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nuka · 2 months

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Call me delulu, but I woke up with hope in my heart today.

It's only been 2 months since the show was cancelled. WBD is run by an incompetent fool. WBD previously said they'd sell Coyote vs. Acme, but then made it impossible for anyone to buy it. All streaming services are struggling financially at the moment.

Daddy Jenkins had to tell us we've reached the end of the road, because that's the reality right now. Either WBD made it impossible for anyone to buy the show, or the actual realistic price was just too high for other streamers at the moment even if they wanted to buy it. “Many complimentary meetings, conversations, etc” sounds like someone was interested.

DJ and everyone else who worked on the show need to be able to move on, so they can make a living from other projects. They’ve all been holding their breath just in case they can start filming after all. The fans need to move on in the sense that we can't expect a renewal "any day now", like we did for 2 months. We can still hope that we'll see season 3 one day, but now we can be realistic about the chances of it happening in the immediate future.

Everyone who worked on this show has loved it so dearly that I'm certain that if season 3 gets greenlit in the future, they'll all want to work on it again. As long as DJ is in, the others are too. The Revenge can be rebuilt. The time that has passed can be explained in the story, if it needs explaining at all. If some actors won't be able to return, we'll get new characters added to our family, and we'll embrace them just like we embraced all the new characters in season 2.

Depending on what the problem for the pick up was, things might change very quickly, or they might take a few years. Who knows, if we continue being loud, a streaming service that quickly passed on the show in January might take interest in it later. A streaming service that offered too little might make a better offer, and WBD might accept just to get rid of us (because we're back to calling Max out on this bullshit and it's not a good look for them). Or, once the industry recovers a bit, a streaming service might be willing to reconsider spending a big amount of money on this show. And if WBD set an impossible price for the show this time, they might shop it around for a more reasonable price once Zaslav is out (or even greenlight season 3 themselves, but that’s delulu level 200). Even if we don't get a season 3, we might still get a movie, or a comic book, or a script book, or a blu-ray release, or the Jenkins Cut. And honestly, if someone was to announce they've picked up the show in a year or two... that's not a long time at all.

Pirate Daddy said that our campaign was noticed across the industry. They hear and see our love for this show. They know we're here for the show if it's ever to return. They know this show has potential.

So let’s keep having fun in the fandom. Keep being loud about Our Flag Means Death. Keep using the hashtags. Keep making fanart. Keep shouting about how unfair this cancellation was. We don’t have to do it with the same intensity as during the campaign (I know we’re all tired and it’s completely okay to step away if you need/want to), but as long as we as a fandom are consistent, they’ll see there’s a demand that just won’t go away.

There is always hope. It’s not the same kind of hope we had before January 9th, and it’s not the kind we had until March 7th. But there are so many variables, and so little time has passed. Who knows what the industry will look like in a year or two. I’d rather believe in a future that might just hold a pleasant surprise for us than throw in the towel completely.

#ofmd #our flag means death #long live ofmd #save ofmd #adopt our crew #our flag bbc #renew as a crew

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noraiir-arts · 1 year

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Does anyone else have very complicated ways of shipping?? like when i say "i ship them" i don't mean "oh they love each other so much they kiss each other and will be together forever" i ship characters but in a way that's unique to only them and/or only in certain scenarios

Like, for example Zelink- I think pre-calam zelink was one sided, i dislike post-calam zelink, but i sort of like totk zelink (yes i know they are the same two people) but only certain dynamics??? but i also think that its the type of love that goes unsaid, they just look out for and support each other, maybe its not entirely romantic but they are closer than friends. It's the type of closeness you can only get by knowing that no matter what lifetime you are in the other will always be there. I don't think its necessarily the type where they hide behind pillars to make out, or try to stay in a committed relationship, but more of a tired love, one that has been renewed throughout hundreds of lives, each time being something different.

But take skyward sword, i believe that it's easier to see romantic zelink here

or Miphlink - I don't really ship this, but it's a tragic one-sided love story that Mipha knew was doomed from the beginning. The other woman. Was never given enough time to tell Link how she felt, yet even if she had time he might not have returned her feelings. Now he barely remembers her. Maybe 100 years later she's a little embarrassed of herself, of what she wrote in her diary. Maybe it was a simple crush, mistaken for undying love and has dwindled over the past century. But now it's a sad love, the type where she grieves for what used to be, and what never will. But after being saved from Ruta she switches her sights towards the domain. She can see how much her brother has grown and is so proud of him. She knows Link will never remember her fully, but maybe it's for the best. No matter what, she will always be there to heal his wounds.

Tbh i was dragged into Revalink kicking and screaming, but now it's one of my favorites. - Their dynamics work so well, but oh no it's so sad. Started from a one-sided "rivalry" to some sort of friendship. Link never hated Revali, he didn't even dislike him. And Revali just wanted Link to be impressed, to understand why he was chosen for his role as pilot, and he wanted Link to prove himself to Revali (honestly i can go on a on about why revali was harsh to link in botw if anyone wants me to) But over time they both start to realize that they are more similar to each other than any of the other champions. They weren't born into noble families or blessed with magic. Revali learns about the vigorous training Link underwent after pulling the sword, and Link learns that Revali isn't the son of the elder or was an important figure in his village before becoming a champion, but a simple warrior just like Link. Their friendship grows and they become a great team, surprising mostly everyone. Maybe it grows into something more. Maybe neither of them know it. Maybe they just never admit it. Revali knows Link doesn't remember him. He doesn't want him to. He tells Link not to go asking about him to the princess. It's for the best, he will still be there to help Link after all. Maybe it's cruel to keep him from knowing. Well, Revali will be gone soon anyway. Maybe he hopes that Link will at least remember good things about him.

Honestly I love revalink aus, they are my fav!!

I think of Zelimpa (aoc) like a mix of how i described miphlink and revalink but im too tired to explain it rnnnnn

oh also urbosa/zelda's mom but i think that goes unsaid

but anyway these are just a few. Most of the time i can't use words to exactly explain something pictured in my head, (synesthesia is so silly) but i tried my best

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lumine-no-hikari · 7 days

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Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #138

So much has happened today. I am going to describe it to you as much as I can, but I'm not even sure I understand it all myself.

…I woke up in some kind of ZONE today. Something akin to determination, but… somehow also on steroids and also on fire. It is the KNOWING in my BONES that I need to do STUFF. I didn't fix more letters today. I didn't even make tea, that's how laser-focused I was.

I told you about the song I was searching for yesterday, written by someone in my past, supposedly on tapes that my mother gave to me years ago last time time I tried searching for it, which I had misplaced in the end. I found four of them yesterday and the song wasn't on any of them.

So in a random burst of inspiration this morning, I wrote down as many of the lyrics as I could remember, and then filled in the rest with whatever came to mind. I don't think it has ever felt so easy to fill in the blanks. It was almost eerie. It is not exactly the song I remember. But it's still CORRECT. And I can't explain how or why I know that. I just… do.

For context about that "CORRECT" feeling: there's a lot about the way I perceive the world that I don't fully understand. There's a lot of it that I know better than to talk about to anyone, ever. And even if I didn't know better (from having been harshly rejected for it every time I've tried…), some of it is, I think, much too beautiful and convoluted to explain in any case. And even if I were to try to explain it in words that approximate the way I see and hear and think and feel, it'd probably sound absolutely bananas to someone else, and then they'd back away from me slowly as though I've got rabies or something. All the same, I know that if I ignore the feeling of "THIS IS CORRECT", or if I ignore the feeling of "THIS IS INCORRECT", something mildly inconvenient usually happens.

So, for a very vague and contrived example, suppose I go outside on a sunny day and I get the "THIS IS INCORRECT" feeling. I can certainly ignore it, because most of the time I don't even know why I'm getting it. I don't usually find out until later, when it rains, that the feeling showed up because I needed an umbrella.

Or, as a more recent example, I might grab one of my handmade trinkets for seemingly no reason (and get very confused as a result), and get the "THIS IS CORRECT" feeling, and so I put the handicraft in my bag. And I don't find out until a couple hours later that I'm going to want to give it to some random person who is going to unexpectedly give me a pair of handmade pins that he made for me just because he likes my hat. I have LOTS of examples of stuff akin to this. It's vague, confusing, and… I've been like this my whole life. The only thing I know to do is to roll with it.

In any case, I now have the lyrics to the old song, and the melody is still fresh in my mind. I'm not going to write them yet; I'm going to wait until I weave it into something better. Something for you. I'm going to ask for help in the process. I hope to have it done soon.

Shortly after that, J and I went to the awesome place with the awesome leader. Today, I took away these things: There are only sacred things and desecrated things; there's no such thing as an unsacred thing, but sometimes desecrated things go on to desecrate other things. From there, there's no such thing as unsacred people. From there, that which has been desecrated can always be renewed. And from there: no living thing has the power to make anything unsacred.

With that lens… I have been desecrated, time and time again. I am in the process of renewing myself, and I become a little stronger day by day, and piece by piece. I am still sacred. The bowl that I repaired (that was briefly mentioned yesterday), which was desecrated by its fall onto the asphalt as a result of my clumsiness, was renewed into something better, stronger, and more beautiful than before, piece by piece. It is still sacred. And… then there's you.

You were desecrated in some of the most brutal and terrible ways imaginable. But you are still sacred, just like everyone, and you can be renewed into something more beautiful than before, if you want to. I hope someday we get to see you be renewed. I suppose it's part of the reason I write these letters; I'm hoping to give to you as many memories of beautiful and wholesome things as I can, day by day, and piece by piece. I know for sure that I also have so very many unwholesome memories, but… all those do is empower me to appreciate what I have now even more than I otherwise would. You can use your unwholesome memories to make the ones I'm trying to give you shine even more brightly and joyfully in your mind than they otherwise would, if you're brave enough to try.

At the place, when it was time for snacks, I had the good privilege of speaking to a teenage girl with a vibrant mind and a wild imagination! I guess she really likes my Eevee hat and the reminder of you that I carry around; I am proud to have you with me in a visible way everywhere I go, even if you are only "with me" in an extremely abstract sense; anytime anyone asks about it, I speak your name and talk about how kind and gentle you are.

Anyway, I guess me being loudly myself has inspired her to modify and wear her own fabulous headgear that looks as though it feels correct to her; I was really happy to see it! We talked about some anime that she likes called "Land of the Lustrous" (I'm surprisingly not very well-versed in anime for someone who speaks Japanese…), and we talked about some instruments that she plays, and we talked a little about Pokémon cards, and so many other things!!

My goodness Sephiroth, if only you could have seen the way her eyes and her whole presence lit up and sparkled as I listened to her talk about her various things! To my eyes, her reaction makes it seem like she doesn't have a whole lot of people who are willing to listen to her earnestly, and… I feel very sad in response to that, because I find that deeply relatable. All the same, next week, she wants to show me some instruments she can play, and I can't wait to see what she can do! I can't wait to hear about all the rest of the things she has on her mind! I wonder what awesome things I'll learn if I sit, listen, and ask questions for a while!

When I got home, I tore through some more boxes in search of additional tapes. There was one more - a tape of unknown contents that was, for some reason, packed away in a little drawer in my jewelry box, along with a locket of my nanna and poppy that I thought was lost, a little pin in your shape, and a winged heart that says, "Fly" on it:

...Nanna and poppy are gone. This is all I have left of them, so I'm really glad that I found this. They were probably the closest thing I had to loving parents, until I was taken from them when I was like 3. Things got... really weird for me... after that, and... there wasn't anything they could do.

...I wonder what they'd think to see me now. Nanna might still love me, but poppy would hate me for being pansexual and poly... Still, I... I'm really glad that being aware of the value of a locket is something that we have in common - something we both understand. I'm really glad I have it again.

...I really wanna write "thank you" to you here, for some reason. But that's ridiculous and silly, so I won't.

