#isn't that basically the plot of feast already?

[ladystoneshart]

look I love cersei as much as the next guy but I know in my heart of hearts if she was alive today she would be a right wing grifter

like you can't read her chapters in feast and tell me that woman wouldn't be transvestigating the tyrells for likes and followers on twitter dot com

and of course it's all bullshit but she convinced herself that olenna embezzled a bunch of money from her dad's company or some shit so now she is trying to sabotage margaery's senate run and goes on a bunch of podcasts to play the concerned mother and talk about how the tyrells are a band of faithless queers who are making a mockery of traditional westerosi values™️

until one day someone leaks some texts messages she sent to her GIRLFRIEND talking about how all her followers are ignorant zealots who'll believe anything she says and it all blows up in her face

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Something I really don't like about the Peacock Miraculous is how the holder can "modify" the sentimonster. The show tells us that those in possession of the amok can shape their sentimonster. And this didn't end well, because the writers used this to make Gabriel be able to create whatever he wanted (optigami, hacksan, sentibug, senticlones), and this makes Gabriel basically be able to create any power he wants

This could have an easy fix, just take away the modifying thing and make sentimonsters be the reflections of the victim emotions, some canon sentimonsters work like that

The best example is the Lollipop sentimonster, the baby is sad and wants a lollipop, boom, giant Lollipop sentimonster

(Also, personally, I would only make sentimonsters have physical abilites, no superpowers, mainly because that's a little too much? Most sentimonsters can work without one and it just makes them even more OP)

But we have a problem, Adrien, the whole sentimonster plot actually, what kind of emotion can you feel that allows you to create a human being? Love? You love the idea of having a child so much that you create one?

For this I made another rewrite which I call, the doppelganger rewrite, the user of the Peacock Miraculous can clone another human being, but they need to have an object that belongs to that person, that object will contain the amok, so here, Adrien is a clone of Felix, made by Emilie, because she couldn't have childs of her own, however they grew I'm very different environments so they are different people

Yes this would require a huge rewrite in the sentimonster plot, especially since I don't know how to make Kagami a sentimonster here? But I'm pretty sure it could work, just focus Felix feelings about sentimonsters towards Adrien, and take away his trauma with his father, make him a tool for Adrien to gain freedom and to get development, he would be the worried cousin that came to Paris because he loves you so much (and to save you from your abusive father) (oh and to reveal you that you were created with ancient jewels powered by gods)

The thing is that I haven't thought of a way of combining both systems, but to be honest, I don't even like the sentimonster power at all, I still have no idea what it has to do with peacocks, wasn't a spying power or some kind of future vision easier? That's simpler and it tunes more with Peacocks

As a bonus, the Peacock miraculous isn't the only miraculous that should base the powers that he gives on emotions but doesn't, the Butterfly does it to!

In the Paris special, Marinette creates a super specific power for the alt Gabriel, in heroes day, Gabriel gives Nathalie the power to boost powers, what does have to do with their emotional state??

You're hitting on all the reasons why I think the sentimonster stuff is just generally a bad power. It's too derivative and OP, plus it just generally doesn't make sense. What even is an emotion brought to life? How does Adrien have a full range of emotions while Feast was just a sentient stomach? Does Adrien even have a full range of emotions? Who knows!

I've seen the vision fix come up a few times and, from what I can find, that seems to fit certain myths and symbology surrounding the peacock, which is the route I like to go when redesigning powers. I try to avoid total redesigns whenever I can, but the peacock is just so broken that I don't see a way to make it work. I also don't want to make it work when we already have the butterfly to be our monster-of-the-week machine without any of the ethical questions complicating things.

However, even when I redesign a power, I still try to stick close to canon, making the powers feel in the same vein. Because of that, I personally lean into the peacock being a symbol of beauty and vitality, but there are a lot of routes you can go. Peacocks seem to have a lot of mythology around them which isn't surprising given how striking male peacocks are.

[dreaisgrayte]

Under the Goddess' Veil [TEASER]

A/n: This fic was a tad bit spur of the moment to take a break from rewriting some of Lady of Amberguard. Turns out I really like the idea and haven't been able to stop writing on it for 2 days. I will say this will be a bit of plot in the first 4 or 5 thousand words but from then on...dear Lord forgive me for the absolute FILTH I have planned.

Description: I'll give a silly one for right now, basically a maiden gets sacrificed to 5 dragons and a lot of fucking happens. The end.

Pairings: Obanai Iguro, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Giyuu Tomioka, Uzui Tengen, and Kyojuro Rengoku x reader

ENJOY!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

“I was supposed to be sacrificed to you for the honor of my village…” You trail off, trying to connect the dots. You glance in the direction of Sanemi, his usually stern eyes softening when they connect with yours. “Are you going to eat me?” Your words sound pitiful, like you had accepted that fact already – and you had. You’d be raised on the single constant that you would be fed to the Gods atop the neverending tips.

Uzui appears in front of you, a lazy smirk playing with his lips as he leans down to be eye level with you. “Not in the way you’re thinking.” He purrs, rolling his smirk into his mouth.

Kyojuro pushes forward, his long hair whipping in the wind Obanai was still creating. “Your humans assume when we request a maiden to be given to us that we would feast upon her supple flesh,” He sighs, looking at Obanai as he speaks. “Every century our loneliness becomes unbearable. There was the occasional soul that attempted to harm us, wanting to take the hoard for themself, but that didn’t last long. Other draconics would visit us, but some of them would fight for our territory.” Your eyes are drawn to Sanemi again and his plethora of scars. He avoids your gaze at all costs, he finds the outer wall of the cave particularly interesting.

Kyojuro continues with a solemn smile. “Then one day a beautiful woman found her way into the lower tunnels. She came begging us to help her village, people were sick – dying. She was ready to give anything to us for the sake of the people.”

Uzui, who is leaning against the wall, pipes up again. “So she gave us her body.” Your brows knit together. Her body? What exactly did that mean? Kyojuro shoots him a glare before setting himself in front of your gaze, staring into your eyes.

“The women before you were scared, frightened of the big bad monsters within the Ponorich peaks. Most of them tried to escape with no avail…they would get lost and starve or stay within our sight and do the same thing. There were others that would find our hoard and selfishly conspire to harm us to take it.” Kyojuro’s eyes are bright swirls. “We want a mate, a bride.” Bride…you had dreamed about a day adorned with joy once. It had been a quick thought, squashed by the reality that you understood from a very young age. Though, now perhaps you could live the life that had been taken away from you.

The wind dies down and you quickly look behind to find Obanai stepping onto the edge in a graceful manner. He nods his head at you, an ethereal glow still present in his eyes. It made your stomach dip in the strangest way. "You can have one of us,” He waves his arm to the group of men, their eyes trained on you. Obanai steps forward, picking up your hands softly. You peer at him through your lashes. “Or all of us." He finishes. A distinguishing feeling glides through your very being. Something that tells you if you were going to die for the village the least you could do was live for them.

"I-I'd like to have all of you..." You stammer, your confidence dropping with every second. When did you decide to become so brazen? Here you were, a maiden surrounded by five men that surely looked upon you with heat and desire.

"Are you sure you can handle that little doe? Becoming the wife of five hungry dragons isn't going to be easy. You will ache when you are without us and you will ache when you are with us." Giyuu coos, placing a hand on your back. It sends licks of warmth that jolt to where you had never been touched.

“You will become ours in every way possible.” Uzui is now to your other side, hand upon your waist. “We will take you whenever we want,” A piece of hair falls to the side of his ear, distracting you for a moment until he brings your gaze back to him with fingers under your chin. “And you can take us whenever you want.”

Kyojuro hangs his arms around your shoulders, placing himself square behind you. The thin material of your slip does nothing to hide the warmth radiating off the man. “When our heat occurs you will have to be careful. One of us may ravish you and then two more join in.” He nudges your head with affection and your stomach stirs.

“Are you willing to make sacrifices?” Sanemi asks, still standing a few feet away from the huddle the rest of them had now created around you.

“I was raised to do so.” You reply, a confident nod moving your head.

[letteredlettered]

arranged20??

This answer is also for @nanavn, who asked about the same thing!

This is a fic I really, really hope to finish writing. I wrote 44,293 already. I love it and I'm proud of it. But it's an MDZS/CQL fic, and my head is living in TGCF right now, and I also want to make time for original fic, so who knows when I will get to it?

