#missed opportunity to get into their similar losses

[audhd-nightwing]

thinking about. how both tim and dick lost their best friends. ones they never thought they would have to lose because of their powers. ones they never thought they’d outlive. ones they got back.

(this is about donna & wally/kon & bart)

[ganondoodle]

totk cataclysm event wasnt just a great (but utterly missed) opportunity to change the map in techincally little ways that has drastic consequences both in stakes and in gameplay (like i mentioned before, flooding the gerudo desert would have meant devastating consequences for its ecosystem- like imagine little islands of sand still poking out, acting as a sort of last doomed refuge for sandseals- but also cahnged the entire gameplay of it, good chance to introduce some neat new ways to surf on water like a new ridable creature or an ice shield freezing a path while you surf on it, the gerudo being forced to save the city from drowing in various means or now living on the roofs, trying to adapt by building boats ect - also call back to older games?? since totk loves that so much ..-, vah naboris serving as the savest refuge being high above the water, even if non functional; similarly takign away ALL water from the zora region, gaving it all dry out would imemdiately turn into something way different and could mean death for the zora- forcing them to move to the lower parts of akkala for example- maybe vah ruta is still halfway functioning bc the faith the zora have to mipha, dorephan and sidon is, while not enough to keep it fully functional, but enough to generate some water so the most stubborn or brave zora set up around it like a last oasis; i know its somewhat done with death mountain but the gorons dont really suffer from it bc their only problem is a drugged rock that makes them mean and lazy ..- what about collapsing or exploding it, leaving a large crater that over the course of the game could start to grow with plant life since vulcanic earth is so fertile- some never seen before ones that was dormant in the lava and now that its cooled off is springing to life, which might seem good at first but for the area and its wildlife means loss of their habitat; the rito freezing over, but actually having to move, maybe into the tabantha canyon, building their new makeshift homes in between the walls of it- generally just switiching things around a bit would have done so much wihtout having to edit every last detail ((seriously tho, how did this game take so long given that botw took similar but they did that ENTIRE main map as detailed as it is AND made it all coherent with itself and its themes- im ranting again ..)

-but it ALSO would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce new weather types created by the sudden change in environment, somethign like a super strong wind that slows you when walking agaisnt and lets you jump much farther when with it- a darkness thing that clouds the world in utter darkness with only little light getting through anything that is caused by mushrooms from the udnerground invading the surface and their spores snuffs out all light (which could explain the weird darkness in the ruins from botw too!!), or just simply mist! making everything misty changes the entire feel of any environment drastically- you could make vertain enemies spawn only in certain weather conditions, lessening the repetive overuse of them; and that is only on the surface- what if the sky had sunbeams so strong it sets anything on fire if you dare to leave the shadows- to comabt it get a armor with a giant hat!! the underground could have been filled with different environments in the first place, but then of course thered be those dark spores of mushrooms, an entire forest you have to carefully travers other wise making them release their spores and make it all more difficult, glowy mushrooms, MORE glowy mushroms, theres so many weird ass shrooms IRL you could take inspo from!! maybe soemthing like a forest of kelp, long flowy plants obstructing view and making you anxious by any movement- there could be one thats a mimic or infected with miasma, slightly off color and its knobs are malice eyes that open only if it thinks you cant see it

(also for the idea of taking botws stuff and recontextualizing it, the guardians or shrines, now non fucntional, could be infected my miasma sometimes, maybe randomly to keep you guessing- an overgrown shrine suddenly lifting itself up with hands clawing at you when you get too close or do sth wrong to distrub it- similar with guardians tho the effect might be less since you know them as a threat already- or sth i mentioned in another post, a tower being used as a weapon by a gigatic miasma monster- the one in the gerudo region with the bottomless pit for example, perfect for an arena for you to run around in the spiral while its swinging at you etc etc)

JUST taking what botw had and mixing it up, expanding on it, even if technically little change, it could do so much but in the actual game death mountain and rito is the only ones that saw anything of a change like it, and it largely .. didnt change anything or was reversible easily, and had no actual consquences that meant anything, neither stakes nor environmental or narratively (the gerudo felt like it at first but its also largely reversible, its just kinda .. adding a bit of city)

i hhhhhhhhhhhhhh have so many thoughts still, i am just better at holding them back .... also dont wanna annoy lmao

[synergysilhouette]

Everyone keeps talking about "traditional villains," but in retrospect, I wish Disney had gone in a different direction for the Revival Era. Hear me out...

King Magnifico's failed characterization and poor writing in "Wish" really bummed me out. I was looking forward to a complex villain who was kinda right. I was hoping it could usher in a new age of Disney villains who were more grey than black and white, who made the characer grow as a person because they challenged their perspective. But then I realized that the opportunity existed in earlier revival-era villains:

Dr. Facilier is a villain first and foremost, though thinking back on it, I do think he is kinda proto-Magnifico, granting people's wishes, only for them to find that what they wanted isn't what they expected. I do wish he tied a bit of truth in with his scams, mentioning (similar to Magnifico) how people's dreams are very difficult to achieve--especially in the post-WWI American South, particularly POC. Naveen is generally assumed to be a POC himself, so he could juxtapose this viewpoint as someone who's never really had to experience such hardships. Dr. Facilier could still be 100% villainous, but further emphasis on dreams, wishes, and hard work would be part of his character. However, this is the reverse of "Wish"; Tiana has already worked hard, but she's lost a lot of her innocence and light-heartedness trying to achieve it, thus causing her to reevaluate how important love is and how she may not have realized it, being more practical about her dreams. It all starts with a wish.

Mother Gothel was already right; the world can be dark and cruel, and will destroy any light it finds. However, similar to Magnifico, since she's completely evil, the protagonist she goes against doesn't really change to understand what she's saying. Rapunzel doesn't see the world as dark or dangerous anymore; it's the opposite, thanks to her experiences. Because of this, I do wish Rapunzel did have a bit more negative experiences independent of Gothel to prove Gothel's point rather than it being "hey, she's just saying that because she's the villain." Maybe Rapunzel tries healing someone and people start lusting after her hair.

Hans is DEFINITELY a missed opportunity. He was the anti-Anna; isolated and alone, and he became bitter and cruel because of it. It's mentioned that the deleted song "More than Just the Spare" was removed because it made Anna too much like Hans. I don't think that, and if anything, it furthers my point: Hans gave up on his brothers, who he felt overlooked by and pestered by (he doesn't even mention his parents). Maybe give Hans less brothers and feature them a little in the movie so we can see how they interact with Hans and how it's a "what could be" for Anna and Elsa. His evil character is exactly what Anna is trying to avoid, but she understands how he became this way rather than it simply being for shock value.

Yokai was a great villain to me, but the reveal happened too late. I'd have loved seeing a more thorough exploration of his character and parallels to Hiro (which were done great in the film; I just wish it was expanded on). Highlight how people quickly forget about the dead and don't always learn from history, how there's this cycle of loss and hatred that you have to break.

Bellweather was on a power trip, but I do wish she had a storyline similar to Judy and Nick, since--in an interesting twist--they come off as more interesting and complex than the villain. She doesn't really say what made her act like this, and comments that "fear always works." I wish we got more of that, especially to play the two sides card; Zootopia is mainly predator-phobic, and challenges to this, ie predators playing down predator-related crimes in order to get people to look past their identity (and the fact that many predators are in positions of power) may have caused Bellweather's abuse by predators to be overlooked, causing her to want them all gone.

Te Ka is interesting. Despite "Moana" being a great film, I do feel like Te Ka and Maui's storyline was underutilized. It's revealed Maui stole Te Ka's heart for humans, but from what we see, Moana lives in this ideal community where their heritage, culture, and nature is loved and respected. Maybe embrace the fact that Tala is the only one who tells the story of the ancestors and how being they became "comfortable" since they were no longer voyagers, being used to the hierarchy and their stagnant society. Highlighting some humans' selfish natures would've been nice rather than Maui just telling us about it, with Te Ka being a metaphor for the destruction and disregard for nature and love.

Namaari is such a missed opportunity. Despite caring about her community, she comes off as more villainous than an antihero since she doesn't show any sympathy or care for Raya--in fact, she seems rather smug about hurting her. By making her a villain burdened by expectations and love for Fang while slowly being redeemed would've been better to me, shifting her POV slowly, making Raya angry with Namaari but understanding her motives. Having some regret about her choices--even if she believed they were the right ones--would've gone a long way for Namaari's characterization.

Magnifico...well, you already know he could've been one of Disney's most complex villains. Horrifying backstory and powers that are the result of hardwork left him with a jaded view on wish granting. He wants to help others, but has MANY reservations about it.

This is just my POV, of course; some of you may disagree (or feel like the aforementioned villains already achieved what I ask for), but I do hope future Disney villains have that "they're kinda right, even if they're wrong" characterization. It'd be a nice new era as the successor to traditional villains and twist villains--though just like twist villains, this trope requires VERY good writing.

[qwertyprophecy]

The Illusion of Aggravating Player-ness

Pictured above: demo footage of me attempting to hit the Hero when their dodging program is turned to maximum. (I can only test this for so long before getting annoyed, which is exactly the vibe I'm going for.)

More about the feeling that has inspired The Dark Queen of Mortholme under the cut:

A couple years back I happened upon a tumblr post identifying a surprisingly common sentiment when playing Pokémon. The player has an edge over NPCs in battles for basically the entire game, because unlike those silly programmed losers we've figured out how to use healing potions. So upon getting to end game and witnessing our first case of the NPC trainer healing their Pokémon to full with a hyper potion, it feels like such bullshit. How come they get to do that? Only I get to do that!