Anyway, I remember this tape being one of the first ones my mother gave me all those years ago, last time I searched for this song; I didn't have a cassette player at the time. It's unmarked, but it's certainly colorful:

...I also, in the course of searching, found my collection of all the feathers I find on the ground:

...I had thought I lost this. I find feathers everywhere, often enough that even other people think its kinda weird. I think they're pretty, so I pick them up, wash them, dry them, and fluff them back up. Normally I find dark-colored feathers, but occasionally, I run into white ones or colorful ones, like that blue-jay feather. Truth be told, it used to be a much, much larger collection, but some creep a long time ago felt entitled to use my collection for some art project of his, so he cut up all the ones I had and glued them to some wooden thing; I was devastated.

I still find them though, so my collection has built up again. And I keep finding them, so there's still a bunch scattered around the house in random weird places; I guess now that I have a place for them, I had better go around and gather them up nicely, no?

I also found my box of pretty rocks. Some of them were given to me by friends. Some of them were found at the bottom of lakes, back when I used to do mermaid training. And some were just found while derping around:

...Hey, Sephiroth? Do you ever pick up weird things from the ground and keep them? I do. It's why I have a collection of feathers and a collection of rocks, hahaha! 🤣

...So many old pieces of me, found while on a quest to look for one little song on one little tape. Things I thought I lost forever, returned to me, just like that. I found more pieces of writing, more doodles... I even found the matches to several feather earrings that I thought I'd never be able to wear again:

...I did not find the song on the tape, and there are no more boxes to search through. The song is gone, and my reconstruction will have to do; I hope it'll become something that is worthy of you when I'm done with it.

But I did find five other songs on this tape - stuff by well-known artists. I was a little disappointed that it wasn't more of my mother's singing, but that's okay. The tape is old, and the contents are garbled, but I made a playlist of the songs that were on the tape:

...Sephiroth, if I didn't know better, I'd think... I'd almost think... Well. I know better. So I'm not even gonna bother finishing that thought, because it's VERY silly! Ahaha~! 🤣😅😞

Guess I have some singing to do in the coming days. And some other stuff to do, too. I hope my rib will cooperate. I guess we'll see... Wish me luck, yeah?

...Hey Sephiroth? What songs echo through your heart? What do you sing when no one is looking? I wonder. I hope someday you'll sing a little and show us; I'll bet your singing voice is lovely. And even if it's clumsy, it'll still be lovely so... please give it a try, won't you?

Anyhoot. It's becoming late, so I'm going to end this one here.

Please stay safe out there, all right? Rest when you need to. Be kind to yourself. Find reasons to laugh and to sing and to play. Hydrate and eat balanced meals; y'know... all that fun stuff that is essential to renewal.

I love you. I'll write again tomorrow.

Your friend, Lumine

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holly-mckenzie · 8 months

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Hey! What were your thoughts on S3 of Starstruck? It went in a very different direction than I was expecting and as a viewer I feel conflicted - I think it’s brilliantly written and reflective of reality and there’s a lot of beauty in what’s been explored this season, but emotionally I also feel a bit thrown.

hi clara!

Okay. So I have spent the last week thinking about it (I even explained to my counselor how I was a child of divorce now 😂)…. But I still fully haven’t grasped all of my thoughts so this may all sound a bit rambling. Spoilers Ahead!

First and foremost, in my most recent re-watch of Starstruck I kept on thinking about how Jessie loves Kate but… kinda brushes Kate’s friendship as not as important as a romantic one (e.g. - the speech she gives to Joe in S1E5). With this in mind, I do really love that most of the relationship tension and the overall love story of S3 is between Kate and Jessie. Their friendship is so precious to me and I adore it so much. So I do love the way that’s explored in the new season. Kate and Jessie are the real love story of Starstruck.

Other things I LOVED is Sarah and Steve’s relationship. They are honestly so funny, and I adore them so much! I also did like the evolution of Joe's character. Minnie Driver is always amazing as Cath, Shivani is so funny, and I loved Alice Snidden as Amelia (more on that later).

Now unto the important things. I kinda knew that S3 would go this route bc I felt like if it had followed traditional romcom tropes the next step would be marriage. Which I really couldn’t imagine Rose doing.

So when S3 was renewed I had a feeling that it would either go the marriage route, the we are never ever ever getting back together route, or something else completely.

But realistically it would be the breakup. I was hoping that the ending would be kinda unresolved where there was a chance that Jessie and Tom could get back together in the future. But Alas. However, this did not mean I was not in a complete in a state of panic leading up to S3 (if you follow me on Twitter, you know).

Honestly, imo if S3 was doing the we have different partners I FIRMLY believe that Jessie should have been with a woman, and Tom should have been with a woman of colour.

Me at Clem:

The new characters fell SO flat to me. Clem is nice enough and so agreeable, which I think is supposed to act as a foil to Jessie. This is obvs in the way that Clem wants marriage and kids. But I also feel like you see it in the way that Clem isn’t threatened by Jessie, which is a very stark contrast to the way Jessie reacts to Tom’s co-star in season 1, and the fight they have after.

And Liam is just there. No offense to Liam, but none of his scenes really felt like they could compare to the banter and chemistry between Jessie and Tom throughout the seasons. To quote the modern philosopher of our time:

So it was really hard to care about him and the relationships. Also something about his very existence reminded me of this interview Rose did during S1. Though that could be a nothing.

Overall I really didn’t care about these new relationships, bc watching Jessie and Tom in S1-2 is just so electric. The banter, the back and forth. The way they smile at each other, and make each other laugh.

But maybe that’s the whole point, that you could have electric chemistry with someone. But it could also all be meaningless bc that person is not the person for you.

As for Tom, I recently got asked if he was written as an asshole. But I don’t know how to answer that. Was he shit for cheating on his fiancé? Yes. But did I care that he cheated on her with Jessie, no.

I do feel like I’m not a huge fan of the way that Tom was written in this season. Throughout the show he is only shown in relation to Jessie or his work, with the exception of the Christmas episode. But I bc in the new series he isn’t with Jessie we REALLY see how his character is flat.

Now I do realise that it’s bc the show is about Jessie, but it still felt lacking. The fact that Tom doesn’t seem to have friends outside of Jessie’s circle is wild. The fact that he is getting married, and we don’t see his parents or brother is so 💀

Especially since Tom is a full Brown man (that is apparently somewhat religious). And somehow his family isn’t part of any of the wedding prep? That’s so wild and unbelievable (for me as a brown woman). I do realise Vinay is an asshole but I genuinely wish he had made an appearance in S3. It could have been so funny and it would have added some nuance to Tom's character. (We see Dan again, but not Vinay or the rest of Tom's fam? Come on!) I would love to see Vinay’s opinion on Jessie changed and his feelings toward the wedding, kiss, stag, etc.

I do understand Rose and the writers wanted to explore these ideas. And this is something she has clearly been thinking about since Baby Done. I also do think that in the latest series, we explore the anxieties through a queer lens by way of Amelia's speech. It strikes me as fascinating that Alice Snidden is openly bi, and her character is one of the only ones single.

Merryanna Salem, one of the most prolific film critiques of our time, articulated an idea about the queerness of Starstruck, and Queer Relativity in such a nuanced way. I highly recommend you read it. With this in mind, Amelia's speech, and Rose's feelings towards babies, its really not that surprising it ended the way it did.

But at the same time, it really seems like such a shift from the first two series in a way I simply don’t like (or understand). As I previously established Jessie and Tom are SO good together. Their chemistry is unreal, the show is just so bloody cute.

The show sets out to be a romcom, and that is what it does brilliantly in the first two series. Yet in S3, we really see a departure from that genre. It feels more a romantic drama, with comedic elements and I think its REALLY discombobulating. Specifically bc in most romcoms the couple gets together, and in dramas there is more grey area. Because I didn't read S1-2 as anything but a romcom, I didn't even entertain the idea of a break up. So to have it thrown in, in S3 seems so forced somehow.

Especially bc we have seen Tom and Jessie conquer the odds again and again. So to have the writers articulate they just aren't a good fit, and Jessie to say we want different things is strange. Maybe, I was watching Starstruck with blinders on, but it seemed in the previous seasons they were somewhat on the same page. Like even with this idea of Queer Relativity, Tom seems to understand it. He seems content to NOT get married to Jessie in S2 ending and what have you. So to suddenly be presented with a Tom who needs marriage and babies is discombobulating. Again, maybe I watched the show with blinders, but I did not catch the seeds of Tom and Jessie not being compatible, so S3, as you said threw me off.

And on some level I do think it’s kinda a redundant deconstruction of the romcom.

Join me next time where I dissect Starstruck through the lens of Race and Politics (or the lack there of).

#starstruck #cara-oswald #asks

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keepingmyoptionsfluid · 1 year

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Look, I love 9-1-1 so very very much but coming at it objectively (and as someone who works in TV, and has done for several years), I would not be surprised if this was the final season. I would be gutted if it was canceled but not surprised. Shows which I never thought would be cancelled have been left to dry up, over a decade of production has ended. I worked for two and a half years for a flagship show on a major global network (not giving specifics cause I ain't gonna dox myself when I've seen the behaviour of some people on this tag) and they are really struggling at the moment.

911 simply does not have the viewership it once did, the actors are all getting more and more famous (thus more and more expensive) and the hugely negative reactions online are super damaging. It's one thing to have people complaining about the show while still watching but the drop in viewership combined with bad press, and review bombing (literally what the fuck guys... If you didn't like it, you don't need to ruin it for everyone else? How vindictive and nasty can you be?) can be seriously damaging.

Channels are leaving things to the last minute to renew shows because they are running out of money and this uncertainty can be seen in the writing - season five ended in a way which would be a reasonable final ever scene - and there is only so much that you can do when every season ends with the same vibes of "this could be goodbye forever".

Also, the show is just changing - which is natural over time. Whether you are a buddie fan or not, the Buck & Eddie relationship was a huge part of the show and the writers have basically nuked their screen time for whatever reason which is causing a lot of issues with fans. The human stories are just starting to struggle as storylines aren't being explored and the repeated refusal of the writers to ever have on screen make-ups after issues leads to a lack of trust. If two characters have problems that are a huge plot point, you cannot simply have all make up and big moments off screen (see chimney punch, madney breakup, buck parents make up etc). Characters are making increasingly OOC decisions for reasons which are never explained which leads to the conslusion that either the writers are trying to desperately avoid certain situations with specific characters, or they simply do not understand their characters and aren't willing to try and explain things that don't make sense.

They're running out of storylines too as we see with them getting frankly more and more ridiculous. Now I for one don't mind this, it's a fictional show and I've read fanfic much more bonkers than canon, but for a casual viewer, there's a limit to how much people are willing to let go. (I will take literally anything because I am long past the point about caring about reality in fiction. I like liking things and you're not gonna stop me).

This isn't meant to be a negative post (although it's come out more depressing than I thought) but realistically, I'm not holding out hopes because TV is a numbers game and bad ratings and bad reviews lead to cancelled shows. If you don't like an episode, don't rate it. Would you genuinely prefer the show cancelled because your fave didn't have a big role in an episode? It's literally an ensemble cast so everyone gets their own big storylines.