This fic is wangxian. That's the only pairing, though I guess background LXC/NMJ.

In ancient China, marriage between men was a thing, the way it was in many ancient cultures, but I didn't really do a lot of research on that for the fic. One central premise of the fic, though, is that marriage between men is not unheard of and can be used for political alliances. Homophobia still exists in this world, because I actually think it's rather important to some of the premises of this book.

The fic is an AU after WWX dies at the burial mounds. Another basic premise is that JGS begins to realize JGY is a threat, so he watches closely and doesn't die in an orgy. In order to keep JGY in check, JGS recognizes Mo Xuanyu as Jin Xuanyu. Meanwhile, JGS is more careful about consolidation of power--for instance, JGY has not dared sabotage NMJ. Instead, the Jin Sect has slowly expanded such that the other sects can feel the heat, and everyone is waiting for things to boil over.

This is an arranged marriage fic. At the start of the fic, Jin Sect finally makes a move that will undermine and discredit the Lan Sect. Lan Xichen knows what JGS is looking for--to either chip away at Lan influence or gain Lan fealty. LXC feels that the only way to secure their position is to marry into the Jin Sect. LWJ refuses to let his brother throw himself away on a loveless marriage, because the man LXC loves is alive and also threatened (even without his qi being sabotaged, NMJ's qi is still unstable). Believing that WWX won't return, LWJ demands that he go through with the marriage himself, and because LWJ is super stubborn and LXC isn't great at standing up to him, LXC acquiesces.

The marriage is of course to Jin Xuanyu. LWJ doesn't really know Jin Xuanyu except for having met a few times in passing. On the day of their wedding, Jin Xuanyu excuses himself from the wedding feast, claiming to be ill.

Here is an excerpt, taking place when LWJ checks on Jin Xuanyu after the wedding banquet!

Lan Wangji nodded and entered the residence, where a strange odor assaulted his senses and Jin Xuanyu stood in the middle of the room, holding a thick sheaf of papers and a shocked expression. “Lan Zhan!” he exclaimed.

Lan Wangji looked at Jin Xuanyu’s arm, which was now behind Jin Xuanyu’s back, hiding the sheaf of papers. Deciding to prioritize, Lan Wangji didn’t ask about it. Jin Xuanyu was extremely pale. “Are you all right?”

“Me?” Jin Xuanyu said blankly. “Oh, I’m quite . . . oh, terrible.” He began to cough. “I’m terrible, Hanguang-jun.”

“I brought you food,” Lan Wangji said, moving farther into the room. The scent in the air was familiar, but Lan Wangji could not place it.

Jin Xuanyu had not moved. “Hanguang-jun,” he said. Then he said it again. “Hanguang-jun.”

Lan Wangji put the tray on the table and stood.

“I . . .” Jin Xuanyu seemed quite at a loss. Then he said, in a quiet voice, “Are we really married?”

Lan Wangji stared, at a loss as well.

“It’s just . . .” Jin Xuanyu made a helpless gesture with his hand.

Lan Wangji, speaking very carefully, said, “You were at the ceremony.”

Jin Xuanyu grimaced. “Right . . .” He made another face. “It’s just so . . .”

Jin Xuanyu stood there for so long, unspeaking, that Lan Wangji finally stepped toward him.

“Never mind, Hanguang-jun!” Speeding over to the table, keeping the papers behind his back, Jin Xuanyu looked down at the tray. “Is it from the wedding banquet?” he said quickly. “Is it something good?”

Lan Wangji eyed him warily, remembering the Jin plots he had considered earlier. “Plain soup.”

Jin Xuanyu’s face fell. “Really?”

“You were unwell,” Lan Wangji reminded him.

“Oh. Right.” Jin Xuanyu coughed a few times.

In spite of his pallor, the way Jin Xuanyu was coughing did not appear genuine, and he seemed otherwise well. Even if he was sick, his current condition did not seem poor enough to warrant desertion of his own wedding banquet, and no illness Lan Wangji could imagine would cause a person to post a guard outside the door.

Keeping the papers out of sight behind him, Jin Xuanyu leaned down, uncovering the bowl on the tray and taking a whiff. “Unf. It really is plain. There at least should be good food, considering what I’ve been through.”

Jin Xuanyu did not seem inclined to share what he had ‘been through,’ but the papers were obviously connected. “Shall I fetch something else?” Lan Wangji asked, keeping his tone polite.

Wincing, Jin Xuanyu straightened, then forced an uncomfortable little laugh. “No, Hanguang-jun, that’s . . . it’s fine.”

Unable to wait any longer for a reasonable explanation, Lan Wangji finally asked, “What are the papers?”

“Hm?”

Lan Wangji did not repeat himself. He thought that Jin Xuanyu had heard him very well.

“Oh.” Jin Xuanyu chuckled. “I suppose you mean these,” he said, whipping out the sheaf of paper from behind his back. “Well, let me tell you,” Jin Xuanyu went on, glancing at the papers himself. “These papers are . . . they’re . . . a diary,” he said suddenly. “Very private, Hanguang-jun. I’m going to burn them.”

The paper visible to Lan Wangji was covered in writing too small to read. Lan Wangji looked back to Jin Xuanyu. “I would not read your private writings.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t, Hanguang-jun,” Jin Xuanyu said, setting the sheaf of papers on the floor, then sitting down on it, before the soup. “You’ve always been so honorable. One can never be too careful, though. Prying eyes, you know.” Picking up the bowl, Jin Xuanyu began to eat, as though nothing in his behavior could be deemed at all suspicious or unusual.

Lan Wangji looked down at him, trying to decide what to do. That Jin Xuanyu was hiding things from him was obvious, and yet, Lan Wangji had rarely witnessed a guilty person seem so unconcerned with being caught. If Jin Xuanyu had in fact planned with other Jin Sect members to annihilate the Lan Clan from within, or if some other nefarious scheme were in play, surely a more subtle subterfuge would have been employed.

No, this behavior seemed a result of Jin Xuanyu’s own eccentricities, of which Lan Wangji was rapidly becoming aware that there were many. When Jin Xuanyu had first joined the Jin Clan at Golden Carp Tower, Lan Wangji had heard that the man was odd, but almost all the rumors had seemed to center around Jin Xuanyu’s sexual preferences, as far as Lan Wangji had been able to tell.

Perhaps he should have conducted more research into the nature of Jin Xuanyu’s character, not in the least because Jin Xuanyu was now slurping his soup in a most aggravating manner. He had handled himself with adequate decorum at the tea ceremony that afternoon. Perhaps within the privacy of the Jingshi, with his new husband, Jin Xuanyu felt it permissible to forgo etiquette.

“If you would like a private place for the papers,” Lan Wangji said, “I can provide a case and show you how to construct a locking talisman.”

“Ah, are we still talking about that?” Jin Xuanyu said, not looking up at him. “I told you, I’m burning them.”

Lan Wangji watched his husband eat for another moment or two. He really should sit with him, but to do so felt like a concession that Jin Xuanyu’s meal was normal and nothing at all strange was happening, when the fact was that Jin Xuanyu had been doing something in this room, something with the papers that he did not want Lan Wangji to know about. Perhaps it really was as innocent as updating his supposed ‘diary,’ but Lan Wangji doubted this.

The smell alone was cause for concern. When Lan Wangji focused on it, memories of the Sunshot Campaign surfaced—battlefields. Death. Corpses. But the room didn’t smell like death or rotting flesh. The odor was faintly metallic.

Lan Wangji spotted the smudge on the floor at the same time as he identified the scent.

Blood.

Walking a few steps, Lan Wangji bent down to inspect the floorboards he had only recently repaired. The stain was fresh, smudged as though hastily wiped away. The rest of the floor was clean, but such a small amount of blood would never cause the scent to be so noticeable. Straightening, Lan Wangji looked back at Jin Xuanyu, who was looking back at him, eyes wide as he lowered the bowl from his mouth.

“Were you cut?” Lan Wangji asked.

“No?” Jin Xuanyu did not sound certain about this.

“There is blood.”

“Ah, how strange.” Jin Xuanyu remained where he was.

“I smell it.”

