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agentc0rn · 4 months

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Another Pretty Long Character Analysis: Kieran and Nemona - Strength

disclaimer: not claiming this to be objective, just another writing piece full of thoughts done for fun because Kieran is such an interesting, in depth character ever

Okay so I mentioned this in my older post about kieran being the foil of nemona and their shared struggles with being at the top, socially excluded, and how strength as social arbiter displaced them in social settings. Like Kieran, Nemona became overly strong that no one wanted to compete and keep up with. Her passion is misread because of that plus the top statuses she holds as a wealthy multi-talented, high-achieving student. She is a good person and true to herself (her naivety to social cues perhaps is because of her lack of social connections with others). She means well and just want someone to battle with their efforts no matter the outcome and enjoy to the fullest. Battling is her expression of self, her way of enjoyment and connecting with others. Kieran is alike to an extent, with his strength already at a high level (stated by Carmen in the beginning), and his joyous expression seen during our first fight. This is supported by the fact as stated by Drayton how Kieran had fun battling pre-Teal Mask. These two rivals' love for battles run parallel with each other!

However, Kieran's transition reflects a common mindset that artists, athletes, musicians, etc. all resonate with: competitiveness + measure of worth in the things you like the most - you have to be good at them. I feel this strongly as well with art being my major source of passion - I pressured myself into thinking I had to be really good at it and not enjoy for the sake of doing it regardless of skills.

Battling was not only something Kieran liked doing, it was his main source of confidence and self-esteem.

We see that clear in Blueberry Academy, in dialogues and student culture, competitiveness is high, demanding, and brutal. Kieran may have internalized the idea, provided with his insecurity of weakness and his goal to become independent and reliant. Seeing that we were able to defeat him and sister with ease, he grew to admire but also envious of our esteemed strength, how our power seems to be favored by luck (having speical mons like Koraidon), inducing him to believe that if he worked hard, he could get to our level too. To add further, his lifelong admiration of Ogerpon supports his motivation and his aforementioned desire to be stronger. He wanted to be strong and cool as the ogre, not caring what others thought.

What I find interesting is how Kieran and Nemona handles their way of battling with us. Nemona guides you through the journey while challenging herself to learn in new ways - she restarts her journey essentially. For Kieran, even though he has experience, he struggles with the losses against us (confidence issues and again, aside our MC Role, there is some skill difference given that we fought the titans, area zero mons, team star, and gym leaders). He does change up his tactics, but ultimately does not see victory. He ends up restarting in a way back at BB academy. As a result, Kieran becomes more isolated throughout his training arc and his domination in the league. Him strictly calling out others for slacking inadvertently turns him into the fearsome "oni" figure that he idolized and thus earns him an unfavorable reputation as the president (similar status with Nemona) of the League, for instance, a dialogue between two students mentions how how ever since he became champ, the League club became less fun....Despite the contrast of tensity in these circumstances, Nemona is misunderstood in similiar manner with Kieran.

If memory serves correct, Nemona really gets into the battling mood and sometimes forgets about hers and others' limits, but does acknowledge them given a few instances when she does not battle you. Whereas for Kieran, once he entered the extreme zone, he fully devotes himself to strength at the cost of his mental, social and physical well-being. He discards his limits, giving everything he has got that ultimately eats him from the inside. The final scene when he reacts to losing may also show not just his struggle to grasp reality but a literal side effect on his health (no sleep = poor mood, poor thinking)

He desperately clings to the idea that endless training would grant him the guaranteed chance to beat you ("I know I am making the right choice") and no longer enjoys battling. Battling became a constant test of worth, the last and only means of proving himself. Even though he did become stronger, it drained his health, energy, sanity and reputation. Again, in an ironic way, he really became the oni (self filling prophecy).

at the end however, when we reach out to him to be confident in himself, that we needed his help, it gave him that confidence boost. We all believed in him - he really needed that support. Maybe seeing terapagos going berserk had him gain self awareness that he was like that too and how that caused harm to not only himself but to others.

One small thing to point out that he is like Terapagos in a way. Both are small, secluded and strong lads who end up going wayhire with their mass power.

Not to sound corny but I really felt Kieran’s frustration about losing. I was competitive too but soon let go of that. It’s fine to improve yourself but doing that to be better than others as your main reason can really cause burnout. Anyways this is a disorganized list of thoughts I wanted to share but if you read it the entire thing I really do got to say thank you for taking the time to do so.

EDIT: fixed some grammar and stuff because this was just a run-on draft lol

#Terapagos + Ogerpon hyperfixation got me connected to more people which is nice cause I’m no talker like Kieran #Looking back on the story I saw bits of myself in Nems and Kieran #ac rambles #pokemon scarlet and violet #indigo disk #the indigo disk #kieran #pokemon kieran #rival kieran #pokemon nemona #Man sv has solid characters

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turbofanatic · 1 month

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A bunch of ink studies and sketches.

I love Tiny's nose. It's so fun to draw. And I think I'm getting a handle on drawing him as a kid. He's an adorable little weirdo with a thousand-yard stare.

Ravio is another one of my favorite Zelda characters, I like the idea that he's a heavily sarcastic scam artist who also makes one of the most harrowing ethical choices ever seen in a Zelda game. While wearing a bunny hood. Also Sheerow is the most competent one on the top row.

I've been trying to figure out everyone's height in relation to each other, and wow, the downfall and adult timeline Links are tiny. To some extent with video game heights you just have to accept that getting exact values is a fool's errand. Oh sure, you can pull out the model and measure it, but then you have to account for the fact that there's lots of size multipliers applied to models that can change throughout the game, and that the entire world might not quite use the same measurements as ours, plus stylistic differences, and... yeah it's hard. It's pretty clear most Links are tiny (except Tiny, who ends up being huge canonically) and I'm going to make Ravio about 4'7" / 140cm. Since it's hard to reconcile the wide range in sizes of Hylians, I think there's just a tendency for some to be very small, just like the Gerudo have a tendency for some to be very large, and certain ethnic groups have more or less of this. The ones surviving in the harsh environments of flooded and downfall timelines tend to have more of the smaller Hylians.

In the middle we have Link from OG Zelda and Adventure of Link. He's probably even shorter than Ravio. I've given him a Phrygian cap, which is pretty cool and loaded with symbolism. I've also drawn his fairy form, and tried to keep the curly hat shape. He's green because of course, but also a little red for the color shift when he uses the shield spell.

At the bottom we have a rough idea for a shadow beast from Twilight Princess, because they were hugely influential to me and one of my favorite designs ever, though I think I have to refine this further.

Also a maneless lynel! No thoughts only big kitty.

#bad moon #ravio #the legend of zelda #zelda au #hyrule warriors #adventures of Link #lynel #shadow beast

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prototypelq · 5 months

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Wonder if Larian's games could have been better if like, at least 20% of content from them had been cut.

Listen, listen, before you say anything - I love Larian and their mentality. This team is making incredible games, and the amount of creative energy that is poured into each of their releases is incredible. Playing their games is a joy, and hilarious and amazing.

But, but.

There can be too much of a good thing. And I don't think Larian's ever learned that...

Do you know the average percentage of players that actually finish the main story in games? 30-40% if we look at achievements across different platforms. That is 60-70% of players who never saw the end of the main story.

I've been replaying DOS2, and it's a Joy to play through, however the 'joke' that tutorial level takes about 10-15, maybe even 20 hours to complete is...not a joke. There is beauty in hiding some content, so that only the dedicated players find it, but this doesn't exactly work for RPG systems that heavily depend on level&equipment of your player characters, now does it. This basically forces players to clear out the entire map to be able to progress the story further, and while the tactical aspect of this game is big, I doubt your average player can use it to beat difficulty&enemy level curve.

I had a big DOS2 phase before, my last memories of the game are Beast's quest (BEST COMPANION WHY IS NOONE TALKING ABOUT HIM) in Arx, soo I've been somewhere very near the end of the game. I never finished it because I was frustrated with a lack of direction for the main story for a long time, and Arx was the point where I jumped games.

So yeah, I believe cutting at least 20% of content from each of the acts of that game would have helped keep the main story in focus, plus the time to complete the game might have been more affordable.

Another thing is, from the documentaries on DOS2 development, and with the Larian saying that BG3 production took the studio much closer to the edge of closing, Larian seem to have a systematic problem of forever chasing their ambitions without really caring about their costs. DOS2 development was described as 'trying to build a plane as it is taking off', a lot of features for the game have been added last minute, and BG3 release players are sort of in the same boat. So yeah, some content cutting would have helped out the studio themselves quite a lot, or let them have more time for quality testing and polish.

tldr: I believe Larians are amazing but also head over heels in their production, their games are huge and the nature of their rpg mechanics forces player to play through everything,or never finish the main story, plus the studio have a history of releasing arguably unfinished games*, so I believe they should consider cutting content for future releases both for the studio's sake and to improve the player experience

*don't @ me, DOS2 and BG3 were arguably unfinished on release. That said, Larian's 'unfinished' and Average Game Industry 'Unfinished' are very different instances, I meant that Larian clearly would have benefitted for some polish time before release

btw why the Hell are there built-in Larian-approved player modifications for the games, however Turning Them On is a crime that disables achievements??? Larian, my guys, why.