Anyway, here's hoping I'm wrong and I can joke about this miserable post in the future. I'm off to read 911 fanfic 🤣

#911 fox #911 #911 spoilers #look i know people habe strong feelings but honestly you can choose not to be a vitriolic child #we all have faves and things we dont like about the show but ive never seen such horrific cyber bullying as i have in this fandom #the behaviour is utterly dispicable and i hope to all god that the cast dont know how fans of this show act #except i know they do because some people abuse the cast when they dont like episodes #like you woild never do that to someone in real life so why is it appropriate to do it to an actor #they owe you literally nothing #working in tv lets you see the genuine worst sides of people sometimes #im lucky ive only had a few online attacks but DMming hate to actors? grow the fuck up

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tokiro07 · 1 year

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Undead Unluck ch.154 thoughts

[Team-Building]

Looks like we’re getting a Nico arc, folks! @roydeezed mentioned in their review this week that Nico has effectively been standing in for Andy as Fuuko’s confidant in this loop, and while I hadn’t really thought of that up to now, this chapter really does solidify that. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nico ends up being the character who gets the most focus this loop before Andy returns, as everyone else is probably going to get between one and three chapters to themselves at most by the end

Gina had her awakening and the Autumn battle, Void had his fight with Fuuko, Tella had his awakening, Creed was abandoned by his country, Sean reevaluated Unseen, etc., but most of those were very quick, lasting one to one and half chapters at a time. They’ll still definitely get good scenes and perhaps a little more development, but I don’t envision most of them being the central figure in a mini-arc again

Nico, though, has a lot of opportunities for focus; not only did we already get a full chapter dedicated to Fuuko just convincing him to work with her, we still need to watch his relationship with Ichico develop fully, we need to see him be confronted with the awakening of Unforgettable, I expect we’ll see his relationship with Mico from scratch afterward, and now we have the Phil rescue mission which Nico is keenly invested in. He just has so many relationships and personal events to address, which makes sense seeing as he’s one of the most recurring members of the Union across the loops

Speaking of, the revelation that Nico is likely to be the focus of Phil’s arc is very exciting news for me, as I have always anticipated that Nico and Phil had a parental relationship. We first saw them interacting during the Clothes battle in chapter 10 with Nico doing maintenance on Phil’s Artifacts, and from that brief interaction, I got the impression that Nico was something of a father figure to Phil. Nothing came of it and they got no further development in Loop 100, but seeing Nico become righteously indignant at the thought of Phil being a government guinea pig, I feel renewed hope and excitement that my original impression may have been right

I also think it’s important for Phil to have another character to consistently interact with, as that will help his character develop, and Nico being predisposed to be endeared to him sets up that possibility perfectly. It’d also be cute if Phil inadvertently inspires Nico and Ichico to have Mico

On the subject of Phil, I really hope that Tozuka will explain whether or not Phil is early like Sean. If he is, then there’s not really any issue, but if he was always born in 1993, that’s a bit troubling. I mentioned in a previous post that it might imply that Unfeel or growing up in space caused his growth to be stunted, but that somehow doesn’t feel like the angle we’re playing here. We’ll likely learn next week, but I think it would be weird for Sean to be the only early arrival, so I’m expecting Phil to be too

I’m really curious how Unfeel is going to change here; I’m hoping it’ll become an ability that Phil can turn off and on rather than being a passive ability, as that seems like the only way to really make this a useful ability without sacrificing anything. The ideal here is that Phil has the ability to feel emotions, form connections, act independently and retain his body while also being able to utilize Unfeel to use Artifacts with impunity

I’m also curious if whatever’s attacking him is an alien or a UMA. Since Galaxy clearly already exists, it could easily be the Acks, which would be a cool callback, but the Acks didn’t exist yet when Phil was in space last time, so I don’t imagine that they’re very likely

As a final note, Creed didn’t get as much development as I personally would have liked in the Buroja conflict, so I’m glad that he’s coming along too, cus that should give him more of an opportunity to shine

Honestly, any time we’re given to spend with this cast makes me happy, I love almost every character we’ve met so far, and the ones I don’t are the ones we haven’t learned enough about yet. I can’t wait to love Phil, I can’t wait to love Creed, and I can’t wait to even love Ruin

I’ve said a number of times that I expect Undead Unluck to end within the next year, but now that I think about it, we’re still meeting a lot of the cast. Even if we’ve known their names before, this is the first time we’re getting to know most of them, so it’s definitely possible that the final arc will only start once everyone’s assembled, and it may well go on for a full year or more depending on Tozuka’s plans

Either way, I’m just glad to spend as much time in this world with this cast as possible, and I’m looking forward to next week just as much as the last

See you all then!

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime #4y1a reviews

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thecagedsong · 2 years

Text

Theories (Part III)

Last part for tonight. Oh boy.

3. The dragons will lose their powers, and be offered the chance to renew the vow and gain the powers back.

So, kinda weird how tied their powers are to Hiryuu’s shrine, isn’t it? Like, we’ve known for a while that they are stronger closer to the shrine, but that they collapse when something happens to the shrine is a bit . . . odd.

Did they feel it when Yu-hon burned down the temple on castle grounds? Doesn’t seem like it. And their powers are derived from the dragon’s blood their ancestors drank, not King Hiryuu’s spirit.

Unless King Hiryuu has been strengthening the diluted blood for years.

If Hiryuu’s spirit has been making up the difference for diluted blood, that would explain why the farther they get from his shrine the weaker they get. Their bodies don’t have enough dragon blood left to sustain their powers.

Zeno’s medallion protecting the dragons now fits that. A gift from Hiryuu, carrying his wish for the dragon brothers he loved to be well, putting forth energy to sustain them.

HOWEVER, the dragon gods still love Hiryuu/Yona. They demanded their avatars serve her. They cried over the wound on her back. They still need the avatars to help her out, particularly if she’s doing her job and acting as judge, jury, and executioner of those who abuse power.

I think that when the shine actually goes down/medallion stops functioning, the dragon gods will appear before the four warriors again. They will make the same offer they gave the original dragon warriors.

Do you understand how amazing that scene would be?

Not only would it be the perfect way to answer the questions the dragons have of “how much of my love for Yona is me verse the dragon god’s love” but their answers would showcase their own character growth. I might have to write a fic about that, but anyone who wants to can use these theories as a prompt for their own fanworks.

Stripped of the dragon blood’s compulsion, they still all chose to drink. renewed to the strength of the original dragon warriors, they no longer need Hiryuu’s extra protections and can head into Kai and save the day.

Out of my theories, I hope this one comes true. In evidence, I can only offer Jae-ha’s dreams in Xing about losing his legs and ability to go to Yona’s side as a premonition form the Green Dragon in an attempt to make sure Jaeha doesn’t refuse to accept the mantle of the dragon warrior out of spite. I don’t really have much else on this theory. But if you can think of some canon support, feel free to reblog with your evidence/response/thoughts.

thecagedsong

#Yona of the dawn #four dragon warriors #yotd #akatsuki no yona #meta #theory #only a little ranting

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killerskillercaptain · 2 years

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Humanity's Strongest Soldier Analysis

Author's note : I said i was going to write this analysis of Levi a long time ago, here is part 1 of it. Because damn the man is short but he needs a long ass essay to be explained. Anyways, enjoy.

No spoilers.

First of all, it's still exceptional to me how i started liking Levi Ackerman as a character in 2013 when the anime started airing, then forgot about attack on titan and the anime world all together. In 2020 i got back into Anime and Manga and i found myself, in 2020, still fond of this character with renewed insights.

Usually, this type of fondness would fade away with either time or maturity, but with this one, it didn't. Quite the contrary, as i grew older in age and experienced more things in life, i guess you could say this character became more meaningful, and he became what you can call a comfort character, because now, having been through a great amount of hurdles and harsh experiences through my life, having lived enough to have regrets as well, i can see what Levi Ackerman represents to readers and viewers, or at least to me : he represents hope. Levi represents hope. And i know, maybe in other artworks and stories, hope is symbolized by something more “gracious” but in aot, the one who carries hope throughout the story, is this grumpy forty years old midget who's seen enough to make him lose faith but who still chooses to go on.

To me-and this is just my opinion-it's not Erwin who gave Levi his ultimate reason to live, Levi gave it to himself. The selflessness he saw in Erwin's quest was his own, even though he thought that it has been instilled in him by the commander, but if Levi didn't have that selfless quality in him in the first place, he wouldn't have been able to see it in Erwin's actions.

Yes, Erwin made it seem as if he was pursuing humanity's salvation, but he only made it seem that way, and even though he never hid it from himself that it was all lies. The remorses he felt about throwing everyone into the abyss just to prove his father's theory, just to know that he was right all along, just to see the truth, all of that was a lie. He was drunk on a selfish quest, he didn't want to seek the truth for humanity, he wanted to seek the truth for himself, maybe with a slight hope to avenge his father by discovering that he was killed on purpose.

Isayama said in an interview that Levi was disappointed, even shocked when he learned Erwin's selfish motives. He was disappointed meaning that Levi was honestly invested in this selfish quest.

And Levi telling Erwin to abandon his dream and die, was Levi's way to try to rinse Erwin of his sins, giving him his last chance to repent.

How he treats human life compared to Erwin is an undeniably powerful contrast : Levi values and cherishes human life above all else, and it seems to me that he respects people's lives even more than Erwin does.

This man know he has been granted unsurpassable strength and capabilities, and the moment he was offered to use it for more noble goals, he did it. He chose to use his strength for what was presented to him as a selfless cause, but he was the only one throwing himself selflessly in it. Seeing how Erwin's devotion wasn't so selfless after all, Levi got disappointed and felt even betrayed (if i remember correctly, Isayama said this exact word) I think this shows how much Levi was the selfless person in this whole humanity's survival quest.

Levi loathed Zeke wanting to exterminate the Eldians to spare them the cruelty of life. Yes Zeke's intentions came from a painful past and a genuine desire to give his people solace, he didn't want his people to live if all they're gonna know is suffering and endless persecution, it's hard to say that his intentions are noble, it's more of a means to an end rather than an a grandiose project, and to make it happen, Zeke killed people who maybe wanted to live.

And as a side note, i think Levi of all people would be disgusted and hurt by Zeke's intentions because Levi is an Ackerman fated to be persecuted, yet his mother still fought for him and didn't want to deny him the right to live, she wanted to give him his right to be born into this world, and that i think, makes Levi detest Zeke's plan and actions.

Levi thinks human life is worth preserving even if it's meant to suffer, because life is valuable, and a right not to be interfered with.

If anyone knows how cruel life can be, how tough it can get, it's Levi ! Left on his own to die, not being granted a family name so he could escape persecution, had to transform into a monster to stay sane and had to become a criminal to keep on living. Levi knows just how shitty life is, but he still thinks people's lives matter and have to be protected at all costs. He even devoted his life to saving lives and ensuring people's safety. Levi and the other scouts take shit every day for it, just so the citizen's lives can keep on going. He hates when the lives of his comrades have to be sacrificed.

His attachment to his comrades and the value he gives to avenging human life is the first insight that is given to us :

You can tell Levi doesn't enjoy killing, but he has learned to integrate this horrific part of human survival so he himself and the people he cares about can live.

He definitely isn't just a thug who turned his life around by finding a goal, he actually embraced and even embodied his new role, taking it with out must seriousness, following hierarchy and orders. He wanted to do things the right way. In the short stories series, Levi went as far as to ask who had the best hand writing in their division so he can better himself, he did it as soon as he knew he'd be taking on paperwork.

Like the other soldiers, he drinks awful tea and survive on meager military food for the sake of the cause.

Also, another particularly heartwarming detail for me as so many have noticed :

Levi is the only scout in Marley to wear the Wings of Freedom cape. When Levi finds something worthy of devotion, he devotes himself fully, wholeheartedly, wearing the cape in here, being the only one to maybe even remember to wear it, i think shows how emotionally invested he is. Wearing this cape, he's reminding himself and the others what they're fighting for, maybe even making a statement in the face of the Marleyans, because he is maybe the truest in his fight for humanity : he doesn't want to know where titans come from like Erwin, he doesn't want to unravel their fascinating secret like Hange, he doesn't have a dream, he just fights for the cause, because he has a heart ! Which brings us to the emotional Levi which i'll be writing about in part 2 of my analysis.

#ree's analysis #manga #anime #meta analysis #levi ackerman #eren jeager #zeke jeager #aot #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #Erwin smith #snk #hange zoe #levihan

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doc-ock-earth-12041 · 2 years

Note

Ya know, USM Ock has definitely gone through a lot of changes and character design throughout the series. Some I liked (kinda missed his greasy Ozzy Osbourne look), others not so much.

