#I just kind of wish the player was treated with more respect for not being a part of that majority

[cormorantcolors]

Okay idk if this is a hot take, I just finished my first BG3 playthrough recently and am only now starting to really engage with the fandom, but why is nobody talking about how hostile the game can be towards ace and especially aro characters? Like idk it feels weird that Withers is so beloved or the tiefling party is such a cherished scene when both of them have text that paints choosing not to date anyone as lonely and cold and tragic.

[mdhwrites]

THE. HERTA.

The writers from the Intelligentsia Guild wanted to give me an extra title. Something like "Herta Prime" to separate me from my puppets. How banal. Are the puppets not "me" as well? So, I gave them a suggestion — if they dared to write that, then I would call myself THE Herta. It's short, simple, straight to the point, and elegant.

Esteemed member #83 of the Genius Society, human, female, young, beautiful, attractive. It's said that she lives in the far edge of the Cosmos, almost never leaving. Sounds like her appearance this time... must be to deal with an issue that has to be handled herself, right?

Image and above text taken from Hoyo's English account on Twitter.

OH MY GOD I'M HYPED! And just this alone already feels right. I'll admit when I first saw her I went "Teen Lisa" at the design... But it's a teenager which is kind of major to me. Framing her that young fits exceptionally well with who she has been throughout the entire game. Hear me out:

When we first meet her, she's a petulant, uncaring brat who just wants to play with her toys and hardly cares for people who don't make her life more fun. A bad ending to Star Rail's beginning is sticking around and Herta losing interest in you because of the lack of change. All she cares about is her simulated universe.

By the time Ruan Mei is there though, she's spent a lot more time at the Space Station than she ever has before. She now has a group of peers she has been working with for a long while, something implied she hasn't done really, much like Ruan Mei. But instead of just taking charge and telling the others what geniuses they'll recruit, she's asking for input, wanting their thoughts, stuff like that. She is learning her game is more fun with more players.

A sidequest in Penacony pushes her the next step where she is given a heavy weight. A weapon used to destroy entire star systems. She doesn't mock the scientist, the gift or the weapon like she might have at the start. She treats the Stellaron in us as just a weapon to be played with after all. No, she solemnly tucks it away for later, respectful of the wish that someone who can maybe use it for good have it. It's a responsibility that she must accept, properly, with no one like Asta to shirk it off to. Instead of trying to ignore it though, she treats it with respect.

Finally, we have the Unknown Domain which has a LOT to it about Herta potentially opening up due to it being about something so critical to who she is... But the one I want to zoom in on is the ending. For someone who saw themselves as so high and mighty, who theoretically treats the universe as a curiosity to be replicated, who can only be interested in the strange and unknowable, the curiosities of existence... She gives a mundanite comfort. Thanks someone who could never approach her understanding for giving her the first step into being who she is. She knows it's a simulation but she feels that weight enough to feel the need to thank the simulation regardless.

And now she deems something so important that she comes herself? What could that possibly mean? She needs to kiss Ruan Mei? I can't even begin to properly guess but I am excited to put it mildly because we have gotten to see this teenager, some loli bait doll, become a young woman and now we'll get a physical manifestation of it and I LOVE IT.

Also, just a shout out to the description perfectly explaining why she's Ice Erudition again. "The puppets are me." So why would she be anything other than just a refined, perfected version of the puppets? Also she uses a keyblade/staff which makes the Kingdom Hearts fan in me happy and I'm just SO curious what we're going to see with her. A Herta who summons other Hertas? Does she spin with the key? Is the portal cat an actual thing to her? GIVE ME MORE INFORMATION STAR RAIL!

But for now, I am just excited to let my mind expand thanks to this first turn of her key to let us see who she will be. I just hope it's as exciting when she opens the door properly. See you next tale.

======+++++======

A reminder my asks are open and I'd love questions about Star Rail or even story ideas! I struggle more with concepts to write about for Star Rail far more than I wish I did and I'd love to hear your all's thoughts for a font of inspiration.

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[msbunnat]

sorry if you’ve been asked this before but how do you interpret Zeus in Greek mythology?

I know you like to keep the details of your comic a secret but can you at least elaborate on your perspective about his canon?

Like me personally, I see Zeus as kind of a force of nature, probably cuz he kind of is. He’s the man made character created in order to further understand that which man did not know, like all the gods. And also like the other gods his actions are hard to rationalize cuz they’re so dam inconsistent. One moment he’s treating women as disposable then the next he’s giving Hestia the respect and permission to never marry without any question.

sorry for the Yap sesh lol, love ur art and ur comic btw!

I think this is the first time someone has asked this and I am very happy to answer!

*THIS IS TO BIG SORRY!! ;-;

First, I need to make it clear that the Zeus of ancient myths and my Zeus will be different, even though its based on mythology. I am just contributing with my two cents to this range of fanfics that have existed since ancient times.

I truly believe that all the myths we love and explore are basically fanfics based on a religion and that people in the past used them to spread knowledge, comedies, tragedies and just to have fun while keeping the image of their gods alive. That is why the gods are so inconsistent in mythology, since we have many variations even of a single myth and it will always depend on who is telling the story (I wish it were easier to make fics like this about my religion, but I am afraid of the reaction of extremists).

I interpret Zeus in mythology like all the other gods, I no longer make a distinction based on the prejudice of him being a compulsive pervert, he has many sides. As all gods re natural forces, natural as in animal and plants, but also human feelings and urges.

Zeus has some basic pillars that myths tend to respect: He is THE father, he is the fairest one, he is the executioner, he is seductive, he is good-humored (sometimes he makes some bad jokes kkkkkk), he defends natural balance more than anything and he respects the will of others (this seems ironic, but calm down!!). After reading more myths about him and different interpretations, I understood that this modern view of him as a player is completely distorted and ignores all the other myths he participates (I understand that it became his joke, but… some people take it to seriously). So I started to form my own view of his myths.

Most of his adulteries are consensual and when they are not, they remain in that confusing area of ​​what was once consensual, since it is always mentioned that he seduces (for example, how he turned into an bull or a shower of gold because he knew that his potential partners really liked those things - and I find it hilarious that it seems like he didn't even intend to get Danae pregnant kkkkkk, but it ended up happening). This doesn't mean we can't understand that some of these seductions are abusive (like taking the form of a husband to have a night with Persephone or Alcmena), but saying that he discarded them doesn't seem right either. He often protected his lovers and bastards in the most intelligent way possible and sometimes he just walked away too for the good of others. And in a way, as the father and lord of the sky, he is always watching. I also hate how we take away any woman agency when it comes to Zeus, like, there re myths that they wanted a casual nigth with a god... stop ignoring that!! (the bad thing is that Zeus is also a pilar for fertility ;w; so if he sleep with someone with a uterus... they will get pregnant).

Going to the non-literal side, we have to remember that Zeus is a god and his adultery should not be seen as the same as that of mortal men. He cant acuatlly be with a mortal on the mortal realm and be a husband there... I also want to say: Hera wasn't that jealousy (I think she herself knew that Zeus needed to spread his blood/goodness in the world - yes, a strong interpretation is that Zeus' affairs are a metaphor for spreading goodness). On the contrary, she respected the bastards who faced their challenges and thus deserved to be close to them on Olympus. Hera tested the heroes for two reasons: So they understood that she and Zeus were in charge (so that no one would think they could usurp the throne, and she protected both her and Zeus, as well as Zeus do his best to also prevent the bastards to die and have some help - both Zeus and Hera do all this from a distance, they want to be fair with eachother) and to see if they deserved to be with the immortals.

It seems ironic today, but Zeus respected everyone's will, but it was in the Greek terms (more of in atenians terms, bc we don't have much of the other states). He accepted the decisions of Hestia, Athena, Artemis… I don't remember seeing him laying a finger on them or wanting them to get married. On the other hand, we have versions of him as father of Persephone, 'selling' her (but the myth was about an arranged marriage and I think it makes sense that it's Zeus, since the focus ends up being Demeter's suffering and this encompasses more complex feelings when losing her daughter because her 'husband' gave her away, while he is still respected and loved socially).

Now the bad side of Zeus in how fair he is. He punishes Apollo in some situations, even though I understand why he needed to do it… But he is not shallow enough to be evil for the sake of evil… It left a impression on me when he killed Asclepius and hurt Apollo (obviously), it is sad and I doubt he enjoyed killing his grandson, but if he didn't do it… the balance of the cycle of death would collapse and he is the one who sustains this cycle with the greatest respect. In fact, my theory is that he doesn't face Nyx, not because he fears her, but because no matter who wins the fight, the world will end (if Nyx dies, the night and everything that comes from the night, for the Greeks like sleep and death, will be disturbed / if Zeus dies the throne will be empty and no other god would do what he does, maybe Athena, but the world was too sexist back then to let her become sovereign and I also think she would be colder than Zeus when making decisions and would have no descendants…). But sometimes he just wanted to prank and have fun! So like, no straight answer here.

