#to make their own audiences bigger like what happened in the past

[cloudcountry]

i think i may have created way to much pressure on myself when i tell people to send stuff that theyve tagged me in that i've missed. like yes i'd love to be able to read everything you guys send me but im gone most of the day now and its just not possible anymore. it kinda makes me sad because ive probably missed out on so much because of the sheer amount of things in my mentions.

[genericpuff]

This plot point annoyed me so much! I thought she was finally going to open up to Persephone about the reasons why she hated Hades so much, about what he did to her, but no! They just introduced a new yet unnecessary character to the story 🤦🏼‍♀️

What are your thoughts about it?

oh yeah it annoyed the piss out of me too and for one very big reason that is CHRONIC in LO:

It's a solution to a problem Demeter didn't have.

This happens to a lot of characters throughout the comic. They'll have some kind of plot-driven conflict or character-driven flaw, and then it will be solved by something else entirely that had nothing to do with their original problem or doesn't line up with the theme of their storytelling. Minthe had insecurity issues and a toxic relationship with Hades? Just give her a classroom full of children to babysit! Hades had infertility issues? That's fine, Persephone somehow fixes those issues because at the end of the comic they have babies and Hades has his happy ending so it's fine! Hera was in an unhappy relationship with Zeus and had trauma from her past as a victim of Kronos? No problem, just make her an all powerful fertility goddess! Persephone accidentally causes winter which kills possibly thousands of people? Gaia is here to save the day, and also she's the one who makes Persephone return to the Mortal Realm for a couple months with full visitation rights. Apollo is a serial rapist who's attempted murder on several occasions, even against his own father in an attempt to take the throne? Community service, that'll solve it.

Demeter is one of the biggest examples of Rachel's inability of writing an actual cohesive plotline. She writes like the only goal is to come up with new twists to keep people reading each week without ever considering what themes or questions she should be answering throughout. So when she does pose questions, the answers often wind up being severely disconnected because she can't be bothered to actually plan out a plotline with narrative structure, she just needs 'things' to happen. To put it bluntly and simply, she writes like how a 13 year old on Wattpad would write, no actual thinking about the material she's presenting, no consideration for the curtains and what color they are, just "make the things happen so that people will keep reading because that's what writing is!"

Demeter's problem wasn't her failing to understand Persephone. It was people failing to understand her when she had reasonable cause to both be wary of Persephone moving to Olympus as well as Hades and his intentions with her daughter. But because Rachel needs to have the perfect happy ending for her self-insert power fantasy couple, she resorts to gaslighting both Demeter as well as the audience by extension into believing that the solution to Demeter's character arc... is understanding Persephone more.

Like first of all, the moral "people just want to be understood" is way, WAY too "baby's first storyline" at this point in the story especially when we've tried to tackle much bigger topics like sexual assault, and when we know how complex Demeter's backstory is. There's no way she needs to be told by Hebe that people just want to be "understood". She absolutely knows this already, and has been fighting to be understood by her siblings and peers and family for centuries, but of course, everyone sees her as just "the contrarian".

But then the final solution is... the sudden appearance of Demophoon as her long-lost child, and Hades giving her the volcanoes. That's it. She doesn't get to actually become Queen of the Mortal Realm, she never really gets closure over the past 2000 years of abuse from everyone around her, Hades just - like with everyone - buys her affection and she gets a new baby to pour her attention into instead of Persephone and we're all just forced to go along with it for the sake of Rachel's fantasy.

Rachel can't write (￢_￢;)

[markantonys]

i'll be interested to see if this holds true for WOT s3 since the s1 finale had so many extenuating circumstances and can't really be included in the comparison, but based off of the s2 finale, i believe that season finales tend to bear the brunt of "It's Different From The Books!" ire because they are the culmination of all the smaller changes made throughout the season.

this turned into a bigger analysis post than i expected lmao par for the course with my blog! read on for exploration of how the 2x08 conclusion of each season-long arc is the the most emotionally satisfying conclusion and/or the most thematically appropriate conclusion possible based on the show's particular version of the story, plus a bonus tangent on the nature of adaptation.

for a finale episode, the writers' prime concern 100% has to be "wrapping up all the season's arcs in a way that feels satisfying with everything that's happened in the first 7 episodes, using the book version of the finale event as the framework" rather than "recreating the book version of the finale event exactly as it is with all the same scenes and themes". the nature of storytelling inherently means that every single person who tells the same story will focus on different themes (just think of how many versions of the hades & persephone story there are), and a good adaptation knows that being internally consistent with its own Emphasized Themes is more important than copying-and-pasting scenes from the source material without making any changes to account for the specific way this adaptation is telling the story.

(but a lot of people can't even get past this first point because they don't understand that this is how adaptations - how storytelling in general - work. like, person B literally cannot tell the exact same story that person A told without putting their own spin on it. it's not possible! unless they're simply reading out the exact words that person A wrote, which can't be done when putting 14 massive books into maximum 64 hours of tv. so many readers like to meet this point with "but why does the books' version of the story need to be changed at all?" which is just a non-starter because a) medium differences require a ton of changes, and b) even if no changes were *required*, they would happen anyway because that is human nature when it comes to storytelling. when it comes to story-listening too! ask a hundred different book fans what WOT is about and you'll get a hundred different answers. rafe & co can't possibly make an adaptation that captures every single reader's idea of What WOT Is About, and nobody in the world could ever re-tell the story of WOT in the exact same way that RJ told it, not even the most die-hard book fan; all rafe & co can do is focus on making sure the show honors the core of the books' story while also telling a good story in its own right, independent of the source material.)

i was a classics major, okay? it gets to me! anyway, corralling myself back on topic.

for 2x08, it's very telling just how far Minority Reader Opinion deviates from the general audience opinion. general audiences fucking LOVED this episode (it's the highest-rated on imdb out of the entire show, currently at a 9.0; most episodes are in the 7-8 range), but a bunch of readers call it disappointing and one of the worst episodes of the show. if it was actually a poor quality episode of television, the general audience ratings would reflect that too (as they do for 1x08, currently at a 6.4 (i personally think 1x08 gets way more hate than is deserved and i thoroughly enjoy that episode, but i accept that's just me)), but they don't.

so what does that mean? to me, it means that 2x08 is objectively a very good episode of television which general audiences found satisfying, but which some readers disliked because it prioritized the emotional & thematic needs of its own version of the story over the exact nature of the falme events in the source material. which is exactly what a good adaptation should do! if you forget the books and just look at the show (which the vast majority of viewers are doing), then every resolution that happens in 2x08 is the most satisfying resolution possible and/or the only resolution that was thematically permitted for that particular season storyline.

egwene: her season arc was about learning to stand on her own two feet and not cling onto her mentor figures or compare herself unfavorably to others. thus, her freeing herself from the a'dam is the most satisfying possible conclusion to her season arc. nynaeve and elayne freeing her in the books is nice, but in the show version, thematically, it would've undercut egwene's Overcoming Impostor Syndrome arc to go "yeah actually it's true that she's not good enough on her own and when it comes down to it she does always need nynaeve to help her out". that version worked in TGH where she didn't have an Overcming Impostor Syndrome arc, but it wouldn't have worked in the show where she did. (but, yes, egwene learning in 2x08 that she doesn't have to rely on others is a double-edged sword, which nicely sets up her later-series struggles with trying to shoulder too much herself and not letting even her friends or partner help her.)

rand: his season arc was about learning to lean on others and not isolate himself or try to protect his friends by withholding his burdens from them. thus, him failing to defeat ishamael until all his friends come to lend aid in various ways is the most satisfying possible conclusion to his season arc. rand defeating ishy singlehandedly in the books is nice, but in the show version, thematically, it would've undercut his Learning That Strength Is In Numbers arc to go "yeah actually it's true that rand is capable of winning his biggest battles all by himself and thus it's no problem for him to push his friends away". given the themes that s2 emphasized for rand, the only appropriate finale outcomes were either success with his friends' help or total failure on his own, and they chose the former. (that being said, rand pushing his friends away is a continuous issue for him throughout the series, so i doubt he's perfectly learned his lesson after 2x08; we shall see!)

interesting to note that rand and egwene have inverse arcs in a way (foils!) and that some elements of their book falme climaxes were swapped, and that the way the show has done it subverts the expected gender roles. typically, men are expected to be Lone Wolves and women to be Team Players, and the WOT books absolutely play into these stereotypes throughout the series (sometimes intentionally as social commentary, sometimes unconsciously as an accepted truth of the world), but 2x08 and s2 more broadly did the opposite with our yin-and-yang co-protagonists. it's egwene who has the arc about learning to be a Lone Wolf and rand who has the arc about learning to be a Team Player. and imo these subconscious gender role expectations are a part of why some readers (esp reddit) got SO heated about "how come egwene can succeed by herself but rand can't", because it feels Wrong to them and Not How Things Are Supposed To Work (they've never questioned why rand can succeed by himself but egwene needs her friends' help in TGH, or all the other times in the books when men succeed by themselves and women succeed by relying on each other). but it's a totally apples-to-oranges comparison because egwene and rand had totally different season arcs and focal themes (but many paralleling & foiling moments within that), and so they each get a conclusion tailor-made to their individual stories.

mat: his season arc was about realizing he's a good, worthy person, finding the inner strength to overcome his worst impulses and temptations, and coming through for his friends after leaving them at the waygate. thus, him getting his Big Damn Hero moment with the horn of valere, getting validation that he is literally a hero, and overall spending the episode doing all he can to support his friends is the most satisfying possible conclusion to his season arc. (but stabbing his bff just as he was flying on a confidence high and trying to save the day was a downer note to end on, so we've complicated his relationship with heroism and set up some more internal issues for him to wrestle with next season.)