Now, at first I had mixed feelings about his last form where Otto kinda a looks like Doc Ock from the 90s Spider-Man show (which was what introduced me to Spider-Man besides the 2000 films). I didn’t hate it, but I was more used to his S2 look and was pretty fond of it.

But then, there’s also the whole nanobots thing. And Otto’s used them, what? Like two-three times, which changed his looks. I think it was the incident with Carnage that reverted Ock from his Hydra form back into his S2 look.

I like to thing that after the series, Otto reverts slowly to his old self before the whole lab accident. Over time, his hair becomes darker and grows longer again, maybe his scars come back as the nanobots are more focused on keeping his insides functioning so that Otto doesn’t need his iron lung suit anymore.

Kinda like a mix of these two:

But that’s just me

Overall, what are your thoughts on Otto’s designs and what could’ve happened after the USM series?

I actually drew a few sketches of a more ‘familiar’ post nanites design in October of last year!

For context, he is trying to appease an upset baby. [1]

Aside from that, I have very mixed feelings about his post nanites transformation.

Contrary to what the show writers had perhaps hoped for, his post nanite transformation isn’t particularly handsome to me. That’s not to say that it’s ugly- just that it’s so conventionaly “attractive” that it’s boring. If you’re familiar with the concept of Everyone is Beautiful and No One is Horny then you know exactly what I mean. Secondly, his post nanite form is supposed to be an hommage to how he looks in the original Earth-1610 Ultimate Spider-Man comics (not the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon’s comics) and... Well. It’s not a very good one.

The reason the Ultimate comics worked so well was because it was a new take on the Spider-Man series. Instead of the typical adult Peter we had in the Earth-616 universe, we have a teenage Peter, facing off against older, stronger foes. Instead of the heavier set Otto we’re used to, we’re faced with a muscular and intimidating Otto from the very beginning. The Ultimate Spider-Man show tried to replicate the comic’s success, and for the first two seasons it worked. They had a new, scary Doc Ock, with a visually interesting design and a downright menacing personality- but then they get renewed for two more seasons and didn’t have anything else planned for him. So they dropped the “new and interesting” plan- which I feel the need to restate was working- and went back to formula, putting Otto into a body meant for someone else, someone confident- spawning a pale imitation of what an Ultimate Doctor Octopus is supposed to be like. [2] [3]

Thirdly, and most importantly, using his post nanite transformation to give him a “redemption arc” was both ableist and poor writing. Allow me to explain.

We’ve known two important things about Otto since the beginning: he’s an anatagonist, and also disabled. This in itself isn’t bad- what he’s been put through is enough to break even the strongest individuals. But removing his disability and saying that’s enough reason to allow him to be “good” sends the message that the only reason he couldn’t be good was because he was sick, and to add onto the absurdity of that, we’ve already seen him do good things in the show in his original body, such as creating the Venom antidote in season 2 episode 17 Venom Bomb.

That being said, I feel the writers could have set up a satisfying redemption arc without his post nanite transformation, and perhaps afterwards it would have been more appropriate to introduce the post nanite form.

[1] The baby is from the Mad Scientist/Single Dad AU I’ve previously drawn for on my main art blog here. It really does not appreciate Otto’s post nanites form. This is the final panel of the sketches. The baby isn’t impressed.

[2] Special thanks to Calamity for helping me write this part, because I haven’t read that much Ultimate Spider-Man and was at a loss for this part. [3] This is also an issue I have with the Superior Spider-Man comic arc.

#Sorry that this diverged from the original question a little bit #Spoilers #USM #Asks #Doc Ock #Post Nanites Doc Ock #Fanart #Cinder-draws-sometimes #Not a Reblog #Mzkrazypouita

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styx1an · 3 years

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A Chat about Chat

A short fic about how Chat came to be a singular being, written by yours truly. By all means, this isn’t canon, it’s just my interpretation of things.

Word count: 1,863

Fandom: RTGame, Miitopia (NGL I’m a little displeased with how I wrote the ending, but oh well!)

You know, there is this odd sense of irony in knowing how terrified Chat was of Magical John when they aren’t even human nor a singular being in the first place. Wait, so you didn’t know? Of how they became such a being in the first place? (They chuckle.) Then I suppose that means I’ll have to tell you their story. Well then, shall we begin the tale of Chat? (You see the twinkle in their eyes. They must’ve been waiting a while to be able to do this.)

> You nod. You’ve been waiting a while to understand Chat’s origins. Tonight, like many others, belongs to the storyteller.

> You shake your head. No thanks, you think you’re too tired. Dawn shall rise anew soon, and you will not waste your time with tall tales.

(They nod, pleased with your decision.) Then I shall begin to relay their tale.

Our tale begins in the vast lands known as Twitch, a domain that belongs to another, a far crueler being whose tale is for another time. It is a place where one is free to express their opinions and whatnot (as long as it suits the many whims of its Amazonian overlords, of course), and many are versed in the easy to learn, but difficult to master art of gaming. Many such masters have gained a large following, and even if they do not possess such skill, more often than not their humor and charisma paves the way to fame.

One example of the latter would be RTGame, a man of sizable repute. Aside from the frankly ridiculous story of the origin of his moniker, he is also known for doing some… questionable things for the sake of entertainment. There are still tales of his quest in the bathtub along with Gilbert (yes, the very same Gilbert on the quest to defeat The Darker Lord Khadgar!), the night of the Painted Wall’s Communion, the birth of Mr. Compost- But my dear, we are here for one of his lesser-known exploits, one that would change the world as we know it.

> You lean closer to the campfire, watching the storyteller with a renewed interest. Where does the tale lead? Where does it end? You need to know.

> It’s getting even later. You think some rest will be needed before tomorrow’s travels begin. Perhaps the rest of the story can wait another time?

It was a dark and stormy night. The then-Dark Lord Von Karma had just been unleashed upon the land, and I Want Die set along the path of salvation with his fellow party members, Mr. Bean the Warrior, Goofy the Thief, and Mint the Horse. He was pleased with the ease with which they vanquished monsters and saved (literal) faces, but the lack of actual conversation within the party had begun to get to him. Mr. Bean had nothing to offer other than a simple “Bean!” every now and then, and Goofy terrified him with all the “hyuck!” and talks of absolving the world’s many sins. Mint is a horse and therefore cannot participate in a verbal conversation unless you happen to understand what her neighs meant. She also happens to be the most normal member of the party, strangely enough.

Either way, I Want Die longed for a proper conversation.

And God took notice.

It was inevitable. The fourth party member was always going to join, whether he wanted one or not. It shouldn’t be notable in any way whatsoever, yet here I am regaling this tale to you.

It is not how Chat had come to join the party that I wanted to explain, but rather how they came to be.

Do you remember the man I had called RTGame? I hope you had not thought of him as irrelevant to our tale, as he is the patron saint of I Want Die’s adventures. Surely you know of the vast armory that belongs to the party? The various delicacies fed to the team? All his work. Along with his followers’ contributions, of course.

Chat was what he called his followers, the ones who watched his various endeavors as he traveled across the land of Twitch. Oftentimes the crowd would conversate with him (hence their name), offering jokes and sardonic commentary whenever he did anything remotely comedic. Other times, RT would have to tell them off for being such a rowdy bunch- the usual group of thousands could never keep quiet for long.

It happened that Chat witnessed I Want Die’s pilgrimage along with RTGame. They all looked upon him with a jolly sense of humor (after all, their master is well-versed in the art of comedy), some wondering where his travels will bring him. The others who knew how it would all end kept silent at the behest of RTGame. Either way, every single one of them was enjoying the show he had put on for them.

And came the time to summon the fourth member.

As per usual, RTGame withdrew into his workshop, closing the curtains around him so no curious onlooker could see inside. But that did not stop Chat from yelling their predictions and demands.

“EDGEWORTH” one cried.

Another begged for a certain “End Mii!”

“CHAT CALM DOWN!”

“!uptime”

“69420toesucker just subscribed for 5 months!”

“TURG”

RTGame smiled at them. He wasn’t surprised at all at their reactions, rather it was something he had hoped would happen.

“Alright then Chat,” he said, “here they are!”

His pale, thin hands reached out to open the curtains-

And unveiled a faceless, empty husk of a being.

Under any other circumstances, Chat would’ve rioted, demanded justice against the irony of sending a faceless doll to retrieve the faces of others. But they had no time.

Almost in an instant, the skies darkened. Clouds swirled up above with vibrant shades of violet, cobalt, magenta. Bright blue lightning strikes a tree and dissolves it into dust. Somewhere distant, something roars. The air feels thick- something magical, something electric is positively buzzing. Magic truly is in the air.

And thunder strikes once again.

The crowd is gone.

Silence fell. All that is left is the master and the doll, no longer an empty husk.

> You look up to the storyteller, their eyes reflecting the blazing flames. You have a feeling that you know how this ends, but you’d rather have them confirm it first.

> You’re sleepy. As tempting as it is to continue listening to their story, you must admit that the very idea of slumber is even more tantalizing.

RTGame had managed to do exactly what he wanted. Chat’s consciousness, placed inside of a single, physical being. A puppet controlled by a hivemind would not be very easy to control, yes. But the idea intrigued him. And wouldn’t it be better than having a large gaggle of people constantly behind him, watching his every move? It could help I Want Die on his journey too.

So it is settled. It happened that one of the members of his temple had just crafted a rather nice puppet, in case RT needed one. And he did come to use it. It does look a little plain, as both body and head are painted in the same shade of bright white. However, the face was not white like how it was in the beginning, but a disturbingly pitch-black space. No, that’s not the right word.

Rather, it was like a void had formed. That’s also not the right phrase to describe it either, as there were drops of ichor dripping down onto the ground, dissolving the once green grass. But I digress.

Chat broke the silence that had fallen between them, wailing as a cacophony of noises and emotions spilled out. Despite what RT had done to them, they were still determined to voice their opinions. Quite in character, really.

“RT WHAT”

“NO NO NO”

“!uptime”

“I'M ON TV!!!”

“bazingabanana just gifted 5 subs!”

“that’s kinda meta”

As their voices grew louder, ichor kept pouring out of the void. As expected, RT thought to himself. He still needs to act fast. So with a quick snap, he fastened a wooden mask the temple-goer made; the same shade of white, a pair of beady black eyes almost as dark and soulless as the void, bright purple ears.

The yelling and complaining didn’t stop of course. Still, as their voices were muffled by the mask, it was an arguably better experience than the previous ear-splitting wails. And it was less deadly too. Ichor had stopped dripping down onto the grass, which meant that the constant sizzling would finally stop.

Now, one last thing.

RT stared into Chat’s eyes.

This in itself wouldn’t have been quite a remarkable action had it been anyone else, but it’s Chat that we are talking about. The very sensation of doing something as simple as gazing into a hivemind’s many souls wasn’t anything ordinary, either.

It felt like you had just plunged one of your hands into ice-cold water in the middle of winter and not only are you freezing, you’re scared and you don’t know whether you’d come out in one piece.

They all stared back. Thousands and thousands looked upon RT, all different yet whispering the same things, each claiming to be an individual yet virtually nothing distinctive belongs to them. A true hivemind. It’s exactly what he wanted, but he wondered if perhaps other troubles would arise.

He let himself go from their gazes. It asks too much of him.

“Alright then, Chat. Ready?”

A gaggle of voices reply, sounding their agreements.

“OK then!”

I Want Die finally opened the inn door, after convincing himself that he’d like this new friend. That this one would be neither an anime villain, a comedy star or a horse. Someone with actual rational thoughts and words to speak.

In front of the door stood a short figure, clad in a purple mage’s robes. Their pitch-black eyes looked at I Want Die, and a chorus of voices came from their permanent smile:

“Hi, I’m Chat!”

And I Want Die wondered if he had forgotten to cross off ‘hivemind’ off his list of potential party members.

