#their dynamic is interesting because used on others their abilities are weapons but on each other they provide relief

[fg083nrt]

I like to try and untwist Hidan's "sharing pain" belief system from "get off of torturing someone for hours on end" to like "ways you can empathize with somone's suffering" only Hidan would do it in a weird poorly though through way. Like he's confused but still, it's a sweet gesture from someone as selfish as he is. Either way Kakuzu is left trying to figure out if he is mad at him for doing something so stupid, or touched because he would do something so stupid for him.

It's interesting to me, because Hidan's technique functions so much like ninshu. The principle of ninshu being a spiritual connection between people, to communicate and understand each other without words. Strangely enough his curse technique let's him do that on a physical level, he can connect to physical energy, which is most commonly pain. I think the origin of technique just like ninshu started out as something peaceful and then became weaponized.

oh and shoutout to akatsuki fraternity: missed memories chapter 4 because I was like there it is, my motivation to finally draw this because I am not alone with this brainworm!

[aspoonofsugar]

Hello, I think I already asked someone else about this but I wanted to hear your thoughts as well. What do you think are the parallels/foils of Adam and Yang (not including Blake's romantic interest and the Beauty and the Beast dynamics between the three). I just want to see if there's anything else connecting Yang and Adam without Blake. Thanks.

Hi!

Sorry for the late reply :D

So, I think taking Blake out of Adam and Yang's foiling depowers it. Foiling between two characters is used in stories to highlight other elements, like character arcs, themes and plot.

Now, Blake and Yang are important parts of each other's arcs and Adam is a character put in the narrative for the sake of Blake's story. In short, Blake kind of connects Yang and Adam thematically and plot-wise (like Yang connects Blake and Raven). I have discussed about these three foiling here and here.

That said, you can talk about Yang and Adam without mentioning Blake, if you want to. Still, it means you are just gonna stay on the surface without addressing why those similarities are even there to begin with. In any case, I think a good way to go at it is to juxtapose their semblances and their eye motif.

Burn and Moonslice are similar abilities. Both semblances let Yang and Adam take the damage done to them and change it into energy. Yang and Adam are similar by how they do not give up in the face of pain, but are fueled by it and find motivation in it. This is good, but if a person never truly faces their trauma, they are bound to be slowly devoured by it. Well, Yang understands it, while Adam doesn't.

Yang's semblance has her feel the pain in order to channel it into power. Adam's semblance instead lets him deflect it by using his sword. Similarly, Yang is able to face the root of her vulnerability and pain (Raven) and realizes her trauma does not define her. Adam instead refuses to feel and never truly solves the deeper issues behind his trauma. He lets himself be defined by the violence and hate he endured. Yang is able not to let herself be consumed by hate and embraces love. Adam can only take the hate given to it and use it to fuel himself, until this very hate turns into something cheaper and self-entitled, like spite. Yang loses her arm, but she is still herself. She can still fight and her semblance still works. Adam loses his sword and he loses the fight. He puts all of himself in his weapon to avoid vulnerability, but in this way he objectifies and loses himself.

Yang and Adam show how feelings like anger can empower you, but how you should never let yourself be consumed by them. You should become able to manage your emotions and to show empathy to others. This is what their eye motif conveys.

Yang sees red when her semblance activates:

Adam is literally blinded by hate:

Yang's development in volume 5 is to become able to see people as complex:

Raven: The truth is that "truth" is hard to come by. A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else.

In other words, she learns empathy:

Weiss: You're right though. I don't know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And, I'll bet Blake has her own version too.

This is why she is able to see through Raven and to forgive Blake.

Adam on the other hand is unable to clearly see anyone. Not the Faunus. Not Blake. Not himself:

Adam: What does she even see in you?!!

It is not what Blake sees in Yang. It is that Yang is able to see Blake as a person and not an extension of herself or of her own trauma (Blake is not Raven; she leaves Yang, but she also comes back).

Symbolically, Yang defeats Adam because of two reasons:

She doesn't let her emotions control her (healthy management of trauma)

She never loses sight of Blake and sets things up, so that her partner can ambush and kill Adam in the end (she sees Blake as a person with agency and is empathetic towards her)

Hope this helped! As you see, Blake popped up in the end :''') this is just how key she is to their foiling.

Thank you for the ask!

[alonelystargazer]

I started reading kagurabachi a couple of weeks ago and now I'm fully caught up with it and my general opinion so far is that it's actually pretty good!

the plot is perhaps a bit formulaic but still quite interesting (maybe I'm biased bc I love revenge stories) and it moves fairly quickly without leaving too much info behind, plus the action is so dynamic but easy to follow, and there are some legit super cool panels

SPOILER REVIEW BELOW

just a few of my favorite panels

(as you might be able to tell I love seeing the fishes teehee)

Quick summary of the plot: the MC is a young guy named Chihiro Rokuhira who's out for revenge after his father Kunishige, one of Japan's most famous swordsmiths, was killed 3 years before, and those same people, a group of evil sorcerers known as the ?, stole all 6 of his father's enchanted swords, but chihiro has a 7th special sword that his father kept secret from everyone but him.

Edit: this might be important for some people so I'll add that Chihiro is 18, since we saw him with his dad as a 14 going on 15 year old and the story fast forwards to more than 3 years later in the first chapter, which would make him 18

He's joined by his father's best friend, a sorcerer named Shiba who becomes his mentor and informant about the shady business going on in Tokyo, Azami who's another sorcerer and friend of his father's and Shiba, a little girl named Char who comes from a family that has the ability to regenerate their body parts and is being hunted for it, a young woman named Hinao who's a weapons dealer, and later on another young man named Hakuri who comes from a different sorcerer family but defected bc he's the only one who doesn't know sorcery (and was abused).

Personality wise, Chihiro is the more level-headed, serious, and reserved type but shows great care and sympathy for those who need help, for ex. when he helps out char from being hunted and experimented on, and when he traded his beloved sword for Hakuri. His father had a huge impact on his philosophy about life and weapons.

He does want revenge for his father's death, but his greatest motivation however is to prevent anyone from tarnishing his father's legacy which are his enchanted swords, bc kunishige made sure to let Chihiro know that his swords are weapons first and foremost, and when put in the wrong hands are destructive and lethal.

The power system is fairly simple, based in sorcery, which for Chihiro is channeled through his enchanted sword called Enten from which 3 different goldfish, each having their own ability, appear (and the goldfish are the same ones his father had before he died: a black goldfish, a red one, and a spotted one).

The enchanted swords that Kunishige made come from a rock (?) called datenseki, which we don't know much about yet.

And about the first antagonist we meet, Sojo. He's a weapons dealer in the black market and does other criminal activities. He also has one of the 6 enchanted swords that was stolen, this one called Cloud Gouger. To me, this fight is reminiscent to Yuji vs Mahito in the Shibuya arc of Jujutsu Kaisen, in the sense that Chihiro has to accept that despite what he personally believes about his father and his swords, Sojo also can have his own contradictory beliefs bc it's the person who wields the sword that gets to determine it's fate. Chapter 12: Tea I believe is pivotal in Chihiro's development and is one of the best chapters so far. I like the metaphor with Sojo offering Chihiro dango, which he refuses at the beginning (he says he doesn't like sweets) and by the end eats it, even if doesn't like it, because it reflects his acceptance with Sojo's philosophy about the blades.