In the case of Ganymede, I believe that his myth is more one of those in which Zeus is merely a narrative tool, more than an active role. People just started shipping them and that's when the pederasty boom happened, but before that Ganymede was just a boy who was handsome and got a 'dream job' (poor thing…).

[furinana]

During the scene where Fujiwara and co. confront Nanashi on Anarchy, I noticed Flynn has more to say in Japanese. In English, he basically says Nanashi is his lord and god and he'll kill anyone who stands in his way, but in Japanese (from the machine translation I used), he mocks the crowd for "clinging to a cage." What do you think? (also, super cool how smt4 has optional alignment convos like that. I didn't notice. Thank you for sharing!)

"Come, you weaklings that hang onto the cage that must be destroyed! You are at the presence of a god, clear the path!"

Some Japanese fans bring this scene for the argument that Flynn having unsolved feelings regarding humanity's helplessness could convince him to work under Krishna (or Dagda). So...

Let's remind ourselves of a key element of the duology.

The process of "influencing one's mind" is a recurring theme in SMTIV&A, and comes from both deities and humans. -> The fragile and elusive Goddess of Tokyo that is the result of Tokyo's hopeless state (to which Masakado pushes back through Flynn) -> Flynn impacting the Tokyoites to such a great extent that he becomes their Messiah (and the Divine Powers take advantage of) -> The monastery controlling Mikado, Lilith (and later, Maitreya) controlling the Ring of Gaea, Tayama (and later, Samyaza) controlling the Ashura-kai etc.

Even Nanashi himself is acting differently than how he would prior to his death.

However, contrary to what many fans think, the power of influence addressed in SMTIVA isn't found only in extreme cases (where you may call it brainwashing) but also in situations where one must 'read the air' and think in collectivist terms (which is inherently linked to respecting hierarchy and rules) rather than focus on yourself individually.

When you're in a vulnerable position, you will agree with who has the most power in order to avoid social stigma and, depending on the seriousness of the situation, even out of survival.

In SMTIVA's dialogue options, you either "respect harmony" through Nanashi considering other people's feelings or "disregard everyone but yourself" through Nanashi acting in ruthless manner.

As I also mentioned before, these dialogue options shouldn't necessarily be seen as Nanashi's "personalities". There's a margin of interpretation where the player can infer as those being ways in how he wants to be perceived. Nanashi can still be apathetic in Bonds while also being able to act kind in Massacre.

Nanashi can act in a deceitful manner, in however way you, the player, interpret him to be.

Therefore, if Nanashi can hide his displeasures with harmony and the cycle of suffering in order to have everyone alive OR put on a sociopathic pretense so he won't feel heartbroken anymore...

Why the same couldn't be true for Flynn?

"The real thrill of Megaten is being able to make the main character fall into darkness. [...] Dagda respected the person's wishes, so I think that Flynn's words and actions are all from his true intentions. (Although it cannot be denied that once you die, your personality becomes different.) He was tired of being treated as a savior while being ignored as an individual."

But what is Flynn as an individual? Rather, what is a genuine Flynn?

Reflecting on the parallels between the childhood friends is intrinsic for measuring why Flynn and Nanashi would "fall into darkness".

Just like Nanashi with Asahi, Flynn can't mask his true nature from Issachar. They are the first character introduced to the player in each game, which conveys the fact they are who the protagonist has the most familiarity with.

Of course, there's not a single way of interpreting what Issachar and Asahi mean to the player. Many might see them in a despicable manner.

"I think it's a relief that [in the Massacre Route] Flynn's memory disappears and he's left wondering what a fishing hook is. Fishhook Mount Man was a piece of scum who pretended to be Flynn's best friend, got jealous, turned into a devil [...] and attacked him. And because of this guy, Flynn's parents..."

What's relevant however, specially in Issachar's case, is that he consistently stays as part of how Flynn sees himself as a person at the same time of also reflecting on Flynn's view on humanity.

To which gives the opening for Krishna to act on (and later, Dagda).

Now let's analyze what points Krishna brings that would, in his opinion, "reach and save Flynn":

Krishna talks of Flynn in a familiar tone as if he's in the know of what was happening inside the Samurai's mind. To which is later confirmed by Flynn himself, in Bonds:

Talking about the long-lasting and complex dynamic between Krishna and Flynn's soul is where things start getting.... tangled.

While the direct cause behind the tragedies that befell onto Flynn's Sengoku period's incarnation (which was only addressed in the side-story published in the SMTIVA Artbook), Krishna is also a victim of YHVH's meddling and the humans' observation.

As I mentioned earlier, SMTIVA addresses the power of influence with observation being the one that directly affects myths.

Due to the religious syncretism, Krishna became fused with Buddhist and Shinto deities (Mahakala and Okuninushi respectively) and turned into the deity Kokuten, an unrelenting deadly force whose bloodthirsty nature turned him into the culprit behind the 26 Martyrs of Japan in the fictional world of SMTIV.

What happened with Krishna's past self is the best example of how disastrous "influence" can be.

On another note, Kokuten was also responsible for the death of Gamo Ujisato, an IRL feudal lord that also happened to be the master Sengoku-Flynn served under, to which made Sengoku-Flynn go on a journey of vengeance and self-sacrifice that lasted over two decades.

Ironically, Sengoku-Flynn's obsession in avenging his master and trading his life away to succeed in defeating Kokuten made him die free of regrets and even more, feeling "saved" by Krishna's return to himself.

Thus we must finally connect to how Krishna is in the myth.

1) Are Flynn and Krishna compatible?

"One has the right to perform their expected duty, But not to the right to the fruits of action; One should not consider oneself as the doer of the action, Nor should one attach oneself to inaction." - Bhagavad Gita 2 : 47

In the context of SMTIV, we can see Flynn in a similar place as the morally troubled Arjuna, the warrior to whom Krishna advises in the battlefield.

In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna teaches Arjuna about the eternal nature of the soul and the temporary nature of the body, advising him to perform his warrior duty with detachment and without grief. Krishna emphasizes in the scripture that this is the key to attaining inner peace and spiritual growth.

The entire scope of what we see Flynn's undying soul going through fits into Krishna's ideal concept of a stoic warrior that fulfills his duties selflessly while renouncing the rewards of his achievements by constantly throwing away his body in the process.

2) How did Sengoku!Flynn change Kokuten back to Krishna?

"And whoever, leaving their body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death, they will attain My Being; there is no doubt about this." - Bhagavad Gita 8 : 5

Krishna reveals the importance of the last thought before death. If you remember Krishna at the time of death, you will certainly attain him.

3) What is the great singularity?

3.1) Why would it be the solution for humanity's cycle of suffering?

"Having attained Me, the great souls are no more subject to rebirth in this world, which is transient and full of misery, because they have attained the highest perfection. In all the worlds of this material creation, up to the highest abode of Brahma, you will be subject to rebirth [...] But on attaining My Abode, [...] there is no further rebirth. [...] At the advent of Brahma’s day, all living beings emanate from the unmanifest source. And at the fall of his night, all embodied beings again merge into their unmanifest source. Multitudes of beings repeatedly take birth with the advent of Brahma’s day, and are reabsorbed on the arrival of the cosmic night, to manifest again automatically on the advent of the next cosmic day. Transcendental to this manifest and unmanifest creation, there is yet another unmanifest eternal dimension. That realm does not cease even when all others do. That unmanifest dimension is the supreme goal, and upon reaching it, one never returns to this mortal world. That is My Supreme Abode. The Supreme Divine Personality is greater than all that exists. Although He is all-pervading and all living beings are situated in Him, yet He can be known only through devotion." - Bhagavad Gita 8:15-8:22

Krishna talks about the various abodes in the material realm and the cycle of creation. He further explains how the multitudes of beings manifest on these abodes, and at the time of dissolution, everything absorbs back into Him.

However, the divine Abode of God is untouched by this cycle of creation and dissolution. Those who progress on the path of light finally reach the divine abode and never return to the material world. Whereas those fallen souls who tread the path of darkness endlessly keep transmigrating in the cycle of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

Krishna emphasizes that every being has an impermanent body and an eternal Self, and that "Krishna as Lord" lives within every creature. Everything is in Krishna and Krishna is in everything. However, only through devotion, when our mind is perfectly absorbed in Krishna, we will elevate from the material dimension to the spiritual realm.

3.2) How are worshippers divided through it?

The majority of Hindus believe in one supreme god (The Brahman). Everything is a part of and a manifestation of Brahman, the ultimate reality; however, Brahman’s qualities and powers may be represented by a great diversity of gods/deities all of which emanate from The Brahman.

Rather than being a single doctrinal religion, Hinduism encompasses a broad range of perspectives on the nature of god including polytheism, pantheism, monism and monotheism. Which might be a possible reason for the Polytheistic Alliance being renamed as Divine Powers in the localization.

This one ultimate reality can be perceived in and through an infinite number of names and forms. The Hindu concept of god and deity varies from supreme god to a personal god to even hundreds of deities. For Hindus, god is one, but also many.

In conclusion, Krishna is worshipped as one of the many reincarnated forms of Brahman.

