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blankd · 2 years ago

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The Common Language(TM)

Saw a post trying to explain how Common (a... common language) exists in fantasy settings and (I assume) DnD. I personally disagreed with OP's interpretations as they funneled explanations into two camps:

-Humans are so imperialist they made everyone else speak it (a travesty to act like humans are the center of the universe again)

-All languages form Common out of trade necessity, BUT the words contributed retreat into fantasy stereotypes (orcs are warriors, elves are artisan waifs, etc.). Which, IDK guys, at best it comes across as over-explaining US English with extra steps and baggage.

Now personally, I treat languages in my own campaign as mostly geological*- because I'm running a campaign, not writing a book/wiki/conlang.

*A few languages are bound to their speakers simply because they don't have humanoid mouths, eg: Primordial is spoken by Elementals, AKA sentient elements, etc.

Naturally, this led to wondering how the existence of Common could be a larger feature that could be interacted with. While conlangs can be fun, they are often treated as fossils when players probably prefer to walk among dinosaurs.

Note: This is written through the lens of DnD/a fantasy TTRPG, but it could probably function elsewhere with mindful tweaks., build according to your preferences.

In this scenario, all cultural languages exist, but a reverse tower of babel situation occurred. So now the world has a large magical tower that gifts all sentient humanoids (PCs/NPCs) with Common.

For World Flavor:

The immediate obvious possibility is that several nations/peoples agreed to collaborate on this, it's up to you if any individuals are named. But since it was so long ago, that might be lost to time. Or maybe it was recently completed! Regardless, is the tower a Wonder that is communally protected or does this responsibility fall on a certain group?

Or is the Tower Divine? A gift from a god of language, a god of peace or something else entirely (a god of venom who wanted to afford all mortals the ability to hurt each other with words, etc.)? If it is divine, what is the story that explains it? Is there a faith that worships the Tower (and its god)? How do people who may dislike this god reconcile the benefits of the Tower with their distaste for the deity?

Or is it an (inter)national archaeological mystery that is currently being studied? What has been hindering progress? Is it people (who has right over this) or something more otherworldly (supernatural defenses)?

Or maybe it really is just a funny little quirk of the world- a team of wizards bestowed the world with a lingua franca for an easier conference since they don't have time to learn other languages, back to other stuff!

For Conflicts/Hooks:

Is it housed in the current world's seat of power (or was a superpower built around it)? Is this fact used as a Divine Right to be an Authority over others?

Are new words added? Does this affect magic with Verbal Components? Is this how the world's spells are created? Are expeditions sent into the Tower to attempt to add more spells? Have magical words (spells) been lost (or removed)? Does this mean the Tower is ALSO the world's seat of magic?

Can Mundane words be lost? Does this somehow erase *all* instances of this written word? Or does it remove their inherent meaning and Essence (eg: if the word Sweet was lost, would all things cease to be sweet or would sweetness slowly bleed out of the world as sweet and its synonyms are eroded? How would the remaining languages try to preserve this concept in reaction to the Tower?

Was this word loss an accident or intentional?

Is this aspect abused? Is/has it been used as a political weapon/threat? How does exterior damage to the tower, if it can suffer any, affect the language it actively imbues in people? Or does it merely impact how effective its power is?

Or is the Tower decaying and there is a lingual epidemic where communication is collapsing in places that have become overly reliant on the Common provided by the Tower? What do attempts to fix the Tower look like? If the Tower is Divine in origin, how do the pious interpret this development (a test, malice from another god, etc)?

Is a lack of Common in a person used as a pretense to do harm to them? Is it used as 'evidence' to strip them of rights/dignit? Or is speaking Common a litmus for adulthood (eg: babies babble, adults converse, etc.)? How does this belief affect Mute or Deaf people?

Are there people that believe in the superiority of a Cultural Language (since they equate effort to value and Common requires 'no effort')? Are there people that consider Common to be a mark of a lack of intelligence?

Is there an effective range to the Tower? Is there a material or other phenomena that interferes with the Tower's effect on people? How would the PCs react to suddenly being unable to speak Common within their own party for a scenario?

How would anyone react if mundane livestock suddenly spoke? What if fields of plants started screaming?

Would anyone seek a way to sever the tower's influence from themselves (or others)? If the Tower can magically/divinely influence people with the ability to use Common, what else can it do? Would someone ever seek to alter this aspect of the Tower? Could they use it to continuously, universally emit healing? What about silence? (Is the Tower simply automatically converting all words to Common, effectively robbing all the intricacies of natural cultural languages?)

Would there be a reason to destroy this tower? Who would benefit from it (culturally/politically/etc.)? How would the world be changed if it was suddenly destroyed? Who would attempt to fix it? Could it even be fixed?

For Mechanics:

Some challenge uses have already been suggested above with Common Language and/or Verbal Magic dead zones.

But more cut and dry mechanics could tie to how Silence, Comprehend Languages and other linguistically-tied spells tap into/invoke the Tower and even require a nonstandard component.

Additionally, maybe this is where the Power Words (Kill, Heal, Stun, etc.) originated from and can only be found there- and what if there are more?

If you wanted to get cheeky you could probably attribute other word/language spells (Healing Word, etc.) to the Tower, but every table is different.

Hopefully this inspires some fun at the table. Or if you're already running a campaign, you can downsize this effect to a dungeon/wizard's tower/town.

This idea is of course free for use, and if you do use it, please share your story of how it played out! Have fun o/

#dnd #d&d #dungeons and dragons #fantasy writing #fantasy language #fantasy worldbuilding #dungeon master ideas #long post #blankd rambles

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zapreportsblog · 2 years ago

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I Don’t Want To Be A Hero, So Leave Me Alone

➥ summary: Like any reincarnation fanfiction this story has to do with a women from the real world dying and getting reincarnated into a anime with some massive op powers. Throughout most of this story you are nothing but a 8 month year old which transforms later on into a child, well if we make it that far that is.

➥ chapter 12: The Dance of Destruction and Creation

Tomura gazed at his baby sister, (Y/N), her eyes sparkling with wonder as she observed him with intense curiosity. They were in his room, a space where he often let his destructive power loose. Today, however, he had an audience—(Y/N), who seemed entranced by the crumbling objects that succumbed to his decay quirk.

As Tomura reached out his hand, causing a small figurine to disintegrate into dust, he expected (Y/N) to flinch or show signs of fear. Instead, to his surprise, her eyes widened with anticipation, her tiny fingers reaching out to touch the dissipating remnants of the figurine.

In that moment, Tomura felt a mixture of awe and confusion. He had always believed his quirk to be a curse, a power that isolated him from others. Yet here was his sister, seemingly fascinated by his ability to destroy. Little did he know, she possessed a power of her own—one that would reshape his understanding of their connection.

"(Y/N), are you... enjoying this?" Tomura asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

She giggled, her innocent laughter echoing in the room. "Yes!”

Tomura's eyebrows furrowed as he watched her closely. "But why? I'm destroying things. Isn't that... bad?"

(Y/N) shook her head, her eyes alight with a unique perspective. "It no bad. Yes it good.”

’Tomura. It's about the dance of destruction and creation. You break things, and I can put them back together.’

Tomura's eyes widened as if coming to a realization. Her quirk, omnimanipulation, allowed her to manipulate matter and reform what was broken. It was a power of creation, a counterbalance to his destructive abilities. Suddenly, the seemingly destructive nature of his quirk took on a new significance—it set the stage for her own power to shine.

As Tomura observed his sister, a spark of curiosity ignited within him. He reached out, decaying another object, and watched as (Y/N) focused her attention on the dust particles. Her hands moved with precision, weaving through the air, and the dust began to coalesce and reform, as if guided by an invisible force.

The toy, once destroyed, was restored before his eyes, its colors vibrant and intact. Tomura's awe transformed into a mixture of awe and excitement. The realization of their unique connection blossomed within him. They were two sides of the same coin, balancing each other's powers in a delicate harmony.

"(Y/N), your quirk... it's amazing," Tomura said, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "Together, we can create and destroy. We have the power to shape the world around us."

(Y/N) smiled, her eyes reflecting the bond between them. “Yes!”

‘That’s what makes us special, Tomura. We can turn destruction into creation. Our powers, combined, hold the potential to bring balance and make a difference.’

In that moment, Tomura understood that their quirks were not curses but gifts. They were intertwined in a symbiotic relationship, each enhancing the other's abilities. It was no longer just about his destructive power—it was about the interplay between their abilities, a delicate dance between destruction and creation.

Tomura couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as he looked at his baby sister. Her quirk was a testament to their shared lineage, a testament to the strength that ran in their blood. They were not simply individuals with extraordinary powers; they were a family bound by a unique destiny.

As the days turned into weeks, Tomura and (Y/N) continued to explore the depths of their powers. They honed their abilities, finding new ways to create and destroy. Together, they became a formidable force, united by their extraordinary quirks and an unbreakable bond.

With every triumph and every challenge, Tomura and (Y/N) grew closer, forging a connection that transcended their powers. They understood that their role extended beyond the use of their abilities—it was about protecting and supporting each other, about embracing the inherent strength that came from their familial ties.

In the midst of their journey, Tomura and (Y/N) discovered the true potential of their powers. They navigated the complexities of their abilities, unlocking new techniques and exploring the limits of their strengths. Their journey was not just about destruction or creation, but about understanding the responsibility that came with wielding such power.

As Tomura watched his sister, he felt a renewed sense of purpose. They were destined for greatness, and together or apart they would make a difference in this world. With their unique quirks, they would rewrite the story of heroes, leaving an indelible mark on the world.

They were no longer two individuals with extraordinary abilities; they were a duo bound by love, power, and an unbreakable bond. Brother and Sister.

With each step they took, Tomura and (Y/N) moved closer to their true potential. Their journey was just beginning, but they were ready to face any challenge that came their way. They would shape their destiny, guided by the delicate dance of destruction and creation, and leave a lasting legacy unlike any the world had ever seen.

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thequietmanno1 · 1 year ago

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Thelreads, MHA 284, Replies Part 1

1) “It’s time for us to continue, and today we’ll see Midoriya kicking ass and taking names to avenge all the people that died so far. The battle has been elevated to new heights, so let us jump in Chapter 284: Deep Blue Battle

I said new heights Horikoshi, that name implies that the battle is taking place in the bottom of the ocean”- Well, if Tomura’s Decay keeps on going to its logical conclusion, now that the limiting fetter of the blowback on his body is gone, then theoretically, he could just….keep the Decay wave going until there’s nothing left of Japan but Sea and Sky. A battle upon the Earth is one wherein he rules supreme, so the only way to fight him is in one of those two arenas….assuming he can’t figure out how to make Decay work underwater. God, can you imagine the consequences of that? Global annihilation in 7 days, tops. 2) “Yeah Midoriya, but remember that air particles are physical objects, meaning that he can technically destroy everything with decay even while flying.

