red flag of the green-themed man: “Fatal flaw: [REDACTED]” and “Not all Monsters are inhuman”. There's also the fact that Vere doesn't trust his behaviour (I'll get to it in his section but I would generally trust Vere's words to be truthful). It’s also worth noting that in the first scene he makes an appearance in, he’s presented almost as a performer, a subtle-not-so-subtle hint that he can work his audience really skillfully. Overall, he seems too good to be true, and to quote Leander himself in the demo, “Things that seem too good to be true are often just that.” I don't think he's malevolent per se, but I also believe he's a very good liar (or at least, good at keeping his cards close to his pillowy bosom chest) and he can be a lot more ruthless than he lets on.
I already said it in Mhin's section but it's implied that the two of them slept together once, and I can't help but wonder if Leander also tried the whole "let me touch you so I can see what curses you but also you can tie me down if you want wink wink" tactic with them.
I get the feeling that he also slept with Ais? “He sure likes it when others take control”+“He's not so bad once you get to know him”. The bartender didn't joke about the room being used often huh (i’m saying this lighthearted and teasingly, nothing against it lol).
He's obviously staying at the Wet Wick with the rest of the Bloodhounds, and it happens often enough that the bartender/owner is familiar with their habits. I wonder if he also as a house of his own or not.
The flowers (in-game art, animated trailer, pin design, charm and sticker design) are white lilies, symbolizing devotion, sympathy and faith (I also found: renewal/rebirth/reregrowth and purity. Nothing says “I love you” as clearly as white lilies—ironic, since they’re some of the region’s most poisonous flowers. Some mages believe that these lilies contain a mysterious magic, but attempts to harness this power have only resulted in lethal poisonings. A not-so-veiled warning to be careful of what lies behind Leander’s charming facade... And considering that he seems to like when MC defers to him, I could imagine the (metaphorical... unless?) lethal poisoning in a possible bad end!
Kuras
Kuras' silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights the several eyes (truth and secrets being very important themes in his route, he's also described as “observer”) and his tears (his guilt).
No red choice for Kuras, but there is various flavour text depending on choices. First and most notably, the Unnamed MC notes that something about him feels familiar: this could simply be a hint about him being divine in nature, or it might mean something more, I'm still uncertain. Moreover, depending on dialogue, one of his scenes towards the end of the demo plays out slightly differently, and it shows the more playful side of him (which I absolutely didn’t expect, but I enjoyed that).
As far as appearance goes, his human form and his divine form have many similarities: this post does a very good job of showing them, but additionally I'll say that his halo (silhouette, charm and sticker design) reminds me of the shape of his earrings.
There are a few lines that imply that being in Kuras' vicinity feels physically warmer. It could be just a standard “MC likes him so being near makes them feel all warm and fuzzy” but I think it's more to do with his angelic nature having a comforting effect on people. Something that could be connected to that is the theme of fire (“eldritch flames”, also visible in the charm and sticker design), which symbolically is the element that purifies souls and reveals the truth.
His clinic seems very neat, for someone who works with numerous patients for the whole day. Moreover, his clothes stay unnaturally devoid of any sign of dirt. His appearance is also very curated, so I think that part of it is him being thorough about cleaning and part of it might be a consequence of his magic. Additionally, during the 16/04/23 Q&A stream with the devs (timestamp: 49:32), they (jokingly) said that Kuras doesn’t even put his hair up while performing surgeries, which to me also means that he doesn’t need to do it because he’s supernaturally clean and hygienic.
There's no clear mention of him having magic in the first place, but I don't think he could've completely reattached MC's arm so flawlessly any other way.
I wouldn't think much of it if it were any other character but Kuras' birthday being January 1st makes me think that he picked the date on purpose... or randomly, considering it doesn’t seem to be important to him.
During the 16/04/23 Q&A stream with the devs (timestamp: 41:24), it was noted that Kuras’ name was deliberately chosen, I think implying that it probably has a meaning behind it, though I can’t say what as of now (my search only revealed that kurash is a type of wrestling in Central Asia, and that there’s a deity called Kura in a region of Syria).
I think it's a known fact in Eridia that Kuras is not simply human (“Only the most desperate or the foolish would dare lay a hand on me”), so it's interesting that he chose to not disclose that to the MC. Granted, they've interacted for less than a day now and information is the currency. I also wonder if he’s always been a doctor or if he chose to become one at a certain point... I guess it would depend: is he “repentant” for something he did before settling in Eridia, or after?
Ais also thinks that Kuras used to be more outgoing but the reason he doesn’t really open up a lot to people anymore is because he “must’ve been burned”, which is an interesting insight. I lean more towards thinking that he’s been burned after becoming a resident in Eridia.
There's nothing that strikes me as peculiar regarding his relationships with the other characters,with two exceptions. Kuras' self-inflicted exile is centuries old, and combined with the fact that he (occasionally and begrudgingly?) works with the Senobium, it might be plenty of reason for Vere to hate him. I think that Kuras might've witnessed how he came to be captured (or actively took part in it), and that event is what feeds his mistrust towards Vere. Secondly, it’s said that he “looks forward to Ais helping around his clinic”: does Ais use the Seaspring’s healing powers on some patients (“I help him in the clinic sometimes”)? I wonder if the smokey scent when the MC wakes in Kuras’ clinic was because he’d been there recently.
He lives in one of the more populated areas, probably because 1) more easy for patients to reach him and 2) he likes meeting people.
The flowers in his pin design look like magnolias, symbolizing longevity, grace, divinity (I also found: eternity, perseverance, purity). The elegant magnolia’s therapeutic properties are vital in such a dangerous world. The Senobium cultivates a small magnolia grove, though few make it past the imposing gates to enjoy the rejuvenating blossoms… Of course the medicinal aspect reflects Kuras well. And there’s the connection to him being employed in some form by the Senobium too, the gates could definitely be a metaphor for how he keeps the true extent of his powers at bay
Ais
Ais' silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights his tattoo (Ocudeus' tentacles) and his eyes (the Groupmind's effect).
If MC’s been talking defiantly to him throughout the demo, the red choice connected to Ais also consists of rebelling to him, which he clearly enjoys (he’s said to dislike easy fights, so that’s probably it).
An Unnamed MC will note that Ocudeus’s presence/calling in the Seaspring feels familiar, and that his tattoo feels unnatural and it seems to move when they’re not looking... I’ll say that the tattoo isn’t a regular one, and might be the physical manifestation of the metaphorical mark that the bond with Ocudeus left on Ais. This also explains why in the silhouette of his monstrous form the tentacle tattoo is extended beyond what it normally looks like (it reaches his face, and over half of his chest).
The very prominent eye theme (charm and sticker design, Ocudeus possibly meaning “eye god” if it’s latin) and feeling of being watched (+“Got eyes in the back of my head”), plus the fact that the red-eyed woman knew what MC was seeking as well as their name, makes me believe that Ocudeus' area of influence is very extensive. As a consequence of the Groupmind, it's likely that apart from sharing thoughts (and identity?) those connected also share what they see to Ocudeus/Ais.
The notes left on the pillars are interesting. The topmost and middle one I feel are more useful to the player and serve as casual worldbuilding, but the bottommost one is the most curious imo: decoding the scrawling results in “never wish on a shooting star he's always listening”. Initially I thought that the “he” referred to Ocudeus, but it doesn't feel correct (Ocudeus always watches, it doesn't listen).
During the 16/04/23 Q&A stream with the devs (timestamp: 36:32), Ais was said to be the first character that they created, and the rest of the cast was built around him for cohesiveness. This is interesting to me, as from the demo I thought that “central” role would fit Leander more.
