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supersaiyanjedi14 · 2 years ago

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RWBY COMBAT ANALYSIS: JAMES IRONWOOD

"You can label me whatever you'd like, but the fact of the matter is I was right! The minute I softened, let my guard down, that's when Salem had her opening. All excellent philosophical points that won't matter if Salem wins. […] I am done letting others' inability to see the big picture get in the way of doing what's right. Robyn, the council, this Kingdom... even you.”

PHYSICAL

A human male, General James Ironwood’s exact age during the events of the series is unstated, though as a peer of the likes of Qrow Branwen, Jacques Schnee and Arthur Watts, I’d estimate him to be in his late 40s to early 50s. By the time of his death, two years after the Fall of Beacon, Ironwood had spent the bulk of his career as part of the Atlas Armed Forces, raising in the ranks to eventually become commander in chief of the Atlas army and later headmaster of Atlas Huntsman Academy. These joint positions earned him an unprecedented two seats on the Atlas Council, a factor that flavored the rest of his controversial life. However, while he represented the standard to which Atlesian Huntsmen and soldiers were compared, Ironwood was far from a conventional specimen. His most defining trait was his extensive cybernetic implants, his chosen treatment option for the multitude of combat injuries he sustained over the course of his life. By the end of the Atlas crisis, Ironwood had replaced both of his arms, his right leg, and the entire right half of his torso with robotic prosthetics, while an additional implant was installed into his forehead to link up the cybernetics with his higher brain function. While the full extent of Ironwood’s torso cybernetics in relation to his biological body has never been explored, I believe a good frame of reference would be those of the Star Wars antagonist Darth Vader, who was outfitted with various replacement organs to supplement his respirator and artificial bones and ligaments to reinforce his skeleton. However, where Vader’s reconstruction was restricted by the severity of his injuries and the need to preserve as much of his living flesh as possible, most of Ironwood’s cybernetics were merely a treatment option rather than lifesaving necessities, and he was all too willing to sacrifice his physical form in the name of continuing the fight. As a result, Ironwood’s prosthetics were both far more intrusive than was standard and designed to be combatively reliable, James’ ultimate goal being to become something more than human in order to combat the horrors of Salem.

While Ironwood’s willingness to discard his body for metal boded poorly for his restraint and principles, their practical benefits more than made up for it, making him one of the most physically powerful combatants of his day. Standing at a towering 6’6”, Ironwood’s cybernetic proportions closely approximated the muscular athletic build he no doubt sported as a young man, further distinguished by his graying black hair and beard, blue eyes, and pale skin tone. The most visible advantage of Ironwood’s metallic body was his incredible physical might, taking his already heavy-handed approach to combat and augmenting it with the benefits of robotics. He has casually manhandled high-caliber Grimm with his bare hands, lifted and thrown adult humans with an outstretched arm, crushed stone in his grip, and even smashed his own tactical console to pieces with a pair of slammed fists in a fit of anger. Given that his Aura was depleted when he lifted Arthur Watts over the Amity Arena lava pit, I feel comfortable saying that Ironwood’s baseline strength level was superhuman, his prosthetics specifically designed to surpass what his “weaker” flesh and blood could achieve. Compared to his peers, though few of Ironwood’s adversaries were particularly domineering, I think it is only reasonable to assume that only similar heavyweights could realistically challenge his strength. The only instance of Ironwood lacking confidence in his muscles and servos was against Penny Polendina, a designed and built combat drone far beyond mortal athleticism, motivating him to draw Due Process’s energy cannon instead. Despite this heavy emphasis on strength, the general’s other attributes were also polished. Though he favored grounded footwork and postures, rarely employing acrobatics, Ironwood was still quick on his feet, covering ground with power jumps, combat rolls, and running charges. While they appeared to be nimbler, neither Watts nor Lie Ren appeared to have any meaningful speed advantage over Ironwood, who kept up with them in close quarters and even overpowered them. While Winter Schnee was conclusively faster than him, this is no sign of weakness given her status as one of the most accomplished acrobats in the setting, and even then, his stalwart foundation and footwork allowed him to keep up with her. Furthermore, Ironwood’s reflexes were still polished enough to avoid point-blank gunfire, and he was skilled in the use of combat propellants to enable more dynamic maneuvers, freely using the gravity Dust in Due Process’s black half to launch himself across the battlefield. While the metal fingers of his cybernetic arms likely hampered his fine dexterity, Ironwood was still able to execute controlled technique-based attacks in battle, expertly wielding his guns as bludgeons on multiple occasions and easily keeping up with Lie Ren in a fist fight.

As has already been stated, Ironwood was a lifelong veteran soldier and Huntsman with a history of severe injury, the extensiveness of his cybernetics pointing to the amount of punishment he has had to endure. Between his prosthetics functioning as natural armor and his own incredible will to fight, Ironwood possessed an astronomical tolerance for pain and injury. During the Fall of Beacon, Ironwood endured a shuttle crash when his hacked AK-200 drones turned on him, and despite his clothing getting ripped apart, indicating an at least damaged Aura, he powered through and went on to demolish scores of drones in the battle. During his confrontation with Watts, Ironwood was regularly battered against the anti-gravity biome’s walls, was struck by several of Watts’ standard and Dust bullets, and finally broke his Aura when he tackled Watts off a platform and struck the arena floor. When Watts trapped his arm in a hard light barrier, Ironwood endured the agony of burning off his own skin to escape, sacrificing his arm before beating the scientist into the dirt. Even his defeats have only come from overwhelming force. At Atlas Academy, Ironwood was only brought down by the combined might of Team JNOR, Emerald Sustrai and Winter Schnee, subjecting him to a kick to the face, a flurry of thrown ice shards, multiple hits from the Long Memory, a direct hit from a charged Magnhild, getting run down by a charging Summoned Manticore, and finally a slash across the abdomen before he went down. Winter only defeated Ironwood when she assumed the power of the Winter Maiden and deflected a shot from Due Process’s energy cannon back in his face, bringing him to his knees. However, while Ironwood’s cybernetics allowed him to maintain his output in the long term, his overall stamina was surprisingly lackluster. By the time the Watts fight reached its final bout after only a few minutes, Ironwood was visibly fatigued, displaying labored breathing and less crisp transitions in his style. While the force he was up against at the academy was far greater than anyone could ever deal with, Ironwood still burned out fast, and it is worth noting that the general is one of the few characters who has actually lost consciousness when his Aura broke. Furthermore, despite his military discipline, Ironwood’s unwillingness to back down has led him to bite off more than he can chew and ignore dangers, needlessly subjecting himself to injury to force his way to victory. Accordingly, his ultimate fall was a long-term grind, his composure whittled away by his growing paranoia and his body beaten to the point where he couldn’t even regain his feet, dying under the crushing weight of Atlas itself.

While Ironwood almost certainly wore combat armor during his early years as an Atlas soldier, even continuing to own a pair of pauldrons for emergencies, his role as Academy Headmaster and a member of the Atlas Council meant that he was rarely deployed into active combat. As such, his usual choice of wardrobe was the Atlas Military Dress Uniform, though like other high-ranking Atlas operatives, his personal set was heavily personalized. During Atlas’s last days, Ironwood’s uniform consisted of a dress shirt and tie underneath a double-breasted white jacket, military style trousers, steel-toed boots, and a heavy white overcoat. He accessorized with a belt, bandolier, and a pair of white gloves, though after losing his left arm, he deliberately left the black prosthesis bare. With his cybernetics functioning as built-in armor, Ironwood’s wardrobe could afford to emphasize mobility over protection, leaving him free to leverage his mechanical physique to its fullest.

RANKING: Tier 1, Baseline Superhuman

Cybernetic enhancement generally affords significant practical advantages in physical combat, but their general limitedness often prevents them from drastically elevating physical performance level, and most cyborgs are merely squishy meatbags with slightly less squishy bits. However, James Ironwood’s extremely extensive cybernetics push him far beyond the standard, his prosthetics serving as both remedies to hold his body together and a preemptive measure to prevent him from breaking again. Ironwood is inarguably one of the toughest and strongest combatants in the setting, demonstrating physical might far beyond a mortal man’s and an absolutely inhuman tolerance for injury. Considering that James was perfectly willing to burn off his own arm, there is no telling how far this man will go to achieve victory. Ironwood’s only real limitation is his poor sustainability, indicating that he does have a limit to his performance and made all the worse by his refusal to cut his losses. Fatigue, both physical and mental, is James Ironwood’s biggest handicap, but pushing the general to that point will be an incredibly uphill battle, given that he is, quite literally, built like a tank.

MARTIAL

James Ironwood was armed with a paired set of heavy pistols known as Due Process, an ironic name if there ever was one. Combining aspects of both a revolver and semi-automatic pistol, each gun appeared to be about a foot and a half long, 5 inches thick, and designed with floral patterns engraved on the slide. Each pistol featured a secondary trigger that enabled it to fire specialized ammunition alongside standard rounds. The primary weapon was silver colored and loaded with explosive rounds, the yield strong enough to knock an alpha Beowolf into the air and reduce entire squads of AK-200 combat drones to shrapnel. The second pistol had a black finish along the slide and grips and was loaded with gravity Dust bullets, capable of generating shockwaves powerful enough to propel Ironwood through the air. Given that Ironwood was prepared to immediately execute Marrow Amin with the black pistol after the Faunus went AWOL, it is entirely possible that the Dust rounds were powerful enough to either break or penetrate Auras with a solid direct hit. Furthermore, the pistols were durable enough to be used as bludgeons in close quarters combat, one of Ironwood’s favorite tactics being to grab the weapon by the barrel and use it as a club when out of ammo. Overall, a simple yet reliably lethal weapon set, perfect for Atlas’s perfect soldier.