There are instances of little details in many other games that evoke a similar emotion, like this one boss in Sekiro who can sneakily counter the player's charged attack with a move that till then only the player has been using. (Please let me know if you personally recall any examples!) The sheer audacity of non-player characters using player-only moves, being annoying as I am! It's a deliciously strong reaction that goes beyond the game's difficulty ramping up; I think it's about recognising ourselves, the essence of distinctly player-like behaviour in this fictional entity made from code.

While thinking about that I also happened to be mulling over what I considered a huge missed opportunity in the end boss of the game Katana Zero. Without spoilers, let's just say that it made me consider whether it would be even remotely doable to create a narrative boss fight against a player-like entity who appears to get to save and re-try the fight by themselves. In Undertale there's a brief illusion of a NPC saving and loading game states, but they don't quite do it like a player would.

The illusion would have to include a feeling that your opponent not only gets to try again but is learning from their mistakes. Furthermore it's specifically an advantage they have over you; you don't get to try again, nor do you get room to improve. And unlike them, your preprogrammed skillset is designed to have exploitable weaknesses and a static power level which can be surpassed.

No matter how skilled, you'd be doomed to lose against an opponent like that. The bosses we beat have it rough, huh. I myself am not particularly good at video games–when I try to get past a difficult boss fight in any game where those are designed to take a fair amount of attempts and learning, I feel in my bones that meta-level story of striving to overcome a seemingly impossible obstacle. It's a journey through various emotions from eagerness to frustration, culminating in the triumphant success.

But from the boss's point of view, that story takes a very different shape, involves different emotions, and (assuming the player keeps playing) invariably culminates in a predestined loss. Sounds unfun. So obviously, that's the experience I aim to provide! (Unfun games really are my forte, with my previous work simulating jubilant experiences such as job hunting blues! anxiety! exam anxiety! trying to fix a spaceship engine that's killing you!)

Who wouldn't want to enjoy being the most powerful being in their universe until some little dipshit bursts in and locks you in an unending battle till they’re satisfied and you’re dead?

[hazbinfallinginaspiral]

Antique Beauty (Be A Doll Oneshot)

Not canon to the AU! Anyway.

CW: Manipulation, mind control, disassociation, loss of sense of self, delusions, lover obsession, mental breakdowns, Vox being Vox, AU typical events

I think that’s all. Let me know if I missed anything!

Summary: Vox finds an antique doll that is strikingly similar to you, so he buys it and gives it to you as a gift. You see this as an oddly touching gesture, and make it a point to keep the doll around or nearby at nearly all hours of the day, to show your appreciation. This new toy has an unforeseen impact, though. As time goes on, Vox continues to use the trigger phrase on you, and you begin to lose touch with reality. You see yourself as a literal doll, just like the one he got you, and you begin to act as such.

In the heart of Pentagram City, amidst the hustle and bustle of the demon-filled streets, Vox found himself wandering through the labyrinthine aisles of an antique shop. His crimson eyes gleamed with interest as he perused the eclectic collection of curiosities, searching for the perfect gift for you, his significant other.

His gaze landed on a striking antique doll, its porcelain features delicately painted and its attire reminiscent of a bygone era. What caught Vox's attention, however, was the uncanny resemblance the doll bore to you. The same delicate features, the same captivating gaze—it was as if the doll had been crafted in your image.

While Vox usually hated anything that was too reminiscent of the past, he was willing to make an exception for you. He preferred change, and didn’t like to linger on the past nor anything made during the time, he’d rather focus on the present or the future. But, this doll was exactly like you, in practically every sense. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get his favorite doll a doll that looked exactly like them.

Without hesitation, Vox purchased the doll, a mischievous grin tugging at the corners of his lips as he imagined your reaction. With the doll cradled in his arms, Vox made his way back to the sleek confines of his penthouse apartment, anticipation bubbling within him like a dormant volcano awaiting eruption.

As he entered the opulent living space, Vox was greeted by the sight of you, engrossed in a book by the flickering light of a nearby candle. There were plenty of lights, windows, and far more reasonable ways to read, but for some reason, this is what you preferred. Vox vaguely rembered you mentioning your love of simpler things like candles, gardening, crafting, and writing poetry. He thought it was somewhat trivial, especially when it wasn’t even necessary. Why would you do something like grow your own flowers when you could just buy some? It made no sense to him. He thought the time could be better spent working or inventing or doing something to do with change. Your preference for this seemed too repetitive and stagnant for him, too quiet and simple. He didn’t like it, but he was willing to indulge you. You were his favorite doll, after all. Your eyes flicked up to glance at him, curiosity evident.

“Darling,” Vox purred, his tinged with excitement as it echoed through the spacious room, “I have a surprise for you.”

Your eyes brightened with even more curiosity as you regarded Vox with a quizzical expression. “A surprise?” You echoed, setting the book aside and rising to your feet to meet Vox’s gaze.

With a flourish, Vox presented the doll to you, a mischievous twinkle dancing in his eyes. “Ta-da! For you, my doll,” he declared, with a grin. He looked rather proud of himself.

Your breath caught in your throat as you beheld the doll, your eyes widening in astonishment. Its porcelain features bore a striking resemblance to your own, a doll that bore an uncanny resemblance to you? Anyone else would have been unsettled, but you weren’t. In fact, you were oddly touched by the gesture.

Its porcelain visage was strikingly similar to yours, from the gentle curve of the cheeks to the arch of the eyebrows. Dressed in a vintage gown of satin and lace, the doll exuded an aura of elegance and charm that seemed to captivate you. From the hair to the eyes to the soft curve of the lips, you were enchanted by it. You reached out a hand to touch its delicate cheek, a sense of wonder washing over you like a tidal wave.

“Oh, Vox,” you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper, “it’s… it’s beautiful.”

Vox beamed with pride at your reaction, his chest swelling with a sense of satisfaction. “I’m glad you like it, doll,” he said softly.

You smiled and gave him a hug, then a kiss on the cheek. “I love it! I love you,” you said with a grin. You sat back down on the couch and went back to looking at the doll, still in awe.

As you continued to admire the doll, Vox couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth wash over him. It was a small gesture, perhaps, but one that spoke volumes of his affection for you. Or, rather, what he thought to be affection. It was a twisted sort, really. He thought of you as his very own little doll, just like the one he’d just gifted you, except you were alive. He enjoyed playing with you, pulling your strings, puppeting you around… he loved you, yes, but in the same way a child loves their toys. He’d be careful to never let you break, though. He cared for you too much for that- he didn’t know what he’d do with himself if he lost his favorite little doll. As he watched you admire the antique doll he’d just gifted you, he knew he’d made the right choice. It was the perfect thing to placate you, keep you distracted and happy for the time being.

It started innocently enough, with Vox using his hypnotic abilities on you during mundane tasks. "Be a doll," he would murmur softly, his voice a seductive whisper that sent shivers down your spine. And with each command, your movements became more fluid, more doll-like, as if you were a marionette dancing to Vox's tune. You’d seek solace in the antique doll he’d gifted you, a reminder that he wasn’t all that cruel, but a doll couldn’t fix everything.

As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, you found yourself ensnared in a web of Vox's making, each passing moment pulling them deeper into the labyrinth of his desires.

You’d be reading with Vox in his study, surrounded by shelves full of books. Quietly reading, happy and content. Vox would lean back in his seat, a smirk on his face. “Be a doll and get me that book on the top shelf,” he’d say, smug. Your eyes would glaze over as you rose from your seat, moving with a sort of fluid grace as you wordlessly get the book and give it to Vox. He’d smile and give you a kiss. “You truly are an obedient little doll.”

It didn’t matter where you were.

It could be late at night, both of you in Vox’s bedroom, Vox in bed and you only just walking in. “Be a doll and come here,” he’d say with a predatory smile and low but commanding voice. You’d falter for a moment then obey, crossing the room to stand in front of him. He’d point to the floor and you’d sink to your knees, at his feet, staring up at him helplessly. “Such a good little doll, always eager to please,” he’d say, running his fingers through your hair.

It could easily happen in public, too.

You’d be attending a lavish gala, Vox standing out in his striking tailored suit, you at his side, fidgeting nervously. He’d lean in close and whisper in your ear, “Be a doll and smile for our guests, won’t you?” And your lips would twitch into a forced smile, your expression wooden and devoid of any true emotion as you plaster on a facade of cheerfulness. “That’s it, doll. Show everyone how much of a nice, obedient little thing you are for me,” he’d say, tightening his grip on your arm. “Show them you belong to me.”

The doll couldn’t stop Vox, but it provided a source of comfort. It was a reminder of how nice he could be.

Your fondness for the doll only seemed to grow. You began to carry it with you wherever you went, treating it as if it were a cherished companion. Vox would watch with amusement as you start to dress in clothes similar to those worn by the doll, your wardrobe gradually transforming to match its vintage style.

You’d stand before the mirror in your bedroom, clad in a delicate lace dress that hugged your figure. You’d tilt your head to the side, studying your reflection with an unnerving intensity. Slowly, you!d raise their hand to your cheek, tracing the line of your jaw with delicate fingertips.

Vox would enter the room, his eyes alight with anticipation as he would observe your movements. "Ah, my doll, you look positively radiant," he’d murmur, his voice smooth as velvet. "Such a beautiful little thing."

You’d turn to him, a serene smile gracing your lips, pleased with yourself for earning his praise. It was usually few and far between. "Thank you, Vox," you’d reply softly, your voice barely above a whisper. "I feel... different, somehow. Like I'm not quite myself anymore."