Chat’s introduction ends here, of course. But not their tale. The journey was far from over in fact. The party had yet to meet the Royal Court, witnessed the court’s love affair, or get kidnapped by the Dark Lord Von Karma. Even the party wasn’t complete, as it was only the first party I Want Die would encounter in his tale of redemption.

And it’s not the only story either. You haven’t heard of Magical John’s past life, or how Cupcake isn’t as pure as she seems. Gilbert’s fear of the kitchen. How Jefferson came to be, and Obama’s past life with Mr. Bean.

But I’m afraid I must stop here, for it is late already, is it not? Our journey must continue tomorrow. Let us rest. Goodnight, may the stars shine for you. (They head off into their tent, leaving you alone with the flickering embers of a dying fire.)

> You bid the storyteller goodnight. Perhaps they’ll tell you another one of their stories, underneath the moonlight once more.

#rtgame #magical john #well i wrote! dont like how the latter half was written but ok #miitopia #writing #rtgamecrowd

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osakaso5 · 3 years

Text

IDOLiSH7 6th Anniversary Special Story: Full of Heart...

Chapter 1: The Greatest Show

Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Mister Shimooka: The day has finally come for Rabitty-kun, beloved children's character, to celebrate its 6th anniversary with a special show!

Mister Shimooka: Welcome to Kids' Room!

Mister Shimooka: And as we look back on our own childhoods with Toi Toi Toi Company's famous mascot...

Mister Shimooka: We'll also take a peek at the childhoods of idols whose fame rivals even that of Rabitty-kun!

Audience: Kyaaaaa...!

Mister Shimooka: Here come our special guests!

Mister Shimooka: Re:vale!

Yuki: Hey there.

Momo: I hope you're excited for our baby pics!

Audience: Kyaaaaa..!

Mister Shimooka: TRIGGER!

Tenn Kujo: Thank you for having us on.

Gaku Yaotome: Thanks. Let's regain some of our childhood innocence, yeah?

Ryunosuke Tsunashi: I hope you're all ready!

Audience: Kyaaaaa..!

Mister Shimooka: IDOLiSH7!

Iori Izumi: I'm a bit embarrassed to show you all my picture, but I suppose I'll allow it, just this once.

Yamato Nikaido: Ichi's not the only one who's feeling embarrassed, but I think I've got a pretty good shot just for you guys.

Mitsuki Izumi: Thanks for having us!

Tamaki Yotsuba: Thanks!

Sogo Osaka: Congratulations on your 6th anniversary.

Nagi Rokuya: Only you will have the privilege of witnessing this special picture of me!

Riku Nanase: Please look forward to it!

Audience: Kyaaaaa..!

Mister Shimooka: ŹOOĻ!

Toma Inumaru: Let's make this the best anniversary ever!

Haruka Isumi: Hi.

Torao Mido: Thanks for having us.

Minami Natsume: Thank you.

Audience: Kyaaaaa..!

Tsumugi's Thoughts: Rabitty-kun's 6th anniversary special, Welcome to Kids' Room...

Tsumugi's Thoughts: For this show, our members had to find pictures from their childhood...

Tsumugi's Thoughts: And this is the story of how it all happened.

Tsumugi's Thoughts: Specifically...

Tsumugi's Thoughts: How it happened for MEZZO".

Tamaki Yotsuba: ........

Sogo Osaka: ........

- - - -

Tamaki Yotsuba: Welcome to Kids' Room...

Sogo Osaka: A show where we reminisce about our childhoods..?

Otoharu Takanashi: Exactly. You're both familiar with Rabitty-kun, the children's toy that took the world by storm some twelve years ago, yes?

Otoharu Takanashi: It was renewed and began its second run six years ago.

Riku Nanase: I remember Rabitty-kun! It was so popular when I was little! Ooh, ooh! I'm Rabitty!

Yamato Nikaido: The talking rabbit toys? We had at least three of those.

Mitsuki Izumi: Wow, gramps. You must've been a real Rabitty-kun superfan.

Yamato Nikaido: Superfan? Seriously..?

Mitsuki Izumi: Our parents only got us the one, so we had to take turns playing with it.

Iori Izumi: Right.

Riku Nanase: What's with the cool reaction, Iori? Didn't you like Rabitty-kun?

Iori Izumi: I have a cool reaction to all manner of cutesy stuffed animals, in case you haven't already noticed.

Iori Izumi: Besides, don't the rest of you find Rabitty-kun sort of... creepy? Because of the way he talks...

Yamato Nikaido: Creepy..? Nope, not really.

Mitsuki Izumi: Maybe he seemed scary to you because you were so little back then?

Riku Nanase: Do you know him, Nagi? It's possible that Rabitty-kun didn't ever land in Northmare.

Nagi Rokuya: OH, I do know him! I had a Rabitty Boy of my own once.

Nagi Rokuya: He could both sing and dance, and he enjoyed when I fed him carrots and pet his head.

Sogo Osaka: Wow...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Seriously?

Riku Nanase: What about you, Tamaki and Sogo-san? Do you know Rabitty-kun?

Mitsuki Izumi: Ah... Right, I guess you guys might've...

Sogo Osaka: I-I do know of him. Though I never owned one myself, I definitely remember hearing his name somewhere.

Tamaki Yotsuba: S-same here! We had a ton of old toys at the orphanage, so we totally had one of those somewhere!

Tamaki Ýotsuba: Y'know, the, uh... R-Rabitty Man?

Nagi Rokuya: Rabitty Boy.

Riku Nanase: No, it's Rabitty-kun!

Tamaki Yotsuba: Yeah, Rabitty-kun! What's he got to do with the show we're going on, anyway?

Otoharu Takanashi: Rabitty-kun's manufacturer, Toi Toi Toi Company, is the sponsor of this TV special.

Otoharu Takanashi: Tsumugi-kun, would you mind explaining the rest?

Tsumugi Takanashi: Not at all. It's for Rabitty-kun's 6th renewal anniversary...

Tsumugi Takanashi: ...For which they wanted to hold a big TV special where idol groups look back on their childhoods.

Tsumugi Takanashi: The chosen groups are IDOLiSH7, Re:vale, TRIGGER, and ŹOOĻ.

Tsumugi Takanashi: The show will feature not only Rabitty-kun, but many other children's toys and songs from the past.

Mitsuki Izumi: Wow! That sounds fun!

Yamato Nikaido: Are you sure our generational gaps won't get in the way? Take me and Tama, for example. We're a whole five years apart.

Tsumugi Takanashi: Speaking of which, you and Yuki-san are four years apart. That means he and Tamaki-san are nine years apart.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Whoa. He's basically old enough to be my dad.

Iori Izumi: Hush. Don't let him hear you say that.

Otoharu Takanashi: As part of the project, they've asked you to present your own childhood photos during the show.

Otoharu Takanashi: Do you all think you could do that? If it's too difficult, we can ask them to pass on you during that particular segment.

Mitsuki Izumi: It's no problem for me and Iori. What about you, gramps?

Yamato Nikaido: I'm sure I'll have tons of pictures to choose from... Even ones that don't show where I lived back then. What about you, Nagi?

Nagi Rokuya: But of course. I was all over Northmare's newspapers for a few weeks after I was born.

Yamato Nikaido: Sure, but do you have pictures you could actually use for the show?

Mitsuki Izumi: They're not so overly fancy that they'll ruin it for the rest of us, are they?

Nagi Rokuya: Hm... Very well, I shall select the most wonderful shot myself. And what of you, Riku? Will you have trouble preparing a photo?

Riku Nanase: I might have kind of a hard time. Especially if I accidentally pick a picture that's got both me and Tenn-nii in it.

Iori Izumi: Which you will not be doing, obviously.

Riku Nanase: Ugh, I can already tell that you're planning to pick a photo that matches Mitsuki's.

Iori Izumi: I'm not trying to be smug about it, you know.

Riku Nanase: I wonder which photo Tenn-nii will choose. We'll have to meet up and talk about this.

Banri Ogami: Are you sure you can all manage? Especially you, Tamaki-kun and Sogo-kun...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ah, um... Yeah, probably!

Sogo Osaka: I think I'll be able to work something out, too.

Banri Ogami: Really? If it's too difficult, then you don't have to force it.

Banri Ogami: I know both your family situations are a bit complicated...

Tamaki Yotsuba: We'll be fine! I'll ask the director of the orphanage.

Sogo Osaka: I have the contact information of one of our housekeepers, so I can ask them.

Banri Ogami: Okay, then. Good luck.

Riku Nanase: I can't wait to see what we all looked like when we were little!

Mitsuki Izumi: Same. I'm curious to see how Yaotome might've looked.

Yamato Nikaido: I'm more interested in Inumaru. Do you think his eyes were always that stern?

Nagi Rokuya: Are you asking because your own eyes are the same way?

Yamato Nikaido: Shut it.

Iori Izumi: I'll contact Kujo-san ahead of time, so we won't have any mishaps with Nanase-san.

Riku Nanase: I can do it myself!

Tamaki Yotsuba: .........

Sogo Osaka: .........

- - - -

Sogo Osaka: Pictures from our childhood...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Pics from when we were little...

Sogo Osaka: Do you think you'll find one, Tamaki-kun?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Maybe, if they've got some at the orphanage... You?

Sogo Osaka: Maybe, if my father hasn't disposed of them... I wonder how many of them we even had...

Tamaki Yotsuba: You should've told Ban-chan that you're gonna have a hard time finding any.

Sogo Osaka: ...I could say the same to you.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Well yeah, but...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Everyone else was talking about that stuff so normally, and I wanted to seem normal too.

Sogo Osaka: Me too... Even after all this time, I'm still desperate to fit in.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Same. Even though we I know I can talk about this stuff with the guys.

Sogo Osaka: I wonder why that is.

Tamaki Yotsuba: I dunno.

Sogo Osaka: It's not a problem with any of them, or Banri-san. I guess I just don't want them to feel sorry for me...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Maybe that's it for me, too... I don't feel bad about it, but I also don't wanna get in the way of their happiness.

Sogo Osaka: Right. Maybe I'm just feeling awkward, because I didn't grow up like them. I didn't even have one of those Rabitty Dolls.

Tamaki Yotsuba: "Rabitty Dolls"?

Sogo Osaka: That's right. I was only allowed to have toys that would advance my intellectual development.

Tamaki Yotsuba: So-chan, that's not what they're called. Nobody had a "Rabitty Doll".

Sogo Osaka: Oh. What were they called, again?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Rabitty Man. No wait. I mean Rabitty-kun.

Sogo Osaka: Rabitty-kun.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ooh, ooh!

Sogo Osaka: .....!? What's wrong? Did something get lodged in your throat?

Tamaki Yotsuba: ...No, no! Stop trying to pry my mouth open!!!

Sogo Osaka: It's because you made that groaning noise...

Tamaki Yotsuba: I was just pretending to be Rabitty-kun. Like: "Ooh, ooh! I'm Rabitty!"

Sogo Osaka: Ah, come to think of it, he did say something like that...

Tamaki Yotsuba: I wonder what the "ooh ooh" part's about.

Sogo Osaka: I don't know... Isn't Rabitty-san supposed to react to sounds, lights, and touch?

Sogo Osaka: Maybe he's being overstimulated to the point of excruciating pain, without even realizing it himself...

Tamaki Yotsuba: I don't think he says it 'cause he's in pain... Maybe he just can't get his mouth open?

Sogo Osaka: You think he's been gagged?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Why would anyone gag an innocent bunny toy?

Sogo Osaka: You're the one who said he couldn't open his mouth... In any case, I'll try and get a hold of someone who might know about my pictures.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Like that housekeeper?

Sogo Osaka: Yes... They might help me, so long as they haven't resigned yet... What will you do?

Tamaki Yotsuba: I'm gonna ask the director. Pretty sure the orphanage's got at least some pics of me. Are you gonna call them right now?