“Ah, Hanguang-jun, so impressive, able to scent blood. You know, I would not share this fact,” Jin Xuanyu said brightly, wagging a finger at him. “They say that certain monsters are able to scent blood; it’s a nefarious talent.”

“Jin Xuanyu.”

“What? Oh. Yes?”

Lan Wangji looked at the floor, then back up at Jin Xuanyu. He was still pale, Lan Wangji saw. Blood loss.

“Well, what makes you think it’s mine, Hanguang-jun?” Jin Xuanyu asked, sounding petulant. “It could be anyone’s blood! You should keep your place cleaner. And more secure! Anyone could just come in here and bleed.”

Lan Wangji walked back to the table, took Jin Xuanyu by the arm, then pulled up. Jin Xuanyu squawked a loud protest, but Lan Wangji was stronger, forcing Jin Xuanyu from where he sat to reveal the papers that had been under him. Lan Wangji reached for them, and they abruptly caught fire.

Whirling, Lan Wangji turned back to look at Jin Xuanyu, who was lowering his hand, having just made a hand seal for fire—not a very effective one, Lan Wangji saw, turning back to the flames. The fire was feeble, already petering out. Lan Wangji waved his hand, expending very little spiritual power to extinguish it, but Jin Xuanyu was already rushing back, gathering the burnt papers to his chest. “I told you!” he exclaimed. “They’re my diary! You wouldn’t read another man’s diary, would you, Hanguang-jun? I thought you were honorable!”

“Tell me,” said Lan Wangji, through gritted teeth, “what is going on.”

“I’m . . .” Jin Xuanyu’s shoulders slumped. “Well, if you must know . . .”

Lan Wangji, waiting, abruptly realized he was furious. He had not had the time to process everything that had happened so far, all the ways that Jin Xuanyu was lying to him, setting actual fires in the Jingshi, cutting himself, hiding it—and they were married. Lan Wangji had married this man this morning, and Lan Wangji could not fully comprehend it. He could not recall feeling so blindly angry since he’d been a teenager; the mixture of hurt and absolute confusion felt exactly the same.

It felt exactly the same, and Lan Wangji suddenly, powerfully wished that Wei Ying was here, if only for Wei Ying to hurt him and confuse him that way again. At least that was a pain that Lan Wangji understood, and it had come from someone he loved. That this stranger could hold such power over Lan Wangji was only a result of the fact that they were married, and Lan Wangji had had his hopes, and now they were meant to live together, side by side, when Jin Xuanyu obviously had so little respect for him. It felt intolerable. It felt unfair.

Lan Wangji took a deep breath, then let it go.

“I was trying to cast a spell,” said Jin Xuanyu.

“With blood,” said Lan Wangji.

“Well, you see . . . it wasn’t exactly a polite spell.”

Lan Wangji put out his hand.

Jin Xuanyu looked down at it.

“The papers,” said Lan Wangji.

“No!” Jin Xuanyu clutched them closer. “These are my . . . notes. On how to do the spell, but it didn’t work. I’m . . . such a poor cultivator, you see.” Jin Xuanyu lit up suddenly. “That’s why I was casting the spell! It’s this body. It’s weak! And . . . small. The—my golden core is just . . . nothing to speak of. I could also be far better looking, don’t you agree?”

Lan Wangji did not know what he was talking about.

[agentrouka-blog]

Hey! Did you find the time to read the affc outline yet? I just know people are seething lol. I wanted to ask, what did you think about the Tyrion outline? That he will “witness incest”? Will he see two people and be reminded of Jaime/Cersei because there doesn’t seem to be any other option. Dany is alone and I doubt she will get together with Aegon VI later in the volume.

Moreover, I feel like the pov Prince of Sorrows is Tyrion’s or Tyrion centric nonetheless because I feel “whores go everywhere” is the answer to the constant question Tyrion asks himself in adwd - “where do whores go”. Maybe he finds out about Tysha and it is painful??

I know at this point we can only speculate because we don’t have any evidence to go off on, but what do you think, can we figure out something about the outline?

Hi there! :)

(Reddit post in question)

I've read it but not in-depth. No time, unfortunately. (Employment is a huge impediment to fandom...)

Here are some rambling thoughts, yay!

I'm pretty sure the Prince of Sorrows refers to concept that Tyrion was supposed to have an encounter with the Shrouded Lord (I think?) in a dream of some kind, probably during his near-death at the Bridge of Dream, which was in the Sorrows stretch of the Rhoyne. What snippets of philosophical musings GRRM put under that header certainly fit a transcendent confrontation with Tyrion's conscience. "Let it go or it will become you. Let them go - will not bring you peace." Tyrion's inability to let go of his own trauma and resulting rage (like Dany, like Theon, like Stannis, like LSH, like Bran, like Arya etc etc etc) is utterly the root of his own villainy and future undoing. So that checks out. GRRM cut it, probably because it may have been too heavy-handed at this point in time. He instead opted to show us a Tyrion descending into complete depravity at Selhorys, with any self-reflection deferred to a much later point.

"Witness to incest" is so vague that I don't think we can even extrapolate it refers to any specific action with the plot so much as it's a self-description.

It's important to remember that this informal little note of an outline is from GRRM for GRRM, and these are prompts or reminders that tie into his already existing thoughts. We have no idea what those thoughts are. A phrase like "KILL THE MOUSE" or "witness to incest" can refer to an intended quote, it can refer to a status he wants to emphasize inside the chapter, it can be a personal reminder to achieve a specific moment or plot point, it can be symbolic. Is the Mouse Shadrich, or is it a code for Alayne, who is a mousy-brown creature scurrying about the castle, different but similar to Arya's Harrenhal mouse era? What it does is beautifully showcase how he structures the more pragmatic, detailed bits of his plot around key points he wants to make. Take the Arya notes. "The joy of giving". Obviously, he is working on complex imagery that juxtaposes "taking a life" with "giving the gift", the hypocritisy of murder for hire - and the genuine peace offered to those who come to die of their own volition. Here, too, GRRM chose to hold back on actually going into these issues in the finished product in Feast-Dance, probably saving it for the climactic escape and/or Arya's confrontation with Catelyn's revenant.

Is the incest Jaime and Cersei, which Tyrion has witnessed all his life? Was it meant to tie into Aegon and Dany (who he learns are intended to marry), or to set up something else, or both? GRRM chose to cut it, anyway, so the sentiment may well come back at a later point, much like the insights in the Prince of Sorrows.

Basically, while the emphasis on Sansa's identity is a pleasantly unambiguous support for her (already obvious) trajectory north in GRRM's own mind, I don't think we'll get much else out of this outline that isn't already in the text one way or the other. We shouldn't be too literal with the notes in there because he wasn't writing an explanation of his plot, he was writing an extremely self-referential little to-do list that may be as reliable as the to-do lists I write for myself on a day off: i.e., I end up doing one thing and scrap the rest in favor of lying around on my couch.

[doubleddenden]

Had a thought about Pokemon for the first time in a while. DD's theory corner time:

Legends Arceus- Arceus is in the title, basically the kick to get the plot ball rolling, our ultimate goal

Legends Z-A, if we were to try basing it on the one title before it, probably references Zygarde. Makes sense if we compare the Z to XY- except the A.

Theory: Legends "2" has two title legendaries associated with it. The A is a new Norse inspired Pokemon that represents some new aspect of dimensions (like the X, Y, and Z planes of a graph that formulate latitude, longitude, and the spaces between).

I know I'm not the first to speculate this, but I think I do want to speculate exactly what the A could be. A certainly doesn't fit in with the XYZ planes (or at the least, nothing is really turning up on Google). HOWEVER, the Norse angle does have a hit we could try to wrestle with.

Xerneas, Yveltal, and Zygarde all represent various aspects of the specific Norse iteration of the World Tree mythos (the reason it's so popular world wide is because- much like the world turtle- mythos for world trees exist all around the world)- in this case, Yggdrasil.

Xerneas is the embodiment of life, and embodies aspects of the tree itself, plus seems to be based off of the 4 stags that eat at the branches of the tree. Their names are Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór- no, I don't know how to pronounce those either, but basically as they eat at the branches, the life dew that forms on their antlers flows downwards to create rivers of the world. That's how we get to Xerneas being the tree, the stags, and life itself.