Vox would step closer, his hand reaching out to caress your cheek. "That's because you're becoming exactly what you were always meant to be," he’d say, his tone almost reverent. "My perfect little doll."

To Vox's delight, your behavior also began to shift. You moved with a grace and poise reminiscent of the doll, your expressions serene and tranquil. It was as if you had become entranced by the doll's presence, adopting its mannerisms and demeanor as your own. Little did he know, it was because as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, you found yourself slipping further and further into a hazy fog of compliance and confusion. Vox's relentless use of the trigger phrase had begun to take its toll, eroding away at your sense of self with each passing command.

In moments of quiet solitude, you found yourself seeking solace in the antique doll that Vox had gifted you. You would sit for hours, cradling the doll in your arms, its porcelain features a stark reflection of your own. With trembling fingers, you would brush the doll's hair and dress it in delicate finery, whispering words of comfort and affection as if it were a living being. Tonight was one of those nights.

As the world outside grows quiet, you sat alone in the dimly lit room, cradling the antique doll in your arms. You stroked its porcelain face with gentle fingers, your touch reverent and tender.

"I wish I could be like you," you whisper, your voice barely audible in the stillness of the room. "So serene, so perfect. No worries, no fears. Just... blissful ignorance."

Vox enters the room, his eyes dark and hungry as he surveys the scene before him. "You already are like her," he says, his voice almost soft. Almost caring. Almost. "You're my little doll, and nothing could ever change that."

You look up at him, your eyes wide and unblinking, like those of a porcelain doll. "I know, Vox," you reply, your voice hollow and empty. "I belong to you. I’m yours.”

The doll provided more comfort than Vox did.

Sometimes you would even find yourself engaging in childlike play, pretending that the doll could feel and respond to your touch. You would make it laugh and smile, pouring all of your pent-up longing and loneliness into the tiny figure in your hands, hoping against hope that somehow, some way, the doll would bring you the comfort and companionship you so desperately craved.

Alone in your room, you’d sit on the edge of your bed, a sense of unease gnawing at your insides. You’d clutch the antique doll tightly to your chest, seeking solace in its familiar presence. But no matter how hard you’d try, you couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that lingers within you.

Vox's voice echoed in your mind, his command to "be a doll" ringing like a relentless refrain. With each passing day, it became harder to distinguish between reality and illusion, between your own thoughts and Vox's whispered commands.

Tears would stream down your cheeks as you’d clutch the doll tighter, your chest constricted with a suffocating sense of dread. "I can't do this anymore," you’d whisper to yourself, your voice barely audible over the pounding of your own heart.

In a moment of desperation, you’d hurl the doll across the room, watching as it crashes against the wall with a hollow thud. But instead of feeling relief, you’d be overcome with a profound sense of loss, as if a part of yourself had been torn away.

The line between reality and fantasy began to blur for you. You would catch glimpses of yourself in the mirror and see not a person staring back at you, but a doll with glassy eyes and porcelain skin. You would hear Vox's voice echoing in your mind, commanding you to "be a doll" and obey without question.

Alone in your room, you’d sit huddled in the corner, your breaths coming in ragged gasps as you’d clutch your head in agony. Images flash before your eyes, fragmented memories twisted and distorted by Vox's relentless influence.

"I can't escape," you’d whisper to yourself, your voice a desperate plea for salvation. But no matter how hard you’d try, you couldn’t break free from the chains that bound you to Vox's will.

In a moment of ‘clarity’, you’d reach out for the antique doll, your fingers trembling as you trace its delicate features. "Help me," you’d whisper, your voice barely audible over the roar of your own despair.

But the doll would remain silent, its glass eyes staring back at you emptily. Offering no comfort. You’d be left alone with the realization that you were stuck in this endless nightmare of your own making, with no escape.

With each passing day, you felt yourself slipping further away from who you once were, lost in a sea of Vox's control and manipulation. And as you gazed into the unblinking eyes of the antique doll, you couldn't help but wonder if you were truly any different. Perhaps, in the end, you were nothing more than Vox's plaything, a doll to be toyed with at his whim.

As time passed, your sense of self seemed to fade away completely, replaced by a serene acceptance of your role as Vox's little doll. You no longer spoke or acted like your former self, your personality and individuality erased by the allure of being a perfect little doll.

No longer did you question Vox's orders or assert your own desires. Instead, you moved through your days with the mechanical precision of a well-oiled machine, your actions dictated by Vox's whims and desires. It was as if you were merely a puppet, dancing on strings pulled by Vox's invisible hand.

And as he watched you, now little more than a porcelain doll come to life, Vox knew that he had finally achieved the ultimate conquest—possession of you, in your entirety.

For Vox, it was a dream come true. With your transformation complete, he felt a sense of absolute control and dominance unlike anything he had experienced before. You had become his perfect, obedient doll, ready to fulfill his every desire without question or hesitation.

[lovedbythelaw]

Psycho Pass Providence — The Re-introduction of Kougami Shinya

Still working on a general review on Psycho Pass: Providence and also a Shinkane/KouAka post. But I had so many thoughts on Kougami after watching the movie twice that I had to document them while they were still fresh. This is a follow-up to a post I made about Kougami prior to watching PPP: some of my impressions did change while others stayed the same. It’s a lot so keep reading if you’re interested in what I thought about Kougami’s character in Providence. WARNING: Spoilers!!!

I’ll begin with the scene in Dejima where Kougami and Saiga are drinking together. There’s one particular line that I felt could’ve been made smoother: Saiga says “the girl is neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up getting enforced. Apologize while you still have the chance Kougami. Take it from an old timer like me.” and he raises his glass with a smile. I watched both the subbed and the dubbed version and the line is very similar across both. I can’t help but think that line could’ve been improved slightly. Maybe it flows more naturally in Japanese so I can’t speak on that matter. But if I had the liberty of tweaking it even just a little, it would go as follows: “the girl in neither a saint nor a bodhisattva, screw around too much and you’ll end up losing her forever.”

And I don’t mean to necessarily press for him losing her as a love interest, but even just a trusted friend or at least a colleague who always had his best interest in mind.

Ultimately, not exploring the more emotional (and by extension—the romantic) aspects of Kougami’s character was a missed opportunity for Providence in my opinion. He’s the second main character in this installment and we got very little inward reflection from him this time around. The last 15 or so minutes of the film is what really impressed me with respect to his character. Seeing him exit the isolation facility, looking back, and then looking ahead, declaring “I swear, I’ll come back for you,”  with such ardor reminded me that he’s still a hero in this story, however unconventional he may be.

It was clear that Akane and Kougami’s relationship had to change in this installment. After 6 long years, they are both different people now and cannot go back to the same relationship dynamics as in Season 1. More on that in a different post. Consequently, the portrayal of these individual characters had to evolve in order to match this change. Initially, when I watched the promotional clips, I was put off by his bluntness—especially towards Akane. But there were instances where we saw the caring Kougami seep through. He smiles once in the film. And this is when Saiga tells him: “I don’t work with the PSB, I work with Akane Tsunemori.”  I don’t know if he smiles because he still finds it funny that Saiga is cooperating with the government or if he smiles at the mention of Akane’s name or even some matter of pride at how much Akane is respected by Professor Saiga. Either way, it was nice to see this moment.

The other less noticeable moments from Kougami were two times when he showed what I can interpret as a combination of grief and frustration. From my observations, his eyes were animated to have this glistening/“quivering” motion, similar to this gif, minus the actual tears — there were no tears in Kougami’s case:

It’s very subtle but please let me know if anyone else also noticed this. The first time his eyes did this was when after Saiga died and he called Shion to consult Saiga’s psychological profile of Tonami along wirh Akira’s poem. Shion mentions how horrible it was — what happened to the professor. Kougami pauses and adds “Yeah”  but the tone is almost as if he had to force it out of himself. I couldn’t help but feel like he was holding it together for the investigation, but deep down was grieving the loss of his dear professor. After all, he told Akane to keep it bottled up until the end of the case. The second time I saw this effect of his eyes was while he was reading Akane’s letter in his isolation cell. He gets to the part where she writes about being glad to have seen him again and that he helped her find the answer. He calls her a bakayaro, and his hands grab the letter so fiercely that it kind-of crumples while he throws his whole body into a defeated hunch — since he’s stuck in his cell and can’t even do anything to stop her.

I had read some early accounts by Japanese viewers that he was crying while reading her letter: this effect in the eyes may have been what was mistaken as crying.