When SMT4 Krishna states that those that side with him will each get their own slice of followers, he means that his allies will all become manifestations of the same supreme god.

4) What does Krishna mean by "love"?

"For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest, the path of realization is full of tribulations. Worship of the unmanifest is exceedingly difficult for embodied beings. But those who dedicate all their actions to Me, regarding Me as the Supreme goal, worshiping Me and meditating on Me with exclusive devotion, O Parth, I swiftly deliver them from the ocean of birth and death, for their consciousness is united with Me." - Bhagavad Gita 12:5 – 12:7

In the 12th chapter, Arjuna asks Krishna about the two types of yogis (yoga practitioner) and among them whom does he consider perfect, those who worship the formless Brahman or those who are devoted to the personal-form of God.

Krishna declares that devotees can attain Him by both paths. However, he considers those who worship His personal-form as the best yogis with Krishna stating that when God is loved in a personal aspect, the way is vastly easier.

Hindus believe that god permeates all things—animate or inanimate—and, as they enhance our well-being, intellect, and spirituality, one worships them. For example, the sun provides us with warmth and life, so they respect the Sun god; our parents protect us, feed us, guide us, and look after our well-being, so they respect our parents as gods.

Krishna can be projected as "a merciful father, a divine mother, a wise friend, a passionate beloved, or even a mischievous child".

The text states that combining "action with inner renunciation" with the love of Krishna as a personal God leads to peace. In the last eight verses of this chapter, Krishna states that he loves those who have compassion for all living beings, are content with whatever comes their way, and live a detached life that is impartial and selfless, neither craving for praise nor depressed by criticism and unaffected by fleeting pleasure or pain.

Flynn's soul shared most of the qualities Krishna desired in a warrior. Strong devotion towards those he serves and incredible endurance towards his own pain.

However...

Vishnu-Flynn ultimately lost in both routes.

In Bonds, Flynn couldn't detach himself from you and your allies so he struggled the most against Krishna in this route.

In Massacre, with all of your companions dead, there seemed to be no signals of Flynn coming out. Thus Nanashi's own will prevailed over Flynn's broken will.

WHAT I THINK:

-> Yes, the duology had plenty of buildup for a dark Flynn to come out regardless of alignment. Flynn's PTSD regarding Issachar was the leading cause towards him being mentally scarred and constantly unsure of himself. -> No, I don't believe Flynn would worship Krishna by his own will (at least from what we were presented). Being "manipulated" or "coerced into it" are the ways I can see Flynn consciously working under Krishna, similarly to how Dagda put Nanashi in an unfair situation when reviving the young Hunter.

But even for those what-ifs to take place, Krishna would've needed to give a choice to Flynn, which didn't happen due to his Supreme God ego. As friendly and compassionate as he may appear on the surface, at the end of the day Krishna is a deity that demands complete exclusionary devotion from his worshipper.

And as Krishna himself states in the Gita, it won't flow smoothily if the devotee isn't doing it with love. It's a two-way street.

On a personal level, I consider Flynn and Krishna's dynamic interesting regarding their long history of clashing but not in a sense where there would be genuine reciprocity.

AND NOW...

Dissecting the Massacre route

In contrast to Krishna's depiction being an obvious reference to the Gita, Dagda's is more of an implicitly clever "subverted take".

I discussed it in depth in this post and strongly recommend to read it before proceeding in order to understand the full scope of Dagda's character and associated themes I'll be using here.

......

......

Read it? Okay, let's move on to the original point of your ask.

1) Flynn's personality change

"I'lll always be by his side, no matter what. This body* exists only for my master..." *(身 means body in a philosophical sense to which can be translated as one’s self, mind or social position. For this context, "body and soul" could fit as well)

The thing about Massacre Flynn is that, rather than only taking what he says at face value, one should delve into the WHOLE context of the alignment this Flynn is working under.

To try seeing through the lenses of another fan once again, I asked a friend what was their opinion on Flynn's behavior in the Massacre route and they gave me 3 possibilities of what happened.

1) Dagda brainwashed Flynn after pulling his soul out of the underworld

My response: This contradicts SMTIVA Dagda's philosophy of maintaining a human's will thus the least likely on the perspective that Dagda isn't being hypocritical. ❌

2) Dagda only revived Flynn's body, and since his soul is strongly devoted to those he serves, he was born ready and willing to serve.

My response: We can put this one together from what we see. First evidence: yes, Flynn is only stated in-game to "have his wounds healed" by Dagda. Second evidence: S E V E R A L instances of Flynn's soul acting self-sacrificial in 3 different lifetimes. => Previously I've also thought of a similar explanation but with Krishna being the one that broke Flynn's original self instead, thus when Nanashi defeated his previous master Krishna, Nanashi filled the seat for who Flynn "worships" <=

However, in either case, it's not a very... conclusive outcome. The margin of interpretations is too wide and there's still a feeling of contradiction regarding Dagda's philosophy.

While it's the most possible one within the boundaries of evidence, it still would lead to the player interpreting that Dagda might be using Flynn without a sense of respect contrasting his own pact with Nanashi. △

And here's the final possibility:

3) Dagda had a conversation off-screen with Flynn in the underworld, and Flynn is back out of his own free will. Maybe his change in personality reflects his conviction to the new cause.

My response: While we don't have scenes where this specific instance is conveyed verbally to the player, an attentive player will recognize that:

-> Flynn talks to Charon before deciding between being revived or not. Just like, guess. Nanashi with Dagda.

-> It'd explain much deeper why Dagda and Nanashi's agreement works, why Flynn couldn't work with Krishna and THUS why Flynn can work with Dagda.

Dagda would act respecting Flynn's will, therefore staying genuine to his ideals. ⭕

If Flynn is acting on his senses, what does it mean?

Sidetracking for a bit, the Japanese script is more clarifying for why Dagda had to revive Flynn.

After killing Vishnu-Flynn, Nanashi snatches the Cosmic Egg's throne and ascends to a higher level of existence. While not the full-fledged God (as he needs to defeat YHVH for that), by this point Nanashi is no longer considered in the limits of a human.

"To destroy YHVH, the god who rules the current universe, a <<Godslayer>> will be necessary..." "[Player], make use of Flynn as a Godslayer to defeat YHVH"

As powerful as Nanashi became, just like Dagda and any other deity, he can't actually do an one-on-one fight with YHVH. He needs to take advantage of Flynn's status as a human to observe YHVH.

The last screenshot is the most important in this subject:

"This is why the gods goad humans to their side, and make them observe things which are beneficial to them."

Deities can't escape influence from humans. Stephen himself is indirectly pushing Nanashi to "influence" Flynn in order to have a chance at defeating YHVH.

Dagda chooses Nanashi on the perspective that their "new world" together will be from humans to humans while all the other phenomena (including Dagda) goes back to being nature — the "original" or, you could say, scientific versions of themselves.

Since we're at it, let's finally talk about...

2) Death of belief as a philosophy

2.1) When SMTIVA was first revealed in the Famitsu magazine, the main keyword of the game was "Deicide."

2.2) Stephen Hawking

Real-life Stephen Hawking was well-known for rejecting the conventional notion of God and had its fair share of quotes on the matter:

“God is the name people give to the reason we are here” “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist” “It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going.” "In my opinion, there is no aspect of reality beyond the reach of the human mind"

2.3) Parallels to Nietzsche's Übermensch

In Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883), the character Zarathustra posit the Übermensch as a goal for humanity to set for itself. Über can have connotations of superiority, transcendence, excessiveness, or intensity, depending on the words to which it is attached. Mensch refers to a human being. A way to translate would be "Superhuman".

2.3.1) The Übermensch represents a shift from otherworldly Christian values and manifests the grounded human ideal. The Übermensch is someone who has "crossed over" the bridge, from the comfortable "house on the lake" (the comfortable, easy, mindless acceptance of what a person has been taught, and what everyone else believes) to the mountains of unrest and solitude;

2.3.2) Zarathustra declares that the Christian escape from this world also required the invention of an immortal soul separate from the earthly body. He further links the Übermensch to the body and to interpreting the soul as simply an aspect of the body;

2.3.3) The Übermensch is tied to the death of God. "God is dead" means that the idea of God can no longer provide values. Nietzsche refers to this crucial paradigm shift as a reevaluation of values.

Sidenote: throughout SMTIV&A, one can see other concepts explored by Nietzsche such as the “eternal return”, which frames existence in terms of endlessly repeating cycles and the "will to power", which involves a ceaseless struggle for survival and mastery.

2.4) Parallels to Sartre's Being and Nothingness

The central notion of this book is that "existence precedes essence". It also introduces of the concept of bad faith, a psychological phenomenon whereby individuals act inauthentically, by yielding to the external pressures of society to adopt false values and disown their innate freedom as sentient human beings.

Sartre said that human beings have no essence before their existence because there is no Creator. This forms the basis for his assertion that because one cannot explain one's own actions and behavior by referring to any specific human nature, they are necessarily fully responsible for those actions. "We can act without being determined by our past which is always separated from us."