Speaking of Leander, both of them have a like/dislike relationship with each other (Leander because “the assassination attempts are funny, until they’re not” and Ais because he “won’t hesitate to put Leander in his place when the time comes”). Leander seems to be uncomfortable about the effects that the Seaspring has on people, while Ais talks about “a time where Leander's resolve will be tested, same for anyone in this plane or the next”... I wonder how soon that time is going to be 👀. I already noted this in Leander’s section but I think they also slept together at one point or another.
Same topic, different character: Vere. It’s cute that they’re so fond of each other [1, 2], and I’m very curious to know how they met. They probably bonded because of compatible personalities, but I also think that they like each other because they’re both dangerous, and being with someone who is also as dangerous feels... Fitting, safe, maybe?
The fact that he's “not as in control of his powers as he thought” is also interesting to me, since his nonchalance doesn't seem to be because he's lazy but because he's extremely confident. Perhaps he got too sure of himself and lost sight of the risks?
Ais is described as “renegade”, which by definition is someone who betrays a principle/alliance. I have no doubt that this is connected to the reason why he's a “gang leader without the gang members”, and probably to how he came to bond with Ocudeus. Because he's also said to dislike isolation, I lean more towards saying that he didn't willingly let his (former?) members go, my theory is either they left on their own (perhaps they were scared of Ocudeus, or they didn't approve of it) or he accidentally disposed of them (either because he wasn't in control of Ocudeus / the Soulless, or because Ocudeus felt hungry and they were conveniently nearby). Either way, it must have hurt him, since he's not at all willing to talk about it beyond “Gang took a walk”.
I’m very curious about Mhin saying “Monsters like [Ais] don't know or care about what they have”... What does (did?) Ais have? Could it be in reference to him letting his former gang/companions go away in favor of siding with Ocudeus and/or the Seaspring?
He lives at the Seaspring, though I wonder if he sleeps in a pile near those cushions, cuddling the Soulless, or if he has more personal quarters further in. There's a cave entrance visible on the other side of the bloody water, but that feels more for Ocudeus rather than Ais himself.
The flowers in his pin design are spider lilies, symbolizing mourning, goodbyes, lost memories (I also found: death, abandonment, new beginnings). Eerily beautiful, red spider lilies bear the sorrow of loss and farewells. Eridians believe these flowers shepherd lost spirits into the afterlife. The city has seen a sudden increase in these unearthly flowers, leaving many puzzled about their meaning… Very fitting with Ocudeus’ domain of losing memories and thus, beginning a new life! I’m not sure if we should be taking the increase in flowers literally, or just metaphorically as there’s many in the Groupmind
Vere
Vere's silhouette [1, 2] in the animated trailer [screenshot] highlights the eyes again (“windows to the soul” and all that), his fangs (him being the most openly aggressive) and the collar and chains (the thing that binds him to the Senobium's will).
I haven’t been able to not get his red choice [edit: “hidden ending”, not a red choice], but from my understanding of what others have said it’s based on how you talk to him and not on your actions. I’d love to say more but since I don’t know exactly influences it, I don’t have much to talk about regarding that🥹
“Not quite human, not quite monster. Seems we’re both--” I wonder if he was about to finish the sentence with ‘cursed’?
 He has unique dialogue for each of MC’s backstories: to an Alchemist he says “The misery born of your mistreatment haunts you. I understand what it’s like to be used and thrown away. I’ll give your life new meaning”; to an Unnamed “You poor thing, misled by those you trusted most. You caused so much suffering unknowingly. I know that pain. I can help you forget it all”; to a Hound “The betrayal, the loss of hope, the sheer desperation that drives you still to search and search to no end. I could give you something new to live for”. Apart from showing that he knows stuff he’s not supposed to, I’m more interested about what he says to Alchemist and Hound: he knows the pain of causing suffering unknowingly, and he knows what it’s like to be used and then discarded. His powers seems to be seeing through people, I’d say almost mind-reading (“You can’t hide anything from me.”), but I think soul reading is a more fitting definition. I feel that all of the comments related to MC's backstory have more to do with what they experienced/felt than just objective facts, plus the way he says “All that suffering has made your soul so irresistibile...”, it makes me think that he's reading MC’S present and past emotions through their soul.
The most apparent part of his design is that he’s half showing, half hiding. His outfit makes the harness very visible, yet he hid the leash from the MC for as long as possible, and he didn't let them close enough to touch it. His pants are fully cover one side and show skin on the other. The sheer fabrics look very cool on their own but I like to think they're also part of the "half show, half hide" thing he has going on. An Alchemist MC will note that the collar seems to be enchanted, while other backstories will simply say that the lock seems easy enough to open.
In the charms and stickers design, there's his chain in the background, and it's broken. Metaphorically and literally, “breaking free from the chains” symbolizes putting an end to what holds someone captive, but also finding freedom to be oneself. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but I think a freed Vere would also feel free to not hide so much of himself. On that note, I'm extremely curious about what he draws on his sketchbook. Also in the charm and stickers design, as well as in the Nintendo Switch port art, is the key that he stole from the MC. It's curious that they included it instead of a more personal object like his sketchbook (present in the Switch port art but not in the stickers), but it might just be a fun nod to the demo or maybe he'll develop a habit of stealing the key again in the full game, so I don't think I should read too much into that.
Neither Vere or Kuras of them gives too many juicy details about their mutual hate towards each other during the demo, but from the additional info [1, 2] published on Tumblr, I think it might have to do with the fact that both of them have been confined in Eridia for centuries, and perhaps Kuras even contributed to the capture of Vere, too.
He’s defined as a “charlatan”, which by definition means “someone who decieves through false claims”. It fits with him saying “If I were you, I wouldn’t trust a word I say” and “Information is a luxury [...] If you valued my words you'd have taken them seriously”. This feels like a recurring theme for Vere: Ais also says, “Vere is one of the most honest people you'll meet. Just don't listen to a single thing he says”. Despite the very obvious predatory/mischievous nature of Vere, I think that he is very honest about the things he says: it’s about reading between the lines.
His very evident distaste towards Leander might be connected to this, seeing that Leander seems to be hiding a lot.
Vere clearly likes Ais, but as soon as MC asks more, he warns them about how dangerous he and the Seaspring are. I think both are true: Ais being “a good person” doesn’t exclude the fact that he is dangerous.
It could be a stretch, but I wonder if Vere lives/stays in the building that he was chained to?
The flowers in his pin design look like some type of lilies, perhaps wood lily are a type of amaryllis that symbolizes passion, allure, pride ( when researching the wood lilies, I also found: danger, determination). Local legends conflict on the origins of the amaryllis. Whether they sprang from the spilt blood of a scorned lover or were born of an ancient Senobian ritual gone awry, the truth behind these flowers is knowledge long forgotten… or held by a privileged few. Like Kuras, his flower mirrors the connection to the Senobium though it remains vague about how exactly they became involved... In the greek myth, Amaryllis consulted an oracle to win the love of the shepherd Alteo: she walked to his house every day, piercing her heart with a golden arrow, and on the 30th day flowers bloomed from her blood. Alteo became enamoured with the maiden and the flowers that bore her name... I wonder how Touchstarved’s version of the myth is different than ours, and which character Vere is more akin to?
Nothing on Sen or Elyon for now since there's too little info on both, but I'm looking forward to putting them under a microscope too 👀
(bangs pots and pans) please share your theories/thoughts if you read this far? 👉👈
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bobbydagen24 · 2 months ago
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The way the movies Treat Crimp in comparison to Creek Honestly Bugs me because when you think about it logically its arsed backwards.