As the head of the Atlas Military and a professional Huntsman, James Ironwood obviously possessed the standard training background of his contemporaries, likely graduating from Atlas Huntsman Academy before enlisting his talents in the Special Operatives Division just as his later subordinates Winter Schnee and Clover Ebi did. Accordingly, he was familiar with the various ways to dispatch the creatures of Grimm and trained in the use of various military grade weapons and advanced hand to hand combat. A hardened soldier, his talents as a marksman and martial artist were built up through rigorous battlefield experience, and while his role as academy headmaster and government councilor meant he was rarely seen in the field, he clearly stayed on top of his training. By the end of his life, Ironwood stood as one of the most skilled and tenacious martial combatants of his day, effectively setting the mold for what Atlas Academy expected of its students. Ironwood’s personal fighting style was extremely physical, taking full advantage of his cybernetics to deliver a devastating offensive barrage, launching everything he had at the enemy and refusing to give an inch of ground. When at a distance, Ironwood relied on his exceptional marksmanship to dispatch opponents, alternating between single shots and dual wielding bullet swarms. Though he could expertly chain together sporadic bursts of gunfire to force opponents back, he overwhelmingly favored single shot takedowns. Against single adversaries, he homed in on his target and sought to destroy it with a precise killshot, nailing direct hits on Arthur Watts twice during their battle at Amity Colosseum. In group engagements, Ironwood switched over to explosive rounds, clearing away large groups of enemies with a single blow, as seen when he destroyed large squads of AK-200s during the Fall of Beacon. When forced to close the distance, Ironwood relied heavily on brutal close quarters combat techniques to overpower his enemies, wielding his guns as extensions of his body. His pistol whips were swift, powerful, and decidedly lethal, even when utilizing heavy ordnance analogous to Due Process’s energy cannon. When completely unarmed, Ironwood fully leveraged his cyborg strength through devastating punches, kicks, grapples, and tackles intended to subdue the enemy as directly and efficiently as possible. Despite this blunt offensive stance, Ironwood was not some mindless brawler flailing around. His unarmed skills were in fact quite sophisticated, clearly holding a dominant edge over Watts and fighting evenly with Lie Ren despite the latter having access to his weapons. If forced to defend, Ironwood’s policy was “endure and power through”, holding his ground and shrugging off hits before resuming the offensive. He employed deft evasions and sidesteps when dodging bullets, and when in close quarters he used his armored limbs to block attacks before manhandling the opponent to force open their defenses. Additionally, Ironwood’s understanding of his weapons’ functions allowed him to leverage the recoil for practical purposes, regaining his stance by blasting himself back to his feet. He bolstered his focused offensive technique with his Semblance and Dust loadout, striking with absolute commitment and intensity while adding more power to his attacks with elemental fury.

Ironwood was a reasonably capable military strategist, clearly understanding the value of his army’s strength and building his approach around leveraging this as fully as possible. However, Ironwood was no planner, his strategies mostly boiling down to building up his foundation to make an instrument that could overpower virtually any challenger while also being nearly impossible to overpower in turn. He expressed this both in preparing his forces and training his own students, investing heavily in the development of the Atlesian Knight drones and enjoying regular sparring matches with Oscar Pine. When commanding armies, he deployed his heavily armed and armored troops in as great numbers as possible, bringing down the hammer with an unstoppable force of offensive might. This approach proved successful at the Breach and in the early stages of the Battle of Atlas, the Atlas troops’ superior weapons and equipment allowing them to steamroll the various creatures of Grimm while also halting their advance long enough to develop a devastating counteroffensive. When he was personally fighting, Ironwood used these same tactics to turn battles into slugging matches where his cyborg strength and heavy guns could dominate. When confronted by the Alpha Beowolf at Amity, Ironwood rushed in and attacked directly, bracing up against the beast’s charge before shooting an explosive round into the ground, blowing it off its feet and allowing Ironwood to more easily manhandle it before shooting it in the head. As seen in his battle with Arthur Watts two years later, Ironwood was an expert at alternating his offensive abilities to keep up the pressure. He would propel himself with his guns’ recoil to close the distance then rapidly switch between standard, explosive, and Dust ammunition to hammer the target’s defenses. In close quarters, he employed the same methodology with his unarmed skills and pistol whips, each strike aimed at staggering or subduing the enemy in one fell swoop. His confrontation with Team JNR at Atlas Academy showed his ability to apply his tactics to group engagements, managing to overmatch the attacks of Jaune Arc, Oscar Pine and Lie Ren by seizing their arms and weapons and forcing open their defenses.

In all things Ironwood showed an emphasis on overwhelming power as a solid general-purpose solution, dominating his opponents rather than undermining or subverting them. Appropriately, his ultimate trump cards were the most devastating weapons he could get his hands on. Against Salem’s army, Ironwood used his troops to stall for time as he prepared a Dust warhead to obliterate the Monstra. In personable combat, Ironwood literally pulled out the big guns by outfitting Due Process with a large cannon. Less wieldy but more powerful, the cannon fired massive bolts of green energy capable of destroying heavy machinery and overpowering advanced ethereal defenses, punching through a hard-light Dust prison cell like wet paper and later overwhelming Winter Schnee’s black glyphs. Even with the extra heft of the cannon, Ironwood was still perfectly capable of swinging it around as a bludgeon, demonstrating the intensity and commitment that Ironwood brought to all of his skills. However, Ironwood’s tactics also demonstrate his serious weaknesses as a tactical thinker, weaknesses worsened by his pride and fear. Because his entire approach was built around leveraging strength and power for maximum effect, Ironwood was ineffective against more defensive and subversive opponents who could prevent him from bringing his full might to bear, while his overreliance on offense left him exposed to retaliation and tunnel vision. Despite being a physical lightweight with minimal dedication to physical combat, Watts was able to contend with Ironwood by maintaining a slippery retreat through the anti-gravity biome, forcing the general to chase after him while he chipped away at him from a distance. Ironwood was either unaware or unconcerned that he was being baited, continuing to come after Watts and getting his arm caught in the ring trap for his trouble. A similar fate befell him at the academy, his focus on each of his opponents individually leaving him blind to the various counters they levied against him, wearing him down. While Ironwood has displayed clever maneuvers in the past, such as when he outflanked Watts and Amity and surprised Winter with a pistol whip, these displays were a major exception to the rule. Whenever his preferred methods were questioned or his plans fell apart, Ironwood doubled down and fought harder, essentially forcing problems to become a nail for his hammer.

Ironwood’s tactical tunnel vision was most visibly demonstrated in his grand strategy blunders, stubbornly maintaining a military presence at the Vytal Festival and continuing the Amity Project while ignoring the concerns and protests his actions sparked in Mantle. Ironwood was at his best when his blunt approach was tempered by his more moderate allies, deferring to Ozpin’s subtler methods on multiple occasions despite their disagreements. When leading the charge, however, his stubborn persistence was his greatest undoing, allowing Salem and Cinder Fall to exploit and manipulate him on several occasions and essentially do their work of dividing humanity for them. When Cinder infiltrated the academy, Ironwood, convinced that Salem’s forces were with her, decided to abandon the Amity project and use the Staff of Creation to raise Atlas further into the atmosphere, abandoning Mantle to the Grimm. While Team RWBY’s attempts to talk sense into Ironwood fell on deaf ears partially due to their previous withholding of information, Ironwood’s flat admittance of the severity of his decision showed his commitment to a decision regardless of the consequences. Between ordering RWBY and co.’s arrests, murdering Councilman Sleet, attempting to execute the defecting Marrow Amin, and finally deciding to drop the Dust warhead on Mantle, Ironwood demonstrated an increasingly severe disregard for outside input or the questioning of what he and he alone saw as what was best for others. This arrogant short-sightedness directly contributed to his inability to anticipate the actions of his adversaries, underestimating Ruby’s resolve to save both Atlas and Mantle and being caught completely off guard by JNR’s ambush. When Watts disabled Ironwood’s cell during Cinder’s orchestrated chaos, the general emerged as a vessel of petty vengeance, murdering Jacques Schnee out of sheer contempt and triggering a pointless confrontation with Winter in the Relic vault to claim the Staff. While the two were able to fight on even footing, Ironwood’s brutal offensive allowed him to bully through Winter’s more delicate style and overpower her, proving that his martial might was extremely formidable despite its straightforwardness. Unfortunately, Ironwood was finally confronted by someone he could not simply overpower when Winter received the Maiden’s power upon Penny Polendina’s death, blasted into a crater by his own deflected shot.

RANKING: Tier 3, Standard Mastery

James Ironwood’s track record demonstrates a powerful, flexible, and ruthless martial combatant, capable of operating in just about any combat scenario with similar levels of comfort while bringing overwhelming force in all areas. His solid general-purpose weapon complements his fighting style and provides him with a solid array of offensive options, while his perseverance under fire allows him to keep up the pressure even in the face of staunch resistance. However, though certainly not unintelligent, Ironwood’s demonstrations also highlight his inability to think outside the box, failing to subvert his opponents or control the fight in a broad sense, and more disastrously, failing to prevent the opponent from doing the same to him. While political controversy obviously does not factor heavily into combative effectiveness, his ineffectual leadership in the crises of Volumes 7 and 8 does offer insight into his tactical failings. His only recourse to any situation being to throw brute force at it and keep it up until the enemy finally breaks, and he has nothing to fall back on if sheer strength fails. Still, this does not make Ironwood’s method ineffective or crude. His power and skill is undeniable, and anyone who opposed the general would be in for a whole Kingdom of pain.

SPECIAL

James Ironwood’s Semblance was an ability he called “Mettle”. A passive power, Mettle allowed Ironwood to strengthen his resolve and hyper-focus on his chosen goals, blocking out interference from both the world around him and his own reservations in order to drive him forward. When using this ability, injuries, odds, and even morality were non-issues to the general, turning himself into a deliberate machine of war who will achieve his goal or die trying. Unsurprisingly for anyone who’s been with the show since this Semblance’s reveal, the exact nature and effect of Mettle is not clearly defined, especially since its properties are so heavily tied to Ironwood’s personality and character arc. However, I do believe that Mettle’s specifics can be reasonably inferred based on what we do know. A common element whenever this power is shown or heavily implied to be in effect is Ironwood’s calm, borderline soulless, demeanor, even if the instance is shortly after a strong emotional outburst. When he decided to bomb Mantle, Ironwood was collected and relaxed (at least in a general sense) despite having smashed his tactical map to pieces in a fit of frustration not a minute earlier. As such, it is my belief that Mettle, in practice, serves as a naturally induced stress relief agent, numbing Ironwood’s nerves to help him regain and maintain his composure, a critical asset for a soldier in the field. To reference Star Wars again, Mettle has a lot of elements in common with the Expanded Universe power known as Battlemind, an inwardly directed telepathic mediation that Force-sensitives used to improve their focus and composure in combat.* Battlemind is also known to enable users to dispel negative emotion and telepathic attacks, and the former seems to be precisely how Mettle seems to work. With this power, Ironwood could essentially induce a state of mind where he could power through any obstacle, injury or distraction by simply ignoring it, homing in on his goal and pursuing it with all the unrestricted power he could bring to bear. Unfortunately, this factor also contributed heavily to his tactical limitations, so focused on his given objective that he was often blind to outside factors. Narrowing your focus might be a good call when you’re throwing hands with a rabid Beowolf or sniping someone, but trying to do the same in a tense political situation or a cunning trickster will leave you unable to see the forest for the trees.