perrin: his season arc was about learning to acknowledge his inner wolf but also coming to regard it with fear and to believe that wolf & human sides can't coexist and he must Choose One (.......suddenly being struck by the bisexuality metaphor of it all. nice!) thus, him giving into violence to murder a human to avenge a wolf is.....well, it's pretty upsetting for him and serves to reinforce his growing belief that his two sides can't coexist, but thematically, it's fascinating and sets him up for some really great internal (and external) conflicts in s3. he's just gotten what he thinks is pretty strong evidence to corroborate ishy's claim that embracing his wolf side means embracing the shadow, so he's set up for a season 3 of deep-diving into his relationship with violence and his inner wolf. it's also a neat parallel with 1x08: there perrin's avoidance of violence allowed fain to escape, whereas here his embracing of violence has traumatized him (again), so our poor guy is really feeling conflicted in the pacificism-or-violence question because both sides seem wrong to him right now. huh, i guess perrin's full-series arc is about finding a middle ground rather than one extreme (pacifism/tuatha'an/human) or the other (violence/aiel/wolf). i feel like i've just had an epiphany lmao this is why i love the show! it tells the same story as the books, but tells it in a different way that makes me think about it differently and gain new insights!

nynaeve: her season arc was about learning that she, on her own, as she is today, is not enough to protect her loved ones. this is a tough pill for both her and the audience to swallow! but it's needed for her character, and we see it in the books too. nynaeve has an incredible amount of power, but she's terrified of having that much power and wants to pretend it doesn't exist. she's resistant to change, she's used to being in charge, and she's very "my way or the highway". these are all things she needs to grow out of (or moderate, at least) in order to be able to step up and do her part for tarmon gai'don. she has to learn how to embrace her power instead of being afraid of it or being too stubborn to let other people guide her and teach her, so s2 shows her what happens if she doesn't, first hypothetically in the accepted test (everyone she loves dies because she's blocked and refused channeling training) and then for real in falme (she couldn't help elayne fully or rand at all because of her block). so her 2x08 conclusion being Total Failure is not emotionally satisfying, no, but it's thematically exactly what she needed and will goad her into facing her block head-on next season. thematically, like rand, nynaeve only had 2 options for falme: break her block and succeed, or retain her block and fail, and it was too soon for the former (we gotta let her cook a while longer, plus the story will become too easy if nynaeve, or rand, reaches supernova capability too soon), so it had to be the latter. if the show had gone with a third option of her succeeding without breaking her block, then that would've taught her and the audience that it's fine to leave the block in place and she doesn't need to challenge herself to grow as a person, because when it TRULY matters she can always get around the block.

other characters get appropriate resolutions too! moiraine and lan get to work together to succeed after being at odds and failing on their own all season (rand foils!). elayne gets validation that she is an essential and trusted part of the friend group after feeling like somewhat of an outsider earlier in the season. ishamael getting vanquished and lanfear betraying him only to be betrayed by him in turn is exactly where their mutual mistrust was leading them (and it shows us why it's so important that Team Light be able to work as a team rather than as self-interested individual operators; the contrast between ishy & lanfear looking at the seals together while plotting to betray each other vs. rand standing on the tower with all his friends behind him makes me cry your honor. imagine hating that ishy's defeat was a team effort, could not be me!)

(it's also worth noting that the characters who had the least individual success/victory in 2x08 (nynaeve, rand, perrin) are the ones who will have the biggest individual storylines in s3 (tanchico & moggy, waste arc, two rivers arc), whereas the characters who had the most individual success/victory (egwene, mat, moiraine, lan) are the ones who will be taking a bit more of a backseat (of course they all have their own stuff to do, but none of them is *the* lead character of their TSR/s3 traveling group). this is intentional!)

so there you have it. 2x08 is adored by the general audience, and it's because of this: it gives us some damn satisfying conclusions to all the season arcs (and some exciting and visually stunning battle sequences to boot), and all the viewers who AREN'T beleaguered by "But The Books!", which is most of them, recognize that for the good storytelling it is. i for one will always care far more about the show telling a good story within itself than the show being identical to the books, and rafe & co will too, as they should.

the only downside to the episode is that, yes, it is quite cramped for time because there are a lot of arcs to wrap up. this should be less of an issue in future seasons when the season finale isn't "every single major storyline converges in the same place at once". for example, judging by the "goldeneyes" episode title it seems s3 might split it up so that perrin's conclusion in the two rivers is in 3x07 while other conclusions in other locations are in 3x08, giving each more breathing room. whereas 2x08 had no choice but to stuff everything in that episode into that specific episode because it's not like perrin could just do his falme stuff an episode early and take a nap while everyone else was doing THEIR falme stuff in the next episode, nor could the full falme sequence have been split into 2 episodes since that would have disrupted the flow of the story. the only solution would be for 2x08 to be extra long, which is nice to imagine, but we all know that streaming shows almost never deviate from their set episode lengths and so there isn't much point sighing about "this episode should have been 90 minutes long!" because that just is not on the table, never has been, and never will be. the first step to being able to jive with an adaptation is making peace with the limits of its particular medium!

plus, the only things i might deem "missing" from 2x08 are non-essential (ingtar darkfriend reveal - that is NOT important fight me, it's only important in the books as our first example of a morally-gray shadow-aligned person but the show has already been doing that in spades) or will likely be included in 3x01 (the gang spending some time together to breathe and process and catch up). at the end of the day, the show is always going to need to be paced very very tightly with not as much breathing room as those of us accustomed to entire books dedicated to reacting to the previous book might expect. and 2x08 did manage to pack in a LOT of character work amidst all the action and did a good mix of resolving s2 arcs while leaving some unresolved to carry into s3 and introducing some new arcs/issues/conflicts, all within 70 minutes, which i find pretty impressive. in conclusion, 2x08 my fucking beloved <3

[zvezdacito]

A Different Perspective on the Raverne -> Crowley theories, who to trust and a way of tying it to the themes of the story

Preface: This isn't really gonna be a super serious compilation of solid proof, symbolism or anything, more like just me yapping abt something I happened to randomly think of yesterday and thought "it would actually be kinda interesting from a writing standpoint if this is the thing they go for instead of what everyone was expecting". Kind of long but I promise it will be at least interesting AU material if anything so just bear with me lmao

Ok so basically so far the general trajectory of theories is something bad happened to Raverne while he was missing that made him into Crowley who is doing some kind of evil scheming that will disregard the safety of his family and students sooner or later. Generally Raverne is the good self while Crowley is the fucked up self, and it would probably be better if Raverne was here instead of him

But what if it's actually more like the other way around. That Raverne is the one we should be looking out for, and Crowley is the trustworthy version of him this entire time?

What if everything Raverne went through made it inevitable for him to snap and be vengeful and do evil shit so Crowley is basically his sane self's last ditch effort to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone and ruin people's lives, basically using the goofy Crowley personality to suppress and forget the vengeful Raverne personality

Like the "Raverne's soul got fractured and split into pieces and the pieces that remember his past are sealed away" theories, but instead of usual reasons it's him who sealed them away ironically to remain as true to his original self as possible, than if it remained and he turned into someone violent and hateful against his own principles.

I feel like it would be even more of a twist since they keep emphasizing how kind and peaceful Raverne is so I don't think neither Meleanor, Lilia nor the audience would expect the OG Raverne described that way to actually turn out cruel and untrustworthy who the seemingly suspicious and cowardly Crowley was actually trying to manage the whole time

Also it would kind of be more straightforward as to why he would choose to forget Lilia and Malleus than if Crowley was fucked up Raverne and forgot them even though his goal would be to revive Meleanor and his old life with them anyway

It's hard to tell right now but Crowley despite his goofiness doesn't really seem to harbor any malice against anyone, nor would he be the type to seriously blood sacrifice any of his students, even if he does abandon them sometimes. In this new context maybe it would even make sense if he abandons them so the subconcious Raverne doesn't try to find opportunity to break out/cause trouble through blot and magic related situations?

So yeah it would be cool if it turned out Crowley was the "good" version of Raverne all along, and Raverne overtly and subtextually is just trying to gaslight the audience into distrusting Crowley so they can set a chain reaction of events going to unseal him so he can do whatever he wants to

Also Crowley probably knows he has to keep Raverne locked away no matter what but also doesn't dare try to remember what Raverne remembers because that would go against the whole point of keeping Raverne locked away in the first place. His memory of his past is just puzzle pieces w/o the bigger picture. He has to be atleast partially aware that he has to not give in to the voice in the back of his mind for the sake of others

Like he knows he had to leave behind a family behind and forget them so he would not hurt them, but he doesn't exactly remember who anymore which is why he isn't really flinching or anything when around Malleus and Lilia at NRC

Though I feel like him suppressing Raverne lowkey also took a toll on his mental state. So they actual conclusion would for him to basically symbolically stop suppressing his trauma in an attempt to be a perfect victim because it's not working either way and the only way for Raverne to rest in peace is if he finds closure. Whatever that may be.