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okay to start things off simply these two are opposites in the way they are Treated imo
Creek is overall a Victim who gets Treated like a selfish villain by Both the characters and the movie
while Crimp is a selfish Villain who gets Treated like she's a victim by Both the characters and the movie
simply put the way these two characters are portrayed is arsed backwards in logic imo the movie makes out like Creek is some selfish character who's actions make him pure evil
and we should find his suffering either amusing or at least cathartic since he Deserved it
while Crimp we should feel sorry for Root for her Redemption and feel happy for her when she's given a happy ending in the end
but that's backwards to me because Crimp is not a victim she's someone who willingly worked for people who she knew were Holding a sentient creature captive and torturing him for their own gain
the city she's currently in has laws strictly for this kind of thing but she went along with it because she didn't wanna lose her Job which no matter how much she needed it is still selfish and cowardly
the movie Treats it like we should feel sorry for her because she gets mistreated by her bosses but thing is this is the kinda stuff its actually okay to play up for laughs
since this is just seeing a crappy person get Treated in a comedically bad way by other crappy people Crimp had a choice she chose the bad one
and now she's paying the price of choosing to side with people who Treat her this way simply because she wanted money
compare this with Creek the guy who went to a party something which everyone else in his Village did got kidnapped by a Giant monster shoved in a cage
later pulled out of that cage away from your friends and Humiliated by being crammed in a Taco and then shoved in someone's mouth
only to then be shoved inside a tiny dark locket with no air holes for hours on end
only to then be shoved inside a dark waist bag and not see the light of day again until after you see that the monsters have also captured your friends aka your one chance of rescue
and by that point your scared as fuck your in a Hopeless situation and there's no real good option like I'm not saying its 100 percent Right what he did but Creek warrant's far far more sympathy than someone like Crimp does
he is a Victim in the situation the people to blame are Gristle and Chef for Treating him in these inhumane ways and forcing him to do it
and he was far more Deserving of sympathy and last minute Redemption than Crimp was and the movies way of Judging these characters makes no sense to me
Creek is a coward we should look down on with shame for giving in to human fear of not wanting to die Horribly after a day of Hell?
but Crimp is someone we should sympathise with even tho she was willing to go along with kidnapping and torture just to save herself the inconvenience of finding a new Job?
I'm sorry but no that is backwards as Hell Crimp is the far far worse coward since she had actual choices but chose to do evil simply to save herself mild inconvenience
Creek did what he did under threat of Gruesome Death and had no other options besides Gruesome death
that's what I mainly Judge a character on choices and well Crimp had choices she could have lived with but she chose to do evil
Creek didn't have any choices outside of doing this bad thing that wouldn't have Resulted in Horrible death
therefore Crimp is the far worse coward and no her switching sides at the end doesn't make her a better person because Creek wasn't given any such chance in the movie
after the village was taken he was stuffed back inside a waistbag and didn't see the light of day until he and Chef were sent tumbling out of Bergentown
and were later eaten by the monster.
Crimp was simply Treated far less Harshly by both the characters and the movie itself in every way possible and its just messed up imo
she is an example of a cowardly character people should condemn Creek is an example of a Human person who is flawed yes but Deserved sympathy and a second chance
Hence why he got one in the TBGO cannon presumably because the writers Realised what the fans didn't that Blaming an abused Hostage for his actions so Harshly was messed up of the first movie to do.
soooooo yeah Crimp is a selfish coward who did not Deserve the movies nor the characters sympathy whereas Creek Did/Does Deserve more sympathy given his situation.
I like Trolls as a franchise but its logic and morals are very messed up tbh. 😕😕😕😕
the next movie will probably have Bro zone's abusive parents and it will be about how JD Bruce and Clay need to Realise that their parents only beat them because they loved them
and they need to make peace with them Despite the parents treating them like crap in present day over and over again and showing no remorse
and the main villain will be a serial murderer who kills Random sentiment species for fun but he was teased once in school
so Poppy shows him sympathy and he's redeemed and let off the hook in the end.
not that far fetched tbh 😂😂😂😂
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skaruresonic · 20 days ago
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Why do you guys always add the caveat of "Sonic only kills... if he absolutely has to" like it matters? Dead is dead.
Does Sonic kill? Yes. Okay, good, we have established that he does. There's no need to add fine print. It's not like those he kills can suddenly un-die just because he says "You left me no choice. :<" which tbh I'd argue he almost never does anyway
And no, Sonic does not whip out killing as a "last resort" after exhausting all available options; otherwise, he would not have stolen Eggman's jetpack hose at the end of Lost World.
This idea that Sonic just lets Eggman go all la-di-dah when he technically could kill Eggman right then and there is so incredibly bad-faith. Why doesn't Sonic just seize the opportunity?
1.) You're assuming he hasn't tried, many times, while also forgetting that Eggman is good at escaping and surviving things that would usually kill other people,
and 2.) I don't know, same reason Shadow doesn't kill everyone in the room and then himself even though he technically could at any given moment. You're pointing at Sonic just... Being Sonic(tm) and citing that as damning proof that he's somehow bestowing freedom on people. Literal "Luigi wins by doing nothing."
This is predicated on the most asinine possible reading of the games' various endings. You are literally making shit up and trying to convince people that that's how it went down in the games.
To hearken back to the SA2 example, the game says N O T H I N G about Sonic "letting Eggman go"; you just assume he did. We don't know how the crew got back to Earth. We don't know if they took a teleporter. We don't know if Sonic and Eggman left at the same time, even though Sonic is last to leave the control room. We don't even know if Eggman snuck away like usual. You are essentially writing fanfiction of the events you think transpired, because the game's insistence that Sonic's beef with Eggman isn't the ending's emotional priority at that point in time has eluded you.
"He doesn't attack rulers" - why would he? What beef does Sonic have with the President? With Elise? Is the implication supposed to be that he otherwise would have reason to attack them if either one got too big for their britches? That sounds a little panopticon-ish for how Sonic usually operates, isn't it?
Fuck me, the Commander is 10x bloodthirstier than the rest of GUN, and yet Sonic still chooses to team up with him in the Diablon boss fights just to stop Shadow's rampage. Again, Sonic makes allies out of convenience; he doesn't go out of his way to rehabilitate people.
Besides, if these world-ending exceptions occur on a regular basis, then they can't exactly be called rare, can they?
This is such a circular goddamn argument. You're arguing as if the mitigating circumstances really matter to Sonic's character. Like he performs some form of moral calculus of "Should I offer this guy freedom?" before every kill, instead of playing things by ear and by common sense.
When nearly every game has Sonic killing the monster du jour because he absolutely has to or else the world will end, the last part of "Sonic only kills when necessary" really doesn't matter anymore, does it? It becomes less of a rarity and more of a pattern.
Like, the only thing you could possibly be implying here is that Eggman doesn't count as the kind of villain that merits the "omae wa mou shindeiru" treatment from Sonic, despite being the most persistent threat to the planet.
Also, Sonic hates Eggman so badly that Shahra has to beg him to save his facsimile. King Shahryar merely suffers from the misfortune of resembling his nemesis, and Sonic only begrudgingly saves him. He wasn't like "Oh, no, poor Shahryar! I'll rescue him right away!"
Sonic so happens to accept the help of new allies out of pragmatism. He doesn't make the conscious decision to offer people freedom and second chances like he's the arbiter of who gets to live free or die. If someone he "lets go" so happens to survive, that is pure coincidence.
Until those who fuck around find out, he will continue to throw down with them without scruple. Conflating what is essentially Sonic making allies of convenience with "Sonic rehabilitates people through the power of justice" is not only wrong, it's disingenuous as hell.
