#a2 script

[pandorapromises]

HER OWN SECRET SHAME??!!!?!! HELLO??!! 😰

[tmbgareok]

Flans, do you have any memories of a song whose lyrics you agonised over and found really difficult to get right? I’m always wondering if you write your songs in a spontaneous hour of inspiration, or you spend weeks redrafting until you’re happy with them.

JF: there certainly are others, like "Protagonist" (which was informed by the style limitations of a "spec script" for a film, and although doesn't really follow the rules of those style limitations, it does explain the idea in a compressed way) For something that presents as pretty simple, it took a while to resolve.

But the one track that comes to mind right away is "Hate the Villanelle". The form was something my wife Robin had talked about a lot, and once I came up with the title line, I felt like I had to commit to finishing it. In the beginning the form feels kind of loose because, while the rhyme scheme is really prescribed and kind of odd, the meter is flexible. So while the meter is not prescribed, once you establish it, you do have to stick to it. But there are so many complications with the rhyme scheme that makes laying out a lyric kind of treacherous. Trying to write a villanelle quickly would equate with doing a crossword with the DOWN clues with no regard for how the answers are fitting in with ACROSS. You are going to jam yourself up pretty fast. The two primary lines need to work off each other and have a bit of energy or edge, or their many repeats can feel anodyne and become lulling. But if they are too specific it loses its poetry and kinda turns into a chant if not just a matched pair of non sequitors.

The rhyme scheme looks like this: (From the wikipedia entry on Villanelle)

Refrain 1 (A1) Line 2 (b) Refrain 2 (A2)

Line 4 (a) Line 5 (b) Refrain 1 (A1)

Line 7 (a) Line 8 (b) Refrain 2 (A2)

Line 10 (a) Line 11 (b) Refrain 1 (A1)

Line 13 (a) Line 14 (b) Refrain 2 (A2)

Line 16 (a) Line 17 (b) Refrain 1 (A1) Refrain 2 (A2)

[cyren-myadd]

Rant about Eywa theories

Eywa is one of the most interesting concepts in the Avatar universe, imo. The concept of an interplanetary consciousness that every native organism can "interface" with is so cool. One thing that really fascinates me about Eywa is how she goes about "protecting only the balance of life" as Neytiri explained to Jake. As of Avatar 1, Eywa did not react to the human threat mining and destroying the forest for several years, nor the genocide/abduction of the Sarentu clan, even though Eywa would've been aware of what was happening when the Na'vi shared their memories with her soul trees. She only reacted to the threat AFTER she was exposed to human memories of the destruction of earth when Jake interfaced with her via his avatar body, and then again when she interfaced with Grace’s human body. The reaction was similar to an immune response within a body attacking a foreign virus, with native fauna mobilizing to attack anything that registered as alien. One interesting thing of note about the immune response is that the animals were not physically connected to Eywa when they attacked, which means Eywa can somehow send commands to organisms “wirelessly.” This phenomena could also explain how the atokirina conveniently show up to stop Neytiri from killing Jake. Anyway, the immune response won the final battle of A1, in A2 we saw the immune response can't protect Pandora in its entirety. The recoms could get past the immune response undetected, and Bridgehead and the whaling ships didn't face an immune response at all.

Another interesting thing about Eywa we learned from the original script for Avatar 2, is that she is confirmed to have caused Grace’s pregnancy. Norm describes Kiri’s birth as “parthenogenesis,” which is a biological process in which an egg produces viable offspring without sperm from a male. (idk if the script needs a spoiler warning, so I'm putting one just to be safe) Based on the fact that Jake describes the pregnancy as “a mystery,” we can assume parthenogenetic birth isn’t something normal to the Na’vi’s alien reproductive cycle. On earth, parthenogenesis is only found in invertebrates and some plants. Assuming that Na’vi reproduction is somewhat similar to earth animal reproduction (which I think we can safely do since the Sully children clearly have inherited different traits from their parents, implying that they get half of their DNA from each parent just like on earth, but they are aliens so I could be completely wrong here), Grace would’ve had gametes inside of her avatar’s reproductive system, which are cells that only contain half of the genetic material to produce a viable offspring. A complex, multicellular organism like a Na’vi couldn’t exist without a full set of genes, so in order to produce a zygote (a new cell with a full set of genes that can grow into an embryo), the other half of the genetic material must’ve come from somewhere else, and the only place it could’ve come from is Eywa herself. This means that Eywa, to some capacity, can create or at least copy and reproduce genetic material. Since Kiri is so similar to Grace, it’s possible the other half of her genes are just a complete copy of Grace.

From all this we can conclude some things about Eywa.

We know she is not:

All powerful

All knowing

A “god” in the traditional sense

We know she is capable of:

Storing memories, including memories of the deceased from the last time they connected with her

Making decisions to react to threats based on those memories

Interfacing with an alien’s nervous system

Commanding fauna

Sending signals to organisms without physical contact

Creating/changing genetic material

What is still unclear is how Eywa’s consciousness works. Is she:

A sentient individual?

A hive mind of the deceased Na’vi?

An amalgamation of consciousness built from memories?

Something akin to a biological artificial intelligence?

Now that we’ve established the things that are confirmed about Eywa, I want to get into some speculation about what else she might be capable of. Note that from this point on I’m being purely SPECULATIVE and I’m not saying any of this is for sure possible in canon, I’m just coming up with hypotheses based on info we already have. After the end of Avatar 2, it looks like Jake and the Na’vi are planning to make their stand against the RDA, but if they want any hope of winning against the RDA’s superior technology, they’re going to need a combination of a Na’vi war force and divine intervention, just like in Avatar 1. The question is, how will Eywa help them? The one form of defense we’ve seen from her is the immune response, but that can only go so far. It can be fooled by avatars and recoms, and it is not strong enough to attack a heavily fortified base like Bridgehead. Eywa is going to have to step up her game, and I’ve created three theories on how she might do that.

📢potential spoiler warning for the last theory!📢

Theory 1: The 880 Virus

Project 880 is a screenplay James Cameron wrote in 1995 that eventually morphed into the Avatar we know and love today. One element in 880 that never made it to Avatar was the counter-viruses. For every earth virus the RDA brought with them to Pandora, Eywa created a counter-virus that would stop it, protecting both native organisms and the humans from getting sick from the viruses ever again. The RDA was even planning to create vaccines using the counter-viruses and sell them back on earth. At the end of Project 880 when the RDA is forced to retreat, Jake tells them that if they ever come back, Eywa will unleash a deadly virus that will wipe out any human that dares set foot on Pandora again. Even though Project 880 is not canon, I could see James Cameron revisiting his old idea to help the protagonists shake off the RDA forever. The problem is they’d need to find a way to protect the friendly humans like Spider and Norm.

Theory 2: Avatar Kiri

Between the parthenogenetic birth and Kiri’s ability to control vines (seen in The High Ground comic) and anemones (seen in Avatar 2), the movies are clearly setting up for there to be something special about her. In both the comic scene where she controlled plants and the movie scene where she controlled the anemones, the characters around her expressed confusion that she could do so, from which we can assume those are not normal abilities of a Na’vi. Since Kiri is also established to have a deep connection to Eywa, it is possible she is meant to act as an “avatar.” In the original context of the word, an avatar is a manifestation of a deity in mortal form, so Kiri would act as an avatar for Eywa. Since Kiri is a person and not a… whatever Eywa is, she can make her own decisions and react quickly to problems without having to absorb memories first. There’s no more information to speculate about what other abilities Kiri may develop in the future, so unfortunately, there’s not much else to discuss here that we can base on any evidence.