Outside of his Semblance, Ironwood also incorporated Dust into his standard combat equipment, specifically gravity Dust bullets incorporated into the black half of Due Process. While most of the information here was already brough up in the Martial Arts assessment, the nature of these rounds still demonstrate an additional combative layer to Ironwood’s abilities. Black or purple in color, gravity Dust could affect gravitational fields to generate fields of force to either propel or attract outside objects. When used by Huntsmen in battle, gravity Dust often functioned as a form of limited telekinesis, manipulating the trajectory of weapons or projectiles for sustained or directed flight or generating powerful concussive shockwaves. In Ironwood’s case, the use of Dust in his pistol rounds was based around the latter application. The most obvious advantage of this feature, like most Dust ammunition, was enhancing the power of the projectiles, drastically enhancing the stopping power. Though seemingly a conventional power, Ironwood has utilized this property very inventively, particularly regarding the recoil. Similarly to Ruby Rose’s own use of Dust ammo in Crescent Rose, Ironwood utilized the shockwaves created by the gravity field to propel himself though the battlefield, functionally flying through the air. With only a few shots, he was able to reach Watts’ high ground position while also evading the scientist’s own attacks, and when he was caught in a geyser, Ironwood only needed a single bullet to arrest his fall and return to the platform almost immediately. Given that Ironwood is obviously not being blasted back into walls every time he shoots the black gun, it is likely that he incorporated technology into the pistol to enable some degree of control over the energy level, adjusting the intensity for different purposes. Where the full-powered blasts were enough to launch him up to great heights, a direct hit from one of the more controlled rounds sent Watts tumbling across the platforms but otherwise did not harm him, appropriate given Ironwood’s objective in capturing Watts rather than killing him. Furthermore, Ironwood’s attempted execution of Marrow Amin with the black Due Process leads me to believe that the Dust rounds could penetrate, or at least damage, passive Auras when used at the higher levels.

Ironwood’s Semblance and Dust loadout served as direct supplements to his martial methods, elevating his ruthless offensive with artificially induced focus and intensity and elemental warfare by way of his special ammunition. Leveraging Mettle has led to some of Ironwood’s most compelling accomplishments, powering through seemingly impossible odds to achieve his chosen objective regardless of what happened in the process. At Beacon, he charged the Alpha Beowolf head-on and was able to cooly overpower the creature in the bind. Against Watt’s, Ironwood’s determination allowed him to eventually close the distance with Watt’s slippery retreat and eventually overpower him, responding to the doctor’s subversions and traps as mere speedbumps rather than distractions. Even his own pain and injuries were able to be overlooked in this manner. However, therein lies his weakness. Despite these advantages and his range of applications, Ironwood’s special abilities fail to truly diversify his loadout, as all of his options are merely another tool to allow him to overpower the opponent directly rather than control the fight in a broad sense. More severely, they in fact contribute to his lack of tactical foresight. Where other combatants with metaphysical semblances, such as Qrow Branwen and Maria Calavera, have been able to adapt their powers to help control the flow of the engagement, Ironwood simply leaned on the basic properties of his abilities to force his way through situations. While a combination of Mettle and his own iron will allowed him to escape the ring trap and defeat Watts, Ironwood still subjected himself to unnecessary injury in order to attack Watts directly, throwing away his arm in pursuit of victory. Even beforehand when Watts caught his ankle in ice, Ironwood’s decision was to shoot it free so as to continue his pressure regardless of the tool he was taking. As Ironwood continued to slip into madness, his intense focus made him shortsighted and blind to other threats, his decision to bomb Mantle and complete unwillingness to budge on the idea alienating the last of his allies, up to and including the previously loyal Winter.

RANKING: Tier 3, Specialized Combat

Even if my theories of how Mettle works are wrong, there is no denying that James Ironwood’s special abilities elevate his fighting style into something greater than the sum of its parts. With Mettle’s hyper focus and his Dust’s devastating power, he brings his already domineering approach to battle to new heights by focusing his intensity and empowering his attacks. Despite this, Ironwood’s use of his abilities remains in a very narrow fashion, simply relying on the mind-numbing properties of Mettle and the power generated by his Dust to continue battering the opposition with brute strength. Ironwood has certainly mastered his traits and capitalized on their benefits, but his mastery functionally amounts to a one-trick pony. Instead of using Mettle to improve his laser focus where and when he needs it, Ironwood constantly spammed it so that he could ignore all distractions while he overpowered the opponent directly. Rather than providing him with options and versatility, Ironwood’s powers were just another club in his hands, and his use of them was ultimately devoid of subtly or tactical considerations. Instead, James Ironwood’s special abilities followed the mindset of “Once I see you, I’m going to beat the crap out of you.”

OVERALL RANKING: TIER 3, ADVANCED HUNTSMAN

As an overall combatant, James Ironwood serves as a quintessential example of the best that can be achieved through the direct application of power. Between his cybernetic enhancements, masterful marksmanship, expert unarmed combat skills, hyper focusing Semblance, and powerful Dust ammunition, Ironwood possessed all the tools he needed to overpower nearly any potential challenger, be it a battle of body, arms, or spells, all brought to a pint by an obscene will to fight. The problem is that this is all he can do, and his straightforward tactics mean that he doesn’t have the means or willingness to adjust his approach to different situations. Despite his superhuman physique, Ironwood’s capabilities are not so overwhelming that less physically able opponents cannot contend, and it ultimately does not drastically offset his more consistent standing as a martial artist or ethereal combatant. Like many other Tier 3s, Ironwood is flexible but not to the point of actual versatility, all his offensive options being ONLY offensive options. Given how his fighting style is built upon fully capitalizing on his physical capabilities, it is only appropriate that Ironwood’s body is the perfect metaphor for his strengths and weaknesses. Ironwood is trying to be the strongest piece on the board that can stand up and defeat any potential threat, just as he adopted increasingly intrusive prosthetics to make himself stronger than any other human. However, just as no one person can fight a war on their own, Ironwood’s body is too weak to shoulder all the demands he is placing on it in the long term. Just because you can fight to the death does not mean you need to fight to the death. Ironwood will ignore injuries and continue fighting until he is dead, but as a result, he’s burning his candle from both ends by forcing his way through hits he doesn’t need to take. Rather than building himself into an unstoppable juggernaut, Ironwood is a gas guzzler that can only go one way- forward.

For all his power, James Ironwood ultimately failed to become the mighty hero he believed himself to be, both because he was operating way out of his area of expertise and because he was afflicted by an overwhelming hubris. Despite his military mindset, Ironwood has spent the past decade or so prior to Volumes 7 and 8 as a peacetime politician and academic administrator rather than a frontline commander. While his snap judgements and demands of unwavering obedience are viable on the battlefield, where questioning the commander always leads to disaster and death, his attempts to apply that same mentality to grand strategy and government policy left him with an increasingly ruthless need for control. Ironically similar to Adam Taurus, Ironwood believed that he and he alone could bring about the success of his mission, and anything that challenged this perspective was a threat to be quashed. To Ironwood, if one did not approach the war with Salem with his views and strategies, they were ineffectual, naive, or simply too weak to do what had to be done. And rather than take in input from others, he simply surrounded himself with blindly obedient followers who would lay down their lives in service to him, all while insisting that others be grateful for his “hard decisions” even as they suffered for them. James Ironwood was a powerful warrior, but he was overly aggressive, bull headed, short sighted, and dare I say it, tactless. Instead of seeing Salem as the deceptive chess master she was or Ruby as a source of valid concern for his actions, Ironwood only saw more nails for him to hammer. And by the time he realized his hammer was broken, it was too little too late, having burned all his bridges fighting his friends rather than uniting against his enemies.

*originally posted on RoosterTeeth Community page on 12-10-21*

* images taken from RWBY Wiki *

RWBY Combat Analysis

*(Wookiepedia article on Battlemind)

#rwby #rwby combat analysis #james ironwood #rwby ironwood #atlas military #atlas academy #ozpin's inner circle #baseline superhuman #standard mastery #specialized combat

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evolutionsvoid · 2 years ago