Sartre maintained that the concepts of authenticity and individuality have to be earned but not learned. We need to experience "death consciousness" so as to wake up ourselves as to what is really important; the authentic in our lives which is life experience, not knowledge. Death draws the final point when we as beings cease to live for ourselves and permanently become objects that exist only for the outside world. In this way death emphasizes the burden of our free, individual existence.

"We can oppose authenticity to an inauthentic way of being. Authenticity consists in experiencing the indeterminate character of existence in anguish. It is also to know how to face it by giving meaning to our actions and by recognizing ourselves as the author of this meaning. On the other hand, an inauthentic way of being consists in running away, in lying to oneself in order to escape this anguish and the responsibility for one's own existence."

Would you look at that! Both 2.3.3 and 2.4 covered my friend's theory that Flynn's change in personality would reflect his conviction to the new cause.

-> Nanashi "becomes a god" -> Stephen states in-game he "transcended humanity as well".

In Christian context, an ordinary human being is still accountable and responsible to (capital 'G') God. In existential atheism, each individual is considered fully responsible for the entire world they live in.

Nanashi isn't "setting himself to be a second YHVH". He becomes "godlike" in his self-determination, thus having command over his own destiny.

->->-> So when Flynn says, in the original script:

"Come, you weaklings that hang onto the cage that must be destroyed! You are at the presence of a god, clear the path!"

He means that Nanashi is "a human that is above faith itself"<-<-<-

Sounds edgy? It might sound edgy. And yet....

3) Rejecting God doesn't make you nihilistic

3.1) Despite his lack of faith, Stephen Hawking believed that the universe and life have meaning:

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist”

3.2) Nietzsche's Zarathustra proclaims the will of the Übermensch to give purpose to life on earth, and admonishes his audience to ignore those who promise otherworldly fulfillment to draw them away from the earth.

3.3) Karl Marx famously stated:

"The foundation of irreligious criticism is: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man – state, society. This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d’honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion. Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo. Criticism has plucked the imaginary flowers on the chain not in order that man shall continue to bear that chain without fantasy or consolation, but so that he shall throw off the chain and pluck the living flower. The criticism of religion disillusions man, so that he will think, act, and fashion his reality like a man who has discarded his illusions and regained his senses, so that he will move around himself as his own true Sun. Religion is only the illusory Sun which revolves around man as long as he does not revolve around himself." Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right of 1843

Remember what Flynn blurts out after being saved in Bonds:

And yet, realize how similar the Law ending is to the Bonds ending:

Was any of this really what Flynn truly wanted? For humans to stay dependent on him in this illusionary happiness instead of being able to save themselves?

The concept of Nanashi being a "god that retains his humanity" might not be only based on he being a human originally; as shown above, there's a strong margin of interpretation that Nanashi could have hid behind a cold-blooded front all along in order to release the cycle of pain that has blighted his peers and loved ones among humanity. Once and for all.

WHAT I THINK:

-> Flynn isn't 'worshipping' Nanashi as he being a traditional god.

He either...

a) follows Nanashi paralleled to the way he followed his late master Ujisato (in other words, like a leader he's debted to); or b) is equating worshipping Nanashi as worshipping the concept of 'humanity free of its chains' itself.

Flynn's servant's nature may or may not have been part of Dagda's contract; as I discussed earlier, Flynn's soul acting self-sacrificial and subservient happened even in situations where he supposedly had full autonomy. And again, Dagda would occasionally "coerce" Nanashi into thinking he was his puppet, but Dagda wasn't defacto making Nanashi act involuntarily.

-> Nanashi, his Goddess of choice and Flynn all "change personalities" in their consequent revivals, as a reevaluation of values adapted their cores to a new purpose in life.

Alternatively, if deities can get syncretized by the humans that follow them, humans can become "influenced" by the deities they follow. Remember the power of influence I discussed at the beginning of this post? Flynn used honorifics for Masakado, so it's expected that he would call Dagda and Nanashi by titles as well.

Which is why Nanashi and Flynn can disregard their childhood friends and allies alike for the purpose of "throwing away" what made them their old selves, but still acknowledge Walter and Jonathan that explicitly were chained to the reincarnation cycle alongside the protagonist duo and also "threw away" their past in order to become Law and Chaos pieces (and by twist of fate, the pieces turned back against their creator).

Although, at the end of the day, the degree in which this personality change occurs, be partly or fully, at once or gradual, fluctuating or immutable, is ultimately hard to evaluate due to lack of dialogue in this route; thus stays as an indefinite answer.

And my last observed point:

-> By becoming a god while Flynn stays as the last remaining humanity, Nanashi creates an 'ouroboros'. To which, ironically, makes him endlessly depend on Flynn's power of observation.

In other words, Nanashi's character from then on will logically be a reflection of how his sole follower views him. Whether this was Flynn's intention all along when agreeing with Dagda, it's up to you. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

On a playful ending note:

Stephen Hawking (both irl and in-game) is afraid of no gods. That being said, you know what he said that humans should beware of?

Aliens.

There's a catch: If there are other civilizations out there, we'd better be careful not to run across the bad guys, a la "Prometheus." Hawking has previously warned against calling too much attention to ourselves, for fear of attracting the wrong sort of extraterrestrials. Such a visit might well be similar to Christopher Columbus' visit to the Americas, "which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans," Hawking said. But how likely is it that intelligent life exists? Surely someone who's skeptical about God's existence would be skeptical about E.T.'s existence as well, right? Not really. NBC News

To complement on his opinion, evolutionary biologist (and outspoken atheist) Richard Dawkins suggested it's "most likely" that the universe has many forms of life — although those life forms may be on "islands separated by vast distances."

"The idea that we are alone in the universe seems to me completely implausible and arrogant [...] Considering the number of planets and stars that we know exist, it's extremely unlikely that we are the only form of evolved life."

What kind of messiahs does this man have in mind? I'm scared to even think about it...

[longing-for-rain]

Just so you know, some of your anons are coming from a blog called @mal3vol3nt

I do not know if you’re aware, but she’s chronically obsessed with you and has also been sharing your ao3 on Twitter and inciting harassment there too, saying you’re “racist” and a “degenerate” and accusing you of writing underage. Her blog lately is mainly posts about you and it sounds very similar to some of your anons

I had to check this out for myself and...wow. All I can say is just...wow 🤣

No, I actually had no idea who this person was but from the looks of it she's been obsessed with me for months? I guess that explains the anons, I knew these people were mad, but apparently they've been over here steaming over my takes and are legitimately terrified of me. And I didn't even know them! Didn't realize I've been doing numbers on Twitter (or X whatever it is now) despite never having an account.

(The rest is below; please don't click if you do not wish to see insensitive discussions of rape or if you are not in the mood to read opinions so malformed they will melt your brain)

I guess I have another angry little troll who doesn't know what a captial letter is obsessed with me. Wish I could say it was the first time, but alas. A lot of particularly funny things here though.

> Advertising your terrible ragebait Twitter like anyone finds you important

Lmao.

> "write fanfiction of katara being raped so zuko can save her"

What a terrible misread of the point of that story, but then again, I don't expect much else from a terminally online crybaby who exclusively consumes media for children. If you can't handle adult discussions about adult topics, maybe don't read stories that are clearly marked 18+ and with far more extensive trigger warnings than any mainstream media will give you.

> "measuring the size of her breasts and hips"

Lmao. I said she is drawn differently in different scenes. That's it. You guys are another level of unhinged.

> "obviously fetishes and racism"

It's kind of creepy how they sexualize Zutara, while simultaneously accusing us of doing that. Why do you assume a fetish is the only reason behind someone liking a ship? Why would you say this about a group of people including many black, brown, and indigenous women? And minors? And if you want to get into the whole fetish thing, don't even get me started on the shit I've seen from the kataang fandom. Hint: when I say some of you have a "mommy fetish" I mean it in a very literal sense. Not to mention the whole kataang rape discord debacle.

> "sick fantasies about these minor characters"

I have never depicted a minor in a sexual situation. I make a point to explicitly avoid doing that, and all characters are depicted as adults. Your lack of media literacy isn't an argument. If you're going to criticize my writing, at least read it, which you clearly didn't. And if the content is too upsetting for you, you clearly lack the maturity to engage in these kinds of discussions.

Imagine treating ship discourse this seriously, actually unhinged. Who said that Ember Island Players is the real Katara? What? She talks a big number about coke-fueled rants, must have given it a try herself. How do you expect to be taken seriously when you never say anything of substance and screech "racism" or "colonizer" every other word but can't even articulate the significance of those terms? Honestly, at this point you sound like a right-winger who thinks saying "but I'm [identity] and I agree with [opinion]" is a golden ticket to winning every argument.

And look at this: apparently I deserved all the things she and her friends sent me? Actually I respect this take, at least she's honest about it unlike the people who cry and backpeddle when they get caught red-handed.