#i am not a 100000% achievemnt hunter but i do like having them it's like a cool sticker about your experience in each game #and i want my cool stickers #not a issue currently as modding community my beloved have given me the tools to make the game even more enjoyable for me #but i miss my cool stickers on console where i first played the game #also help i lose dos2 combat so much i feel like it ruined other rpgs for me? how could i ever go to limiting classs systems after this #i love class systems and speicif playstyles but dos2 is honestly god-tier good #larian studios #thank you larian for your service #polymorph necromancy summoning aerotheurge geomancer my beloved #i installed so many mods i love them all never playing base game without them again #bg3 #dos2 #divinity original sin 2 #baldur's gate 3

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i-heart-hxh · 7 months

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Hi,.....if you don't mind me asking, can I ask your top 5 (or top 3) favorite characters from Hunter x Hunter? And why you loved them? And your top 5 favorite moments from the series? Sorry if you've answered this question before....Thanks....

I'm happy to answer, thank you very much for asking! I'm indecisive and overflowing with love for HxH, so doing rankings is a challenge for me, but I put some thought into it and here are my answers for now!

Top 5 Characters:

5. Biscuit Krueger -- It's fun how Bisky isn't at all what you'd assume when we meet her character (in a few different ways), and I love her sassy attitude! She has a lot of different sides to her, and I find her very entertaining. Her strong personality makes how she plays off other characters especially amusing. I like that she can be somewhat cranky, self-serving, and rude at times, but she also has a softer and caring side to her. I look forward to seeing more of her role in the current arc!

4. Neferpitou -- I adore Pitou's design, and the combination of how sinister and also cute they are simultaneously, which is fitting of a very powerful cat (ant). I enjoy their mischievous and playful side as well! Their growth as a character throughout Chimera Ant Arc is so moving to me, and such a vital part of the arc and the message of the series as a whole.

3. Kurapika -- He's a great second protagonist for the series! The dichotomy of the brutality and darkness of his revenge/recovery mission and what succeeding at that requires from him, and his underlying gentle and polite demeanor are interesting to watch play out. I'm both excited and nervous to see what Togashi has in store for the rest of his arc...

2. Gon Freecss -- He's only very, very narrowly in second place, I adore him deeply and he and Killua are undoubtedly my two favorite characters of all time (from anything). I love how he initially seems to be a normal, cheerful, and strong-willed shounen protagonist, but as you go further in the story and look deeper into his character it becomes increasingly clear how unique and well-written he is. There's so much nuance to him and he's such a fulfilling character to explore and think about, I never get tired of it. Plus, of course he's adorable!

1. Killua Zoldyck -- I mean, who doesn't love him? He's such an incredibly multidimensional, fun, heartwrenching, fantastic character. His emotional growth throughout the series is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen in a piece of fiction. His character design is so simple and yet so precious and iconic. There are tons of little touches to his character that contribute to making him feel so well-rounded and genuine. He and Gon utterly captured my heart my first time through the series and haven't let go even slightly.

Honorable mentions: Leorio, Alluka, Senritsu, I could go on and on... Togashi is a master at writing characters!

Top 5 Series Moments:

5. Gon and Killua on Whale Island -- I absolutely love the Whale Island episodes/chapters, they're such a reprieve from the many harrowing things going in the series otherwise, and it's wonderful to see Gon and Killua becoming closer. Their talk under the stars is such an important moment for them, setting the tone for their relationship going forward. I love thinking about all the fun they must have had that we don't see when they're on Whale Island, because they were there for a while and we only see a bit of it. These episodes/chapters are something I come back to a lot for comfort, and in the future I'm hoping we'll get another scene that echoes the scene under the stars...

4. "It has to be Killua." (From the dodgeball match.) -- There are so many layers to this scene, I love the complexity of it. From Gon's romantic-coded words towards Killua, Killua's very non-platonic response, and the contrast with Killua getting hurt on Gon's behalf, but it's because of Gon's respect for Killua's desire to help him at all costs... It's difficult to even summarize all the layers of what's going on without going deep into meta, it's a great microcosm of both the love and trust between the two, and some of the issues between them beginning to pop up, too.

3. The initial confrontation between Gon and Pitou/"It has nothing to do with you." -- The intensity of this scene is off the charts, both in the manga's incredible inked portrayal and the 2011 anime (with some of the absolute best voice acting I've ever seen in the hundreds of anime I've watched). Watching Gon lose control the way he does is chilling, and meanwhile we witness Pitou's growth as a character and the deep pain and conflict Killua faces. It's a difficult read/watch for sure, but an absolute turning point in the series and for the characters involved, and it's brilliantly executed and tragic.

2. Meruem and Komugi's lover's suicide -- This scene has made me cry hard so many times, it's beautiful and iconic and the absolute perfect climax to the Chimera Ant arc. One of the best and most heartwarming/heartbreaking scenes simultaneously I've ever seen.

1. "Gon, you are light." -- This scene was a major turning point for me when I watched the series the first time, and I still think it's an incredibly amazing and painful scene that says so much with so little. It's not just about Killua's increasingly hard to deny love for Gon, but also his self-esteem issues and how he sees himself in comparison to Gon, Killua's guilt over what happened to Kite, his denial of the cruel reality of what's happening because he deeply wants to see the optimistic way Gon does... And then of course with the scene going straight to Pitou holding Kite's decapitated head, it's really a gut punch.

This was difficult for me because there are SO many fantastic moments in HxH, I could easily make a top 20 or 30 and still not run out of scenes I adore. Of course, loving Gon and Killua's dynamic as much as I do, I go back to their scenes over and over again, and so that's what I'm focusing on here in my ranking. But there are tons of scenes not centered around them at all or only centered on one or the other that I also deeply love, and it's hard to leave all those out!

Thank you for asking my opinion! As hard as it is deciding on rankings, it was fun to think this over and write out some of my reasons why.

#hxh #hunter x hunter #gon #killua #killugon #bisky #pitou #kurapika #meruem #komugi #asks #my posts #elaine2895

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animehouse-moe · 11 months

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Why You Should Read/Watch 'Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!'

I've wanted to write about Eizouken for a long time now, and after stewing it over following having read volume 5, I feel like I really do need to begin with it from the start. For those that don't want to read a mountain of text to decide whether they should read and/or watch it though? Do it. Even if you're not wooed or in awe at all the detail and information that creates an ocean of animation talk, at the most basic level everybody is able to appreciate and understand the passion that emanates from the characters and this world as they pursue stories and creation with fervor.

So with that in mind, I think it's best to get down to it. Eizouken, by nature, is something that is meant for motion and sound and color, so you can't really experience it without watching the anime. However, by some miracle, Eizouken doesn't rely on those pieces to be successful and creative and expressive.

Right away, you're able to understand that with how they force perspective and even make use of it in the speech bubbles. Not only are the characters and world subject to various angles and such, but the speech bubbles follow suit. An incredibly simple piece, but one that serves to further drag you into its world.

And really, it goes even further than that with how it presents itself. This is within the first chapter of the story, and you already get such a strong idea of how they approach the creation of these scenes. Kanamori and Asakusa are looking over an open space full of students in one panel, and then in the next we're shown the pair from a distance, as if the reader is the one looking over them.

The technique with speech bubbles really is just something else for how it meshes with the world. It matches the angles and perspectives, and in scenes like this really adds to the overall feel of a flow with the scene. It helps guide you in almost mimicking the movement of Asakusa and co.

Also, if it wasn't clear, the manga itself does one of my favorite things with its blocking/storyboarding: it uses space.

It uses the environment around the characters to its fullest, using lower angles to accentuate that feeling of size, like how the girls are sealed in on all sides by tall buildings, or how they very rarely exist on the same plane in a scene. They all take up different spaces in them, and interact with the environment in various ways.

I could just go on forever and ever about it. The characters are always doing something when shown, in different and dynamic poses, and the way Oowara sensei leads readers through the scenes is just awesome. They could have just left it at the interesting scene of Kanamori on the window sill, but instead they allow the conversation to flow and take that positioning and view it from the outside to end the conversation between the trio.

And we're just now getting to how cool the work is with animation/art. I love it, the sketchy overall style of Eizouken works insanely well at expressing the animation process, and the level of detail placed in the art itself is just incredible. Mizusaki's character art is a heavier line weight and is far smoother, while Asakusa's environment/background art is much sketchier with a lighter line weight and more loose details and overall lines.

And then, there's this. The worldbuilding and sheer creativity to approach something so benign with such detail is just wonderful. You're literally getting concept art for a high school student's imagination, and with so much information. It just highlights the incredible depth of passion exhibited by Oowara sensei in creating this story so well.

Plus, the manga art is just so damn pretty.

Anyways, to the anime! I've talked about all the good stuff from the manga, and the vast majority of it exists in the anime, while also elevating various pieces. It starts off with a wonderful anime original section, and just shows off from the get go with it's 2D car driving down a 2D road. I really do love the slightly stretched fov/perspective being used here as well. I'm a real sucker for this type of stylized distortion.

But that's just the start. It takes that dynamic and layered feel of the manga, and extends it by adding motion. Asakusa and the other characters move through environments. The characters exist in their own aspects and are moving and alive, even if they're just delivery men that Asakusa dances around as she explores her new home.