Maybe if Yuu and co. find out they encourage him to do this to his surprise basically saying "Don't worry headmage we'll beat the shit out of evil Raverne for you if he goes out of control (you are so annoying so we've always wanted to do this)"

The reveal and Crowley needing to stop supressing Raverne in his subconcious to let him process what he should have would make sense, since it would also tie in to the overarching theme around the overblots:

That even though they're ugly and hurtful manifestations of trauma they need to play out so the OBer can finally grow as a person instead of bottling it all up and being in denial

And also so they can finally come to terms with something that happened to them even if they can't change it

^ Accidentally sort of also combined this with the "Crowley's mask is hiding the fact that he's in a paused state of overblot that he just managed to sorta control" theory. Maybe overblot is what he had to stop Raverne from devolving into in the first place

↑ This ties back to my HC for Raverne's personality being a natural coward and not as battle-oriented but tries to be strong, as he sees Meleanor and Lilia to be as well as making the most out of the skills the does have (using cowardice and sensitivity to be a master diplomat and educator instead) so he can feel like he has the right to continue to stand by their side. Maybe he didn't even care much for being considered kind until that's what Mel and Lilia saw his actions as instead of weak or foolish, that being what made him want to work on that newly defining trait of his now

Lilia at one point mentions that even tho Raverne tries to perform honor student he could be as picky of an eater as Meleanor was and Lilia would have to eat his spare food too

Adding to the possibility Raverne was always the type to make twice an effort to be 'kind' and strong to compensate for his nature that he sees as inherently lacking. This is also probably why he'd be super harsh on himself as Crowley

Oomf also suggested that this may add a layer to why his catchphrase ended up being "For I'm so gracious". As if to remind himself to keep up the effort to be such because he fears his natural state is one that isn't, as well as him encouraging himself to always be forgiving so Raverne doesn't gain the upper hand from his subconcious

↑ Ok so I don't have the brainpower to paraphrase this too so I'll just copy paste what I talked to another oomf about here because it's also interesting

That's pretty much it, hope the general idea and effect was conveyed properly🔥🔥🔥 I don't think the exact details need to be followed since it probably has a bunch of holes itself, but the general gist of Crowley being the more positive side of Raverne instead of the expected inverse all along + it making more sense as to why Raverne would be motivated to forget + tying into the themes of overblotting and trauma would be interesting I think. Kind of a clever misdirection. All of this is not super substantiated though since even now we barely know anything about either Raverne or Crowley, so really only time will tell. Personally kinda got attached to this direction for Crowley's character so I hope they go with something adjacent to the heart fo it at least

The other option is he's not Raverne at all and we're racking our brains over this for no reason lmao

[solei-eclipse]

[ ALNST SEASON 39 ] - A New Era Has Begun!

Exclusive interview with SIDE A : ROUND ONE stars CIRRUS & AZURE!

The stars have aligned yet again for a brand new season of ALIEN STAGE!

With four times as many contestants, the competition is sure to be four times more rigorous! What will happen? Who will win? Well, the sky's the limit!

ALIEN STAGE MAGAZINE is proud to present an exclusive pre-round interview of CIRRUS & AZURE.

[ contestants have been interviewed separately. ]

What have you been up to since your graduation from the Anakt Garden? How has your life and routine changed since then?

AZURE : A lot of performing and photoshoots, i could hardly keep up! This is all quite new to me since the change of crowd, been more sociable than usual. But this is the life that I should get used to if it means to be with you all.

CIRRUS : It’s certainly a lot different than what I’m used to, before ANAKT I spent most of my time alone and indoors. Now I’m around people a lot and it took a while to adjust, but I think it’s going pretty well. Photoshoots are rather fun and performing in front of other people has gotten easier as I’ve gone smaller events, I think it’s best to be prepared for what’s to come.

How do you feel about the start of the new ALIEN STAGE season? Are you feeling any pressure as the opening act of the show?

AZURE : I mean, who wouldn't? but nervousness does not even rival the excitement of performing to you all, so you could say that i'm looking forward to it. This season gives me the opportunity to showcase a new wave, one that's bigger than the past seasons. I hope that wave reaches to you.

CIRRUS : There is pressure, certainly, but I think it wouldn’t exist if not for this pressure. It is a form of entertainment, no matter how cruel. I am anxious knowing what the outcome may be, and I wish Azure the best of luck, but I know that I cannot change what happens in the end.

What do you think is your charm?

AZURE : I'll let you decide on that. Although, I do hear some people saying that it's my eyes with the company of my voice. They see it fit, and i'm glad to hear so.

CIRRUS : It is difficult to speak on one’s own charm when you’re unfamiliar with yourself, I think. I’d like to think it would be my eyes, but I’m aware they can be rather intimidating as well.

What are your recent interests?

AZURE : Exploring different concepts. My guardian has always been the artistic type, so I was pretty exposed to uniqueness ever since I was young. I do hope I could use these ideas in my performances.

CIRRUS : My interests as of late have been the human mind. It’s a very captivating subject. I would love to learn as much as I can about everyone, and what makes them tick…

Has your guardian been involved in your preparation for ALIEN STAGE?

AZURE : Of course, he is very excited, and I am too. Performing for you all is such a privilege, and I'm thankful that my guardian has given me such an opportunity. With that, i hope you all enjoy.

CIRRUS : My guardian has never been very physically present in my life, but as of late, they seem a little more interested, though not as much as everyone else, it seems.

How are you preparing for your performance with Cirrus/Azure?

AZURE : What is preparation without practice? I like to use my time polishing skills that i already have.

CIRRUS : It’s not been easy to find something that truly helped me feel prepared, but the best thing I’ve found is to simply give it my all in practicing both my communication and my singing. I don’t aim to make enemies, so I’d like this to be as fair as possible, and I want us both to do our best.

Speaking of Cirrus/Azure, what do you think of them?

AZURE : They're interesting. They have this certain vibe that could capture the audience, color me intrigued.

CIRRUS : Azure seems a lot like me, in a way, though I seem to be more interested in people. His mindset is quite interesting. I haven’t met many like him. We both have intriguing eyes, in my opinion. I wonder if they could be used as an intimidation tactic… I’m certainly interested to see what he thinks about all of this.

Do you think you can win?

AZURE : Oh? Let's leave the results for later, wouldn't want it to ruin the performance.

CIRRUS : I believe that either of us could win. If I’m honest, though, he seems to have more motivation. As much as I’d love to be able to see what happens to everyone else, in the end, I cannot change what the outcome stacks up to be.

Do you have anything to say to your opponent?

AZURE : I'm looking forward to performing with you, good luck.

CIRRUS : Let’s make this an illustrious opening, shall we?

© ANAKT GROUP, ALIEN STAGE MAGAZINE 30XX

Cirrus : @yunoftheclouds

Azure : @azureitri / @4listr

[infinstar]

There is so much that I love about Ayaka chan wa Hiroko senpai ni koishiteru episode 6 but I understand other peoples concerns.

Before we judge Risa and Mama (and others in the bar) we need to understand their purposes as characters within the story as well as what their personalities are like. Because it is as much as about them as characters as well as what they represent in this story. Firstly, they are representing three generations of lesbian attitudes and behaviours. Risa and Ayaka being unabashedly confident in themselves as they don't deliberately hide their sexuality (and also in Risa's case, seeing the lying about one's identity as cowardice) representing the confidence, innocence and straight forwardness of the younger generation. Ayaka represents the middle generation in this case who has experienced that acting on their feelings/being herself has consequences in the wider society that we live in as well as to the people we love (she represents to me the that our lives are bigger than our own quote). Which results in her being more reserved and cautious navigating this world still hiding aspects of herself depending on the context. Mama represents a more older generation who has also probably seen various types of queers walk through that bar opening up to her about their experiences as well as her own. She understands both the younger and middle generation (and might've gone through a similar path herself). She is the balanced voice of reason in this series as well as everyone's confidant. Hence why it is appropriate for her to reveal to us about Hiroko's past.

Hiroko has been living a double life to her own detriment for the last ten years. She has kept a facade of a cool co-worker/manager that is extremely capable of work, reliable whilst managing interpersonal relationships in a cohesive non-judgemental way - this allows her to avoid others attention to herself as a person as that would break the facade. But she was not always like this as seen in the way she confused to Chinatsu senpai in the past (which reminded me of Ayaka haha). The facade is the manifestation of her guilt she feels towards Chinatsu senpai and she sees it as her responsibility to maintain it at all costs otherwise in her perspective senpai resigning would've become meaningless. This was the main reason she was blind to Ayaka's advances because it happened at her workplace. In her personal life she is extremely open about her sexuality and though in the first episode in the lesbian bar she comes off easy going as she flirts with others (but I have a feeling that she did not have any serious relationships after the incident as her guilt would've been too strong).

For me it makes sense why Mama would tell Hiroko's past to Ayaka and Risa (and subsequently to us as the audience). Mama knows the history of Hiroko, before the incident and after the incident to who she has become today. She also one of the few people that knows that Ayaka likes Hiroko (which I think Risa might have picked up on as well). She can see Hiroko's walls that she has built to protect herself and knows that Hiroko won't let go of that facade to even give Ayaka and herself a chance. We need to judge Mama's actions through the perspective of Hiroko not our own. She had Hiroko's best interest at heart irregardless of her actions. If Hiroko is angry at her then we would see some confrontation regarding her and Mama (and the other bar guests in future episodes). But from what we have seen of Hiroko so far, I doubt it would be like that because Hiroko herself knows she needs some intervention to breakdown the walls she barricaded herself with. I think it is unfair to judge characters actions as if there is only one "right" way of doing things because that's not true in fiction or in real life.

I still love love Risa. I was really glad that she told plainly that it is Hiroko that Ayaka likes and it is her straightforwardness that actually gets through to Hiroko. It is also consistent with Risa's personality that she did that because like Ayaka she doesn't hide her feelings when it matters. She is highly passionate and loves Ayaka that she is trying to help them get together and decided to stop her unrequited feelings because she values her friendship with Ayaka. Her actions might not be the "correct" ones but she is a good friend in her own way and I want to appreciate that.