Theory 3: If you can’t beat em, join em

📢Here’s where we’re getting into potential spoiler territory.📢 In the BTS footage for Avatar 2, there were some scripts accidentally shown which described some very interesting scenes: Spider, breathing without a mask, and Kiri confessing to Mo’at that she caused it to happen. There was also some concept art shown in Las Vegas that depicted Spider with a neural queue plugged into the underwater spirit tree with Kiri. Full disclaimer, it’s entirely possible these are scrapped ideas and will not be seen in the Avatar franchise, but for the sake of this hypothesis, let’s assume they’re legit. I’ve seen a lot of people asking the question of HOW would this happen, but I haven’t seen anybody asking an equally important question: WHY? I’m very interested in the HOW and maybe I’ll make a discussion post on it later, but for my hypothesis let’s just talk about the WHY. Even though Kiri claimed responsibility for it, I don’t think this is something she could do without the help of Eywa, since Na’vi aren’t established to have the ability to radically alter other organisms. So why would Eywa want to give a human kid the ability to breathe the Pandoran air? Sure, he’s Kiri’s friend, but Eywa has never intervened to save an individual’s life just because people cared about them before (otherwise we’d still have Neteyam RIP). As Neytiri said, “The Great Mother protects the balance of life.” Eywa did not intervene to stop the destructive mining or protect the Sarentu, she only intervened AFTER Grace’s memories showed her that the RDA could potentially cause planet-wide destruction like on earth. So if she gave Spider this life-saving ability, there must be a bigger reason for it other than just Kiri wanting him to survive. My hypothesis is that Eywa has realized what a massive threat the humans pose to Pandora, and that her immune system response is insufficient to protect her biosphere. Her solution is to behave like a virus and weaponize the humans against themselves. When a virus infects a healthy organism, it “hacks” into healthy cells and reprograms them to attack uninfected cells and produce more viruses. Eywa will “hack” Spider’s biology the same way she “hacked” into Grace’s nervous system to interface with her, and will “reprogram” him to breathe the air and have a neural queue. Spider is already loyal to the Na’vi, so she doesn’t need to do anything further to him, but what if she repeated the process with other humans? Any human who gained a neural queue would be able to experience tsaheylu and the connection between all living things. Humans who are already loyal to Eywa would be able to fight back better with their new abilities, and it would give Eywa more access to more memories to gain a better understanding of the enemy. Humans who are loyal to the RDA would be more inclined to switch sides after experiencing Eywa’s consciousness, much like Jake did. I’m aware this final theory is a bit more out there than the others, but it spawned from me trying to answer the question of WHY would Spider get the ability to breathe the air and I felt like there had to be a bigger reason than just Kiri wanting to save him. Unlike Kiri, there’s not some special significance about Spider (other than his connection to Quaritch, but I don’t think Eywa would care about that) that would make him vital to the fight against the RDA, so I thought, what if he’s not special, he just happened to be the first piece of a much larger plan? And the result is this theory.

What do you think of my theories and do you guys have any of your own to share?

TLDR: Eywa is really cool, and in the future I think she could possibly defeat the RDA by unleashing a deadly virus, giving Kiri special powers, or "converting" Spider and other humans.

[micromys]

Don't mind me, just coming down from the High of seeing the NieR: end of data orchestral concert -- and if you're going to see it, perhaps don't read farther than this if you want to preserve the experience.

I had wondered if the new script Yoko Taro wrote would be another post-game story, and indeed it was, which made me a little nervous for 2B and 9S because YT is the way he is. And I had reason to be, as it leads off with 9S and 2B traveling together, but each of them are preoccupied with the fact that 2B's black box is failing because of how it was damaged when A2 killed her. Naturally, being themselves, they try to keep this from each other, not realizing that they both know, obviously.

They end up on a journey to find stray transporters in order to stock up on replacement YoRha parts, but these transporters seem to be leading them to them purposefully, and every time they do find one, they are inundated with memories from the old world -- specifically, from the time of Replicant. They learn about the plague, about Nier, Kaine, Yonah and Emil, and about the Shadowlord. They even end up at the ruins of Emil's mansion (which sparked a gasp from someone near me in the audience).

2B is pretty resigned to her fate, but 9S gets more frantic, wishing he could give her his own black box, and they go through Many More trials and Many More memories before essentially ending up in chapel created by dying YoRHa soldiers, where 2B herself, naturally, also dies.

9S cries and curses and prays, asking if this is a punishment, and why, if it's indeed what it is, then was he not taken instead of her (though we know what happens in that particular scenario, thank you for the suffering, YT). 2B is saved, however, by the souls of the fallen YoRHa soldiers -- whose black boxes responded to 9S's pleas and filled in her damage with their own pieces.

Clinging to each other, they make it back into the sunlight -- 2B stating her one wish is to take away 9S's pain, and 9S stating his is to bring back her smile. Both agree that there's no meaning to the world, and that they are cursed, but that they are going to continue forward together and embrace the world anyway.

Which was all part of the performance of Weight of the World, interspersed with clips of all of their most important scenes together from the game. And I might have gotten a tad emotional, though not nearly as much as the dude sobbing behind me. Respect, dude.

And then Yoko Taro popped up, SO THERE'S THAT. Anyway it was a gorgeous show, loved it, 10/10 would suffer again, etc etc, I'm glad 2B and 9S are still getting to keep the change to live their own lives even if YT isn't exactly going to make it easy for them along the way.

Or me.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Dangancember 2024 - Danganronpa Top 24 Class Trials - Number 5: Danganronpa V3 Case 1 {BEST CASE FROM DRV3}

//Me running from the angry mob who think this case is fucking overrated:

//Okay, okay, I already knew going into this, looking at my top 10, that this is probably the second or third most divisive placement on this list, because the feelings that people have for this trial are generally mixed, and all of it rides on one particular aspect of it, that carries the whole thing.

//But that's not a problem becase we already have a set precedent for that on this list, and yeah, I will not deny it. This trial is only up here because of one massive bias that I have towards it, and if you know me by now, then you already know what it is.

//But I have lots of other reasons as to why I absolutely love this Class Trial, mainly because even if it's not as good a mystery as 2-1 or A2-1, this is the best opening case for me because of how it kicks V3 off with an emotional bang.

//This isn't like the first trial of Another 2 where I think it's generally not a good sign that my favourite case in that game was the first one. This one has a legitimate reason for being up here because of how, even to this day, it sets itself apart from every other Danganronpa trial that we've covered so far, not just among the openings.

//And trust me, it was SO GODDAMN DIFFICULT trying to decide which I liked more between V3-1 and V3-4, because they're both AMAZING. But the thing that ultimately decided it is that I actually have come back to this case a few times over the course of my time as a DR fan. While I only sparingly go back to Chapter 4 of this game, because it's already had its impact on me.

//If you thought the opening cases in previous games were wild, V3 comes out swinging (literally) with a mystery that doesn’t just set the stage but completely flips the script on what you expect from a Danganronpa trial.

//It’s not just about solving the murder; it’s about the emotional gut-punch, the clever twists, and the bold storytelling choices that make you question everything you thought you knew about the series.

So let’s dive into what makes this case such a standout moment in the franchise.

//The first victim in Danganronpa V3 is Rantaro Amami, a man of mystery whose Ultimate Talent remains unknown during the first chapter. His untimely demise occurs in the library, where he’s tragically bludgeoned on the head with a heavy shotput ball.

//I know there are other aspects of the trial that stand out to people more, but I actually want to kick this review off by saying that Rantaro’s death is not just shocking but downright brilliant.

//It's one of the best character fakeouts in the series, and the only time I think Kodaka does it better in any of his mystery games is the prologue case of Rain Code (If you know, you know.) It's executed so well that it leaves you doing a mental double take.

//At first glance, Rantaro seems poised to become this game’s equivalent of Nagito. i.e. a morally ambiguous outcast with potentially twisted ideals.