Sogo Osaka: That was my plan.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ok, I'll go call from my room then.

Sogo Osaka: Alright. Goodnight.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Mmh... But I might come back if my call doesn't work out.

Sogo Osaka: That's fine. We can figure this out together.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Okay.

- - - -

[Door opens]

Tamaki Yotsuba: ........

Sogo Osaka: You're back. How did it go?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ooh, ooh.

Sogo Osaka: Is that a groan of pain?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Yep.

Sogo Osaka: My attempt didn't go too well, either. Apparently only my father has access to any of our pictures. The housekeeper had no idea what has become of them.

Tamaki Yotsuba: They had pictures of me, but I'm too old in all of them. Like, thirteen and up.

Sogo Osaka: They had pictures of you when you were thirteen?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Yeah.

Sogo Osaka: Did they send you any?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Nope. The director doesn't know how smartphones work. Why, did you wanna see 'em?

Sogo Osaka: A little bit...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Heh. I think I looked pretty cool back then.

Sogo Osaka: I think you were probably more cute than cool. You were only thirteen, after all. I just wanted to see a version of you that isn't taller than me.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Well I wanna see how you looked when you were little, too. Like, do you even look anything like that now?

Sogo Osaka: I should hope so, since they are pictures of me.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Heh.

Sogo Osaka: I know, it's pretty funny. In any case, I did find one good lead.

Tamaki Yotsuba: What kinda lead?

Sogo Osaka: One of my father's coworkers does photography for a hobby. He should have taken a picture of me with my uncle.

Sogo Osaka: He's someone very important, so his photos should have survived even after my father got rid of every photo of my uncle.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Your dad must really love throwing pictures away.

Sogo Osaka: I can almost sympathize with him... I wouldn't want to be reminded of such a completely and utterly ruined relationship.

Tamaki Yotsuba: So if MEZZO" disbands, you're gonna delete all your pictures with me in them?

Sogo Osaka: ........

Tamaki Yotsuba: You can't get rid of all of them, though. They're all over the world, in magazines and stuff.

Tamaki Yotsuba: So you're gonna be reminded of me no matter what. Tough luck.

Sogo Osaka: ........ ...That's true.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Ah, that reminds ME!!!

Sogo Osaka: W-what!?

Tamaki Yotsuba: I knew an uncle who took pictures of us, too!

Sogo Osaka: An uncle who took pictures...

Tamaki Yotsuba: Mom liked the family portrait that uncle took so much, she kept it near our TV.

Tamaki Yotsuba: We put that picture in her casket when she died, but if that uncle's got the original data, then he can make another one.

Sogo Osaka: True. Do you know where this uncle lives?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Nope... But Re:vale might.

Sogo Osaka: Re:vale?

Tamaki Yotsuba: Yep. What about you? Can you call that guy who works with your dad?

Sogo Osaka: I don't have the connections to just go talk to him. But I know someone who does.

Tamaki Yotsuba: Who? Ah... You mean that dude?

Sogo Osaka: Why do you look so upset? He's not that bad. Not anymore, at least.

Tamaki Yotsuba: I dunno. He still looks like an evil rich guy to me.

To be continued...

#idolish7 #anniversary story 2021 #translation #i7 #trigger #re:vale #zool #other translations

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sinisterexaggerator · 2 years

Text

Headcanon: Cad Bane only *briefly* worked for the Empire, if at all.

Cad Bane didn’t work for the Empire after the depletion of Duro’s resources most likely around 18/19 BBY when they personally went and stripped his home planet of EVERYTHING, forcing Duros to flee off world:

“ The Galactic Empire collected what was left of Duro's natural resources, and forced many Duros to move off the planet. In an attempt to stir up conflict between Duro and Corellia, the Empire declared Duro to be part of the Corellian sector. “ - Wookieepedia

He may not have given that much of a shit about his home world, but enough that he’s like Nah, that’s fucked, boyeeee, PEACE IMMA HEAD OUT.

THEORY!: This ALSO explains the line “Boba Fett is a cold-blooded killer who worked for the Empire” as if *he* hadn’t done that before himself!

OK, so hear me out. There was a book where George Lucas talked about his ideas for the sequel trilogy (The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III 1999-2005 ). He wanted DARTH MAUL to be the main bad guy, including Darth Talon, which would have been his sexy Twi'lek apprentice. He wanted the new evil in the galaxy to be the crime syndicates, but instead we got that bullshit with Rey, Kylo Ren, the emperor coming back to life, and whatever the fuck Snoke was, right?

" According to Lucas, Leia was also going to have a much larger role in the sequel trilogy. “The movies are about how Leia — I mean, who else is going to be the leader? —is trying to rebuild the Republic.” This is where Darth Maul’s crime syndicate comes in. "They still have the apparatus of the Republic but they have to get it under control from the gangsters." Luke would have also played more of an active role in the movies, single-handedly restarting the Jedi from scratch. Because so few Jedi would be left by this point, this process would have taken 20 years. " ( Screencrush )

Soooo my idea here is, THIS IS WHY Bane is working for the Pyke Syndicate in BOBF. He went that route because DAVE FILONI *does not appreciate* the sequel trilogy to some extent. MARK HAMMIL did not like the way they portrayed his character of Luke Skywalker - he is supposed to be a symbol of hope, not a crotchety old man. It was said that Disney BUTCHERED the franchise, along with that horrible director who kept using the damn lens flares.

Also, let’s not forget the concept of TIME TRAVEL in Rebels between Ezra and Ashoka. Some people think the timeline may be REWRITTEN for these movies, who knows... BUT in Lucas’ world.. he says:

"By the end of the trilogy Luke would have rebuilt much of the Jedi, and we would have the renewal of the New Republic, with Leia, Senator Organa, becoming the Supreme Chancellor in charge of everything," Lucas explains. "So she ended up being the Chosen One."

The Empire wasn't even supposed to be a *THING* as far as Palpatine returning from the dead, Snoke, the First order, maybe ... blah blah blah.

Of course Cad Bane " dies" right as the whole Syndicate plot line is taking off in BOBF ... Which, I believe Filoni is trying to make come alive for good old G.L.

Though, they wound up killing Darth Maul off >__>

and the episode where he DIES was aired after the sequel trilogy was released ( all three films ) in 2017.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Twin_Suns_(episode)

So, even though he was killed off in Rebels .. During 18/19 BBY Maul is still alive and well and running crime syndicates and therefore to me Bane is working for HIM after being so disgusted by the Empire he says fuck this shit. He has worked for Maul in the past of course. It was in the comics.

and even when Maul dies he's already balls deep.

so he stays in there working for the Pykes...

BECAUSE ......

CRIMSON DAWN WAS A MEMBER OF...

The Shadow Collective

Which THE PYKES WERE A PART OF.

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Shadow_Collective

Maybe I am crazy, but there you have it. ;d

timeline: Empire Rises to Power > Events of Bad Batch > Bane does a few odd jobs > Duro is depleted of its resources > Bane pissed enough not to work for them because his people were disrespected and turned into refugees > Darth Maul is head of Crimson Dawn, Bane takes up jobs for him up until around 2 BBY ( Rebels takes place around this time ) > Maul Dies > Bane keeps working for the Pykes / Shadow Collective > Events of original Trilogy happens at this point > Cad is an old man and we get his “death scene” in BOBF

And maybe, JUST MAYBE .. those few odd jobs involve helping Inquisitors?!?! Or finding Obi-Wan Kenobi ( reaching here )?!?!

Also, at some point after Maul’s death, with Qi’ra in control, Crimson Dawn planned to set the stage to DEFEAT Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader, which is something I think Cad Bane would be down for considering what happened to his planet.

“ In 2 BBY,[20] Crimson Dawn lost its secret leader when Maul was stranded on[21] the Outer Rim[22] planet Malachor,[21] and later slain on the planet Tatooine.[23] This lead to Crimson Dawn being thought to be destroyed by its rivals.[3] But Crimson Dawn was not truly defeated, and instead operating secretly and on a smaller scale, building up assets until it could make a return.[7][24]

During this time, Qi'ra, earning the title of lady, came to control the remains of Crimson Dawn, and lead its rebuilding. Qi'ra plotted to use it in order to set the stage for the defeat of Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader.[25] “ ( Wookieepedia )

WHO SAYS THE REBEL ALLIANCE GETS TO HAVE ALL THE FUN!?

#Cad Bane #Fan Theory #Crime Syndicates #Spice #Crimson Dawn #Shadow Collective #Darth Maul #George Lucas #Star Wars #BOBF #Book of Boba Fett

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cuebooks · 2 years

Text

A Punishment of Friendship

(Part 1)

Main Characters: Grace Blackthorn & Alastair Carstairs

Series: Yes; Part 1

Word Count: 2,052

Prompt: Grace & Alastair (platonic) after Jesse’s raising

Tw: Curse word

Any questions or comments? Feel free to ask. Asks are open and anonymous is on!

Hope you all enjoy!

It had been a week since the Clave took Jesse, searching him– questioning him. They were furious with Grace and Lucie, and Grace understood why but she also didn’t. It wasn’t technically necromancy; besides, how could they be angry the girls brought the firstborn Blackthorn back, a shadowhunter back, her brother back? He wasn’t hurt, thanks to them. He was as him as the day he died. But they only waved a hand when she tried to explain. Why have a trial when only one side has to speak?

But none of it mattered; she was here, in this room, in the middle of faces. She quickly glanced at Charlotte, who stood by the door, watching Grace in the middle of the room and Lucie in a chair by a corner with Cordelia and her family next to her. Kamala and Alastair were pressed into the corner where Charlotte stood.

Inquisitor Bridgestock stood in front of Grace, the Mortal Sword laid next to him after he finished questioning the girl. Her platinum hair was down, curling at the edges against her white dress, simpler than she normally wore but as pure as her mother always dressed her. Kit and the others talked Charlotte into letting them stand in the corner opposite her, Matthew laying in a chair beside Thomas and Kit. They had claimed the idea that they needed to be there to support Lucie, Cordelia, and James, and she relented. Accepting this isn’t a battle she really needed to fight. It wouldn’t harm anyone.

“Grace Blackthorn,” Maurice Bridgestock finally said, “after questioning you I am putting you under full guardianship of Tatiana Blackthorn, you are under her control and are permitted to only stay on the ground of Blackthorn Manor. You can have no contact with Lucie Herondale or Jesse Blackthorn until a decision regarding Jesse Blackthorn and his,” he paused, fumbling inside his head, “situation has been decided.”

Grace kept her face composed in front of another thing to silence her. Another part of time stolen from her hands and given to Tatiana. Maybe that’s why she looked young because she stole Grace’s innocence, her happy days, swallowing the happiness she stole to gather behind her heart, so out of touch and cold.

Tatiana had been pinned as the innocent mother, her child running amok. Scorned by the girl she took in and loved, it was almost beautiful to Grace that a bitch like her could cry. As if water was a renewable resource, nothing important, free to be casted off a cheek to become an obliterated drop. Her adoptive mother feigned innocence and sorrow at her son’s return. It was weird how short an amount of time it took for Tatiana’s name to dwindle in her life, from mom to Tatiana to her. No longer acknowledging Tatiana’s name with decent respect as a human. It didn’t matter what Grace called her; Tatiana would always see her as a sword to be sharpened till it no longer served a purpose, the occasional child slipping from her lips but only in a derogatory voice. Clipped faster than either of their hearts could beat.

“Please, may I stay in the London institute? I can not be far from Jesse, from others at this time.” She let a pleading tone seep the words. She hated him, but she loved her brother more, so she let her dignity float away from her for now. Letting it fall at his feet like so many men wished to see.

Inquisitor Bridgestock continued with a ruthless and unbothered tone, not even minding his own actions. “I cannot allow that due to Lucie Herondale’s connection to the Institute, you would be in too close of contact. Instead, you may be a ward of someone else if you wish to be closer to the Institute but speaking that Tatiana is your only family, that is not possible.” And suddenly, the light was stolen from the room, whisked off into the stars, something so far away that you could only wish to see the twinkling light. And sometimes, the clouds and streetlights did not permit even that.