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Not really sure if you could qualify this as an entry, more like a ramble or daydream. Doesn't matter, writing it anyway. I am here in the freezing north, hunkering down in my makeshift snow cave as a blizzard runs rampant outside. The wind hasn't stopped howling for days it seems, and the snow is coming down so hard that the air is just solid white. Can't get research done in this, can't even leave my shelter! Just stuck here until it finally blows over, but there is no telling how long that will take. Working on staying warm through all of this, but thankfully I got enough gear to keep myself from freezing. The unfortunate part I am dealing with right now is that the menu is a tad lacking here. I brought provisions with me on this trek, since I can't always count on hunting for food. They have done me well so far, but the days have depleted my stock and the storm prevents me from getting something fresher. Dried meats are not the worst, they just get quite samey. The good stuff has all been eaten, so I am just left picking at what remains, bland and basic it may be. Of course I got plenty of lichens collected, which means I can survive a good long while on Crust Soup, but I shudder at that thought. Rather start eating the snow then choke down that wretched sludge. Gnawing on practically frozen jerky makes my brain and stomach yearn for the foods of home, wishing I was there to scarf down an entire pantry's worth. Every miserable bite brings to mind the delectable treats and hearty feasts found in a dryad kitchen, and it honestly isn't helping things here. That is why I am going to write about them now, to try and get these things out of my head and onto paper. Maybe my idle scribbling will distract me, and I will look up from my journal to find the storm gone. Eh, probably not, but lets go for it anyway. There are plenty of plants and fungi that can be found in a dryad's kitchen and garden, so lets see what we can think of! 1. Rind Berries - One of the foods that shows the dryad way of reusing and recycling, as we find ways to get more nutrients out of the things most people throw away. To be truthful, Rind "Berries" are not really berries. They aren't even plants. They are a type of blobby mold that grows on discarded fruit shells and rinds. Once you have eaten the good parts of a harvest, take all the discard pieces and pile them onto the compost. You want to have it on top, so that the mold can properly form and that you can better harvest it. In time, these clusters will form on the decaying rinds, and you can pluck them off for one last treat! Delightfully squishy, you could eat them all day! The best part is that their flavor changes depending on what fruits and rinds they grow on, so there are so many options! Anytime I visit a shop that specially grows them, I always find new flavors and combinations to try. I have heard humans don't like them so much, as they look too close to the usual berries they eat. They say that they get fooled into thinking they are going to be eating a blackberry or raspberry, and then get thrown off by the pungent savory flavor of this juicy mold. 2. Blaze Tip - Sometimes called "Fire Arrows," these are a special pepper that get their name from their pointed shape. They are often compared to spear tips or arrowheads, especially since they are indeed sharp at the end! Their undulating fruits grow upward, forming a pointed tip that can actually break skin. This is meant to ward off herbivores, making them painful to eat, especially when you factor in their spicy juices! The insides build up reserves of the liquid, which then shoot out when the fruit is squeezed or the tip punctures flesh. This injects the spiciness right into their foe, and is quite the shock for those trying to eat them! However, we have found this defense mechanism to be quite tasty, and a great way to add a spicy flare to a dish. By plucking one of the peppers off and jabbing them into a hunk of meat or vegetable, you fill it with that invigorating heat that will perk up any diner! Oh, they are just perfect combined with a big juicy grub! Fill that larvae with spice and pop them right into your mouth. That will get you going for sure! If you are planning on consuming the whole pepper or chopping it up to add to soup, be sure to remove the pointy end. Dinner ain't the same when you stab yourself in the mouth. 3. Noodle Trees - Not exactly a tree, it is actually a fungus, but it still is delicious! Grows long stringy strands that were meant to help produce and spread spores, but now are grown to make something similar to noodles. Just cut them off when they reach the right length and add it to whatever dish you want. It is important to keep these fungi properly trimmed, though, even if you aren't planning to eat them. They were bred to constantly grow these strands, even past their natural limits. If left to grow out too long, they tend to rot or can even smother the fungus under their sheer weight. So shear them off, toss them onto a plate with sauce and grubs, and enjoy! 4. Honey Bottles - Here is a plant that every dryad knows from the day they first emerge from the soil. Honey Bottles (or Nectar Pods) are what every sapling is raised on in their early days, until their stomachs properly grow in and can handle more solid foods. As with pretty much every plant and fungus on this list, dryads have selectively bred and grown this species over time to get them to the point they are now. Honey Bottles form these large pods that are filled to bursting with sweet nutritious nectar, loaded with everything a sapling needs to grow big and strong (but of course they still need plenty of sun and soil)! If any household has saplings or are expecting one, it is guaranteed that this plant will be in their gardens or homes. You want plenty on hand, because the little ones are a hungry bunch! Thankfully, these plants are pretty hardy and are easy to maintain. And when it is time to eat, all you need to do is pluck a ripe pod off, bite off the tip and let your hungry little sapling drink their fill. Of course, honey bottles can be used for other things, not just feeding the young. Their sweet nectar can be used as an ingredient for baking or cooking, and tends to show up in a lot of dessert recipes. Some folk whip it up into a wonderful frosting for cakes and other treats! Some add the sweetness to some more basic dishes, especially with young ones at the dinner table. The one drawback to having honey bottles be the perfect food for saplings is that they get a love for sweets and have a hard time trying other things! So sometimes a little dab of nectar is needed to help expand the palate.

5. Weeping Citron - A citrus fruit that gets its name from how the juices drip from the ends of its tendril-like growths, and also referring to what people do when they get their first taste of its sour flesh. Weeping Citron can be eaten as it is (for those able to handle the flavor), or added to juice drinks and recipes, but it shows up in dryad kitchens a lot for another reason. A thing I feel I should mention to my non-dryad readers is that dryads do not normally cook with fire. Dryads and fire are things that have not mixed well in the past, and the element can be dangerous to our homes and beloved forests. This means that fire is not a thing normally present in our day to day lives, thus we aren't used to handling it. Does that mean any dryad will run screaming at the slightest flame? No. Dryads are not deathly terrified of fire, we are just very wary of it and don't have a lot of experience with it. I am quite comfortable with the element, as I make campfires, but there is still some unease. But even if a dryad was fully capable of working with fire, there is a high chance their home is not. Obviously, dryad houses aren't built with fireplaces, or areas where a cooking flame can be lit, thus we cannot use it. We do have dryad bakeries and restaurants that utilize flame, but they were specially built to harness and contain this element. So in the end, this means a lot of our food and dishes are served at room temperature, as there is no flame to cook or boil. While our stomachs can handle rawer food than humans can, breaking down tough meats and vegetables makes digestion much easier. This is where the Weeping Citron comes in. Its highly acidic juices can be used on meat to break it down and make it easier to eat. All one had to do is rip off a tendril of the fruit and squeeze out the fluid into a container. Then you add the flesh and let it soak, giving time for the acid to eat away at it. I have heard that some humans use this cooking method as well, so perhaps this concept is a familiar one to you. However, I am sure most humans are used to dishes being served piping hot, which is one of the major differences between dryad and human cuisine. It certainly takes some getting used to for both sides, but once you figure that out, there is a whole world of delicious foods to try! Believe me, I am always sure to try out the local cuisine wherever I go! Makes me wish I was researching food right now instead of this... 6. Clutter Stalk - I swear this fungus was called a "Cluster Stalk," but I keep seeing it be written as "Clutter." Could it be a regional thing, or did I just make that up? No clue. Anyways, this fungus is known for its CLUSTERS of harden spore pods that are meant to be eaten and dispersed by animals. The spores within are able to survive the digestive process and then are deposited with in a healthy load of feces. I am sure that probably spoiled some appetites talking about that, but that is just how the fungus starts. The rest of its growth process relies on regular soil nutrients, and thus poop is no longer in play here. When it starts to fruit, it forms these CLUSTERS which we harvest and eat. Taste good on their own, or add them to a soup! If you are giving them to saplings to eat, best serve them in a bowl. Poor coordination with a fork will send these things flying everywhere, which is messy enough when done by accident. The little ones find it quite fun playing with these things, using them more as toys than food. Also, humans seem to always make comments about this fungus, referring to its peculiar appearance. Some would say this is noteworthy, but I honestly feel they have these jokes or "observations" about practically any plant or fungus. Yes, they look weird and resemble certain somethings, but when you say that about everything it is hard to take seriously. They say similar stuff about us too! You wouldn't believe what I have heard them say whenever they see small dryad effigies... 7. Climbing Eyes - When in their natural state, the name probably doesn't make sense to people. Red fruits on a vine, where does the "eye" part come in? When these fruits grow ripe, though, that is when the answer reveals itself. They will begin to swell and the crimson shell will crack open, revealing white flesh beneath. With a darkened pit in the center, ringed by the pale meat, the fruit takes on the appearance of eyeballs. It gives quite the look during the growing season, with vines of eyes clinging to the trees! When ripe, the fruits have a tart, refreshing flavor, lovely as a snack or turned into juice. They also can be heated up, which causes the flesh to rapidly expand and turn into a large spongy puff! We call them "Eye Poppers," and we can make them without fire by simply roasting them next to a Heat Cage. Humans like to call these plants "Dryad Eyes," and joke that these are where our eyes are, which I personally don't get. Why do they keep up with this odd prank, acting like they can't see our eyes? It's bewildering. 8. Tarwood - The fruits and nuts of plants aren't the only things we eat, as the Tarwood tree shows. This tree is known for its extremely sticky bark, which traps and kills insects and other critters. This is meant to secure the species more nutrients, and protect it from parasites and herbivores. The combination of crisp bark and sticky fluids, though, cannot be passed up. Since the tree grows this bark in thick, shaggy strips, one can peel off pieces without causing too much damage. Careful harvesting keeps the tree healthy, and results in a bunch of gooey bark laden with bug treats! You can snap into this bark as is, or crumble it up and sprinkle it on a salad or other dish. Glue on your own insects and pieces to personalize the flavor! It is a fun snack for saplings, as they can decorate the bark with a variety of bugs, nuts and seeds. Art you can eat! 9. Gall Candy - Not really a specific species to this one, but they do fare better with the more brighter and colorful ones. Everyone knows how galls can form on plants, be it by insects, parasites or disease. In most cases, these are problems (especially if the plant they are growing on is you), but some of them can have their uses. If you get the galls that are formed by insects laying their eggs in them, then you got the start of something tasty. Have that plant swell up into a big ball, and then pull it off. What you get is a crunchy treat with a surprise in the middle! Add a candy coating or a dip into honey, and you got yourself some Gall Candy! Some you crunch down on in one go, while others you suck on to enjoy that sweet flavor. If one looks to grow and sell these, best find a species that makes real colorful galls, as those are the ones that catch the eyes of saplings. 10. Fly Traps - "Fly Traps?" you may ask, confused by their addition here. "Aren't those just used for pest control?" Indeed, we grow these in our gardens to help feed on any invaders or pest that may try to damage our crops, but we always find extra uses for things. It is the dryad way! Their sensitive hairs help them detect bugs landing in their maws, which then snap shut and coat them in digestive fluids. This makes a good meal for the plant, but we found them to be pretty tasty for us too! Ever had a Fly Wrap? You take a big trap on one of these plants and then drop a bunch of meat and ingredients into its waiting maw. Let it close on this morsel and begin to digest it. This breaks it down into a nice gooey sludge, mixing it all together. You then snap the trap off after a certain amount of time has passed, depending on how crunchy or gooey you want the wrap. The sealed maw makes the perfect shell, holding in all the goodies for you to take a bite out of! Obviously, there are countless recipes for these, but I am still a fan of the original Fly Wrap. Get some big bugs and stuff them in, then give it a minute to just start the digestive process. You want it to still have that crunch to it, where the shells aren't completely dissolved. I feel it adds a nice texture to the meal, as a wrap filled with only goop is a little too samey for me. 11. Marsh Squidhorn - Not to be confused with an actual animal, this fungus gets its name from its appearance and preferred habitat. Long crimson tendrils coated with a pungent slime, called gleba, that is used to attract scavenging bugs for spore dispersal. The "marsh" part also refers to this gunk, as the smell is quite potent and very "swampy." The tendrils themselves have a nice meaty texture to them, and work great when slapped onto a bun! The slime atop them makes the perfect sauce, though that depends if people like the earthy, swampy flavor it has. It is definitely a polarizing taste, either people love it or hate it. Very potent, even in small doses. Critics of it describe the experience as "eating a handful of bog mud." I enjoy the flavor, though it is one I couldn't eat every day. Makes a nice spread, and works great on sandwiches. 12. Black Umbrella Cap - Mushrooms weeping goo is not an uncommon thing but, like the Squidhorn, some of them are specially bred to make that goop tasty! The black slime leaking from the Umbrella Cap is meant to disperse spores, but this is now used as a popular spread and condiment, often called Ink Sauce. It has a bitter, meaty flavor to it, which works well when paired with sweeter dishes or breads. Harvesting the stuff is simple, just take a cup or bowl and scoop up one of the hanging droplets. It's like a natural dispenser! I did have a jar of this stuff packed for this trip, to help add some flavor to my blander rations, but that is long gone. I licked the container clean two days ago, but I may be tempted to see if I missed any. 13. Garden Pot - Another example of us finding an extra use for pest control plants. The Garden Pot is like a vegetable cauldron that lures in bugs with an irresistible scent then drowns in them digestive fluids. Certainly a good way to catch insect invaders before they start chewing on your plants, and also a great way to make some delicious broth! It makes some tasty soups from all the bugs that fall in, or you can add your own ingredients! The digestive fluid breaks down a wide variety of meats and foods, so you can melt up a wonderful broth and then ladle it out into bowls. Garden Pots are pretty much outdoor kitchens, and are excellent at making a meal out of unwanted crops. Whenever you get fruits or fungi that are damaged or too far gone, just toss them into the Garden Pot to add some flavor to your next broth! Of course, always leave some of the soup in the plant so that it can eat too! 14. Puff Loaves - An absolute staple for any dryad kitchen, Puff Loaves are pretty much our version of bread (though we totally still make and eat bread). Soft spongy fungi that you can use for practically anything! Slice it open and stuff it to make a sandwich! Scoop out the insides and fill it with some delicious buggy broth! Drizzle warm honey over it and enjoy it as is! Slice it up and add the spread of your choice! The possibilities are endless! Ooooh, what I would give to have some right now. Two slices of Puff Loaf with a big slab of honey beef right in between! A little drizzle of fly sauce and oh I can't keep talking about it! I will go crazy! 15. Sky Fans - A brilliant blue shelf fungus that grows on tree trunks, the color and shape makes it seem like a piece of the sky fell down. A hard skin hides a soft inside, which makes a pleasant texture when biting into one. Just snap them off a tree and use them in a variety of recipes. The spongy flesh within wicks up fluids nicely once the skin has been cut open, so soaking them in juices adds to the flavor. Even as they are, they are quite tasty. Slice them into triangles and dip them in some honey or ink sauce. An easy snack for when guests come over! Just prepare a bunch, because it is easy to scarf down a ton without thinking! 16. Bulawa Fungus - While its club or mace like shape gives it its name, the more known thing about this fungi is its parasitic nature. The spores infect insects, which then leads to the fungus growing through their bodies and bursting out in bulbous stalks. Bad news for insects, but edible for us dryads. The thin stalk isn't really the part you eat (though you can), it is the swollen top that has the real flavor. Crunchy shell outside, with powdery spores on the inside. The dust has a nice mellow flavor, and kind of leaves a tingle on the tongue. Usually dipped in various sauces or coatings. It can either be snack or a dessert depending on what you cover it with. Word of advice that may seem obvious: don't feed these to any pet bugs you may have. They are tasty treats for sure, but I don't think you want to be picking them off your dead friend. And I think that is enough for now because I am about to eat this journal entry, as it seems way more appetizing than Crust Soup... Chlora Myron Starving Natural Historian -----------------------------------------------------