Although it was nice to see Kougami go through these moments in PPP, I can’t help but feel like there could have been more. However, Providence is a very dense film and I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt that with all the action sequences, Akane’s iconic scenes, and the supporting cast all getting their own memorable segments, Kougami’s development just wasn’t a priority. If Shiotani, Fukami, and Ubukata intend to make an SAD spin-off as they’ve expressed in interviews, I would hope that they explore possible romantic or other intimate human feelings on Kougami’s part — similar to how he learned to be a father figure to Tenzing. In fact, I would argue that after Providence, it’s likely that they’ve backed themselves into a corner with regards to Kougami’s interpersonal relationships. The tension between Kougami and Akane was essentially the secondary conflict of the film and it ended with some resolution midway but also a shift in Kougami’s disposition once he read Akane’s letter, realizing the impact he had on her life. If there’s further content on Kougami as a person, we almost certainly need to at least confront his relationship with Akane and even Ginoza (was somewhat addressed on the boat scene and we see them on good terms in Season 3/PPFI). The other route is just watching a 007-Misson Impossible Kougami getting into knife fights and performing crazy stunts, but I think the PP fandom in general agrees that this option would be dull and a waste of a character who had such an artful inception. Now I know that PP wants to go for a more shōnen look and are cautious of depicting romance between the main characters. It was pretty obvious with Arata being introduced as the new main character and the fact that Yuki Kaji was brought on board to voice him (he’s done fantastic work on many popular shōnen characters including Eren Jaeger). But, showing how love could affect Kougami and how him giving love could present new angles of his character would undoubtedly be exciting to see. We know he wants to protect people. We know that he’s decided to work outside of the law in order to do that. He’s made peace with his revenge and he’s learned that he wants to protect people without any reserve or obligation. Saiga warned him about potentially becoming a killing machine like Tonami if he keeps letting people use him as a hunting dog, and he agreed that he doesn’t want that. I expect that he could follow the same thought process as Ginoza did in SS Case 1 where he ultimately just wants to help people with his detective work, without much care for who’s judged to be good or evil. On this note, it would be beneficial for Kougami to understand his heart a bit more. Maybe visit his mother too? Maybe actually value his own life instead of running into a fight like he has nothing to lose? He’d already prepared Akane for his death way back between S1 and S2. Would he fight differently if Akane were expecting him to come back home alive?

Hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on Kougami’s character. Still love our chaotic spikey-haired gun-slinging emo cowboy. And I’m looking forward to what the creators might do with his character next.

[shiraishi-kanade]

Interactions that I want to see in proseka: An Shiraishi edition

Buckle up, folks. This is gonna be a long one.

New interactions

An & Kanade: this is actually more of a biased one (in a "I want to see two of my favourite characters interact" way), but I really hope to see more of them. An and Kanade are aware of each other's existence through Mizuki and the Twilight Festival event, but it's very surface level and I really want their potential to be explored more.

Despite appearing very different on the surface level and leading very different lifestyles, An and Kanade have been foils to each other basically since launch. They both grew up surrounded by music; they both have, and have shown since a very young age, a prominent talent in it (singing and composing respectively); they're both extremely passionate about what they do and are very hardworking, to the point of sacrificing their own well-being to it (a trait that, interestingly, more like early Kanade, but more recent An), and they also have a shared topic of grief.

Both An and Kanade suffered a loss of a loved one that impacted them deeply, and both of them choose to, at least to some extent, repress their own feelings regarding that. While I don't think their interaction/event should necessarily touch on that topic, I think it would be good for the both of them to have a friend who can relate to something that horrifying and personal.

(Additionally, while we didn't know what killed Kanade's mom, we know it was some kind of illness, and chances are it'll be same/similar to what killed Nagi. If Kanade shared how it was for her to witness her mom slowly fading away... I think that would make for an interesting conversation.)

Honestly, I'd take just about anything with those two, from grief and angst to composing and potentially even light-hearted event like Spojoy Park. I just really want them to meet properly.

An & Emu: Genki girls!! They are very dear to me personally despite not having met properly yet. They're also the reason I'm upset An has moved on from disciplinary committee: missed opportunity for her to catch Emu sneaking in! They would be fun to be around each other, I think, once An would get used to Emu's manner of speech (which she also somewhat shares, as shown in Nuanced Language sidestory. An being able to understand Emu-language from the get go would be a hilarious twist)

On the more serious note! Emu and An have a lot of shared themes, especially those of loneliness and abandonment issues, and also the way they chose to deal with those feelings. A lot of people say they're suppressing their emotions; I'm rather inclined to say they're avoiding them. If faced with each other who are, in a way, a reflection of their flaws, they might not be able to avoid it anymore - I think that would potentially be a very insightful interaction for them.

Moreover, they (along with a couple other characters, like Touya and Kanade, although for them it's much more minor) share the topic of legacy. Both of them lost a close one that has left behind a dream and both of them, voluntarily, stepped up to keep it alive. I think in that regard An and Emu would be able to understand each other in a very unique way. They have way more to their possible friendship than it seems on a surface level.

An & Mafuyu: one of An's most defining character traits is being a good friend and accepting of everyone - more than that, she earnestly believes she could accept all people if she tried hard enough. I think, for Mafuyu, having a friend, or even an acquaintance like that, someone who is put off by her behaviour and overall mannerisms but actively tries to understand her and be friends with her despite that, as well as someone who is so passionate about a dream she has she build her whole life around it, would be very useful.

(this is also the reason I hold a grudge with 2024 White Day event. It's beautiful and fun and all but An's not had a limited card for over a year and haven't had neither Valentine's nor White day, I thought FOR SURE this one. We could have had it all :( )

An & Saki: similar to An and Emu, both of them have a lot of both serious and comedic potential. They're lively, they're athletic, they're passionate about music - there is no feasible reason for them to not hit it off right away when they meet. I don't quite imagine the rest of their groups being able to keep up with their energy.

Still, underneath that energy, there is an underlying topic of loneliness that they both went through, and although An's is incomparable to Saki's, I think there would be this kind of understanding between them, too. While being extroverted and having a lot of friends, An has spend years searching for "her" person without success up until main story. I don't think she had any actual, deep bonds with peers going on in her life aside Haruka. Having a close-knit, big friend group might just be what both An and Saki have missed out on in middle school. That's an interesting observation, isn't it?

More of That, please (Already know each other but I want to see them More)

An & Haruka: in terms of Haruka and An, I really want to see more backstory for them. I know we've already seen it briefly, but there is so much more to it. How close were they? Did Haruka know Nagi in person or from description? What is Haruka's relationship with Vivid Street? Did she go to WEG to sort her thoughts out because An was there, or because it has a connection to her, too (The Non-Idol Me sidestory)? Did they grow more distant throughout Junior High? There is much to unpack here still!

And also, I just like their friendship overall and think we're really lacking their area interactions and accidental meetings, stuff like that. There should definitely be more.

An & Rui: the sillies. Now that An isn't a hall monitor I expect her to take absolute delight in Rui's antics.

They've performed together a total of three times (if we count the New Year show, even though it was more of a Tsukasa stage) and all of them went spectacularly. An is just the right amount of impulsive and reckless to be someone who's able to meet Rui's ideas halfway and match his energy, even though she's normally skeptical about it when she isn't a part of the performance. Hell, An even jokingly mentions becoming an actress!

I think they definitely should interact more and I want it to be utterly ridiculous. It's a shame it didn't happen a little earlier in Rui's story, but, for example, An (together with some other characters) doing acting gigs for Rui could be extremely fun.

An & Tsukasa: both the comedic and the serious angst potential is there; An's and Tsukasa's recent arcs do align quite nicely even though they're not exactly the same. They could probably have a nice conversation about it.

I think it's also fun to see An not realising that she comes off just as loud and pushy to other people as Tsukasa seems to her. But they definitely do have the same energy! I really liked Let's Study Hard and the New Year's Show for that; they're extremely passionate and Tsukasa admires An's passion and skill - I wish they elaborated on this more!

Also, An should definitely have something going on with Tsukasa with her passing the role of the hall monitor to him, especially with Rui around. No way they won't even mention it.

An & Shiho: they had an awesome time together during the In The Corner of Resonant Town and I'm BEGGING for them to get closer as friends. From fashion sense to music to their personal issues, they have a lot in common. I think they've had their share of deep talks and I'm not exactly looking for that anymore; something more relaxed like a jam session or just hanging out is another thing, thought.

An & Ichika: I'm biased in a way that I love them and I also think it would be very funny for Ichika to have a second vocal teacher. Ichika & Nene are very dear to my heart, but as things stand, An should canonically be more skilled in vocals (while Nene is definitely a superior actor) and her skillset probably fits Ichika's genre better. And An was teaching Kohane at the start, so we know she knows how to! There is no particular motive behind it other than I want to see them together more and I think that would be a perfect way for them to get closer.

Additionally, Shiho mentioned how An must be experienced in MCing and how there must be a lot they can learn from her. That. I want that to happen so badly.

An & Nene: no thought head empty just please more of them. Especially singing. I want them to sing together again, I loved hearing Nene's little monologue and I like the way Nene was able to give An tips on acting and singing while acting; they're extremely sweet, they're polar opposites while also being similar in a bizarre way, and I really want the writers to go all in with the classmates thing.

[theflyindutchwoman]

Hey! How are you holding up? Just finished the episode and I haven't really recovered. I am sad, I am frustrated, I don't really know what's happening? I thought they were mature and Tim is so dumb right now, I can't even.

And Lucy? I can't even start to imagine what she's going through. She has been so badass for the 5 seasons and this season she just gets fail after fail and loss after loss and doesn't even get a good job storyline.

So sorry I didn't reply sooner but I first wanted to take a little step back in order to fully digest the episode. As much as the waiting is killing me, I actually appreciate the hiatus for that. I imagine your feelings may have changed a bit as well since then… or that was the impression I got from our different conversations here and there. How are you feeling now? A bit better or still frustrated?

I'm going to start with Lucy. I was rewatching the beginning of season 5 and this is hitting even harder now. Not because of the pining era. But because the narrative was already showing her isolation back then. I couldn't quite put my finger on why her storyline in season 6 felt so familiar but now I get it. This is merely the continuation.