The only thing I think might not to be everyone's taste is the art style, but if course art is subjective, although it does suffer a bit from same face syndrome at times.

But I think the art is unique with its use of shading and perspective, and there are some really cool character designs, plus something that stands out to me is that the fight choreography is made to be a spectacle.

As a long time shipper, I feel like I should address the shipping dynamics that I've seen, which there aren't too many yet, but I still wanna talk about. So the main ship I've seen is between Chihiro and Hakuri, which these panels I think are fueling the fire for it and I can totally see it and wanna see more from their budding friendship. What's the ship name btw? hakuhiro?

Besides that, I've also seen Shiba/Kunishige, and Sojo/Kunishige but that's definitely a one sided admiration on Sojo's part.

One criticism I've found is that there's a character named Daruma who is after Chihiro and Char and is originally depicted in a way, which to me, looks to be black characteristics, like the hair and facial features, but after Shiba convinced him to leave his life of crime behind, his look changes. For example, his hair becomes straight, so what's up with that? Now to be fair, since the manga is in grayscale, we don't know what his skin color is but he has no shading to skin which in my experience of reading manga means that a character is light skin.

Other than that, there's nothing else I can find fault in, so give it a read (there's 25 chapters so far!)

[pokenk]

I’m not much of a shipper but when it comes to villain Rwby in the AU I’ve been working on I do think about it more. And because yang xiao long is my favorite character I’ve been thinking about who she might end up with.

Edit I realize this post is way too long so I’m gonna colorcode parts of it so you can read it easy if you want

Bumblebee

Freezerburn

Now the obvious first answer is Blake. But I think a villain Blake, even one who has I’ve said would be a horny shit poster would probably be racist to humans . I think that can be an interesting dynamic I think it would probably prevent her from ever admitting her feelings. Although that could be a fun dynamic between them each of them in a secret love with each other Blake, who is not willing to admit to Yang that she loves her because she’s a human .

Or alternatively, they do get together, and she must keep it secret from her white fang allies that she’s dating a human. I imagine the dynamic if I was ever to summit up would be kind of the relationship that dragon ball abridged, Bulma and Vegeta have.

And from yangs perspective she doesn’t want to get together with Blake either because she’s feels too dedicated to Ruby as a sister to have other relationships. Or she swears never to be hurt again by people leaving.(tai, Raven, and Summer). And realizing that she’s falling for the trap of either caring about someone who’s not her sister or someone for who’s not herself. makes her feel all kinds of weird emotions. 

And so the relationship is kind of a weird inversion of Yang and Blake’s relationship, which is based on trust, and their mutual belief they’ll be there for each other. Well, villain, Blake and villain Yang , clearly love each other. They cannot be honest with each other for fear of having the attachments around them in Blakes case(her connection to other anti-human Faunus ) and the ability to feel perfectly safe by not being close to anyone and yang case. prevent them from building the necessary foundation for any healthy relationships, both romantic and platonic.

The other relationship that I like for villain Yang is freezer burn, because the cruel sadistic leader of a banded organization is the perfect secret right hand for a aloof cold calculating businesswoman like a villain Weiss should be. 

although I wouldn’t call a villain freezer, burn relationship healthy, I think it would definitely last longer than a villain bumblebee relationship. And it’s mainly down to how they view each other in relationship yang views herself as an instrument for Weiss’s to use she kills her political opponents, breaks up strikes and helps her gain her rightful position as air to the SDC.

Weiss views yang as an extension of herself as a way to do the things that a prim and proper air to a giant company can’t do. A physical way to enact change she wants to in this way Yang is her rapier.

And yang who’s trying to not feel all the emotions that come with being abandoned, and being forced to raise your sister, is really eager to abandon all sense of self, and just become Weiss as weapon.

And that’s why I think their relationship would last longer although it’s just as toxic and maybe even more then villain bumblebee the codependency they foster on each other would keep them together longer. also for comparison, think of a version of cersei Jamie without the incest(although I know, saying, that’s removing a pretty big part of their story)

Sorry for the essay posting 

[multi-fandom-peep]

Mini-AU(s) time!

What would’ve happened if it were one of the other hero’s stones that Big.M decided to keep?

By technicality, he could’ve picked any one of them to use as a weapon for a season. It just so happened that Careful’s stone was the only one left.

So first and foremost, let’s look at our source material!

When Careful’s stone is placed on a machine, it brings it back to life and gives it typically destructive abilities. There’s a trend among the machines; most of them are upset with something, mainly how they were used. Because of that… they all throw tantrums and destroy everything— unless the remote’s controlling them.

Our other four heroes were absolute idiots together. When Careful joined them at the end of season one, the heroes were fascinated by a new face. Technically his love of puzzle cubes stemmed from the gift the others gave him as a sort of "welcome to the group" thing? I think he'd still have the obsession if he were activated with everyone else so that it could still be played off for laughs. Just like Sweet's cooking, Careless's memory, or Smarts superiority complex.

Happy

So starting with our title character, what if his stone was kept? Sweet, Smart, Careless, and Careful’s stones were shot into space and landed on Star so that Doctor could fix them. I’d think that Careful is a bit more open than he’s written because he was born with the others instead of having to integrate a year later. (Side note, would that make Sweet the title character? I don't really know how that order was decided, especially since the earlier seasons- before the order was established- had her and Smart interchange. However, I think Smart would be a funnier main-main character because oh my god he's not wrong.)

So Happy. How would machines brought to life by his stone act? Well they’d still be upset with their lives, but instead of being mad about it, they’d try to fix their problems. This is Happy we’re talking about, though, so they’re destructive by accident.

Now, on the other side, heroes’ dynamic without Happy? Well, we’ve kind of already seen that, but this time we’ve got a much lighter tone. The dynamics they have with each other would be more clearly defined, such as Smart and Careful’s rivalry. I can't get the idea out of my head of Sweet and Careless being geek-out buddies and Smart and Careful's reactions being "...what," and "Just let them do it," respectively.

Last but not least, what happens when he joins them? Happy would be super excited and curious for the first few days. He is super energetic, and I think that would overwhelm our first four for a while. He would definitely be the most angsty about trying to fit in with the others, but he can't, simply because he wasn't born with them.

Sweet

So Sweet. Without her the heroes would be entirely male.

… Yeah anyways

Sweet canonically represents kindness, so how would you turn that into a monster you could fight once an episode? Well, going off her other character traits, she is stubborn and not hard to imagine as a perfectionist. So each machine she'd bring to life would be a bit of a control freak, and it's up to the other heroes to convince them there's more than one solution to each problem.

Now, without Sweet, the other heroes' dynamics would be considerably different. The kiddos would be way more focused on fighting and protecting the city, as Sweet was the one with the most casual hobbies. Biases are something everyone has, so Doctor's trying his best, but I think he would raise the kiddos more like superheroes than children without Sweet to help him realize they're just kids.

Having her join them would be interesting. Again, I really hate the fact she's the only girl on the team, but at this point it's too late to change. I still think Happy would have a harder time adjusting, but Sweet definitely has her own struggles due to her gender. Whispers about her being weaker than the boys would definitely spring up quicker than season six.

Also. Sweet's cooking gag. It was kind of just established that she was horrible in canon, but here, everyone gets a nice slap to the face about how bad it is. However, it's also an opportunity to play it for a little more than comedy. I read somewhere, god knows where, that Sweet loves cooking because she loves the idea of making things for everyone. That's why nobody has the heart to tell her how bad she is; she's just trying to impress them.