//His enigmatic vibe and cryptic behavior practically scream "plot relevance." Honestly, he even gives off shades of Yuri from SDRA2, with that same aura of someone you’d expect to stir the pot in bizarre and unsettling ways.

//To emphasize this further, all the other Ultimate ???'s have been integral to their games. Kyoko was the deutragonist and leading lady of DR1, and Hajime was the protagonist of DR2. And in the first chapter of DR1, Kyoko is mostly unnasuming, and you don't know what her relevance to the plot is until the trial actually happens; since most of the screentime of Chapter 1 is taken up by Makoto's relationship with Sayaka.

//But before we even get to unravel his deal, he’s unceremoniously removed from the board. It's as if the game chuckled to itself and shouted "SIKE!"

//This clever bait-and-switch caught me completely off guard. I was ready for Rantaro to take center stage as the group's wildcard, only for the game to pull the rug out from under me.

//Instead, the role of chaotic, antagonistic schemer eventually falls to Kokichi, who turned out to be another fantastic choice, though his brand of chaos is a touch different.

//I'd really like to see a potential fanfic rewrite where Rantaro survives, and serves as the rival character to the main protagonist. Because most V3 rewrites are one's that have Kaede survive the first chapter, but Rantaro still dies, and he hardly gets any screentime, if any. And that's a shame, because I'd like to see what people do with his character.

//Please read all these fanfics by the way, they're so good.

//And sure, you could argue the setup feels a bit reminiscent of Danganronpa 2, where the first victim is also a character cloaked in mystery, and then later, his real talent is revealed to be something monumental to the plot of the game. But hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? It’s a bold way to kick things off and keep players guessing, and it sets the stage for the rollercoaster ride of twists that V3 is known for.

//But...okay, let's not delay ourselves any longer. All ya'll motherfuckers know the precise reason why it is that I love this trial.

//When it comes to the first trial of Danganronpa V3, the victim is certainly a shocking element, but let’s not kid ourselves...there’s one reason why this trial is etched into the annals of the series’ history as one of its most mind-blowing moments.

//And that reason is…The culprit.

//So, who killed Rantaro Amami? Who's the mastermind behind this library bludgeoning?

//You are!

//Okay, to be more specific, the person who turns out to be Rantaro's SUPPOSED murderer is Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist, who starts V3 by serving as the player character.

//Yep! The character you’ve been controlling this whole time is the murderer. And that alone is one of the best plot twists in the entire series, already rivalling the final plot twists of Danganronpa 2.

//And if that doesn't set a precedent for this game, I don't know what could have.

//To elaborate, the game opens with you playing as Kaede, a talented and determined pianist with a big heart, a hopeful spirit, and a knack for rallying her classmates. Everything about her screams "main protagonist," from her bright demeanor to her prominent placement in marketing materials.

//But as this trial unfolds, the game pulls the ultimate fast one.

//At first, the trial plays out like classic Danganronpa fare: you gather evidence, debate your classmates, and cross names off the suspect list. The usual, right? But as the suspects dwindle and the pressure mounts, it becomes clear that solving this case won’t come easy.

//The group edges closer to despair as they struggle to pinpoint the killer. This is where Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective, the game's current deutragonist, becomes the prime suspect for much of the trial.

//After some prompting, Shuichi, putting his sleuthing skills to good use, proposes a theory that flips the entire case, and the game, on its head. The real killer isn’t anyone standing on the sidelines. It’s Kaede herself. The cheerful, hopeful pianist you’ve been guiding through this madness turns out to be the one who orchestrated Rantaro’s death.

//Let’s pause to appreciate just how wild this twist is. Up until this point, Kaede was framed as the central figure of Danganronpa V3. You’ve bonded with her, rooted for her, and poured hours into her perspective. And now, she’s sentenced to death.

//The "main character" doesn’t even survive past the first chapter! It’s a daring, genre-defying move that caught players completely off guard.

//To make this twist land, the game’s developers went all out. They weren’t just pulling a fast one on Kaede; they were pulling one on us. Here’s just some of the things they pulled off this grand deception:

On the game’s official Steam page, the promotional images heavily feature Kaede as the protagonist. Shuichi, on the other hand, is LITERALLY a background character.

Kaede is front and center in nearly all official artwork; at least those that dropped at the time of release. Shuichi’s presence is muted, making it seem like she’s the undisputed lead.

V3 is the only one of the Danganronpa games that had a fully released demo. In the game’s demo, Kaede is marketed as the hero, reinforcing the idea that this is her story. Makoto and Hajime, both of whom make reappearances for the demo, specifically refer to her as a "fellow protagonist."

The developers warned fans repeatedly on social media to avoid spoilers, knowing this twist was too good to ruin.

To cement the illusion, they even slapped the "Female Protagonist" tag on the game’s store page.

//This level of misdirection is nothing short of genius. It’s one of the most ambitious twists the series has ever pulled off, and it solidifies this trial as a standout moment in Danganronpa history. Clever, daring, and a little cruel, it’s the kind of narrative gut punch that keeps fans talking years later.

//Also, as a side note, while I was doing this analysis and getting screenshots from YouTube to use as part of it, I found this comment, and I never actually thought about it this way, and it's so goddamn funny for some reason:

//It definitely keeps ME talking years later, since these days, Kaede is quite possibly my favourite character in the entire series.

//And yes, I'm sorry, this is turning into a rant about why I absolutely love Kaede, but it is very relevant to the plot of this trial, since this is her one and done. So I want to establish what she was able to achieve within her time.

//Kaede is a delightful bundle of joy, determination, and just the right amount of chaos, and even though she is the protagonist initially, she sets herself apart from the previous series hitters; Makoto, Hajime, and Komaru.

//She’s a hardworking leader type with a strong will, unshakable beliefs in herself and others, and a heart set on making people smile. especially through her music. But while her Ultimate Pianist title highlights her talent, it’s Kaede’s personality and quirks that truly make her shine.

//For starters, Kaede’s kindness and selflessness often lead her to put others first, sometimes to a fault. She’s so trusting that in the game’s demo, she outright fakes an alibi for Makoto based solely on gut instinct, even though she has no rational reason to believe he’s innocent. She does this for Shuichi as well, but obviously, as far as she's aware, SHE'S the culprit, so she knows that if Shuichi is voted for, she gets executed.

//She’ll lie if it’s for a good cause, but at the same time, she’s hilariously bad at it, squirming uncomfortably every time.

//Like previous protagonists, she’s sensitive to others’ struggles and listens earnestly to their concerns. But Kaede takes it a step further: she actively pushes people to improve, even if that means bluntly pointing out their flaws.

//It's easy to go through all of V3 without seeing her FTE's, because she's obviously only around for this chapter, and has two per character. And unless you reset the game multiple times, you won't get to see them all.

//Which is a shame that you have to go through so much effort to see them because they're all packed with moments of encouragement that show her as an unshakable force of positivity. Unsurprisingly, most of her classmates quickly grow to like her.

//That said, Kaede isn’t without her...problems...In fact she has quite a few.

//Her obsession with piano borders on comical; she works musical metaphors into everyday conversations and avoids any activity that might harm her precious fingers. Her Free Time Events with Tsumugi even lead to a minor existential crisis when she realizes her entire identity revolves around piano, prompting her to desperately search for new hobbies.

//Which is not true, because personally, I think she's among the deeper characters in V3, but it's still funny.

//Kaede also has a goofy, impulsive side that often makes her unintentionally funny, or awkward or awkward depending on the situation. For example, she has absolutely ZERO sense of restraint

//In K1-B0’s Free Time Events, she casually asks questions about his robotic nature in ways that come off as insensitive. She’s the type to poke buttons (literally in Keebo's case, where she pushes his emergency shutdown) or cheeks without permission, giving her a playful, almost childlike quality.