I am looking forward to seeing how Ayaka is able to break down Hiroko's facade in the workplace to show her that it is different to ten years ago. (But also thinking in terms of how there still is no law protecting those discriminated on the basis of their sexuality in Japan, I wonder if they will portray acceptance only within the current workplace itself)

[ride-thedragon]

Imagine all the tasty drama we could've enjoyed if we hadn't been so fixated on Rhaenyra and Alicent with their whole "girlboss" saga. Especially in "The Blacks," there was so much potential in delving into the kids' lives.

Take Jace, Luke, Baela, and Rhaena, for instance, each navigating their own conflicts after their parents' hasty marriage following the deaths of Laenor and Laena. Baela and Rhaena could have harbored deep resentment toward Rhaenyra for replacing their beloved mother. Baela might still hold her father, Daemon, in high regard but feel betrayed by his favoritism towards Rhaenyra. The tension of Baela resenting Rhaenyra while loving Jace? Pure gold! Rhaena...isolated from her sister, neglected by her father, and full of loathing for Rhaenyra. Her development could’ve been so much more interesting, showcasing her growth in diplomacy, strategy, and politics. They could have shown us how she risked her life to claim a dragon! (Why does it have to be off-screen?!) Rhaenys and Corlys’ feelings towards the boys could've been so interesting! Did Corlys come to care for them genuinely, or only Luke? Did he view a grandchild or a political piece? How did Jace and Luke feel about their younger brothers, who look like true Targaryens? Did they harbor resentment towards them? The way Jace and Luke view Daemon, their new stepfather, could’ve been interesting too. Luke loses Laenor, and Jace loses not one father figure but two, Laenor and Harwin. And Daemon is so much different from Laenor... Watching Jace start to embrace his Targaryen roots, distancing himself from his Velaryon identity, would’ve been gripping! Did Jace push Luke to do the same, making them both painfully aware of their heritage and appearance? When did Luke start referring to Laenor as "Ser Laenor" instead of "father"? Did they ever feel guilty just for existing, knowing they’d never be enough? Ah, the juicy drama we missed out on!

I, too, wish they cared about the team black faction as a bunch of characters who are different with the same goal. They just don't seem to think any conflict can be allowed or that any character interactions matter past love interests, Daemon and Rhaenyra, which is just incredibly unfortunate.

Jace's anger this season being framed as wrong is so unfortunate because, in all honesty, what has he done that is so wrong? I would've killed to see him trying to bring Corlys into the fold.

None of the kids get to react, and when they do, it's never in a fair light because it can't last long enough before we as the audience forget they are a family, I guess. Season one was a rush to the start line, which I get, but season 2 has been so incredibly lacking. All the greens interact this season, past important relationships, and we see the way they play the game. Alicent and Larys were actively manipulating Aegon. We don't have anything close to that for the team black kids. Although they kinda are throwing Helaena to the wayside, we can still turn her around.

With the blacks, every relationship is strained to no real end because we don't get conflict. We are still left assuming 6 episodes in.

I don't like it at all, and I do think it's one of the bigger issues with the season. A lot of folks say it's boring or nothing is happening, but they took what should've been an introspective and character driven season and made it about the 'main characters'. I hope it pays off, but I'm halfway checked out, watching them rip Rhaena away and trying to mould her into Nettles and Baela.

To next season!

[tapioca-puddingg]

Why GoWR Valhalla Is Important

Hey. It's me again. This time I'm not yelling about Kingdom Hearts or Drakengard, but I wanted to talk about God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla today and why I think it's important in trauma-centered narratives. This isn't a detailed analysis, just me spitballing.

SPOILER WARNING: There will be spoilers for God of War Ragnarök: Valhalla, so please proceed with caution!

EDITED: 2/26/24

As a brief summary, Kratos spent almost the entirety of GoW 2018 refusing to talk about his past. His guilt, shame, and trauma deeply affected his relationship with his son, to the point where he didn't want to be around Atreus bc he was terrified of being a bad influence on him. It was only when Atreus' life was in danger did it force him to finally admit just a sliver of the truth. Now I don't mean to say that Kratos revealing his godhood wasn't a big deal because it absolutely was, I'm just saying that it's just one piece of a MUCH bigger story. Anyway, he recognized his past mistakes, but the shame was too much for him to openly acknowledge it until damn near the end of the game.

Come Ragnarök, Kratos was pretty much an open book. He had grown SO much in those short years of fimbulwinter: He openly talked about his trauma to Mimir and Freya. He worked so hard to be a good father and a good support system to his friends. He went out of his way to make amends with Freya and restore their friendship. And he fought to restore peace to the Nine Realms.

But come Valhalla, Freya wants to recruit Kratos to be the new God of War of the nine realms, or at least to be a part of the new peacekeeping council that she's putting together. Kratos is extremely hesitant to take up the mantle. He doesn't feel worthy or deserving enough to hold this position given all that he's done. He and Mimir (and later on, Tyr) are constantly going back and forth about it. Both perspectives are completely valid. Valhalla is about Kratos facing his past in a more literal sense; parts of Greece have been manifested from Kratos' memories of it, so it's like he gets to be there in real time again. This is about helping him process what happened and to add some nuance to the conversation. It's like free therapy for Kratos.

It's funny too bc you have both opposing viewpoints being represented. On one hand, you have Mimir and Tyr being the supporting/validating voice, and Helios is the contrarian. Since he's a manifestation of Kratos' memories, he represents the doubts that Kratos has about himself. The harsh voice to show how hard he is on himself, and not without good reason.

The reason why I think Valhalla is so important is bc in media, survivor narratives are often linear. The character just "gets over" their trauma and then that trauma isn't addressed again. It's presented more as a hurdle than a lifelong battle. I guess this goes to show how misunderstood survivorhood is. But that isn't how healing works. We regress sometimes, and sometimes we still mull over the things that have happened to us. We might heal, but that trauma does leave emotional scars. So even after the many leaps and bounds Kratos has made, he's not "over" his past, far from it! It still haunts him every day and every night. Valhalla is Kratos still processing everything. From my own healing journey, I've learned that it takes a long, long time to fully process your trauma, if there even is a "fully", anyway. It takes a long time to learn and understand all the complexities and how it affects you in current day. And it takes even longer to process such a complicated history like Kratos'.

Generally speaking about the idea of processing trauma, I said earlier that survivorhood is extremely misunderstood by the masses. Imo, our society is very anti-victim/anti-survivor. So with that in mind, from the perspective of the audience, some might perceive the processing trauma bit as repetitive or "milking it". These are mediums of entertainment after all, so ofc I understand wanting to put out an engaging story where the audience doesn't lose interest. But screw those ppl lol. We have to understand why we do what we do if we want to do better, and it's amazing that a video game is willing to have these conversations. Being more open about all the nuances of processing trauma, grief, healing, etc will go such a long way.

Even the roguelite gameplay style perfectly reflects this theme. Processing this stuff is slow. It doesn't happen overnight. Unless you're in Valhalla, I suppose.

Okay I said this wasn't a detailed analysis but I lied. I'm a liar now

[picturejasper20]

I want to talk about Vlad Masters characterization in the game "Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2" story mode.

So, Vlad is the main antagonist of this game, or at least that's what the game makes you want to think at the start until the weird time loops start happening and Plasmius keeps repeating things like "Mind controlling everyone is the way to save everyone" and "Don't you understand?!", which comes off as weird to the hero character.

The last time you beat him, Clockwork transports him into the same void "safe space" other characters are in. You can go and ask Vlad what he was talking about and he will answer how there is a bigger enemy at moment: Clockwork.

It is later revealed that Clockwork got infected by Vlad's mind control device, which in reality doesn't work as it should and makes people acts volatile and agressive instead. The "evil" Clockwork has been sending the hero protagonist to stop Plasmius from fixing his mind control machine and make the universe destroy on purpose again and again. Vlas has been trapped in these time loops like that player has been and he remembers what happened each time, forced to see the same event repeat all over again

Meaning that all this time the hero protagonist has been the "bad guy" while Vlad was trying to fix the mind control machine to prevent the universe from getting destroyed. Vlad even mentions this near the end of the game, calling himself "the hero of the story"

Of course, that's incorrect because Vlad was trying to freaking brainwash everyone. But it is interesting is how he is potrayed as sympathetic to some extent as he was trying to do the "right thing". He talks to the hero protagonist about how Clockwork isn't himself and he shouldn't be trusted.

This characterization reminds quite a lot from the one that he has in "A Glitch in Time" graphic novel. In the novel he helps Danny with searching for the source of ghost power and defeating Dan. He realizes the wrong of his selfish past actions and starts a path to redemption near the end of the story.

Considering that Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 involves time travel and time loops like A Glitch in Time, it wouldn't be out of place to say that Vlad's characterization in the game is intentional, probably being written with the goal to be close to his character version in A Glitch In Time.

While Vlad doesn't exactly regret his actions at the end of the game, the idea of him not being as evil as he looks/ having standars is still there. There has been certain change of how his character gets potrayed lately. To someone more sympathetic, less emphasis on "evil" and more "he doesn't understand what he is himself getting into" vibes.

It also suprised me how he was chosen to be one of the main antagonists for this game and one of the characters that has the most lines in the story mode. It makes you wonder why they didn't make a Danny Phantom game instead since all the plot revolves around Danny Phantom characters.