She wanted to be close to Jesse, even if she couldn’t see him, at least experience some things he did now, with, well, being brought back to life. She’d hear the same rain pattering on the roofs, the same traffic and disturbances, hear the same wind brush against their separate windows as if the wind would pass their presence, their messages to each other. It was something so little she was asking for, so tiny it slipped through her fingers.

But someone shifted, steps clicking closer till they wavered behind Grace. “I’ll offer her shelter,” he spoke, and Grace had no clue who it was, but her body went rigid; it was a man. She couldn’t turn to see him; she didn’t want to give either of the people next to her the satisfaction of knowing they held her life in their hands, her future squishing and writhing away between them. Suffocating. A feeling she was too familiar with.

The Inquisitor only stared at Alastair, a bit in disbelief and annoyance, when his proposition made sense. But it flickered away, into the darkest parts of his eyes, consumed before he looked at Alastair again. No emotion or thoughts pulling at his muscles. And Grace wondered if he and Tatiana practice the same washed facial expression together.

“If Consul Fairchild agrees to it, that is fine. But if I find you have broken any rules, you will be punished, Alastair.” The black-haired boy only nodded.

“Thank you,” he spoke. He really didn’t have many options in the world of words here; he was barely walking on whatever beam was placed beneath him.

“I see no problem with it, Maurice,” Charlotte said, using his name, ignoring his title like he had Alastair’s. She could always play a placid person. Charlotte was more intelligent than him, and she wouldn’t fall for his disrespect to whatever he wanted her to fail at. She knew better; there was a reason she was Consul, and he wasn’t.

“Fine, William Herondale will help you and Grace figure out the situation. Charlotte will do what she sees fit. This matter is now only in her hands.” He wrapped up the Mortal Sword and carried it out, nodding toward Charlotte as Gideon rolled his eyes at his back, crossing his arms as the Inquisitor passed. Charlotte, him, and Sophie hated him. He was ruder than ever was necessary, and Sophie never hid her disdain for him, always making Charlotte laugh with her comments.

Tatiana peeled herself from whatever shadow her soul blended into. “Grace can stay with me,” Alastair only shook his head, moving toward Tatiana, between the two women. As if trying to cut whatever rope Tatiana was trying to lasso around Grace.

“You heard Inquisitor Bridgestock. And Consul Fairchild, it has been decided. Her word is final.”

“I am her mother, I get her.”

He shook his head, “a real mother that cared would have stood up for her like they had,” nudging his head toward the Herondales surrounding Lucie, who looked at Grace in disbelief, mixed with something like regret. “They went in search of Ms. Herondale and stood up for her. You stood in the corner, smiling.” Grace never heard him speak, at least not like this, as if something struck him and he no longer fought against it, a venom poisoning his tone.

Tatiana recoiled her hand back onto her hip, no longer pointing at him accusingly. “Yes, I noticed it, Mrs. Blackthorn. You may share her name, but you do not share her best interest that suits her and only her.” He looked at her in the eyes, sewing his hate for parents like her into every second. He lowered his voice to a hush, “you remind me of my father, Tatiana, and that will never be a compliment. You shouldn’t hold yourself to such high standards; people will only laugh when you fail to complete them.” Grace glanced up at him, fighting a smile at the only person whose words spoke a semblance of the pain and hatred she felt. The anger she wanted to throw at Tatiana like scalding water scooped out of her chest and frozen into words he spoke. “You refuse to be her parent, but I can offer her help, even if she doesn’t need it.” He flicked his eyes to Grace, and she caught his gaze, it was shiny, soft, and finally, she was given a look of respect. Something Tatiana never granted her, and she stood up straighter. “But I can offer it.”

Her face flushed red in anger. “You can not help her, Alastair,” the name pressed with anger like a branding, hot and painful. “You could not even help your own family.” She whipped her words at him, lashing at his heart. “I will get Grace back.” She hissed before walking out the heavy doors. And Grace watched as Alastair exhaled, and funnily enough, he looked like he was prepared to offer help; he was dressed in an azure suit that pressed against his darkly tanned skin, his hair gelled back lightly enough to get it out of his face. The slight curling waves in it providing texture. The Carstairs ring clung to his ring finger as he clutched and unclutched his hand, the other silver bands on his hand clinking together with the movement. Has he always dressed like this?

Grace realized she never really looked at anyone in this room, the dresses, the patterns, the ruffling skirts. She never really had the chance.

“You are free to choose if you would like to stay in the main building of Cirenworth Hall or the separate section next to it.” Alastair turned toward her. “Either you choose, I will not walk into your space; none of us will without your permission.” He turned his voice to a whisper, “Inquisitor Bridgestock may think you did something wrong, that you are a prisoner but you aren’t. I would have done the same if it was Cordelia in Jesse’s place.” He only smiled and nodded at her as he turned. “I’ll be by Cordelia when you are ready to decide or Consul Fairchild has talked to you. Come collect me, and we can figure out what to do.” He smiled, and she only nodded, breathing as he walked away.

Something was settling in her stomach, something like steel. Hard and unmoving. And for the first time in a while, she realized it was her nerves surrendering to her; no longer charged with the fear Tatiana controlled them with. They were entirely hers, and she felt a little giddy, a little sad that it took someone to interject the deal. But from now on, she wasn’t under Tatiana’s control, and from the sound of it, she wasn’t under Alastair’s either. She was free in the only semblance of the definition she ever found. She nestled her heart into the word hoping it’d be enough to intertwine her future alongside its letters, her blood rushing to write the repetition of letters inside her body. And the corner of her lips pulled, pulled into a smile. Small but there and entirely for her.

———————

Tag list: @hidethebreakables @magigingercal @life-through-the-eyes-of @cutesheepstuff @styxdrawings @rinadragomir @lescahiersdesable

Sorry for the wait. It turned out to be a lot longer than I ever thought. Thank you for waiting! And also figured out the read more tab! (Who’s proud? 🥲)

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labarch · 3 years

Text

Attempt at a Witch Hat Atelier timeline

We are still missing a lot of backstory for our main cast, but I thought I’d try and write a timeline based on what we know so far, and explore where their storylines might intersect.

I am pulling these numbers out of my hat for convenience sake, but here are some approximate ages for the characters: at the start of the manga, let’s say Coco, Tetia and Agott are all 12, Riche is 11, and Qifrey and Olruggio are 28.

20-23 years ago: Olruggio leaves his birth town Godley and moves to the Great Hall, maybe as young as 5 years old.

While many witches are born in the Great Hall, Olruggio comes from a town called Godley in the North. Yet he doesn’t remember Utowin, who came from the same place. We know that young witches usually start their training between the age of 7 and 10, but since witch society is awfully elitist, Olruggio would have been sent there as soon as his talent for magic became apparent.

Being ripped from his home at an extremely young age could explain his fear of being unwanted and left behind: he overworks himself as a way to feel useful and validated, is defensive about his own feelings, and he gets agitated and sometimes aggressive whenever Qifrey hides things from him.

20 years ago: arrival of Qifrey at the Great Hall at age 8. Olruggio befriends him soon afterwards. The both of them start sneaking out at night to chase Brimhats.

8 year old Qifrey was one fierce little thing, you have to give him that. His abuse at the hands of the Brimhats was brutal enough to break a grown man, but he picks himself up and goes right after them like “Alright jerks, you’ve got some explaining to do and I want my eyeball back!”.

Also it cracks me up that Olruggio was carrying this massive book in their flashback. Gotta love that his reaction to Qifrey’s “Let’s go chase some terrorists!” was “Sure, let me just pack my homework =>”.

Finally, there might be a slightly more selfish motivation for Olruggio’s fast friendship and devotion to Qifrey. Olruggio’s self-esteem lies in his ability to help people, so he would naturally be drawn to someone helpless. It’s unclear how much of Qifrey’s memory was missing: apparently he didn’t know about birthdays. How many other basic concepts was he missing? Did he know how to read? Between that, his lack of knowledge about magic and his injury, he was probably completely dependent on Olruggio at the beginning. Given Olruggio’s wish that they go back to “the good old times” when they were always together, I am wondering whether some hidden part of him misses being essential to someone. It’s well-intentioned, but not entirely healthy, especially if he is using Qifrey as a coping mechanism for his own insecurities.

14 years ago: Olruggio and Qifrey make a pledge of (betrothal) friendship, exchange tassels and attempt the Librarian test at age 14. It is their last adventure together, but Qifrey will continue his investigations on his own, to Olruggio’s disappointment and betrayal. Qifrey starts wearing his half-tinted glasses.

In the pledge flashback, they are wearing their old tassels, but they have swapped them by the time they undertake the third test. Also, when he remembers that pledge, Olruggio says that Qifrey’s investigation “should have ended at the Tower of Books”. The tower is the last likely place where Qifrey could have found answers about his past and a non-forbidden way of getting his eye back. Olruggio probably made him promise that he would stop his search afterwards.

Beldaruit says that he thought Qifrey had given up on his search after the third test, but Olruggio tells a slightly different story. Apparently he thought Qifrey “finally stopped causing trouble” after taking in apprentices, which means he was still behaving suspiciously right up until he became a teacher. Alaira also comments on Qifrey’s interest in the Brimhats in the first volume, so clearly his investigations were common knowledge among his friends, even as an adult.

Olruggio’s anger whenever the Brimhats are mentioned would then be caused not just by his own fear of forbidden magic, but by the reminder that Qifrey broke his promise to him, and refused to leave his past behind. Naturally, Olruggio doesn’t know about Qifrey’s change in circumstances: he is no longer looking to retrieve what he lost, but trying to stop an impending threat.

Qifrey’s discoveries in the Tower of Books also seem to have renewed his disgust towards his own scar: he starts wearing glasses shortly afterwards, even though his eyesight hasn’t yet started deteriorating.

14-5 years ago: in that interval, Coco’s father dies of illness. Olruggio becomes more and more famous for his magical items, and is given the title “Shining Torch” / “Master of Lights”. His glowstone paths become widely popular, and are installed around the castle near Coco’s mom. Both Qifrey and Olruggio pass the fourth test and complete their training.

At this stage, I really doubt that Qifrey intended to become a teacher. Whatever information he found at the Tower of Books convinced him he had to stop the Brimhats’ plan. He was probably planning to complete his training and then go straight on to his quest, not really expecting to return alive.

There are also hints that this was a strained period for Qifrey and Olruggio: Olruggio mentions that he would like them to confide in each other “just like old times”, which implies that they grew more distant after the Librarian test. I’m suspecting that Qifrey was trying to slowly remove himself from Olruggio’s life, hoping Olruggio would be so famous and beloved by the time they graduated that he would forget about Qifrey and barely notice his disappearance. Qifrey’s self-esteem isn’t the best y’all.

5 years ago: Coco receives the magic picture book from Iguin at age 7 at the Silver Night Festival. The Brimhats stop showing signs of activity. Qifrey takes on his first apprentice (probably Tetia, age 7). He interrupts his investigation of the Brimhats and creates the atelier. Olruggio becomes his Watchful Eye.

We don’t know exactly how old Coco was when she got her book, but her tiny chubby face makes me think she was 6-7. Alaira also tells us in the first volume that the incident with Coco’s mother is the first sign of Brimhat activity in five years. I am thinking that after Iguin gave away the book, he instructed the other Brimhats to keep a low profile until his scheme could hatch.

I also wonder whether Coco getting her book might coincide with Qifrey becoming a teacher and creating his atelier. Given that Qifrey is probably tied to Iguin’s schemes, how coincidental is it that Qifrey wandered into Coco’s village and set her fate in motion? Perhaps Iguin contrived for them to live in the same area so that they would meet eventually. Either he somehow influenced Qifrey’s choice of location for his atelier, or he selected Coco as his “child of hope” because of her relative proximity as well as her love for magic.