//But then there’s her tendency to blurt out comments that can sound…questionable. She enthusiastically calls Tenko cute, describes Tsumugi’s "sexy aura," and even threatens to lift Tsumugi’s skirt to get her to talk, prompting Shuichi to point out that she’s acting like a creepy old man.

//Her layered personality doesn’t end there. While she’s a genuinely kind and brave person, Kaede also has a fiery temper and a knack for standing her ground. She’s quick to lash out when provoked, whether it’s snapping at Shuichi for panicking, telling Himiko to shut up during an investigation, or calling out Kokichi for his attention-seeking antics.

//Yet, these moments of frustration come from a place of passion, as Kaede firmly believes in justice and doing what’s right. She’s not afraid to call out any behavior she deems unacceptable, earning her a reputation as a bossy but well-meaning figure.

//However, Kaede’s determination to do the right thing is both her greatest strength and her biggest flaw. She’s relentless in pursuing her vision of justice, even when it’s misguided or downright dangerous. In this chapter, she rallies the group to escape using one of Monokuma’s obvious traps, earning everyone's pointed criticism, specifically from Maki and Kokichi. Her pushy attitude sometimes rubs others the wrong way, but Kaede genuinely doesn’t realize how her actions affect those around her until it’s pointed out. When her good intentions go awry, it leads to moments of genuine regret.

//Of course, Kaede’s defining moment comes in the trial, where her unwavering sense of justice drives her to extremes. To save her classmates, she attempts to murder the Mastermind, a decision that ends in disaster when her plan misfires and Rantaro becomes the unintended victim.

//And despite the inclusion of the First-Blood Perk, which allows whoever commits the crime to escape the school without the need for a Class Trial, she refuses to take the chance, because she wants to use the trial to out the Mastermind.

//This twist not only redefines Kaede’s role but also highlights her complexity. She isn’t just a good person in the traditional sense. Her belief in her own righteousness blinds her to the consequences of her actions, making her a beautifully flawed and deeply human character.

//Now...before I go onto what I actually liked about the trial itself, and how, while the Kaede twist carries it, it's still supported by a bunch of really neat moments, mysteries, and pacing, I want to go over one massive concern that we haven't really established with this case, and give my opinion on it. Because this is something that we've kind of already gone over, but I want to talk about it in more detail here, because this is where the point becomes relevant.

//During the trial, the evidence begins to point toward the fact that Rantaro was killed by a heavy shotput ball dropped from the vent above the library’s bookcases, which is how Kaede set up the trap. Initially, suspicions are scattered among several characters, with Shuichi himself being a prime suspect for much of the trial.

//However, in a dramatic reversal, Shuichi pieces together that Kaede’s actions prior to the murder align with the placement of the murder weapon. He theorizes that Kaede had hidden the shotput ball inside the air vent with the intention of setting a trap for the Mastermind. This trap involved the ball rolling out of the vent and hitting whoever triggered the motion-detecting cameras set up in the library. Tragically, Rantaro happened to be the one caught in the crossfire.

//Or so we thought...

//In truth, Tsumugi Shirogane, who is secretly the mastermind of the killing game, altered the events of the murder after Kaede set her trap. Kaede’s plan to kill the Mastermind failed, and the shotput ball actually MISSED Rantaro. He was instead killed directly by Tsumugi, who procured her own ball and smashed him over the head with it.

//Using her authority over Monokuma and the game, Tsumugi manipulated the evidence to make it look like Kaede’s trap had succeeded. Ensuring that Kaede would take the fall for the crime, not only eliminating a strong-willed leader who might disrupt the killing game early on, but also, due to Monokuma's threat of killing everybody if nobody died within a certain time limit, to ensure her own survival.

//The group unknowingly plays into her hands, convicting Kaede as the blackened based on incomplete and fabricated evidence. And it's quite possibly the only substantially evil thing Tsumugi does in the whole game.

//Now...this element of the game is controversial, both for me, and for the audience, for several reasons.

//My big issue is that it's an unfair manipulation of the rules of the killing game, which usually relies on airtight logic and player-driven deductions. Knowing that the evidence was tampered with by Tsumugi retroactively feels like a betrayal of the game’s premise of uncovering the truth.

//And yeah, this isn't the first time the Mastermind does this. Junko does this in Game 1, in fact. And it's highly unrealistic for you to believe that the Masterminds would ever willfully play by the rules, but my problem is that it really undermines them from being the powerful villains that they play themselves as in the final Chapter. It's why I believe AI Junko in the second game is the best Mastermind of the lot, since she's the only one who doesn't royally fuck up at one point (barring Mikado and Akane T.)

//The bigger issue for people in general, however, is that some fans feel that the framing diminishes Kaede’s role in the twist. Instead of her actions directly leading to the crime, her plan is sabotaged and used against her by an outside force. This makes her appear less culpable, which can feel like a cop-out for such a high-stakes moment.

//One could argue that if Kaede had actually succeeded in killing Rantaro, the twist would have been more impactful. It would’ve forced players to grapple with the moral complexity of Kaede’s actions, as she would’ve knowingly crossed a line to protect her friends. By shifting the blame to Tsumugi’s interference, the narrative somewhat softens the weight of Kaede’s decision.

//And I do agree with all of these notions, and understand where people are coming from. HOWEVER, despite these criticisms, Kaede’s framing still works within the context of the story and doesn’t take away from the emotional impact of her being the Chapter 1 culprit.

//What you have to remember is it isn't simply that Tsumugi committed her own crime individual of Kaede. Kaede started the murder plan, and Tsumugi finished it.

//It still means that Kaede isn't the killer, and shouldn't have been executed for it, but it doesn't change the fact that she still TRIED to kill somebody.

//It doesn't take away from the complexities and flaws of Kaede as a person in this game. The Despair she felt, and the corner she was driven into, still mattered, and she still acted on it in the worst way possible. Had the shotput ball hit Rantaro and not missed by pure coincidence, she would still have been the culprit.

//Even though she was framed for the actual murder, Kaede’s actions remain central to the story. Her plan to kill the mastermind reflects her unyielding determination to save her classmates, even at the cost of her own morality. Whether her trap succeeded or not, Kaede willingly put herself in a position where she would’ve been responsible for taking a life. This is the heart of the twist, and it’s not about whether she succeeded, but about her willingness to go that far.

//The framing doesn’t change the fact that Kaede is executed believing she is responsible for Rantaro’s death. Her guilt and despair as she tries to encourage Shuichi to carry on in her place still land with full emotional force, and the player shares her devastation, and her death leaves a lasting impact on the narrative. This doesn't change with Chapter 6's revelations.

//And on top of that, Tsumugi’s interference is consistent with her role as the mastermind and a villain who thrives on deception. The killing game has always been about manipulation, both of the participants and the audience. By framing Kaede, she ensures that the game starts with a shocking betrayal of expectations, cementing her as a calculating and ruthless antagonist.

//Only to fumble the ball much later, but this is more of a knock on Trial 6 than Trial 1.

//And that's mainly the big reason why I think this trial is great as an opening. It allows several characters to shine early.

//Kaede’s bold leadership, Rantaro’s mysterious potential, and glimpses of complexity in Kokichi’s manipulations and Kaito’s steadfastness all take center stage.

//But beyond Kaede, the real breakout star here is Shuichi, whose journey from hesitant sidekick to true protagonist begins in earnest during this chapter.

//At first glance, unlike Kaede, Shuichi feels eerily familiar to Makoto and Hajime, or previous protagonists. He’s polite, serious, and perpetually anxious, sporting a hat he refuses to take off because he’s self-conscious about making eye contact. He blushes, breaks into cold sweats, and often assumes everyone else is more capable than he is.