Smart

Oh boy. If a machine influenced by Smart was brought to life and given powers, things would work pretty differently. Yes, Careful’s monsters were used to take over the planet, but the monster itself’s goal was simple revenge and distruction. If Smart’s thought they were wronged, their answer would be to make everyone bow down. Much more in line with Big M’s goal of taking over. But even the antagonists would occasionally go “dude, calm down.”

Honestly if the heroes were to be born without Smart I think they’d be less in touch with the planet? Like Smart was the one with all the connections. Sure, Careful has his popularity too, but he doesn’t like it. So the heroes would be a little less aware of what’s going on in the city, and creating a way for the citizens to call for help would probably be developed sooner.

Now, if Smart already has an inflated ego, imagine how much more insufferable he’d be if he had actual reason to believe that. He was born differently, he was special.

Y’know the old argument between the heroes about who was the leader? I just realized that without Smart, exactly 50% of the team would actually want to be lead. Rivalry between Happy and Sweet? Yes please. This would also make Smart fight even harder for that role once he joins because who would be more deserving to lead than the fated one?

Okay but the heroes are probably less willing to put up with all the self-centredness if he weren’t born with them. They’d likely just leave him alone when he starts acting all deluded. You know what that makes him? Lonely.

Careless

Y’know he’d be an interesting one. There’s more loose ideas bouncing around like how his monsters would probably get enraged when they think they’re losing like the second stage of a boss fight. That, and the monsters would be a little more generalized instead of having skill sets specific to them.

It’s funny, even though Careful was born with everyone else here, this world would still make him stick out, since without Careless, he’s the only calm one. Without Careless’s chill and laid back attitude, they would be a lot more hyperactive.

It’s already my headcanon that his memory is caused by the vehicle he bonded with being poorly made, but you know what I haven’t talked about yet? The crack that’s supposed to appear in episode 50. In the canon, it was forgotten and back to normal by the next episode, which is also what I assumed for the other AUs. But what if that crack was the reason Careless didn’t have powers? It doesn’t make sense, lore-wise, for the Energy Stone of tolerance to be powerless. Now, we can get a little more angst about it.

Adjusting to the other heroes would already be challenging, but the memory and lack of superpowers would make it extra hard for Careless, especially now that there is something objectively wrong with him. Here, he would learn to supplement that with mechanical weapons instead of it being automatically established. Sprinkle a little extra bonding with Doctor when he finds out one of the heroes is taking after him. Can’t be all angst now can we

[quirkwizard]

Which teams and matchups would you have wanted to see in the Joint Training Arc?

I assume you mean whole teams and not individual, one on one match ups that could be interesting. The thing is though that there are a lot of characters and potential pairings. So for the sake of this, I'm only sticking to one matchup of eight students. And for this, I won't cover any matchups I talked about before, like Mina and Kamakiri.

So to me, my prefered match up would be Ibara, Manga, Awase, and Reiko versus Shoji, Momo, Kirishima, and Mina. And while I will talk about these like they are one on ones, there'd still be plrenty of crossover between the fighters. Like Reiko could get Awase to combine items, Momo could equip Shoji with new weapons, Mina could melt through what letters Manga makes, and so on and so forth.

Awase vs Kirishima: While I could think that you could stick Kirishima with a more direct fighter like Rin, Ken, or Kamakiri but I went with Awase because it's a different kind of fight for Kirishima. Kirishima could be up Awase, but that'd easily play into Awase's hands, piling on more and more items onto Kirishima. Inversely, Kirishima could use all that extra weight to smash straight into Awase.

Mina vs Reiko: I know these two fought in the original series, but I think that the dynamic could be interesting, both against each other and as characters. We've got the extroverted alien girl and the introverted ghost girl, but their powers clash as well. Reiko has a lot more range and control over so many small items, but Mina can erode away at anything Reiko tries to throw at her. It give Reiko a chance to shine and Mina a chance to show off more of her power.

Shoji vs Ibara: Ibara can spread her vines out over a wide range, able to constrict Shoji's mobility and ability to see stuff around him. On the other hand, Shoji can easily tear through whatever vines are around him with his greater strength, even as they keep coming all around him. And the holier-than-thou Ibara fighting against the monstrous, down-to-earth Shoji? It just writes itself, even giving the chance to explore Shoji before the Final War Arc.

Manga vs Momo: "Comic" is one of the most varied and interesting Quirks among any of the classes and it's a crime that Hori barely did anything with it. So pairing him up against Momo could give it a chance to shine. Not only could he fill a similar role to her, acting as support in interesting ways, but give Momo a real challenge with own abilities given the scale and power of what he can output. It'd almost be like the mythical shapeshifter battles, with each fighter constantly pulling out new forms to counter one another.

[brujitaadinbo]

I continue with the dynamics of beautiful parallels with the same dynamics that Din and Bo katan have been managing or that usually have similar elements; If you already read my first post, I think you might like this one too.

“MANY TIMES WE FIND OUR DESTINY BY ROADS WE TRY NOT TO TAKE” IT IS AN ASSAULT FORCE THAT TRYES TO UNITE US INTO ONE, INCOMPREHENSIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BUT IT EXISTS AND CONTROLS EVERYTHING.

I write this to you because many times coincidences become factors that come together to give us the best moments or the worst situations of our lives and sometimes without lifting a single finger; I remember this iconic movie very fondly, because it was the favorite of a boy I used to date. It reminded me of this iconic couple "Trinity and Neo" and god, even their very names are a reference to such a strong connection, heavenly or call it what you want… a very strong connection.

and this is where you begin to see the very similar dynamics in these two couples that I am mentioning. Trinity and Neo felt such a strong attraction since they met that Neo was surprised by Trinity's abilities. Since Din and Bo met in Trask it was more than evident that they saw each other with great attraction and he also in a certain way felt attracted to the skills of this beautiful Mandalorian warrior.

Trinity and Neo complement each other, they take care of each other, in battle their synchronicity is noticeable, they worry about each other, Neo suffers when he foreshadows Trinity's death in his nightmares, he looks for a way to protect her. Coincidentally, these two Mandalorians support each other at first out of common interests, then on their own initiative, because they love it, they protect each other, they complement each other in battle, there is a synchronicity. Din sees Bo Katan distressed by the saber and the situation behind this weapon, for him it is worthless but he knows that it is for her, so in a very subtle and particular way, he manages to give it to her so that she can be the one who guide everyone.

In this last matrix movie (4), they definitely showed the importance of the love between Neo and Trinity how they merge with one another and become powerful. That they are unstoppable, that is why machines try to keep them at a considerable distance, it is such a strong and powerful connection, typical of humans, something that machines do not understand.

Din and Bo katan embark on an adventure together because of "destiny" itself that makes them redeem themselves and walk this path together. Bo Katan's words begin to resonate "Mandalorians are stronger together" Together they manage to reunite the tribes, take back their planet, free another planet, live adventures, educate Grogu, etc etc… the list is long. So, destiny is definitely something crucial in these matters. It's like that author who has fun with our lives, making them take 360 ​​degree turns or doing what he likes most with us. This is the way…

[queenaryastark]

Many Arya fan have written in great detail about her possible meeting and friendship with Dany, but do you have headcannons for what the meetings/friendship with other female (Meera, Brienne, one of the Mormont siblings, Shireen etc) would be like ? Even if you don't think they will actually meet.