I'm actually cackling at this one. Genuinely laughing; my neighbors are probably concerned. It's like you took every single Bad Person Allegation and threw it into a blender. And to top it all off, apparently 24 is "pushing 30" now LMAO. And apparently I, a lesbian, could only possibly like Zutara because I think Zuko is hot. Not to mention the way they entirely miss the point of Zutara, but ATLA itself, by insisting that Zuko is a "violent imperialist" who is apparently unworthy of love by anyone who does not share his skin tone. Kind of ironic coming from the people crying that I'm a racist who doesn't understand the show. Next level clownery.

This is so funny. These people are absolutely terrified of me, no amount of unhinged anons will hide that. It's fine for men to tell me I deserve rape and death, that I'm a dirty pervert for daring to speak out about sexual trauma, and that women's sexual trauma is nothing but a fetish, but if I respond to that man telling him he should die for being so disrespectful and misogynistic to rape victims, I'm the monster? I stand by it. If you think what he said about rape and rape victims is acceptable, especially if you're a man, die! Hang from ropes, as I said.🥰

I guess I should be really scared though. This is clearly a very influential figure in the fandom who is renowned for her enlightened wisdom on the plight of fictional cartoon characters against evil imperialists like me (adult with job).

...oh wait. I was excited for a minute, I thought I was dealing with a celebrity. But even the "callouts" struggle to hit 20 notes :/

And to everyone sending me positivity during this time, thank you very much! But I wanted to show you this to assure you I'm doing just fine. People can act as weird as they want behind a gray face, but after seeing the kinds of whiny little brats they are in reality, it's pretty hard to take it seriously. "I got my plane ticket" my ass, that would require you to leave your decaying, trash-filled apartment.

[okkos-ferrum]

Hot take maybe but like i feel the vile crew are a much more fun, dare i say, dynamic of a dynamic.

Like dont get me wrong i think zack and ivy are a fun duo that contrast carmen's badasssery with player acting as intel and shadowsan as a stoic support

But antonio, jean-paul, gray, and sheena (mime bomb too ig??) played off carmen better. (Tho to clarify not at all saying the writers shouldve had carmen hang around vile instead, they def were all bad influences on one another due to vile)

Like to me, cuz carmen is the mainly hyper-competant moral good of team red, she somewhat stands alone for it. Player is highly specialized, while idk what zack and ivy contribute specific to the team aside from extra manpower. Shadowsan may rival carmen in skill, but he has his own mistakes he's working to fix, so he's in no moral place to argue against her. As much as team red is filled with good wholesome family moments, carmen still feels kinda treated as the leader, and thus, seperate from the group. I wish sometimes there would be a conflict (no im not including the s2 conflict with the car and stuff idk that one was too inconsequential to me) between team red splitting hairs on how to approach a problem. Itd add some variety to each specific relationship carmen has with each rather than a generic friendly terms

The vile crew works as a more entertaining group cuz there are actual unique dynamics carmen has with each of the group members, as well as the group members themselves having unique relationships with each other. For the first point, cuz everyone is on the level playing field of some kind of competant thief, its not like carmen has the immediate, no-questions-asked role as the leader. Theres more of an underlying feeling she had to make a good impression aside from her skills to gain their respect, which to me is more realistic than zack and ivy suddenly attatching themselves to a then dismissive but skilled carmen during the boston caper. Like as contrived sheena just being a hater to carmen is, theres still something interesting abt her still tagging along with carmen as a reluctant friend/rival. As such, it challenges carmen to show a different side to her, like her constant need to prove herself, to the forefront, which in turn, helps also flesh carmen out more. In comparison, antonio is quite the opposite, being literally so nice to everyone regardless, which also makes him stick out (like for example, in the cs interactive game, he will readily help carmen out if u choose him to be an ally)

Each character in the vile crew have also unique groups. Unlike one blob of general friendliness like team red (aside from the over it dad energy from shadowsan lol), we see that antonio and jean-paul have a closer friendship within the group, similar to how carmen and gray also have a closer bond. Tell me the unique relationship zack has with player that is different from how anyone else treats player? Like its not much.

Theres def more banter within the vile crew as well, with sheena always being the sour one of the group. Moreover, there is the group collectively finding mime bomb to be the "weird guy in class" that is so endearing to me. They all challenge each other, like how they all judge gray's pun vile name, or how they sometimes make fun of sheena during their first mission. Yet admist all that, they still care and enjoy their company together, as seen with them still reminiscing the water balloon prank in season 4 or how antonio and jean paul are relectant to fight carmen the first time they see her again.

Idk i find it so funny how the show was able to make the vile operatives so endearing as characters, especially in comparison to tesm red whos a bit lacking

[jerktournament]

ROUND ONE - Byakuya Togami (Danganronpa) VS Yesod (Lobotomy Corporation/Library of Ruina)

(The contestant image for Yesod is from Lobotomy Corporation, but this entry is for both renditions of the character.)

!!! PROPAGANDA BELOW !!!

BYAKUYA: "- His title is literally, get this, "ultimate affluent progeny" - Fucking look at him /hj - Treats everyone as inferior in every way, even when they're trying to solve a murder he goes "how did YOUUU figure this out before MEEE???? >:0" - Constantly has an "Me vs. Them" mentality about everything so he feels the need to prove himself to be superior - Messes with crime scenes because it would "make them more interesting" (purposefully incriminating someone else, who he didn't like) Actual quotes by him - "I'm only here to get breakfast. I have neither need nor desire to talk to you. Now withdraw." - "You're like a child lost in the woods, you know that? A total waste of space." - "You know, I still just can't believe it... That an uneducated, brain-dead, useless piece of garbage like you has survived this long." - "You have only yourself to blame—you came to me with your tragic little story. I didn't ask you to. This is the real world, not some romantic fantasy fairytale.""

YESOD: "AAHGH HOW DO I EVEN BEGIN TTHERE'S JUST. yesod. probably spoilers here but when you first meet him in Lobotomy Corporation I think one of the earliest things he does is make a jab at your fashion sense even though it's universally agreed by new players that his outfit is a disaster (although he dresses like that for fear of contamination and his Trauma!). He's cold to mostly everyone and is very strict, rules-following kind of guy, and people often see him as emotionless and heartless, coming up with the nickname "The Viper" for him as a result of that! BUT!!! BUT!!!! LISTEN EVEN IF HE'S MEAN. EVEN IF HE'S COLD. HE'S LIKE THIS BECAUSE HE HAS TO BE!!! He has so much unresolved trauma in his past of getting too close with am employee and befriending them and losing them because he wasn't strict enough on safety regulations and let them off with a pass because they were friends. AND NOW HE'S CLOSED AND WITHDRAWN AND OBSESSIVE OVER SAFETY PROTOCOL BECAUSE HE'S SCARED AND HE REALLY REALLY DOES CARE ABOUT HIS EMPLOYEES!!! It's hinted that he doesn't like the nickname Viper but he accepts it because it makes him out to be the respected person he wants to be!!!! He praises the real AI of the corporation, Angela, for being cold and emotionless(which is ANOTHER bag of repressed trauma worms) and wishes he could feel nothing like her because HE FEELS TOO MUCH!!! I LOVE HIM SO DEARLY MI AMOR!!! And AND in the second game he's healed a little bit and is still a little mean but the first thing he does THE VERY FIRST THING HE DOES to the protagonist is walk up to him wordlessly and reach up to fix his tie. I'm normal about him. Also he's short. Short people closer to hell or whatever. IDK he's purple ok? :3 Even if he loses IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HIS GROWTH I'M PROUD OF YOU YESOD!!!!!!"

[mesaprotector]

was reading recently about the "to be lawful or good" trope (follow orders/respect rule of law, or do what's right?), and it occurred to me that western values are so idealistic on the matter that "good" is almost always chosen, and a character who believes the law is the greater good is usually painted as morally dubious and hypocritical. tvtropes points out that in the parallel "to be chaotic or good" dilemmas protagonists almost always choose chaotic. i guess that makes sense from the point of view of fiction as wish fulfillment, and the ideal world for an american is one where they can do whatever they want without consequences.

psycho-pass is a really good example of media where this does not happen. anime in general tends to be more respectful of "lawful" values, sometimes to excess from my own western point of view (too many anime i've seen, workplace abuse is "dealt" with by learning to work harder). but urobuchi at least has a nice concept of what a balance can look like. (spoilers below, of course).

akane tsunemori is the most lawful good character to ever lawful good. she has constant positive intentions, cares for everyone in her society, and does so by enforcing and interpreting the law - and would not have it any other way. there's an amazing quote from her near the end of s1 (i have not seen the later seasons):

"People have always detested evil and sought out a righteous way of living. Their feelings, the accumulation of those peoples feelings are the law. They’re neither the provisions, nor the system. They’re the fragile and irreplaceable feelings that everyone carries in their hearts."

when faced with "to be lawful or good", she never once gives up on the law, no matter what. she has at least two chances to kill a dangerous villain outright and rejects both as being against orders; when the law itself tries to ensnare someone she loves, she finds a way out by following the rules instead of just breaking them like any other hero would.

dungeons and dragons kind of threw the alignment system at players and told them "you, there, interpret this". it's difficult and a lot to ask. from the little experience i have with it, most players only care about good/neutral/evil, and as for law vs. chaos they're just treated like different flavors of ice cream. it's far more compelling to treat them as equally important - a lawful good character and a chaotic good character are as far apart, morally, as a lawful good and a lawful evil one.

psycho-pass s1 doesn't have a chaotic good character. the closest it gets is kagari, who could perhaps be called chaotic neutral (though i have trouble calling any literal cop chaotic, he was essentially forced into the role). but it does have a fantastic example of a chaotic vs. lawful conflict, just on the evil side - makishima vs. sibyl.

i think where i wanted to go with this is that part of maturity is learning that two people, or groups of people, who are fighting, may very well both be righteous, and talking it out is often not a solution. i think most modern politics is like this, but that's just my feeling. there are some fairly evil people around, to be sure, but the vast majority of people are not - and recognizing that those different from you are in some ways righteous, and that you yourself are in some ways capable of evil - is really a critical sort of humility.

i might be a little too thrilled with myself for having realized this so early - i was the only kid in my class who liked "lord of the flies", and i still do like it. tumblr used to really have a thing about hating it back when the audience on this website had an average age of 16. i hope those people who insisted "but i'd never have grown up to do anything bad" have learned better since. but looking at how many older people (including apparently most writers) haven't gotten the memo, i'm not too sure.