These original scenes totally grasp the purpose and appeal of Eizouken, and extend upon that nature through its focus of animation. It's just such a wonderful thing to see. There's not even words to describe it, truthfully. If the manga is a 10, the anime is a 15 that turns Eizouken into a 25.

And this, well this, it's the first chapter of the manga, and not even the first 5 minutes of the anime. This incredible world, this insane approach to its story, to sharing its passion for animation and storytelling and creation, this is just the beginning. Literally. There's over 40 chapters and 12 episodes of this masterpiece, and I just want to share it with the world, much like how Eizouken wants to share their anime with the world.

#keep your hands off eizouken!#eizouken ni wa te wo dasu na!#映像研には手を出すな!#asakusa midori #sayaka kanamori #tsubame mizusaki #science saru #anime recommendation #anime and manga #anime #manga #manga recommendation

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limetameta · 3 months

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You know for a manga that boasts having so many badass female characters i can't help but need to add OCs to Metallic Crimson because all of the female characters fall into the following categories:

A) White Seeming Soldier Lady (Riza Hawkeye, Rebecca Catalina, Maria Ross, Sheska, Olivier Mira Armstrong, Briggs Doctor*) (*military doctor ergo here and not below- plus babe doesn't even have a name)

B) White Seeming Civillian Lady (Winry, Pinako, Sarah Rockbell, Armstrong sisters (3 of them and i can't recall if they ever speak), Mrs Armstrong (we don't have a name for her), Madame Christmas, Trisha Elric*, Gracia Hughes*) (*have these gals done anything except been there for their man or their sons I would hardly count them shonen badass but I am adding them because they are female characters and they play a part)

C) White Seeming Alchemist Lady (Izumi Curtis) (lmao i thought there'd be more but all of the other alchemists in the manga are men)

D) Not Human (Martel, Lust, Nina, Nina's mom)

E) Not Amestrian* (*Ishvalans are Amestrian) (Lan Fan, Mai, The panda (tbh i just now noticed i put the panda here and not in Not Human and it's so much funnier here)

The only ones who don't fall into this category are Shan (the ONLY female speaking ishvalan in the fmab anime - SHE APPEARS SO LITTLE AND IS FORGETTABLE THAT I HAD TO GOOGLE HER) and Paninya (a one-off character)

Oh but limeta! Amestris is supposed to be Europe, that's why they're all white -

My brother in christ, Raven and Paninya are RIGHT THERE

For its time, FMAB is an incredibly diverse story with amazing female characters, but i see people still boasting them for modern standards and it's like - but there aren't, there really aren't many badass female characters at all. and if I were to take a step further and remove all of the female characters whose sole motivation is enabling or helping a man succeed then I'd cut those characters up there even further. The only ones who are genuinely badass characters with their own clear cut motivation are Pinako Rockbell (suppose if she were younger, she'd be given a man to hype and do things for but thank god she's an old wise woman archtype and therefore immune to that trope), Sarah Rockbell (selflessly saving lives and being a doctor, though sorry queen you died) and Olivier Mira Armstrong (proactively fucking shit up and with a clear motivation what she wants - but then you can also infer that Mustang is a part of her motivation because she wants to fuck his chances up of being Fuhrer lmao)

Winry in brotherhood is very waifu, very not proactive, very I'll wait for you but she still gets shit done and so she's still badass because we all know that strength is differently expressed with different characters so she's still on this list, but compared to her 03 version she's very stay at home, very support role, very all i do i do for ed and al.

Riza Hawkeye... i love her. she's my favourite character. but remove roy from her motivation and what do you get...be honest...

Madame Christmas, for the only times she does appear, she does so because she's gotta help Roy.

Gracia is a housewife :) and we know nothing about her. She is an extension of Maes Hughes. She is there because if she weren't there we wouldn't have Elicia and if we didn't have Elicia we wouldn't have the scenes where Maes boasts and hypes his family up in order to solidify his characterisation as THAT CARING DUDE HOPE NOTHING BAD - OH NO THE WIFE GUY DIED.

Make no mistake! This is not anti fmab. I've written over 300k worth of content for this fandom and I adore every single frame of that show (especially the nina tucker spliced with her dog frame, chefs kiss) But it has forced me to have to create either backstories and motivation for most of these female characters that exist outside of the men in their lives or it has forced me to create OCs that don't fall within those aforementioned categories.

Would it have been so bad, I ask, if we got an Ishvalan character who was not a monk and not in the slums waiting to die? Maybe even a female character? Would it have been so bad that we got more speaking roles for women outside of the military who aren't alchemists? Would it have been bad if we got a female character who was a State Alchemist?

Most likely yes, because Arakawa had a clear view of what she needed in order to tell her story from start to finish, but I'm not confined to such limitations and I'll make Ishvalan characters who are proactive. I'll gladly add more characterisation to our prexisting anime babes because I love that I can. I am a worldbuilder first and foremost and I love making a world that's LIVED in and having such a sanitized character list from up there is really making me not feel like it's LIVED in.

Anyway calling fmab a show filled to the brim with badass female characters is ??? an outdated take.

#metallic crimson #not gonna tag this as fmab because i don't want people to think i'm bashing the show #but if you feel like reblogging you can #this was more of a post about something i've noticed because i tried to think of if there was a single isvhalan female character and i had #to google it #because it was so difficult to recall

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joompheart · 6 months

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My Voya Nui Velociraptors! The 2006 Bionicles are my favorite. It feels like they have the best of everything.

Tons of personal thoughts below.

The Toa Inikia strike the best balance between homogeneity (so that each set is as functional as the others) (and fun to have to full lineup of) and heterogeneity so that each set is unique and not just like the next (different ways of holding weapons, different feet, different forearms, different zamor and light up weapon colors, different gimmicks between multi-color armor pieces, translucent joints, and bonus claws or chains, not to mention slight differences in thigh and shoulder armor placement or even which slot the axle joint holding the head uses). They're incredibly dynamic and easy to pose in a lot of ways. Plus I think they have the best looking masks out of all the bionicles, period. Kongu and Hahli are personal favorites.

Brutaka is my favorite set out of all Bionicles, forever. That's partially nostalgia, he was the first one I ever got, but he would probably be my favorite on his own anyway. He's got a super cool personality and story in the lore (Seriously how badass is it that after exposure to pure liquid antidermis he gets so much stronger that his armor starts to crack from the increased size of his muscles!!), and his set strikes me as being the most functional of all the really good looking titans (though I've yet to get many of the titans).

The Matoran Resistance members are also my favorite of all the smaller set series. They have a bunch of unique construction techniques, cool tools, and badass lore. Plus they're about as mobile and articulate as any set their size, putting the Av-Matoran to shame. The Metru matoran might be contenders for their unique masks and disk launcher toys, but these will probably always be the matoran for my heart.

I actually put a lot of thought and effort into setting up this display, Trying to show off my favorites in the best light. There's a window to the right of these shelves, so as I think is clear from the pictures that Kongu and Brutaka get shown off really well. I tried to put Matoro and Jaller in the light as well to show off the translucent joints but it only half worked out I think. Hewkii can stand to be in the back because of his yellow, and Nuparu is in the middle distance because he's not my favorite but any further back and you can barely see him at all because of all the black. Hahli is kinda unlucky and in shadow most of the time which is unfortunate but still fine because of how up front she is I think. The contrast with Velika works well. In the future I'll try to get her more light to show off the blue, she's definitely one of the most muted blue characters in all of the original run I think. But its sooo cool with the white and blue wash!

I would put the Piraka up there too but because of their spines they don't fit. In the end it's fine because this way they get a shelf to themselves which they fill really well. Probably better this way.

I really want to get Vezon and Fenrakk is the last set I really want from this chapter, I used to not like him because I thought the cape looked out of place and I didn't really like the idea of a "discount piraka" riding some random beast technically counting as much as Brutaka or Axonn. But now I really like him a lot from the lore and want to get as much as I can stand from 2006. More Skakdi is more good, after all!

#reidak is there too #bionicle

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pullofbrokenshadows · 1 year

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If you insist on making Buck and Eddie heterosexual, at least put some effort into it

Look, I want Buddie to be canon. I think they’re missing a huge opportunity to do something no other primetime network show has ever done. But if they’re intent on not making Buddie canon or waiting until the final episode of the series as a cop-out or setting it up even more, then the least they can do is actually put some effort into Buck and Eddie’s relationships with women. They’ve fumbled every single one of them and at this point it’s just coming across as homophobic. Like these empty, lazy romantic storylines with women are better than just letting them be in a homosexual relationship. If the writers insist on keeping them heterosexual, at least put some real effort into it. Yes, it is easier to do this when both of the characters are series regulars. You have more screen time, more runway. The beginning of Buck and Abby’s relationship was GREAT. They truly earned that. They had a lot more room to build that. But it’s not impossible to do this with guest stars.

And to prove it, here are my pitches (as painful as it is to pitch Buddie with anyone else) that wouldn’t take up any (or very much) additional screen time.