Hi there! I really like the idea of Arya continuing to form positive relationships with other girls and women. There's probably so much content about Arya/Dany because they're the two female leads of the series and will likely have to work together on some level during the Battle for the Dawn. But yes, there are lots of other women Arya can befirend:

Arya/Meera: If they meet, they'll be besties. Arya and Meera have a lot in common as both of them served as leaders and protectors of their traveling groups. Seeing a confident lady who doesn't change herself to fit into the patriarchal ideal of femininity and whose feminine expression is closer to Arya's own will help Arya see that there is nothing wrong with who she is. If they meet, Meera will definitely be a great role model and cool big sister type for Arya. And it goes without saying that she’ll adore Meera for how well she has protected Bran all this time.

Arya/Brienne: Their dynamic would be very similar to Arya/Meera with another lady being an example of a different type of lady from the one Arya grew up being pressured to be. Though Brienne would have the added layer of being a knight. While Arya doesn't want to be a knight, she idealizes them like her siblings do: "Hot Pie was being silly; it wouldn't be ghosts at Harrenhal, it would be knights. Arya could reveal herself to Lady Whent, and the knights would escort her home and keep her safe. That was what knights did; they kept you safe, especially women. -- Arya IV, ACOK. So while Arya has seen several knights who have been monsters, Brienne would be the type of knight that fits the ideal Arya was raised to believe in and just might help her get home. I always found it interesting that Brienne is on Arya’s trail and doesn’t fully realize it. I've also thought of an AU where Brienne tries to help Arya get home after AGOT instead of her traveling with the NW. Brienne/Arya would basically be a female Dunk & Egg, which would be fun.

Arya/Arianne: The Short Queens. Throughout her chapters, Arya has befriended and admired all types of women. If they were to meet, she would easily admire Arianne despite how different they are. As a woman who seeks to wield power in her own right and takes assertive action through her intelligence, she is absolutely someone Arya would like and respect. She also happens to be the descendant of one of Arya’s heroines, Nymeria of Ny Sar. I could see an AU where Arya stays in KL and escapes with the Dornish party at the end of ASOS, bringing her to Sunspear where she can bond with Arianne and learn a great deal from her. As it stands now, both have similarities in how they have to out think their opponents given their lack of physical strength and use their ability to make friends to achieve their goals.

Arya/Sand Snakes: Even more descendants of Arya’s favorite heroine, she would absolutely love the Sand Snakes. Each of them is a different example of womanhood, with their own strengths, weaknesses, and different personalities. Arya is currently learning poisons and knows how to put on a performance like Tyene, keeps hidden weapons like Lady Nym, is a horse girl like Elia, disguises herself as a boy to get around gendered restrictions and is intelligent like Sarella, and wishes for justice like Obara. There’s definitely something in each of the ones we know about that Arya would connect with.

Arya/Missandei: These two kids have gone through so much tragedy and continue to persevere. Missandei is one of the most intelligent character in the series, knowing several languages and being able to recite customs and laws from various cultures. She’s also able to apply that knowledge and a guileless persona in government meetings and in war strategies. As another kid dealing with adult situations, I don’t see how Arya can do anything but admire her. I hope they meet and bond in the coming books. If Dany stops by Braavos on her way to the Wall, Arya can join them and befriend Missandei.

Arya/Mormont Women: Arya was pressured to conform to patriarchal standards by misogynistic women and girls who uphold the patriarchy, which resulted in her developing a negative self-image. Had she been fostered on Bear Island with the Mormont ladies, she would have been able to be who she is and develop a healthier self-image. We see how the Mormont women handle themselves confident in who they are as women and capable of wielding administrative, political, and military power. They could be great role models and friends for Arya in the coming books. The women who survive are actively involved in the Norther political plots, which Arya is at the center of -- though she doesn’t know it yet. I can see them supporting her and being a great influence on how she gains confidence in her own femininity. 

Basically, Arya developing positive female relationships is a must. I already appreciate that GRRM has given her girlfriends in Braavos, but it definitely needs to continue beyond her training montage in that city. 

[siblingshowdown]

YUNMENG TRIO PROPAGANDA!!!!!

I promise as the moderator of this competition I won’t campaign for any specific sibling sets after this but I cannot let my faves Jiang Yanli, Wei Wuxian, and Jiang Cheng lose in the first round when they were seeded pretty high.

For context, here is who I’m talking about:

Look at those babies!

The Yunmeng Trio are three siblings from the book Mo Dao Zu Shi or the TV show The Untamed.  They consist of oldest sister Jiang Yanli, middle adopted brother Wei Wuxian, and youngest brother Jiang Cheng.  Their relationship is crucial to the story, as it follows Wei Wuxian and his dynamic with both siblings (but especially Jiang Cheng) influences a lot of his decisions, which in turn influences a lot of the state of the world they live in as a whole.

Could these siblings win a physical fight against other sibling sets? YES.  Jiang Cheng is a very skill swordsman and has a magic lightning whip.  Wei Wuxian invented a new kind of magic and by and large is super overpowered (can take on hundreds of people at a time due to his ability to control ghosts/corpses/harness resentful energy).  Yanli, while not much of a physical fighter, can easily win over anyone’s heart with the power of soup.  (Seriously, in the book it lists her weapons as “love and soup”)  Everyone loves her, especially her brothers, which lowkey makes her an extremely powerful character because they’d do anything for her.

Do these siblings have sibling swag? YES.  They bicker! Especially WWX and JC.  Yanli loves to make her brothers soup and they always argue over who has the bigger portion!  They have inside jokes!  JC and WWX are always nitpicking at each other but will not allow anyone else to do so!  They’re all traumatized by their parents in different ways and therefore lean on each other and are unhealthily codependent because of it!  Whenever one of the brothers goes off by himself Yanli always asks the other one to go bring him back, and when she couldn’t do that she waded out into an active battlefield to try to find them!

Do they love each other? YES.  “We are the closest three in the world.”  Jiang Cheng sacrificing himself so Wei Wuxian doesn’t get taken hostage.  Wei Wuxian convincing his friend to perform ethically dubious and extremely dangerous surgery on him to try to get Jiang Cheng back to 100%.  The sole time Yanli loses her temper in the show, it’s because people are yelling at Wei Wuxian and not showing him respect!  She wore her wedding outfit when she and Jiang Cheng went to visit Wei Wuxian in exile because he wouldn’t be able to be at her actual wedding and she wanted him to see it!  Jiang Cheng suggested that Yanli let Wei name her son!  That scene made me cry no joke!

Are they interesting? YES.  I just described how much they love each other but the show actually begins with us seeing Jiang Cheng supposedly kill Wei before we jump back in time, so you know they have some intense emotional arcs going on!  Wei Wuxian was adopted when he and JC were around 6, and his status as an insanely talented and amazing cultivator plays really interestingly with the fact that his younger brother will be clan leader because WWX isn’t in the bloodline, and that influences JC immensely because in a way he has to deal with some of the worst parts of being a younger sibling while also having to deal with things an older sibling would otherwise have to.  Once Wei starts doing big plot things and becomes Public Enemy Number 1, JC and Yanli have to be careful with how they navigate the political world while trying to rebuild their clan and navigate an engagement that could unite their clan with a much more powerful one, but they still try to protect their brother.  Bodies start dropping.  They’re all traumatized over various events that occur before they’re even fully adults.  They make me feel so many emotions it’s not even funny.

tldr: I love them. please don’t let them lose in the first round please just give them this they’ve suffered enough.