Besides, if Sonic is supposed to be the series' rehabilitationist, then he's really fucking shitty at his job, considering that half the time he's not even the one doing it.
It's other characters like Amy and Cream who sway hearts and minds. It was Cream who befriended Blaze and introduced her to the crew long before Blaze and Sonic ever had their final confrontation. It was Amy who won over Shadow and Gamma. It was Rouge who convinced Omega to team up with her and Shadow against Eggman.
Some important nuance is definitely being lost in these debates, and I don't know what, but rest assured Sonic lives the way he wants. He does what he feels is right.
It so happens that the thing he wants to do is the right thing. I need you all to understand that that is not me saying Sonic is immoral, or even amoral. I am saying that Sonic is not guided by staunch principles of freedom and justice because, ironically enough, principles would limit what he wants to do.
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theoutcastrogue · 9 months ago
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This is petty but that's never stopped me.
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In the Vox Machina campaign, Scanlan Shorthalt's resounding success in matters of tactics [this post isn't about roleplaying] was partly due to Sam Riegel's skill, and mostly due to the fact that 5e Bards are just that good. However! The "gnome bard" combo was famously chosen by Liam, after Sam, who'd never played d&d before, asked what's the silliest, least powerful and least badass thing he could play. That was his character concept. And at the time, Liam was not wrong to answer "bard". In 3rd Edition/Pathfinder, Bards DID suck, at least out of the box. You could build a strong Bard in Pathfinder, but you had to optimise to high heavens with carefully selected feats and spells and items from various sources. It didn't just happen spontaneously, and it was still nowhere near the raw power and versatility of a Wizard or Druid. Bards played support.
So at lvl 9, they started streaming and switched from Pathfinder to D&D 5e. Scanlan got an ENORMOUS power boost at that point, but Sam was still harbouring under the impression that his chosen class is not powerful or badass at all. And as they kept playing and he kept killing it (he was brilliant at it, no doubt about that!), he presumed that he was killing it with one hand tied behind his back, because he was just a silly little gnome bard. And, he emphatically wasn't silly. He was a whole-ass full caster, top tier class right there.
Pathfinder Bards are half-casters. If they hadn't switched to 5e, Scanlan wouldn't have access to 7th and higher level spells: no Mordenkeinen's Magnificent Mansion (a signature spell), no Dominate Monster (this is how he made the goristro fight Vorugal), no Reverse Gravity (big moment in the first Ripley fight), and no Wish (kind of a big deal!). Other spells aren't in the Bard list, and there's no Magical Secrets in Pathfinder: he wouldn't have access to Bigby's Hand (another signature spell), Otiluke's Resilient Sphere (how he got rid of the efrit, and Ripley), Lightning Bolt and Stinking Cloud (his standard damage spells), Polymorph (that's several giant eagles including the "now smarter" Grog (this will never stop being funny), and of course the legendary triceratops), or Counterspell (kind of an enormous deal). And all the other spells would have come later: no Seeming at lvl 11 = no cows. (What a loss! No cows!)
And it's not just access to spells, it's also "likelihood of spells to work", which depends on the DC, which in Pathfinder depended on spell level. Lower level spells had a lower chance of doing anything, by virtue of being easier to resist. And half-casters got a slower spell progression, and ended up with significantly less power overall. Whereas in 5e spell level is irrelevant, spell DCs depend on your character level, and that's that. Even (Bardic) Inspiration got a boost from the switch. All in all, we're talking about a spectacular upgrade.
So a tragic misconception happened: Sam got it into his head that he's so good at d&d that he can gimp himself and still kick ass. Well, he can't.
When he played a Rogue (no big spells, huh? no cheat sheet!) he sucked at it and he hated it. And now that he plays a Cleric and actually, actively gimps himself (he said in a 4-Sided Dive that he deliberately avoids cleric spells that others have used before in CR, which by now is most of them, and certainly the best of them), he very predictably sucks at it too (I mean relatively speaking; it's still a full caster), and he doesn't love it. The one time he was BRILLIANT was when he had a top tier class to work with, and used it to its full potential. But he thought he was gimping himself, because he was thinking of a different game/edition than the one he was playing!
I wanna grab him by the shoulders and shake him up and say my good man, you gotta stop this "I gimp myself" -> "I fail to kick ass" -> *surprised pikachu face*. CHOOSE. Either gimp yourself and accept you won't be kicking any ass, but it's okay because you enjoy roleplaying someone like that more than you enjoy kicking ass, OR stop gimping yourself and kick ass, because you do enjoy kicking ass, don't you?
Both are great! I approve either way! But choose.
I also wanna grab Liam by the shoulders and tell him "Wizard or Sorcerer! For the love of all that's green and good in this world, next time Sam asks you what class to play in D&D, tell 'im Wizard or Sorcerer!". But then I remember that next time they'll probably play Daggerheart and not D&D unless WotC makes them an offer they can't refuse, so the whole thing is moot.
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magpod-confessions · 3 months ago
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Honestly i wanna hear opinions on season 4, cus im gonna confess i could NOT finish it (didnt move on to season 5 either lol). Got to like ep 135 & i just couldnt tell any of the episodes apart it felt like such a drag; just a slog of misery with some offhand Important 5 Minutes once in a blue moon. I hate repetition & i got the sparknotes from fandom/wiki stuff so yeahhh i just stopped listening; i still love TMA & it’s story & characters, it’s just the execution that got to me RIP
Everything felt kinda forced to me ig? Like there was some shoe-horned “humans are more monstrous than the actual monster” that snuffed S1 Jon’s fun cockiness/jackassery just to make him ? The best one in the archive ??? & all of his wrongdoings are either off-screen or justified by him being tricked into becoming a literal monster against his will (who would STARVE w/o his ‘evil-doings’, which didnt even kill ppl). Also felt like everyone got needlessly dumbed down except for Martin (the Love Interest ofc, who got 180’d from his pre-established incompetency to be some mastermind in a playing field he should have REALLY been inept in) just so they’d be blind to Jon’s situation & be mean to him LMAO
They started trying to make Jon accountable for “choosing this” & i couldnt handle it, held no fucking water to me—the guy being explicitly puppetted & manipulated as the entire plot? That guy is expected to take responsibility here? Felt like some after-thought theme they threw on top of it all. Anyways uhh feel free comment either on what i said and/or your personal thoughts on the season, or nothing if ya got nothing lol
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Ehh disagree. S4 isnt my fav but I dont think its bad. S1 Jon to s4 jon feels like natural character progression to me. He starts as acting all high and mighty to try hide the fact he has no idea what hes doing and is terrified, and then experiences a lot of ppl dying that he feels is due to him and is his responsibility. At that point his thought pattern is 'I keep messing up and making mistakes and getting myself and everyone around me hurt, so other ppl surely know better'. Hes got a lot of black and white thinking around him, which has been consistent throughout his entire characterization
I dont think any characters were dumbed down either
Melanie was always angry, she only go worse bc she had smth making her think everything she did was justified and when that stopped she became avoidant and stopped lashing out. She was still angry, just managing it better
Basira has always been Daisys no1, the person to justify all of Daisys actions. She knows what daisy did and why its bad but she holds onto the idea that daisy is right in doing so. She blames jon for what he does bc logically she knows its wrong, hurting ppl who havent done anything is wrong, but still excuses daisy bc she needs to. Bc that was a fact of her life and it cannot be wrong. In the unknowning she focuses on facts to keep her grounded and to her 'Daisy is a good person' 'Hurting ppl is wrong' and 'If you hurt ppl you are a bad person' are all facts she needs in her life to stay grounded. How she justifies Daisys actions is by saying that the ppl who daisy hurt were worse and it ultimately helps more ppl to have them gone. Not only can she not do that with Jon, as she believes those he hurts are entirely innocent, she also doesnt care to. Shes not close with Jon and she doesnt have 'Jon is a good person' as a fact in her mind, so she doesnt need to work to excuse his actions. Its all or nothing with her, if you hurt and continue hurting ppl, no matter your reason, you need to stop and the only way you will stop is if you are gone. She also has a lot of black and white thinking, gotta love the autism podcast
Martin being a mastermind in s4 also makes sense bc him being stupid is an act. If ppl think your stupid theyll underestimate you and ultimately leave you alone. They wont scrutinize you, they wont attack every part of you, they will brush it off as just a typical normal thing. It will get you ignored and you cannot be hurt if nobody knows who you are or how to hurt you. Its a lonely miserable existence but its one martins used to. Martin rarely drops the mask of 'Sweet but stupid' bc he needs that to survive and tbh he probably learnt that from needing to survive his mom LOL. Martin just knows and picks the best method of getting ppl to like him, which for him is doing exactly what they want and keeping their expectations low so they wont hurt him as much when they mess up. Honestly in s5 I see him as hes finally got to a place where he doesnt care if everyone hates him, bc he has someone who does and thats all he needs. Hes survived the worst of it and he doesnt care anymore
Part of the reason everyone blames Jon is bc he is there and he is the one who is currently causing the most problems. Also they dont actually see the extent that Jon is manipulated. Elias talks and interacts with Jon differently to how he interacts with others. All of them met Jon when he was already at the institute, they meet him when it does actually look like he made his choice, entirely of his own free will. It doesnt help that daisy is there, someone who completed their transformation like Jon did and turned back on it, and she looks like shes managing well enough. She is surviving without feeding so why cant Jon do the same? Also basira does trust elias on some level. She trusts he knows more than she does and can be an asset if used correctly, which definitely doesnt help things. Also the idea of Elias is locked up, he cant affect Jon anymore so why is Jon still acting this way. Elias has very effectively vilified and isolated jon and jon doesnt fight back against it bc he believes it as well. Other ppl are normally right so why wouldnt everyone be right abt him?