…

I hope horikoshi didn’t thought about this.”- Tomura’s already destruction incarnate, don’t go making him further OP by applying scientific logic to his superpowered abilities! It’s bad enough when Jojo characters start working science facts into their Stand powers for maximum carnage. 3) “Well, I mean, that was quite the leap in power you just took, you could barely keep Black whip under check on close-combat and now you’re using it on long-ranges and flying

I’m surprised your body didn’t just disintegrated itself with all that energy. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug indeed”- Thankfully, so far it seems the other Quirks within OFA don’t have the physical blowback and potential crippling effect on Midoria’s body as the main super-strength enhancement does. Exceeding his control just seems to come with pain and a loss of control over said particular ability, which in Black Whip’s case just means the power lines disintegrate before he’s finished using them. I wonder what losing control over Float would be like- Instantly plummeting to the Earth, or flying off randomly in another direction all of a sudden? 4) “Rest at ease Endeavor, you did your part, there are no more roads for you to destroy, now it’s time for the real heroes to step up and show what they are made of

Also, after that city-sized blanket of fire you deployed a few chapters ago I’m surprised you’re still standing.”- Spite and Stubbornness is also one hell of a drug. Endeavour will fall down when the job of the Number One Hero is done, no sooner or later. That said, currently he’s just not able to perform as the Number One Hero, because the sheer power on display before him in these two children makes it clear that he’s just a side character to their fight, not a main performer in his own right. Outdone by a Kid who’s still in middle school and a dropout who did All the body enhancements – that’s gotta sting. 5) “Have you guys tried to forcefully open Aizawa’s eyelids and make him stare at Shigaraki? I mean, I know it probably won’t work since he’s unconscious, but… You know, it doesn’t cost anything trying something stupid”- well….not to put too fine a point on it, but if you look closely at the way Tomura’s fingers were gouging into the surface of Aizawa’s skull on his last attack, he may not actually have any eyes to open anymore. 6) “If only Uraraka was here, we could’ve finished shigaraki by throwing him into space like Kars. I wonder how long it would be until he stopped thinking.”- Unfortunately, unlike Kars, Tomura has enough underdog experience and the same bullshit “I can do anything I want” powerset, so even if we did chuck him into the Stratosphere, he’d instantly be able to adapt and figure out a workaround using his stockpiled Quirk abilities to get back down to Earth. Kars spent all his time in the manga being Superior to all, and like many OP villains it was his lack of being put into a corner that undid him in the end. However, unlike him, or even AFO, Tomura’s been nothing but an underdog this whole time, having to struggle and learn and adapt to the world, even with AFO’s manipulative backing supporting him, and it means that he’s used to being in a corner- hell, the more the heroes force him into one, the happier and more ferocious he gets in a fight, because that’s home territory for him. 7) “Shigaraki this is not the moment for a battle of wits, don’t try to be funny, also Midoriya is not going to heaven anyway so that’s a double no.”- Well, it’s easy to win a battle of witty banter when your enemy’s only retort is crazed screaming and trying to punch your head off. Smack-talk in a fight is Bakugo’s forte, not Izuku’s, he’s just down for the murdering at this point.

8) “Alright Midoriya is definitely not up for chatting anyway, he’s going into murder mode and by god I feel the flying broccoli is not gonna stop until someone is dead.”- See, that’s the problem. The heroes have already subjected Tomura to enough damage to easily kill him serveral times over, not to mention Izuku punching him several times at 100%. He started this fight being clinically dead – he just won’t stay that way if he feels he’s still got a job to do. 9) “Alright Bakugo, now the moment of truth, are you gonna sit there and sulk about not being as good as midoriya, or are you going to jump up there and fight till someone is dead?”- He’s not sulking because he’s not as good as Midoira – Bakugou’s a little too pro-active to stay on his ass and mope- he’s afraid because he’s not as good as Midoira, simply not capable of keeping up with his sheer levels of speed and power to actively make a difference in this fight, and thus step in to restrain his not-a-friend rival from going too far trying to beat Tomura in a battle of endurance. Izuku has shown time and again that yes, he can win fights on his own, but he’s simply too reckless and lacking in self-preservation to avoid going over the limit doing that solo. Every major fight he’s had, he always won through teamwork and support in the end to come out the other side unscathed, and those he couldn’t, left a lasting mark, like Muscular. The rub is that, given enough time, any other Quirk could theoretically have the sheer levels of power of AFO and OFA, if there was a way to preserve and refine them over the years, but due to AFO’s manipulations and striking whilst the iron is still hot, fresh off the heels of All Might’s retirement, there’s simply not any other valid candidate who could sub in to cover Midoria in this clash of Titans. Both Quirks are in a league of their own, but whilst it’s good that the heroes have something like OFA to counter AFO, it’s also bad because it’s been made clear time and again that Izuku just can’t win without a severe cost if he fights solo, and he’s not being given any choice but to do that to protect the weaker heroes on the field. 10) “Oh here comes a flashback, let us see what’s gonna propel bomberboy into the skies”- Guilt, regret angst, appologies yet to be said – you know, That Good Shit for character development. 11) “OHHHH IT’S THE CUTE THREE, I WASN’T EXPECTING THAT

ALSO, WHAT COULD BAKUGO POSSIBLY WANT AS HELP, BAKUGO NEVER ASKS FOR HELP ANYWAY, EVEN WHEN HE SHOULD”- Bakugo’s “train Izuku by blowing him up until he gets it” tactic isn’t working out so good, so they need somebody to sub in whilst All Might tries unsuccessfully to get him to reign it in. 12) “But okay, I can see why he asked those three, they are the ones that are used to moving stuff around with their powers, they are the best options. He could’ve asked Aizawa as well, since he uses his battle scarf, but, that works.”- Their powers combined also basically emulate the ful range and power/flexibility of the Float + Black Whip combo, Sero being able to shoot out and reel in tape from afar to move, Tsuyu’s tongue basically being a black whip, with her free range of flexibility and strength put through it, and Uraraka’s Anti-Gravity giving Izuku a feel for what it’s like to fly untethered. I do like that they included this both to illustrate how Izuku isn’t losing control of this new power when he’s in a situation where he needs to keep it active (granted, in simply holding Tomura aloft whist he repeatedly blasts him he doesn’t need much fine control or direction other than making sure he doesn’t punch him too close to the ground) but also to illustrate the other unspoken point that vexes Bakugo in the present- it takes three of his fellow classmates working together to emulate a situation that Izuku can do solo, again showing the sheer power gap between him and every other student, and how, despite their wishes to aid him, no one hero can possibly step in to support Izuku in a fight that pushes him to his utmost limits, because his limits are simply that far beyond anybody that was born with a natural Quirk. 13) “OH MY GOD YOU KIDS

AND OF COURSE URARAKA IS THE ONE TO CALL HIM OUT ON IT, EVEN THOUGH THIS TIME IT WAS MIDORIYA’S FAULT”- Bakugo’s manoeuvrability and sheer speed in a 3-D environment surpasses Iida’s, as long as they’re not racing across a flat plane, so trying to get the hang of Black Whip’s fine control via tagging him is a good idea….except for the fact that he also “penalises” you with an explosion every time you miss. Probably good training for izuku’s durability though. 14) “YEAH SEE, EVEN PHILL SWIFT AGREES WITH ME ON THAT ONE”- Aizawa’s sure been having a rough time of it this week. Learned your friend was frankenstiend back to life, had to watch another hero sacrifice himself to save you, put yourself at risk to stop a calamity that’s targeting your kids specifically and got absolutely mangled for it…. And he still doesn’t even know that he was the real reason behind Shirakumo’s transformation, that he just very narrowly avoided having that fate for himself by his friend’s sacrifice… 15) “All Might dodged the question there, I bet they asked Aizawa and he told them to piss off.”- Not inaccurate. Like, All Might probably avoided asking him in the first place because he could see how that conversation was going to go, but Aizawa would not have been in a cheery mood to any shmuck that actually dared to ask him to be a teacher whilst he was drowning in his old reopened angst. 16) “…

oh, right, I… forgot about that. ): “- Bakugo’s not the only one dealing with childhood trauma today, though Aizawa’s is from the perspective of the victim, rather than Bakugo retroactively coming to terms with the fact that he was the aggressor towards Izuku and his own poor self-esteem issues. 17) “And god I hope Midoriya paid attention to Professor Uraraka’s class, because he’s definitely gonna need it back in the present.”- He just has to keep himself and Tomura up in the air simultaneously whilst making sure to land his own shots into Tomura’s face and dodging his decay touch every time he reels him in for a punch, like the world’s deadliest game of hot potato. Should be no more complicated than patting your head and rubbing your stomach simultaneously, whilst singing the national anthem in a foreign language, wherein you die if you flub a single step of that. 18) “And also gonna comment about how now Midoriya and Uraraka have the same quirk technically speaking, but instead let me focus on the fact we’re probably gonna have All Might giving a motivational speech to a sulking Bakugo that is gonna make him spring into action back in the present before being immediately destroyed by decay.”- Actually, it’s more along the lines of Bakugo being the one to give the motivational speech and everything, having finally come to accept his failings and regrets about them, and desire to make amends for his past missteps. In a small quiet, personal, talk with All Might even, the exact opposite of his usual loud, brash demeanour, making it clear that he means this. Even since his and Izuku’s last fight, he’s come to accept where he went wrong and the burden of responsibility that’s been placed on Izuku, and now, first and foremost, he’s concerned with making sure that burden doesn’t crush him underneath its weight.