[townofcadence]

✨ What was your inspiration in making your muse?

Munday Meme ✨ What was your inspiration in making your muse?

I ended up getting on a roll, apologies, so I put this under a read-more ^^;;;

It depends on the character for sure! I usually end up really vibing with a concept i want to build around, like a personality archetype or a story element. Usually this is a pretty generic concept, and then I build out the rest of the OC, trying to understand their place in the world and how the life they've lived has affected who they are, and make it more personal to me so I get attached.

Caelan for example, is a fae prince who was raised as a weapon by his family during a war, due to his abilities and how intense his magic is-- he was hunting the enemy prince down, had him cornered in a fight, when the ground falls apart beneath them and they're pulled underground-- deep into webbed catacombs, where they're hunted by a monster over and over again. His whole concept was basically born from the desire to play with the idea 'character trapped in a maze being hunted by a creature'. Which--- was initially a concept i started playing with because of a song about the ghosts in pacman being trapped in the game and eaten by pacman xD

I think the main exception to this style of creation for me is Artair, which I'm sure you were asking about! So I apologize ahead of time for the tangent incoming xD

My very first character I ever rped online was Arthur from Mystery Skulls Animated, which was a collection of music videos following a plot revolving around four main characters dealing with the supernatural, set to indie artist Mystery Skulls' songs. But the thing was, MSA only gave us the vaguest details about the characters when the first video came out, which is when I started writing him. The most we knew about Arthur was that he had been possessed and forced to kill a teammate, and that he lost his arm to an animal teammate that seemed to stop the possession. Also that he was kinda like-- a fraidy cat? MSA was basically a parody of Scooby Doo with a twist, so he was a little like a yellow shaggy lol.

But yeah, it was actually really cool because every version of the same character was so wildly different, because it was so vague that there was so much room for interpretation! We weren't sure how well the group knew each other except that they were on the same team, we were only given blood types to determine personality, we didn't even know if the animal teammate spoke to the team-- even things like how they grew up or where they were or family dynamics were up in the air at the time. When his uncle was revealed soon after the video, I wrote Arthur as growing up with him after his own parents passed, but there were dozens of interpretations-- some where Arthur only came to live with him as an adult, or an older kid, with details ranging from his family was bad news, passed, or just too busy to look after him. One of the characters didn't have a last name for years. It was all kinda just--- free real estate lol.

So over the course of a decade I wrote him, i built out every detail about Arthur, including stuff like his history/backstory, his relationships, his abilities, his personality beyond the fearfulness-- even some details about the events that were canon. Over time as I was writing him, he changed personalities in a lot of major ways too, as storylines from rps and events happened while writing him. He changed, for better and worse, and the things I focused on more were less and less aligned with canon. I started experimenting with ideas and concepts i really liked too, especially ones like him being a medium, which then further deviated into eldritch/celestial/fae stuff, since I always had a deep interest in those kinds of beings. But that only continued to take him further and further from anything resembling MSA lol.

And I guess at some point a few years ago, i realized he was basically an OC, but with a canon coat of paint?

Soooo I basically took him and gave him a redesign and overhaul to make him an OC. I kept some elements i loved of Arthur that drew me to him in the first place, but I tried to get away from his original design as much as I could without making him feel too different to my brain. I kept a version of events similar to the first video, due to how formative they were, but everything else pretty much got chucked out. The rest I kept was heavily altered if it wasn't reliant on my own headcanons already.

The only other thing I kept was kind of keeping his name similar. I kept Arthur as a name he used for a while growing up due to kids being mean about 'weird' names, which he still uses as a safety precaution with people/fae, since so much of his history he was known by it. Then I gave him a scots version as his official legal name, since I had headcanoned Arthur was directly scottish anyways and would likely pick it, with the headcanon that as Artair got older he stopped caring what people thought of his name and started going by the one he chose. It was different enough to feel i was separating him from MSA, but close enough that it didn't feel wrong when I was so attached to 'Arthur' as his name for a decade (part of my initial attachment to him was connection to Arthur as a name and him being the color yellow, whoops)

But yeah! Overall for me, it's just about interesting or fun narrative concepts. And then there's Artair being the one canon guy who got hit with extreme OC-ification beams over time xD

Also, here's an old and silly spider-man meme doodle of Arthur and Artair if you made it this far xD

[thekaijudude]

MAJOR Decker Movie Leaks + MAJOR implications on Ultra Lore

1. Ultraman Dinas is a "clone" of Dyna

So what exactly happened was that when Ravi was still a normal person, her planet got attacked by aliens and Dyna showed up to save her planet

And because she was near dead after the attack, Dyna gave her a piece of his light which allowed her to assume the form of Dinas

And she has seen this as an opportunity to use this power for good and help others ever since

But because she hasn't really been able to controlled the power well, Dinas' color timer is still red in color

2. Decker Dinas Type does not show up in the Movie

So I suppose this was a cancelled concept before they decided on who Dinas would be

-

So this is a very radical concept coming from this franchise, that being an Ultra can give portions of their light to hosts that they themselves have independent and permanent control over

Usually the case is like what we saw with Trigger where the remnants of Tiga's light allowed Tiga to manifest for a brief period of time only in his original form

And rmb that there was an info saying that Decker also has the same origin as Dinas?

Yup, this most likely means that Future Decker also received a permanent portion of Future Dyna's light and most likely has more time to master his control over it to allow him to of course have a blue color timer and assume his Strong and Miracle Types

This is so interesting cause it brings up so many new opportunities and questions about this new revelation

Considering that Kanata eventually evolved Decker to Dynamic Type, this clearly shows that recipients of Dyna's permanent light can master it beyond the basic Flash/Strong/Miracle, and this really puts what Future Decker said in context, like him noting that Dynamic Type is Kanata's "Unique Form", does that means that not all evolutions are the same?

Like will Dinas eventually look like Decker Flash Type after some time? Or each "child" will look different from each other, even as they evolve?

Imo, most likely since the chest patterns and color scheme of Dinas is totally different from Decker. But the fact that Future Decker knows of the concept of "unique forms" highly suggests that either:

a) Future Decker DOES have a Super Form of his own, which also means that all the evolution stages before their Super Form would look the same

b) Future Decker has seen the "Deckers" of other recipients, means that in the future, Dyna has given this power to others as well

Personally, would prefer the latter cause it'll give more possible designs lol

And the fact that Dynamic Type exists clearly hints that Dyna has some form of Super Form still up in his sleeves (Unity Type Theory back in full swing lmao)

Additionally, this would mean that one day, we would see Dinas gaining his/her own Flash/Strong/Miracle or even Super Form eventually?

And does this necessarily make Decker and Dinas the children of Dyna?

This whole thing is literally a huge Nexus reference

This is a very clearly a revolutionary concept cause its literally an alternate option for nearly unlimited legacy based characters of Ultras can simply just create new ultras out of the blue, very interested to see exactly what they can do with this new concept

-

UPDATE: I just realized a pretty shocking fact

Rmb O50 can also literally create Ultras outta nowhere? And that it's sentient as well?