Oh my god that was an essay and I absolutely missed sooo much stuff but idk take that - rosette
i literally have nothing to add . rosette sincerely you are insane and i love that . i honestly don't have a lot of s4 opinions that i could really put down , but i also disagree anon . s4 may not have been the best , but it certainly wasn't Bad or not enjoyable to listen to . coming from someone who has listened to the podcast twice now [ and who is planning on a third relisten ] , i really do enjoy s4 as a whole . martin's buildup and his manipulation of peter lukas is honestly one of my favourite parts , because it has been said that martin was originally going to be apart of the mother of puppets ! this shows that part of martin we didn't get to see but has been there . i got distracted and don't remember what else i was gonna type um . whoops - deceit
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aristocratic-otter · 4 months ago
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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers (except me because obvs I have done it). Spread the self-love ❤
Thank you, @artsyunderstudy, @skee3000, and @roomwithanopenfire for the ask.
  Hmmm, Ok. I guess I’ll choose based on which of my own fics I actually reread the most. That means my favorites are: 
A Real Doll
My first explicit fic, written for the Monster Under the Bed fest, this was where I really started to feel like I could be up there writing with the fanfic gods I’d looked up to. @captain-aralias liked it, that was an achievement! This was actually very very loosely based on a CSI fanfic I read forever ago (really, the only similarity was a lifelike sex doll), but in it Baz decides to try to wank his feelings for Simon away in a much more involved fashion by basically fucking a sex doll he makes that looks like Simon. But then Simon walks in on this happening and, well...you’ll have to read it to find out. 
A Fucked-Up Cinderella Story
This was my first EGF fic, and, more importantly, my first collaboration. Working with @frjsti was eye-opening in so many ways. I found out how wonderful it can be when a writer and artist work together, and how much greater the result is than either could accomplish alone. 
Plus, I’m still amused by the titular joke. 
In this fic, Baz was kept home by Malcolm after the vampire attack, for fear both of what other mages might do to him, and out of worry that Baz himself wouldn’t be able to control his vampire urges. 
In a misguided attempt to convince Baz that he can like women, Malcolm offers to hire him a male escort, with the twisted idea that if Baz doesn’t like having sex with a male, he might swing back to females. 
Enter Simon, who’s offered a shit-ton of money by a very discreet agency to provide one night of unimaginable pleasure to a mysterious client...
Careful What You Wish For
Another collaboration with an artist, this time for my first COBB, I worked with the imitable @ivelovedhimthroughworse (Apricot). Apricot was a fun and generous partner, and this being a collaboration is one reason it’s a favorite. 
The other reasons have to do with me being a massive science nerd and getting to nerd out about multiple universe theories, and with this being my first fully original plotty work (previous ones either weren’t plotty, or were based on existing movies/stories/history).
In Careful, Simon, in a fit of rage, accidentally wishes that Baz had never been born. This catapults him into a universe that never had a Baz Pitch and Simon has to learn how much he actually cares about Baz (and don’t worry, Baz himself enters the story before too long).
Gates of Ivory and Horn
This was a gift fic for @prettylightsbigcity, and what I like so much about it is how it gave me a chance to play with mythology, with the boundary between life and death, and with the ripple effects of one choice on future timelines. Plus, some very hot scenes and plenty of angst, it’s exactly the type of fic I choose to read when others write it. 
When the Oneiroi, Greek gods of dreams in the form of ravens, attack Watford, Simon is one of the first to fall. He’s trapped in a dream where he’s offered the choice of two gates. The catch is, one gate shows only truth, one shows only falsehoods. If he chooses the wrong gate, he’ll be trapped in the dream forever. 
But how could a future where he ends up with Baz be the true one?
For the last, I’m torn between three or four other fics, but I think I’ll go with The Naked Next.  It was a gift fic for @raenestee, and one of several fics set in the same universe.  I’m choosing this because it gave me a chance to be fun and silly, but also nerd out on some of my favorite science topics. And it let me write SnowBaz into one of my favorite (silly) Star Trek episodes. And most off all, I got to work with a lovely bunch of people, including @facewithoutheart, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @cutestkilla, @mostlymaudlin, @thewholelemon, and @artsyunderstudy (and others who may yet be revealed. The expansiveness of the universe we’ve built together is endlessly thrilling for me, and I’m grateful to @facewithoutheart for inviting me to be involved. 
In this story, Simon is the Bajoran rebel turned Starfleet security chief on the Redemption. Baz is his half-Cardassian former roommate/ nemesis and constant obsession. When the Redemption answers a distress call to a vessel where people are acting like the whole world is a party, some of the away team unfortunately bring a contagion back to the Redemption with them. 
In the timeless words of Porky Pig, Th-th-th-that’s all, folks!
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caracalsimp · 1 year ago
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Montgomery Gator x Reader Headcanons
After everyone voted for Monty, here I go with Monty x Reader headcanons! Hope you guys will enjoy! (helps me cope with the fact that I can't draw FNAF stuff yet because artfight aaaa!)
Monty is probably the most protective of ALL the glamrocks with you (even more protective that Freddy is). You are his precious little thing, and will jealously keep you away from others if people try to get a bit too close to you (to his taste, which happens often... like, a lot often). He trusts you 100% of course, it's OTHERS he doesn't trust.
Monty doesn't like talking about how much he loves you (he think it's way too cheesy and dumb) but will definitely try his best to show it to you through actions, mostly through his protective instincts and will always fight for you if you need him.