“Flora and Fungi of the Dryad Kitchen”

Weird writing about all these fungi to eat while I am not even a fan of mushrooms on pizza. Truly a fantasy world, I guess! Which ones would you eat?

#plant #fungus #fungi #art #drawing

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elsolaer · 1 year ago

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STELLE HEADCANON: EFFECTS OF THE STELLARON.

here's a quick roundup of headcanons on how the stellaron that was put into stelle affects her physically, mentally, & otherwise.

throughout the game, a constant issue that the player character (who will be referred to as stelle from here on out) is consistently mentioning or experiencing is headaches. there are often options to say that your head hurts and in uncontrollable dialogue & flavor text its alluded to often enough that i'm going to attribute it towards a physical side effect of the stellaron. stelle has learned to ignore it for the most part but the stronger the stellaron's influence becomes, the worse her headache becomes. this happens regularly in battle because the bulk of her power is from said stellaron, but is overridden by adrenaline. these headaches can make it difficult to sleep and think straight. although her personality is a large factor as to why she's constantly zoning out/not paying attention, the physical effects of her condition do NOT help.

another physical effect is lack of energy. stelle is often very lethargic and ready to (try to) go to sleep. as mentioned above, this is overridden often by adrenaline but it is not uncommon for her to start dozing off wh en there isn't much action going on. the specific reasoning for this is unknown, but i imagine it'd be extremely exhausting to have something like this in you at all times.

this one's just straight up canon: stelle regularly has premonitions of future events and flashbacks of past events that she had no part of. she's like the world's worst prophet. i write her as consistently saying weird, out of context things and part of why i lean so heavily on it is to make it difficult to tell if she's actually saying something important or if it's just nonsense. she herself is not aware of if what she's saying is true or not. her most vivid experiences are when she's asleep- this girl has not known a peaceful night of sleep. her dreams are consistently vivid and surreal and while they are not always prophetic, they often are. especially when she's near another stellaron that would correspond with her own.

much of stelle's odd mannerisms and "delusions" (the twins at the end of the goethe hotel hallway, the smiling man at the alley by the theatre, etc…) can also be attributed to the stellaron's influence. i'm still going back and forth on this, but im thinking that a lot of the weirder inner monologuing that goes into the poetic & overly detailed territory is from its influence as well. it may even be a voice in her head, but i'm not going to go too far into that in case we find out otherwise.

this is a smaller thing, but i imagine stelle has a lot of dumb luck that may have something to do with the stellaron. it evidently gives her premonitions and flashbacks and all of that oracle type nonsense so… it would make sense that it helps with her intuition as well.

obligatory mention: i don't think the stellaron will let stelle truly die unless something interferes or it's power wanes. in the beginning of the game when she shields march, i know that welt helps her but it's said consistently that nobody knows exactly what stellarons are or what they do. they just know that they are extremely powerful, (usually) catastrophic entities. all three of the one's we have seen so far (stelle's, jarilo-vi's, xianzhou) have been extremely different from one another. while they paint it as welt was the one who helped stelle survive, later we see stelle brings herself back to life when she's skewered by cocolia. the way that i'm interpreting it as of now is that welt stabilized her, especially since she had just recently gotten the stellaron put into her at this point. side tangent: i expect that the end of xianzhou we will see the cycle continue of stelle dying and bringing herself back to life so that she can harness another aeon's power, but i am also extremely interested in seeing welt's role in this since he had a major role in stelle's first death.

#HC: STELLE.#sue got me thinking about this earlier so i had to get the brain worm out

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erigold13261 · 2 years ago

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Anon who can’t draw here. Why do you think NSR and Psyconauts characters all look so queer(affectionate) and attractive? (Attractive as in top tier character design) i would like an opinion of an artist

Love you!

Well it all depends on the person looking I would say. Someone who is a bigot and likes these games would deny that any of them look queer. Others might say a character is horribly drawn if they aren't sexualized. And then some people sees a "bad" character design (one that seems to be universally hated) and still love it to bits.

However, I do think that a large portion of the eccentric-ism of each game, in both design form and storytelling form, is a huge factor of why "less normal" people like these games (so people who aren't cishet or neurotypical). Both games really play with shapes and colors along with darker topics (even if it's just implied). So already there will be a disproportionate amount of "not normal" people already in these fandom spaces.

That alone counts for a large portion of people seeing these characters as queer, which can affect the media as a whole as people who look up fanart/fic of these games are now seeing more queer headcanons or art that shows off things they didn't realize were subtly implied or referenced to in the game.

But also, with in-game reasons, I would say Psychonauts having a canonically gay couple does help make other characters look queer, or at least accepting of queerness (which helps people see those characters as some flavor of queer even if it's not fully implied or something). Then there's the fact that those games talk about mental illness, healing, getting support from your family, love, all things that a lot of queer and neurodivergent people want in media without it being made a joke or villainized. (Plus the added angst is something that really helps people connect and possibly project onto characters).

Similar reasons for NSR, where the game kinda promotes shipping in the sense of Sayu talking about love and May with 1010 (and all the retweets and shares from Metronomik being cool with ships) so already there will be people who ship queer relationships, which then get promoted by the game company, leading people to see this as a soft canon. And even though I think Eve is the only confirmed queer person (She's demisexual, but correct me if i'm wrong about the others being or not confirmed) there are still a lot of queer coding in these characters (one being Neon afraid to dance/not liking his body and wanting to make 1010 look more masculine, which can be seen as trans-coded, at least to me).

The story itself of NSR is also something that resonates with queer and neurodivergent people. It is about overcoming an oppressor, making amends with friends and family, learning how to communicate, dealing with mental illness as well. The story itself is a big factor of people liking this game, since gameplay can be lacking at times. The characters have depth but also allow for a LOT of manipulation in their story and behavior as they are not as fleshed out compared to like Psychonaut characters.

I am starting to lose focus. I probably have more to say about NSR but I'm gonna go into the design/visuals for now.

Design wise, the characters are unique. Psychonauts plays around with shapes really well, especially when constructing hair and facial proportions. And NSR, though a bit standard in how it presents bodies, still has unique silhouettes and character designs (especially with DJ and Mama), not to mention the colors are vibrant and not natural (psychonauts tries to stick in a more "realistic" color palette at least in the real world but still plays around with their colors).

So like, the attractiveness/top teir character design, comes from strong and unique proportions along with cohesive color design. Shape theory is also a really good thing that goes into character design. Like my favorite thing about NSR is how physically different Eve is, even though she is a human (supposedly) she is built differently to show how she feels like an outcast. And then you have characters like Helmut who, even though still fits in with the rest of the cast, is extremely big but still shows off how soft he can be instead of being intimidating with his size (also love the fact that he's probably the biggest extrovert and still has anxiety/panic attacks).

Even just the color of the characters is important. 1010 have super bright and saturated colors to them, but only one color each and black and white covers most of their body to give breathing room to their designs. As Sayu's phases progress, more and more colors appear, but all the colors are complimenting each other instead of fighting for dominance.