//In short, he doesn’t exactly exude confidence or charisma, and that’s exactly why his growth feels so satisfying. V3 may have ups and downs in terms of its characterization and plot development, but if there's one thing that I can say for certain, it's that Shuichi's character writing, throughout ALL of this game, is FLAWLESS!

//Despite his meekness, Shuichi shows surprising flashes of initiative early on. He’s the first to suggest they set a trap for the mastermind, proving he’s not as passive as he seems. He’s also quick to stand up for himself when pushed too far, such as his angry outburst at Miu accusing him of being a pervert.

//Kaede’s role in shaping Shuichi cannot be overstated. As the initial protagonist, she radiates optimism, courage, and determination. Her plan to stop the mastermind, though it fails, demonstrates her willingness to take risks for the group’s sake.

//When the truth of the trial forces Shuichi to accuse her, the weight of that responsibility crushes him, but Kaede’s faith in him remains unwavering.

//Kaede’s final words, encouraging Shuichi to believe in himself, become the foundation for his transformation. Her trust in him, paired with Kaito’s relentless support afterwards, helps Shuichi shed his self-doubt (and his hat) and step into the spotlight as the protagonist. From here on, Shuichi is determined not to look away from the truth, no matter how painful, a promise he makes in honor of Kaede’s memory.

//Trial by trial, Shuichi grows more confident and assertive. By the time the finale rolls around, Shuichi has fully stepped into his role, calling out the mastermind and rallying his fellow survivors with unshakable resolve. His passionate outrage upon revealing Kaede’s unjust execution shows just how far he’s come, not only as a detective but as someone who refuses to let lies define their lives.

//What makes Shuichi such a compelling protagonist is how different he is from Kaede. Where Kaede is bold and charismatic, Shuichi is quiet and thoughtful. He lacks her boundless optimism but compensates with razor-sharp intellect and a deep sense of responsibility.

//His understated heroism makes his victories feel earned rather than inevitable, and his struggles resonate with anyone who’s ever doubted themselves.

//In the end, Shuichi becomes the protagonist that Team Danganronpa never anticipated. While Kaede was ideal for their manufactured Killing Game, Shuichi subverts their expectations entirely. By rejecting the binary of Hope and Despair and refusing to vote, he takes a stand that transcends the game’s twisted rules. His quiet determination and intellect ultimately bring an end to the Killing Game and the series itself.

//Just as he promised Kaede.

//Kaede’s death and the way she passes the torch to Shuichi set the stage for one of, if not, THE most rewarding character arc/arcs in the series. Her impact is felt throughout the game, not just in Shuichi’s growth but in how her sacrifice inspires the survivors to keep pushing forward.

//Shuichi’s evolution from anxious and self-doubting to confident and decisive is what makes him such a standout protagonist. His relatability, paired with his ability to rise to the occasion, ensures that his journey, from the first trial to the game’s finale, is as compelling as it is memorable.

//But while the characterization and the relevance of Kaede is what carries this trial this high onto the list, I want to talk a little more about my thoughts and feelings on the invesigation, and the trial itself.

//The first chapter of Danganronpa V3 is just as heavy and depressing as its predecessors, but it cranks up the confusion factor to eleven. While Hope’s Peak Academy and Jabberwock Island had some sense of familiarity, the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juvenies in this game feels more alien, making the stakes even harder to grasp initially.

//I kind of already said this, but from the way Rantaro carries himself in the prologue, acting all mysterious and competent, I was convinced he was going to be a key player. Maybe even a leader figure who would stick around for the long haul. And then when he started going a bit off the rails, I thought, "Ah, I see where this is going."

//I began thinking that he was going to turn out like Tsurugi from the Another games. Like the morally rigid, justice-obsessed type whose sense of right and wrong is slightly…off.

//But nope! The next thing I knew, Rantaro was lying there, very dead, and I was sitting there questioning my life choices. That little arc of his really threw me for a loop.

//Unless you're NicoB and somehow channeling detective-level intuition, figuring out who the killer is in this case is next to impossible based on the investigation clues alone. And that’s exactly what makes it so brilliant.

//With Kaede as the culprit, you essentially experience the entire murder setup firsthand. You’re there for the plan, the execution (as in the crime HAPPENING in real time, not the execution that kills Kaede, although we are also there for that), and the aftermath. But the game cleverly omits just the right moments or twists key words in a way that keeps you from ever suspecting her.

//Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: some fans argue that the protagonist switch is the only good thing about this case, dismissing the rest as basic or bare-bones.

//Respectfully, I think they’re wrong.

//Sure, the protagonist twist is a massive highlight. It’s chef’s kiss in terms of execution. But the case itself has plenty to offer.

//As a first case, it had some big shoes to fill. On one hand, it easily outshines the first trial in Danganronpa 1, which, let’s be real, was serviceable but not exactly riveting.

//On the other hand, it had to compete with Danganronpa 2’s first trial, which featured Teruteru’s surprisingly intricate scheme. That one’s a tougher act to follow, but I’d argue that Kaede’s case pulls ahead in terms of how engaging and multilayered the mystery is.

//Teruteru's crime was more complicated, and engaging, but it wasn't as fun to solve as this one was for me.

//Is it the most complex case in the series? No.

//Does it redefine what meta means in V3? Not quite.

//But it’s still an awesome, tightly crafted mystery that deserves its spot among the series’ best. In hindsight, even though they are my least favourite set of mysteries in the main trilogy, V3’s cases are all pretty intricate, so the fact that this one holds its ground says a lot.

//And really, how can you not appreciate a case where the game essentially says, "You’re the killer, but good luck realizing that before we drop the bombshell?"

//It’s clever, it’s bold, and it sets the tone for V3’s penchant for subverting expectations. Whether you’re here for the shocking twists or just love seeing your brain get tied in knots, this case delivers.

//For good measure, I'll reiterate how this whole thing goes.

//So, the whole mystery kicks off with Rantaro getting murdered, and Kaede, being the brilliant hero that she is, takes it upon herself to help the group narrow down the list of suspects. She shuts down anyone who tries to throw blame at others, using hard evidence like a detective on a caffeine high.

//The excuses for why certain people couldn’t have been the killer range from, "They were miles away at the time," to "They’re physically too weak to throw a shotput hard enough to kill someone". Basically a smorgasbord of alibis and physical limitations that could’ve come straight out of a detective’s handbook.

//But as it goes, all suspicion seems to funnel onto Shuichi. After all, he’s the only one who could bypass the security system, because Miu, the mastermind behind the tech Shu and Kae used for their trap, told him how to do it, while Kaede was not informed beforehand. And since Miu has her own alibi, she's off the hook.

//However, in a classic display of Kaede's wits, she manages to throw a few crafty suggestions, and a little white lie here and there, to get Shuichi off the suspect list.

//But if Shuichi isn’t the culprit, then who in the world is? Well, Shuichi, after a brief moment of hesitation, and probably some deep internal screaming, suggests a bold new theory: Kaede could be the killer.

//Now, if this was a soap opera, this is where the dramatic music would kick in. The rest of the trial devolves into a full-on "everyone vs. Shuichi" situation. Which is a terrible situation to thrust the poor boy into, especially since this chapter also features a whole ass scene where Shuichi is crying about being scared of the truth.

//I get why Kaede did it, and it did help Shuichi in the end, but it doesn't change the fact that she was making him fight everybody over a truth that he didn't want to come to light.

//The tension is palpable, and the whole room is practically ready to tear him apart, but this is where Shuichi starts showing his detective chops. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back down, and argues with the same quiet determination you’d expect from someone who’s been taking notes on how to deal with chaos. It's a subtle flex of his growing skills as a detective, and honestly, it’s pretty satisfying to watch him hold his ground against everyone.