On smaller observation, despite Vlad's motivations being "taking control over the universe" there are some lines of dialogue that hint as his own loneliness such as saying the game player that "they would make a good sidekick" and regreting "not having an audience" to see how he activates the mind control machine. In part it is understandable this doesn't get expanded upon since there are likely people who play the game that don't know about Danny Phantom.

I don't know who was behind writing the dialogue from this game but one thing i can say is that they seem to get Vlad's character in a good part, specially how he doesn't seem himself as a villain in certain moments.

All this emphasis in Vlad from AGIT graphic novel and the Nick fighting game makes wonder if he is going to have some important role in possible future stories from the series. It seems to me that it is trying to build up to something to be more than just pure coincidence. If he does gain more protagonism on long run, i hope they continue with this potrayal of his character because i find it pretty interesting.

[reccyls]

What do you think of ellis' route so far? What is your favorite moment and when do you think MC's relationship with him becomes genuine?

As of right now, I've only finished chapter 13 of his route so I can't speak for anything that happens beyond that.

In general, I'm finding it pretty chill for now, but definitely on the verge of tipping over into something bigger soon. This first half of his route has been very good at doing a slow and sweet relationship development and you can clearly follow along as Kate develops her crush on Ellis. The game also does a good job at drip feeding us hints about Ellis's past and the darker thoughts/feelings he has hidden away.

The game is also taking full advantage of dramatic irony. We as readers know that the other shoe is going to drop, but Kate doesn't. She has a sense that there's something unsettling behind Ellis's thought processes and feelings, but because she doesn't yet know what we do (that Ellis's promise with Jude is that he will kill Jude when he achieves the happiest moment of his life), she doesn't think too much about the double meanings when Ellis asks her things like "Should I put an end to things?" (she thinks he's talking about ending their date for the day, he's actually asking her if she wants him to kill her right now to preserve this moment of happiness)

This dramatic irony is also put to full use in the sprites. Ellis's face gets shrouded in shadows a couple of times so Kate can't see his expression; there's always some innocent reason for it in-universe, but we as the audience knows that something is up when we see Ellis look like this:

We also do get a few scenes of Ellis on his own as he thinks on his past and how Kate makes him feel. At this point I don't think he's really put a finger on why he thinks Kate's happiness is so important to him, but the game does a good job at showing how Kate's naturally optimistic personality gives Ellis pause, and why she would intrigue him.

So tl;dr I quite like it so far. The pacing is a little on the slow side but I get the feeling that that's about to change imminently. I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of his route goes.

[chevelleneech]

Episode two, there is a wide shot of the boat they’re one and we can see the entire crew sitting in front of them. Maybe some are staff from the boating company, but that isn’t relevant.

What’s relevant, is Jimin and Jungkook start play fighting in front of cameras and what appears to be 8 to 12 people, yet it comes across on screen as if it’s just the two of them enjoying each others company, and that to me is so interesting.

We know they’re comfortable in front of cameras, but for some reason it put into perspective just how little we see of their interactions off screen, when they are peak touchy-feely. Because Jimin giving Jungkook a hickey off camera was such a crazy thing to learn, but seeing how they act in Are You Sure makes it easy to see how it happened. But what makes it extra crazy, is the fact that how they are in the show is the ultimate baseline for how they’ve interacted over the years.

They play fight and flirt a lot, and they like being near each other. Yet had JK’s ear suck never made it to the big screen at the concert or if JK chose to cover up his bite mark from Jimin, we would only know them to be as close as what’s shown in AYS.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is, if play fighting and hanging out for hours on end doing nothing and drinking has always been their dynamic… it really and truly is the presence of cameras that stops them getting physical. Because the ear suck has not been mentioned by a single person within their camp, and if it was meant to be a dare or prank, they’d have said it. I think JK was caught up in the moment and possibly didn’t realize the audience could even see Jimin’s ear in his mouth.

The bite mark is different, because they didn’t have to own up to that. They could have hid it and never spoke of it, but they didn’t. Much like their vibes in AYS concerning JM’s bubble guts, they were upfront about it. It is what it is, but like… why make it our business, you know?

I don’t know. I just feel like I’m realizing that what we know of their past and present actions, coupled with what we’re seeing during a time where they were reconnecting essentially, builds an even bigger, “not just friends” picture. Because when cameras are rolling and they’re giving us what loser ass people like to call “forced fan service” we see them touching all over one another and giggling and showing concern and having fun. When cameras aren’t rolling or when we they are in a moment where they may have acted first and thought second, mouths come in to play.

Yes, those moments are years old now and there’s no way to know if it’ll happen again, but one does not go from “We haven’t seen each other in a while, and if not for this show it would be longer.” to buddy system enlistment with someone whose mouth has been on intimate places on their body. That’s just not a thing that happens, I’m sorry.

So I really am starting to think they aren’t friends, because they crossed that boundary. And I think early 2023 showed them why doing that maybe wasn’t the best idea, and AYS probably was a bad idea (Jimin’s gut was trying to tell him something low key, lol) because they start the series saying they hadn’t really connected in a bit, yet ended it agreeing to 18 months side by side.

I’m not going to make this post any longer than it needs to be, because I’m honestly just rambling my thoughts down, but… yeah… I think Jimin and JK might be kind of messy. Not to each other, but in a complicated, not-platonic-not-committed way. And maybe I’m alone in this, but I’m not saying they aren’t friends. They obviously are, but I don’t think they can be just friends. They come across as either flirting or there’s a palpable intent when they don’t touch or tease one another, and I really don’t think normal friends have that.

[britneyshakespeare]

i feel bad for raquel lee bolleau and i feel like what she's saying about the lack of transparency behind quiet on set is a bigger issue that the consumers of this type of content don't want to talk about or criticize. social media has led to a huge boom in tragedy porn and trauma porn about the entertainment industry but especially the children's entertainment industry, especially especially from the eras when the largest demographic in that audience were consuming it themselves.

it's already been problematic in itself that there is an oversaturation of unresearched and repetitive videos on the exploitation of former child stars. it seems like the creators and audience don't often ask themselves "have we gotten enough of this? do we need another take on it? is another video full of dan schneider rumors and gossipy forum posts really adding to the public discourse?" i don't know quite at what point it becomes exploitative that this content continues to be made, and be evergreen in social media algorithms. the volume, the reach, and the general lack of quality control are the evil triad. because we are far past the point where i really believe everyone consuming this stuff cares about exploited children. there's far too many people gawking and not reevaluating the systems of power involved. or, to put it more concretely: how many times do we all need to watch those clips of ariana grande squeezing the potato and spilling water on her neck? at what point is this just personally disrespectful and retraumatizing for the victims that for the most part we, the consumers of internet content, are claiming to advocate for?

quiet on set is the first time traditional media got involved in this niche. there is still a lot of value in some of the discoveries made by the series. but it does not have completely clean hands in this either. it does not feel like everyone involved in making the executive decisions cared nearly enough about the vulnerability of former child stars they recruited to share their stories, or hell, whose stories were told without their involvement, such as amanda bynes and racquel in episode 5. these people did not even give statements.

the focus of this docuseries was far too broad and not coherent enough at the end of the day. and they did not give enough support to all of the people they roped in to tell their stories about childhood trauma. i have a hard time trying not to be completely cynical about its whole production, because i really want to believe that many of the people who worked on it do care. not every individual involved knew or had control over the injustices that happened in its own production. but the executives? fuck em. they greenlit this thing, and probably incentivized the creators to make these episodes as fast as possible, because they knew it would be a cash cow. something as sensitive as THIS series should not be so poorly produced just because it will be a guaranteed smash.

[pjsk-story-summaries]

On This Holy Night, I Sing Event Story Summary

TL;DR: Wonderlands x Showtime prepare for the second round of the show contest. They decide on a Christmas theme to match the holiday season. However, the largest and grandest stage in the park, the Phoenix Stage, is doing the same. The troupe goes to spy on their rehearsal, only to be spotted by their diva, Seiyurin Sakurako. She doesn't see the Wonder Stage as a threat and tells them off.

However, after seeing Seiyurin's skill, Nene begins doubting her own singing abilities. The others think she's fine, but Nene can't shake the feeling. Rui believes the only thing holding her back is her fear of making mistakes after her failed middle school show.

No matter how much she practices, Nene can't seem to get over it. Emu asks about the old Nene to try and remind her of the way she used to be. This conversation leads Nene to watching some old recordings back home. Though the her from back then lacked skill, her sheer happiness to be doing shows was enough to make the performance moving. Nene realizes all she has to do is sing from the heart. The next day, she apologizes for making everyone worry and asks to sing in the SEKAI. They also meet MEIKO, a new addition to the cast.

The show went very well. Seiyurin came to watch and ended up enjoying it greatly, much to her horror. When Nene sang the final song, it began to snow for real. Seiyurin started crying and declared the Wonder Stage to be worthy rivals.

Though the Phoenix Stage remains in first place overall, the Wonder Stage managed to win that round. Everything now rests on the final show.

Fan translation (Arvon Oven) / Official English YouTube Upload / Song (Nijiiro Stories) 2DMV

Chapter 1: Wonderlands x Showtime plan their next show for the contest. Currently, they're ranked third, so this one has to be incredible. Rui suggests doing a Christmas show to match the holiday season. The musical, A Merry Christmas, would follow the story of a lonely orphanage girl helping out Santa's apprentice on Christmas night. Tsukasa and Nene will both play protagonist roles. Though Nene's a bit surprised by it, everyone else is excited for her to play the heroine.

Chapter 2: Rui finishes the script when Emu comes running in, announcing that the Phoenix Stage will also be putting on a Christmas musical. The group goes to spy on their practice to see what they're up against. The troupe, stage, and audience are all much bigger than their own. They also have an incredibly talented lead singer.