@thelreads

#my hero academia #bnha #chapter replies #thelreads #mha 284

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thetoxicgamer · 2 years ago

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Overwatch 2 patch notes slide in bonus buff to its newest OP hero

The latest Overwatch 2 patch notes just got a sneaky update after players realized that its most-buffed hero was even stronger than initially suggested. The mid-season five Overwatch 2 patch changes quite a few heroes, with particular focus on the turret masters of Symmetra and Torbjörn. However, it didn’t take long for people to spot that the Symmetra buff is even more terrifying than it initially seemed, making her a true force to be reckoned with in the multiplayer game. Along with the hero balance updates, the patch also features some changes to On Fire to make it a little more difficult to attain and hold for long periods of time, and introduces the new Overwatch 2 team queue mode that lets you go into a no holds barred, five on five showdown with your best crew. There are some nice improvements to several Overwatch 2 characters, such as additional damage reduction on Orisa’s Fortify, improved spread for Sojourn’s Railgun, and a rather tasty round of buffs to Soldier: 76 across the board. However, there’s no question that the biggest winner of the update is Symmetra. In an attempt to fix Symmetra’s heavy map dependency, the Blizzard balance team has put more of her effectiveness into her Photon Projector. Its secondary fire, the charged-up balls, now deal 50 impact and 50 explosion damage for a total of 100 to targets you hit directly – meaning Symm can now pick off a large amount of the cast in just two well-placed shots. Her Sentry Turrets now deal just 25 damage per second rather than 40, but even that’s a small price to pay, because they keep their slowing effect and will now also reveal enemy heroes to you and your allies while they are dealing damage to them, and for a full second after the character escapes their clutches. That’s a huge boon, and lets you use them to now effectively place a safety net to spot any flanking heroes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxk2iQ_8tD8&ab_channel=FlatsTwo The patch notes also mention “conditional shield health regeneration,” but didn’t actually include that in the notes itself at first. However, they’re there now, confirming that Symm also regenerates up to 30 shield health per second while dealing primary-fire damage to either barriers or enemies that have shield health themselves. That makes her even more scary for the likes of Rein and Zarya, and she’ll almost certainly see plenty of play this patch as a result. Personally, I love playing Symm, so I’m not going to complain too much, but I am a little scared about how dominant she might become – her map-specific style actually felt like an interesting quirk, and now it feels like she might just be unstoppable anywhere. Overwatch 2 patch notes – July 11, 2023 On Fire Adjustments - Fixed a bug that caused players to gain On Fire at the start of a new round in Competitive Play when playing any game mode or in Quick Play when playing Control. - On Fire and Blazing are more difficult to attain early in a round. - On Fire’s cooldown reduced to 3 seconds. This should prevent most of the cases where a hero gained On Fire with a delay after a positive contribution. - On Fire score decays slightly more quickly when a hero is not On Fire. - Maintaining On Fire for long periods of time is more difficult Event Hub - A new centralized location for Event information is now available from the main menu, where all Event Challenges, Rewards, and Modes are listed here. Team Queue Team Queue is an all-new Competitive mode for Overwatch 2, requiring everyone to play in a full group of five players. Team Queue has no ranking restrictions and will be available through the end of Season 5. Other important rules for the mode are: - Players can group up regardless of how far apart they are in rank. - Grandmaster players can play, even with up to four other Grandmaster players. - Team Queue is limited to 1 Tank, 2 Damage, and 2 Support. - Players do not queue for specific roles, instead choosing their roles within each match. - Platform pool restrictions remain, meaning players on console must still only group up with other players on console, not those on PC. Hero Updates Orisa - Fortify: Damage reduction increased from 40 to 50%. Ramattra - Ravenous Vortex: The projectile now passes through enemy heroes but is still blocked by barriers. Reinhardt - Barrier Field: Maximum health increased from 1200 to 1400. Wrecking Ball - Quad Cannons: Manual reload time reduced from 2 to 1.6 seconds. This does not affect the automatic reload while transformed into a ball, which is still 2 seconds. Cassidy - Magnetic Grenade: Fixed a bug where Cassidy’s Magnetic Grenade did not disable the following: Baptiste’s Exo Boost and Flight for both Sigma’s Gravitic Flux and Mercy’s Valkyrie. Sojourn - Railgun: Number of shots to reach maximum spread increased from 8 to 12. - Railgun: Spread reduced by 12%. Soldier: 76 - Heavy Pulse Rifle: Damage increased from 18 to 19. - Helix Rockets: Explosion damage increased from 80 to 90. - Biotic Field: Healing per second increased from 35 to 40. Symmetra - Photon Projector: Secondary Fire maximum impact damage increased from 45 to 50. - Photon Projector: Secondary Fire maximum explosion damage increased from 45 to 50. - Photon Projector: Regenerate up to 30 shield health per second when primary fire deals damage to barriers or enemies with shield health. - Sentry Turret: Damage per second reduced from 40 to 25. - Sentry Turret: Turrets now reveal enemy heroes to allies while dealing damage and for 1 additional second afterwards. Torbjörn - Rivet Gun: Secondary Fire spread reduced from 5 to 4.5 degrees. - Deploy Turret: Damage reduced from 14 to 11. - Deploy Turret: Cooldown increased from 10 to 12 seconds. - Overload: Now reloads 6 ammo on use. Kiriko - Healing Ofuda: Recovery reduced from 1 to 0.9 seconds. Zenyatta - Orb of Discord: Maximum range reduced from 40 to 30 meters. - Orb of Discord: Time to wear off the target when not in line-of-sight reduced from 2 to 1.5 seconds. Additional bug fixes can be found via the Blizzard website. Time will tell exactly where Symm and the others fall on the Overwatch 2 tier list following these changes. For now, you’ll want to catch up with all the details on what the Overwatch 2 PvE schedule and missions are looking like following all the recent rejigging. Read the full article

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my-ask-academia · 5 years ago

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League of villains where everything is the same except AFO did send Shigaraki to school for idk, reasons.

It was Kurogiri that went like 'uh, doesn't he need to go to school or sum?' and AFO was like 'I guess?' so they sent him to an over the top, super exclusive school cuz AFO has a fat ass wallet.

Kurogiri had to sit on countless meetings with the principal because 'Tomura decayed another kid's backpack' 'Oh he decayed the board so the teacher couldn't continue the class'

AFO was amused and often celebrated this behavior.

Kurogiri was not.

Tomura was actually a weird kid, but his classmates respected him (or feared him) and mostly let him be.

He still managed to make a few friends.

After graduating AFO decided to send him to a hero school for, idk reasons.

Not UA, because fuck UA and fuck those bigoted heroes.

But he also refused to send him to some shitty hero school.

So Shiketsu it is.

AFO still made Tomura take the entrance exam for UA. Just for the sake of it.

Days later Tomura received a special letter from both UA and Shiketsu.

With 0 rescue points and a never seen before 197 villain points for UA and 275 for Shiketsu.

AFO was thrilled to realize that Tomura was a record breaker, so he started to think. Sending his possible successor to UA? The beacon of hope for future heroes, the pedestal in which hero society was built? The alma máter of his enemies? Fuck Yeah that was a huge fuck you to hero-centric society.

He could feel the faith people had in that school crumbling.

So fuck it, he could be a little plus ultra.

Tomura's first day in UA was weird, people kept approaching him?

They liked his quirk? They said he was strong? That he was cool?

The old school nurse gave him a cream for his sickness and the scratching ceased for a while.

He still was mad that he couldn't take Father to school, but he panicked less and less without him.

Tomura did good on his classes, for the most part.

He still decayed shit just to fuck with people. And sometimes to entertain his classmates

What Sensei didn't know couldn't hurt him.

He was okay with most classes except the heroic theory one.

Tomura asked the teacher once, what happened if a hero couldn't save everyone? What happened with the people left behind?

'It doesn't matter' the teacher had said, 'if a hero saves 10 people and 1 is left behind, there is nothing anyone can do. You can't save everyone'

He was so mad he decayed his book by accident.

'I could save everyone' he had thought, but quickly pushed that heroic bullshit out of his mind.

Kurogiri got called by the school because some documents didn't match, there wasn't a Shigaraki Tomura in the records, it was like he didn't exist.

So AFO had to come up with something.

And that's how the three of them ended up on the principal's office with a very 'legal' adoption paper.

All for one could have done absolutely anything else, he had countless money and power and quirks and yet, he chose to be a dramatic hoe.

'I am a very busy man and I cannot believe this school is making me waste my time, and on top of that you all have been wasting MY HUSBAND'S time every time my boy decays something?'

Shigaraki was honest to God crying when AFO tried to take Kurogiri's hand and ended up with half of his body into the misty fog.

They never got called again, not even when Tomura decayed a wall because the teacher didn't give him permission to go to the bathroom.

Part 2 here!

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haleigh-sloth · 3 years ago

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So afo got NO but its attacking his other quirks and he needs to get rid of them. Hmm shouldn't he keep the healing one. Does the rule apply to decay since it's Shigaraki’s body. Sorry I only got bits of what's happening. Either way he will die, afo not Shigaraki. I agree that it will be Shigaraki to defeat afo but if he doesn't have quirks ? Won't he have to take care of the vestige AND the real afo. I 100% see Shig saved no question. I'm just confused on the NO thing.

We won't really know until this chapter fully drops tomorrow or until next week's chapter. I'll be honest, what's going on right now could very easily have zero purpose and not matter by the end of next chapter.

Whatever is going on right now is one of two things:

drawing out this battle for suspense, making you wonder if Shig will make it out alive (he will)

or seriously nerfing ShigAFO (for whatever reason, because I don't know what would have been the point of introducing this god-tier quirk if it wasn't going to be used in some impactful way later on so idk if this is the case)

I really hope it's just the first one, and I had some inkling that the battle was gonna be "suspenseful" (it's really more annoying at this point), but at the end of it all I still think AFO is gonna end up with the quirk. He can put all the quirks he's got on the nomu flying over to him to get control over New Order (once there's no quirks for it to revolt against), then take all his quirks back and go back to being the massively OP villain we were all expecting, and that the story actually needs rn so Shigaraki can be saved from this mess. Like idk, it's pretty laid out to me but Hori may end up doing something different with this New Order stuff.

Based on the spoilers though we did kinda get some more info on things. AFO thinking back to his little brother and the comic books was interesting. And this chapter kinda solidified my belief that shit WILL be going down in the vestige between Deku and Shigaraki. I am still convinced that's what's gonna happen, and this chapter kinda made it seem more likely.

#bnha #bnha asks #anonymous #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #bnha 333 #shigaraki tomura #afo #bnha afo #all for one #bnha all for one

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stillness-in-green · 4 years ago

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When MVA/MLA Arc gets animated, what will you be looking forward to the most? What (canon-compliant) additions and/or changed do you want or think Bones should make, if any?