//Eventually, the trial wraps up with Kaede confessing to the murder. But here's where things get a bit…well, complicated.

//Now, if there’s one thing that makes this trial truly stand out, it’s how the protagonist switch ties into the game’s larger themes of Truth vs. Lies, and more importantly, the colossal twist that the world of V3 isn't even real.

//Shuichi, the true protagonist, is like the ultimate punchline to the whole game. The fact that Kaede doesn’t make it past the first chapter is like one giant narrative rug-pull. Not only does it break your expectations for what you thought the game was going to be, but it also ties directly into the overarching narrative of deception that runs through V3.

//And, if you’re paying close attention, it’s not just a clever narrative trick. It's a commentary on the entire premise of the game. The creators themselves are in on the joke, which adds a whole layer of meta to the experience.

//In the end, this trial is a perfect storm of clever writing, emotional punches, and mind-bending twists.

//Kaede may not have been the killer, but her actions set the stage for everything that follows, and that’s what makes this trial one of my absolute favorites in the Danganronpa series.

//So yeah, I'm definitely biased. And I'm sorry if that ticks people off.

//But I should warn you. If you think THIS is the most controversial pick for the upper rankings? You'd best get ready for tomorrow's.

[this-world-of-beautiful-monsters]

"the original a2 script--" who gives a fuck. what about the original a1 script. what about my pain and suffering, huh.

[i-hear-a-sound]

two more weird things about drakengard and nier I find really interesting

under the readmore. look at my dumb posts boy

So, in the events after Automata’s ending E, 9S’s mental data has gone into the ark, and 2B eventually just kind of… shuts off. This is all from the “Farewell” script.

Thing is.

A2 is mentioned maybe once in this script, but she is not present. We genuinely don’t know what the fuck happened to A2 after ending E, except for this shot that ends the game, of a dove flying to her.

Also notice her hair is back. It can be assumed this is the pods rebuilding her with her long hair back, or… like what a drunk Yoko Taro once said, androids hair can grow back. I guess.

Speaking of— there are exactly three things that remain repetitive throughout most, if not all the games. First is twins, second is white haired protagonists, and third— doves.

I mean, there’s automata

replicant

(oh, and one more thing: feel free to look up what the name “yonah” means :))

drakengar�� hmmm

(also is visible in every cutscene from the game)

HMMMMMM

[nattikay]

gentle reminder that the A2 script pages that have been going around from the Blu-ray bonuses are from an old/outdated version of the script, and anything that isn't shown in the final film cannot automatically be considered canon, whether it's scene/dialogue changes, character details, lore details, etc.

Stuff gets changed and/or cut for a reason, be it because they didn't have time for it, decided to go in a different direction for the character/lore, decided the scene should be moved to a later movie, or anything else.

It's fun to see alternate versions of the story that could-have-been, and if you want to play with concepts based on the script in headcanon or fanfiction, feel free of course...but be very very cautious about considering any of it "canon" until/unless another source confirms it (such as how the Tsu'tey's Path comics confirm some of the A1 deleted scenes).

[hwastudies]

Your notes are very cute! I hope this isn't annoying (asks always feel like intruding into someones home lol) but I wanted to ask how you study thai. I think it's hard to self-study or maybe I just haven't found a lot of resources for it. Ty.

Hi there! sorry for the awfully late answer I've just started working full time job and have no time on Tumblr :(

to answer your question, I'm pretty much chill when learning Thai. I watch Thai series (with eng sub), listening to Thai songs and follow many Thai fanaccounts on social media. I also use the app Drop for my Thai vocab. I don't study the grammar much ( I should tho!) hahaha but like I said before I don't put much pressure when learning this language as I prefer to immerse in the language for a long time rather than cramming it in short time. here I will list some resources that I use to immerse in Thai language. I hope you will find them useful!

p/s: these resources are for those who are already familiar with Thai script and at least at level A2. if you need a guide for a beginner just let me know :)

Instagram account:

@/fitnessincommon

@/chitkachat

@/sabtinaru

@/thai_with_mod

@/kiwtum

Spotify playlist:

1, 2

Podcasts:

1

YouTube:

Eduthai

Thai Fairy Tales

I Get Thais

BananaThai

Also check out this FB group as sometimes Thai native teacher will provide free online lessons for learners :)

[theoriginaleppieblack-blog]

Photo - Confiscated photo from the set of The Rosie O'Dell Christmas Special (1976)

Interviewer: There's always been a rumor that you both reinjured yourselves on the set of the Christmas special. Is that one true or false?

Tristam Lindsey and Alex Logan Simultaneously: False

Tristam Lindsey: Alex had a sort of...setback. He had a harder time getting off the floor than expected. Of course, we could of rewritten the scene.

Alexander Logan: But I wanted to do it as written. And I'd cleared the whole script with the doctor and physical therapist. But when I go to get up...I lost control a bit just like someone turned off a switch and then back on. I'm struggling to catch my balance and land on Duffy's poofy chair and this guy <laughing fondly> runs over like a knight in shining armor. And offers me his fret hand to steady myself with.

Tristam Lindsey: My bad hand! But I caught myself right quick and switched hands. It's even in the photo. Mick got that one off an ABC employee. He thought he was going to make a second career as a paparazzo.

Interviewer: Do you want to talk anymore about the release? Or any last thoughts about the production?

Photo: production still, The Rosie O'Dell Christmas Special

Tristam Lindsey: There was more joy in the making of this than I remembered. It was a hard time but we had friends and we had hope.

Alex Logan: That's really why we've finally brought it out. As a holiday present. To the fans that have been waiting for so long to get a look at it. To our newer fans that have maybe not even heard of it. To the world, really. Happy Christmas, Happy New Years, Happy everything. From Paradox.

Tristam Lindsey: On Christmas Eve we will be releasing a lot of related content on the YouTube channel. Um...it's taken a lot of time and work but all the copyrights have been worked out to put our archive tape of the KBTV broadcast of the special on youtube. So people can see the original context of the thing. The EP will be available for pre-order on Boxing Day with pick-up on Record Store Day, April 19, 2024.

Alex Logan: Our all-organic legacy band, Heirs of the Storm are opening for our old loves, The L.A. Queenz, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on New Years Eve. It's sold out but there will be a broadcast of the concert on the channel.

Tristam Lindsey: Say yes to live music.

Alex Logan: Peace, It's still a good idea.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Extra:

Tracklist to the EP

A1 Deck the Halls Medley 3:50

A2 Lonely This Christmas 3:05

A3 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 3:15

A4 Gaudete 2:55

B1 Little Drummer Boy 5:54

B2 Oh Little Town of Bethlehem 4:10

B3 Organ Outro 2:09

[whatliesbeneath-ao3]

MANAGERIAL NOTE: [Q&A]

A variety of questions and answers from my CuriousCat.

Q1: is there a set of ocs whose dynamic you want to explore but haven't yet?

A1: Pretty much all of them save for the Primary Colors, but off the top of my head, Leander and Mari.

Q2: what are your oc's favorite animals?

A2: I'll do the main four.

Rose likes cats, the same with Hastur. They both also like snakes, and despite being goths, would be a little afraid of spiders in a modern AU, despite liking them. Mari likes dogs. She'd spend a lot of time wandering around the zoo. She also likes sheep and llamas. Chrys likes rats and centipedes (not an animal, but worth mentioning). She's the most likely to keep something "strange" like a leech as a pet, especially in a modern AU where the four of them live together.

Q3: what are the details of valerian's belief in forge?? how did it learn about forge and grow to have such faith in her? A3: Valerian clings onto any facsimile of a God it can find. It, for a time, dabbled in this and that in the City. It was particularly interested in the Index and the Church of Gears, but after some research lost interest. Pre-Lobotomy Corporation, Valerian heard about Forge, and her religion, and followed the lead…

…to Lobotomy Corporation itself.