Before Wonderlands x Showtime can leave, the diva notices them. She introduces herself as Seiyurin Sakurako, the best performer in Phoenix Wonderland. She's seen some of their shows before, and while she finds their direction good, everything else was lackluster. Tsukasa immediately defends both his stage and Nene. Nene tries joining as well. She leaves, and Wonderlands x Showtime returns to their own stage.

Chapter 3: Though Tsukasa and Nene are both wound up, Rui and Emu remind them the ultimate goal is a good show for the audience. Nene practices the song for the climax. Though it's good, she feels as though Seiyurin's voice is leagues above her own. Rui notices something is wrong, but doesn't think there is much of a difference between her and Seiyurin. Nene stays behind to practice more anyways.

Back in her room, Nene remembers the immediate aftermath of her failed show from middle school. She'd come to practice the next day, only to find the rest of the troupe gossiping about how she let them all down. Nene doesn't want that to happen again.

Chapter 4: The rest of the troupe is worried about Nene. Rui calls her over to hear her sing. He thinks the only problem is that she's being too careful with how she expresses herself. She just needs to relax. Nene realizes her fear from the past is what's holding her back now. Rui suggests trying to sing like she used to, but Nene isn't sure how.

After practice, Miku pops in to say hi and invite them to a Christmas show in SEKAI with a brand-new member. However, Nene declines and goes home. On her way out, she runs into Seiyurin, who antagonizes her further.

Chapter 5: With only a week until the show, Wonderlands x Showtime begin full dress rehearsals. The show is great, but Nene is still anxious about her singing. Remembering Rui's advice about remembering, Emu runs over to Nene and asks about her past.

Nene reveals that she had gone to see a play with Rui as a kid that was so incredible, it made her want to do that, too. Emu gets the feeling- she felt the same after watching shows on the Wonder Stage with her grandpa. Tsukasa talks about his similar experience with Saki and shows, too. Nene remembers singing so much it was annoying her family, but she had fun.

Chapter 6: Back home, Nene asks for some recordings of her old plays. Her skill was way off, but she was having so much fun doing it, it couldn't help but make Nene smile. She realizes then that constantly fearing mistakes isn't the right play. She just has to have fun. Nene decides to practice her song again.

Chapter 7: The rest of the troupe waits for Nene to arrive at the stage. Miku pops in to say hi, along with the newcomer, MEIKO. Just then, Nene arrives and apologizes for making them all worry, and for turning down Miku's show yesterday. She asks if she can sing for everyone over there.

KAITO and Len finish setting up the show. They need four members to sing the opening, so KAITO invites Rui to sing with Nene, MEIKO, and himself. Nene was finally able to sing from her heart.

Chapter 8: The show begins. Seiyurin had snuck into the audience to watch, impressed by their growth but still confident her stage will win. A bit with a guard (Rui) chasing Santa's apprentice (Tsukasa) on stage makes her laugh, much to her horror.

At the climax, the girl (Nene) gifts a young girl (Emu) a teddy bear. Even though the girl never got a present, the thanks she had received made her extremely happy. Nene begins her song. Rui goes to start the snow machine, but to everyone's surprise, it begins snowing for real. After the show, Seiyurin approaches Nene and starts crying. She declares the Wonder Stage worthy rivals and runs off.

A few weeks after the show, Wonderlands x Showtime receives the scoring tallies. Though Phoenix Stage is still in first place overall, their show was the top of that round. The final show will be the true determining factor. Nene thanks everyone for their support, joking that she's gotten her own Christmas gift early. Looking at her smile, everyone else agrees.

[basil-the-scorned]

Shame, Shame

AN: This was supposed to be for Day 6 of the Hangman Birthday celebration but as you can see...it got way too big. Bigger than I'm used to if I'm being honest.

Hangman Page against producer Chuck Taylor! (Yes, this was the fic I had 2 endings for. Also Chuck is kind of mean in this.)

Most days Chuck is grateful that he was in production.

He thought it would hit him that his career was put on hold, and he would be somewhere in the corner with tears and snot running down his face. But the fact that he's been doing all of this since he was almost 18 made a bigger impact to be at peace with the whole thing. Besides, he got to fool around with equipment he hadn't touched in years and he got to put together some ideas for promos. A lot of the guys went up to him for advice on different things, and it felt nice.

So production was pretty cool to be in. Mostly.

Today was an exception.

"No." It came out of his mouth before Adam even was halfway to him.

Adam's arms raised up. "I haven't said anything yet-"

"Do you really need to?" Chuck didn't stop the bite in his question. His eyes followed the man in front of him, eyes glaring at him with that same fury he's been carrying for the past few months. "You've been yelling in the fucking mics what you wanted, who haven't heard you yet?"

“But can you get him for me?” Adam's pacing only slowed a bit. "You have some leeway in this right? You can make some things happen-"

"I don't run that side of-"

"You're in production-"

"Of some things! I don't-" He felt a rush of anger rising in his face. He knew there were people staring at him, waiting on what he was going to say to Hangman Adam Page.

Adam Page, the man who was on a path of vengeance and would go through any means necessary to get his hands on someone who broke into his house and has been pinned 3 times at this point. Whose been up and down locker rooms fuming and looking for the current AEW Champion--who always comes an hour in advance to scope out the new arena and setup--and have not stopped.

Chuck completely understands why he's on this path. That doesn't mean he likes the way he's turning out. "I don't have my hands in that. Sorry." What he did have in his hands was the seams in his pants pockets, tugging on the raggedy string that was holding it.

Adam's not pacing anymore. That glare never left and Chuck feels like they're at a shootout with a nervous audience behind him. Like he said, path of vengeance. The fading heat in his face was now starting to swirl in his chest, never really leaving in those few words he said.

He knew people change, he knew that with all of his being. He wasn't the same dumbass kid 20 years ago who could scream like a girl before a clothesline, and he even wasn't the guy who decided to backflip off the ramp with a shrug and prayer.

He was trying to remember that as Adam started stalking towards him. "Seriously, I don't -"

"Bullshit, that's complete bullshit Taylor and you know it." Now Chuck was narrowing his eyes, but Adam kept coming closer towards him. He felt a hand near his shoulder, but he quickly smacked it off and hoped that person was far away from him. Unlike Adam, who was now too close to his face, too angry to listen to the answer that won't take him anywhere close to Swerve.

A finger poking hard near his chest, and his teeth were going to hurt from how tight they were clenched. "Don't lie to me." Chuck's eyebrows shot up. Over Hangman's shoulders were more people behind him, all the same level of concern as the rest of the crew. 

His friends kept trying to change for the worse because of one person, doing things that sent shockwaves and questions he really didn’t want the answers to right about now. He was getting mighty tired of this new pattern.

He steps to the side and walks off, the heat now swirling all over.

People were still around him, and he did his best to not brush up against anyone. He heard boots following him, and his eyes were now looking towards every door to see if any were empty. An open one almost towards the end, dark and wide with plenty of space, just catching his eyes when he felt a rough grip on his shoulder. 

That heat flooded his body, turning him around to hoist the cowboy by the waist and pushed them both through the door. Fine. He wanted to act like a dick, he’ll treat him like one.

Chuck’s feet kicked the door, making it slam behind him. Hangman was moving all kinds of ways against him, and Chuck was praying to the universe that those stupid automatic lights would turn on before the grip he had loosened.  

Every step he took and every wave of his arm only made the yelling Adam was already doing even louder and struggled against him even harder.  He was surprised no one had come pounding at the door yet. Did people have that much trust in him? 

(A painful kick to the fat part of his calf stopped that spiral real quick.)

What little light he did have from the small window made him only able to make out Hangman's mouth opening up, his teeth in full view in a snarl but that anger in Chuck's body beat whatever else Adam was about to bite out.

“Shut up!” The yell bounced only for a second in the room, but Chuck felt the way Hangman tensed. That would be the moment the lights decided to finally flood the room, making him snap his eyes close. (What kind of lights are voice activated?) 

When Chuck opened them again, the lights were less blinding and Adam’s eyes full of fury were somehow still on him, that stubborn fucker. “Let go of me.” Adam growled out.

Chuck just sucked his teeth in. He could be just as stubborn too. He moved over to the couch and flopped down on it, still having that hold on Adam around his waist.  

It reminded him of when he would do this to Orange. There would be no room on the seats, or Orange was just too lazy to find another chair so he would plop down on top of Chuck and bring his arm around his midsection like Chuck’s arm was a seatbelt.  

Orange wouldn’t try to move this much though. He wouldn’t be squirming from his hold–unless he purposely messed with his stomach enough to get a bunch of soft slaps and that honking laugh Chuck loved to hear–or fuming enough to be breathing hard that almost seemed ridiculous. 

He would be talking though. “Chuck, I’m not playing around.” A lot less growl and a less convincing attempt of being serious. Words that wouldn’t make Chuck think of something to scar him into not doing it again.  “Let go of me.”

“Not until you calm your ass down.” 

“Then give me what I want.” Chuck just rolled his eyes. This again? “You have some kind of way, you owe me-”

“I don’t own you shit now, maybe 3 years ago-”

“That still counts-”

“So you’re getting to him through favors?!” They were both getting louder again. Chuck hopes he still doesn’t hear knocking. 

“Whatever it takes to make him pay…”

“And that’s supposed to make you better than him?” It came in a flash, and before he could stop himself, the heat in him took over once again.  Tensed all over again, and Chuck was expecting that anger in his eyes to grow.

“I am better.” He didn’t expect the crack in his voice.