There’s--a lot. Does that surprise anyone? There’s a lot.

o I have been foaming at the mouth for voice actor announcements for almost a year now, particularly for Trumpet, Geten and RD. Trumpet’s superpower is literally his voice! I mean, nothing about that statement requires that voice be particularly entrancing, but it certainly seems like it should be, right?? Geten is a boku-type in the manga, but that was literally the only hint foreshadowing his pretty boy face through 21 solid chapters of Pure Feral Gremlin. Everyone was shocked by Geten’s face reveal! How do you maintain that surprise value with an actual voice actor in the mix? Do you not even try? Do you play up the disparity--in which direction? I can’t wait to see what they do. And Re-Destro! Re-Destro requires so much range! From his peppy, silly businessman persona, to the urbane commander, from the overeager yes-man to the raving zealot--who on earth do you get to believably cover all that ground? I can’t even begin to guess, but I am living in anticipation of that article going up on ANN or the official Twitter sources.

o I’m also much looking forward to getting official coloring on Trumpet and Geten. Skeptic seems pretty straightforward--black, black, more black--and RD and Curious, we have color art for, but I wonder if Trumpet will also be all black clothes, to go with that dignified politician image of his, or if he’ll get some color to pep him up a little. What color are those tinted shades of his? His eyes? The wicked-cool Sevens Loud? I assume Geten is all wintery shades, but it’ll be great to confirm which ones. I mean, we all assume he’s white-haired to better annoy Dabi with family parallels, but what if he turns out to be platinum blond? And are his eyes blue? Gray? White? What color is that awful parka? Also, Re-Destro’s stress powers. Having been writing them as black since at least August--Rorschach test blots are generally black, after all, and they’re the clear inspiration--I would much like it if the anime would have my back on this. They made Destro’s mask a dark cinnamon brown, though, so I’m prepared to be unpleasantly surprised in this matter.

o Predictable MLA adaptational choices aside, I’m also eager/anxious about how they’ll handle Spinner’s narration. What I really hope is that they actually straight-up hand him ALL the narration duties--not just the stuff he dictates directly in the manga, but also e.g. the name and quirk explanation material that Present Mic normally gets, or the previews that are always handled by Deku. The opening and closing sequences are another big structural thing, of course--based on the flashed snippets of Hawks and Endeavor in both our current and the previous OP, I’m expecting we’ll see at least a bit of something referencing the upcoming internship arc (which I expect to close out the season), but I hope the villains just walk away with the closing entirely. I want my slice of life villainy ED, dangit.

o Another thing I’m eager/anxious about would be Kotarou, and the Shimura flashback generally. There’s a brittle edge of to Kotarou that I really love, and I hope he manages to keep it in the anime, despite the anime being generally not so great at moments that I would describe as “delicate.” For example, I’d like it if he doesn’t get a super deep voice, and if they could manage to keep his pretty face, and capture how deeply bitter and tired he looks in the scene where he’s reading the letter Nana left him. Also, I hope they keep the little montage bits and, crucially, the changes of clothes the family goes through. We see Tenko in no less than five, possibly as many as seven, different T-shirts through the course of that flashback. It seems like a small thing, but it’s one of the factors that makes me skeptical that AFO gave Tenko Decay, when so many days clearly go by between the opening with the man at the door and the tragic end. It’d be nice not to see too much resurgence on that just because the anime can’t be bothered to come up with more than one outfit for the Shimuras.

I have enough issues with the anime’s usual adaptation choices that I’m trying not to get my hopes up too high on the actual content of the episodes. The staff is diverting too much of its major talent to the movies (BAH) these days for me to expect the whole season to look all that great, and it’s never been particularly creative or daring outside of its climactic sakuga-heavy fight scenes anyway. I’ve also long had a bone to pick with its scoring decisions, and am already eyeballing the climax of the RD/Shigaraki fight and imagining the minor-keyed terrifying dirge I fear the anime will play there, at the moment that Re-Destro (and, shortly afterward, Spinner) are supposed to be experiencing something akin to religious awakenings. There’s also the issue of the violence and gore--judging by how the anime handled the scene where Shigaraki and Compress maim Overhaul, I have some severe reservations about how much blood they’ll be allowed to get away with, particularly in the scene where the League brutally decimates that CRC group and, of course, Shigaraki’s backstory. I’m looking at MVA to serve as a preview for how all the same issues will be addressed in the War Arc.

That bit of pessimism aside, as to what I’m hoping they’ll add or change? Well, off the top of my head.....

o I would love to get a full episode devoted to the time the League spends fighting Machia. Not that first tussle, but the six grueling weeks in the mountains. There’s so much you could add there for character building and atmosphere that Hori didn’t so much as montage through. Where was their food coming from? How’d they pick out places to pitch camp? How much access to news from outside did they have, and how frequently? What were the circumstances in which Gigantomachia “told them himself” about his great sense of smell?? Stuff like that! I don’t think we’re at all likely to get this--honestly, the series of late has had enough of a problem with trimming bits and pieces that I’m as worried about what they might cut as I am hyped about things they might add--but the one thing that gives me some hope is the training camp arc. Specifically, the moment 1-A first gets to the Pussycats’ forest, they get jumped by earth golems, a fight that the manga off-panels entirely, but the anime spends a modest amount of time on, giving the kids a little bit of time to show off their moves and such. I’d love to get something equivalent for the League.

o On a similar note, I wouldn’t turn it down if they fleshed out some of those running street fights a bit. One obvious thing comes to mind: there’s a weird jump in the manga between Skeptic and a horde of his golems being all but on top of Twice at the beginning of 233 and then that fight just--doesn’t happen. There’s no mention of it at all. I think the suggestion is that either Machia’s appearance or the tower going down interrupted it--Skeptic breaks off from his fight the same way Geten and Trumpet do theirs, shifting focus to protecting Re-Destro--but it’d be nice to see the anime touch on it.

o It’d be nice to get a bit of expansion on the nature of the bullying Spinner endured. We’re told he was, but was it limited to verbal? Did he get beaten up a lot? Was there an online element? Deku’s our only other reference point for “bullied kid,” and whatever one might think about the story’s development of Bakugou’s mentality, it’s been made clear in retrospect that there was a lot more too that than just the matter of Deku’s quirklessness. I’d love to know how Spinner’s bullying looked in comparison (not least because of some of the theories about Spinner and Deku needing to come to some kind of accord to free Shigaraki from AFO).

o Make the Villa (both here and during the War Arc) look more realistic. By which I mean, I know Horikoshi is capable of drawing interesting and lived-in interior spaces--he has an entire chapter dedicated to it in the 1-A dorm room contest, after all--but he normally doesn’t bother much with it. At UA, it’s not too distracting, because we know good and well that that whole building is probably maintained by Cementoss anyway. Ditto places like Tartarus (intentionally, dehumanizingly barren) or the League’s post-Kamino hideouts (abandoned homes and industrial spaces). But the Villa? For heaven’s sake, it’s called a mountain villa. It has a clear reception desk on the ground floor; it’s obviously some sort of high-end hotel, if not an outright resort or rentable retreat lodge. Speaking as someone who’s worked in one, places like that don’t look as fuckin’ bare as the rooms we see there always seem to. For fanfic purposes, I’m happy to go on telling myself that e.g. the pool and the bar and the restaurant(s) and the gym are in the building Cementoss doesn’t tear in half, but it’d be nice if the anime could class the whole place up a little, maybe put some real furniture and decor in the rooms that are in use. (Yes, I know this is a ridiculous nitpick.)

o This is less a change and more a correction, but for fuck’s sake, BONES, give us white-haired Shigaraki. The climax of Deika is a solid time for it, given that it’s obvious in the manga that Shigaraki’s hair gets paler in Deika--you can see it in the way Horikoshi inks it (which is to say, the way he stops inking it)! I think if we ever get white-haired Shigaraki in the anime, a somewhat better time as far as narrative justification goes would be when Shigaraki gets out of the tube in the War Arc; you could easily justify it as a side-effect of the surgery. Still, I’d rather see it here. I want white-haired Shigaraki, gleaming and brilliant through the scattering ash in that crater, a veritable angel of sacred destruction. Honestly, more than anything, the crater sequence is the one I hope I love. It’s probably my favorite single moment in the entire manga, as Shigaraki wins over Re-Destro, Spinner and Gigantomachia in the same moment, and finally comes into his own. If they can at least nail that, I’ll consider myself pretty satisfied.

#stillness-answers #my villain academia #meta liberation army #boku no hero academia #bnha #hopes and dreams

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mysterylover123 · 4 years ago

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Top Ten MHA War Arc Moments (So Far)

Man guys, this arc has been insane. Like, I don’t think I’ve ever read an arc this busy, plot-heavy and batshit crazy in anything else in my entire life. So many crazy moments, and I’m gonna try and capture my Current Top 10 here today:

#10. TOGA VS OCHAKO

I was annoyed for a long time that Ochako’s screwup, her moment of hestiation at training camp, would never have any direct consequences - or at least not ones she’d ever hear about. Toga had only used her blood to help save Eri. But now she knows. Now she knows her power was used to kill - and she’s being invited to sympathize with the killer in a dramatic confrontation where villain asks a hero if they could see them as a person too. It’s a little lower here since there was the usual shipping nonsense to contend with first, but nonethelss.

#9. TEAM LEADER MOMOKAMIJIROU

More like two separate moments, namely Jirou encouraging Kaminari and Midnight electing Momo the new team leader, which she takes to with her usual grace and badassery. This trio just gets each other, and while this moment (aside from Midnight’s incapacitation) may not be as shocking as the others on the list, it still ranks highly for me in my recollections of the arc, especially as all Class A and B unite. Speaking of....

#8. KIRISHIMA AND MINA VS GIGANTOMACHIA

Now that is how you do some setup and payoff. Years ago, it was Mina who bravely ran to face the villain and Kirishima who hesitated. This time, it’s Mina’s fear that stops her, and Kirishima’s willingness to jump into danger that saves the day. Of course, it didn’t do much in the end, but that payoff to the emotional relationship setup in previous chapters...it’s something this arc does really well in callbacks to Chapter 1. Maybe another one might pop up on this list.

#7. GRAN TORINO’S DEATH

The second death of an established major character in this arc, and it’s just as brutal and depressing as the first. Those Shimura flashbacks. Deku going batshit crazy on Shigaraki after this scene. The loss of one of the most likeable characters in the show. The actual death of a major, recurring heroic character in the narrative and the way that raises the stakes. Just...dammit. Why characters gotta die this way?

#6. MIRUKO LOSES AN ARM

Miruko’s en tire fight against the high-ends basically goes here; all of her head-severing efforts will never be forgotten,as this entire visceral, brutal and bloody battle between the #5 and the most OP villains seen so far will be etched into the collective fandom’s memory. And the outcome where she loses an arm...it’s not the highest ranked dismemberment on the list but hey, if Miruko can keep trucking with one arm there’s some hope Deku can too.

#5. ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

It’s weird that what should feel like the most important plot thing in this arc (Final Villain vs MC) is oddly only #5. But yeah, a battle in the center of Shigaraki and Deku’s minds as the two powers link and duke it out for the fate of the world, OFA Primo saving Midoriya from losing his power even if his arms are dead now - and Shigaraki rebelling against AFO, that was definitely cool and worth seeing.

#4. TWICE’S DEATH & HAWKS’ MAIMING

FUCKING MURDERED TWICE. started the arc by FUCKING MURDERING TWICE.

#3. AIZAWA DISMEMBERED

The other dismemberment on the list. The permanent incapacitation of one of THE main characters. It was brilliantly executed, shocking and visceral (and I missed it on my first readthrough like an idiot), and leaves the most troublingly OP character in the series permanently left on the sidelines at least a little. I mean, you wouldn’t think we’d find a Main Character having their limbs brutally dismembered shocking at this point but that’s how it is.

2. “MY BODY MOVED BEFORE I COULD THINK”

“HOW THE HELL IS THIS NOT #1?” you may be asking. Well before I explain let’s talk about this scene. Nobody can wreck me quite like these two. My two favorite characters, my favorite relationship in the whole show, a callback to the moment that started it all - the scene that hooked me into MHA and still remains just as powerful all these years later. Bakugou throwing himself into near death to save Izuku. I was in a state of shock for days after reading this chapter (hell, even before thanks to the leaks) and I still am not over it. When this scene hits the anime I will probably be completely destroyed.