Valerian's parents were happy to hear it had an interest in joining a Wing, since Valerian spent a vast majority of its time attempting suicide, or otherwise trying to find a way to die. It once nearly got eaten in District 23, but its parents paid a large sum of money to ensure that it didn't get eaten. Valerian's parents were somewhat frustrated with its depression, given they're a rather well off family who attempted to get Valerian mental help, which it didn't resist, but it didn't work out well for them. They just want it to feel better, that's all.

For Valerian, it was reverence at first sight, and it spends a lot of time trying to speak with Forge…!

…not really. It doesn't particularly have the energy for that, and just does it's job, instead, but was as happy as it could get when it became the Information Team Captain, and tries to speak with Forge whenever possible. But in all actuality, they haven't even had a conversation. Valerian just feels that she has all of the answers, especially with the information it has on Forge's religion in the first place.

Valerian clings on, desperately, to anything that might give it an escape. Forge offers answers to any who ask. It's a match made in, well, Heaven.

(Notably, Viscaria tries to keep any people trying to worship Forge away from her, and Narcissus ensures Valerian does it's job by yelling at it when it tries to go plead with Forge for some sort of answer.) Q4: how does forge feel about personal relationships, and how does it contrast to how press behaves? does press proclaim herself close to forge and pester her ? how pushy is press in showing affection? A4: Forge has no particular opinion, or at least that used to be the case. Post What Lies Beneath, she's realized there's a lot about people, and the world in general that she hasn't been aware of. She's always been on a pedestal in her interpersonal relationships, so when someone like Viscaria dumps all of his thoughts on her, she thinks it's just him looking for guidance, instead of them just being friends. Friends or no, still thinks he's annoying, though.

She treats people coldly, but speaks formally and kindly. Her words don't lack care or understanding, but they lack warmth, as if she's reading from a script. People who aren't desperate for acknowledgement would take note of this, but those who are desperate enough to turn to Forge don't notice, or don't care.

Press and Forge show affection similarly, and much differently. They're similar, in that they both treat every single person they encounter with acceptance and understanding. The difference is that Forge feels an obligation, whereas Press is doing it out of a desire to love and be loved.

Press will always bother Forge when she's alone, or doing paperwork. Both Viscaria and Press make it a point to pull Forge out of uncomfortable situations, like when someone is being reliant on her as a guide. She doesn't notice the intent behind this, but realizes it as of Chapter 10, hence the change. Press can be very pushy, but only with people she really, really loves. When it comes to her "darling" she'll smother them in love without even noticing they might not want that. With others, like Forge, she's very socially aware and knows how to handle people. But, this all goes out of the window when it comes to the "person she loves". She also doesn't know how to act when romantic affection is returned, and in part feels like they're lying to her.

In general, Press doesn't believe she's loved, no matter what. It would take a lot of convincing. Q5: i need to study forge and valerian in a lab im kind of obsessed ;-; what WOULD happen if they had a conversation?? is valerian frustrated that it keeps being unable to speak with her? likewise, does viscaria have any particular feelings about valerian? A5: If they had a conversation, it would depend on the context. Forge would see Valerian as just another "lost lamb" in need of guidance. If it was outside of Lobotomy Corporation, she would grant Valerian death just as it wished. Death, too, is one of her roles as God. (Yes, I am implying certain things about Forge's religion.)

Valerian doesn't have any particular opinion about not being able to speak with Forge, contrasting its desire to speak with her. It tends to think "Oh well, maybe next time." Just like Anem not being able to eat his bagel, Valerian just keeps missing chances to speak with Forge.

A post-WLB conversation between them would go differently, but again, it depends on the context of the situation, and how far they are in their individual journeys.

Viscaria doesn't feel any particular way about Valerian, but he does find it kind of weird. Viscaria has talked to his sister about Valerian, who shows it sympathy and relates to the feeling of hopelessness permeating the City. Of course, this conversation naturally steered back to Viscaria being protective over his sister, so it never went anywhere.

Strictly speaking, Viscaria makes an active effort to keep Valerian away from Forge. He doesn't think it would be good for her, and in general dislikes all of the people who are dependent on her and keep her on a pedestal.

He hasn't told her this, though. Q6: whats the dynamic with the information team? how does valerian fit into ivy and narcissus' dynamic, and how do they react to its depression and suicidality? A6: The dynamic with the Information Team is actually somewhat comedic, if viewed from the outside.

Narcissus makes it a point to bully Ivy, because she dislikes how hopeful she is that someone will come and save her. She's doing this out of care, though, as twisted as it is, and despite the fact she'd say you're an idiot if you pointed out she acts this way because she cares. Ivy doesn't think she deserves better treatment, and just lets it happen. Valerian watches all of this impassively, but will always help pick up Ivy's torn poetry on the ground, even when she crumples what's left of it and throws it into the trash.

"If it's important to you," It would say, having taped the crumpled pieces back together, "You should keep it."

Ivy would be grateful, but unsure how to respond. This would happen many times over, and eventually, Ivy would come to expect Valerian to repair her poems and return them to her. Valerian doesn't have any particular reason to do this, it just does. It doesn't know why, but would stop and start again if asked.

Valerian would ask Narcissus why she treats Ivy that way, and would intentionally help her process why, exactly, she does that. Narcissus struggles to understand her own feelings, and often acts without thinking twice. She doesn't lack empathy, though.

Narcissus finds Valerian's suicidality annoying, especially when it ends up a threat to her own life. She prefers to keep Valerian around as a team leader, because she can freely boss it around. Ivy, on the other hand, is very worried about Valerian, but feels too powerless to even make an effort, and instead is quietly grateful for Valerian's presence. Q7: ooo so how does forge feel about press, then? A7: "She seems like she's compensating for something."

Her thoughts would stay the same post-WLB, although they'd have more of a complexity, and a genuine interest as to what made Press become that way. Forge is one of the very few who would willingly touch Press' slime, although she's not particularly enthusiastic about it. When Press asked Forge why she thought she survived Melting Love's infection, Forge said nothing for a few long moments, examining Press' slime closely… before replying,

"Perhaps it's a gift."

"A gift?"

"Yes. Perhaps your love speaks the same language, and that is why you were accepted by D-03-109."

Forge was also the one who advocated for Press not to resign after being infected, when she didn't show any signs of being contagious, or the infection worsening. Forge is also rather curious about it, which is one of the reasons she wanted Press to stay employed. Q8: how much does valerian introspect about its emotions and actions? A8: Very often. It spends most of its time thinking.

Narcissus usually tells it to shut up, if it's monologuing out loud. Ivy listens intently. Q9: i'm desperate to figure out what press's deal is but have no idea where to start. give me a random fact about her, whatever you want to say most at the moment A9: She once tried making boba out of her own slime. It didn't work. Another time, she asked Leander if he'd be willing to use her slime as an ingredient in a drink.

He was drunk enough to agree. This is back when Chrys was on the Disciplinary Team, and she, Leander and Press all tried some. They've vowed never to speak about it again, and Leander, when sober, threatened Press to keep quiet about it. She complied. Leander, secretly, wants to try and use it as an ingredient again.

But he'd never admit that. Q10: does valerian have any hobbies? in what kinds of situations does it feel the most emotion? A10: Out of all the hobbies Valerian's parents suggested it try, it liked needle felting the most, and has a collection of small animals it made back in it's bedroom. Valerian attempting to feel emotions is like attempting to light a match in pouring rain. But, it feels emotion most strongly when its disappointed about something, usually about not successfully dying.