[flashypunches]

I AM THE EVIL WIZARD!!!! HERE TO ASK YE A QUESTION!!! IN REFERENCE TO THIS REPOST!!!! (https://www.tumblr.com/flashypunches/782040507085881344/please?source=share)

I ASK YE THE QUESTIONS.......

8, 12, 16, 2

ok have fun 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

YESSSSS. thank you wizard o7 but you mustn’t be evil have you have obliged in my request ❤️

8. What is your favorite line/section from [insert fic] ohhhhhhh this is perhaps a hard one. I might just put all of my fics and pick out one line because I don’t want to choose 💔 okay…. picky eater: “Maybe EMF is a bad worshiper for thinking like this. They wouldn’t doubt that should any pastor become wise to how the Champion treats their God, then the player in question would suffer an aneurysm. 

But it matters very little. Evbo doesn't care, he won’t mind. He needs them too much to be bothered.

He’s admitted this fact to them before, in the dead of night, eyes wet and voice weak, confessing that if they ever leave again, then he does not think that he could continue on. It was his version, his replacement for an apology to them. 

EMF will allow it. If he lets them get away with this then they think that they can deal with his disappointment for just a little longer.” TOXIC MAVBO FOREVERRR 💥🔥☝️

I fear a corpse (but you worship a whale fall): “”You’re no lowly Master. You’re my brother. I was made to worry about you. But I must ask; you won’t ever leave me, will you?”

Their hands cling to the metal of his armor. 

“Of course not.” EMF lies.” the most doomed brothers ever!!,.. ❤️

he needs a knife, in order to love his baby brother: “He wants to rewrite the reality of what his friend’s answer will be, to uproot that family tree of theirs, to prune the branch of which that Champion connects to them from, but he cannot do so. He cannot not allow himself to interfere so heavily.”

evbo you can’t be doing that….. evbo you can’t be wanting that……

A caricature of me is just a description of you: “This was special, Evbo wants to tell Seawatt. This was sacred, good, rare. Why does you treat it just like another cow or chicken?

This was a player, Evbo thinks, this was a Fighter who had fought tricky and bravely, even if they had lost in the end. Treat them with respect, he wants to demand.”

eating ugly: “There was nothing left to be wanting anymore, though. No hunger left within him, the aftermath of purposeful starvation left in its tracks instead.”

love writing evbo being weird about his hunger and the after,ath of his time on the noob layer 🔥 need to write more of it.

12. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

um…… I don’t want to say. it was dcxdp 💔…… my pacing was horrendous back then and my characterization sucked dumpster water ☹️ but the first fanfic I published on ao3 was solarballs!! I love that fic even if I haven’t updated it in a year. Sorry.

16. What do you struggle most with when writing?

so much. perhaps just varying my sentence structure and keeping everyone’s voices distinct 😔 also with not reusing words like just or likely…. I’m really bad at not being redundant in my scenes and making sure the plot moves forward..

2. What fic is your pride and joy?

PICKY EATER PICKY EATER ☝️☝️☝️☝️🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️ I love that fic so so so so so much I can’t get enough of it…….. i love mavbo so much and I love when they are awful to each other. I love world building even though I have to add more of that later in the chapters because I’ve been shifting my perspective on more characterization than the world….. I honestly wish people would comment more because it kind of feels like I’m shouting to the void now but I probably should just start updating it anyway 💥

[skull001]

Amy hot takes.

Amy's Sonic Advance gameplay is still THE superior 2-D gameplay for Amy, and the only reason it hasn't been revisited in newer games is because Sega are cowards still stuck with the "one-button" approach that only works for Sonic and Tails.

Even when games like Origins Plus and Sonic Superstars nerfed down Amy to just two moves, she is still more fun to play as than Sonic.

Amy's gameplay in Sonic Advance >> E-122 Psi Amy hacks >> Amy Mania by Troop Sushi/Codename Gamma >> Sonic Supertars >> Origins Plus.

Sonic X's Amy is the full package of how Amy should be like. Even with her flaws, she was one of the most fun characters to watch, and surprisingly got plenty of moments that humanized her and even explore a bit of how she saw her relation with Sonic, proving she isn't deluded about it like her detractors claim.

Giving Amy a toy hammer is one of the best things Sega did, and wish the full potential of what she can do with it was more explored in gameplay terms.

The tarot cards should be only a back-up weapon, never the main one. Story-wise, the can guide her in her quests, providing the player with hints that they have to interpretate.

IDW's characterization of Amy is alright. The issue if anything, is that she, like the game characters, are hardly the focus of the stories, nor are they allowed to be shown in a more personal manner. Don't care if it's because Sega is too strict, or if the writers only use them to get to the characters that THEY really want to write for. Either way, the situation sucks for the game cast.

I think Amy is better suited to be the franchise's co-protagonist alongside Sonic. She is very versatile as she isn't restricted to be by his side 24/7, and as long as she sees Sonic as her prince in shining armor, there really isn't any reason to keep her from growing into a stronger and more beautiful heroine.

I'd like to see a story where Amy tries to help a character find redemption, but is ultimately unable to, betrayed by them even. I think this would be an interesting change of pace because, even if let down by those Amy tries to help, that she still remain kind of heart would be proof of just how strong her heart is.

Superform. Of all characters not named Sonic, Amy's noble and compassionate heart should be more than worthy of awakening that miracle.

Morio Kishimoto really should go all out with exploring more of Sonic and Amy's relation. I think he is one of the few people capable of doing so and pushing the status quo to ot' limit whole keeping things fresh. After the let down of that last Tailstube where Amy's feelings were again the object of mockery from american writers ( especially HIM), I'd more than welcome the more respectful approach from Japanese writers towards the dynamic of these two characters.

Amy IS part of the main cast, and should be treated accordingly to her status as lead female character. That means, not giving away Amy's roles to less important ones. Wether it's things like her compassion (which Tyson Hesse mentions to be unique) or being the most adventure loving of the girls.

Don't make Amy be "mature" by becoming a party pooper who dislikes fun. This is a very outdated stereotype of women that honestly, doesn't apply to the real Amy. She would join the boys in doing dumb things, while still doing girly things with other girls too.

Enough of sad face Amy. Why the hell is Sega afraid to show an Amy that, no matter what, can be a beacon of hope for those who have lost their faith. Further more, why is she not expressing faith anymore on Sonic? I swear ever since Sonic Boom, only Tails is allowed to do this as an artificial means to push the bff thing, in contrast to previous games and even shows, where Amy did this. It saddens me how in Prime, she complains about Sonic not sticking to the plan, while Tails is the one who reminds that he has never let them down. Like, helloooooo? Amy also knows this, so why treat her like she doesn't?

Sonic, Tails, Amy & Knuckles >> Sonic, Tails and Amy >>>>>> Sonic, Tails & Knuckles.

Writers shouldn't be afraid to show/play out Amy's flaws. I like seeing characters make fools of themselves once in a while, as long as they are also allowed to get out of their mess by also playing out their strengths and positive traits.

[shinsukeee]

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝

"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞? 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫?"

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟖: 𝐈'𝐦 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧

Weirdly enough, Prim finds herself heading to Dragonspine. Diluc decided to have someone tailor her a coat, she's grateful but it feels like she just gained brothers. She has the path memorized by now, remembering the idiocy she had when she was a new player back then before the burnout from Genshin occured and made her stop playing.

As soon as she reaches the cave, her tracks stop there for some reason as she feels her vision attempt to make the entire world spin for her.

"Your Grace?"

Prim's vision clears, her body lying in the snow as the flakes drop from the sky and she finds herself seeing a pretty angel looking at her with concern.

"Albedo?"

The homunculus helps her up, dusting off the snow from her coat and guiding her inside the cave to keep her warm.