As we all noticed, the scene of Tim breaking up with her had a very similar vibe to the one at the end of 5.02. But think back of when she went to Nyla for advice about going to UC school, when she was trying to confide to Aaron who was too caught up in his own drama to hear her… or when she spent hours locked in a freezer because no one realised she was missing - besides Tim, that is. And then, there was the whole Rosalind thing where Lucy had to push through her own trauma to help Chris deal with his and help Bailey stay calm. But no one ever took the time to ask her how she was doing with all of this (on screen). They all had good reasons, by the way, this isn't me trying to paint them as the bad guys. But this still has an eerie similarity to what is happening right now. Only there has been no payoff for any of this. Yet. It didn't seem to go anywhere. Until now. Same with her career : she nailed UC Academy, something that was supposed to help her standout come promotion time… She helped the FBI on a raid, she was asked to be the acting Watch Commander, she was told that the whole station had her back… And yet, none of this paid off either. Yet. So this is a great opportunity to finally connect all the dots that have been dropped for the past two seasons and give Lucy the amazing arc she deserves. I sincerely hope this will be the case.

As for Tim… Look, the reason why I didn't want a breakup (besides the fact that I dislike this trope so much), is that I was afraid that it would cheapen the whole "worth the effort / worth the risk" speech. You can't say that and leave at the first difficulty without downplaying the whole story. So I'm glad that the writers were able to find a way to circumvent that issue by showing Tim completely unravelling. Because this isn't about him thinking Lucy is not worth the effort or the risk… This is about him thinking HE is not worthy of her. And that changes everything. For me, at least. I still get the frustration. I still wish this storyline would have been done with them sticking together and trying to work through it. But I can understand his perspective, why he thought this would be better for her. And I can see how that could make them stronger in the end. So, just like with Lucy, I hope Tim's arc will be treated properly and carefully. I need to see the payoff, the progress… I need to see them heal. Separately and then, together. It's always hard to see where a story is going when it is still unfolding… But for now, I choose to remain optimistic and hopeful. Does that help you even a tiny bit?

[miasmaghoul]

Hello if your doing writing I was wondering dewdrop and mountain in the greenhouse don't answer if you don't want to

It's one of Dew's favorite places, and not just because it's where the weed lives.

It was a place he felt called to as a water ghoul, especially in the winter. Too cold to risk the lake, but the greenhouse carried similar comfort. Humid and filled with life, Dew would sneak in whenever the opportunity presented itself. Pebble was their head earth ghoul when Dew was summoned, and he didn't like anyone messing with his plants. Dew had to be quiet and subtle, had to slip in undetected and hide behind a pallet of exotic ferns and soak in the atmosphere.

That changed when Mountain took over. He was more than happy to entertain others, often making all of them lunch and inviting the whole pack to the greenhouse to eat. Dew took to Mountain quickly, joining him most mornings to water the plants both in and out of the greenhouse. If those outings tended to end in stoned makeouts and heavy petting, it was surely just a coincidence.

After his transition, Dew thought the joy he gleaned from the greenhouse would vanish. His yearning for the lake certianly had, so it only made sense that he'd stop wanting to visit that big glass box too. Surprisingly, though, it hadn't. Hadn't even dimmed. As soon as he was recovered enough to be out on the grounds again, it was the first place he went. It was a chilly October morning, and the burst of warm, damp air that greeted him there had been distinctly comforting. The scent of fresh earth and exotic flora flooded his nose, made him dizzy, but in a pleasant way. Something wasn't quite right though. Something was missing.

Then Mountain had rounded the corner, clad in his silly old apron - pale blue and covered in cartoon daisies - toting a stack of terracotta pots. He'd smiled, broad and bright, and Dew's stomach had done a funny little flip.

Okay, maybe it wasn't just the greenhouse he enjoyed.

Since then, some things have changed. Rain came to be, for one. A new water ghoul for a new era of leadership. He was drawn to the same places Dew used to be, and moreso to Mountain. Their connection was as palpable as Dew's with Aether; while they were all a pack, Dew couldn't help the rusty growl that had bubbled up in his throat when he'd found them in the greenhouse for the first time. Couldn't help the way he stormed off with a faint stinging feeling at the backs of his eyes.

Mountain was having none of it. He'd found Dew soon after, smoking in the chapel. Had sat next to him, far enough not to touch, and told Dew in no uncertain terms that Rain's presence changed nothing. That Dew would always be welcome, and an important part of his routine. Dew had mumbled something about Rain being more useful, and Mountain had rested a gentle hand on his arm. Had assured him that anyone can hold a watering can.

Dew hadn't known how to express that it wasn't the greenhouse work he was worried about. It was Mountain. Dew had already experienced so much change, so much loss, he couldn't stand the thought of losing what he had with Mountain too. He couldn't get the words out, but Mountain seemed to know anyway. He'd taken Dew's chin in his hand, looked into his shining copper eyes, and had kissed him with such tenderness that Dew hadn't known what to do with himself. An unspoken promise that Mountain would always have time and space for him.

Dew thinks of that kiss often, especially during moments like this.

On his back, naked and watching the stars through the glass ceiling. High as a kite and utterly blissed out, his body spent and his mind fuzzy. At his side, Mountain snores softly. He's curled against Dew's side, head on his chest and his tail flicking every now and again. He always falls asleep quickly after these romps, and Dew doesn't mind it a bit. Dew drags idle claws over the other ghoul's shoulder, purring deep in his chest. His other hand rests between his legs, feeling where Mountain left him sticky and open, and his purr ratchets up a notch.

The sound rouses Mountain, who chuffs and presses sloppy kisses to Dew's chest. He brings a large hand from where it was resting on Dew's thigh and presses it over Dew's hand, wringing a dull groan from the both of them.

"Need it again already, firecracker?"

Dew hisses when Mountain brushes over his abused hole, but he can't deny the frission of excitement that slithers down his spine.

"Soon," he breathes, nuzzling Mountain's hair and inhaling the herbal, sweaty scent of him. Mountain presses the very tip of a finger inside and Dew's eyes slip shut as he clenches around it. "Can we?"

Mountain pulls back to look at him, eyes red rimmed and glassy, and they smile at one another. Mountain catches him in a deep, languid kiss as he works that finger deeper inside, and Dew sucks at his tongue in return. Mountain breaks the kiss and rests their foreheads together, rubbing noses in a show of sweet, stoned affection.

"Of course," he rumbles, "whatever you want."

"One more," Dew slurs, rolling his hips. "Just one more."

They both know one more is never enough.

[puhpandas]

was thinking last night about the direction the fnaf story is going and I was thinking about vanny cassie. like vanny cassie would be such a perfect villain because it brings vanny back to the spotlight and cassie has a connection to Gregory as a friend.

her arc would be so tragic in every way and she wouldnt know what or who to believe. she would believe she was abandoned by Gregory again (in this case he didnt cut the elevator) like all her friends and her dad did and that vanny is a friend. both manipulation and supernatural mind control stuff like glitchtrap did to vanessa to create vanny.

and 3 stars could be the protags in a post hw2 dlc game that's big and free roam story like sb. I think Gregory would be a better choice as player because he would have the best reason to chase after cassie; shes his friend. vanessa would be very important also because like. Vannys back. and now she has a family and another kid shes gonna fight like hell for.

"the family missed the greatest opportunity of their lives" vanessa didnt destroy vanny glitchtrap and mimic when she should have, and now they're back. and she isnt gonna run away scared this time. shell finally end them for good

and also Vannys motivation. since vanny killed glitchtrap (probably to take his place as big bad bunny virus) this makes you wonder why shes doing this. we dont know why glitchtrap did it either so I guess the same reason as him. shes supposed to be reluctant tho so? idk what's changed. but we'll go with building the monarchy evil pyramid back up

so vanny would be trying to get all of the followers back, or maybe shes still following mimics orders and it wants them back. could have a potential rebellion plot from vanny at the end but that's besides my point

the point is itd be such a fun spot to reveal ggy. Vanessa's been hiding it from Gregory to protect him, maybe freddy too, and Gregory has no idea and just knows he has tons of memory loss. hes moved past it to live his new life, but after doing all this to get Cassie back, it turns out vanny wants all the followers back and hey, why is she talking about 2?? who is dr rabbit?? why is she after me??

I just think theres a lot of potential in a plot like that for all characters. Vanessa's arc as vanny is already so interesting but cassie has an obviously very similar arc becoming vanny but also so different. she would be manipulated while shes alone hurting and believing she was betrayed with abandonment issues and taken advantage of. vanny would be using her as a vessel, so theyd have to get her out of cassie to kill her for good.

and if Gregory had to find out about ggy at this point, itd be a big deal but also truly make that connection between cassie and Gregory. no matter who cut the elevator Gregory would feel at fault because he either did it or wasnt fast enough to stop cassie before it happened. so he would have to confront condemning cassie to the same fate his family and now apparently HE went through and that's his best friend man. and also not to mention the concpet of vanessa and cassie of course

[smolbean-17]

Who I think is going to die from least to most likely

(Reminder: a character death is only well-written if it serves a purpose, and isn’t done just for shock value)

Omega

For hells sake if I hear another person say they think Omega is gonna die I’m gonna lose it. SHE WON’T DIE. She is a CHILD. She is the MAIN CHARACTER. In a CHILDREN’S PROGRAM. She will survive. Like Jen Corbett said, this isn’t HBO. This is Disney. It would be equivalent to Disney killing off Elsa. Could they tease Omega’s death? Yes. Could she go missing like Ezra? Yes (however very unlikely) Could they kill her off. No. She’s not dying. Disney Princesses don’t die. Their loved ones however…

Batcher

I don’t believe they’ll kill her off for a pretty much the same reasons I know they won’t kill Omega. Everyone hates it when a dog dies. And she is such a new character. It would serve no purpose other than to just piss everyone off. And she’s perfect for Star Wars merch.