Looking just at Helmut, both mental world and character design. Lots of colors and shapes are being used, but nothing is fighting for dominance a lot of the time. You are still able to see where you need to go most of the time in the game, and Helmut's design has a breathing room for the eyes to rest on (such as the black of his coat and his face area).

So yeah, the combination of character design (visual and vocal) and the story really are the main contributing factors for a lot of these characters being well liked and either queer-coded or canonically queer. Hopefully this made sense, I basically just woke up so yeah lol.

#nsr #no straight roads #psychonauts #eritalks #noart #asks #it's literally just game design #good design is what gets people interested #and then the fandom takes over #so many characters aren't even implied queer #but fandom skews that perception a lot #main point #i never thought of z/imelu being trans #until a mutual showed me the light #and now all of n/sr is queer for me #lol

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ryo-maybe · 2 years ago

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>thinking csm is disappointing in animation

In the interest of fairness I will preface this by saying that I am not actively following the CSM anime and all my knowledge of it comes from various snippets, be they clips, OP/EDs etc, so you are free (and would, frankly, be justified in doing so) disregard everything that follows.

With that out of the way, a clarification is in order, especially since in the tags of that post I made mention of two other anime adaptions - those of Dorohedoro and Kengan Asura - that couldn't possibly appear less comparable to CSM's, of all things.

Let's talk about art. If we wanted to give the purest technical definition of art, the barest of bones in terms of explaining what art is (as far as I can articulate and conceive it, anyway), it would be the conveyance of something through a medium (or multiple combined, but let's not trip ourselves in a messy pile of specifics and forget we're tl'ing the shit of a ;tr). A message, a raw emotion, an unspeakable something, translated into a form perceivable by others through their senses. The medium is the key here: it is the mold that shapes the message, as much as it is the message that molds the medium. It's a chicken and egg situation. What I want to say is, an artist will convey what they want to through their medium of choice because it is what best fits their vision (and, of course, their personal abilities, but that's beside the point). The message was shaped to fit the medium. A writer may choose to write in the second person to achieve a rawness in the way they address the reader that neither the first nor the third person could achieve in the exact fashion they envisioned. A manga artist may choose to use a double spread instead of a single page to lend more gravity and magnitude to an action sequence's decisive moment. A film director will place the camera angle so as to place the focus on a certain object that will gain relevance in a later scene. And so on.

An artist who possesses mastery of their medium is akin to any other person who has mastered the tool of their choice. Knowing how to measure the strength of your grip will make your sword cut better. Careful measuring of the ingredients will allow a chef to bring out that extra hint of flavor that would otherwise be missed by an amateur. A translator with deep knowledge of the languages they are working with will be able to offer a counterpart to otherwise untranslatable wordplay that is just as clever. Likewise, it will be apparent when an artist knows how to capitalize on the strengths of their medium of choice, because they possess a freshness to their work that transcends those made through mere technical prowess alone. It's like the difference between putting on a featureless sweatshirt and a stylish jacket embossed with metal spikes. If you met two people wearing these in the middle of a street, you would sooner focus on the one wearing the latter than the former, right?

Fujimoto, Hayashida and Daromeon, along with other manga artists such as Tsutomu Nihei, are artists whose styles I greatly appreciate because of a distinct quality I will dub Stylistic Roughness. I mean this to be distinct, and I would say diametrical opposite, from a rough style. The latter is an artstyle where apparent mistakes, such as awkward proportions, poor use of paneling, unclear placement of balloons, uneven lineart, you name it, that are due to involuntary factors, such as haste, lack of care, or insufficiently trained skill. A lack of choice, in other words. Stylistic roughness, on the other hand, is the opposite: the roughness is a feature. It is a choice. The world of Dorohedoro is cesspool where gore is the norm, a metal album in comic form: her artstyle wraps Hole, its inhabitants in a distinctly grotesque, inescapable veneer where even cuteness can't help but blossom in morbidly weird ways. Intimate knowledge of the body and martial arts - of what it means for a blow to impact your own body or for one of your own to meet the body of an adversary - is perfectly evident in Kengan Asura's art, where a beautiful marriage of exaggeration and realism expresses such power in every blow depicted, you will come out of flipping every page trembling as if it was you who got a heel the size of a truck smashed atop your skull. Nihei's characters are ghostly sketches lost within the labyrinthine, oppressive immensity of the Megastruture's rigid architecture, an evocative contrast that underlines the sheer magnitude and solitude of environs akin to massive graves where even the dusty memory of their creators has been reduced to a scant few traces. And then we have Fujimoto, whose provocative themes are conveyed with an artstyle that bleeds with at once contempt for the absurdity of modern society's trappings and a dry, yet unquestioningly heartfelt pity for the individuals that said society begets.

These works shine because they know how to use their medium. The medium, the style, they're pulsing organs of the whole that are their stories, stories made to be conveyed in a certain fashion because the medium allowed them to utilize certain techniques, ideas and solutions that work because they leveraged the strengths of, specifically, manga.

Strengths which are distinct from those of animation.

An adaption, in my opinion, live and dies not by how faithfully it mirrors its source, but by how creatively it reinterprets and reimagines the source in a way that leverages the strengths of a different medium. It's why so many video game movie adaptions fail: just because you can "play" a movie, it doesn't mean you can play a movie. Strip the main source of fun, the interactivity, from a game, and what's left? Many a movie director has failed to answer this question in a satisfactory fashion. In the same vein, anime adaptions tend to fail, in my opinion, because they do not attempt to go further than putting into motion what was on the inked page. That's it. No panache, no individuality.

I want an adaption to give me a reason to experience the same story again in a uniquely distinctive, fresh fashion. Otherwise, why wouldn't I just peruse the source again, when I know for sure that it was made to be the best it could possibly be on the medium it was conceived to fit to begin with? I have no interest in a digested summary of a story I already know, so I expect the original story to become the familiar framework over which something new is built. I'm not talking about a narrative digression, mind you, but a stylistic one.

It is easy to pick apart Dorohedoro, Kengan Asura and Blame's anime adaptions. The myopic, inexplicable decision to take two works that made of Stylistic Roughness their distinctive trait, and instead wrapped the original story in the incredibly ugly, stiff and lifeless trappings of cheap 3D CG. I hate to disparage the work of the artist involved, and I am sure that their talents would have been put to perfectly enjoyable use, had the direction allowed them to do so. But then, what's the problem with Chainsaw Man's adaption? It seems crazy to compare it to those two, right? After all, it is undeniable that MAPPA has managed to produce a series that, by all intents and purposes, looks like something that would have only been thought possible in a theatrical release up to very recent years, rather than a TV series. I could say that I shudder to think about what the conditions that made this possible may be, after the incredibly chilling production fiasco that was Wonder Egg Priority, but I'm hardly the kind of person who'd let that keep them from trying a show out.

My problem with CSM's adaption is that it suffers from the same issue as the adaptions I mentioned above. It merely occupies the exact opposite end of the same spectrum. The animation is KyoAni levels of kino - and that's about it. I cannot claim to know how much input Fujimoto had into the series' artistic direction. Anyone with even passing knowledge of his works is well aware of his passion for movies, so it would be reasonable to guess that the anime's direction owes much to this preference. And I don't think it works. Everything feels too squeaky clean. It's competently made like a white cupboard. It does its job extremely well, but it doesn't stand out otherwise. It's a kind of feeling I have begun to recognize ever since I gave Lycoris Recoil a try: I have no interest virtuosic displays of an animation studio's ability to depict the fabric of a sleeve around an incredibly detailed hand moving in seemingly rotoscoped fashion. Or, at the very least, not when there is nothing more than to it than that. Not when works like CSM fail to gain anything from such details, because the reason they thrived was due to distinctly personal vision conveyed through incredibly unique Stylistic Roughness. I don't want a CSM fight to look realistic. I want to look and feel like a fucking satisfyingly thought-out mess.

Masters like Satoshi Kon know how to use that kind of realistic approach while still infusing their work with incredible amounts of life. Stuff like the CSM anime or Lycoris Recoil feel like prepackaged products too busy vaunting the superficial appeal of their kino animation to truly try and reach out for the reviewers with anything more. The OPs and EDs of CSM are rife with all the creativity that the show itself lacks.

And this is why I think the Bocchi anime is a better adaption than Chainsaw Man's.

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sanjuwrites · 1 year ago

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hello on this day of nice asks i would like to ask about the love of my life aishwarya. how did you come up with her, misc trivia (what’s her favorite ice cream flavor, what dish is her absolute weakness, what kinds of books does she love) things you’re going to include in the series and things you’re not i want to know everything pls

oh my god i could go on for ages about her, i love aishu to pieces. i have an entire "aishu begins" style fic in the works, but i am happy to feed you until i finish that one (which wont be for a while lmao)

okay aishwarya rajesh is a heavy combination of people i know in my life, and some of my own personality traits thrown in there. there's a lot to be said about the lack of queer poc/brown women in hollywood, and that was definitely a driving factor of in the creation of her character. she was originally someone i would just write these little scenarios about in the margins of my notebook, going as far back as my freshman year of high school with a couple of other OCs.

ironically, i've always had the same face claim and profession for aish - anupama parameswaran (who is absolutely stunning btw) and paramedic. She evolved as I did, fleshing out into a fully fleshed character over the years.

when i restarted lone star and started engaging in the fandom, i realized that this was a safe space for this character i had shaped into someone i loved so dearly.

anyway enough about how i created her <3

favorite ice cream flavor: has to be haagen-dazs coffee-chip or talenti's chocolate peanut butter cup gelato. she's literally obsessed with chocolate and peanut butter, it's a sureshot way of getting you to forgive her.

favorite dish: aloo paratha, oh my god it's pani puri. whenever tk and carlos did something really stupid, they'd go begging Aparna to help them make aloo paratha so she'd forgive them. once carlos started picking up cooking, carlos started making it himself, picking up so many other recipes. it's a bonding thing for the trio now, where they all go to one of the three houses and make one of aparna's recipes. they absolutely carry this into their adult life, and it's one of aishwarya's favorite traditions that was carried from their childhood.

books she loves: crime thrillers. she's obsessed with them, she thinks there's so goddamn interesting, and she will make carlos read them with her and send him her insane theories (she's right almost 95% percent of the time and it drives carlos nuts) (he doesn't know she reads ahead and actually knows how it ends, and she just likes his reaction) (tk does know this and watches the chaos unfold with his cider every. single. time.)

okay so i've alluded to an aish/iris relationship before, but never really discussed anything, buuuut aish's got an ex-boyfriend, rahul. thye broke up on good terms because rahul realized aish was in love with iris but wasn't ready to confront it yet. they stayed friends and i have not decided yet, but i think they hooked up on and off throughout college, after which iris and aish reconnect again romantically (they do repair their friendship, but they both wanted more)

i'm cutting myself off, because i could tak about her for hours and still have more to share. she's so special to me.

send me more asks about her, please. i love talking about her.