It also likes stand up comedy. Q11: how has growing up in a cult and seen as a god affected forge's personality and worldview? A11: Badly. She doesn't consider herself a person, but not an object, either. She was always worshipped, and doted on hand and foot. She doesn't feel like she deserves this treatment, but goes along with it as it's what others expect and want from her. In truth, she just wants to make people happy, but doesn't really know how to do that. In demanding guidance, they're unintentionally guiding Forge.

If you asked her to describe herself, she'd likely describe her actions instead of her personality. To her, she doesn't have a personality. She doesn't need one. She also struggles to show her emotions, especially the negative ones.

If Viscaria was around, he'd pointedly refute her claim. "What? You're way too sarcastic and snarky to not have a personality. Here, I'll explain how you are to me, since you cleaaaarly~ need my help, oh great leader~"

She considers punching him, and then considers his point. The fact he isn't wrong makes her more angry. Q12: how does valerian see itself? A12: An unwanted actor in a tragicomedy. Rather than avoiding mirrors and reflective surfaces, Valerian will stare for a long, long time, waiting for something to happen, for something to change.

But nothing does, and eventually, it walks away, disappointed.

[pandorapromises]

i kinda wish we'd gotten this tiny scene of lo'ak 😂

[jakexneytiri]

ur acrually killing me w these script snippets TEARS ARE IN MY EYES. WTF. A2 IS IN THE TRAGEDY GENRE

i’m killing myself with them, i’m really not okay after the baby boy one 😭😭😭😭😭 and i can’t suffer alone I’M SORRY

[cyren-myadd]

Who do you think is hugging Spider here?

I've seen this scene in video format before and the Na'vi stunt double swings Spider around when they pick him up it's just so cute! I've seen two theories about where these images came from:

it's a deleted scene from Avatar 2. When Spider finally reunites with the Sully family on the rocks, Kiri is so relieved to see him that she picks him up and swings him. But if this is true, I believe the scene was deleted because it felt a little two joyful with everyone still grieving Neteyam so they changed it to the more bittersweet scene where Kiri puts her hand on Spider's chest and feels his heartbeat. As cute as it would be to see Spider get swung around, I think the change was the right choice. But I'm also not 100% sure this is an A2 scene because if you look closely at the second image, you can see Spider has a braid that extends below his dreadlocks. We never see Spider with that extra long braid in Avatar 2, we've only ever seen him with that hair in BTS images for Avatar 3, which leads me to the second theory about what this image is from:

it's a new scene from Avatar 3. If that's the case we have very little information to go off of, but I notice two things about the images. Firstly, they're standing on what looks like the woven material that makes up the Na'vi marui and walkways, and secondly, that Spider is not wearing a mask. The first thing gives us a hint about the setting and implies they are outdoors, and the second thing gives further evidence that the "miracle" in the leaked script will actually come true. I also think based on the height of the stunt double that the person picking him up is a teenager, so most likely Kiri or Lo'ak. Unfortunately, without further context there's nothing else to say about these images other than that it takes place after Spider's "miracle" and Kiri or Lo'ak are hugging him for some reason.

[ollieflopkins]

my matches are A1/A2 (Germany 🇩🇪 v Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿) and B1/B3 (Spain 🇪🇸 v Italy 🇮🇹). absolutely iconic display from the football script writers, I continue to be extremely grateful for my luck 😭

[mecachrome]

Hello, I was reading your about me post and it's very impressive that you've studied six languages! Did you learn them at school? Do you have any tips / resources for language practice (I have a goal of reaching german B2 by next March but I'm really struggling lol). Have a nice day!

hey anon!!! tbh i don't really consider myself an inherently good language learner but it's a mix of heritage + upbringing + personal interest hlksdjfh, if you asked me for a composite fluency score with everything rated out of 1 it'd be more like...... 3.4 languages though 😔 also without constant practice it's been atrophying a lot lately </3 but the reason is basically that i attended several multilingual schools growing up and by middle school was formally studying 4 languages (+ weekly latin that i remember absolutely nothing of LMFAO) and at home i also already speak 3 of those languages with my parents.

the only 2 languages i started properly studying as an adult are korean and german for similar reasons really (i've been into k-pop for half my life so i took a few semesters in undergrad for fun, with german i got into german media, was really enamored with its grammatical complexity, and then self-studied a few notebooks before taking it in university)... as for how to study and practice, i'd say it definitely depends on the language & language family, how much you're able to or willing to immerse yourself, what your specific goals are in terms of proficiency, and ofc what your existing weaknesses are!!! for ex spanish is a lot easier with a french background and japanese is a lot easier with a korean background compared to, say, the other way around, so personally when i was learning korean vocabulary a lot of times i'd check the root to see if it had a sino-korean origin and that helped a lot with memorization. also with languages like korean and german that have many unintuitive grammar rules for native english speakers, i'd argue that it's super super important to spend a lot more time learning those rules and practicing complex sentence construction than with a romance language for example; french has a lot of weird pronunciation and conjugation rules but overall it's not... really that hard. one thing you can do to practice is to start with a very simple sentence (my name is x / the apple is red / etc.) and then keep building clauses on top of it one-by-one to force yourself to use complex structures without overwhelming yourself trying to write the end product all at once, and then slowly build up confidence that way...

then of course i'd say that it's important to balance different kinds of media and study materials if you want to stretch your language-learning muscles and have a more "comprehensive" understanding. so for german this was during the pandemic and what i'd do was find example texts/stories/children's books/fairy tales and record myself reading them so i could listen back on my pronunciation, then for grammar i self-studied 2 textbooks by myself every single day, and for vocabulary + some other grammar tips i did basically the full duolingo tree but i always tried to treat it as a supplemental resource that wasn't crucial to the learning experience (imo it's pretty bad for non-latin scripts though c__c but i thought german was decent). i also did a lot of random a2/b1 online preparation exams for fun shdklfh but i think b2 is a much higher jump so it's probably not that helpful... i also liked to translate song lyrics and another thing i did was watch a show i liked without subtitles and i'd take a whole scene and transcribe what the characters were saying + translate them line-by-line and then double check with the subtitles afterward. but again to me a lot of this was kind of for Fun so i learned a lot of things in isolation and less with the intention of "i'm going to move to this country and that's why i need to learn the language ASAP," so ofc in that case the best way is really to immerse yourself in an environment where you're forced to speak it or to converse with native speakers (if you can find a buddy who speaks german to converse with regularly that'd be a massive boost) you'll almost always learn fastest that way.

like even though i took university courses and learned proper grammar a lot of the korean vocabulary i've learned is kind of like... hsdflhdf internet/fandom-specific, because i'd "immerse" myself by reading fan forums and follow fan accounts and stuff that use a lot of slang and practice my listening by subtitling vlive videos or watching unsubbed idol videos and a lot of that lingo isn't really useful in everyday contexts LOL—which i was fine with and doing on purpose because i don't intend to move to korea and that's the context i had the most use for. but some other languages i know i find more important to be able to speak rather than read because i do need to use them in conversation with relatives and acquaintances around me. so basically the important thing is really being able to pinpoint both your needs and weaknesses — for ex do i need to be better at listening or reading or speaking, is there a certain verb tense or irregular case that i always mess up (if so, note them down and then dedicate a day to just practicing THAT specific concept or until you're confident with it), do i have the basics down but my vocabulary is lacking, do i just not have enough confidence in speaking and get overwhelmed trying to converse with native speakers? — then you can determine the best course of action from there i think... it's basic but just having a consistent practice routine is important even if you're just doing a little bit, like you definitely shouldn't burn yourself out but incorporating some reading every day or continuously reviewing vocabulary can help to stay immersed. and don't be afraid to consume children's media and also don't be afraid to consume more complex media and Not Understand Everything, you have to be comfortable with being confused before it starts making sense you know... idk if that's much help but good luck!!!