EDDIE

606-616: The 118 teasing Eddie about how he got Marisol’s phone number when they went to help her fix up the house, but he won’t use it. “I barely know her.” “That’s what the date is for.” “We only exchanged numbers in case she had more issues with the house.” “That’s pretense. She wants you to call her and ask her out.” Can even bring this up when Eddie starts complaining about Pepa setting him up. “To be fair, you refuse to set up your own dates.”

OPTIONAL: Therapy with Frank where they discuss his reticence to date. It’s not just Shannon. It’s not just his PTSD. Eddie realizes he’s demi. Frank tells him it’s fine for him to wait until he knows someone well to commit or be physical, but he can’t spend his life never pursuing anything further with anyone just because he didn’t immediately fall in love with them during their first meeting. If he truly doesn’t want to spend life alone, he’ll have to put himself out there, even if he just approaches it as friends at first.

**Note: As a demi person who sees very little representation plus all the signs we’ve seen of Eddie being demi, this would be a great opportunity for the writers to do something fresh. In lieu of establishing Eddie as demi, they could just keep everything else the same leading up to 614.**

Can still do the whole runner of Pepa setting him up, which perhaps is what could prompt his conversation with Frank (if they were to make Eddie demi), especially noting the stark difference between his and Vanessa’s approaches to dating.

617: Eddie runs into Marisol at the hardware store and literally the only thing they needed to do differently was instead of him turning and walking away at the end, he just starts walking towards Marisol. If they still hadn’t established he already had her number (per the earlier pitch), this would be a way to do it. Otherwise, it at least leads us nicely into the next episode where he’s trying to figure out what to text her.

618: Literally keep all of this the same, just maybe not as giddy at the end? Just to keep in line with the demi of it all. He’s excited and proud of himself, but he doesn’t know her that well, he probably doesn’t have a crush on her in a way that prompts such a stereotypical teenage response.

BUCK

Oh, Buck. Buckaroo. There are too many things to cover, so I’ll mostly focus on Couch!Theory and Natalia. Everything prior to 615 stays the same, unfortunately. (To be clear, I love Coma!Buck, but come on, this was supposed to be his Year of Yes and he literally only said Yes to one big stupid thing.)

615: Buck meets Natalia in the same way, they have the coffee date, all of that. He still has the conversation with Eddie so we get into his headspace a bit and set up what happens next. But also, maybe nix Eddie’s comment about Buck dating people he’s saved. He put a bandage on her hand. Chill out.

617: Here’s where we do the most damage. This was a dumb storyline for Buck. What was even the point of all this? Lucy was just someone he made out with once. Has nothing to do with pursuing Natalia. He didn’t even interact with Taylor. And Kameron barely means anything to him (they really needed to build up this relationship more if they wanted us to believe she would come running to him.) I get that they’re trying to say his life is complicated but it literally isn’t. At least not in the way Natalia thinks it is. The whole story fell flat and just felt like a way to force conflict where there was none. It was a series of weird occurrences, but when Natalia left it didn’t feel like it meant anything. Because we don’t know anything about her. Maybe if we knew she had an ex who could never let go of anyone in his life or a parent who was a consummate people pleaser to everyone except her, this whole episode would have landed better. But none of that was established and has very little connection to where Buck and Natalia eventually end up.

Instead, it should have gone like this:

On their date, Buck starts out enjoying talking to Natalia about his near-death experience and the lessons he learned from it. But the next time we see them (still on the same date, or maybe even a second date), we can see he’s getting uncomfortable that death is the only thing she wants to talk about. Maybe he even still sees Taylor’s interview (but in the bar) and realizes he might be making the same mistakes all over again. Falling for someone who gives him the tiniest bit of attention, even if it’s for all the wrong reasons. He leaves the date, making it clear that he wants his post-death life to be just that—a life.

He comes back from the date to find Kameron waiting outside his apartment (or she arrives shortly after he gets home—we gotta think about production constraints!) He lets her in (even though I hate this whole subplot where she apparently doesn’t have any friends she could stay with?) They can still have the weird pickle scene at the end if they want, but honestly it felt out of place with Love Is In The Air playing in the background and everyone else’s stories being about romantic love. I legit was worried he was going to fall in love with Kameron and they were going to raise the baby together or something. Such a random ending for Buck in this episode.

618: Natalia still comes in when Kameron’s in labor and helps Buck. She’s still amazed at being there for the beginning of life instead of the end. That’s actually what she came to talk to Buck about. She’s used her work as a death doula to hide from the world, but she’s attracted to the way Buck fights to save lives and how he lives his life so fully and openly. She wants a second chance with him.

Next morning: The couch guys are already hauling the couch out. Natalia appears in Buck’s shirt and says “Sorry they couldn’t save the couch.” Buck: “That’s okay. Someone else bought it for me and it wasn’t really my style.” He grabs some cushions from the corner and places them where the couch used to be. He sits down and pulls her into his lap. “This is much better.” Natalia: “And more romantic.”

This leaves the Couch!Theory an open case. Buck isn’t quite there yet, but it still acknowledges the metaphor and sets a course for the next season. The way it stands now Buck hasn’t learned anything. He’s just buying another couch, this time with someone he barely knows. There is no way he can know she’s the one this early on. Especially not with his history and with how very little they even know about each other. The writers tried to use Couch!Theory as a shortcut to get the audiences to buy in to a relationship with a woman and it’s just a lazy cheat that we all saw through. The main theme they kept alive all season for Buck and they just threw it away at the end. Such a waste.

This is a show that often shines in how they can thread themes together between the calls the first responders go on and what’s going on in their personal lives. The writers usually are able to thread season-long themes into the other characters. (Though did anyone else just totally forget that Hen and Karen were foster parents? Or that Athena and Bobby still hadn’t gone on their honeymoon? Literally all they had to do at the end of 617 was have Athena or Bobby say “Four years married and we still haven’t gone on that honeymoon.”)

But they’ve struggled season after season to do this with Buck and Eddie. Buck is their main character! How can they drop the ball so much with him? I would say they’ve done a slightly better job with Eddie, especially in Season 5. But I literally cannot tell you what Eddie’s journey was this season other than avoid being set up by his aunt, which was only the final 5 episodes of the season and was barely even a story.

The most infuriating thing is this season had way fewer calls than previous seasons. There were whole episodes where it was only the 118 off shift in their personal lives. And yet this season especially felt disjointed and without focus.

Here’s hoping ABC comes in and says they want to walk all of this back. Eddie and Marisol went on a couple of dates, but it didn’t work out. Buck never did go get that couch and either we see a short run of his relationship with Natalia or they just mention it didn’t work out.

And look, I think Natalia could be good for Buck. I like that she’s not stick thin. She’s not white. She’s very different from anyone we’ve seen Buck with so far. The writers could sell me on her as a consolation prize for no Buddie, but they really fumbled the ball here and it’s so disappointing.

So here’s hoping we get some fixes in Season 7 (whenever the studios start paying the writers what they deserve, that is. #WGAStrong)

#buddie911 #buddie #911onFox #911onABC #911 #911 spoilers #couch!theory #buddie!couch #buddie couch #fix it #death to heteronormativity #wga strong

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windvexer · 1 year

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I saw your post about reading Tarot in regards to what to do if someone is aggressive towards your interpretations- and it was insanely inspiring and beautiful. I was wondering if you could post a small guide on how to read tarot. I want to get better at it, but I have a horrible memory and don’t know what to do. You seem like a safe person to ask because of your daring-ness and openness. I would be incredibly interested in your opinions & thoughts on how to get started again, and what might work for someone like me, who’s only ever used the basic interpretations in books, etc to read my cards. I have strayed away from Tarot recently because it doesn’t feel like the answers I’m receiving from these basic interpretations is enough- it doesn’t satiate the hunger and I even question if it truly applies to me. It feels muddy. I feel like I’m not expanding my knowledge each time I try.

we are in reference to this post

Good morning! Thank you for your kind words.

I too have felt tarot becoming muddy for me. It is a cycle I go through perhaps about once every two years. Most recently, my muddiness inspired this project which more or less carried me through to clear waters.

But I started working on that almost two years ago. I've got a new project in the works now.

If you'd like further reading material, try this ask which has my helpful links corralled.

I think it would be fun to write more about tarot, but I was supposed to start writing a new book yesterday and now I'm already behind on that. Plus a sponsored post I'm lagging on finishing, too. Some day, perhaps?

There are too many things you could try. Each of us needs different things.

There are tarot-based things you can try, like studying the Fool's Journey, or reading books like Mystical Origins of the Tarot by Paul Huson, to expand the frameworks in your mind within which you operate.

There are magical things you can try, like initiating under the powers of the Moon or a deity related to divinatory power, creating talismans that open Sight, casting spells to bring necessary knowledge to your doorstep, and so on.

There are experimental things you can try, like cross-pollinating with playing card reading systems, writing OC lore for the suits or major arcana to give you a new way to connect with them, or trying to invent single-player games which use a tarot deck.

There are many things you could do. Did you know about reading with a restricted deck? Reading that primarily takes into account the elements of the cards? Reading that pays a lot of attention to which direction the characters in the card are facing?

I never got along with most pre-made spreads. I find them to be stilted and lacking. Early on I started mapping my spreads to the four elements and cardinal directions. Then I figured out you can put cards in the cross-quarters that represent north-east, south-east, etc. This can go on forever. You can lay cards out in a massive spiral that fractals out from the four cardinal points.