#asked and answered #neha 🩷#sanjuwrites

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duvithemook · 1 year ago

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I keep seeing on my dash this one post that pushes the idea that "literally any aspect of the self is invented, you have nothing that you couldn't live without, your personality is invented" and I just. Fucking hate it. It's a sense of nihilism taken to the nth degree masquerading as an optimistic sentiment.

The poem it cites, "The Flinch", is mostly responsible for what enrages me, but the pseudo-intellectual comic about "just change your personality, it's not hard" is also infuriating. Let's remove some nuance from the argument, like relapsing into old habits, necessity due to environmental factors, and lamenting beneficial behaviors because they don't reflect the self, and just focus down on the main argument: "you are the way you are exclusively because you have decided to be, and that can change at any moment". Let's really examine it.

Firstly, on an entirely and EXCLUSIVELY scientific level, the argument of "nature vs nurture" being foremost in human development of brain structure is STILL HOTLY DEBATED. To tell the truth, we know shockingly little about the human mind and habit development that can't be disproven on an individual basis! On top of that, many things cited in the poem, like the way someone tastes food, are PURELY biological and not even based slightly in choice. You can't CHOOSE to like a flavor or texture you hate, and while it's good to see if that changes over time, it's not something you can make an active choice to enjoy.

Secondly, from a non-scientific standpoint, the false equivalences are through the roof. To put "learning an instrument" on the same difficulty level as "quitting an addiction" on the same necessity level as "reforming your personality to spice things up" reads as at the very least tactless and thoughtless, and at the very worst nihilistic waffle about how lack of flexibility is cowardice, that everything a person chooses is inherently wrong if not constantly under scrutiny, and that we're all basically mindless non-individuals following habits except for the real chads who constantly change everything about themselves and never commit to a solid set of personality traits.

Third and finally, the most infuriating part of the whole thing: the final part, to insist upon completely discarding the self, is an actively harmful sentiment for people who struggle to find their sense of self, people who tend to depersonalize or dissociate, and people who might use it as an excuse to exhibit harmful behaviors. People like that, like myself in the first and second categories, would feel as though the sand we had finally collected a handful of was smacked from our hands, only to be told to collect some elsewhere. What am I to do when I don't have a personality as much as a set of things I try to achieve? IS that a personality? Do you believe I should change my goals and ideals because Breaking Habits Is Good, or should I stick to my guns on some undefined, unspecified, arbitrary set of rules? I know that writer doesn't have an answer for any of this, but I do: the individual is TANGIBLE. It can be FELT when it is HAD, and those without it feel the bloody gape it's missing from like a bullethole.

TL;DR you are not immune to pseudointellectualism and smug self-assured nihilists can find a purpose to life by eating shit. Try it, I hear it's a great habit breaker.

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moe-broey · 2 months ago

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I don't know where you want to take the FE flavored bits in your Pokemon AU, but in the Pokemon Anime there are some side plots involving modern/vestigial royalty. (Dawn's or Chloe's doppelgangers come to mind.) So, if Al and Shari are still descended from royalty in this AU, the Honedge line could be an Ancient Royal Family Tradition. I can picture Gustav using Alfonse's Aegislash or lack-there-of (still a Doublade?) as a point of contention, even if the family "kingdom" is just an old castle estate now. If Al doesn't have one/evolved his later than normal/non-traditionally than he is still Immature and Not Ready etc. Which would kinda fill in as a decent plot translation for their Bad Paternal/Filial Relationship.

But that's just a thought, since Aegislash really is just a strangely "Alfonse" pokemon. I hope however your ideas take form they bring you joy.

OHHH THIS IS FASCINATING.... I'm def most familiar with the game lore, and even then it's been a while since I was Deeply in The Interest so I'm rusty! The idea of the Askr family still being royalty here just wasn't a possibility in my mind!

For the lore of it, I was definitely gonna start with referencing the Aether Foundation, and go from there (esp since gen 7 has my ENTIRE heart story/character lineup wise, DEF left the deepest impression on me back then! 🥺🫣 ScarVio def matches it though). But my thought process was, translating royalty into being the head of a big important foundation or company... esp one like the Aether Foundation where it's benevolent on the surface, just. Has one crazy motherfucker behind it corrupting things from the inside 🧍. WHICH... wouldn't be a one-to-one, but I think also the politics of different organizations could easily translate to evil team plots and whatnot (esp in the case of Embla, maybe a rival to whatever Askr has going on?)

But as you can probably tell, none of this has even been thought about yet LMFAOO 😅 I DO really like the approach here though... where the "royalty" is just some old tired but emotionally significant tradition. The rivaling families can still exist too. Just on a much, MUCH smaller and petty scale. WHICH IS SO FUNNY TBH.... imagine being just some guy, who gets tangled up in this. Stupidest most oddly compelling family drama ever, that spans generations. Which surely won't explode into something catastrophic.... if...... general rules about evil teams in Pokemon and Embla itself is anything to go by.... (LIKE. USING "evil team" as a BROAD descriptor here. In my head I'm imagining what if Team Aqua/Magma weren't extremist environmentalists and instead had like an XY old royalty family rivalry plot. Something to that effect!)

BUT!!!! BUT!!!!! I DO REALLY LOVE THE AEGISLASH IDEA........ the Foreshadowing of it...... but also the characterization!!!!! With Aegislash's offense form/defense form gimmick!!!!

I am ALWAYS thinking about Alfonse's characterization of being someone who may play defense for a little too long. During the Flavia FBs, he guards and blocks to his detriment, not making any real progress in the sparring. Then there's the promo/introduction of that PVP mode, demonstrated by Alfonse battling Veronica -- wherein, Alfonse starts off strong, but because he played too defensively as the game went on, Veronica got the upper hand and won. (THAT EXAMPLE. IS ALWAYS SUCH A FUNNY ONE TO PULL FROM FOR ME.... but the AMOUNT. Of characterization you get from it, even if it's not in-game material and is a promo/demo of a new mode. It's fascinating to me, and you see so succinctly how it plays out!)

But then you have the offense side of it!!!! Where there are just as many moments it seems (or, as time has gone on and Alfonse has gained more confidence), where he acknowledges that a defensive approach won't work. He thinks it through. He comes up with A Plan. And that plan usually involves going ALL out, All or Nothing, FOR THE THROAT, putting his whole pussy into it!!!!!! The reckless factor, the "calculated risks", ect ect!!!!! Get em, Alfonse!!!!! You crazy bitch!!!!!!

I JUST THINK. THE WAY YOU CAN DO STORYTELLING IN POKEMON. IS ALWAYS SOOOOOO FUN AND FASCINATING. You have 1000+ mons to pick from, with HUNDREDS of little quirks that make up all of them. From dex entries, to playstyle, appearances ofc, typings, and game mechanics (age old tried and true storytelling device of the friendship evolution Pokemon, AND EVEN!!!! TRADE EVOLUTION POKEMON!!!!! Which could inform you about a character's connection to other trainers, even if that other trainer isn't a character themselves... the implication, that maybe a loner type trainer has a trade evo Pokemon that they WERE able to evolve... who helped them do that? 👀). That's just a handful of the things you can work with! The amount of depth you can go with is astounding!!!! And perhaps... overwhelming 😅🧍

#ask answered!#pokefeh au #HONESTLY BASED TAKE BC I WOULD NOT HAVE EVEN THOUGHT TO IMPLEMENT THE ROYALTY ASPECT LIKE THIS #but i def think it's a more compelling and fitting and funny approach. has A LOT of potential #and def brings the focus back on the characters vs the broader world of it. which!!!! is so good actually #bc that is The Point of aus. how are these characters still recognizably themselves in completely alternate circumstances?#DEF.... WILL HAVE TO ROTATE THIS IN MY MIND.... whenever i get back into it!!!

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bh-writingdump · 2 months ago

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Divine Punishment

Part 2: Jackal [5]

[1st draft, reframing]

You race to the elevator. If you keep at this pace, you’ll make it to the golf course in time to put 24 holes by dinner. the hallway parts preemptively for your arrival.

Only for a voice like whip shouts. “Mx!” Why of all thing did you hire a senior manager with the voice of a bullfrog? “Jameson & Co just acquired Davi’s Pops.”

Internally, you groan. That’s bad. Davi is financing a venture that they couldn’t follow through on without help. There’s no way Jameson & Coo wouldn’t shut it down long before the product release. They’ve been notorious of undercutting prices and finding every single way to pour salt in your wound. And you already moved the cheapest labor you could overseas. There aren’t any more corners that can be cut.

Heavens and Earth, this mess will take month to balance out… unless.

“Mix, we’ll be in the red by next—”

“Dissolve 25% of the earth department, shut down all experimental projects with a risk about 10%.”

Your assistant close behind, scribbling. While the upper manager stares in disbelief.

“You have your orders go.”

You push the elevator button with more force than strictly necessary. Several others gathered by the elevator. Looing at each of them, you say. “this one’s mine.”

Your upper manager leaps into the elevator after you, “But that’ll mean laying off at least several hundred to make the—”

“Nobody’s getting laid off if I can help it.”

You send them a hard look, shutting them up instantly, but it’s too late. The folks waiting for the elevator eye each other, already ready to pass around the newest gossip that will screw with productivity further.

“Whatever comes out of your mouth better be damn worth it. the drop in morale alone, possible rats jumping ship before I can lay them off…

“Sorry, Mx, but that was only one of our allies acquisitioned. Several root beer family packs deals have fallen through picked up by Rip Tide Inc. 40% of our profits will be from those partnerships.

“Who signed off on those?”

By the lack of a response, you can only assume it was a shareholder or member of the board you pressed an executive behind your back. Those sluts will bend for anyone. “Of course they did.” Exasperated, soon as the elevator hits the market floor, you grab the manager. A pear shaped fellow with a penchant for polos and bandanas like some sailor-wannabe greets you.