"I thought you wouldn't come."

His voice was soft as he makes sure there's enough sticks to keep the fire burning, Prim takes notice of her surroundings—they all feel so familiar yet so far at the same time, like she barely remembers this from her memory. Has it truly been that long since she last played this game?

"Why so?"

She replies as she pulls the coat to keep herself warm, it doesn't go unnoticed by Albedo as he makes sure the fire burns enough.

"Kaeya seems apologetic when he saw me."

"Oh."

Is all she can say. A part of her would feel guilt for suddenly acting that way towards Kaeya, but she doesn't remember why she felt so defensive—she'll have to apologize to him later when she gets back.

"What did you need me for?"

She doesn't need pleasantries anymore, she just wants to hide in the covers and isolwte again. Being around people, being treated like a God is exhausting—this made her respect the Archons for dealing with this back in the days.

"There was a scripture from the Church."

That statement sent shivers down her spine, Prim used to love the church until there were things that felt so wrong for her—it can't be helped that super religious scare her deeply with how they sound so robotic and possessed by saying, "I prayed to my God and..." This and that.

Especially when she lost her father, her great grandmother and other grandmother—all she heard from them was, "It was God's plan". For what exactly?

"It says in those scriptures that you've done things and that it changed the way you are."

Albedo says, Prim relaxes as she realized that it's not that kind of religious way.

"I'm curious, do deities have the same curiosity as a child before it changed their perspective?"

Prim chuckles, staring into her cold fingertips.

"It depends, but I believe it's more on experience and how you're exposed to what part of life."

Albedo nods and notes it down.

"What's it like?"

"Pardon?"

"What's it like having to lose that innocence you once had?"

That's a question that forever haunted her, there was a lot of things she went through that she'd never wish upon her worst enemy—even someone who doesn't talk to her anymore because they're being immature than talking properly.

"It's a grief that will keep you up at night, something you know will berate you until you learn to push those memories away and be able to breathe again."

And she's back here again, in the Dawn Winery. Something's keeping her up as she opens her device, she turns it off and sighs as she knows she has to move on now. After all, sometimes you have to leave a friendship behind to see if it'll still be the way it is when you're older.

"Diluc?"

"Your Grace?"

To Prim, Diluc is like an older brother—something about him makes her want to shrink back to a child and cry to him until she passes out.

"Has there ever been a moment where you have to convince yourself that what you did is just you being human?"

[archivalofsins]

It's kind of funny that some engage with Milgram going,

"All I want to do is help. Why isn't there a option to help?"

Because minding your business is free shutting the fuck up is free. Not listening to one's savior complex is free. Sometimes, people in life and characters in fiction do not want or need someone else's help. This could be for a myriad of reasons but usually if someone presents themselves as above another party and then tries to help them it can come of belittling, condescending, and ve completely unwanted as a result.

I bet there are many cases where someone gas told anyone in this fandom that they were saying/doing something to them for their own good. That elicited the internal response of this isn't for me it's just for yourself, how condescending did I ask for help, I don't deserve to be lectured or treated like this just shut up. It's very common response to feeling demeaned.

So a lot of the times when i see this sentiment I can't help thinking that's rough. They must not be having much fun. Can it really be a fun experience if some have convinced themselves their presence as an audience member is to correct the behavior in the characters they find unacceptable. Is that really a fun way to get to know something or someone?

It's like the, "I can fix them romantic relationship mentality." If the basis of a relationship is someone hopefully getting the person to become their best version of them than they might as well commit to being unhappy. If any relationship is built on who someone can be and not who they are now, that's kind of as unhealthy as getting in a relationship with someone and expecting them to stay the same forever. Two mentalities that Milgram explores through some of its characters.

I can't help but think that the option some are looking for is the one many present over trial two. Just.minding our business. Staying in one's own lane goes really far. Something better than being judged is having time to reflect on one's own actions in a secure environment where their needs are met. Know what Milgram was before the judgments?

A secure environment where literally all the prisoners' needs were met. This is why Yuno was upset. This is why a lot of characters here have a shut up and mind your business mentality about the verdicts. To some of them they were in a place where they could improve and were actively trying to before the guard and audience fucked it up. Even if they didn't get along with everyone there.

Either verdict would have come with a slew of issues. Because being someone being told they were right or wrong can impact how they view their situations, actions, and how likely they are to do the same thing in the future.

I understand how me viewing it this way may come off as wishful thinking but I really believe it isn't. Because this is something Yamanaka explored within Caligula Effect as well. Where the player can be punished for maxing out a relationship with a character because they just didn't mind their business. Then within Caligula Effect 2 if the player chooses polite or sympathetic options things can go poorly.

They can fail that interaction. When it came to one character episodes because I went ya know I understand how you feel even though that was the fucking truth the interaction failed the character was like oh okay so there's nothing more to talk about we both get it I will continue on like this goodbye. Eliciting the telltale response of yo hold on that's not what the fuck I meant let me finish sit back down a second.

Social interaction failed. What the fuck- oh if this wasn't a case of like meeting like I'd kill you. But I'll just do this over and say I don't get it, which leads to what I was trying to say anyway- Why is it like this. I could be like I'm gonna respect your boundaries and let you know I'll be here whenever you feel ready to talk and it will be like social engagement failed. Then go to someone and be as rude as you can be making them leave mad and it will go social link up.

Because the premise of Califula Effect 2 incentivises being forward and facing issues head on. Not backing off when things get complicated. To showcase yes people are complicated sometimes they'll say shit they want to be challenged on and conflict is a natural part of life that allows people to get to know each other better.

Except with Eiji Biwasaka. The lesson there was sometimes no matter how kind you are to a person or the chances you extend to them they are not going to change for you. People are not going to change for anyone other than themselves. Plus, someone's consistently badgering or inserting themselves into issues that do not concern them, and they only have one side of may annoy a person so much they try to kill you.

Does that mentality sound familiar to anyone else? Because it should.

The simple truth is if anyone here really wanted to help instead of convince the prisoners that their interpretation of them is the correct one then this situation wouldn't have been escalated through attempts at negative and positive reenforcement to begin with. It was always going to be difficult after certain people got accepted and others denied trialed one. The audience was just set up by the plot at that point. But this is a guy who did write a character who from jump goes in so little words hey can you mind your business and stop trying to get to know me. If the player continues to not mind their business, the guy leaves the team, then in another ending dies.

So, at this point, I've learned with Yamanaka's characters minding one's business can go a long safe way. Like Jackalope said with Amane at the beginning of Milgram,

"I don't really care. Though, if you don't push her you'll just end up believing the assumption that she's pure, innocent, and kind-hearted. She might be a brat but don't let your guard down."

He just straight-up admits the bit. Likd, if you don't poke the bear, nothing will happen. A lot of the prisoners are the same in that regard. Not all of them will go off the handle if found innocent or lash out dramatically if guilty. It's difficult to discern how a 50/50 would be taken now but for the time being it would be more fun to keep up the good work until the end.

Though it would be funny to give one character a 50/50 at the end to just fuck with Jackalope. Since he might get mad at the crime not being judged at all.

[lizzybeth1986]

Why I gave HLAW a "Hana's Perfect Wedding" Theme

Tbr I like thinking up weddings for all my pairings and fave characters. But with Hana there is an added significance that makes me want it to be extra special for her specifically.

The first two chapters of Hana's playthrough in TRR3, touches on a very interesting and rather painful aspect of Hana's upbringing - that she has been robbed of choice in so many things, especially in the kind of wedding she wanted. We see this both in the safe house, where Hana and MC decide to marry, and at their engagement photoshoot where Hana plans a couple poses.

In both scenes, she dives into the task with incredible enthusiasm, before stopping herself and asking the MC if in doing so she is ignoring the MC's desires for their wedding. The MC can reassure her, but in both scenes Hana is nervous about becoming like her parents, in leaving behind her partner in her desire to fulfill her own dreams for her wedding.

Unfortunately, this story thread is dropped completely after Ch 2 of TRR3, and the wedding itself is so focused on the MC that PB often forgets that Hana is a bride at that wedding too! She is made to wear dull colours like the rest at her own bachelorette (and two white ladies of the court are allowed to break this rule), and is treated like a bridesmaid more than a bride at her own reception! Especially in the Savannah proposal diamond scene.

Despite being the bride, the MC makes her run errands and she is made to stand in the line of bridesmaids for the bouquet toss in her wedding gown! Honestly...not a dream wedding at all.

So it's always been important to me, to imagine a perfect wedding for Hana. One that centers her. That keeps her dreams - the ones that Hana assumed would never come true - in mind. One that respects her journey and where she came from, combines all the things she loves.

So to me...and I think to many Hana stans... Hana's dream wedding isn't just a typical dream of someone who can't wait to marry the one they love. It's also an opportunity for Hana to live out fantasies and dreams and wishes that she thought she'd never have the chance to fulfill.

Because I'm not sure how many TRR players know about this...I thought I'd talk about it and why it personally mattered so much to me, a bit today. ☺️☺️

Can't wait to see all your HLAW entries!!