Monty will ALWAYS display affection when you two are in public... in his own way. He wants to remember everyone who you belong to, and if people try to get you behind his back, he will throw their lifeless body into the trash compactor, where they belong. You find it cute in some way that he gets jealous and protective that much, but you're sometimes scared he will definitely crush somebody just for your sake (didn't happened yet, but you definitely know it could.)
Whenever Monty is experiencing really strong anger issues and his destructive instincts takes over, he just shuts down and isolates himself. It worries you when it's happening and you want to ease his mind, but he's just so afraid to hurt you by accident that he prefers not to be around you when he's in that state and struggle to calm down. Just the thought about accidentally hurting you would crush his soul into thousands of pieces.
Although, when he feels anger rises inside him and that you're around, he definitely reaches out to you. He likes to ask for pat pats on his head and will softly starts growling when he feels your touch, because it relaxes him deeply. However, he will only ask this when you two are alone. He doesn't assume really well when he becomes lovey-dovey that way, and will definitely kill the person who would make fun of him for this.
Monty is rather ambivert with you. Sometimes he wants to do activities outside with you by your side and will mostly let you choose which activities to do together, and sometimes he'd rather just stay with you and either play video games, watching some horror movies or simply cuddle on the couch while slowly asleep in your arms.
Monty hates whenever you're feeling any kind of negative emotion or when bad stuff happens to you. He doesn't know how to react when that occurs, and he will definitely hunt down whoever puts the only person who accepts him the way he his until he finds them and kill them. No one has the right to make you feel this way under his watch. NO ONE. And it's no use to keep to yourself the name of the person, Monty will find it no matter what. Even when you try to hide your negative feelings, Monty will sense it.
He doesn't show it at all but Monty has a hard time to understand how could someone like you could fall in love with him. He feels so grateful that there's finally a person out there that just doesn't see him as an angry alligator monster, and he feels pretty insecure about this, secretly being scared that you're one day gonna see him that way. He can sometimes hears from guests that you shouldn't date Monty because of his strong anger issues, and when that happens, he feels even more insecure. You tried multiple times to reassure him that you won't leave, but he still have his inner demon haunting him once in a while. He doesn't like talking about it for too long though, emotional conversations are not his thing at all.
Monty likes to rest his head on your neck, wrapping his arms around you from behind and keep you close to him while slightly growling. He also likes to softly nibble your neck, but his biting always remains gentle, he would never brutally bite you at full force... unless you ask him :))
You absolutely love stealing his sunglasses to wear them. And he absolutely love whenever you steal his glasses to wear them. You're the only person he allows that.
And that's pretty much it~
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mari-lair · 11 months ago
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I love that zombie extra! I believe Teru didn't take Kou seriously, much less understood what Kou had tried to imply, since his answer wasn't related to the idea of them losing their humanity, jumping straight into the destruction of humankind.
The shrine joke also had the destruction of humankind as his main point.
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In both cases he is only half joking: He won't kill anyone, we never see him injure other humans, much less display killing intent towards them, there is a reason the school sees him as a kind boy, (Akane is a special case, I talk about why he is a dick to Akane: Here), but part of Teru genuinely wants humanity to cease to exist.
Even the characters seem to sense this isn't fully a joke.
Teru's reaction to Kou's question was "Eh?- in that case", not taking his eyes off the movie, so he is more focused on the movie than Kou and his question, but Kou had gone "You can't do that..." and looked away from the movie, acting like it was a confession instead of a joke. Akane and priest Kunishige also did not like the vibes Teru was giving, unable to dismiss his words as merely dark humor.
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The context in which Teru jokes is important too. At the shrine, he jokes after the idea of cutting ties with the shrine, essentially quitting his job, is brought up
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This job fucked up his life since he was 8, making it impossible for him to be normal. Even free time was scarce, so I am very inclined to say part of him resents it.
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'The right and heroic thing to do' is something that doesn't come naturally to Teru, but he consistently has to go out of his way to choose to do it, doing his job for years.
The only part of the job that he seems to connect with is slaying supernaturals. The most destructive and instinct-related part of the job is the one he claims to be "cut out for".
It doesn't seem 'fun', Teru even sighs when he shares that he is good at killing spirits. But he doesn't hate it. That's something.
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In the zombie extra, he makes this 'joke' while he is having fun with his family, seeing fictional people be destroyed. He has been struggling to dutifully play the role of the "hero that destroys monsters" every day so he can't find escapism on the idea of slaying zombies.
Destroying everything for destruction sake, with no obligation or honor behind it seems far more fun.
And doing it with Kou? That would be nice.
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Now, let's go over his reaction to Kou bringing up the idea of being a supernatural.
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This isn't a movie. This is his little bro, the main motivation he has for slaying supernaturals despite not being something he personally like spitting in his face by asking "What if I threw all your efforts away? What if your determination was for nothing?"
Kou being a supernatural would be a big defeat to Teru, not a fun idea he wants to join in, so I don't think Teru would be a supernatural too if Kou became one.
...We have no solid panels that indicate what his reaction could be, but I headcanon it would make him quit his job and try to either protect supernatural Kou or make him move on peacefully.
(perhaps even try to gain the courage to exorcise him? I am not sure about this one, but since Teru seems to pity supernaturals, claiming it's 'hard to look' at their desperate attempts to linger to the Near Shore, and most supernaturals treat being exorcised by a loved one as a good thing, he may do it if Kou asks??)
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beautifulterriblequeen · 3 months ago
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hi and welcome, it's new theory time wunce agayne, with I, your host, BTQ, stitching things together that maybe fit perfectly or maybe have no business touching at all: you decide!
Today's post inspo began several days ago when I started playing the Xadia game and discovered some cool lore that I just could not stop thinking about, so here, below the cut for all the spoiler reasons, is a screenshot of what you can find in the game, and what I would love for it to mean!
Topic: How Aaravos was tricked into that mirror prison
Context: We all wonder what happened to Luna Tenebris, how she died, where she went, all that good stuff. This isn't about answering those questions. This is about what she did before she died, and why. If she died at all (yeah that's always the question with Moon beings innit)
If you've played the game you'll know the context for this screenshot:
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Ethari says, "Someone with the power to influence the Blood Moon itself used blood magic to become... something else."
and, well,
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Luna seems to have disappeared during a Blood Moon. But she might not have died, despite what everyone thinks- she might have just become something else.
Why would she do this?
I'm guessing it wasn't for fun. Something desperate must've been happening. Luna disappeared 300 years ago, hmm, what in the world could've been happening at that moment...?
No, we all know.
You remember the Jailer. She's a human. No arcanum at all. She may be a dark mage, or she may just be a trickster magician. Either way, her whole deal is that she thinks outside the Cosmic Order box - she thinks in ways even Aaravos can't. And human ideas in times of desperation can break a lot of conventions and even taboos - just look at the things Viren, Claudia, and Callum have done when they had to.
So if the Jailer is thinking about dark creative solutions as the only way to trick a godlike Star Touch elf, maybe one of those ways was to get the Archdragon of the Moon to turn into something else, with magic that worked outside the laws of the Moon Arcanum.
We've all seen what Kim'dael can do - her Moonshadow powers and her forbidden magics are available to her at any time, not just during a full moon. Now imagine that ability for a blood magic archdragon.
Yeah.
Why the Queen of the Dragons, though?
I think they needed that much power to combat Aaravos. No one else could've done it with the confidence to succeed. And then there's the whole Moon theme of sacrifice, which all the Moonshadow elves keep demonstrating so determinedly. Surely their dragon queen has the same sentiment, deep down.