Yveltal is death, and possibly based on an "unnamed eagle" that sits atop the World Tree- aka the Y axis- Or it could possibly be the hawk called Veðrfölnir that sits between the eyes of the unnamed eagle. These birds are attested to be a source of knowledge and possibly are based off of Odin's ravens, which fly off and return with new knowledge. Hawks, Eagles, and Ravens are all birds associated with death to some degree, whether killing prey itself or scavenging dead corpses. That could be how we get a death bird that opposes a life deer

Zygarde is most likely based on the Nidhogg, a dragon that feasts on the roots of Yggdrasil and in particular seems to actually be a villain in early stories. The Nidhogg apparently nibbled and ate corpses of those who lost honor, particularly those guilty of adultery, murder, and oathbreaking. In this case, the fact that Zygarde watches the ecosystem could be a simple role reversal to what Yveltal was supposed to be, and could even embody various aspects of Norse pantheon itself.

Now there is one more prominent creature that could be worked with- Ratatosk- which is a squirrel like creature that communicates messages between the unnamed eagle and Nidhogg, and basically was sort of a chatty gossip that seemed to start shit on purpose, basically harassing the fauna of the tree and continuing the fued between Eagle and Nidhogg. This could already be incorporated into Zygarde's cell system, as the cells communicate with each other across the world- but seem to exist to SOLVE problems instead.

Still, as we've seen from the above, Game Freak isn't afraid to remix or twist ideas to make their own. So I'm gonna say Ratatosk has a strong chance of being legendary A, in this case. Something to note is that it may not be 100% a squirrel in this case, much like how Zygarde is a snake and a dragon, but it's still something that can be meddled with.

Now the question would be: what does A bring to the table that Life, Death, and Order does not?

Before that, let's ask WHY there'd be a Legendary A. Xerneas and Yveltal, by nature, are beings that go into long slumber once they've done their jobs- according to XY, that would have been about 3k years before the start of the story, where Yveltal drained the life of everyone and thing around it before turning into a cocoon, and/or Xerneas becoming a tree that granted life instead.

GF can do whatever they want, but there's something else to note: if ZA takes place ENTIRELY within Lumiose, that means we're not going to Geosenge where the cocoon or tree were to power the cannon Lysander almost destroyed the world with. Now they'll probably bring them back anyway, but if they'd play as big of a role as Zygarde, why not call the game XYZ like the anime?

Hence A. Pokemon loves legendary duos, and so A could potentially be the opposite of Zygarde. In other words: CHAOS, the opposite of order.

This could fit imo, given that Ratatosk loved to start shit. Not to mention, A is opposite to Z in the alphabet- certainly would explain why it pops up against the established XYZ.

Of course, you can't talk about Norse mythology in the modern Era without bringing up Thor or Loki. While Thor has yet to be represented imo (and hey, who is to say all we get is A in this case for a new legendary), Loki is probably one of the most well known people from this mythos. And, again, given that we've established that GF isn't afraid to mix things around, I personally think A will be a mix of Loki and Ratatosk.

In other words, a trickster that THRIVES on starting shit.

While it's initial basis for Ratatosk is a squirrel, Loki was a shapeshifter that took on various forms, including the infamous horse that would give birth (yes Loki got pregnant and gave birth) to the 8 legged horse, Sleipnir. Loki also took forms of creatures such as a fly, a salmon, and even an elderly woman.

Now picture this: doesn't this sound like something that could be used for traversal? A salmon or fish form for surfing, a fly or flying insect form for gliding or flying, a horse for faster traversal- if we throw in the squirrel, that could easily climb things, and the elderly woman could easily be worked in either as a villain, npc, or even integrated into a final form akin to Zygarde's 100% form.

So does the Pokemon transform? Does it work like Zygarde and have bits and pieces to collect? If it's Chaos, why would it help us?

That I'm unsure of. It may not even happen- but we do need a reason as to why suddenly Zygarde is okay with humans rebuilding Lumiose. And again, it could simply be trying to start shit, perhaps helping us retake a Lumiose reclaimed by nature as a way to simply piss off Zygarde. Of course, it could also be the enemy that took over Lumiose to begin with, or it could simply be a generic friend Pokemon, who knows.

It could even be that those forms mentioned earlier could be taken separately as new forms or special Pokemon akin to the likes of Wyrdeer or Kleavor. Or not at all of course.

We won't know jack until we get an actual trailer for the game itself, but I think that the red tinge in the title art could indicate something. Unclear what.

If I were to think of a name... Aosk? Like Chaos and Ratatosk. And the animal? A rat. On the nose, but snakes eat rats, and Zygarde is a snake. Duality, bitches.

We can probably assume AZ will be here since he's cursed with immortality, and we can't ignore the fact that Z-A is AZ backwards. So whatever it is, legendary A might have something to do with him as well.

In fact, now that I think about it, that red tinge does match the color of the canon... what if this was a Pokemon directly created as a result of the canon?

Anyway that's all my rambling.

[mamamittens]

Recently had a really fucked idea for zombies/parasite where eventually the invading entity consumed the body too quickly to properly complete their life cycle so started finding ways to prolonged themselves. The hosts kept falling apart too quickly from damage or necrosis kind of thing. Perhaps a lack of energy because their brain was so fucked they couldn't readily identify food anymore. Had a vague idea of the parasite taking over the brain first and then converting the body into a singular, parasitic entity capable of housing/birthing more. But obviously this going too fast just wound up with a brain dead host and a body decaying around them, trapping them unless they can eat their way out fast enough onto to be stranded without a host. So they evolved a Neat But Fucking Horrifying Trick.

Like, it worked better with certain people, but basically fucked with their brain. Enough that it tripped the reward center and socializing parts of the brain. Causing delusions that resulted in people purposefully trapping, tricking, and eventually eating people they're close to and really enjoying it. Like, leaving the host just aware enough to sell the illusion that they're just a little sick maybe. Some sniffles, perhaps. And this was a horrifying evolution specifically developed after they infected humans because of how innate the human desire to socialize is.

And in the grand scheme of the story this isn't realized for a while because it tended to look like victims were just dumb enough to think their former loved ones were actually just sick as opposed to being deliberately tricked for consumption.

So what ended up happening is that excessive interest in socializing with familiar people was marked as a sign of possible infection. Or infestation I suppose is a better word in the case of parasites.

But in some individuals they noted that despite being infected, they held up remarkably well and this was due to their brain chemistry already being fucky, basically. Sociopaths, people with brain damage, mood disorders, and other mental illness problems effectively became carriers. The parasites unable to fully develop and control the host or feast on their brains, I suppose. This was not much of a good thing as the drive to spread the infection was still active and their relative normalness made them incredibly effective at this without the tale tell overt signs of infection.

Sounds like an arg or something but idk, seemed like a neat and spooky idea.

Maybe with someone infected but in control going somewhere people don't know about the infection and having to explain it all without revealing themselves. Having to break it to them that their loved ones falling ill but 'acting normal if clingy' was actually just a plot to infect THEM. Maybe some folks not listening only to fuck around and find out.

Side idea of the parasites having a hive mind and the infected person being essentially a rouge agent the hive is trying to reassimilate for a better spread. Basically figuring out how to act human enough to take out everyone without losing precious resources, maybe setting up a Matrix scenario where they can thrive indefinitely pretending to be human.

Idk.

It's a whole thing.

My mind goes weird places when I'm bored.

[nuesetine]

Decades Doever

A little idea I had laying in my bed. The basic thought process was: Ninjago's two characters who have literally been sent to a realm to rot in for literal DECADES. Morro, who's already struggling with his own exile from the departed realms finds a manipulated Zane and manipulator Vex. I mean both of them can't grow too old, and Morro probably would want a redemption for his deeds, the white ninja may be his path to doing it. Zane is interested in the departed realm, hearing that Morro is from it (even if it's not in the most pretty ways), it intrigues him to learn more about the former ghost, and how he may see his father one day. More Info underneath the cut!