So what on earth could possibly top THAT scene?! What could this arc have possibly pulled off that was even better than all these fated matchups, character deaths, character maimings, OTP dreams coming true and again, my favorite characters wrecking me for all time? Well, only one thing.

1. “COME DANCE WITH YOUR SON HERE IN HELL”

We all knew this was coming and it was still better than we could have ever imagined. Picture Hori watching all our frantic fan theories and maybe having this scene up his sleeve the whole time. This scene is basically IT; the fall of hero society, the final curtain, the biggest bombshell. Moreso than any scene of Shigaraki using his quirk, you can feel as this scene plays out the sheer sense of crumbling decay. Each panel, each inexorable shot that plays out this reveal and its execution, you feel the strokes in a master plan as the entire foundation of the series cracks and spools about your feet. This scene was such a big deal it apparently out-trended the US election the week it came out. For that alone - and everything else in this moment, 200+ chapters in the making - it deserves to be this arc’s #1. (unless something else is coming that can top it, holy crap).

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quirkwizard · 4 years ago

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Just saying but although I found this blog only today I already love it! You have great ideas full of creativity and still keep things logical, not too OP. Anyways, maybe a Quirk Marriage with Creation + Decay? My idea was some kind of skin-contact activated breakdown of an object to its base elements? Sorry if this has already been done, I just thought it would be interesting since the quirks are opposites.

Hope you are doing great and I’ve been enjoying all your works. How about a quirk marriage between King Slam and Half-cold Half-Hot?

Qurik marriage between All for one and Scanning btw you are doing great job you are amazing.

While I have already covered “Decay” and “Creation”, and I don’t do Quirk Marriages for the Ones or Quirks we know next to nothing about, I still appreciate your kind words. It always good to hear that people have been enjoying my blog, whether they just found out about it or having been following it for a while. I do hope I can continue to make content you all enjoy.

#Not Quirks

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solarsmith49 · 4 years ago

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First Entry

So I figured I should have a preface/background post before I jump into sharing my writing lol, be warned this is kinda sappy but necessary haha. I’m going to focus on writing for Creatus Annus; I got back into watching Mark’s channel during the initial March lockdowns after being away for a couple years, and from there into Ethan’s channel and Unus Annus. I relate so much to Ethan in the brutally honest video talking about how he’s felt aimless and drifting the last few years, because that’s exactly how I felt for a long time- I started 2020 unemployed, no money, no direction, with seemingly no passion or drive to really get out and /live/ instead of just existing. In April I had a breakdown, and I realized I had to get myself and my life together while I still could because it really did seem like the world was burning down (thanks covid!) and if I didn’t do it now then there wouldn’t be another chance. I was able to mentally get myself together, and I did find another job in May (which has been a godsend). And at about the same time as I got hired, I found Mark’s vlog talking about his surgeries and the post-op pain medicine screwup that almost killed him. I closed my laptop and cried after that, because it was exactly what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it, by the right person I needed to hear it from. Because I realized it described me perfectly, not acting on my potential and (even worse) not feeling the /need/ to do so. So I took a long look at myself, and this essay below is the first thing I wrote after watching the video, exploring my complete love of space and /why/ it drives me in the way it does. I think it fits the whole message of Unus Annus, and what we’re trying to do here with Creatus Annus, trying to give our own answers to why our lives and our art matters. Space colors all of my poems (as you’ll see later haha), as well as the creative tension I have from my religious and spiritual background (I was raised Catholic, and still am to a degree, but my personal beliefs range all over the place and the relationship and dialogue I have with God/the Divine and what it means to Create Things is a major theme with space). So, here’s my first entry for the project; I’m going to write my general ideas for specifically what I want to do in the ideas thread later, but enjoy the essay - I think you guys will like it.

Even until just a few days ago, I didn’t think I had any life passions, or at least, any passions that mattered. I have hobbies, sure - gaming, crafting, reading, general learning - but I never thought much of them because I didn’t see how I could use them or even if I should bother trying to make anything of them. Certainly I didn’t think I had any interest that moved me enough to devote a life’s pursuit ot it - but that was another self life, perhaps the greatest, one born from a mix of complacency, lack of faith in myself, and a fear of really facing what truly honestly drives me and the action that that would demand. The change that that would demand. Because I do have a passion, and I love it in a general sense, learning about it and following it casually. But it's also something I turn to in dark hours, something that resparks me when I’m tired, that keeps me going and holds my faith and sustains me when everything else fails - family, friends, my job prospects, failing health, chaos in the larger world, evil in the larger world, even when my belief in the Church burns down and God as seen through the “Catholic” lens seems distant and irrelevant. Something that I adore with every fiber of my being and in the core of my very soul. That something is space: the stars and galaxies and their natural functions and processes, but also in particular the space program and what it says about human nature and our relation to the wider universe and ultimately to God himself.

I believe the human endeavour to get to space and the various space programs throughout the world showcase the pinnacle of what our species can do, the best of humanity in terms of technology and cooperation and curiosity, and one of the most fundamental drives we have as humans - the drive to be remembered. Every single human being, from the greatest to the worst of us, is the end product of 13.6 billion years of cosmic cycles, stars being formed, exploding, sending out dust that forms new stars. Every single atom and primal element in our bodies, our carbon, iron, calcium, magnesium, everything was forged in the nuclear fusion reactor in the core of a star, untold eons ago and untold millions of lightyears away. Probably more than once as the dust clouds combine, are forged, and then scattered by the shockwaves of supernovas across time and space. Over and over and over again, until 4.6 billion years ago when our Sun grew from dust and the planets grew from the leftovers. And the Earth - the Earth! - undergoing the same process in microcosm, plates shifting and rock melting and gas expanding and water sifting until the Earth was made solid, and then! In the process, as a by-product, a side effect! The right combination of star forged elements and electricity and chemical reactions was struck and gave the collections of dust atoms Life and Breath! Living, self sustaining action on its own accord, independent of outside forces, movement greater than the stars because it happens on its own! And THEN - a more focused microcosm of the star forge, as 4.5 billion years of evolution refine Life, uncounted species live and die and refine their genes and physical makeup and brain processes and living interactions with the inert world around them; the decay of their bodies feeding plants which feed animals which lets them reproduce and keep the cycle going, echoing the ancient and unaware supernovas, until at last! 100,000 years ago the human species was fully evolved, and, miraculously, became self aware.

Think about that for a minute. As wonderful as Life is, we could have been just another species of animal, but for the greatest innovation and combination of stardust the universe has ever seen. We were cavemen, we knew next to nothing about the stars or the wide earth or about our potential, but for the first time Life had gained the capacity to know. For the first time in 13.6 billion years, dust atoms had gained the capability to learn their origins and how they were made and ultimately to define why they were made. So, what is almost the very first thing we do with this capacity of thought as an infant species, newly self aware? We make art. We make, preserved by some quirk of fate in a French cave, handprints on a rock wall. We - living stardust - take inert ochre and pigment and stamp an outline on the wall, and those outlines survive intact for 50,000 years. In this scribbling of an infant species we can already recognize the drive still present in ourselves - the need to say “we were here once, and our existence mattered”. Humanity for the first time, living relics of ancient stars, giving voice for the first time to those stars, saying in art and words what stars declared in the mute atoms and elements and light they left behind: “we existed once, and that existence mattered.”

Humanity is the universe made self aware. And just as galaxies are made of millions of individual stars, so too do we as individuals make up Humanity as a collective. Every single one of us is the universe learning about and defining itself. And the impulse behind our earliest achievements of cave art is present in everything throughout our history, our collective achievements, our art, our architecture, literature, science, theology, our empires, our struggles, our failures, our compassion for each other. It's present in all of us as individuals, for which of us doesn’t want our life, our memory to be remembered when we are gone? We as a species are capable of such great things, great destruction and great good. And throughout our entire history as a species, we’ve never stopped looking up at the moon and the stars, admiring them, fascinated by them, studying them, unaware at times of our origin among them but always drawn to their light, their unspoken promise. Until finally in the 20th century, the culmination of thousands of years of research and science and engineering, the best efforts of the best we humans have to offer - we unlock the sky we’ve dreamed of for so long and we build machines to take us to the Moon. We build the Saturn V, the Apollo capsules, we push ourselves from the cradle and beyond our ancient limits and we - fragile, living mortals - walk upon the Moon itself. We leave our handprints, after all this time, in the purest form of star dust we will likely ever physically encounter, the living imprinting its shape into the inert, like a brother finally coming home.

But we don’t stop there. We build satellites and the Hubble Telescope, the International Space Station and satellites and rovers and probes to pave the way for us, our reunion with the stars. We take more stardust and primal elements and fashion them in our image, to go to other worlds and scout the cosmos for us. We name them after the best of ourselves: Pioneer, Perseverance, Curiosity, Sojourner, Spirit, that they may represent us well to the cosmos and whatever it may contain. We build Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, currently the furthest of our creations from the Earth in the cold vastness of interstellar space, and in Voyager 2 we place the Golden Record. A disk of pure gold upon which we recorded the sounds and voice of Earth - water running, leaves falling in the wind, ocean waves, volcanoes bursting, birds singing, and us - human voices, human laughter, human crying, greetings in every language, our music, a baby crying, a heart beating. We took inert stardust and imprinted ourselves, living dust, upon it, and sent it out into interstellar space to be our witness and our message. That we, the universe living and self ware, see the stars we came from and that we understand; we say through the pinnacle of our innovation and with the same depth of expression as those first handprints, “We, the living dust, give this record back to you and for ourselves, that we existed once, and that it mattered.” We sent it as a testimony, as an offering, as a prayer, and as a vow: that we aren’t done yet, that as long as Humanity lives we will never be done, and if we do eventually end that there will have been a time, if only briefly, that the stars knew and understood themselves, and that despite or even because of its brevity, it will have mattered.

#creatus annus

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andysmetahell · 4 years ago

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One for All and All for One: The study in complimentary and infinite (wasted) potentials

One for All and All for One: two Quirks whose history we can, in the universe of Boku no Hero Academia, treat almost as the history of society. Their users had left enormous impact on everyone in the series, and through hints we can see their influence stretching long, long back to the first appearance of the Quirks.

Neither Quirk can be considered ‘normal’, though: the ability to take away Quirks at whim and an ability to share Quirks with others (which would inevitably leave you Quirkless) are both complete anathemas to the society that by and large is half-in love with the idea of simply having a Quirk (which deserves a whole breakdown in on itself, but that’s not what I’ll be writing about here!). And yet, One For All users are all heroes, and All for One users are all villains as far as we know (written after the release of manga chapter 280).

How is that even possible? With how objectively similar they are, why aren’t they both heroes, or both villains?