“We need a new plan yesterday. There’s several flavors a rook proposed. Jade Yumenes, call nem and set up a plan of how to market those by Monday.”

The manager open his mouth to argue but one look over your shoulder and he sighs. “Yes, Mx.”

You glance over your shoulder finding not your upper manager there but your assistant typing away at xyr tablet. “That’s unfortunate.”

“What now? Another acquisition?”

“You fired Mx Yumenes last week.”

“What? Lemme see that? Sue enough the termination papers were signed by you. “call them and tell them they—”

“I’ll tell nem.” Your assistant still hasn’t looked you in the eye. Whether scared you’d fire them to or equally bogged down in the details of saving the company, it doesn’t matter.

“The factors will be closed overseas. Do we have any left locally?”

For several moments, you assistant doesn’t response, tapping away.

“Hey! You snap.”

Xe doesn’t even finch. Taking their time setting xyr tablet aside. “I’ve already sent word to the factories but it’ll take time to—”

“I don’t want to hear how you do it, make it happen. I am not losing this popsicle stand to some live streaming teenager.”

You march back toward the elevators. Canceling the golf, it can wait. For all you know your private golf courses will be something that has to be sold as well. A pity, it’s good to have a backup.

* * *

Late into the night, you make calls. Call in favors. See to it managers are back in the office and consulting executives how to expunge nearly 200 employees in a day.

Signing another form, you find yourself nodding off. you fill up another cup of coffee, it barely peels open your eyes. you stare into the gourmet fresh grounds. The murky brown bean water spins and swirls beneath your spoon. Until your head feels light and all of a sudden, you yourself being pulled into it.

You nose elongates to a sharpened point. Each swirl of your spoon sending it in a spiral, taking more of you with it. You try to yank yourself out, scream for help but by the time you do, you’ve face has stretched too far. It comes out as a whisper.

The sparse chatter of overtime workers flows through the door. Loud enough to drown out your whispered pleas as your dragged into your coffee.

Amongst the boiling juice, all your senses infused with the smell. You try to climb out. Something drags you deeper. Its scaley and smooth, a snake? How is there a snake in your coffee?

Never mind that, its tail rattles. The sound deafening beneath the surface. You kick, pulling. It’s too tight.

It’s then when your body starts to burn from the heat and oxygen starvation that wave rolls through the coffee.

A wave runs through the coffee. Then, you feel the snake pause in its tugging. The wave comes again, this time strong enough to force you further back. The snake yanks on you even harder.

Not until the third time the wave rolls by, this one enough to pick you from the water and throw you against solid ground. You cough and sputter, desperately climbing up the shore and away from the water. A V-shape comes toward you.

This time you hear a harmonious whistle in the distance. Whoever was after you, disappears. So does the muddy water until its clear enough that you can see the bottom. Shale like rock lines the floor, all the way to the bottom. Unless it’s hiding beneath one of the decaying logs or in the mud at the bottom, you doubt it’s there.

As you recover, it strikes you as strange. You were certain you’d inhaled some of the coffee-water—whatever that was. Yet, your throat doesn’t burn, much less did you spit up the coffee. In fact, you’re entirely dry, in an entirely different suit than you came in. Your favorite from back when you declared your first company to the public and began collecting shareholders.

The dark green matched with a treefrog green tie and stripped shirt with limited edition Oxfords that you’re certain you lost years ago. Not only that, but it doesn’t have that tiny stain nobody managed to get out on the inside of the sleeve.

A chill rolls down your spine.

However you got here, someone must knew your routines, your history and gotten past 50 people without any raising the alarm of seeing a stranger, then somehow drug you and get you here…

But it felt so real..

You pull up your pant leg but there’s no mark of the creature.

Could it be a hallucination?

You glance around the rolling fields of wild flowers popping up between the rocks and patches of fertile soil. You’re sitting on the edge of a glacial lake. The cool wind as it rolls off the water despite the direct sun. You don’t recognize.

Whatever they gave you, it must’ve been strong.

But who?

You climb up a nearby hill. The walls of the lake steep but you manage to scale the uneven terrain to its lip. The view nearly makes you fall back again.

It’s no wonder you didn’t recognize the mountain. You’ve got to be in the middle of a whole range of them. Somehow at the top of one, you the slope in front of you is so sheer, no human could drop down it.

You blink, staring at it. “How… is that… even?” You glance back. Only to see something long and green crawl out of the water in a serpentine fashion. You gasp, stumbling back.

You feel yourself tipping over. You close your eyes, already knowing that’s it. You’re done.

Dying of the most convoluted assassination ever.

Fantastic job, you.

Just as you expect to feel the crushing embrace of jagged rocks, you hit something soft. You open your eyes to be staring at a blue sky though waves of golden grain.

It’s as if someone knocked you out again. The sun’s a little lower in the sky. The winds hot, everything’s warm. You wander through the grain. It stretches on endlessly all the way to the horizon. Except a little hill with someone waiting beneath a tree.

At a distance, you’d have assumed the strange to be of a pale complexion. Upon closer examination, you realize it’s because they literally are a shade of off white. Bones. A skeleton. Admittedly, you’d never seen a skeleton before. You’d heard of them in old myths but you assume they all died off awhile ago in the wars.

Clambering up the hill, you notice another figure beside em. This creature smaller, partially obscured what has to be a great deal taller than you.

The skeleton with the face of a jackal waves eir companion, a cat monster, back. By the time you summit the hill, amazed you hadn’t broken a sweat, eir companion had disappeared beneath the tree. You only catch a bit of their conversation “I can handle Skylar. Ze’s just surprised.”

Skylar? You look behind you? There wasn’t anyone else. Or did they think you were this Skylar. E got your pronouns right though… which is concerning.

“Skylar, it’s been awhile. Do you remember--”

You close the distance, grabbing the stranger’s tie and yanking em down to eye level. Fuck all these god damn tall people. They’d look you in the eye for once. “I don’t know how you got the drop on me but if you want to escape with a single penny to your name, you’ll get me to the nearest police station. Right. NOW.”

For lack of a name, you call em Jackal. Jackal hums as if encountering a tricky conundrum. “Huh, you should’ve remembered upon seeing… how queer. Are you hungry?”

“I don’t think you understand the situation your in.”

Jackal smiles pleasantly. “Likewise.”

“You drugged me. KIDNAPPED me. Then kept drugging me! I don’t care if you’re from Jameson & Co or some other half-baked scheme, you’re lucky I don’t tear you apart as it stands. There’s a tracker within me, they’ll find me any minute now.” You cross your arms, memorize this hustler’s features for eir time in court.

“Skylar…” Jackal sighs.

“My name isn’t Skylar! Do you even know who you kidnapped?”

“Enlighten me.” You wait for the sarcasm but none comes.

“Soon to be your worst nightmare. Where’s your car? You’ve got to have a car somewhere to be in butt fuck nowhere?”

Jackal remains silent as you search the nearby fields. There aren’t even game trails. It’s as if nobody has been out here for years. You don’t even see any signs of animals. Just the grass.

Whatever this place is, something is very wrong with it.

“I have nothing to hide. I could’ve told you I live here.”

Before you realize it, you’re fist flies, hitting em square in the jaw. The move seems to surprise you just as much as em. You’d never hit someone before. Yet, it came so easily.

“Oh, that’s rich. You’re wiping minds too? Think I wouldn’t notice how I forgot I took self-defense classes?” You bounce on the balls of your feet. It doesn’t feel natural, not like punching him. Didn’t have to be. All you have to do is convince this bozo e picked the wrong joy to kidnap. “How about I ruin that pretty little suit of yours?” It hadn’t been lost on you the accoutrement. It’s an exact replica from a fictional frog from a picture book you loved as a kid. “Unless you want to fess up and tell me how the hell I got here?”

Jackal’s shoulders drop. “you wouldn’t believe me.” In eir moment of looking away, you charge.

Instead of fighting back, the jackal ducks beneath your arm. Quite a feat for someone a foot taller than you, like it was a game. You turn on your heel, racing at him again. E pulls at the fabric of eir suit like it suddenly appeared, Sniffing it, Jackal murmurs while examining a pocket watch. “You have strange tastes. This was outdated even in my day.”

The next time, you dive for a tackle. This time Jackal disappears entirely, as if being corporal was a distraction. You whirl around, half expecting em to drop out of a tree only to find em further down the hill. Long strides graceful, unlike you as your stumble on your hands and knees, practically tripping over yourself.

“No matter, I’ll make do.” E shirks off the coat, letting it crump to eir feet along with removing eir socks and shoes like some wild child as your father would say. Burying eir feet in the loose soil, e sighs.

You stalk up behind the Jackal.

E sighs, “You can’t expect to meet me and dress me unannounced. It’s rude.” Jackal holds up the pair of sleek leather boots, glaring at them. “Your people’s ideas of footwear verge on torture, are you aware? Or do you just, make do?”

“What?”

Jackal shakes their head. “Never mind, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

“What is wrong with you?” You growl. “You kidnapped me for a ransom or to eliminate me right?”

“No. Why would? I was the one who invited you here.”

It’s akin to mixing gummy candy and soda. “Fine. You don’t want to help me. I’ll find my own way home.”

“I wouldn’t advise that.” Eir voice comes from beside you.

You definitely don’t scream. Instead, you leap back, tumbling down the hill. Jackal shouting after you. When you finally stop, Jackal’s leaning over you. “Are you—” E sighs, disappearing to dodge you from kicking em. “Of course, it’s all fun and games before someone checks up on you.” Jackal rolls eir eyes. “If wrestling would help, I would’ve initiated.” E dodges, not even bothering to pretend e was cheating.

“Then leave me alone!” You shout.

This time you throw your hand, Jackal catches it. You freeze as Jackal pats it. “All right.” A sad sort of smile spreading over eir serene features. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

Next thing you know, you’re snoring on your desk. Coffee spilling all along the floor and someone knocking at the door. You groan.

It was just a dream. None of it was real.

You can’t help but laugh, somewhat hysterically.

Of course it wasn’t real! You fell into your coffee, suddenly woke up on a glacier. Then fell into a meadow hundreds of miles away that had no bugs or people in any direction but a jackal headed skeleton cosplaying as a child’s book character.

You let yourself laugh for awhile. Evening ignoring your secretary’s calls until finally you get a grip. It has to be the stress of managing this transition. That’s it. The headaches, the dreams, it’ll all go away once this blows over.

#divine punishment #dp2

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