Morro's literal backstory Once an elemental master dies they can not only see their family in the departed realm, but if they are not blood related nor can remember their family (cough cough, Zane), they can also meet the departed elemental masters that came before them. The little groupings of elemental masters hold great power, having the ability to traverse the 16 realms but regarded as something different than a ghost, more similar to a peaceful spirit or aura passing by. Unable to be seen by the living, sometimes depending on their mental will having the ability to converse in dreams and visions. When Morro finally get's sent to the Departed realm, as an orphan and being 50+ years old he cannot simply remember his family, so he get's sent and transported to the elemental grouping of Wind Masters. They don't like him. And so after a rather horrid argument the elders, the first elemental master of wind (FMOF), decides to send them down to never-realm, being previously used as a waste deposal of other Elemental Master's (more than just wind) that have gone "rogue" in the Departed Realm. The FMOF graced some mercy to Morro, convening with one of the form masters in order to see that they could return him in some sort of ghostly form, if they sent them down there as is, it would result him becoming living once more. Morro being the wonderous human (ish) being he is stumbles across this conversation, eaves dropping and taking notes. So when the final ritual(?) takes place he lashes out and does his best to ruin the spell, the only thing being that: 1. It works 2. He's not alive, and instead, has been merged with the storm. There he goes barreling down into the artic wasteland that provides an abundance of wind and storms to command, but despite the feast-like appearance of power and his element, Morro knows and regards this as a banishment. Dude got banished from death itself.

How Zane is connected in any of this Being also wonderfully banished and sent to the Never-Realm (via: Aspheera, Nacho Snake lady) he is also lost on his way. The only canon divergence or well difference being, when he's holding a staff he can feel another, stronger, rivaling, presence. Zane tries his best to fix the mech and eventually get's memory wiped by Vex. Back to the main plot line Morro additionally the counteracting sensation of another elemental power, and although it's not as strong as he isn't a master of Spinjitzu, he still senses it and decides to drift off on a storm cloud in that direction. Reaching the cave just when Zane plugs himself into the mech, disregarding the staff in general (in this AU I don't think young Wu would've told him about it), being confused in the slightest before getting a rush of Lloyd's memories he intercepted during possession of the titanium ninja, and dashing away behind the mech when he hears Vex's footsteps. Watching the whole exchange happen before his eyes, he decides to step in at the last moment, using his cool (very new) lightning powers. Being a somewhat super battle with the staff that he's honestly wonders how the ninja got a hold of, and his amplified form. During the exchange he does lay hands upon the staff and his powers go A-wire, somewhat breaks space and time, smacks Zane in the noggin to regain select memories. Vex fleeing the scene and barely recovering Zane prying Morro; who's form and right hand is practically melding into the staff, away from the supercharged stick. Although both mutually dislike each other they suppose they are both in the predicament of needing company for the days, weeks, and unbeknown to them, years to come. Morro not knowing how robotics or in general any mechanics in Zane works, opts for the: I'll just sit here and regret my decision as my partial robot friend has a reoccuring flashbacks for several decades while having an ongoing existential crisis I am little help to. Zane does believe Morro holds some interesting tales and description on, why and specifically how both are here. Morro just thinking it's something he can do to make up for acts, probably go see Lloyd (despite him probably bolting as soon as he see's the green gi), and maybe just maybe get somehow reaccepted back into the departed realms.

[thecatchat]

Cue being invited out to this cabin/mansion/place in the woods by some other mob/drink/high society people and instructed to bring Karl and Saponite. These are people he needs to keep in contact with so he agrees, lays down some ground rules for the two, and go.

This chunks fuzzy, cus I don't really have a b plot with the fancy people, Cue, and Karl in mind. All I have is the Saponite plot. He's feeling a bit disconnected from the culture and people here. This isn't a petting party. It's much more like those political balls that he's attended his entire life. There are legitimate stakes for Cue here. But it's so, so different. There's jazz, dancing, drinks are everywhere. He's lost Cue and Karl and he's fumbled every conversation so far and it's all just a little too much.

So he heads outside for a breather. Walks off into the forest that's so similar yet still so different. A little way away from the party, as he's kinda wallowing in shame, he encounters: a bear. A really big bear.

At least, to Prowa, it's a big bear. For Saponite? Eh. It's definitely dangerous, but it's no (like a griffin, but instead of an eagle, it's a bat). If it can't fly or crawl on the ceiling, then it's already 75% less dangerous than most of the stuff he deals with on a regular basis. Plus, it's approaching the party full of drunk people.

What's he supposed to do, not fight it?

He does have to play it very safely, as he doesn't know what exactly to expect and ends up getting pushed back to the edge of the party. Of course, all the Prowans are gobsmacked by Saponite, basically brawling with a bear and not dying. He eventually ends the fight with a stab to the back of the head of the bear. In front of many party goers.

"... who wants a feast?"

So when Cue finally finds him, it's three hours later, Nite has rounded up some not-too-drunk party goers into helping him skin the bear, butcher the bear, and construction of a fire pit to cook the whole thing. He's adding plant spices to the fire and the meat, lots of different combinations to try out, happy as a clam.

He ends up enthralling people by talking about how hunting is such a bonding experience and really it wasn't too much trouble to bring down the bear, it's basically been his job to do stuff like that his entire life. If it tries to kill you, there's a way to cook it. Introducing the concept of the feast: an abundance of food instead of an abundance of drink. How the different parts of the animal can be cooked differently into different recipes. The skin comes off in one piece that he intends to give as a rug to the host of the party as a gift.

Cue being very happy that Nite found a way to be comfortable at the party, even if it did give him a heart attack to learn that his Sap brawled with a bear.

Nobody was expecting to taste bear that night. But everyone agreed that, while Cue's little asonist may not know his drinks, he sure knows how to cook.

Also, Karl probably ended up swinging from a chandelier at some point. Because Karl.

@inky-kaleidascope-dimensions

[ghostlyhamburger]

Husband Watches Miraculous: NY Special

[does this one have an actual name idk]

OK this is definitely after season 3 because of the box.

Why did they do a Marvel version of the theme? you can't tell me that's not inspired by Marvel.

Okay so they store the powerups inside the thing?

They really tried to go all out with the updated animations didn't they?

Her hair is actually black this time! it looks really good.

Okay that's the first thing that I saw that's super out of character.

Some of these things are textured really well but some are just not. Look you can see texture on her clothes, on the bricks, on the ground, and then BRIGHT GREEN TRASH CAN. It just makes no sense.

This is gonna be a long hour.

Why did they increase Marinette's bust size?

What the fuck was with the way that beard was moving? It's like they didn't want to move the anchor point on the bottom. They anchored it to his shirt is how they modeled it.

Why do they keep changing Marinette's hair color? Why is it darker in the school lighting?

I think I know why this seems so hard to place in the timeline. Its production seems to start at the beginning of season 3 but they definitely got the bible. So they just didn't see all the development Marinette had in getting over her obsession with Adrien over the season.

This whole little bit about Marinette's obsession doesn't need to be here if you've seen the series. Its purpose is only for those who haven't seen the series, which is unneeded because who's gonna watch just for this? It's not a movie. if I skipped the next fifteen seconds nothing would be missed.

When has New York ever been considered romantic? I guess if they watch a lot of American Hallmark movies? But New York is dirtier and dingier than Paris.

They actually made Gabriel look good in this. Like I get how he's supposed to be a silver fox type. He's got a bit too much Justin Bieber face for me, but the hair works for him. I can see how he'd become a celebrity in Paris.

"I'll be keeping an eye on him." If Adrien was a sentimonster under his control, he wouldn't need to keep an eye on him. He could just keep track of him with the miraculous. Like, Mayura was able to track Feast.

Also why is Nathalie in the bed? didn't they fix the peacock? Oh wait she was still super weak and life force isn't easy to regenerate once it's been drained like that.

Oh they've got best girl here.

I think I already see where the entire plot of this special is going. She's gonna be upset at Chat because he's not gonna be there when a sentimonster attacks and she's gonna be upset and debate giving up her miraculous because that's been the theme of the episodes lately and the American heroes are going to somehow be bitches.

[We're only 10 minutes in.]

Gorilla doesn't like planes.

All right so it's not going to work because it's not a sentimonster alert.

How is the eagle going to help you beat Ladybug and Chat?

Marinette, just know when to stop talking, please.

Again, a nice little moment that would be really good.

5 seconds on the plane and she's basically assaulted someone.

Nice use of symmetry and mirroring each other.

Marinette is not having a good day.

Why did they give her such an ass in that shot?

That's actually a pretty good moment.

No. Alya no.

I do like how they call out their weird animation quirks of like. Marinette arms. It's fun.

A convict with a jet engine?

So normal magical and villain type things exist already.