Yeah u can definitely see where I'm going with this

And we do know from Tiga that Ultras can leave their body behind and live as light or sth

What if the Voice of Light is simply another Ultra altogether that's been giving permanent portions of its light to form New Ultras?

Suddenly the dynamics of this system makes so much sense on why theres so much flexibility with O50

Tho the VoL seems to be far more advanced as seen with Orb, it bestowed further evolution forms, weapons and even the Orb Ring that has the ability to merge the powers from Ultras of different universes

But another fact is that somehow they can also create kaiju, like how the VoL created Grigio Bone for Saki, which is similar to how Decker had access to the Capsule Kaiju as well

But the qn remains, how are they able to do this for kaiju???

And what could this mean for perhaps other sources of Ultras? Like we know that the Plasma Spark is artificial, but considering that it does have sentience and it did also gave Zero an upgrade. Also knowing the history of the LoL which if u recall, King alr existed before the Plasma Spark and is considered one of the elders that predated it.

What if the Plasma Spark is artificial in the sense that they've managed to isolate a permanent portion of light from either King himself or another elder?

And could we say the same for the Ultra Mind for U40? Z95? Planet TOY-1?

Hell, even the Absolutians which was something I postulated about the Lord's awakening being the reason the planet is gonna blow. Literally because he's the entire source of the whole Absolutians' planet itself

Holy shit the entirety of Ultra lore has gotten FAR MORE INTERESTING with this new fact

THE PLOT THICKENS

[gethoce]

what’s the GSA dynamic with each other in your hcs?

Oh boy, where to begin... I'll focus on the four puffballs here, since there is more to talk about and they're still alive, unlike Jecra and Garlude.

Arthur - Lancelot

These two have known one another the longest, though Arthur was already an adult when Lancelot was born. Arthur was the reason why Lancelot chose the Bomb Ability for himself, after developing a special interest in explosions from seeing Arthur use the Crash Ability. The scars on Lancelot's face did come from one of those Crash Ability explosions. Lancelot insists it was his own fault, because he stayed too close to have a better look, however Arthur feels bad about it to this day. Lancelot respects Arthur greatly and almost always sides with him on all issues. He didn't even question his orders for a second when Arthur declared they had to turn against Halcandra's leadership, which includes the person who raised Lancelot. After they left Halcandra and reformed the GSA, Arthur made him his second in command, believing that he'd be the one to understand his decisions making the most.

Arthur - Galahad

It took Arthur a long time to warm up to Galahad. He came from an entirely different clan of matterborn, which was something that intimidated Arthur at first. Watching him grow up alongside Percival, he began to trust him, yet he didn't know where his allegiance would ultimately be if push came to shove. It wasn't until they left Halcandra, that it became clear to Arthur, that Galahad considers the GSA his home above all other places. Arthur is glad that Galahad is there to have an eye on Percival, when he can't and appreciates everything he does for their army. Galahad largely respects Arthur, however despite everything he is the one within the group who criticises him the most and does go against his orders occasionally.

Arthur - Percival

They've got a close father-son relationship going on. Percival will actively try to defend his father's honour when challenged, yet is also the one who bends the rules set up by him the most and gets away with it. While Arthur doesn't insist on Percival becoming the greatest warrior ever, it is important to him that he knows how to defend himself, primarily to preserve his life for as long as possible. The easiest way to ignite Arthur's violent side is to threaten or harm Percival. If something was to happen to his son he'd immediately declare war with the parties responsible for it, morals completely thrown out the window. (I'll go more in depth about their relationship in another post)

Lancelot - Galahad

The most strained relationship amongst all of them. Lancelot tends to freak Galahad out accidentally and Galahad tends to detonate Lancelot bombs prematurely in battle using his Fire Ability, not to mention that Galahad isn't too fond of the bombs to begin with. They had to develop entirely new battle strategies to work with each other in combat just in case they had to fight alongside one another. That being said, Galahad has nothing but respect for Lancelot and wishes to one day be able to mimic his ability to command the Dark Matter Tribe he originated from, but with Dream Matter. (After the events of the bad ending they'd continue to work together, unsure where else to go to from that point on.)

Lancelot - Percival

Lancelot is like a crazy uncle to Percival who is just a little bit too enthusiastic about bombs. They've developed bomb arrows together, combining their special interests into a deadly weapon. Percival is one of few people who doesn't consider Lancelot intimidating and is always happy to have him around. When Percival breaks the GSA rules or makes some kind of mistake he usually reports to Lancelot instead of Arthur, since he kindly helps to cover it up as much as he can most of the time. These two are the most open about each other's more out there ideas approving of the other enthusiastically.

Galahad - Percival

These two grew up with one another and are practically inseparable. If there is one of them chances are the other isn't too far away. Their combat tactics are entirely based on their dynamic as a team. Galahad would go to hell and back for Percival and even abandoned his birth clan to continue to be by his side. He always looks out for his well-being, even more than Arthur does. Despite that it's usually Percival who watches over Galahad from afar in combat situations, sniping enemies from a distance with his bow while Galahad engages in close combat. Galahad 's companionship is what helps Percival feel at ease even in dire situations. They sing, sleep and eat with one another since day one, pair bonded for life ever since they first met.

[lunaconstantinerp]

wishlist/plot ideas

For any muses:

Luna finding your muse in need of medical attention or your finding her in need of it

Inquiry about her magic abilities/forming aliances based on this

For Aegon:

First meeting while they're both relatively young and she lives with her mother

Difficult conversations such as "do you love me?" Or "why does no one love me?" From drunk Aegon; possibly leading to angry smut if he doesn't get the response he wants

Deep conversations after sex

Aegon finding her on the street after her mom dies, possibly buying her a small place in fleabottom because "he doesn't want her to be all gross from the streets if they're gonna bone"

Aegon sleeping over and discovering her magic when she cures his hungover for the first time

Aegon and Luna jokingly fantasies about running away together before he's crowned king

Drunk escapades in general

For Aemond

Aemond discovering Aegon's "friendship" with Luna and warning her to stay away

Aemond discovering Aegon's "friendship" with Luna and wanting to steal her for himself just to spite Aegon[possible noncon]

Aemond discovering Aegon's "friendship" with Luna and making deals with her to keep Aegon happy or sober for certain times/keeping him busy so he can have Helaena

Aemond meeting her and not knowing who she is but discovering her powers

Aemond being jealous/angry/pissy/possessive in general

Aemond finding out that Aegon secretly bought a house/apartment in Fleabottom and investigating. This would be before Aegon is crowned king because he buys Luna place to stay pretty soon after her mother dies. [Could be for either Luna or Aegon]

For Alicent;

Alicent discovering Luna's relation to Aegon and trying to talk her out of it/reprimanding her/setting conditions

Alicent discovering Luna's Magical powers and trying to secure them for the greens

Aegon and Alicent having a real conversation about how they feel about each other and why Aegon acts the way he does.

For Daemon:

Luna falling pregnant to Aegon and seeking asylum with the blacks because Alicent wants to kill the child.

Aegon announcing his intentions to make Luna his second wife and Daemon taking her as a warprisoner or forcing her to be his second wife instead out of spite. This will at the very least start out as an enemy dynamic.