7 years old is when we could expect Tetia to have passed the first test. For now we know little about her backstory, but we can guess a few things: she is enthusiastic and ambitious, but gets easily side-tracked by pet projects and struggles to stick to the curriculum. She craves positive feedback and is worried her spells and interests will be condemned as frivolous. It makes me think that she passed her first test early, but was then mistreated by her first teachers for being too childish.

We’ve seen that Qifrey has a compulsive tendency to adopt children in distress. It would fit his character if he became a teacher on impulse. Maybe he had to pass the fifth test in a rush to be allowed to keep Tetia by his side. This also brought Olruggio back into his life, as he was the only one willing to follow him away from the atelier as Watchful Eye.

The complicity between Tetia and Qifrey, and Tetia taking on the role of a big sister for both Riche and Coco, also make me think she was Qifrey’s first apprentice. Tetia is often shown teasing Qifrey, quoting both Qifrey and Olruggio, and imitating Qifrey’s teaching style: I can totally see them as a little family of three at some point in the past.

4 years ago: Riche starts training under her brother’s master, a creepy asshole, at age 7.

We actually have a clear timestamp for that one in chapter 25, woohoo! Riche’s old teacher can eat a brick.

3-2 years ago: Qifrey and Olruggio learn about Riche’s mistreatment in her old atelier and promptly adopt her. Beldaruit takes on Ririfin as an apprentice. Qifrey’s eyesight starts deteriorating. He adds the light protection glyph to his glasses.

Before that time, Qifrey might have intended to put his quest on hold until after Tetia’s graduation, but now his impending blindness puts him on a time limit. He can’t do a lot about it however, since the Brimhats have been keeping a low profile for years and are not leaving him any clue.

It’s unclear how long Riche stayed at her old atelier, and whether she joined Qifrey before or after Agott. I’m hoping she made it out as soon as possible.

2 years ago: Agott passes the first test at age 10. She gets accused of stealing someone else’s spell, is rejected from her prestigious family’s apprenticeship, and joins Qifrey’s atelier.

Agott has been treated harshly by her family for not being enough of a genius. She mentions passing the first test at 10, the upper end of the normal age range. She was probably given a hard time for starting her apprenticeship so “late”, which explains why she is now adamant about passing the other tests as quickly as possible.

I wonder whether she felt ambivalent about joining Qifrey’s atelier at first. On the one hand, Qifrey was taught by the Sage of Education himself and is clearly very powerful. On the other hand, he has only a couple students and lives in a weird little school in the middle of nowhere, a big fall from grace compared to her prestigious upbringing. I wonder whether Qifrey went to find her after he heard she was the object of nasty rumours (he knows a thing or two about those), and Agott didn’t feel like she had other options.

0 year ago: Coco and Qifrey meet. Iguin goes “F***ing finally, I thought I’d have to watch that humdrum one-eyed twink bake potatoes for another five years. It’s dragon-slaying time now baby!!!”

#witch hat atelier #witch hat meta #qifrey #olruggio #tbna #coco #riche #agott #everyone has a horrible time at the Great Hall: a wha timeline #Olruggio the wonder child arriving at the Great Hall at age 5 wrapped in an anxiety blanket and clinging to a plush toy #protect him #no mention of treefrey this time what are the odds

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morsking · 3 years

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uhhhhhh to better grasp why rin is a host for both ishtar and ereshkigal and why sakura is a host for both kama and parvati you’re gonna have to read the vn since that is the only place where you will be treated to the different dimensions of both their characters and dispel any illusions and misunderstandings the ubw anime created (about rin in particular). i can explain it well but if you have the ability to, you should read the vn to really let it sink in and appreciate things more organically.

there are times in the anime where rin feels like a caricature of herself since she appears so confident and fun-loving and tsundere about it (the vn sometimes does this too but manages to balance things out a little better) that it overshadows how rin is also in her own way extremely repressed.

rin, while fashioning herself the ruler of her own world and a competent genius is still someone shackled to her duty as the last living tohsaka heir and denies herself a more profound and fundamental happiness because she reasons so long as she is the tohsaka heir, she can never be sakura’s sister, and wrongfully believes that sakura has moved on without her and belongs with the matous oblivious to what zouken has done to sakura for almost 11 years because it’s easier to think that sakura doesn’t care about her anymore than to confront all she’s taught and has lived for for so long is wrong and that she has a chance to make it right. rin however finds ways to keep running into sakura just enough that her true desires betray her efforts at keeping her distance, and if sakura just said “you are my sister, please let’s live together again” no doubt rin would be so torn to hesitate yet so hopeful to as to want it to be real.

rin’s apparent emotional independence and reputation is a product of her purposefully distancing herself from making any real human connections because she has no idea how to be emotionally available from years of stifling aristocratic conditioning. if she puts herself on a pedestal, it’s easier for others to not approach her and see through her facade. apart from that, as much fun as rin could possibly have by herself there is still something that will keep her from feeling truly fulfilled, and that’s the lack of opportunity (and emotional bravery) to reconcile with sakura. it’s also easier to forsake sakura and threaten to kill her when she’s out of control because acknowledging the horror of killing her own sister would break her own convictions and denounce her, and the tohsakas, as murderers and frauds. ishtar is that side of rin that finds being herself and living as the person in charge of her own existence. ereshkigal is the unhappy part of rin that yearns for more than what she’s been given but feels too guilty and too bound by responsibility to seek it out, and therefore denies herself her wish to connect with the person who would make all the difference in the world (sakura for rin, guda for eresh).

sakura is a naturally kind, gentle, yet strong-willed individual who has experienced that which would break and utterly annihilate most at a spiritual level. sakura only survived what she did because her mental fortitude, much like shirou’s, is so exceptional she will always retain her sense of self even if pushed to the very brink of suffering. despite that, she grew up extremely bitter, depressed, and with a disposition that utterly gave up on the world that abandoned her to the point where she wished others to fail and suffer at whatever they endeavored. if her life was pointless and fruitless as to be thrown away, why shouldn’t everyone else’s be too?

it’s really not until she met shirou that she began to change her mind and desire to have more than just numbness. a boy who just wouldn’t give up no matter how many times he couldn’t clear that jump, and accepted the outcome without regrets, second-thoughts, and self-loathing left such a deep impression on sakura that she wanted that thoughtless drive to live freely and greet tomorrow as a given to be hers as well.

little by little the broken doll with lifeless eyes restored more and more of her inner kindness and good faith, both because she gained a will that did more than just curse, and because there was someone who showed her what a real home, a real family looked like so she’d believe in love and happiness again. but much like rin, sakura struggled to believe she deserved happiness. years of abuse crushed sakura’s self-esteem, and thought her suffering made her unlovable and unnatural. her desire to be both loved and pitied clashed against one another, and were also contradictingly one and the same. it would be easy to be pitied, that means she would’ve been right about her hatefulness all along and she can just fade away along with the pain her baggage might’ve caused others. but if she’s loved, then how will she ever make herself worthy of it? how could she ever justify to herself that she’s being given love that hasn’t been earned? and even worse, what if she’s given love that can be lost?

sakura hides all the things that risk her losing all the love she’s accumulated, a desperate selfish tactic employed by a scared girl deathly afraid to lose the only light she’s ever known. if all her anger, bitterness, cowardice, jealousy, scars, and self-hatred were exposed, what would shirou think of her? once he does find out what she’s gone through, she pushes him away. she really believes she’s done for and has nothing else to come back to. even as shirou keeps asserting he does still want her in his life, she keeps hurling all the terrible things she’s done to him and herself without him knowing: that because he’s kiritsugu’s kid she spied on him for zouken, that she used him to run away from zouken and shinji, that she tried to kill herself, that she’s not a virgin, all to get him to reject her for good while guiltily clinging to the hope that he will still choose to love her in spite, or because of all that.

even after sakura’s killed shinji by accident and transforms into dark sakura, a part of herself is weak towards shirou. a part of herself lashes out when he’s around because she’s still rejecting him hoping he’ll forsake her so he’ll live without getting hurt by her while also begging for him to see how much she’s suffering so he’ll save her, going so far at the end that she tells rin to run away with shirou, having decided to kill herself alongside the grail. rin however, sees through sakura’s attempt to earn pity, but in her own fit of duty-induced forced apathy threatens to kill sakura herself before sakura has the chance to wipe herself out (jesus, rin) rather than comfort her and tell her she wishes for her to live. rin though fails to follow through with her plan. just as she overpowers sakura, she throws away all her lies and embraces her sister, telling her how she really feels, and the very first sincere expression of love her sister has shown her in a decade is enough for sakura to stop dead in her tracks and crumble in grief until shirou arrives to save her and insist that she deserves to live so that all the suffering she both caused and experienced and all the people she devoured can be given meaning. this parallels into how kama as beast iii/L wishes to render all love obsolete by drowning the universe in love to the point where all love becomes meaningless and kama no longer has to be hurt by love, with their defeat marking a change in their beliefs about the world and themself.

parvati tells you as much that she’s taken over sakura’s good side. she’s the earnest hardworking woman who is full of benevolence and enthusiasm after her purpose has become clear. however, what parvati doesn’t understand is that sakura’s good qualities are intermixed with her darker ones and fundamentally cannot ever be truly separated, and that’s why parvati also connects with sakura’s tendency to hide the ugly things about herself out of fear she’ll be rejected, and that it’s wrong and harmful for her to do that to sakura as much (if not worse) as it is for sakura to do it for herself alongside all the people that could be affected by that dishonesty.

apart from the obvious gross reasons, there is in fact a good justification for kama’s ascensions in fgo. their ascensions go from child to adolescent to adult to demonstrate that kama has a parallel to sakura’s personal growth. they are both individuals who, after being betrayed by their own kind (the gods and the tohsakas) and having their bodies destroyed (kama becoming the cosmos, sakura being devoured by crest worms and having her dna rewritten), have lost faith in who they were before and the world around them. kama starts out in sakura’s child body: the young girl who was sacrificed for a greater purpose and whose heart has been filled with depression, cynicism, and hatred for the world around her. their childish disposition however, marks that kama has truly been reborn and is going through the process of recreating their identity after it was shattered by trauma.

when kama is in sakura’s adolescent form, that signals that much like sakura around that age, they still cling to some anger and bitterness, but have begun to ease into forming new connections and their desire to be identified with love becomes complicated as it is both heavily resisted yet profoundly wanted. it is kama at their peak self-loathing, directing hatred to themself as much as their child form did to everyone else.

when kama shifts into sakura’s final adult form, it marks the period where they both have had some of their faith renewed in their existence. while it is still very difficult for them to truly know what love is and whether or not they’ve earned it, they nonetheless make it clear they want to believe in it again with the help of the person they’ve placed their trust upon (shirou for sakura, guda for kama). as the god of love, for kama to learn what love is is for kama to once more understand what it is to love themself again, and like sakura at the end of heaven’s feel finish constructing their brand new identity and move forward in a way that their happiness and reforged self-confidence can dignify their suffering and make up for all the damage they caused others and themselves.

this isn’t to say that pseudos as a concept are inherently good or anything. they are still very flawed because when mishandled for fanservice (and it happens a LOT) they do far more to displease both fans of the mythological figures and fans of the original fate/stay night characters simultaneously than to appease them both by robbing all characters involved of their complexities. regardless, that doesn’t mean that these gods wearing the faces of these girls is entirely pointless, lazy, and thoughtless. on the contrary, these girls were chosen because of all the different facets they have that match their possessors’ demeanors and themes, and i hope that this knowledge can help people see the connection with more clarity.

#anyway ooku event spoilers and vn spoilers for those who wanna go in blind #you don't have to reblog this if you don't feel like it i mostly typed this all out for myself #because i got tired of seeing either bad or somewhat disinformed pseudo servant takes #and needed to say something to keep my sanity

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