Okay that is just Superman. That's just Superman outfit and Superman theme.

Another thing I don't like is all the infodump. There's a better way they could've introduced Uncanny Valley than Alya's random exposition. She was answering the question of the audience without being prompted to. And it throws me off.

"It's time to show these American heroes how French heroes do it!" NO. NO.

He's not a superhero. That was his entire bit. Also what's he gonna do, endanger everyone by opening up the emergency hatch? You have no superpowers, you have no gadgets, what possibly are you going to do here?

As an introduction, I like this.

It's like they wanted three teachers, one to be nice, one to be crazy, one to be strict, and then they shoved two of them into one character. It doesn't work.

Hot Dog Dan? So he's ... a hot dog vendor?

All right, the dancing is a cute little callback.

Okay I like the new animation style, the very American comic book. but can no one just leave Marinette and Adrien alone? Let them just be awkward together!

Can we get to the catastrophic failure that will lead into the less lovey-dovey shit?

So they're trying to say Lafayette was a holder?

Is that one of the self driving Tsurugi cars?

Wait we've seen the akuma butterflies phase. Why is there no consistency in the rules?

"There's artifacts left by people who unveiled the statue" So there's a miracle box there, right?

Solitude is just Mr. Pigeon!

Doc Ock. Huh. With replication abilities.

Door powers are actually pretty cool.

Now it's finally getting good! Can always count on Hawkmoth to interfere in the right way.

So why is Hawkmoth going after the sabre when the claw thing is very clearly the Miraculous?

Ahh. That's why.

They're still being quite efficient even though they're pissed at each other.

[Aeon is cataclysmed] You have a miracle bomb! It can literally reset people!

That is the smart decision. They don't know each other's identities. Also the American heroes don't have the authority to do that!

I dunno I feel like the reset should have gone through to the other area. When villains have changed in the middle of the episode the reset still works. And when there was the copycat Ladybug she used that one's lucky charm to do a reset bomb. So I call bullshit on that. Also I don't think Paris is still destroyed when we come back to it. So...

"If Uncanny Valley hadn't been a robot I would've caused irreparable harm." Except people have literally died, disintegrated into nothing, converted into energy, and brought back with no issues. So no, it's not irreparable harm. And this is so heavy handed!

The emotional flip flopping here is not great.

[hearing Liiri's ability] That's an incredibly busted ability. Her power is literally limit break.

Why are they having this argument right next to the French students? That just seems stupid.

Let's just steal a bike! oh, safety first

"Adrien I love you" Okay that's just cruel to the people who were watching this.

Yep that's actually what I was expecting.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GUNS? Oh right America.

I really like Jess and Aeon's characterization.

Okay I like the skateboard.

This should've just been a movie. It would've been better with time to do all the stuff going on.

Okay that's a neat little trick.

Why does this one hour episode have more musical types than the entirety of the game that came out?

[Ladybug hugs Chat] Okay that was a really cute moment.

Oh is he just gonna launch nukes at everything?

Trading cards, really?

Yeah see Paris is repaired already

"At least let me see what's inside the safe!" It's a miracle box. it's gotta be, right?

I like [Eagle's] outfit.

Was she gonna toss a piano at a pigeon? [Haven't you wanted to do that?] Yeah...

To the sun? To the sun.

Throwing things to the sun is also a Superman reference.

Why do you need more Miraculous? You only need two, and they're not going to help you, you don't have anyone to give them to!

Paris was not like that when they were visiting.

Okay. This should've just been a three part special episode. It tried to shove so much in so little timeframe and over half the thing was just pointless grandstanding about the stupid will they won't they. And I bet that while people loved that Adrien I love you moment, he couldn't fucking hear it and that's the only thing we're gonna get 'cause fuck these producers.

If the pacing was the same throughout, it would've been really good, but it came out of nowhere to the point where they turned up the speed of people speaking to fit it in. A lot of things got super rushed through and I really wanted to see more of it but I know I'm never going to because the producer of Zag sucks!

[elbiotipo]

isnt op's post also criticizing the idea that we must adhere to colonialism's real life history in fantasy settings? why did you respond with the assumption they didn't (asking genuinely because i read the original post as a condemnation of the very attitude you are condemning op for)

I don't quite understand what you mean by that part in parentheses

But I don't think OP meant anything else than "you don't need elaborate worldbuilding in your story", which, understandably, I oppose. But at the end of it, that's just writing conventions. I'm a worldbuilding fanatic and love to read entire fictional encyclopedias without plot, other people don't care about that. They are completely and utterly wrong, but that's fine, I can live with that.

However, this part (which as far as I know you asked yourself) "the idea that we must adhere to colonialism's real life history in fantasy settings"

Here's the thing: if you're writing fantasy aimed at adults, I don't think you should shy away from depicting colonialism and its consequences.

Because when you write a *typical* popular fantasy work with those lavish feasts with goods from tropical climates or shining metal armors or silk dresses or big urbanized cities with libraries full of books (all more features of the early modern era than medieval Europe) it implies all that wealth comes from somewhere. Those goods come from somewhere. Someone makes all those things. That society is built on pillars; social pillars, economic pillars, ideological pillars. And it's worth question who, and how, and why. Even if some answers might seem distateful, ESPECIALLY if some answers might seem distateful. I simply do not care for works that refuse to engage or think about them, or at least hint about them. Because otherwise it becomes a story of "there's a Bad king and we need to replace it with a Good king" Don't we have 85489 of those already? Why not question something else about your society? The nature of the god(s), the power of the church, how should we organize society, colonialism and imperialism, cultural interactions of the "age of discovery", the scientific method, those were all issues in the early modern Europe where most fantasy draws the generic Pseudo-Medieval European Fantasy setting from, that I think are worth exploring, and authors who do show it well.

The question I'm asking, is basically: okay, your world is made up. Why is it made up exactly like Medieval Early Modern Europe, but without any of the dynamics that made that Europe?

(and since everybody forgets about the stupid space captain: "why, in your sci-fi world far away from modern Earth, all your space captains act like they are Usamerican?")

Some others have also told me "but in my fantasy world there's no colonialism, plants grow through magic/they're traded in fair exchanges" that's great too! I loved some of the explanations, but the point in my opinion also isn't to sanitize fantasy and get rid of all the bad stuff or inaccurate crops, the point is to think about those things and create a story about it. And yes, plants can tell an interesting story. Coffee, sugar, potatoes, tomatoes, and such also got spread by trade, nobody has a "copyright" on plants. But later, the dynamics of the production of those foods took a turn and it often involved the dynamics of trade, colonization and imperialism. Like I said in another post, tea becoming the preferred drink of the English but having to import it from Asia, coffee with all its traditions from its original point in the Middle East as it spread across the continents, potatoes becoming so integral crop to cold Europe that people actually forget their origin in the Andes...

All those things are worth exploring in my opinion, and personally for me, they can even make a better story that just a hero against the evil dark lord.

It's not just about potatoes, but it's always a good first question to ask.

[alpona]

Self-awareness of BSD narrative:

...or something like that, I'm not even sure of the title. Ahem.

A story with a concept like incorporating real life literary figures as character names, and reference their works, is already meta enough, but it's also topped with more in-story materials too!

I'm probably 10 years too late to talk about this stuff, but, well, I'll just post this anyway.

*possible spoilers for the manga*

This one is pretty obvious , the book with power to re-write reality is a nod to, the bungou stray dogs script itself.

This whole thing is a self aware fiction within fiction 😌.

Every plot point that feels like plot convenience, the 'story like consistency', are because, they're exactly that! Atsushi is special because, yah, he was written as MC! He's got plot armour, because he does ! All the things that sometimes makes us think 'huh, ok, so that happened now', everything that actually does sound storylike, is because, they are!  If anything feels like it came out of nowhere, maybe it's because they did, like the sky casino for example.

This story is knowingly following the story-like consistency. (Stuff that we don't question and became part and parcel of supernatural anime-ness, but doesn't make sense in real context.)

"bound by the book" is also like how sometimes we, the audience/reader get trapped by the story narrative and don't see things from different perspectives. (After years of watching different shows, many of us saw this happening, right?) And then there are the audience who break free and enjoy a story from their own neutral perspective.