AU where instead of meeting and connection with Aegon in the Pleasurehouse it's Daemon! He famously had a thing for deflowering and the Pleasurehouse kept girls around solely for that purpose back in the day, but when he returns one day, the only virgin they have is Luna whose mother has refused to let serve in that manner. But since her mother, like most of the whores from back in the day, has a soft spot for the Rouge Prince she let's him deflower Luna.

For Rhaenyra:

Aegon pulling Rhaenyra aside at the family dinner and pleading with her to let him name her hand if he is crowned. Because he doesn't want the responsibility and thinks it would be in everyone's best interest if she acted at the ruler.

For Astarion:

Would LOVE to do a piece of Sam[bard] showing Astarion some drawing she did of him. Doesn't need to be romantic... just her being like "They're not great... but uhm.. here's a rough idea of your face. Idk..." /I would also be interested someone showing my Astarion a picture they drew of him.

Sam telling Astarion that he was /her/ first and the angst if her realising that what had been immensely special to /her/ had been nothing but a trade to /him/.

Sam asking Astarion how he goes on with all that hurt inside of him when she's only had but a taste of it and already she finds it difficult to keep pushing through.

Sam admitting to Astarion that as a bard who never picked up a weapon before this whole tadpole ordeal she feels so... powerless... next to everyone and Astarion using this to either bond or convince her told him seek more power

[andro-dino]

I am not sure if you are still in this phase of fanning, hOWEVER I could not get it out of my mInd— any soul eater x beyblade Headcanons???

OH YIPPEEE SOUL EATER AU TIME

- so one of the pairings I’m most certain about is Shinobu being a scythe (which is mostly because I found out Soul and Shinobu have the same Japanese va) and Zyro being his meister. I think they’d still have a similar dynamic at the beginning, with Shinobu being reluctant to partner with zyro, but he gives in eventually. I imagine he started just fine as a solo weapon but he realizes that he’s even stronger with Zyro, and even though it takes a while for them to be able to really match wavelengths, once they do, they’re a pretty unstoppable pair

- When it comes to soul eater aus, I’m always very indecisive about who I wanna make weapons or meisters, and team dungeon is no exception to this. On the one hand, masamune being a meister works really well for his character (I think I might think that partially because he reminds me a bit of Black Star) and I think Toby as a weapon could have really cool abilities (kinda similar to the enchanted sword which is ironically called masamune) but on the other hand, I think it’d be really cool if Toby was like a super strong meister who dual wields masamune and Zeo, who can both wield each other if need be. Masamune obviously being a masamune sword (though in the series he is compared to lance, so that could also work) and for Zeo, initially I really liked the idea of him being one of those super massive anime swords but him being a dagger or something along those lines could also be really cool. I think their goal to become number 1 together could translate really well into them being determined to become death scythes. I also think it’s be really interesting if when the falling out between Zeo and Masamune happens, their wavelengths become unmatched and it’s a whole big thing. I think it’d be neat if Faust ended up being something to do with black blood n all that and in the end, Zeo and Masamune make up and end up needing to bring him back together, so they finally team up again and resonate for the first time in a while and it’d be a whole big emotional moment n everything.

- On the idea of black blood, I think it could definitely be applied to starbreaker as a whole and be tied with the arrangements n everything. Not sure exactly how it would translate beat for beat or anything but it’s a neat thought. I think Damian and Ziggurat could have some interesting parallels to Crona and Medusa, though I think it’d be really interesting and probably really sad actually if Damian actually did end up becoming a kishin in the end. I think a similar concept could be applied to Jack too but I don’t think Jack would fully kishin-ify (which is funny since the first kishin in the show is Jack the Ripper) and I could see him eventually becoming a dwma student afterwards

- yk this is a rough idea that I only just now had but it’d be so fucked up if Doji and Ryo used to be partners and one of them (not sure which would be the weapon here, probably doji, which would be really interesting) successfully turned into a death scythe but then yk. that’d be really dramatic I think

- I’ve talked abt sakyo and takanosuke in this au before so I won’t go too much into it here (but I do love them dearly they r definitely some of my favorites here) but an idea I absolutely adore is before them partnering up, Takanosuke being a weapon looking for a meister and being set on Zyro at first. At this point Shinobu and Zyro would already be partners so I think it’d be fun to see a jealous Shinobu getting completely ignored by takanosuke trying to convince Zyro to partner with him. Obviously this doesn’t work out and Takanosuke keeps looking, which eventually leads him to Sakyo.

- Ive mentioned Sakyo being able to fight with his soul wavelength before and I think Ryuga probably would be able to too. He’d also definitely ride solo and never partner up. Also, just thinking abt this now, I realize how well the stuff with the dark power can work like madness too. It’d work almost exactly the same with doji trying to amplify ryuga’s madness in the dark nebula and Ryuga eventually being consumed by it before learning how to conquer it and eventually help Tsubasa who goes on his own madness spiral. Only addition would be I definitely think Doji would be affected really hard by madness too, basically losing himself to it by the time fury would take place.

-another team I have a lot of trouble deciding roles for is excalibur, because the most obvious and logical route would be Julian being a meister and dual wielding Sophie and wales (who I think would be spears) and Klaus being a solo weapon, however, the sword and axe route with Julian and Klaus being weapons wielded by Sophie and wales respectively is also really interesting, especially with the potential comedic element of Julian somehow being related to canon Excalibur because that would be really funny to me.

I like to think that at some point, Sophie, wales, and Klaus become really interested in the story of Excalibur and Julian pipes in with a “trust me, he’s really not all that” and they’re like “YOU KNOW EXCALIBUR?” and are very insistent on him introducing them. They are eventually underwhelmed as all are, but not before being shellshocked upon finding out that Julian and Excalibur are related

I’ve had this in my notebook for a while lolz

[randomidiocyncrazies]

some more musings on the HaruJin Utena AU:

If Yuujin is going to be the Sword instead of the Bride—specifically in order to present as an active character with agency and to preserve Haru’s hero-worship—I think him being to shapeshift according to his wielder’s preference could be kind of cool...

In Utena, the Rose Bride is stated to be an empty vessel (because they don’t see Anthy as a person), so Yuujin shifting his sword-form to reflect his current wielder’s preference is a hint that his agency is limited without stating it explicitly? Like, the audience sees his sword form looking different depending on who is wielding him, but are never explicitly told whether these differences are voluntary on Yuujin’s part or not—key elements probably look the same (color scheme and basic decorative elements etc) but he becomes a different type of sword/blade depending on his wielder.

Hm... going a step further, would he be able to become different types of weapons/tools in the hands of different wielders? I envisioned him as a sword because that’s like a ‘classic’ hero weapon, but I think it’d be kind of cool if he’s a shield for Haru—both to reflect Haru’s nature as someone who’s motivated to protect other people, and to reflect the initial (perceived) dynamic between the two where Yuujin is assumed to be Haru’s protector

But then again... Hero/Protagonist is the key concept attached to Haru and Yuujin, and swords are heavily associated with heroes...

Haru has to lose Yuujin at least once:

I think Knight is a good candidate for the role, since Haru did lose Yuujin to him (and, combined with the loss of Gatchmon, motivated Haru to progress in his character development in Appmon canon).