I was not good at doing small spreads for several years. I still do not prefer them. Are you only trying 3-card draws or small spreads? Try huge ones. 12 cards. 20 cards. Leave spreads open for hours or days as you contemplate them. Place them out, look at each card once, say the first thing you think of, deliver your summary at the end, and put the cards away.

There are many things you can try. Think about what you are doing now and do the opposite. Do you shuffle, draw 5 cards in a line, and look up meanings in the book? Instead, spread the cards out and pick which ones you want to use. Place them in a geometric shape. Do not look at the book.

Give yourself symbol sets to work with. "Intuitive reading" is such a chore. Instead of staring at a card waiting for something to come, seed your imagination. Do you like fairy tales? Well, now each card is a scene or character from fairy tales. Maybe you prefer Marvel movies instead. Or, Percy Jackson. Now each card is something from Percy Jackson.

Some people can't read for themselves. So, read for characters from movies or books. Read for historical figures. Read with signifiers and without. Draw with a question in mind, or not. Practice telling the future or telling the past.

I could go on. There are too many things to try.

Try anything other than what you are doing now.

But if I may recommend: get it out of your head that each reading needs to be a complete rendition, like a song fully rehearsed. Put it in your mind that you've got to spend a while practicing notes and chords, and maybe some musical theory. Let yourself have fun with the composite parts of reading, without worrying too much about the end result.

#answered #tarot #divination

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heyninja · 2 years

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Episode 5: The Scream-ening

This show continues to take some genre staples and just flip the bitch. I thought from the morning conversation with Porsche and Kinn that Porsche didn't remember anything (which, unfortunately, can be a side-effect of GHB) and I thought OH NO, not this again.

But no. Porsche remembers. He just doesn't know what do do with it. Kinn is treating him like before, maybe worse than before. Porsche is being punished by the bodyguards he's supposed to be in charge of. Kinn flaunts having a different lover right in front of Porsche, and flippantly makes clear to Porsche that whatever it is Porsche is doing with his time, it is of less than any concern to Kinn.

The only marks that Porsche bears from his time with Kinn are the marks of punishment, and his entire bearing, his entire demeanor, shows that he is struggling to find his footing in this space and failing.

Gone is the animated, over-exuberant man who flings himself around and happily inhabits the life of the party. His actions are tempered, small. His face is a mask, his eyes are downcast. When he interacts with Kinn he tends to hunch, to turn aside, to turn the volume down from 10 to barely heard. Even when directly confronting Kinn it's worn down.

Even then, from Kinn's perspective, it's clear that Porsche takes up all the air in the room. When Porsche tells him if Kinn can do whatever he wants, then do it, Kinn physically sways into Porsche like he can't help it. Now, whether Kinn is not allowing himself to name what he feels for Porsche because a) whatever in the past that happened throws a pall over it or b) he literally is just not allowing himself for personal reasons, it's still the same outcome - Kinn will not let himself admit that Porsche is different to him. Despite how his actions are screaming out those differences.

I think, when he got the advice from Pete on how to talk to Porsche, Kinn was honestly just thinking "how to get through to my most dumbass body guard, excellent" and nothing more. And he's clearly super, super bad at the execution. Though it does give Mile the opportunity to show off how he normally handles himself vocally (soft but assured and pointed) versus how Porsche ends up twisting him up (frustrated, snappish, verging on loud).

Also, I mentioned this in one of my gifset tag explosions but: the tryptich scene, where they showed both Porsche and Kinn attempting a casual hookup while BOTH of them were thinking of the episode 4 hookup, and thus neither one of them could get very far because it did not live up to the memory of their time together: chef's kiss. I was screaming into my hands about that.

Anyway, I love the range here of both characters. Porsche withdrawing, trying to find some way to connect to Kinn, and withdrawing even further when those efforts are rebuffed. Kinn trying to find his equilibrium by falling into business as usual and trying to keep his father's good opinion, and still finding no solace, and finding himself in the position of trying to connect with someone on their terms instead of his. Just a REALLY great character study here, especially when neither of them is admitting to their true turmoil out loud.

Mile and Apo just buried everyone with how well they did with these complex emotional interplays and how well acted they were. I am just over the moon about how well they complement each other.

ALSO ALSO. That chase/fight scene. Glad the budget was there for this one, it was so good. I love me some drift compatible battle couples. Seriously my first post on tumblr after I decided to start using it in 2012 was a battle couple post don't @ me.

I believe in the power of being handcuffed together to force people to face their feelings.

(Plus I am waiting for Porchay to wreck Kim's everything by being the sunshiniest cinnamon roll ever and giving him all the feelings. I'll wait.)

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #kinnporsche meta #kinn #porsche #mile phakphum #apo nattawin #i know there was so much emotional turmoil in this #the whump came for us all #but it was so well done #and now the Handcuffs of Emotional Honesty have entered the chat #porsche is my babygirl and i'm not taking any questions #kinn girlboss of my heart #i don't want to talk about vegas right now #i don't know enough about him yet and he's creeping me out so far

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impishtubist · 3 months

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The Broomsticks scene in POA always drives me a little bit crazy because it establishes that Peter’s supposed actions were very much out of character—there is not a single person there who thought Peter was someone who would go after Sirius—and loosely establishes that Sirius’s alleged turn was shocking (in that Rosmerta is the only person there to directly say that she would never have expected Sirius to turn out the way he did and Hagrid mentions believing that Sirius was at the Potters’ because he was grieving them, but McGonagall, Flitwick, and Fudge just kinda go “yeah, James and Sirius were super close and Sirius was the person James trusted most. Anyways, moving on to catching Rosmerta up on all the hot gossip”) yet nobody in 12 years ever thought more about this sequence of events, but also, Fudge outright admits in this scene that he believes Voldemort could come back—“I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing… but give him back his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he’ll rise again….” What changed over a year that he’s willing to accept Voldemort in 3rd year but returning a year later, oh that’s impossible? Like, sir. He even blames Sirius for the breakout in book 5, making it clear he believes Sirius broke out his cousin and other comrades (further evidence Sirius’s family should’ve been mentioned in the POA scene), why would it be so hard to believe Sirius is just trying to get Voldemort his supporters back before Voldemort strikes again so he’s got an army? The breakout in OOTP is at most two years after this conversation in POA, which is 12 years after Voldemort vanished so apparently Fudge spent 12 years thinking Voldemort could come back but changed his mind less than a quarter of that time later and there’s never an explanation for him deciding this even when there’s irrefutable evidence something went horribly wrong in the form of a dead body (plus, I think they can check if someone died via the killing curse, so if so, it would’ve been easy to see Cedric was literally murdered but this is a different rant)

Yeah like

In-universe, none of this makes sense.

Out of universe, we all know this is because the author isn't a good writer and was just making up things on the fly lmao.

#imp speaks

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ykoriana-imperatrix · 1 year

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SDC Month - December 2022 - Wednesday #2

We are back with another what-if scenario! Before we do start, however, I would just like to add something that I think I failed to make clear last week — much like the theories from June, these scenarios will be solely based on canon information from the books and website both (and anything from online chats with the author, if relevant). They will not take into account any (further) development of/headcanons relating to any characters, events, worldbuilding, etc. (especially the first) from fanon.

(Cut for length (trust me, this one definitely needs it) and some spoilers here and there.)

A Daughter Can Oft More Fates Decide

(This title, is, of course, a reference to the epigraph from the chapter "The Conclave".)

As you might have guessed from the title, my concept for today is: what if Azurea had given birth to a daughter instead of a son? (And, yes, @suth-sardian, I know, I know, we already explored this particular concept through our own discussions, so this week's installment is not exactly exciting new material, but I feel it isn't exactly rehashing pre-existing content either. After all, this scenario is getting introduced to a wider audience via this project, which is always a plus, no?)

Getting back to the core concept at hand: nothing else changes in this scenario. Azurea, unfortunately, still dies in childbirth, the exile deal between Sardian and Ykoriana still happens, and so on. The only difference is that we now have a Carnelia* (and yes, I do imagine Carnelian could perfectly serve as a unisex name, but I like Carnelia, it is sort of a portmanteau of carnelian + the existing name Cornelia, so I'm going to use it for this post from here on) instead of a Carnelian as the child decisions must be made about.

As @suth-sardian pointed out when we initially had this discussion, it is very possible a significant change would be at play here, that being the fact that Sardian would be legally unable to take his baby daughter with him in his exile (that is, if that was even his intention in the first place; having a young daughter and having a young son would be very distinct situations for a Chosen lord to deal with). Little Carnelia might still be an infant who would not be subject to confinement in the forbidden houses for many years, but the fact the exile was (for all anyone knew at the time) meant to be permanent would mean this young lady would eventually find herself reaching the age of menarche in circumstances under which she couldn't be properly confined as the Law-that-must-be-obeyed dictated. So, what would Sardian do regarding his young daughter?