The hunting dogs, authorities can't see the detective agency is innocent because they're 'bound by the book's rule' to not believe them, and sometimes it's hard for the readers to see these antagonist's point of view either cuz we're bound by this story's narrative 😏. Again, there are one's who break free!

(Have you ever read/watched something and in the middle of the story, felt with a jolt that you've literally broken out of what the Narrative is saying? Kinda like Tachihara. I had this strange experience)

This is one of the storytelling issues I often ponder about, How brilliantly addressed! "painted as a villain by the narrative'' - Our MCs, detective agency literally faced this. and in turn, some readers might also be getting annoyed at the current antagonists, it's sometimes easy to forget that in their eyes, the ADA members are evil criminals.

What a take on the theme of villainifying (is this a word?) charactes!

Sigma. Just sigma. Yes.

Literally a character who just landed in this universe,  who's "story starts from the middle". In a way, Isn't that true for most fictional characters we get to know? And sometimes he's the clueless, only normal one, perfect as audience avatar 😂

Random theory, The final main villain will be Asagiri Kafka 😉 lol

Random theory 2 : A character we know actually wrote the entire state of BSD universe that we're seeing now 😶. What we're seeing now is an already altered reality.

Maybe the 'book' was already used to change many things, alter most character's memories. Maybe by Natsume Souseki. Or even Dazai! (Kinda like Beast, he was responsible for beast...? I should've read Beast fully before posting this!)

.... And many more I'm not writing or haven't noticed.

Wouldn't be surprised if the 4th wall is completely broken at some point, haha!  Ok, I don't think this will be blatantly addressed, but still, the meta references, how various storytelling trope is being played with, even an alternate universe storyline, everything is already brilliant! I'm absolutely loving this meta-ness!

So, these were my.... thoughts? Some theories? Mostly rant? Basically what I find most intriguing about BSD. This aspect of storytelling is usually my jam, I think of meta references everywhere anyway, so this series is a feast for me!

Excuse my messy writing, my lack of vocabulary in any language to express everything that's been on my mind, me being new in the fandom and not reading the novels yet... And I'm starting to sound like Atsushi.

Let me know if anyone feels the same! And sorry if you hate meta references.

[sumire-bride]

Does Sumire have Cordelia's heart in your fanfic or something? What about Yui then?

GORE MENTION, ABUSE, BRAIN WASHING

((Yui doesn't exist in Sumire's world, well not that she doesn't more like she isn't eve ^^" therefore does not exist in my plot/storyline))

((But to answer your question, yes sirrrry bob, Imma do my best not to spoil too much but basically))

((this is gonna be long so buckle folks))

(( Sumire like stated in her bio was born for literally the purpose of pleasuring the sakamaki's (even the mukami's), pleasure in all ways, sexually, emotionally, basically anyway they boys would want, hence why she was raised with that mind set of "I do not matter in any situation, I only exist for others happiness and pleasure". It's literally her purpose, she was born for the purpose of Karl's plan her only reason for being born was for the boys. Kyuufu did his hardest to keep her "pure" and beautiful because this was her reason for living, to be a pretty thing for the sakamaki's to look at and feast upon. ))

(( But she was not giving the heart when she was a baby, she was giving the heart when she was 17, basically Richter waited to give this offer of Cordelia's heart to Kyuufu when he had found out Karl had a women planned already in a journal (also there's like this ceremony for Sumire when she was a child that relates to her being food and like the whole vampire race attended-) Bro waited, Kyuufu agreed ))

(( One lovely little night she made it past the outdoors but Kyuufu found her and fooled her into thinking she was gonna be taken to a nice place away from the mansion she lived in and was brought to the place which the ceremony for her when she was a child was held, it was decorated in white roses and then there was a table, standing there was Richter and one of her brothers. She tried to leave but then was held down by her brother and her chest was being cut open by Richter while her father watched and told her "this is your reason for living" "you must fulfil the plan blahaha" something along those lines, then Richer took her own heart and replaced it with Cordelia's. ))

(( However she did technically die when her heart was removed (like any human would) but while cordelia's heart was being implanted she was put into a dream like type of thing where she dead ass has a full conversation/fight with Cordelia (which has shit tone of plot to it) then was brought back to life, she was 100% aware of what happened and 100% traumatized although the memory slowly got foggy. Her father is a master manipulator, she knows what she has to do and will do it if it means her father is safe and happy. ))

[petrenocka]

Thanks to @hunniebunniebear for getting We don't talk about Bruno stuck inside my skull while I am hyperfixated on D&D. You owe me several hours of my life.

Anyway

We don't talk about Bruno - A D&D Parody!

Only lyrics because I can't sing.

Full song under the cut.

__________

But I don't know how to play!

Then you better figure it out, because this game is perfect for you.

Do you want to try D N D 5 E?

You should talk to the DM.

But!

If was my session day (it was our session day)

We were getting ready and there weren't delays in the plans (we all were warned in advance)

DM walks in, with a mischievous grinn

MIMIC!

Are you telling the story or I?

(Sorry comrade please go on)

DM said "it seems like a chest" (why did he say that?)

In doing so he scared our brains (druid even failed to nature)

Blasted chest with fireball! (Most of loot was fine but anyway)

You still want to try D N D 5 E?

You should talk to the DM.

.

Hey! Grew to live in fear of DM stuttering or stumbling,

I could always hear him sort of muttering and mumbling,

I associate him with the sound of falling dice,

ch-ch-ch

He's basically a god, and it isn't humbling.

Story leaves me and the patry fumbling,

Grappling with the plot we simply couldn't understand,

Do you understand?

.

Thousand word docs,

Hide being his screen.

We all throw math rocks,

But his are never seen.

Yea he sees your "roll-",

And feast on your "-play". (Heeeeeeey!)

Still want to try D N D 5 E?

You should talk to the DM.

.

He told me most wizards die,

The next day - Crit! (oh, no)

He told me the sword is cursed,

And just like he said! (oh, no)

He said that these rust monsters can eat cash,

Now look at my bank! (oh, no)

Your fate is sealed when dice are on the field!

.

He told me, power build of my dreams,

Will be promised and someday be mine.

He told me, that my power will grow,

Till tarrasques run away from my sight.

(Yes, this Minmaxer 's over buffed)

.

He told me that PC of my dreams would destroy his campaign,

Completely and fully!

It's like I hear him now...

"Hey, Guys,"

(it's like I hear him now) "I want a dex save out of you"

I can hear rocks fall!

.

Umm, DM,

Yeah, about that Campaign,

I'm kinda not sure about joining,

Can I play once and decide then DM?

"@All Players, the session's t'day"

Time for playing!

.

Thousand page docs, (it is my session day, it is our session day) (I can play, op build of my dreams)

Hide being his screen. (We are all so ready)

We all throw math rocks, (that was promised and now it is mine)

But his are never seen. (we were all warned, u still late) (He told me, now my spells start to scale)

Yea, he makes you roll, (till I can one shot a god) And feasts on your pain.

DRAGON!

(Do you have initiative or do I?) Óye, Minmaxer you're op (sorry comrade you go first)

(You told me that PC just like this) (why did you cast that?) What's your AC?

(I should also get this feature) It's high, I'm fine, (blast it with a fireball!) it's fine, I'm fine

How did you like your first session?

How did I like my first session?

I really, really loved it!

[END.]

OK, How do you even write lyrics for the last bit? I mean I can write them, just not together. There are like 3-5 lines sang simultaneously at all times! No matter how I try to portray that in a single text it just refuses to work how I want it to (I hope at least the vibe is there). I did the best I could manage, but I still failed to use the already existing lyrics in the part after DRAGON! (THUNDER originally), because my brain began melting down from listening that part a billion times.

[giuliafc]

I'm not saying it will never happen. Anything can happen and surely the sentimonster theory could happen, like anything else. I'm saying it makes absolutely no sense. And I explain the reason here:

1. the Miraculous of the Peacock was broken when the series started. We don't know who broke it or how it got broken, but certainly this is the best kept secret of Miraculous (together with why Emilie fell in a coma and... the name of the hamster...)