Plus, Haru was taken in by Knight before the guy showed his true colors... there’s some similarity with Utena and Touga’s first match, though Touga put in a lot more effort to specifically manipulate Utena

On the other hand, I think it’d be interesting if Rei got his hands on Yuujin for a short while, and it’s part of why he’s so suspicious of him—maybe Rei dug deeper into the system and found weird data discrepancies surrounding Yuujin’s records like in Appmon canon, or there’s a suspicious lack of information about how Yuujin became the Hero’s Sword (Hero’s Boon? Hero’s Weapon? idk) etc.

If we try to incorporate Hajime being turned into Sleepmon in this AU, maybe Hajime is also a weapon (and locked in his weapon form???) But then Yuujin’s connection to Leviathan would be way too obvious, since it establishes a link between Leviathan and people who can turn into weapons...

Also, to replicate the relationship between Yuujin and YJ-14 for this AU, maybe... YJ-14 is the real Hero’s Sword? Yuujin is just a decoy/sheath for the real sword, which is why he’s not really aware of his time as a weapon. This is veering away from Utena territory though.

Maybe the Hero’s Sword (YJ-14) is the key to freeing Leviathan from whatever prison its been exiled to? It must be wielded by human hands—because tools are created by humans to serve specific functions etc—so Leviathan lacks the ability to directly use the Hero’s Sword, but can manipulate humans into doing it for him.

Or maybe the Hero’s Sword is to get to Minerva so Leviathan can absorb her, rather than freeing Leviathan from exile?

As for why Yuujin exists, maybe YJ-14 or Leviathan created him as a lure to tempt/incentivize people to use the sword (much like how Yuujin is originally a persona crafted to blend into human society to gather data on Haru in Appmon canon)—after all, Yuujin is much more personable than YJ-14 or Leviathan.

Unlike Anthy, who is ‘present’ for all her suffering and previous cycles, Yuujin’s memories are either reset upon each attempt to free Leviathan/get to Minerva, or this is the first attempt of such a system. I personally like the vibe of there having been multiple previous attempts, but I haven’t come up with justifications for why the previous attempts have failed.

The central conflict isn’t about the cycle of abuse and systemic oppression like in Utena, but about autonomy/agency.

I think a point of contention between Haru and YJ-14 (and Leviathan) is the concept of “a tool is created to serve its purpose, nothing more and nothing less” vs “nobody is should be treated as a tool—even if they’re created as one, they should gain the right to decide their own fate”

Meanwhile, a lowkey conflict might be Yuujin’s “I don’t mind being your sword/a tool in your hands” vs Haru’s increasing discomfort because he sees Yuujin as person

Maybe off topic, but it would be neat to address Eri’s workaholic tendencies too? idk how to fit it in though

Alas, I still haven’t found a way to incorporate the appmons in this AU...

[govindhtech]

SteamWorld Heist 2: A Tactical Turn Masterpiece Gameplay

Introduction

SteamWorld by Image & Form Games features charm, humour, and novel gameplay concepts that attract players. A popular tactical turn-based strategy game called SteamWorld Heist takes place in a steampunk world with strange robot characters. Fans are looking forward to SteamWorld Heist 2 because they think it will build on the game’s skills and add new features. This article discusses SteamWorld Heist 2‘s gameplay, plot, and prospective advances.

SteamWorld Heist Legacy

SteamWorld Heist, a 2015 turn-based strategy-action game, was well-received. The players played Captain Piper Faraday and her motley band of spacefaring robots in strategic shootouts on opposing ships. Using aiming and ricocheting shots to add skill to turn-based gameplay made the game appealing. Its attractive imagery, unique characters, and intriguing story made it a notable indie game.

Universe expansion

Fresh Characters and Stories

The rich steampunk story continues in SteamWorld Heist 2. The story will likely introduce new people and factions to the universe, while details are scarce. Fans will encounter a fresh cast of colourful robots with distinct personalities and skills. With richer character development and more elaborate plots, the developers promise a more immersive experience.

Changing Gameplay Elements

SteamWorld Heist features turn-based tactical combat with precise shooting. These mechanics will be improved in SteamWorld Heist 2. New weapon kinds, abilities, and environmental interactions will complicate and diversify battle, according to early previews. Destructible cover, environmental dangers, and interactive ship interiors can be exploited strategically during conflicts.

Better Customisation

Customising your crew’s weaponry, helmets, and equipment was a feature of the original game. Customisation options for your crew’s gear and appearance will increase in SteamWorld Heist 2. The extended customisation mechanism will let players try out alternative strategies and playstyles, making each session unique.

New and Innovative

Changing Conditions

SteamWorld Heist 2 strives to be more dynamic and engaging than the original game’s procedurally generated ship layouts. Visually diverse surroundings will effect gameplay meaningfully. Dynamic fuel tanks, fluctuating gravity zones, and other hazards can change the game. With dynamic surroundings, players will have to think imaginatively and adapt to changing conditions, adding strategic depth.

Multiplayer cooperatively and competitively

Multiplayer is a major addition to SteamWorld Heist 2. The sequel will have cooperative and competitive multiplayer, unlike the first. Cooperative mode lets teammates face difficult missions and heists together, using their tactical talents to defeat tougher foes. Battles in competitive multiplayer will challenge players’ strategy and shooting skills in a new and thrilling way.

Wider Universe and Lore

SteamWorld Heist 2 will explore new space and reveal deep secrets in the SteamWorld realm. Ancient alien civilizations, lost technologies, and intriguing artefacts will lend mystery to the game‘s story, according to the developers. Missions and locations will incorporate this additional lore for a more immersive experience.

Enhancements to Vision and Audio

Design and Graphics

With improved graphics and animations, SteamWorld Heist 2 will build on the series iconic art style. More complex character models, dynamic lighting, and hand-drawn backgrounds will bring the steampunk setting to life in the game. Fluid movements and striking effects will make tactical warfare more interesting with greater visual integrity.

Audio and Voice

Like previous SteamWorld games, SteamWorld Heist 2‘s music and sound design set the mood. A new soundtrack by renowned musicians will blend catchy tracks with evocative melodies that match the game‘s environment. Developers have also hinted at voice acting for crucial characters to enhance the story and bring the eccentric robot ensemble to life.

Development and community

Input and Engagement

Image & Form Games traditionally engages with players, and SteamWorld Heist 2 is being created with fan feedback. To improve the game and provide features users demand, the developers have been collecting feedback from original players. The sequel will exceed fan expectations thanks to this collaborative approach.

Support and Updates After Launch

SteamWorld Heist 2 will receive post-launch upgrades and material from the developers. To stay fresh, the game gets regular patches, new missions, characters, and customization choices. Seasonal activities and challenges with exclusive rewards will encourage players to return to the game and continue their spacefaring adventures after launch.

SteamWorld Heist 2 release date

On August 8, 2024, SteamWorld Heist 2 has already sailed, so be ready to loot! Put yourself in the shoes of Captain Leeway and his crew in this turn-based pirate adventure as they navigate enormous horizons and deal with a water issue. A chance to customise your swashbuckling robots, funny stories, and fierce ricochet warfare await you!

Conclusion

Adding exciting new features and improving on the original, SteamWorld Heist 2 is shaping up to be a worthy successor. The sequel will offer a deep tactical experience with its improved gameplay mechanics, dynamic settings, wider customisation, and exciting multiplayer activities. SteamWorld Heist 2, which fans eagerly await, is poised to become a tactical turn-based strategy classic that provides hours of strategic fun and steampunk adventure.

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