This still doesn't tell us what she did. But if she could use her massive illusion/deception powers at any time, they could trap Aaravos in any instant of their choosing instead of luring him to the predictable full moon. And seeing what sort of shenanigans are possible in the game when Moon creatures step outside their boundaries, well, there is certainly a lot of room for surprise there. In several directions. And they'd only have to surprise Aaravos once.
(side note: I can see now why Amaya says Moonshadow elves are the worst kind lmfaooo PLAY THE GAME IT'S SO FUN)
This whole theory feels very Moonshadow because even though I have this central nugget that feels plausible, I still wonder about so much more. For instance, what happened to Luna after this? Where is she now? Did she willingly die to keep from turning into a monster? Is she stuck in the spinning water that bears her name on the map? Is she alive somewhere still, lurking? Is she- NO SPOIL ME I JUST STARTED THE GAME. Idk if she's in there or not, shh.
Anyway. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this lore since I saw it in the game. And there's so much more than this even in the small bits I've played so far! If you're into the lore of The Dragon Prince, you'll wanna get this game!
But, serious lore enjoyer face. This one's extremely fun to think about.
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dutchdread · 7 months ago
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Hey Dutch what is your opinion on crises core reunion ? I had few ca tell me it didn’t do anything for zack and aerith relationship it just made things worse ? I don’t know we’re they get that belief from but it’s there opinion. Did you think the story was ok and gave good context on what they mean to each other?
People give too much flack to Crisis Core. I only played the original CC back on the PSP so I can't say anything about whether or not Reunion made it better or worse, but I enjoyed the original. But part of that is because I simply had lower expectations for portable games than I do for AAA pc or console titles. I won't deny that the game has a bunch of stuff that could have been done better (Cough, genesis, cough), but it had its strong points as well. I think some of the basic concepts of Crisis Core are good in principle, like theme of hopes and dreams, and watching how Zack through adversity unwillingly becomes the hero that he always wanted to be. But the execution was often lacking. I love the idea of watching a several friends slowly break, and I think there is potential in tying that story into them being "monsters" and exploring what it really means to be a monster vs being a hero. But again. The way it was handled made it rather ridiculous and overly obtuse. The constant quoting of Loveless, ESPECIALLY without it ever getting a clear meaning that allows the player to connect with it, Angeals random dramatic self-pity, and a bunch of other stuff just made it so that storywise a lot of the bad overshadowed the good. But I played CC for Zack and Aerith, and they were perfect in my opinion.I loved seeing Aerith like an actual 16 year old girl and how her time with Zack rubbed off on her and caused her to start living every day to the fullest. I still think that the scene with Aerith hugging Zack from behind is one of the most romantic scenes in FF, simply because of how viscerally real it is. Her trying to make small talk, him just being there, choosing to mourn in the presence of the woman he loves, not needing to be consoled, but just needing her presence. And then that hug "sometimes you don't need words to tell a person how you're feeling" indeed. This is also a part of the reason I am convinced Aerith was still projecting Zack onto Cloud at the end of Rebirth "our place", "the church", Yeah right. For Cloud and Aerith the church is just a place they happened to spend about 5 minutes at one point, not even the place they met. Meanwhile Zack went there to see her for I think about one and a half years. He goes there instantly in intergrade, he goes there in Rebirth, we see him waiting there for Aerith at the end of rebirth, the core visual for Crisis core was changed to TAKE PLACE IN THE CHURCH. But the Church is Cloud and Aeriths place.....yeah right. Either that is an intentional hint that Aerith is still projecting, or the writing has fallen off a cliff. Then we have the other character moments, Cloud and Tifa pining for each other, the parallels between Cloti and Zerith. Zack promising Aerith he'll come for her underneath the water tower. And my favorite Aeriths "23 tiny little wishes", all encompassed in the one with to "spend more time with Zack". Which is then ultimately fulfilled via Cloud in the OG/rebirth. And then of course there is the ending, my favorite ending of any game ever aside from Nier:Automata. Man I bawled my eyes out. So yeah, I like Crisis Core, it's messy, but it's messy with a lot of gold in it, and for a portable title I think that's not half bad.
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icykalisartblog · 1 year ago
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About this post. @marchstarling This was exactly it, really well said! In my first playthrough of this game, I was RPing as a noble character with similar values to Wyll, so I ended up romancing him because they became fast friends who agreed on so many things. I still had my character press for Wyll to not sacrifice himself and instead choose to be free in the late-game, but they were very similar people.
But Wyll is super stubborn, as you say. And he is extremely afflicted by learned helplessness (because of how he's been failed and tormented in life by authority figures) and leans into toxic hyper excellence because of how he was raised and then traumatized. Wyll can't choose freedom as a companion if a player character doesn't tell him to. While he pushes for others to be free and always wants the best for his fellow party members, this never causes him to self-reflect without a player character's intervention. He needs support at that pivotal moment. So when I played as him, I had a problem. I didn't want him to sacrifice himself, but how was I going to RP as him and make those choices knowing that normally he can't if left to his own devices? I really want to discuss this narrative and pairing in detail, more (spoiler warning for BG3) below the cut:
I had Astarion as a party member in my first run, and I did like his dynamic with Wyll. I liked that they are both lacking in life experience but they can sort of cover for the gaps in each other's experience. They have an idealist vs. cynic and monster hunter vs. vampire dynamic. They're friendly and generally complimentary when talking to other people about each other, but argue 90% of the time in their overworld banter together. Wyll liking Astarion (provisionally) but also being adamant that he make good choices is the kind of support Astarion needs. I also saw that they were attracted to each other, but all Origin characters show that they're attracted to each other to some degree, so I didn't take much note of that. I basically saw them as a nice pair of friends. I also really felt like Astarion's character arc was a roller coaster ride of emotions, in which I kept the guy around because he was funny and useful and I had been his friend for too long to turn on him, but I was always slightly terrified that he was going to turn into a carbon copy of his abuser by the end of his story. I was extremely surprised and relieved when instead he became quite calm, nice, and oddly optimistic once freed instead. Given how deeply traumatized he is and how long it takes for him to be free, I never really understood how so many people were saying they enjoyed romancing him, either... I was like, surely he doesn't need a romantic relationship at this time? Wouldn't that end up feeling exploitative?
All of my opinions shifted once I started my Origin Wyll run. From the very start, Wyll and Astarion were having heated debates about heroism and sacrifice and arguing often, and since I was playing as Wyll, I realized he desperately needs this. The fact that Wyll matches Astarion's energy and is often more pointed with him than he is with anybody else is good—because that's Wyll being honest and genuine. It's not the Blade of Frontiers act he always feels the need to rely on. And once Wyll was forcibly transformed into his devilish form, I felt like in the melancholy haze of his mind that he was trying to so hard to push through and cover up, he needed the playfulness and kinship he had with this vampire who was also turned against his will.
Wyll normally takes things really slow. He believes in fairy tale romance and courtship, and doesn't feel like he can have sex until marriage. In fact, he's the only romanceable companion to have no sex scene. This is despite the fact that he says his father always pushed for him to engage in "revelry" more often. But I think once Wyll was touched by the Hells, he sort of... gave up. He felt like he could never be forgiven even if he did save his father, and so in a moment of weakness, Wyll stumbled into something with Astarion. I don't think Wyll saw it as casual, because he doesn't feel like he can let himself be casual. I think he felt like this was all he deserved, and that as a monster, maybe he could at least make his fellow monster's existence a little better. In a way, I think Astarion and Wyll were both using each other and making things way more complicated than they had to be. Deep down, they were just two guys who like each other and like bickering with each other. I bet Wyll thought he was in love, but wasn't yet, because he felt like if he was with someone, he had to be in love and everything had to be happily ever after. However, the constant arguing and pushing each other to be better made him start to realize this wasn't a fairy tale, it was something more grounded—something even better.