Well, before we take a crack at how Horikoshi coded the Hero society that made this happen, let’s first take a look at just why I’m so surprised the two Quirks aren’t on the same ‘side’. Also, obligatory ‘spoilers ahead’ warning for everyone who’re anime-only watchers, or haven’t gotten past Meta Liberation Army arc in manga.

Purely from the activation/mechanics point of view, All for One and One for All are warped mirror images of each other. All for One functions on the assumption that a) the user knows the other person has a Quirk and b) the Quirk doesn’t have an inherent clause that disallows itself to be taken by force when it comes to taking it. One for All is the only Quirk so far that has shown the resistance to the b), as it is encoded in the very nature of the ‘share-along’ Quirk that forms the true base of One for All that it can only be given away willingly.

Why is this so important? Because All for One doesn’t only take Quirks, it’s also capable of releasing them and giving them to others, whether the recipient is willing or unwilling. In this regard, One for All is startlingly identical: it can be forced upon someone else, as long as the DNA is exchanged and the previous user is willing to give it away. This little fact is often overlooked (likely deliberately) by the existing canon in favor of emphasizing the ‘cannot be taken forcefully away’ which makes sense plot-wise, but not ethics and logic-wise.

But who knows, maybe Horikoshi is holding back on us, and One for All ends up being the ultimate villain of the story.

… yeah, not likely. But the idea is interesting, isn’t it?

Moving onto the way they interact with their users and other Quirks, One for All and All for One are again very, very different, but with a shared approximate visualization of usage behind it. The closest approximation of how they interact with other Quirks would be, in my opinion, be gravity – but two very different applications of gravity.

There are two relevant things you need to know about gravity: it is defined by the masses of an object interacting with another object, and every single object in the universe has its own gravity field. (thank you, Physics nationals I went to once, for forcing me to learn more about gravity!)

All for One is more akin to a star within a stable planetary system: it holds planets, satellites and comets (other Quirks) locked in its orbit, but any change can make all those objects lose their orbits and go wander in the deep space. Its hold is strong, but the fact still remains it can be nullified in order to give away Quirks. It’s also stable – its attraction/hold power doesn’t change with the number of Quirks taken, it simply gives it a bigger array of powers to work with.

One for All on the other hand would be closer to black hole: its gravity is so enormous even light, the fastest object in the universe, cannot escape it, and its mass (and therefore its gravity) grows stronger with every object it swallows. Once it grabs a hold of anything (its user’s other Quirk) it merges it with itself and keeps it for forever, with very little chance of it ever surfacing again as individual Quirk (unless your name is Midoriya Izuku). However, it heavily relies on the energy (other Quirks it merges with) to provide power-ups; hence the ridiculous difference between Izuku’s and Toshinori’s One for All. (also protagonst shenanigans, but we’re not going that far into metatextuality here – that needs its own essay)

So, concept-wise, One for All and All for One are again identical in the idea behind it, but drastically different in application – both still fucking scary, but what can we do here, our main protagonist and antagonist need to have OP armor around themselves.

This leads us to the probably the biggest spoiler I’ll discuss in this essay:

this panel.

In chapter 270 of manga, Shigaraki Tomura is revealed to have been passed All for One, which is a whole mindfuck in on itself that Horikoshi needs to explain stat because I’m going crazy over here with theories (!!!), but moving on. The short and extremely brief summary of what happens afterwards is: Heroes discover where Tomura is while he’s still being transferred All for One, they wreck the Nomus and facility, Shigaraki gets partial All for One and his original Quirk Decay goes absolutely nuts again, Izuku runs off to face him, and at one point point, while using Ragdoll’s Search, Shigakari utters a very strange sentence while seemingly under the influence of All for One (the Quirk):

“You will be mine… little brother.”

Moments later, Shigaraki snaps out of it and comments about Sensei (All for One) no longer being his puppeteer, that he’s making his own choices and not Sensei’s.

Here we get a stunning punch in the plexus about what we already have been hinted at during Izuku’s fight with Shinsou Hitoshi, during Kamino Ward and Joint Training Arcs:

One for All and All for One both retain the echoes of their past owners.

Now, here comes a million dollar question: is this something both the baseline ‘share’ part of One for All and All for One possess (which would further link the two Quirks, and also explain a lot of characterizations in the series so far), or is it an imprint of All for One on ‘stockpile’ part of One for All that ‘share’ part absorbed and made its own? Both possibilities are extremely intriguing and make any future possibility of unification (which was apparently Sensei’s original goal before, judging by that one panel) extremely volatile, and very intriguing if Horikoshi pursues that idea to its end.

Speaking of the man himself, now we arrive at the question that really started the whole essay here: how come it was All for One chosen to be the ultimate evil, and One for All to be ultimate good? As we’ve seen so far, both Quirks are startlingly similar; theoretically, could All for One be a ‘heroic’ Quirk and One for One for All ‘villainous’?

The answer is yes and no.

Yes, because theoretically, switching the two would still make the story work; it’d change the motivations of characters drastically, sure, and turn the story of generations of good trying defeat one evil into one good fending off generations of evil, but it’d work – and no, because that’d fundamentally change the society in which Boku no Hero Academia’s current time frame is, and society is the key underlying factor in this entire story.

Let me explain through the examples of three characters and a faction.

Midoriya Izuku is Quirkless person in a society who is, like I said at the beginning, half-in love with the idea of having Quirks – the fact that you have them makes you seem useful, someone with potential, no matter how objectively useless some Quirks inevitably can be in certain lines of work. By their standards, he’s without potential, and therefore is largely useless out of gate. Had All for One been in public eye and celebrated as Hero, he’d be the pinnacle of useful: there’d be no danger of bad reactions to donated Quirks in his DNA, and he, someone who wishes desperately for a Quirk, could easily be given a Quirk of someone who finds their life unbearable due to it.

Bakugou Katsuki, someone with extremely property-damaging Quirk, would constantly be told that if he doesn’t behave himself, he’d be sent off to All for One to have his Quirk taken away – in essence, he’d be no one special, just another kid with a Quirk. Since All for One is so visible, it’d be all too easy for parents and teachers to threaten their kids into compliance whenever they throw an over-powered tantrum with the removal of a Quirk; it’d also be a good deterrent for any Pro Heroes that existed there to not get too comfy with their jobs, because they could easily be taken out of it if they manage to anger All for One enough, which would deter some people from being Pro Heroes.

Shigaraki Tomura (Shimura Tenko), someone whose Quirk came in during an extremely traumatic event and left him so scarred mentally he was never quite the same again, could easily simply give away his Quirk and have something far less volatile and triggering if he wished so, and also have a chance of potentially one day seeing his Quirk in the hands of someone like Izuku or Melissa, who could use it to its full potential without being constantly triggered by it or being re-traumatized again and again by the society who would rail on him for having such a potentially devastating Quirk.

Meta Liberation Army (which is a poorly disguised Brotherhood of Mutants on Genosha in X-men cartoons, let’s be realistic – the whole thing about the superiority of fight-compatible Quirks was not subtle at all) would be a much smaller and a lot less influential group. The publicity of a Quirk being able to take away other Quirks would make the existence of Deika City clones very, very difficult; it’d take but one hint, one whisper of a fringe group amassing in remote location that wants to eliminate so-called ‘useless Quirks’ for All for One to act – as much of an asshole as he is, he was shown [cite] to like all kinds of Quirks, despite only keeping the ones he felt were the most useful to him.

OK, but what about them being on the same side? You might ask yourself. If they’re so similar, why not make them both on the same side?

One, drama is always more delicious if there are high personal stakes involved, and nothing gets more personal than family drama – that’s just a fact. (Kardashians, anyone?)

Two, this is shonen – openly bad guys being the protagonists isn’t often done (in mainstream at least).

Three: we need some material to make all those ‘Izuku’s related to All for One or One for All first user’ for our satisfaction before Horikoshi josses the whole thing, okay??

(no, this is certainly not a call for you to make more ‘Izuku is related to original two brothers’… but it’s heavily suggested lol)

Thank you for sticking around until the end of this essay! Have a cookie, and enjoy the hell my mind led me to during the binge-read of the last 5 released chapters of manga:

#bnha meta #mha meta #quirk analysis #quirk meta #ofa and afo #shigaraki tomura #all for one #midoriya izuku #one for all #one for all users #I need more bnha meta #crossposted on ao3

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izubabes · 5 years ago

Note

Hii , could I make a request for reader x Deku ? Where the readers quirk is "the Phoenix force" (based on Jean from X-men) and reader is fighting someone bad and she cannot fully control her quirk/ her quirk is dangerous at full force . But she had to use it to save her friends , and Deku being the only one knowing the truth when she uses it at full force goes and saves her . Thank you ~~ I hope this request is okay .

Here you go! Thank you for the request, dear! I had to conduct some research on this power and it’s super OP! I hope this meets your standards! 🧡

For readers unfamiliar with Marvel Comics and its various characters, here’s some helpful background info.

“Will you join us?”

The League of Villains Hideout was unsettlingly more quiet than normal today, no one dared to speak in fear of setting off a time-bomb, known as Shigaraki Tomura. Toga kept to herself alongside Magne, Twice and Spinner exchanged expressions and Dabi merely slept on the barside table.

“It would be my honor, Shigaraki,” the newcomer smirked while taking a glance at their soon to be companions.

Villain - Mika Okamura - Quirk: Amber

Mika can bind, imprison and/or otherwise stop objects/beings by surrounding them completely by using sap, resin and amber. It is highly resistant to extreme heat and cold temperatures. The more it is agitated, the more durable it becomes.

Prime suspect believed to be responsible for the recent string of murders haunting Tokyo’s suburbs. She is believed to have caused the untimely death of up to three pro heroes. Victims are found suffocated and encased in an almost indestructible amber resin.

“Have you decided to go through with your plans, Shigaraki?” Kurogiri tried to break the silence by starting up a conversation to which his surprise, the villain answered.

“The game’s changed,” Shigaraki muttered while glancing down at the picture in his calloused hand. He could sense the wasted potential inside this individual that could not be ignored.

He needed the power inside them, it would be extremely useful. “It’s not time for me to make my appearance yet.”

“Mika,” He turned to the newest member and handed her the photograph before giving her any further instructions. She studied it closely and nodded as if she understood without any explanation. “Prove yourself useful to me and the League by bringing me back this girl. Kill anyone who stands in your way.”

“Is that a new target for us?” Toga interrupted, who felt curious about the picture, asked an irritated Shigaraki. “Can I go get them Tomura, please? Big Sis Magne and I can go together with Mika.”

“No,” he replied while scratching at his scarred neck. “Magne stays here. Dabi will go with you instead. I do not have any room for failure. Watch over Mika and only intervene if necessary.”

“Fuck me,” Dabi groaned from his interrupted slumber. “Why do I have to take that crazy woman with me?”

“That’s enough, you two.” Kurogiri could sense Shigaraki’s patience was beginning to go thin regarding the situation and quickly warped them to their destination. “Mika Okamura, I bid you good luck.”