Echo

I know there’s been some worry over him because he hasn’t been in the season a lot, but for that very same reason I’m certain he’s in the clear. It would be a massive disservice to fans and to Echo himself to kill him off when he’s had hardly any screen time. There wouldn’t be as much emotional impact if they decided to kill him off in a show he is hardly in. If they were planning to kill him off, they’d be giving him the same screen time as Tech got in season 2. I honestly think they’re leading up to a spin-off series with him and Rex. Echo is safe. For now.

Wrecker

Episode 11 actually cemented in my belief that he will be safe, with him getting injured and his close call with death. It was a fake out death, to get our hearts pumping and wondering if he’s a goner. If he were to die sometime this season, ep 11 would’ve been the time. But he doesn’t have as much plot armor as the others above. So his fate is still up in the air.

Crosshair

He still might very well die in the end. But I firmly stand by what I’ve said before: Redemption ≠ Sacrifice. He is doing his part to better himself and earn his own redemption. It doesn’t need to be earned by dying. They’re focusing massively on his hand tremor and loss of accuracy/skill. It would be so much more satisfying if he were to find healing “on his own” like Omega said. “There’s hope for us yet.” Hope for Crosshair. People can make mistakes. They can get better. And they can live to see better days. I’m hoping to see him make a crucial shot that ultimately saves the day at the end.

They didn’t kill off Zuko at the end of ATLA. They let him live. They let him have happiness after experiencing sorrow. I hope they give Crosshair the same.

Though, I will say, it would be a devastating blow if his tremors only ceased as he took his last breaths. There is no guarantee he’ll make it out of the series alive.

Hunter

I still think Hunter is the most likely to die, for a lot of reasons. While Crosshair’s arc is clearly defined and moving in a positive direction (with some hurtles along the way) Hunter’s story is much less clear. He has been avoidant the entire series. Avoidant and unsure, except for when Omega’s safety is in question. He doesn’t want to join the cause to rescue the clones. He doesn’t want to fight anymore. He wants a peaceful life. It would be incredibly impactful if the man who wanted nothing to do with the cause, died for it. Gaining peace and rest in another way, similar to Tony Stark (there are a billion similarities between his relationship with Omega and Tony’s relationship with Peter Parker, but that’s for another time)

Hunter will finally get the opportunity to save Omega, which he failed to do the first time. And he will finally make a stand. I think the entire season has been leading up to Hunter learning to fully trust Crosshair and hand over responsibility of Omega to him.

Lastly…

They will be going back to Pabu. The ending of the series will play out there. They might not stay there for good, but they might go back to lay someone to rest there.

The beautiful flowers on the weeping maya tree (weeping willows represent grief and mourning btw… you see where I’m going with this) will be laid on the grave(s). The moment I saw Omega find the rare white flower on that very specific kind of tree, I knew it would be important later on.

Lula and the last remnants of Tech are on Pabu. I don’t know if Tech is really alive or not, but if he really is dead, I could see them laying to rest not only Tech (his goggles) and whoever else dies, but also what the Bad Batch was (Lula) Those items will come into play in the end. I bet my life on it.

I think it will be a beautiful ending. Beautiful, and sad.

[leo-dooley-lab-rats]

Elite Force’s Many Lost Opportunities

The thing that annoys me most about Elite Force is Elite Force could have been great to the Mighty Med characters and even the Lab Rats characters.

Let’s all be honest, Elite Force isn’t the best show in the world and a lot of it comes down to the writing of characters. I feel like the show had a lot of potential and maybe that’s why so many fans make so much fan content related to that era of the show. Seriously the amount Elite Force content v. rest of Mighty Med and Lab Rats is kind of amazing.

Today I wanted to take a closer look at Elite Force’s many missed story and character opportunities. I got the inspiration to make this due to this thread. These are thing I’ve been thinking about for a long time… but I think it’s kind of time to put it out there. Elite Force isn’t a bad idea, just bad execution.

Oliver, Kaz, and Skylar

I think the villains kids(Riker and Roman) and their evil father(Rodissius) is meant to parallel Douglas(during his evil days) and Krane. When we could have had Oliver seeing something of his mom in the main dad villain, Rodissius. We could have seen more of that arc with his evil mom. We could have had his mom show up. I will never not be bitter about that plot point never getting proper follow through.

We could have had Skylar relating to the main villain losing his powers instead of the show just giving her powers back. Like seriously, why didn’t Skylar have anything to say about villain and losing powers? She went through this. She had a whole ‘going evil’ due to getting her powers back arc and then having to lose them again. It was a huge part of her character and arc in Mighty Med, only to be forgotten in Elite Force. Seriously, why is the villain, Rodissius, so similar to Skylar if the writers weren’t going to do anything with it? Just why?

Kaz could have been the middle ground between the two being like “we need to put them down”. Kaz could still be mad about Mighty Med. We could have had moments of Skylar and Oliver bonding and comforting each other over the loss of Mighty Med. Just think about it.

We also could had Kaz and Oliver being bros learning powers with Skylar getting jealous to then becoming a mentor to them. Even Bree and Chase could mentor more like they did on the island.

Most of all, Elite Force needed to remember Kaz, Skylar, and Oliver are friends. Kaz and Oliver are ride-or-die best friends and might as well be brothers. Kaz is implied not be close with his parents or his siblings so Oliver is his family. Skylar doesn’t have family being part of a clone race and I honestly view Skylar as a sister to Kaz and Oliver or at very least her found family along with everyone else at Mighty Med.

Returning Mighty Med Characters

Even Alan could show up and be able to relate to villain. Part of Alan’s arc in Mighty Med was learning to accept being half-normie. Even Horace would be in the show somehow as a captive of villains. Like Roman and Rimer took Horace to heal their father and give him back his powers since at the wedding Horace was revealed to be Caduceo, the legendary healer of superheroes, to the world or something(that even ties the spinoff into Mighty Med).

Gus or Jordon would show up after Oliver, Kaz, and Skylar were on the news being apart of Elite Force. There could have been a story of their normie friends from school finding out about the superhero world and Skylar’s real name not being Connie Valentine.

Leo, Adam, and Other Lab Rats Characters

The show could have used Douglas better. Douglas used to be evil. The villain is an evil dad. There is something there even if it’s just a joke considering Douglas was evil dad and Krane was too to some extent. Why wasn’t that a joke in the show(like someone should have said “what’s with us and evil parental figures?”). Douglas could even talk to Oliver about his mom being evil. Douglas could relate to him and help Oliver come to terms with mom being evil and maybe give Oliver hope his mom could one day be redeemed.

Leo and Adam could have shown up. I understand actors and contracts, but the show could have mentioned the characters. The show seemed to miss Adam having Adam around with Bob’s return. I like Bob, but it felt like it should have been Adam there and not Bob. Again, like Bob but it always felt like the writers wanted Adam there instead. The show did clearly miss Leo too since AJ is basically a Leo Dooley stand-in.

There could have been a conversion between Donald, Chase, and Bree along lines of “why did you two allow AJ to stick around?” And they don’t know. Donald eventually nods and says “I think I do. He’s a bit like Leo. I miss him too, but remember he’s not Leo.” Or something like that. Even Kaz could remember Bree and Chase of Adam. There is something there that could be touched on.

I think Perry, Donald, Tasha, and Naomi were handled well, but I do still wish Adam or Leo showed up.

Chase and Bree

Chase got an arc of his girlfriend being evil and Bree wanting more powers. Chase and Bree could have an arc of being away from home/family for the first time and being homesick. The penthouse is basically like going off to college or boarding school when you think about it. The characters move away from home and live with kids their age in a dorm/apartment.

Chase could have had a real arc about interacting and being a person outside the comfort of his family/island. Bree could have had an arc of learning that she doesn’t need more powers(I still don’t like that storyline for Bree. It just feels like it comes out of nowhere and is excuse to give Bree more abilities without having to introduce them). Bree could have had a self acceptance storyline.

Mighty Med and Elite Force

The world and characters of Mighty Med when the show ended and Elite Force stated, it didn’t feel like an ending for the show like Lab Rats. That’s a problem a lot of fans of Mighty Med have. I loved both shows since their premiere. Mighty Med was just getting started and their characters were the same. There was so much more left to see of this world before Elite Force. Then Elite Force came and didn’t seem to understand or know much about Mighty Med. If you looks at the people who worked on Elite Force, it’s mostly people from Lab Rats with very few from Mighty Med.

I’ve said this for years, but Mighty Med needed one more season before Elite Force to wrap up their story. The sad thing is Might Med didn’t get that. We got Elite Force. As a fan of Mighty Med, I’ve always had so many problems with Elite Force. As a Lab Rats, I still don’t care for Elite Force. There was something missing in this spinoff and we all know it.

Conclusion

I am just seeing all we could have had and didn’t get. There are so many good ideas here but none of them were taken. The show could have been better.

Every time I sit down and watch Elite Force I get the impression there wasn’t a lot of passion behind it. There’s also a lot of cooks in the kitchen(just look at the credits) and that might explain the writing. The show just feels like a mess that no one really wanted to make.

[tomorrowusa]

A lot of people won't like hearing this, but the meat industry is terrible for this planet.

Last weekend, Elon Musk posted one of his more outrageously false tweets to date: “Important to note that what happens on Earth’s surface (eg farming) has no meaningful impact on climate change.” Musk was, as he has been from time to time, wrong. As climate experts rushed to emphasize, farming actually accounts for around a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Musk spewing disinformation is not exactly news. But even by his standards, his contention regarding livestock agriculture and climate was on a par with George Santos's fantasies.