One would assume he would just leave her behind at Coomb Suth, being comforted by the fact that she would still be growing up around her grandmother Urquentha, and so would not be entirely bereft of the presence of Chosen members of her paternal family (and lineage). And yes, given what their society is like, I imagine that even under more normal circumstances, where Sardian was never exiled, he would have never been particularly close to a daughter, but being a distant figure in her life would still be quite different from not being around at all. Plus, we know Sardian is an atypical Chosen lord in many ways; he might never have been a doting father to Carnelia regardless of circumstance, but he would still feel fondness and (perhaps more importantly, given his values and strong sense of honour) paternal responsibility for her. She would likely even be safer among the Suths than her male canon counterpart, given that, unlike him in the same circumstances, she would have posed no threat to Spinel in terms of his plots for usurpation of the Ruling Lordship.

There is, however, Ykoriana's offer to consider still, which would — seeing as she made it prior to Azurea's death — still be in play. I think that Sardian, knowing how close Ykoriana had been to her sister, would at least give the idea some thought and try to figure out if his child would ever be remotely safe around her aunt. While personally, I do think Ykoriana would feel more favourably towards Azurea's daughter than she ever would towards Azurea's son, and I don't think that would be a thought that would never cross Sardian's mind, at this point, he would still be acutely aware that Ykoriana loathes him (and who knows if that hatred might not eventually bleed into her view of his daughter) and that the birth of Carnelia caused Azurea's death, and it is surely not impossible Ykoriana might resent her to some degree for it (as she does regarding Carnelian in canon). In addition (another point @suth-sardian made when we originally had this discussion, as I recall), while a son of his growing up in the Masks would still be living in the world of men for the most part, and could be far more easily protected by Kumatuya if needed, a daughter would mainly be under Ykoriana's sphere of influence. And so, Sardian might just not want to take that risk at all; he'd know that his daughter’s safety would be far more assured if she was left at Coomb Suth.

I will not speculate at great length about Carnelia herself, and what she would grow up to be like in terms of personality, since the circumstances are too different from canon to keep any speculation from getting too fanfiction-like if it goes on too long. But considering she would be growing up with Urquentha as her main adult Chosen influence, I believe it's quite likely she would develop a personality similar to that of her grandmother, and be more of a typical haughty and blood-proud young Chosen woman, lacking the compassion and kind heart that characterises her male counterpart. Children, real or fictional, mainly learn compassion and empathy from the adults in their lives, usually parental figures, and Carnelia would just lack the key circumstances (and individuals) conducive to Carnelian turning out as he did.

What about Sardian himself, and how would he fare in his exile in this alternate universe where he did not have his son with him? We do know Carnelian's presence was incredibly important to how his life in the Hold played out, from what he says in the chapter "The Blood-Ring":

When we came here, this place was a perfect mirror to my mood. That first winter was terrible. Many died. When they did not know I heard them, our people whispered that I had brought them across the black water to the Isle of the Dead. I almost shared their belief. As bleak and colourless as the Underworld is said to be, this island was worse. If you had not been there, swaddled in Ebeny's arms, I might have let it remain always so. For your sake, I let the household improve the Hold.

Now, it is impossible to guess with complete certainty if what-if!Sardian's mindset would have ever improved, or if we would find the Hold and the people living there shadows of their canon selves by 15 Kumatuya (that if they were even still alive). But I do believe it is not a total impossibility this Sardian could have eventually reached a point where his mental state did improve somewhat, even if it took much longer and it never reached the same levels of contentment it did in canon. Sardian is nothing if not a very resilient man, and in the absence of Carnelian, it is possible he might have developed a deeper bond with (some of) the members of his household earlier (it's not like his atypical attitude towards his slaves originated during the exile years even in canon, after all, we do know he genuinely loved Fey and considered her his favourite sister, which probably went back to when were both children, or close enough). On that note, one could wonder if the composition of the household Sardian takes along would be changed by Carnelia's existence and the fact she would likely be staying at Osrakum. I imagine Sardian choosing to take Crail, Brin and Grane along would almost certainly be unchanged — he seemed to have had significant trust in them and valued their competence for a long time, and it is not like the roles they would be playing would be affected by Carnelia's presence or absence. The same would, I'm sure, be true of others like Naith, Krib, Poal, Rale, Mari, and so on. It is when it comes to Ebeny and Keal in particular that I believe we could see a change — if Sardian is not taking his newborn child along, he does not really need any specific household woman to be serving as a wet nurse, be that Ebeny or any other, now does he? In my view, whether Ebeny and Keal stayed or left would depend more on Sardian's feelings regarding Ebeny then, and his reasons to have Keal (only a child at the time, remember) be part of the household in exile. If Sardian already had some fondness for Ebeny at the time (and didn't just see her as a random concubine), and that wasn't more of a development occuring during the exile years (which isn't made completely clear in the canonical material), then yes, I do think he would still want her to go. As for Keal, it would come down to whether Sardian was taking him along more for his own sake (Keal maybe being a marumaga son he happened to have some fondness for even then, which we also have no idea was the case or not) or for Ebeny's, so that she wouldn't have to suffer being separated from her child.

So, the years pass, and assuming everything still goes as it did in canon, and Kumatuya lies dying by the 15th year of his reign, a trio of unexpected visitors arrive. I think that, barring Sardian dying earlier for whatever reason (but let’s assume he does not), this is still going to happen regardless of Carnelia(n)'s sex or location — as I mentioned in the last what-if post, I feel like bringing Sardian back would always seem like a good move to Aurum, and, of course, Kumatuya would relish the chance to see him one more time no matter the universe. In fact, I think that this scenario might give Aurum added investment regarding convincing Sardian to return, and in the absence of Carnelian’s clear parentage as his main argument, he would play up the fact that Sardian had not seen his daughter in 15 years, wouldn't he like to have that chance, might even work in (feigned) affection for his own daughters as a comparison, etc. (And while I don't want to make this point into too long of a tangent, since Aurum just had a what-if post focused on him last Wednesday, Azurea's child being a daughter is incredibly fortunate for him in this scenario — remember, he is still actively looking for a third wife... Carnelia would be young (all the better in terms of a greater chance to eventually produce a son), particularly pure-blooded as ladies of the Great go, a niece of the current God Emperor and a cousin to the future one... he would likely find no better potential match short of Ykoriana herself.) And yes, I do think Sardian would return, even in the absence of Carnelian and thus the danger posed by Aurum deducing his parentage. What-if!Sardian would likely be less attached to the Hold than canon Sardian, as discussed above, he would still absolutely want to have a last chance to see Kumatuya, and I do think he would be curious about his daughter, what she would be like, how had she been doing for all these past years. So, once again, the "Baran Bunch" sets out on the way to Osrakum, only this time as a group of four instead of five.

(*While I don’t want to go too deep into the rabbit hole of what would Sardian name a potential daughter, I feel that in more realistic terms, Urothre would be a fairly plausible possibility, since it would probably mean something along the lines of “little carnelian” (from “ur”, “lesser, little” and “óthrá”, “carnelian”) and the original Urothre would be an ancestress of this child, and even one that was actually from the Great and not the House of the Masks itself. Depending on Chosen society’s view on necronyms, especially those concerning the recently deceased, it is also possible Sardian might at least consider naming his daughter after her late mother. If he did so, he might have the intention of endearing Ykoriana to the child via honouring Azurea... but then again, it is possible that Ykoriana would just see it as an insult to her sister’s memory and it would just make matters worse. Seriously, this could probably be its own post.)

And this is where I'll put a stop to my speculation within this particular scenario. Yes, there is so much more that could be speculated about, especially when it comes to Sardian and Carnelia's thoughts and actions after the former's return to Osrakum, and how the events from then onwards would be changed from canon... but this post is far too long already, and fellow fans, friends and companions, bear with me, I don't want to fall into the aforementioned rabbit hole, or any other, and have this reach novel length. Who knows, maybe a continuation of this particular what-if scenario can even be part of a future SDC month?

#stone dance of the chameleon #the stone dance of the chameleon #sdc month 2 2022 #sdc what-ifs #sdc december 2022 wednesdays

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cfr749 · 2 years

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What SL do you want The Rookie and Chenford to tackle and why? 🌹💫

Oh gosh - what an interesting ask! I’m honored anyone would even care what I think, so thank you 😂❤️But also I might be questioning your judgement a teensy bit 😘

First off: Chenford trapped in a sauna (it's right there --- a few streets over, a couple of international flights, and around the corner, and I could absolutely see it. It's absolutely criminal it isn't canon if you ask me, which you did. Buyer beware. 😜)

Moving on...

In this [literal] essay (with visual aids! courtesy of the talented Chenford gif makers), I will spend way too much time rambling on about how I have always hoped to see them tackle the inherent conflict in Chenford’s relationship head-on. Not particularly groundbreaking, I know, but bear with me. 😂 (Or not, that's cool, too.)

Before I get any further into this long-winded and completely unnecessary analysis, I just want to be clear that this is what I’d like to see, not necessarily what I expect to see. Expectations? I don’t know her.

Also:

These are just my random thoughts and ideas and opinions; I make no claims to being competent or qualified to even have received this ask. Or to be using Tumblr. But here we are!

Also^2

Mostly I'm just here to write these two idiots falling in love (and sometimes banging) in 15 trillion different ways (but especially on reality TV - which, side note (in my side note - it’s inception!): is the most unpopular trope to exist ever and that is exactly why I have dedicated my life (or a shit ton of my free time) to this honorable pursuit. No one else seems to be interested in writing 100k+ of the most unpopular trope in existence, so here I am taking one for the Chenford team? Army? Whatever. You’re welcome 😏. )))))))))))) (I’ve lost count of the parentheses, but 15 to close seems like a solid bet.)