2. We don't know if, when Nathalie found the two Miraculouses, the Peacock was already broken or if it was something the Agrestes did that caused it to break

3. We know, up to now, that there are very few things that can break a Miraculous and, up to now, the only thing that we have known in canon that can break a Miraculous is the Cataclysm. But the Peacock can't have been broken by it, because Plagg was dormant. As of the Rabbit Miraculous, I won't go into details about it because the story of it is quite complicated by itself, but my understanding from Timebreaker and then Timetagger, is that the Miraculous had been cataclysmed by Chat Noir in the future, which had caused it to malfunction. So Alix had given it to her ancestors so that during Timebreaker it would be repaired by the Miraculous Cure in time for it to be fully functional during the events of Timetagger. So the Miraculous was ALREADY DAMAGED when the events in Timebreaker finished to break it. It's not sure whether it would have broken otherwise. And I drop the reasoning about it here because this isn't the focal point of my post and just thinking about it gives me a headache!)

4. so what has broken the Peacock? The only thing that comes to my mind is that someone tried to use it for a use that was going beyond the power of the Miraculous. Now:

5. we have seen that creating a human sentimonster isn't something that can cause the miraculous to break. In fact, Nathalie created a perfect replica of Ladybug, the strongest Miraculous holder, and the Miraculous was already broken. Also, that wasn't an effort big enough to bring Nathalie to a coma. In fact she has up to now created at least 8 sentimonsters that i could count, at least 7 of which while the Miraculous was broken, and she hasn't gone in a coma. She's sick, but not comatose. So creating a human sentimonster using a broken Miraculous can't make you get to a coma. Besides, Shadowmoth has since created at least two human sentimonsters with the repaired Miraculous (sentinino and sentibubbler) and the Miraculous hasn't broken. Hence we can clearly assume that creating a human sentimonster cannot have cause the miraculous to break or emilie to get sick

6. they found the miraculous about 15 years ago, which corresponds with Adrien's birth. This could be evidence to sustain the sentimoster theory. However, there's a little problem nobody has thought about: WHO created Adrien? Emilie? if she created Adrien 15 years before, she wouldn't have been able to create any new sentimonster. Astruc has been clear, it's ONE sentimonster per holder at any given time. In order to create a new one, you need to release the other from reality. if Emilie released her beloved son from reality (basically killing him) every time she wanted to create a new one, Adrien would have NO memory of his past, which is definitely uncorrect, because he remembers of himself and Félix when they were little and he remembers of himself being a baby in his wish from wishmaker. So he has actually LIVED 15 years. This means that either Adrien isn't a sentimonster or Emilie hasn't created him, or she wouldn't have "overused" the Miraculous while it was broken. So who created him? Not Gabriel, or he wouldn't be Shadowmoth now. Not Nathalie, or she wouldn't be Mayura. So who? (and by the way, this has given me a major plot bunny and I'm trying desperately to keep it in my dungeons)

7. we have seen that having created a sentimonster doesn't drain on your living energy because Fu created Feast when he was 13 and he hasn't gone into a coma, but in fact has survived another 170 odd years and is still living.

So can someone explain to me how the sentiadrien theory is even possible? there's too much we don't know, this is a given, but it can go for the theory and against the theory. The facts that we have up to now make it quite unbelieavable, at least to me.

The Miraculous fandom mocking the "Adien is a sentimonster" theory, saying it's a stupid theory and it will never happen :

The Steven Universe fandom remembering how they laughed at the "Rose Quartz is Pink Diamond" theory, saying it was a stupid theory and it would never happen :

[winchestersingerautorepair]

After hours spent wrestling with this wretched site, I've finally managed to write a relpy that (hopefully) won't magically disappear.

Well I am glad I threw this seemingly dumb question into the fray! You've got my brain juices flowing now so buckle up.

This episode was littered with temptation-- it was a mighty feast of Dean's favorite fixes and escapes, all offered up on silver platters. Sex, drink, rock n' roll, the and possibility of a happily ever after -- all of which he could have a taste of, if only he gave up his one material link to hunting. (His phone.) Once again, as you've said, we've got Dean in an environment (notably a bar) where he is isolated from his own reality. It's a place where he is completely comfortable-- even without hunting, there is enough of an appeal for Dean to be able to realistically imagine himself being happy here. (A truth already established by his actual freakin imagination, I. E., Rocky's Bar.)

The key here, however, is choice. This wasn't an externally-induced fantasy. This wasn’t a dream. (See popularbspec I actively participated in in the weeks before this episode.) This was a real-life situation in which he actively chose to participate in. He shed his facade, questioned his preconcieved notions, and allowed himself to imagine life beyond hunting. He left his

Performing!Dean was nowhere in sight in 15x07 and it was overwhelmingly evident: He wasn't super smooth, or self-confident in social situations. He showed his inhibitions, his hesitations, his uncertainties. He was just his slightly awkward, enthusiastic, goofy, talkative, self.

IN SHORT: THIS IS THE MOST GENUINE WE HAVE SEEN DEAN IN A LONG TIME.

He let himself be vulnerable. He opened himself up to joy and fulfillment that might exist beyond the life, without once forgetting what mattered most to him. And even though it was offered up consistently, he never gave into temptation. (And I mean ANY temptation. He turned down bacon, guys.)

It would've been easy to be seduced; his defenses were down and his means of communication cut off. (<- subtle reference to phone basket. Staying on topic here.) But even when Dean is removed from his role in the greater narrative, even when distanced from his pre-established higher purpose, his moral compass still directs his every action. And when push came to shove, as it so often does when these alternative lives present themselves, the same conclusion is reached:

There is no sustainable reality, imaginary or not, in which Dean isn't a hunter.

The Djinn's dreamworld, life with Lisa and Ben, and (most relevant of all) Rocky's Bar-- none of these realities could last as long as Dean felt called to a higher purpose.

So, what made Swayze's bar different?

Plain and simple.

Choice.

There is no message from Sam or Cas to pull him back into the greater picture. There are no cataclysms or major plot twists or powerful influences to force his hand. No divine plan bending the story to serve its own ends. No sign, whatsoever, that this storyline was connected the central conflict.

He is intentionally isolated from the rest of the events in this episode, because it is essential that the periphery not come into play. Dean had to come to this conclusion of his own free will; his final, pivotal recognition of a deeper truth had to be prompted by nothing but his own self-reflection. Because his life is not defined by these intervening factors, and would remain unchanged it they were absent.

Dean keeps fighting because his moral code demands it of him-- he will not rest until he has done his utmost to ensure that good prevails and innocent lives are saved. And he wouldnt have it any other way.

God, prophecy, destiny, fate, imperative, be damned-- Dean would choose this life with or without them, because the hunters' mission of good is aligned with his most basic identity.

In a reality subject to being rewritten, where power is forever shifting and perogatives forever changing, one thing remains constant:

Dean is a Hunter.

And he doesn't need a phonecall to remind him of that.

The 15×07 Phone Basket: An Investigation

I'm gonna start here by saying that this is quite possibly a moot point. It is likely a question not in need of asking, let alone being discussed. However. Let's dive in anyways.

So, first off. I don't spend a lot of time in bars, but it strikes me as odd for a bunch of people in a bar to willingly drop their phones in a basket, that is then whisked away. It seems like a poor decision for people with average concerns -- such as having their phone hacked, stolen, lost, or just plain old being too far away to be used.

But what is even more odd? Dean doing this. I mean, imagine the security risks in leaving THAT phone sitting around. Not to mention, that's his one most important tool to have on a hunt-- a means of contacting backup and finding info. So, it comes off as weirdly dumb and trusting of Dean to just drop it in a big old basket in an unfamiliar bar.

Now, I don't say all this to drag the plot for being unrealistic. No. I think this scene was meaningful and intentional. The best part about this season is how nearly every bit of it is purposeful, so, to me, something this abjectly random is significant. It was strange enough, and direct enough, to signal to me it was doing more than explaning why Dean was away from the phone when Cas called. But what, exactly, was its purpose? I have no real answer. Only vague theories.

-> This was done to reinforce the sense of being cut off from the ouside world. To help stablish the bar as its own happy little dream realm.

-> This was done to both physically/metaphorically separate the bar from the hunt. To take Dean out of his element and create a greater contrast between life as a hunter, and life post-hunting. Make them two separate worlds.

And i would like to pick at a few brains here: @emblue-sparks because she went to bed before i could bother her with this, and @wigglebox because no 15x07 spec would be complete without her. (Even post-spec.)

Am I pulling at straws? Maybe. Should I go to sleep? Yeah.

But dammit, I want answers.