[adamwatchesmovies]

Sky High (2005)

If you’re making a movie about a high schooler torn between his friends and the popular clique, you’re not going to beat Mean Girls - so what can you do? Add an extra element to make it different. On their own, the high school and superhero elements of Sky High would be forgettable. Together, they make this the kind of movie you’d enjoy as a kid, fondly remember for years, revisit later on and be pleased to see that it holds up.

Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) is the non-powered son of The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), the world’s most popular superheroes. He hopes his first day at Sky High - a school for superheroes - will unlock his potential. Although he and his friends are relegated to the “Hero Support” (sidekick) department, he catches the eye of beautiful Gwen Grayson (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). When his powers finally manifest, he begins hanging out with Gwen and the popular crowd, just as Royal Pain - his parents' nemesis presumed dead for 16 years - reemerges.

You can probably see where this story is going. At the end of the day, the “cool kids” are not the people Will can depend upon; it’s his childhood friend Layla (Danielle Panabaker) who is secretly in love with him and can manipulate plants along, with the sidekick misfits: Ethan “Popsicle” Bank (Dee Jay Daniels) who can melt into a puddle of goo, Magenta Lewis (Kelly Vitz) who can turn into a guinea pig, and Zach Braun (Nicholas Braun) who glows in the dark. If Sky High deviated from the formula more, had richer characters, or took a few more chances, it would be a better film. The movie can tell us that sidekicks and heroes should be treated equally all it wants, but Puddle Kid won’t be saving the day anytime soon and the story fails to make him cool by showing him use his ability to crawl beneath doors to spy on people or combining his skills with smarts or martial arts. Similarly, it’s not like Will confronts his father and persuades him to apologize to Royal Pain for the anguish he made them feel while they were in school together; Royal Pain is just evil and needs to be dealt with the old-fashioned way. There’s another layer of depth and intelligence that could’ve been unlocked.

With that said, the movie has a good number of jokes and when the high school and superhero genre are blended, it works well. Bruce Campbell has a small role as Coach Boomer. He provides some big laughs as he puts the new recruits through trials and comments on their potential - or lack thereof. Equally funny are the scenes in “superhero support” class. The teacher, All-American Boy (Dave Foley) is so lame he deserves no respect. The dubiously useful skills he teaches are showcased in a couple of montages that prove this movie knows the superhero genre and has fun both referencing it and poking fun at a few aspects too.

Sky High is at its best when it’s making you laugh but the teenage drama stuff works fairly well too. In the cafeteria, Will has to contest with Warren Peace (Steven Strait) who holds a grudge against the Stronghold family for imprisoning his supervillain father. The story by Paul Hernandez, Bob Schooley & Mark McCorkle makes him more than just a bad guy. Not that the one-dimensional bullies (played by Will Harris and Jake Sandvig) are bad. Actually, they’re fun in a Bulk and Skull kind of way. I just wish the film blended its two genres more consistently in the second and third acts. There is substance in the scenes of Will and his father talking. His heroic abilities are our world's equivalent of being a star football player but the further we go on, the more detached from reality the characters and the story becomes. There are some twists along the way that make the conclusion quite a lot of fun, however.

While Sky High lacks originality, it uses its tried-and-true elements well. It’s good, family-friendly entertainment with a fair number of smartly written bits and some good character moments. (January 8, 2021)

[jackstingy]

# JACKSTINGY – an independent, mutuals only, 18+ roleplay blog following the semipiternal woes of a) some nerdy english kid waffling between uni and an internship at the local retirement home and b) the maleficent spirit of a machiavellian drunkard now attempting to permanently possess the body of said nerdy english kid. triggering content such as religious theming + imagery, references to alcohol use + physical violence, and dissociation will make frequent appearances. rules below the read more, though saint peter and satan have one little thing in common and that’s knowing quite thoroughly that the spirit of old stingy jack isn’t reading through shite. 

(you probably should, though. shutting up isn’t quite a part of either of their personal dictionaries, and neither is using parentheses in the manner they were meant to be used.)

THE PLAYER'S HANDBOOK – THE RECORDS IN THE BASEMENT – THE CEALLACH SCRAPBOOK – THE CAT RANDOMIZER

INTERACTING. will not be open to bigots, white-washers, or fetishisers. it will, however, be open to any and all mutuals (which is a status reserved for anyone and everyone who is a cool, respectful, talented writer – id est, you!), regardless of plotting status and whether or not we’ve talked ooc. feel free treat memes as starters, reblog memes and prompts from me instead of the source without sending anything in, delete anything from me that you’re too busy to answer; i’m really just here to have fun and find new people to write with, so as long as you respect my rules and i respect yours, we’re cool.

WRITING. will be tagged with applicable triggers as “trigger tw”, posted using beta editor, and mainly occur in two modes: anxious third person rambling from j.d. and atrocious first person misanthropy from jack with an italicised and bolded transition between them. while my writing may look lengthy, you are in no way obligated to match word count or force replies out quicker than you can handle. basic etiquette applies: no godmodding, no metagaming, and no powerplaying without discussing the parameters of any of these acts beforehand. all this being said, roleplaying is a hobby, and if you ever want to drop a thread or get something a little shorter in your notifications, i am more than willing to oblige you.

SHIPPING. in terms of romance will happen selectively and exclusively with j.d for the foreseeable future, be based on chemistry after a substantial amount of threads and plotting, and in no way be forced on you. i love pre-established relationships of the platonic or hostile kind with reckless disregard for my characters’ established timelines, though, so i’m always open to editing plot points in and out as development happens and stories are made. i’d rather not write smut on this blog, but suggestive content will be tagged as such and fade to blacks may happen.

UNFOLLOWING. will be done with a heads-up through private messages and a softblock on my end unless you’ve stated prior that you’d rather be hard blocked. of course, i don't expect a heads-up from anyone who wishes to unfollow or block me; do what you need to do to keep your corner of the internet comfortable!

FORMATTING. will be minimal, with small text, single spacing, italicised words, and 100x100 static icons. if there is anything you’d like me to change about how i format my posts, please let me know via tumblr ims or discord.

OOC. talk will be attempted! i’m seb, 23, he/him, now kicking it in gmt+11, with ‘it’ being the metaphorical bucket that is writing. i love commenting on posts (i know most of tumblr hates it, but i truly do believe that the reply function was made for me and me alone), sending in asks, and falling to my digital knees at the sheer quality of writing and emotion to be found in this community. i am slightly terrified of returning to indie roleplaying after a long stint in just group rp sectors, but hopefully j.d. and jack can bring some existential fear and festive cheer to you all!

[bayysti]

I'm of the belief that the resistance kind of see the players as like. Fun toys. Strong, capable ones too. Basically like a complete different species, a lesser one too, because of how different they are and how they aren't as connected/attached to the island as they are.

Cuz look, they have been on Island basically their whole life. It is their home, they live there, they have jobs there, it is their entire life. They live under an oppressive, tyrannical government and have been fighting desperately (although in the shadows as they are incredibly weak compared to the federation) for probably decades. But despite the long, uphill battle they have determination and hope.

All of sudden, weird groups of people randomly appear on the island. They progress EXTREMELY quickly, building houses, a civilisation. They are also immediately in quite close contact with the federation, which you know, they're competent and probably a new enemy, and they cant just ignore them

Oh shit they're fucked.

They get eggs. They get attached to them. The rebellion might see this as alignment to the federation, and think the players are just something that will get int their way. They try killing the eggs, succeed sometimes but mostly fail. The codes are probably their best technology too, as they can grow, learn whilst being mostly undetected by the federation.

They start to learn that they cannot fight them. Especially with etoiles around. I think they sent etoiles just to the Nether to unlock the door, but he was never supposed to find the shield as it was hidden. After that they couldn't kill him to take it back, but when they eventually did (by cheating*COUGH COUGH) they realised it would be more beneficial to them to try get the players on their side. They're useful tools, pawns, to avoid unnecessary sacrifices on their end.

Because the players don't have any attachments to the island, no patriotism ig. They just popped up there one day. They play around like their life but somehow they're so powerful, it'd be a waste to not have such a valuable asset. They're seen more as foot soldiers, attack dogs kind of.

Because its not that the rebellion is evil. We've seen they're sympathetic to their own kind, and there's a lot of comradery and understanding towards eachother. We've seen with them and Walter bobs family.

They view the players as oursiders so they have no qualms about using and playing with them as they wish. They don't try to reach out and make bonds with them (unlike Walter Bob, who did, and who treats the players with respect, like equals) because they almost don't deem them worthy of it. Not in a demeaning way, but in a way that people usually don't go out of the way to make conversation with dogs they see in the street.

Yeah until we get some kind of explanation to Codeflippa I am not trusting the resistance as morally righteous to any degree. They control the codes and the code just led a player into actively decaying terrain. A vulnerable player too, one that very few people will consider missing. I don't like the idea that they'll use players as pawns to test things and get things done, that's what the Federation does. (also the child murder, not fond of that.)