I'm not sure when Wyll started to feel love for real. I think it was around the same time Astarion decided to say that Wyll is an incredible person and that Astarion wanted a relationship but wasn't sure how to have one, because throughout Act II Astarion began being quite protective... and Wyll isn't used to that. He's always had to be everyone else's hero to feel wanted and needed. In Act III, once they killed Cazador—which was amazing because Wyll freed Astarion turn one and then he Eldritch Blasted Cazador close to the abyss, giving Astarion the opportunity to use Mobile Shot to push him all the way off and defeat him in a smooth display of synergy—I think Wyll realized that he wants this real, unconditional love with Astarion. That he can finally be secure in the knowledge that no matter how they argue, even if those arguments end in tears, Astarion will always stand by his side and they can work through differences in opinion without Wyll being abandoned. That he wants to live! And that's why I had him tell Astarion in the graveyard that he wants and loves him.
I'm sure Wyll was envious of how kind and optimistic Astarion became once he was freed, because Wyll still has to deal with his own abuser's presence. But I think that envy as well his and Astarion's love were enough to push Wyll to choose freedom, to outwit Mizora, to save his father, and finally to tell his father that he can forgive but not forget. Wyll was empowered enough to express that he doesn't want the mantle of dukedom, that he doesn't want the acceptance from his father that he's sought for so many years to come with yet more expectations. And it's so nice that in the end, Astarion—who always felt safer being selfish than selfless—is so eager to become a hero by Wyll's side.
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mama-qwerty · 6 months ago
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Okay, I'm gonna think out loud here, and probably read WAAAAY too much into things. Again.
So. Episode 4 of the series. The rock opera--that was pretty awesome, really--Wade assumes the role of Knuckles and is walked through the 'history' of the echidna's past. Which was not accurate, in any way, shape, or form.
And it also had little tidbits of Wade's life, such as Jack as the narrator, the whole thing being held in a bowling alley, and "Iblis" talking about "hitting up Marketplace".
What if the whole fever dream rock opera wasn't to show Knuckles' warrior path, but Wade's?
It shows "Knux" and his father fighting side by side against the owls. I went back and rewatched that bit and there seemed to be 10 owls--the same number as pins in a bowling game. "Knuckles" and his father fighting the owls could symbolize Wade and his father going bowling together.
But then the owls took "Knuckles'" father. Just like bowling took Wade's.
Now "Knuckles" is alone and faced with threats and dangers he can't defeat as he is. He needed to get stronger.
Wade was alone and couldn't defeat the things he had been facing--feelings of rejection, and abandonment.
So "Knuckles" trained to defeat this great enemy, one that seemed ready to take the echidna down until he discovered his greatest strength was in his heart, not his fists.
Wade isn't a fighter. But he has a strong heart. And he stood up to dangers he never thought he could before. Including his father.
"Iblis" could be a representation of either the negative feelings Wade developed after Pete left, or it could represent Pete himself. And in the end, Wade defeated it, with Knuckles' help.
Now, I don't know how Pachacamac fits into this. I do not trust that shifty spirit, and think there's something more at play than we know. There has to be a reason he told Knux to train Wade specifically.
Wade's . . . well, not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He's trusting and easily manipulated, and not exactly someone you would choose to represent your fallen warrior race.
So, what if Knuckles isn't the Iblis trigger, but Wade is.
In a separate post I theorized that Sonic may have sent the chaos emeralds back in time, and one could have ended up being the bowling trophy that Pete has his grubby little mitts on.
What if, over the course of things, Wade somehow got Iblis trapped inside him, and that's why he's always been such a happy-go-lucky guy. He can't get upset. He can't get angry. He can't cry. Something in the back of his mind tells him that it would be bad if he did. So he doesn't.
He essentially has this monster lurking inside him, holding all the bad feelings he won't allow himself to recognize.
We don't know how the whole Iblis thing works in the SCU. Knuckles' sudden flame powers could be connected to Iblis, or they could be something separate. We don't know.
Pachacamac is up to something. And I don't think it bodes well for Wade.
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maxwell-grant · 2 months ago
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Crossover Question: If Dr.Octopus was in a Marvel vs Capcom game and had to make his own Sinister 6 with capcom villains, who do you think he would choose/who would you choose?
Traditionally the Sinister Six tend to comprise villains covering a wide range of types of threats Spider-Man goes up against, and they also can't be too big as individual villains otherwise because they're all supposed to be operating under at least one leader, usually Doc Ock, which is why you hardly ever seen Green Goblin or Kingpin in the Six unless they're the ones leading it instead. Trying to be as widespread as possible, here goes my picks counter clock-wise:
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Vile: We need a Mega Man baddie, he's one of the most visually iconic of the bunch, he's traditionally Sigma's underling but we're not exactly trying to make iron-clad justifications for these. I think we could also argue that Doc Ock did some tampering with his circuits to win his loyalty or is promising him something in return so that he at least goes along with the plan before backstabbing them. Think he works nicely to fill that role filled in by Scorpion or Kraven, someone who is vile or dangerous or scummy even by the standards of the group, someone who helps keep the Sinister Six a oh-shit escalation of threat whenever it shows.
Abigail/Mech-Zangief: We need a Street Fighter character, we need dumb muscle, and we need at least one comic relief guy. The Sinister Six doesn't feel right without Rhino, so I'm elevating either one of these. Abigail is technically reformed but he's not exactly a "good guy", he's a disgruntled taxpayer trying to make ends meet who turns into a destructive rampaging beast at a moment's notice, which is Spider-Man villain territory already. I think we could include him or Mech-Zangief, as a way for Zangief to be in the team in spirit, a tribute to his kayfabe fame as a videogame bad guy that got him the spot in Wreck-It-Ralph's meeting.
Gran Bruce: We need at least one animal costume guy, a Spider-Man villain gathering is not complete without one, and it's good to have at least one guy who's kinda dumb and funny and not really much a threat until he might inexplicably be, sort of the Shocker of the group. I'm not too big on Viewtiful Joe and I could give or take this pick but he's a shark guy, that wins points with me.
Hanbei Takenaka: I think we need one villain who doesn't really fit the line-up, more of a handsome guy than a monster, someone who is bringing extra brains or tactics or weapons to the equation besides what Doc Ock brings. I almost included Vega for this reason but he's too specialized and we already have a major clawed villain, so instead this guy seems to be an interesting fit for contrast, like Martin Li or Hickman's Ultimate Black Cat.
Lady Dimitrescu: We need one Resident Evil villain and at least one more iconic villain besides Vile, and yes I know she is already fanatically loyal to another villain and already has a group, I know, but again, refer to Vile's section, these games don't exactly work on iron-clad character pairings, and if there's a character we need in a Marvel vs Capcom game stat it's her. She just feels right at home in a rogues gallery line-up (the Four Lords are such wonderful villains, they feel like characters you could throw into any series and have it work), and like Vile we need some actually dangerous villains and some villains who don't play nice and threaten to break the group of tiny pathetic stupid man-things beneath her, and she breaks away from the technological aspect by being a biological monster which is, again, definitely ground that needs to be covered. Out of everyone here, she's the one who I could most easily see actually fighting Spider-Man, joining the club of baddies who want to psychosexually tear him limb from limb. Only marginally less horny than Venom's whole deal.
Definitely taking suggestions on what other line-ups could be used for a Capcom Sinister Six, and which Capcom baddies could join.
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