Chuck decided to keep going, a mean chuckle with every word.  “You can’t even say his name out loud! Swerve won,you lost, end of story.”

“I haven't-” 

“He got to you.” Chuck cuts him off again, his eyes now holding that fire that was fading out of Adam’s eyes. “The same way Trent was getting to Orange, except Orange still had people to pull him out. Me outside the ring, Mark, Kyle, Ishii and a whole bunch of people inside. Even Yuta is kind of cheering for him again.” 

Who do you have now that you haven’t run off was the question he was biting off saying, because that was something Adam was already believing.  Instead, he finally felt that anger settling down and just said “Who do you have that you trust now?” 

Adam’s now hitting him again, but it wasn’t stinging like it did. It felt like heavy bags that were just landing on his legs instead of fists. Each hit was followed by a huff and each one was more ragged than the next one. 

And with a final blow, that fire was slowly being washed out with the water building. 

For a moment, Chuck felt satisfied. He knew the shame of what he said was gonna hit him hard, but for now he was holding onto feeling right just a little longer. He heard people outside chattering, stuff moving around, and music being tested. He was hoping it was hours away from showtime instead of minutes.

“I hate you, Taylor.” There's a lot of things Adam's been saying with a lot more vindication lately that maybe, maybe that was true. If only he didn't hear the slight waver in Adam's voice. 

“Just telling you the truth.” That got nothing but a sniffle and a few drops on his lap. He knew he wasn’t gonna enjoy that anger for long. 

“Liar.” There was that blame again, only the broken way it came out hit his heart a bit more than the first time.

Before he could even think on what to do next, both of them jumped at the loud knocking at the door. He raised both of his arms up and Adam slid off to the other side of him, boots and knees knocking into different parts.

Just in time for the door to swing open to one very frustrated EVP, the other tailing behind. “The hell are you guys doing in here?” Nick says. 

Chuck stared at them. “It was empty?”

“Yeah, because this was where catering was supposed to prepare but people were avoiding this room like the freaking plague.” Nick's hands waved to the outside. “Apparently there was a yelling match between you two?”

“Not surprising…” Matt muttered under his breath. 

“It was getting to that point so I just dragged us in here.” That kind of got Nick to look less angry, but he still had a frown on his face. His eyes seemed to be looking more next to him and Chuck turned to Adam who now had his arms around himself. “Do you guys need him or anything?” 

“Nope.” All 3 of them look at Matt, who was on his phone instead. “Just wanted to make sure nothing serious was happening.”

 “Uh…yeah.” Chuck really didn’t know what to make of the look Nick quickly gave his brother, but he knew it wasn’t a good one. “Seriously though, everything’s good?”

Chuck gives a thumbs up with his free hand. “Yeah, all good here.” He might have said that a bit too fast, but it seemed to not be too bad of an answer because Nick gave one back before grabbing his brother by the jacket and leading him away from the room. 

The two of them were still on the couch, Adam still kind of sprawled on his side while Chuck was sitting up on his, and suddenly everything that just happened came tumbling down on him. So Chuck forced his eyes shut as he put his hands to his face and muffled the groan he let out. 

Adam left the room not long after, Chuck went back to production and apologized to everyone, and the show went on without a hitch.

Except Chuck’s stupid brain couldn’t let this shit go, because of course it didn’t. Everyone around him that’s been hearing about it has been saying he wasn’t completely in the wrong, and that didn’t make him feel any better. 

To make matters worse, he has a strong feeling Adam’s been avoiding him as much as possible since that day. At least, he hasn't seen anyone with blond hair and black frangles walking around lately. He has heard brief gruff voices passing him by while he’s been looking down at his papers only to disappear when he looks up.

The universe got jokes as well because that would be where he had to deal with the order of promos on Dynamite for the last few weeks. He had been able to see him again, and it had been…not the best.

The door swung open and Chuck knew from the annoyed look he got this was going to be rough. He cut it pretty tight, he knew that. He should have found this man minutes ago, but he’s been between stalling and actually finding the door to knock on. 

“Hey.” All he got was a blank stare. Great. “Promo slots changed so…you go after the Top Flight match.”

A huge sigh from Adam, and then he mumbles a ‘k’ out. The door between them slowly closed, and for a split second he wanted to stop it. Put his foot in the door to stop the creaking and actually talking it out, damn the reaction he gets once he’s done.

It clicked closed on him thinking a bit too late.

Even thinking about it got Chuck’s hands in his hair right now. He was early in production and yet he was pacing around non-stop until he ran into someone else familiar. They didn’t even get to ask fully what was up before Chuck was begging to hear him out on everything.

He knew it was a better start when Yuta almost choked on his coffee after he got to what he said to Adam. “You said all of that?!” Yuta set his coffee down with both hands, his eyes having that same spark Chuck remembers whenever he showed him a new move. 

“Don’t sound excited!” That only seemed to make the shocked smile on Yuta grow bigger.

“You grappled and backtalked Hangman and survived, how else am I supposed to sound?”

“Well not happy! He can barely look at me now.” 

“Again, you grappled and backtalked him.” Chuck’s head landed with a thud on the table, grumbling into the floor. Yuta squinted. “What?” 

Chuck lifts his head up a bit, his eyes weary. “Why didn’t I just walk away?”

“Well you did. He just decided to follow you.” Yuta points out with the now empty coffee cup. “Besides, I think that’s just the Swerve touch now. He gets you to your most vulnerable place and then…just drops you. Kind of never the same after that.” 

Chuck tilted his head a bit at that. Yuta looks both ways, and then leans in closer towards Chuck as his voice drops in volume. “Happened to Nick Wayne. Why do you think he joined Christian? And Ospreay losing his championship after all that? Never using his Tiger Cutter?”

“Think that’s also Bryan’s fault for that though.” Chuck lets himself hesitate for a second before going with what he wanted to say. “You don’t think-”

“No.” Yuta’s voice raises back up, making Chuck jump a bit. Yuta held up one hand in defense. “He’s stronger than that. Swerve wouldn’t get to him that easily.” 

“I could say the same thing about Ospreay and Hanger, and look at what happened.” Now it was Chuck’s turn to hold his hands up. “Just saying, Swerve’s always been…and you know, what if…” His brain was making him backpedal hard, and the more Chuck was trying to dig himself out of the hole he was accidentally making, the more he didn’t pay attention to the way Yuta’s gaze was softening up. “I’m-I don’t know, I was just trying to, and-I didn’t mean to-” 

Whatever else he was trying to say was cut off by Yuta’s hand covering his mouth. “Think I get it now.” Chuck could only hum in relief. 

“What kind of meeting are y’all having?” Both of them looked over to see a very confused Mox with a coffee in his hand. 

“About Chuck escaping Hangman’s wrath.” Yuta blurted out, the little brat. 

“Oh yeah, I heard you cursed him out.” Now it’s getting to be rumors? He bangs his head a little harder on the table, only to hear a hiss and feel hands on both sides of his head. “Jesus, did you do something worse than that?”

“No, but he feels like he did because Hangman’s been avoiding him hard.” He should have known Yuta was the one holding him down a bit. “I think that's just with everyone that isn't Swerve.” 

That was true. Chuck was still stuck on what to do now though. “It was like pulling teeth to get him to even say ok.” 

“Well then if you really feel that bad about it, let him know.” Mox suggested.

“Didn’t you just hear the part where he barely talked to me?”

“Who said anything about talking? You have a phone, don’t you?” That finally got Chuck to lift his head to give a glare, more towards Mox than Yuta. “Just try…or don’t. That’s on you.”

Chuck and Yuta look at each other, with Yuta seemingly going along with Mox with a shrug. 

He guessed it couldn’t hurt.

Hey, we need to talk.  

Ok.

Chuck must have re-read it a million times.

A simple exchange of words that were suddenly unlocked because Yuta decided to send what he wanted to say for him. Each time, he got more surprised and ready to rush down there. Because he’s been overthinking all of this so damn long, and then one talk later everything was progressing easier than he imagined?

Another pattern he was not about to get used to. 

His phone read a couple of hours until the show. Chuck finally placed the phone in his pocket and started marching across the new arena they were at. Not as big, just enough space that you wouldn’t be winded before you got halfway to where you were going. So many banners, football ones that were ragged from years of just hanging up there, the AEW banner that they would have to take down when it was all over. 

People outside the company were quickly starting to rush into the arena, so Chuck moved a bit faster. The concession workers were taking their places, a lot of fans were staring when he passed, he heard some screams and his name whispered (or yelled), and he was still not used to that. 

In the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of a tracksuit he remembers a bit too well going through the secured area and his feet followed. His badge was dangling in front of him so thankfully he was able to slide through, but he still took a huge breath when he got through the doors and away from security.

This place had locker rooms galore here. He pulled out his phone again, and swiped up to text Adam again. Are you near a locker room? Backstage now.

He saw the dots on the bottom. Near the back, all the way at the end. Chuck couldn’t help the ‘tsk’ sound he made, but he kept going all the way down until he reached where Adam said. He didn’t even get to do a proper knock before he was pulled into the room, almost stumbling all the way until he was ten steps inside and two steps a bit too close for comfort.  

Close enough to see Adam’s eyes not having that much fire in them. “Um…hey.” He got an eye roll, then he was let go. He took a few steps back, keeping that distance that they were already giving each other before.  “Just hear me out. Completely. You can do whatever you want after, promise.” Adam had his hands on his hips, already rocking on the heels of his boots. Chuck wasn’t even in here for a solid minute and he was already losing the battle of his attention. 