The tens of billions of chickens, pigs, cows, and other animals we raise and slaughter for food annually account for around 15 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from cow burps, animal manure, and the fertilizer used to grow the corn and soy they eat. More than one-third of the Earth’s habitable land is used for animal farming — much of it cleared for cattle grazing and growing all thatcorn and soy — making animal agriculture the leading cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss globally. Deforestation causes emissions itself, but it also represents a missed opportunity to sequester carbon. If that land were “rewilded,” or retired as farmland, it would act as a carbon sink, sucking massive amounts of climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere. But we keep clearing more and more forestland, especially in the Amazon rainforest and elsewhere in the tropics, mostly for beef, pork, and poultry.

Yep, livestock grazing accounts for almost a third of our usable land.

The message regarding livestock agriculture just isn't getting out.

Madre Brava also conducted a media analysis that found that between 2020 and 2022, less than 0.5 percent of stories about climate change by leading news outlets in the US, the United Kingdom, and Europe mentioned meat or livestock. Last month, two groups that work on issues related to animal agriculture — Sentient Media and Faunalytics — published an analysis with similar findings. The organizations looked at the 100 most recent climate change stories from each of the top 10 US media outlets, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and CNN, and found that 7 percent mentioned animal agriculture. Of that 7 percent, most only discussed how climate change-fueled weather events like droughts, floods, and heatwaves impact animal farmers. “Across the 1,000 articles we examined, only a handful of stories reported in depth on the connection between consuming animal products and climate change,” the researchers wrote. The media is an easy target, and some criticism is deserved — it’s a disservice to readers to largely ignore a leading cause of the climate crisis. Part of the problem is that the media, like everyone else, operates in an information environment in which the meat lobby downplays and in some cases suppresses the full extent to which burgers, ribs, and chicken nuggets pollute the planet. But journalists could be doing more to cut through the noise.

We need to speak up more ourselves. Entrenched interests and powerful lobbying groups are not shy about promoting livestock businesses which harm the planet.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the industry’s leading lobby group, runs a “climate messaging machine,” food journalist Joe Fassler recently wrote in the Guardian, that trains influencers to confuse the public and downplay beef’s emissions. The list goes on. Last year, leaked documents showed that delegates from Brazil and Argentina successfully lobbied the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to remove any mention of meat’s negative impact on the environment, or recommendations for people in rich countries to reduce their meat consumption, in its recent report. Meat giant Tyson Foods spends a much bigger share of its revenue than ExxonMobil lobbying Congress to stop climate policy. Outside the animal rights movement, there aren’t many voices pushing back against these narratives. The US environmental movement has largely shied away from campaigning to reduce meat and dairy production, with some leaders outright rejecting the notion that we need to eat fewer animals. Policymakers largely avoid the issue too.

We have a lot of catching up to do – and fast.

“The food conversation is probably about 20 years behind the energy conversation, and it is catching up, but it’s not visceral to people in the way energy is — that they immediately know energy is a climate issue,” said Michael Grunwald, a food and agriculture columnist for Canary Media, in the Sentient Media panel discussion. But time is in short supply. Experts say that if we don’t change what we eat — especially reducing beef and dairy — we can’t meet the Paris climate agreement of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius or less.

In addition to publicizing the issue, we can lead by example. Eating less meat or even no meat lets people know we're serious about what we're saying.

There will be pushback from the industry and also from populist blowhards. We can imagine at least one saying something like: "Hunter Biden wants to steal your double cheeseburger. SAD!"

But no discussion of carbon emissions is complete without talk of livestock agriculture and its effects.

[jillsvalentinex]

Thea Greene was already well known within her district. At the early age of ten, she was known as 'the heart of district four'. Not only was she liked among her peers for her angelic personality, her angelic voice was what made her a mini celebrity. Every weekend the district would go out to her family's bar and watch her perform. It was the only thing that made them forget about the dreadful Hunger Games, and although District four was grouped in with the other career districts, that didn't mean the district wanted to be constantly reminded of them, and young Thea saw the gloom take over the people. 

The blonde always had a love for music as her mother and father owned a bar where people could perform to entertain the guests. It was her source of happiness, her salvation. It only became more of a need when she began performing. The sounds of the cheers and guests clapping was somewhat overwhelming, but the feeling that came with it was wonderful, almost addicting like some sort of drug. Her parents weren't initially fond of their youngest child risking their life by refusing to get any type of training for the Hunger Games since they didn't want to lose her, but they soon came to terms with it once she began helping at the bar. Her brother, Jace, on the other hand, wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to learn a few tips if he would eventually get picked to participate in the games. 

The two were polar opposites, the only thing connecting them together was their family and similar appearance. Jace was known as the typical boy from district four; knew how to fish, how to swim really well, and trained for the Hunger games. Thea was known as the delicate performer; a die hard music lover, helped people carry heavy bags in the streets and spent her days swimming in the ocean. 

Even when the Greene's suffered the loss of their parents, it seemed life never stopped for the two siblings. Thea kept the two up-float with the bar, and even when he turned nineteen, Jace kept training, building up his strength in order to help out his younger sister in any way he could. 

The moon shone through the clouds trying to cover it up in the sky. A soft gust of wind passed by, sending a shiver down Thea's back as she was locking up the bar for the night. Once saying goodbye to her friend and co-worker, Annie, she turned around and began walking back to her house while getting showered with praise by numerous audience members from the bar.  

"Amazing performance as always, Miss Greene!" An older man, seemingly around his mid 60's with greying hair and a few wrinkles on his face, called out as the blonde walked by. 

She turned her head over her shoulder, showing a bright smile on her face as she gave him a nod of appreciation. "Thank you, Mr Morgenthau!" She said before she turned her body around to face the wrinkled man. "How's your grandson? He doing alright?" She asked. 

"Oh, he's doing just fine. He's ready for the games tomorrow, I hear." 

Thea stopped in her tracks, her eyes slightly widening in surprise. "He's volunteering?" She asked, earning a curt nod from Morgenthau. She then flashed a bright smile as she began to turn back around to continue walking. "Well, lets hope he wins." She then waved goodbye before she continued walking through the dimly lit pathways to her house.

It wasn't long until Thea arrived in front of her house. It was cramped in between a row of houses, looking identical to the rest with its smooth walls that were painted white and the stone roof. The lights seemed to be off with the curtains drawn from the inside. She stepped forward, unlocking the white door and stepping inside, switching the light switch on beside the door. "I'm home!" She called out to see if there would be any response and for a few seconds, there was only silence until she heard loud, rapid footsteps coming down the stairs. A loud thud came shortly afterwards and as the blonde was just hanging up her jacket, she turned her head to her left, watching a fairly tall boy with messy blonde hair flap his arms up in the air.

"Jesus, where the hell have you been? It's past curfew." He said as he began walking towards her, and into the kitchen. 

Thea rolled her eyes once she finished hanging her coat up and followed her brother into the kitchen where she watched him cook up some fish. "I was working at the bar. And don't use that curfew shit on me, you and I both know that only worked when mom and dad were here." 

Jace turned his head over his shoulder, sending a quick glare to his younger sister before turning back around, chopping off the head of the large fish. Thea turned away quickly once hearing the loud thud of a butcher knife slam down on the wooden table. "The reaping is tomorrow, Thea-" 

"Yeah, which is why I decided to go down to the bar. The district deserves at least a bit of good entertainment before they watch their loved ones possibly get picked to go into the Hunger Games and watch them die." Thea argued, cutting her brother off before he could finish his sentence. 

"And who said it has to be you to give them that?" Jace asked as he continued cutting up the fish.

"I did, the people did. If I stopped performing at the bar when mom and dad died, we'd be on the streets. The amount of people who come to the bar because I'm there is the reason why we have money. At least act like you're grateful." 

Jace seemed to stop suddenly, his right hand that held the sharp butcher knife resting on the edge of the kitchen counter. A harsh sigh escaped Jace's mouth, his shoulders dropping in defeat. "I am grateful." He shook his head before continuing, "I just don't like the thought of my little sister going out at night to perform for a crowd mostly full of old men." He stated before he went back to chopping up fish. 

"well, when you put it like that, I understand what you're getting at." Said Thea as she walked forward, leaning on one of the kitchen counters beside her brother. "But it isn't like that. If you actually come down to the family bar, your worries would be put to rest. I promise you, all the audience does is cheer and clap after a performance. So stop the worry flurry and make me some food." She then patted Jace's shoulder before pulling herself off the kitchen counter, earning a quiet chuckle from him before he turned back to the fish. 

Sleeping was always difficult for Thea, even at an early age. It wasn't that she was afraid of the dark, she has walked through the darkest of alleyways and not once has she ever been afraid, but it was rather the silence that came with it as she'd lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to find even the littlest of noise that her mind could focus on. It would get extra bad after a night of performing. The amount of whiplash she'd get after a night full of music, and cheers, and laughter, to when it ends is overwhelming to say the least. She wanted it to be loud, but not so loud that it would overwhelm her, but she didn't want it to be quiet to the point where she'd be focusing on her own breathing just so her mind wouldn't wander. 

She'd often result to the little spinning nightlight in her room. When on, it would light up the entire room and it would slowly spin around. On top of it was a picture of her, Jace, and their parents standing on the beach with bright smiles on their face that would cast onto the ceiling, spinning slowly as the device would turn.  It sent out the sound of twinkling stars which would usually send the girl off to sleep in no time. With her head rested on her arms that were behind her head as she laid down on her bed, she stared up to the ceiling, watching the picture of her family spin around slowly with the accompanying sound of twinkling entering her ears. 