Source

Lumped right in there with the ever-popular p*rnstar AU. But also, why hasn’t anyone written this? Where are your priorities?

If you have written one of these AUs that I was too lazy to black out to avoid offending anyone, you are awesome. Plus, no one can hate AUs that don’t exist (right? tbh I’m not entirely sure. I suppose hate has no bounds 🤔. It’s all v rude. Trope equality should be a thing.)

Back to the point (LOL if you're this far and still think I have a point, but also I adore you 😘).

For whatever reason*, I think the show has been averse to having to address the inconsistency re: Tim’s character/"code" and the potential hypocrisy of Lucy dating a cop after Nolan.

*Hint: This is the reason:

Source

But also the point here (for me, the one I'm theoretically making in 6,000 words or less... or maybe more, we'll see 😂) isn't about agreeing or disagreeing with Alexi (tbh I can’t be bothered to have feelings one way or the other; I can only be bothered to have an excessive amount of feelings about these fictional characters he’s created 🤷🏽‍♀️).

And it’s not about whether this has relevance to where the show is heading now (this is from 2020, so like basically the 1800s), the point(!) is I think this could be such a good story to explore, specifically because of the reasons Alexi mentions.

I would love to see them tackle this because I feel like the show delivers beautifully on arcs that are grounded in the characters, with plots that are driven by their feelings and motivations.

Storylines like Nolan's commitment to becoming a cop (don't @ me -- I was team underdog in S1, okay?). Tim & Isabel (+ Lucy, obvi). Nyla's motivation to return to patrol (she did it for the child[ren]). Jackson's struggles despite being a legacy 😭. Angela's drive to make detective. Armstrong's backstory. The evolution of Lucy's relationships with Tim, Nyla, Jackson in the aftermath of DOD, etc., etc., ).

And I feel like these specific obstacles for Chenford are a great foundation for exactly that kind of character-driven storytelling that would be about Chenford (of course), but also just as much about Tim and Lucy as individuals and how much they’ve evolved since S1.

Insert sad pilot Tim: stupid photo limit. Use your imagination.

And hot pilot Lucy (she made the cut, obvi), because (there is no because; and if you think I need a reason for inserting badass pilot Lucy, who are you? and why are you here?):

Anywayyy, I’d love to see Tim struggling with the idea he might have feelings for his former Rookie. I’d love to see him lean on Angela as he tries to work through this.

She was also a TO and could probably understand how Tim would have trouble reconciling his duty as her former teacher / current mentor and boss to possibly having romantic feelings for her.

She’s also a woman on the force that chose not to fish in that particular pool for the same reason Lucy broke up with Nolan. The perfect perspective if you ask me 😂

Insert Tim & Angela being BFFL

I’d love to see Lucy try and reconcile the idea of being with Tim with her past decisions and the break-up with Nolan. I’d love to see her weigh the repercussions of being “branded” — I know people have strong (and valid) feelings about this concept as a whole, but it's there and is arguably realistic (sexist like the real world and all that), so why not lean into the obstacle they [perhaps, unintentionally] created for Chenford and use it to tell a story?

Lucy’s ambitious — she cares deeply about her job and being successful. I could absolutely see her being deeply conflicted about this. I’d love to see her talk to Nyla or other women in the department about their experiences.

Hell, I’d even like to see her talk to Nolan given their history. It’d be interesting [to me, and possibly only me] to hear her use Nolan as a sounding board; talk about what’s changed and what hasn’t. She’s not the same person she was back in S1 and she’s not a Rookie anymore, but it’s also not a choice that is without repercussions.

Kind of like this... plus a tad more nuance (and intent!)... minus the gagging 🤗:

I think it would be a natural way to continue to develop the characters because humans are inconsistent and falling in love is an absolutely believable source of internal (and external) conflict.

Eventually, I’d love to see them decide to choose each other anyway, despite the obstacles, and then help each other through the fallout (if any).

I don’t necessarily need them to get together right away; I get the reasons why the show will likely continue to veer away from them officially getting together, but I’d love to see an overarching story or arc that includes some struggle and conflict and also gives us a bit of insight into what they are thinking and feeling (with an extra order of feelings), how their values might be changing, what their motivations are etc. while we wait.

^More of this stuff + words and feelings (my fave!) and whatnot (and intent!)

So yes, it's been done a million times before, and my hopes aren't particularly original, but I'd still like to see it done for Chenford.

So those are my thoughts, anon, on what storyline I’d like to see for Chenford and why. For whatever they are worth (literally nothing 🙃). If for some inexplicable reason you are still here, thank you for the lovely ask. ❤️

#my asks #the rookie #chenford #mostly me being a dumb*ss #ask and you shall receive #an unlimited supply of nonsense #opinions not facts #don’t fight me #I’m a wuss #who’s writing the p*rn star AU though?#i have zero clue what Tumblr censors #why am i like this?

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luciehercndale · 5 months

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Oh that’s a very intriguing thing to think about and you might be right about Holland taking Kosika away from those in her past. I think if this is Holland that it might be for the greater good kind of thing because like it is Holland and his life hasn’t been easy either and Holland had no one like Kosika (even with the people who surrounded/surround them) in a way that Kell isn’t. Kell has Lilia and even before that he had Rhy and even if he didn’t feel like he belonged with the Maresh family he was still there in a much different way than what Holland had.

I got more of the vibe that though Kosika is younger now, she is going to keep aging and Holland isn’t and that dynamic is yet to be played out but it’s being hinted. And I think she’s going to divert from Tes and her arc in where Tes is going to probably have that childhood romance and get closer to others, Kosika is going to have different path and get farther away from those she does have.

Kosika is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters to follow because there are so many possibilities and there is something about following a child queen to adulthood queen. I do wonder what is going to happen to Holland since he’s either going to find a way to come back or he’s going to be dead dead at the end of this and then what that might mean for Kosika.

Looking forward to what Kell’s involvement in all of this is going to be too. Especially since yeah Kell has some powers back but he only has that because he is threaded with Lila. Something is still disturbing the balance.

Has Schwab gave any interviews or further details on the next books or Kosika? I’m just wondering. Love your responses btw.

If it's the real Holland, it also makes sense that he tries to guide Kosika. Like you said, he didn't have anyone and those he thought were people who loved him, only tried to betray him in the end. So it's like he doesn't want that for Kosika, but at the same time, she is instrumental to the goal he failed to carry out because of his death. It's complicated, and even though Kosika has Lark and Nasi, it seems like sometimes she feels they don't truly understand what it's like to have such a burden (magic) but also the weight of their world's fate on her shoulders. Not moving further with their romance (Kosika/Lark/Nasi) would also make sense because of what WL represents. It's kind of a loveless world, if you think about it, where people seem to only think about themselves.

That's why I don't think there is going to be a romance between Kosika and Holland (if it's him) either. I don't think V ever wanted to give Holland a romantic interest, because his purpose in the story is bigger. Holland wants to be loved, of course, and we see how betrayal impacts him when the people he cares about betray him or die. But I think the love V planned for Holland to receive is the love of the people from his world, not from a specific individual. And Kosika surely fits this type of platonic love.

Another reason I don't see them happening is the age gap. I'm not against age gap relationships but I believe the reason V made Kosika 15 was to make a one-sided infatuation situation possible and to avoid people to think about the relationship between Kosika/Holland as romantic. It's clear Kosika appreciates Holland, plus he is a comforting figure in her life and she feels safe with him around and she looks up to him. It makes truly sense that she is infatuated with him. The world acolyte is the perfect definition of what Kosika feels towards Holland and I believe that's going to influence the way she will behave in the future, because her feelings might blind her. The age gap thing could be fixed, yes, since Holland died and his ghost doesn't age, and it would only take Kosika to be an adult to potentially be in a romantic relationship with him, but I don't think that's going to happen because the story is going to move forward quickly in Threads #2 (I only think there's going to be a few months' gap between book #1 and #2). But ofc, I know nothing so anything could happen!

Romance is more likely to happen between Tes and Nero, I agree. While Kosika is more of a reserved character who focuses on the internal world (like Holland), Tes is more open to the external world (like Lila and partly, like Kell - he is in between Kosika and Tes). Kosika is a queen and is forced to interact with people, but we see how she shy away from it and wants to be alone. She has buzzes of curiosity but she threads lightly into new things. Tes also deals with people, but we see her demeanor is different and more bubbly in comparison. Tes is more practical where Kosika is more rational. Again, I could compare them to the og Antari because they have parallels. Tes is more like Lila in this regard, plus she has a powerful version of Alucard's power. I think they might share backstory bits even though we haven't seen the whole of Lila's story yet. It doesn't surprise me that they are at odds with each other and funnily enough, Tes named her owl after Kell, whom she really is a fan of! So it's more likely for her to pursue a romantic interest. And Nero might have a secret identity (perhaps we'd find he's a secret royal just like we discovered Alucard had a title).