Shigaraki glances at the photograph one last time before decaying it, eyes filled with an insatiable desire.

“Y/N L/N and the Phoenix Force will be mine…”

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

“We’re at the fuckin’ mall? God fuckin’ damn it.” Dabi groaned while proceeding to take a long hit of his cigarette.

Smoke filled the air while the accompanying members gagged at the smell, Mika being the most bothered out of all. “Sorry, can you not handle it, princess?”

She scoffed, before yelling, “Bastard, I’ll kill you right here, right now-!”

“Mika! You certainly must be special!” Toga gushed while clinging onto the woman’s arm in a friendly manner in an attempt to diffuse the situation. “Tomura never really introduces new people to us, he hates everyone.”

Dabi rolled his eyes at the conversation taking place between the two villains. “It seems that your target has arrived, hm? Quite the crowd around her too.”

“Wait what...?” Mika answered in a unsettled manner before shaking off the anxious feeling. “Never mind that, Toga. Do you two have any information on who Y/N L/N is? I do not want to disappoint Shigaraki. ”

“Well, well, well... Little Miss Perfect ain’t so perfect after all.” Dabi’s eyes widened in glee while a pleased smirk appeared on his lips.

Mika shot him an irritated glare while muttering something under her breath.

“Y/N!?” Toga swooned at the sound of her name, her signature lovesick smile adorning her face. The knife in her hand twirled erratically the more she thought about her victim. “She’s so wonderful, I just want to rip her wide open.”

There you were in plain sight, completely unaware you were about to be ambushed by the League of Villains alongside your friends.

Shigaraki wanted you, needed you, craved you and would not stop until he had you in his grasp.

“Oh! It’s Deku and Ochaco!” Toga’s flustered state was accompanied by a squeal while she reached for more of her knives and her bloodlust went through the roof. “Give us ten minutes. Focus on Y/N, we’ll take care of the rest, Mika!”

“Get the girl and don’t fuck it up, doll face.” Dabi’s azure flames erupted along various parts of his scarred body. “We’re going to go wreak some havoc.”

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

“God, why can’t I stop feeling this way?” You muttered to yourself while fetching some drinks for Deku and Iida.

You had an overwhelming feeling of dread inside your stomach all day. It only made your mood worse the more you thought about it which didn’t go unnoticed.

‘Your heart rate is elevated once more, Y/N. You are clearly under distress. Calm down.’

“I can’t, I just can’t,” You replied, gripping your friends soft drinks tighter. “We have to go.”

‘I used Heat Sense to detect any suspicious activity, nothing to report.’

Something was going to happen but you didn’t know when or where.

“Phoenix, you know I hate it when you do that without my permission–!”

“THIS IS THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM: ATTENTION, VILLAINS SIGHTED IN THE AREA. SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!”

You immediately dropped the cups in your hands, liquid pooling at your feet.

The sticky substance staining your clothes.

Sweat trickling down your face.

As if on cue, various explosions filled the shopping area. People scattered around in different directions and shoved you in order to reach safety.

Where is everyone?

What do I do?

What can I do?

The pit in your stomach intensified with an imaginable force. Unknowingly, you activated your flames in an effort to control your anxiety.

PING!

Deku: S.O.S.

The wall of radiant flames that erupted from the other side of the mall let you know everything you need to know.

“Phoenix, we have an emergency.”

In your panic, you failed to notice the flames were colored an iridescent deep aqua.

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

“I will return in a moment.” The viscous opponent before him slithered away at an untraceable speed, too fast for the Deku’s eyes to keep up with. “You wannabe heroes make no sense to me. Throwing away your lives for nothing.”

Where’d they go?

The young heroes had fallen one by one until each of them were restrained, except lonesome Deku who was the one holding off the attacks and holding his ground.

“Midoriya, you must get help while you still can!” Iida commanded through his sticky restraints but his arms and legs were uncomfortably pinned against the display window behind him. “The pros are preoccupied with the other areas, we need help now!”

There was no point in resisting the fact that the students were completely overwhelmed by the new villain’s tactics and Quirk. The fighting style was entirely different than previous foes they have previously faced and their moves were unpredictable.

“Don’t worry, Iida!” Deku reassured with a weak smile. “Y/N can help us out. Todoroki, can you shoot your flames to signal where we are?”

“I can,” Todoroki affirmed before he briefly hesitated, “do you think this’ll work?”

“Hey, are you all okay!?” You frantically cried out to your companions in the isolated area of the shopping center. “Where is the villain?”

“Oh fuck my luck!” Bakugou yelled out. “Flame Princess is here. What are you going to do? Set me on fire again?”

Meanwhile, the entity that resided within you had a few things to say.

‘Ungrateful brat. This human may not deserve my blessing for his foolish ministrations.’

“What!? I told you about a million times already, that was an accident!” You furiously replied back. “Never mind that, let me set you guys free.”

‘Phoenix, this is not the time to start reprimanding Bakugou. Please help me set them free?’

‘I will do you this one request, Y/N.’

Y/N L/N - Quirk: Flame Empress (Phoenix Force)

Her Quirk is disguised under the impression that she can manipulate and manifest fire at will. It can be given embodied as a minion to serve as a defense for a limited amount of time. The Phoenix Force is one of the most (if not the most) powerful beings in the Universe, possessing the unlimited power to create and destroy anything and everything.

You briskly summoned a minion of flames to come aid you in freeing your ensnared classmates by attempting to heat the substance enough that it would melt away but it proved to be futile. It would only appear to intensify its durability and you did not want to cause anyone third-degree burns.

“It won’t work,” Deku breathed out, reaching out to put a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Todoroki has already tried it.”

Ochaco cried out from her location, noticing the enemy before either of you could. “Deku, Y/N, watch out! Behind you!”

“Outta the way!” Flames engulfed your body in a defensive manner as you ran towards the impending danger. You managed to dodge the projectile before glancing back at your S/O.

Deku attempted to squirm but it was as if he was swimming through a thick syrup. He was imprisoned in a sphere of sticky amber colored sap, only his head was free which allowed him to breathe. His limbs were weighed down and hardly able to muster a single movement. “I can’t move!”

Nothing.

No one was there.

“Damn it!” You screamed before running over to Iida, who was closest to you. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay? Am I okay!? Are you insane? Wait for a pro to get here, L/N.” Iida warned while struggling to break free of his adhesive bonds as you attempted another method of combustion on the sap. It was clear he had a head injury, the amount of blood trickling down his face made you sick.

“It’s too dangerous to fight regardless of the circumstances we’re in!” Todoroki chimed in.

“Iida, I received my provisional hero license for a reason and that was to fight when necessary and rescue those in danger. Besides, I am the only able bodied one out of all of us.”

“What the fuck did you say, bitch?” Bakugou growled while thrashing around. He was glued onto a brick wall next to Todoroki. “I’ll break out of here in no time.”

“What exactly can you do, Bakugou? You didn’t pass the exam just like me.” Todoroki monotonously stated as he struggled to move his arms which were bound by the sticky substance.

“HUH!?”

“STOP FIGHTING!” Deku snapped, officially losing his patience. “We have to stay alert. Y/N, the villain is still around here somewhere...”

“That’s right!” The villain’s liquefied body materialized with a ecstatic grin, it was now revealed that it was a young woman behind the scheme. “How cute, you’ve come straight to me. To ensure you will not escape, I brought a friend too!”

“Hi!” The next villain, a petite, fair-skinned girl, who is very prone to blushing and frequently described as having a rather weird face. Her hair is a pale, dirty ash blonde and is styled into two messy buns, numerous wild strands sticking out at all angles. “You’d be so much prettier with some blood on you, Y/N. I just love that beautiful expression on your face!”

“Himiko Toga…” You stated in pure disbelief, the sight of her made your skin crawl especially since you remembered what she did to Ochaco and Tsuyu. “What in the fuck do you want?”

“Looks like we both want to learn about each other, huh?” Toga’s lovesick smile intensified while she neared your now shaking figure.

Ironically, she placed a gentle hand on your cheek while staring at you dead in the eyes. "So now... Your turn. Why are you hoping to become a hero? Honor? Pride? For someone else's sake? I want to know... all about you."

“As if, you psycho!” Your terrified expression soon morphed into a disgusted one as you ignited the area you were standing on, surprising Toga as she retreated in reaction to the flames. “You will never get any information from me while I’m still standing.”

Black spots began to appear in your vision, signaling the fact that you were at your limit. You fell to ground, unaware of how exhausted your body was over the use of your Quirk. If you kept going you would definitely lose control, the Phoenix Force would take over. Everyone and everything would be attacked indiscriminately.

“You sure about that, darling?” A sultry voice whispered in your ear while their hand went to your neck. “I could liquify or fossilize any one of your friends with my amber right now.

You fell to your knees, unable to keep up with the current strain of your Quirk. You hadn’t even used it at full power yet and here you were at the mercy of the League of Villains.

“My name is Mika,” the villain interrupted while tugging on your hair and shoving a foot into your back in order to incapacitate you. You felt the air being ripped out from inside your lungs and you coughed violently. Deku muffled screams could be heard from all angles.

Pathetic.

I’ve never experienced this type of metamorphic Quirk before… It’s too strong!

“How about I start with him first?” The resin in which your friends were trapped in slid over to your compromised position and you came face to face with your terrified S/O and the others.

“We’re okay-!” Izuku reassured but was cut off as the amber rose up his neck and sealed his lips shut. It began to solidify around his neck while the expression on his face contorted into a pained one.

“Don’t...” Uraraka choked out, her eyes pleading for mercy, “let her use us against you... ugh!

“Please, please!” you begged, dragging your body forward inch by inch, ignoring the burning pain. “You can have it, you can have me! I’ll give you everything you want if you just let them go.”

Mika pressed her lips together, considering the plea for a moment. It could have been some trap, but it was awfully appealing.

“Fine.”

“You can handle this on your own.” Toga giggled from the sidelines, sparing the rest of you no second glance as she began to walk away, presumably back to the League of Villains. Her taunting voice echoed as she disappeared.

Todoroki, Bakugou, Iida, Uraraka and Izuku were all free from the amber soon after. Their bodies fell limp onto the ground as all of them attempted to manage to regain their footing.

Mika, under the impression you were knocked out, softly whispered, “By the way, Y/N... Shigaraki sent us to recruit you. We’re not going to kill you, but...”

“He did say to kill anyone who stands in my way.”

She roughly gripped your head and presented you with a horrifying sight.

“N-No… you didn’t!” You felt your lips curl in grief while your hand reached out in an attempt to reach out to them. The blood dripping from your friends wounds made your skin crawl but your heart ached as they cried over Deku.

“Midoriya, wake up!” Iida pleaded while shaking his friend’s lifeless shoulders.

“Deku, please... No… No, it can’t be,” Uraraka whispered to herself banging her fists on the ground while Todoroki glared at the sky.