She closed her eyes, listening to the twinkling sounds that went around the room. A soft smile rose on her face as her mind wandered off, imagining the sight of multiple stars sparkling in front of her. 

The world around her almost seemed peaceful. Her mind was free from the worry of getting chosen at the upcoming reaping, some girl from the training academy would probably volunteer like Morgenthau's grandson, she thought. She'd no longer have to worry about the possibility of getting chosen, she's already eighteen which is the oldest you can be to get chosen, so all she had to do is pray that she wouldn't get chosen, or even better some girl volunteers and she'd have a peaceful life like her brother. 

Everything will be perfect . . .

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hello lovely,

What are the pros and cons of pursuing a diagnosis?

I think I have autism (32 on the AQ, 139 on the CAT-Q, 157 on the RAADS-R, and 133 on the Aspie Quiz v5) but I'm a very high-masking gifted/honors/AP girl and I worry it will have more cons bc of poor societal acceptance then it will have pros : (

I mentioned my concerns to my primary care doctor and she really quickly dismissed them (I didn't mention the tests I did, just that I had a lot of traits/issues typical of autism) and I'm worried that trying to get help or anything will be a long hard uphill battle. Fortunately I am getting seen for sleep issues soon which are my worst problem but yeah

Thanks for your counsel

- 💙🌹

Hi there,

There are many pros and cons when it comes to getting an autism diagnosis. Here’s some from helpfulminds.co.uk

Advantages of Adult Autism Diagnosis:

1. Self-understanding and identity: Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult can provide a profound sense of self-understanding. It validates personal experiences and challenges, helping individuals make sense of their differences. It offers a framework through which they can explore their unique strengths, interests, and areas of difficulty, leading to greater self-acceptance and personal growth.

2. Access to appropriate support and accommodations: An adult autism diagnosis opens doors to various resources and support services. It enables individuals to access specialised therapies, counselling, and tailored interventions. It may also qualify them for workplace accommodations, such as flexible schedules, task modifications, or a supportive work environment. These support systems can enhance well-being, foster independence, and improve overall quality of life.

3. Connection and community: Obtaining an autism diagnosis can provide a pathway to connecting with others who share similar experiences. Joining support groups, online communities or participating in autism advocacy networks can foster a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of isolation. These connections often offer invaluable emotional support, shared experiences, and practical advice.

4. Enhanced relationships and communication: Understanding one’s autistic traits can lead to improved personal and professional relationships. It helps individuals communicate their needs and preferences effectively, reducing misunderstandings and promoting better understanding among friends, family members, and colleagues. With increased self-awareness, individuals can build stronger connections and cultivate healthier interactions.

Disadvantages of Adult Autism Diagnosis:

1. Emotional impact: Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult can trigger a range of emotions, including relief, validation, but also grief or regret. Some individuals may experience a sense of loss for the opportunities they feel they missed or the difficulties they faced due to a lack of understanding. The process can be emotionally challenging and require support to navigate.

2. Stigma and societal perceptions: Unfortunately, despite growing awareness, Autism is still surrounded by stigma and misconceptions. Disclosure of an adult autism diagnosis can lead to potential discrimination, prejudice, or social exclusion. Society’s limited understanding of Autism may hinder employment, education, or social integration opportunities. This lack of acceptance emphasises the need for broader awareness and education.

3. Limited diagnostic resources and accessibility: Obtaining an autism diagnosis as an adult can be challenging due to limited diagnostic resources and professionals specialising in adult assessments. Waiting times and financial constraints may present significant barriers for those seeking a diagnosis. This lack of accessibility may lead to delayed self-understanding and hinder access to vital support services.

Seeking an autism diagnosis as an adult has advantages and disadvantages. While the diagnosis can offer self-understanding, access to support, and a sense of community, it may also evoke complex emotions and expose individuals to societal stigma. It is important to weigh these factors and consider personal circumstances before pursuing a diagnosis. Regardless of whether one receives an official diagnosis, fostering acceptance and embracing neurodiversity can contribute to a more inclusive and understanding society.

The full article will be below. There are even more pros and cons, so those are just examples. I recommend researching for more to make up your mind.

I hope this helps. Thank you for the inbox. I hope you have a wonderful day/night. ♥️

[moe-broey]

@hulloitsdani I HAD TO. ROTATE THIS. IN MY MIND. SO MUCH. CAUSE HERE'S THE THING I think on the surface it COULD make sense and has SO much potential writing-wise and I have hardly thought about that before -- but!!!!

While I have been goofing on Ratatoskr and how she's just a poor little thang, upon meeting she DID tell Alfonse this:

Which gives you SO much information actually. Like. She knows a lot more than she lets on -- not because she's lying outright or even putting up a front, but because she's just. So overwhelmed and emotional and sensitive (LOUDLY so) that may be the only thing you notice, maybe even underestimating her. But I feel Alfonse took this information and did the opposite -- it's an odd position to be in, to be known presumably very well by someone who's a stranger to you. But I think he takes this in, and takes his first impression of her and her personality, motives, the conflict within her, and decides to put his faith in her.

I think ALSO he could be viewing her as a valuable ally, acknowledging:

I think, he sees she has potential, if he can win her over and have her fight on his side. I THINK. Primarily his motivation is practical. Making a quick judgement of her, coming to the conclusion she could be a valuable asset and could help the Heroes even more (going back to, him saying "She can even tell them I asked her to get us more information on the assassination plot" and "If our enemy thinks like I do... they'll see a similar opportunity in front of them.")

AUGH INTERRUPTING THAT THOUGHT THOUGH!!!!!! I FEEL LIKE!!!!!! PART OF THE GAMBIT IS "She would be a valuable ally" AND on the flipside "She could pose a considerable threat if she changed her mind and strengthened her resolve in the opposite direction (to kill me)" so winning her over is part of defusing the threat. AND it's an extra win to have all that information if she does choose the Heroes. AND it's an extra LOSS if she does leave, since she takes all that information with her AND has the advantage while the Order is left scrambling in the dark. Plus also!!!!!! Her having that intimate knowledge of his routines!!!!!! If he loses Ratatoskr, he Knows he's gonna suffer severe consequences.

ALSO. ALSO!!!!!!!! I FEEL LIKE!!!!!!!!!! That is WHY him letting her go and EMPHASIZING she can do whatever she deems necessary, EVEN giving her sisters inside knowledge on the Heroes. I FEEL LIKE. THIS IS ACTUALLY. VERY MUCH (on a much smaller scale!!!!) another Letizia moment. HEAR ME OUT

Right before The Moment, he's judging Letizia's character, what he knows to be true about her, her PERSONALITY and the way she thinks. Which leads him to go sicko mode on her (because! That Was the course of action to take with her!!!!)

THIS TIME. He's met with a very emotional, very distressed and conflicted assassin who seems to have a moral compass and is conflicted about what she's been ordered to do. In one way, she's almost like a bomb that has to be defused -- she Does pose a threat, and the threat needs to be addressed before it goes off/is out of his hands. And in this case, appealing to her emotions IS the answer!

AND. I THINK. PART of that appeal WAS to place That Much trust in her. ESPECIALLY communicating to her, she's not Required to remain loyal to the Heroes. Giving her a choice, between them and her sisters. He's heavily relying on Ratatoskr's internal conflict and also (surely it hasn't been missed on him) her attachment to him, or at very least her respect for him as a person she's come to admire. It's an extreme chance to take, but I think he knows if Ratatoskr can 1) Feel like she made the choice herself, and 2) He can catch her on another emotionally driven motivation (When she requests a favor in return, which is for the Heroes to Save her Sisters) -- I think he's fully confident he can win her over without forcing her to do anything.

WHICH. ALSO. HELPS WIN HER OVER BC her MAIN conflict she's struggling with is Being Forced To Do Something She Doesn't Want To. By NOT being forceful with her, by EMPHASIZING she can take any action she deems fit, he's set up a situation WHERE the Order of Heroes is the preferable option. He leaves her with the impression that her feelings matter, that she has agency, and ultimately it's up to her.

I FEEL LIKE........ I am talking in circles LMFAOOO BUT. I think Another thing (before thought interruption) was Alfonse's lines saying, "It's a gamble on our part, but if our enemy thinks like I do... they will see a similar opportunity in front of them." ESPECIALLY into:

WHICH stood out to me SO much because I think it really captures how practically motivated he IS here. He is using her. He's acknowledging, that if their enemy is Like Him, they're using her, too. He's creating a situation with a desired outcome, making the Order of Heroes the more desirable option to align with, giving her the feeling that she Can choose -- and, this is true! He's entirely put the choice in her hands. But in DOING that, it strengthens the possibility of her seeing the Heroes AS the desirable option. Which is the goal. Which is what he wants. He Is prepared, most likely, for the event this backfires, but also he's fully confident Ratatoskr Will choose them. (Also, as I say he was "most likely prepared for backfire"..... honestly that may not even be the case. Alfonse bluffs and bullshits his way around and out of things so much it would make Phoenix Wright blush).

WHICH ALSO LIKE..... AAAUGHGHHHH rotating him in my mind forever. You can See his traits and tendencies, see how he uses them for the benefit of his allies and those he cares about, but also SO clearly you can see. How A Lot of That is deeply rooted in his own moral compass (which is good!) and his own perspective (which is limited and sometimes flawed) and you can see. EXACTLY how these things can twist and turn and get really ugly LMFAOO

And man I haven't even gotten to Alear yet but I have THOUGHTS about his interactions w her too I need to make a separate post about LMFAOO 😅 (hit image limit and also feels like another topic entirely 🫡)