Or not, because Adam let out a loud huff out his nose and said “I’m listening” in his new gruff voice Chuck was still not used to hearing.

“Look, I stand by what I said.” Adam tries to speak, only for Chuck to cut him off with a short yell. Adam’s mouth snapped closed, his eyebrows shooting up and looking more like the person Chuck was used to seeing.  “I stand by most of it, but I don’t like how I did it.”

One of his hands was back into his pocket, the string wounded around his fingers tight to keep him going. He could already feel his nerves jumping in his legs, not keeping himself still. “And I get it. I get that he did something unspeakable, and I get that you won’t stop until he pays for it in full, and I know that’s your thing of justice and everything but…”  He could feel himself overexplaining and using too many words, but he wanted to be upfront and he didn’t have a full thought out speech when he got that text that day. 

He honestly didn’t think he was going to get any kind of response but here Chuck was, in the middle of a slightly bigger lit locker room with someone who was still thankfully listening to him. And Chuck decides to let the words he wanted to say spill out again, this time concern bleeding into them. ” You’re affecting the locker room, the opponents you have, your friends-”

“That I don’t have apparently.” Adam growled out. “They’re nowhere to be found, or talking me down like I don’t have a right to do this-”

“Never said you didn’t.” Chuck was quick to stop that rant, much to the surprise of one of them. “It’s just…scary, that Swerve is literally poisoning whatever sense you have left. And I…” He finally hesitates on his words, trying to keep a grip on them like the string in his pocket he’s certain is cutting into his skin. 

Adam took a couple of steps forward and Chuck…didn’t budge. Instead, he looked down and watched as the other man took one more tiny step towards him until the end of his boot hit his sneakers. Almost as close as they were when Chuck stumbled into the room. 

And with his eyes near the shoes, Chuck finally speaks again.  “I don’t know what’s gonna happen after all of this. To you.” He takes his hand out of his pocket, the sting following him out into the open and wrapped against his reddened finger. 

The boots did a weird side step away from him. He didn’t even want to see the look Adam had on his face. He did what he wanted to do but now… now he carries his feet away from the room. Another friendship gone, just like that.

Except now it was his turn to take just a couple of steps forward out the final door before he felt a lazy pull towards the back of his jacket. He was expecting the heat to spark once again, just under his skin despite everything he just said to him. 

He was still waiting on it when he finally felt his jacket being let go, when Chuck slowly turned away from the outside, making his head look up from shoes to Adam now rubbing at his own arms, his chest rising a bit fast and breathing he could easily hear. 

“Damn it, Taylor.” The words came out in that same waver from a few weeks ago. Green frantic eyes were looking right at him and-

A shock of lighting hit him instead.  

[not-goldy]

You're saying, Taekook are so popular and their ship is spreading like wild fire. And you also say Tkkrs are Tae leaning.

So that means, it's Tae that is popular. He's catching more fans. Tae keeps name dropping Jungkook, so it makes sense why Tae leaning stans move towards tkk ship naturally. And it benefits JK too. I remember JK gained millions of followers on IG so fast after Tae posted a tkk pic.

And majority of the fandom are tkkrs, so it makes sense that JK is liked by them. Eventually when they figure out tkk aren't real, they'll dump JK and turn into a Tae solo cause they are Tae leaning after all.

It'll be interesting to see what happens when shippers turn solos. Tkkrs, jikookers and jinkookers form majority of JK's supporters. And his own solos are useless anyway, some kids based in India or some 50 yr olds based in Korea. Both don't know sh.t.

You stating the obvious really he is the most followed member of the group. People like to think it means nothing but clearly don't know how social media marketing and algorithms works.

The more followers he has, the more likely his account is likely to be recommended to new users and persons who search for BTS on the page. Which in turn guarantees he gets more traction and exposure than the other accounts thus more more followers 💀

I mean think about it, he has more followers because he has a higher conversion rate. He easily turns clicks and views to followers. That's a good metric to have.

On the flip side, the more followers an account has the lower their engagement rate gets as compared to smaller accounts. 10% engagement rate can easily translate to 50% to 90% engagement for a relatively smaller account because 10% of a lot of followers is still a lot of followers for a bigger account.

Do the math. If a person has 5 million followers with 50% engagement rate and another has 30 million followers with 10% engagement rate thats still 500000 more engaged followers than the person with 5 million followers.

I don't know an actual shipper to turn into a solo unless they forced themselves to ship a pair or were faking to be shippers in the first place.

Shippers are shippers because they ship two people they stan and enjoy seeing together 💀

Tae is also the most shipped idol in kpop with Jungkook trailing right behind him. So the exposure is not just coming from Tae's solo activities such as his acting, modeling, variety shows, his Wooga squard its also coming from his over ship Fandoms.

Jungkook equally has his own famous friendship group and several other ships outside BTS and that intersection can put him at an advantage.

I don't know Jimin to be part of a relevant external friendship group that can organically pull crowd towards him which is not necessarily a bad thing. He did in the past but....

His association with Kai, Taemin, Sungwoon.... well, that only goes as far as those idols remain relevant and lately, honey☹

Also numbers don't necessarily translate to much if a person has a lower conversion rate but it does help in terms of how much one gets paid by brands or platforms on those platforms.

So while Tae may be followed by too many kids on the app who may be too young too low income to support his own product release, it doesn't mean it doesn't make him a higher earner amongst brands or by IG if their goal is just to nurture his young audience, expose their products to them and ensure long term commitment to their brand, or future conversion of those young audience into customers.

They may be willing to pay him more just to gain exposure to his younger audience while persons like Jimin with a mature audience may be good to have where one aims to make a quick or immediate sale.

Marketing is a complex industry and I hate the over simplicity with which we approach conversations about BTS and their commercial value.

But..... very well.

[cake-bread]

The Epilogue.

(one last DISCLAIMER: this is askblog for TBG Davey, not the actual Davey Wreden.)

I assume you have many questions - and after my response, you'll come up with even more. But I never planned to answer any of them.

I'm only telling a story.

Once TSPUD got announced, people have asked me if I'd remaster The Beginner's Guide. That question kept showing up, and I kept saying - 'Whats the point? The story is already finished.'

And then, I was asked again. And then, again.

And then - again.

At some point, I stopped responding. It was not due to being tired of repeating myself, but because I wasn't sure if the answer was still true. I felt there was nothing more to add, and enhancing the graphics would only take away from the experience. And yet, I knew there was so much more to the story.

I looked at all the game reviews, emails, and messages I could, realizing that this was it.

Feedback or The Cookie9 Phenomenon, if you want to call it that.

In a way, I suppose, I've always been my audience's Coda. The only thing that was different was no direct contact. After the enormous, very overwhelming response from the original TSP, I've been sparingly responding to any private feedback I've been receiving.

But the emails kept not changing. I do find the mails where I'm getting 'destroyed' or 'owned' very funny but that wasn't the case from the start.

So, I've wondered - how would these people react if they could see an effect of their own words? That it's not just something they spout into the ether but there's an actual person on the other side?

I wondered how could I bring this up without making a Skip Button Ultra Deluxe Edition. While games are interactive, you still have a barrier between you and the creator of the games.

Inspiration came randomly, during one panel I was listening to. Typically, a person would have a big speech followed by questions but that one particular instance was like 70% QnA. And at the end - I felt great! Maybe I couldn't give my own feedback in the sea of hands but there was something so charming about this being such a collaborative work. At the start, the performer said "you shape how the show will go" and even if it was obvious in that circumstance, to this day I remember it.

So, I've decided to make this askblog. But as I stated in it, in hidden clues - I'm fine at the moment! I'm happy where I stand as a creator and I had moved on from the past. That, however, wasn't always the case.

I'm lucky that I was mad enough to have many diaries throughout my life. I've written down so many of my reactions, thought processes and feelings, reading through My Files wasn't that much of an issue. And since I've already played as my past self once - I could do it again.

I will leave this askblog open but I won't respond to every message left for it as I've used to. I'll spare your time and write down some of the questions that you'll probably not get answers to:

"Was Coda ever real?", "Where the Twitter screenshot real and if so, what were Coda's thoughts and reaction to all of this?" "Were Coda's answer actually his?" or any other Coda-related questions like that,

"What are you working on now?", "Are you really fine?",

"What exactly inspired you in your life to do this now?", "Had a similar situation happened before?", "How did you deal with other Fake Codas?", "Will you one day answer our questions again?"

or anything TSP/TSPUD related,

because you're not entitled to someone's work or life.

And I won't light up your lampposts anymore.

Davey, out!

===

(Hi, it's me, @shinakazami1, the creator of this story. I'd like to thank everybody who spent their time to support this. I adore interacting with my own audience so this way of storytelling felt great thanks to you! My plan was to have something in the spirit of the original The Beginner's Guide in a form of an ask blog - small questions connected with themselves, telling a bigger yet short story that had already 'happened'. As Davey had said - you shape the way this could have gone. While the ending was predetermined from the start, Act 2 aka 'Coda's Askblog' was entirely up to you! For every post that you've asked Coda about something, I've already prepared a draft for the other blog. There were different versions of Coda and Davey planned. You've chosen Anxious Yet Assertive Davey and Angry but Weirdly Supportive Coda. I might talk about these more either in an edit of this post or on my Tumblr Blog, as I'd like to show a bit of a cut content :] While askblog Davey said he might not answer the questions mentioned - I might, so feel free to come and say your thoughts on this, your feedback, anything! I've myself been once again feeling stuck with creating, especially with drawing. But this project made me feel great, and it's all thanks to you. So thank you, Player. May we see each other another time. Toodle-pip!)