Bakugou’s voice cracked helplessly while cursing at his childhood friend.“Get up, you useless nerd. God, fuck, Deku. GET UP! How are you going to surpass All Might!?”

In an instant you felt something inside of you snap.

‘Y/N, it is time to let go.’

‘As you wish, Phoenix.’

Mika was roughly flung onto the ground with one throw, the ground below her cracked with force you applied. She twitched in disbelief at what had just happened with no strength left to pull herself together.

Heat filled the area as your footsteps left charred imprints behind, the flames your body produced were protruding from all angles. Your eyes glowed an intense scarlet shade while fiery tears rolled down your cheeks. None of your friends dared to make a move in fear of setting you off.

“Izuku, wake up. Open your eyes, please.” Deku’s battered body was swaddled in your arms, your head was pressed against his chest in order to feel his warmth.

He was cold. There was no heartbeat. No life inside of him.

“I will burn away what doesn’t work,” You sensed your opponent’s presence growing closer and quickly encased her in a prison of flames, “for I am the Phoenix.”

“Oi, stop it, Flame Princess!” Bakugou yelled, placing a hand on your shoulder before retracting it at the realization you had just burned him. “Fuck!”

“Nice try,” Mika called out, wiping away a stream of blood from her mouth. She was encased in her own amber in order to avoid being incinerated. “My Quirk allow the resin to adapt to the temperature.”

Unfortunately, she had horribly miscalculated her chance of success due to the fact you possessed the most powerful Quirk in the universe. The heat in the area kept rising, inevitably causing your friends to suffer alongside the villain. Todoroki attempted to encase you in ice in order to control your current feral state but it melted upon contact.

The amber cracked, flames began to singe Mika’s skin with an unbelievable amount of pain. She yelped in agony at the realization she was going to die and resorted to begging for her life. “I–I never meant to kill him, p–please believe me!”

“Ask not for pity from Dark Phoenix, my love,” You smiled devilishly while placing a fiery hand on her cheek. She screeched in pain as you burned her mercilessly with no remorse. “There is none in her.”

“You’ll end up killing her!” Uraraka warned. “Please stop it, Y/N, Deku wouldn’t want this.”

“Fools!” You replied fiercely, infuriated that they would oppose you. “You dare trifle with the Phoenix?”

“Y/N, what are you talking about? It’s me, Ochaco!”

“I’ll handle this,” Todoroki intervened by propelling his ice towards you, successfully distracting you long enough for you to lose interest in the villian you almost killed.

“You can’t-!” She would have kept arguing with you if weren't for the feeling of someone squirming next to her. Deku’s wounded head tilted to the side and the emerald eyes that once lacked life shone brightly with determination. Your Quirk had caused him to snap out of the daze he was trapped in.

A daze known as the light of the end of tunnel.

“Deku... he’s... he’s alive!” Uraraka declared while the others eyes widened in disbelief.

“I… I was dead,” He breathed out, sitting up with the help of Iida and Bakugou. His eyes attempted to to adjust to his surroundings while his dizziness dissipated. “Something’s wrong,” Deku felt his hold on reality on loosen as he realized what you had done.

You had activated part of your Quirk and used it to save him.

Resurrection Force: It can resurrect anyone it wishes with its near infinite powers, as it is the embodiment of life and death itself.

You had no control over the Phoenix Force. It now controlled you.

He needed to stop you.

As soon as his vision cleared, he used One For All to propel himself towards your rampaging figure. Todoroki was shocked to see Midoriya pin you into the ground considering he had seen him die moments ago.

“Y/N, you have to snap out of it!” Deku begged, ignoring your violent thrashing and screaming. “This Quirk does not control you, I know for a fact you can fight it.”

“Don’t worry, because I am here,” he weakly smiled while ignoring the flames that painted his skin. He felt your body stiffen and relax while your eyes returned to their original color and focused on who was above you.

“Izuku,” you mumbled as your fire extinguished itself, “you’re here... am I dreaming?”

“No,” he reassured, gently wiping away your tears. “I’m here and so are you. You have overcome your fear of your Quirk.”

You shook your head in reply, “It's not the power that scares me, exactly... it's me.”

“That’s quite rude.” The Phoenix presented itself externally, before pointing a fiery wing towards Deku. “I resurrected this mortal being from death and neutralized the threat.”

“Phoenix, you attacked indiscriminately. I never wanted to go this far. Just what are you?”

‘What else could I be but a part of you? I am your Quirk.’

Before you could take anymore time to fight the Phoenix Force about its moral compass, it returned to your body. It fled due to the fact the rest of your friends were running over to you alongside paramedics and pro heroes.

“It’s over, isn’t it?” You sighed while tightening your hold on Izuku’s hand. You proceeded to rest your tired head on his shoulder while he mimicked your actions in return.

“Yeah, it’s over.”

*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ* *✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*✭˚･ﾟ✧*･ﾟ*

Meanwhile, in a dark alleyway far from the disaster area...

“Fuck,” Mika cursed through gritted teeth while she latched her right hand onto her now broken left arm in an effort to support it. “I can’t believe this.”

“Me either, doll face,” a deep voice taunted from behind. A chuckle escaped his throat. “You look like shit.”

“I don’t need your pity,” she sneered, walking away at a faster pace. “I know I’m trash, okay? Go away.”

“Don’t think so,” Dabi gripped her injured arm and turned her to face him as she groaned at the pain he inflicted. His azure flames ignited as he gripped her chin and brought her in closer until their lips met. It didn’t last long.

“If you're trash, at least burn and be kindling for me.”

32 notes · View notes

sjrresearch · 4 years ago

Text

Horrifying History: Historical Games to Play for Halloween

(This article is credited to Ben Price. For as long as he can remember, Ben has always loved playing, discussing, and writing about video games. Since receiving his B.A. in English, he now writes about them for a living.)

As we approach the midway point of October, scary season is in full swing, which only means one thing for gamers: horror games. Horror has always been a popular genre, from the iconic Resident Evil and Silent Hill franchises to more recent hits like Outlast and Until Dawn. Fans of horror have plenty of new releases to look forward to this year, with titles such as Amnesia: Rebirth right around the corner.

But anyone can go on about the best or upcoming horror games. How about those based around historical events and in historical settings? There are a handful of great picks in that category we’d love to shine the proverbial spotlight on. For history buffs that want to get spooked this Halloween, here are some video games that you absolutely want to check out.

Zombie Army Series

Because we can never quite get enough World War II shooters in our library, Zombie Army Series sends us to an alternate 1940s. One where Hitler didn’t just overtake Europe. He did so with a swarming horde of the undead. Grizzly fiends pile onto players from all corners, ripped straight from the hands of Hell to devour the world and spread the Nazi plague.

The Zombie Army series spans four titles, each one more horrifyingly ridiculous than the last. As a resistance fighter, players mow down the undead across a decayed and dilapidated world. The series features period-specific weapons, which are useful implements in downing zombies. Though there’s underlying humor to the series, the atmosphere tends to be gloomier and a bit more fitting of the survival horror genre.

Zombie Army is a spin-off of the Sniper Elite series and even features some of those game’s delightful quirks like the brutally entertaining bullet camera.

A Plague Tale: Innocence

If there’s anything that we’ve learned in the year 2020, it’s that there are few scarier things in this world than widespread, infectious disease. A Plague Tale: Innocence is set in 14th century France, and the player takes on the role of 15-year-old Amicia de Rune, who must protect her little brother Hugo as they evade Inquisition soldiers while also faced with the deadliest disease known to man: The Bubonic Plague.

The story takes itself into scary and dark places, telling a compelling tale of a girl and her brother. Part of what makes A Plague Tale so scary is the fact that you, a young woman, are nearly defenseless in a world filled with dangers at every corner, from terrorizing soldiers to ravenous, infectious rats. While not 100% historically accurate, A Plague Tale offers players a look at an interesting period of European history that has rarely been touched upon in video games.

Bloodrayne

Players step into the shoes of Rayne, a half-human, half-vampire in this hack-and-slash action game set in the 1930s. First beginning in 1933, BloodRayne takes the player through a warped version of Nazi Germany and other interesting locations in this unique blend of world history and vampiric lore.

The game certainly features some creepy monsters and enemies, from giant spiders to bats and straight-up demons. BloodRayne is an exciting, alternative take on German history that’s sure to offer a bloody good time for fans of fast-paced hack-and-slash games.

Call of Duty - Nazi Zombies

The Call of Duty franchise has covered many different periods of world history, from World War II in the original trilogy to the war against Afghanistan in the Modern Warfare games and the Cold War in the Black Ops series. But one of the most interesting aspects of many Call of Duty games has to be the series’ classic Nazi Zombies mode.

First seen in Call of Duty: World at War, this survival horror side mode pits up to four players against the living dead, who attack in endless waves. In a somewhat humorous and ridiculous fashion, the mode depicts Nazi soldiers reanimated as the living dead. The mode also offers many different playable characters and usable weapons that vary in their levels of historical accuracy.

While it isn’t the scariest historical game to play this Halloween season, it certainly is one of the most fun. It may not be the best place to score an education on world history, but Nazi Zombies can certainly be a delightful trip into a bloody, rotting version of the past.

Nocturne

Originally launched exclusively on PC in 1999, Nocturne is set in the late 1920s and early 1930s and follows a character simply known as The Stranger, an operative of a fictional secret American Government organization known as “Spookhouse.” Through the course of the game, The Stranger investigates several different cases where he must fight off various classic monsters such as zombies, vampires, and werewolves in locations like the jazzy streets of the Windy City.

The game feels very classic survival horror, in a similar vein to Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark with fixed camera angles and some rather wonky controls when compared to modern standards. With that said, Nocturne was considered very ahead of its time when released and is now considered a cult classic that’s been shrouded in obscurity.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Released on the Nintendo GameCube back in 2002, this cult classic is perhaps one of the scariest psychological horror games of all time. With about half of the story set in modern-day, the other half takes place during multiple different periods of world history.

Playable characters include Pious Augustus, a Roman Centurion from Ancient Rome; Paul Luther, a Franciscan monk from 1485 AD; Peter Jacob, an English journalist covering the events of World War I; Dr. Maximillian Roivas, a wealthy doctor living in colonial Rhode Island in 1760 AD; and many more. Nearly every playable character comes from a different period, with the game spanning over 2000 years of world history.

The game plays very similarly to the Resident Evil series, with fixed camera angles and zombie-like enemies but with many unique gameplay elements, such as magic spell-casting abilities as well as a sanity meter that can affect the game in unpredictable ways. Eternal Darkness tested players with trickery that some would consider cruel, such as a “blue screen of death” error and a particularly nasty fakeout that appears to delete all save files.

With so many great choices, it looks like history buffs should have no shortage of scary games to play this Halloween season.

At SJR Research, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse SJR Research’s service on our site at SJR Research.

#gaming #horror #history

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