Speaking of Kell in relation to what Tes did to him, from the last povs in Threads it does seem his power returned to its original state. I don't think there's going to be problems. If any, I do think that Lila's thread in Kell's magic might've somehow "bonded" their magic together, but with positive enhancements for the both of them. I think I said this once, but I'm fairly convinced that Lila's thread (because it's like Idk, she donated him one of her kidneys in a way lmao) might make it possible for them to draw on each other's magic and "share" their magic to make it even more powerful. Tes never fixed a human being. She is a tinkerer like Nadiya but Tes can actually touch magic. It could be a parallel but we will know the effects in the future. While Nadiya created the bracelet/ring to steal someone's magic (negative), Tes might've done the same thing to Kell and Lila (positive) because she indeed gave back to Kell what he had lost.

I was looking for interviews about Threads, and in this interview V says this about Kosika and Holland:

In Threads, we see the impact of Holland’s death on his world. What was it like to get to explore the mythos and legacy surrounding him in this book? I love it. When it comes to worldbuilding, mythos is often something we plant as backstory or foundation. One of the things I was most looking forward to with Threads was this ability to have some of the events of Shades become myths. I honestly got to geek out. Holland’s my favorite character, so I loved getting to turn him into a legend and give him this legacy. Honestly, getting to make Kosika an acolyte is a really powerful thing. Faith is an issue that comes up in Shades and again here in a world where some see magic as god form. Lila Bard only believes in herself, Kell has a very conflicted relationship with magic, so to be able to give Kosika faith and, specifically, blind faith was a thing I really loved because I think that leads to error.

I didn't know Holland was V's favorite character. This complicates the interpretation of his role lol bc it's obviously an homage to him and who he represents in the series, but the question lingers: is it really him or someone who is trying to tamper with the legacy he left? Because the last line of that interview makes me think that Kosika is following Holland blindly because of who he represents for their world, but she might be mistaken. Or maybe, he tells her to do or not to do this or that for WL, but she ends up doing the opposite because she's young and she might have a rebellion phase: I don't want to do what you're telling me anymore (just like Kell did at some point even though he was older), and this ends up being a mistake. It may mess up what they did for their world because I also think that ultimately, the goal is to make WL a good place to live again. The WL part allured me less because the characters didn't interact with the other parts of the story, but it's sure a build up that will lead to something important in the next books!

Sorry if it takes me time to answer but I get carried away and save it as a draft to add more things lmao

#adsom #the fragile threads of power #holland vosijk #kosika #lila bard #kell maresh #tesali ranek #tftop #tftop spoilers #shades of magic #kellila #posta

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stillsundazed · 1 year

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Hi! I really liked your analysis on the shootout scene, and I was wondering whether you could do an analysis on chishiya's character? how his mentality changed throughout the borderlands, the significance of the k diamonds and why he decided to sacrifice himself for usagi. I feel like the live action didn't do a very good job of explaining all this so I was wondering if you could. thank you in advance!

Hi! I actually was gonna post a Chishiya analysis but didn’t think anyone would want to see it bc of how long I make these lmao so thanks for the ask! And sorry for taking so long to respond!

~~~

There are three main things going for Chishiya’s character: Apathy, selfishness, and luck. Of course, he has other important traits like resourcefulness and intelligence, but I think these three are the ones that really define him and his development.

His apathy and selfishness go hand-in-hand, so we’ll begin with those. Growing up, Chishiya was neglected. As stated in my shootout analysis, the lack of attention from his parents and the absence of any friends caused him to never really learn what love and affection felt like. At the same time, nobody ever outright wronged him, so he had no reason to hate or want revenge from anyone. This led to an apathetic viewpoint towards a world that never explicitly gave to or took from him, leading him to do the same. The manga has a side story (Six of Diamonds) about his first game in the borderlands that delves further into his apathy – his nature isn’t due to “self confidence, courage, or even a poker face… he just has absolutely no interest in the concept of life.” This explains why he is so readily able to use other people, but also why he’s always so calm in the games. The only reason he plays them is for mental stimulation. He doesn’t care whether he lives or dies, because life is meaningless to him.

But show Chishiya is an entirely different character from manga Chishiya. His backstory in the show made it clear that he wasn’t always this way. He used to feel empathy towards others, but the nature of his occupation stomped those feelings away, turning him into an emptier man. He likely either puts up a mask of apathy to keep himself from feeling too much, or truly did stop caring due to heavy exposure to corruption at work. I like to think it’s the former, because we see cracks in his mask all the time in his personal relationships – his friendship with Kuina (actually trusting her, keeping her at his side, and making her a bomb), and his alliance with the other beach members (telling them to floor it/ leave him behind after the King of Spades attack). Unlike manga Chishiya, who has no regard for anyone but himself, show Chishiya does care at least a little bit about the people he respects. He just doesn’t care for his own life, or most of the lives around him that he looks down on.

Chishiya not caring about living or dying leads to his third important trait: luck. In several of his games, he either nonchalantly gambles with his life or puts it in the hands of another, yet always emerges victorious. In the Six of Diamonds, he suggests and barely wins a 50/50 after turning over a randomly dealt hand in the final minutes. In the Five of Spades, he relies on Arisu and Usagi to clear the game. In the Jack of Hearts, he relies on Ippei to make it through every round but the final one, where he once again wins a 50/50 guess of his suit. In the King of Diamonds, he leaves his life in Kuzuryuu’s hands three separate times, plus he wins two gambles: first, a supposedly ½ chance of guessing Daimon’s number (which, in the manga, was revealed to actually be a ⅓ chance because she didn’t recognize 76 lubricants), and second, another 50/50 against Kuzuryuu which was cut out of the show – in the final round, Kuzuryuu originally hit both 0 and 1 at the same time, leaving both his and Chishiya’s survival up to fate.

How do these three traits come together and push him to change? It was a mixture of things stemming from his interactions with the people he met in the borderlands, but his tipping point is during the king of diamonds, when he realizes that Kuzuryuu is the complete opposite of him – empathetic, selfless, and unlucky. Kuzuryuu has too much empathy towards others due to his profound interest in preserving human life. He is selfless because he places his own life equal to others despite holding so much authority. And unlike Chishiya, who always wins the luck of the draw whenever he gambles with his life, Kuzuryuu loses immediately. It’s this loss paired with his final words (“I was finally able to decide how to live my life thanks to you”) that push Chishiya over the edge. Kuzuryuu dies at peace, true to his ideals, leaving Chishiya still searching for a reason to live, and now also a reason why fate keeps him alive at the cost of so many good people dying in his place.

Chishiya declares that this is unfair – even though he survived, it feels like Kuzuryuu ran away with the true victory. This is why Chishiya says he’s envious of him: Kuzuryuu has all of the traits that he lacks, but most importantly, an interest in human life. Show Chishiya would be particularly envious that Kuzuryuu was still able to maintain his goodness despite the corruption at his workplace, because working in the hospital beat Chishiya’s goodness out of him rather quickly.

After the game, there is a very short scene in the manga where Chishiya is sitting in the rain contemplating how to move forward. Rain symbolizes rebirth. It’s no coincidence that this happens after his meeting with Kuzuryuu. He is beginning to change, and he only needs someone to push him in the right direction.

Then, the shootout happens. This is a whole other can of worms you can read in my other analysis here, but basically, Arisu and Niragi act as two opposing catalysts pushing Chishiya in different moral directions. He can either take the plunge and follow Niragi to truly become irredeemable, or he can begin his path to change like Arisu. He chooses Arisu after seeing how determined he is to become a better person. I think he also realized that taking this path would make him live more similarly to Kuzuryuu, so he wouldn’t have to be envious of him anymore.

This is why Chishiya takes the bullet for Usagi – to be uncharacteristic. For the first time, he considers another life over his own – something that Arisu and Kuzuryuu do constantly, which he is jealous of them for. Afterward, he confesses that he envies people who have the goodness that he lacks, which is why he is so apathetic and selfish. “It was like I existed just to show how empty a human can be… I just wanted someone to understand me.” At these words, Arisu says that he understands him, finally leaving Chishiya at peace and closing the chapter of his old life so he can start anew. Only then does it stop raining, symbolizing the end of his rebirth.

TL;DR: Chishiya is apathetic, selfish, and lucky. Kuzuryuu is empathetic, selfless, and unlucky. Them being opposites in this way + Kuzuryuu's ideals made Chishiya realize he envies good people like him. He saves Usagi to become uncharacteristic/be more like Arisu and Kuzuryuu so he can stop envying them. He lived his entire life trying to be understood, and finally turns over a new leaf once Arisu says he understands him.

~~~

I mostly went with manga content for this since it has more of Chishiya's direct thoughts, making it easier to understand him. I do think there are some things the show does better with him, like more parallelism in his and Kuzuryuu’s backstories, and him being softer in general. I always end up writing too much so I omitted a lot of things, like comparing his manga + show characterizations, his relationships w/ people other than Kuzuryuu, and the Mona Lisa, so I might make a part 2 of this analysis to focus on those. But my main goal was just to write an overview of his development, which I think I’ve accomplished well enough without those things. Thanks for reading!

#alice in borderland #aib #chishiya #aib chishiya #chishiya shuntaro #imawa no kuni no arisu #i am sorry for writing so much i physically cant help it #what being an english major does to an mf

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