#also are beys sentient?

[hoperaypegasus]

Other Types of Bladers

Ok, so, random idea that has been floating around in my brain since I first started watching Beyblade: what if there are other types of bladers?

Like in Pokémon right? There are Coordinators, Performers, Trainers, and a ton of other specialties. Why not for Beyblade as well? Because at the current moment we only have Bladers and Mechanics.

While I know a majority of people would probably be regular Bladers, just like majority of people in Pokémon are regular Trainers, not everyone would be interested in the two current fields. And with beyblade being so wide spread and popular that they were able to fund a world championship and have a gigantic corporation that can actually impact global events, variations to the  beyblade we see are bound to pop up.

Purposed Types of Bladers

1. Regular Bladers (Battle): The type we see most in the show, they use beys to battle by combining their strength with the beys. 

2. Support Bladers (Mechanic): The type we see second most, they primarily focus their work on fixing and creating beys.

3. Performance Bladers (Showcase): A new type, these bladers work with their beys to create a visual performance like performers do in Pokémon.

4. Work-Force Bladers (Citizen): A new type, these bladers are just every day citizens who happen to have beys but instead of using them for performing or battling, use them to aid in their jobs.

5. Combination Bladers (Combo): A new type, these bladers technically fall into two of the above qualifications (think Tsubasa and Chris). There are occasionally special joint typing events like a battle showcase or a battle like competition within a regular non-blader job.

[dtriad]

《早安！三国打工人》 Good Morning! Workers of the Three Kingdoms, written by 蒿里茫茫

here to shout into the void with a cnovel rec!

The world is boiling, the people are suffering. In truth, Lu Xuanyu didn't quite understand the meaning of those eight words. Ever since she had landed face down in the dirt of the sixth year of the Zhongping era, the fleeting dream she'd once held had scattered like ashes and vanished into thin air. She had a plain face, low EQ, no family background, and a baffling debuff that made everyone mislike her—but it didn't matter that she wasn't treated as the white moonlight of whatever duke or prince. She could work hand and foot, balance the books, butcher hogs, and even had a sword that was enough for her to walk alone in a chaotic world. Her goal was also very simple: a small house, some close friends and neighbors, a room full of food, and a courtyard where she could enjoy the cool breeze at night. So—in the end, just what had gone so wrong for her path to turn entirely in another direction? "I am ready to die here." She held the Black Blade, fully focused as she stood amid the flames, and looked arrogantly at the tide of Danyang soldiers pouring in. "If you want to seize Xuzhou, be ready to do the same."

I have a weakness for the sub-genre of cnovels that's about the main character transmigrating into a historical setting, preferably stories set in an actual historical dynasty (tagged 古色古香) instead of an invented historical setup (tagged 架空历史) or in-universe fictional storyline. And even more specifically, the kind that deals in infrastructure building or military conflict. Conveniently, JJWXC has tags for specific periods, e.g. Qin, Han, Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties—and of course the Three Kingdoms period, which is how I came across 早安！三国打工人 aka Good Morning! Workers of the Three Kingdoms while on a historical transmigration reading spree, and consequently fell down a very, very, very deep hole orz

Among the stories that I’ve read in this sub-genre, 3K Workers really stands out to me as one of the best (imo!). The MC Lu Xuanyu doesn’t transmigrate into someone native to the Three Kingdoms period, but as her own DnD character with high combat and terribly low charm per the debuff from the summary. 😂 There is no System, only her sentient sword—the Black Blade—that may be as much of a hidden existential poison to her as it is her one “friend” in the beginning. Slowly, she makes an ordinary life for herself in the capital city of Luoyang, with sufficient food and necessities, a decent-paying job, friendly and nosy neighbors, a small home of her own… But none of it can last, because these are the deathbed years of the Eastern Han dynasty according to history—and the people are suffering.

Over the course of more than a decade, from a lone hunter to a butcher, from a handyman to a refugee, from a night watchman to a general—who’s responsible for the lives of many thousands, both soldiers and civilians (the line blurring as ever between them)—Lu Xuanyu never forgets why she decided to step up and fight: to save people. And her struggles in the attempt, both internal and external, comprise the propelling force of the story, as we can see from the author's notes in which they say up front that Lu Xuanyu will join Liu Bei’s team, and then add:

The heroine is an idealist unto death; don’t think about using reality to change her.

(no way!!!! I love her as she is.)

Some things I really like in 3K Workers:

Lu Xuanyu starts out as a true no-name, rather than someone with an established and/or influential family background (b/c lbr that is quite common for this sub-genre). When she appears through an outsider's POV in Ch. 1, she’s been living alone in the wilderness for several months and is a little desperate for some kind of positive human interaction (the low charm debuff does her no favors, which makes the instances people overcome it more notable—it either says something about the impact her behavior has on them, or their ability to disregard inexplicable annoyance). She doesn’t have power or influence to leverage; she doesn’t have the ambition to do something great or world-changing. She simply wants to live a normal life. It’s just unfortunate that “normal” in the 3K period easily leads to death. Her abilities make her abnormal—she is, quite literally, something like an android according to Word of God, a superhuman who’s a wrinkle in the fabric of this timeline’s reality—but she feels and thinks as a 21st century human, with the assumption of a common humanity that makes her a fish out of water.

There's a strong focus on the consequences of war for the common people, and the PTSD that is a simple fact of existence for those exposed to the conflicts; it consistently turns its lens back to look at the farmers, the soldiers, the people who are treated like trampled grass, and shares their perspectives as well. I recall seeing this done in a few other novels, but iirc the framing in those cases was set up more as a way to show people reacting to the changes wrought by the MC, whereas here the framing allows the MC to better understand the attitudes & status quo of the period.

A lot of stories in the sub-genre have the MCs quickly adjusting to the past on the outside and leveraging the power of their position (again, typically based on preexisting family clout) to proactively push for changes, whether it’s to protect themselves or drive swift societal/technological change. In contrast, Lu Xuanyu doesn’t ever truly adapt to the values of the past, is clearly an oddball to others in her behavior and actions, and has enough on her hands with battles without any time or attention to initiate some golden-finger-boosted upheaval of norms. But the ripple effect of her existence is such that other characters, native to the period, are the ones who see clearly what changes they can make and want to make, and pursue those goals of their own accord: reducing the power of the gentry, sharing knowledge more widely, establishing a strong foundation to support better opportunities for women… They come self-motivated to their own enlightenment, which I feel really enriches the story—Lu Xuanyu is the match that lit the fire, but they keep the fire burning. A special shout-out to Lu Bai, who proposes and leads the women-only Jianfu Battalion; her character has some fantastic development throughout the book ♥

I consider this novel very anti-war in attitude—even though we want Lu Xuanyu to win her battles, by the end there’s only bitter weariness rather than delight in victory.

It’s the Three Kingdoms period, so if you like loyalty kink then this naturally caters 300% to that!!!

Ft. great content about battle strategy, tactics, and logistics that makes my inner history geek super happy, and it's combined very effectively with character portrayal and development shown via battle; outside of battle, it gives attention to rebuilding during the rare periods of temporary peace in a historically grounded way.

Plus the tension in the (im)balance of power—there’s the imperial court, the various warlords, appointed officials, aristocratic families—and how the norms of society slowly, slowly start to change...

Despite the subject matter, it is also incredibly funny 😆 Lu Xuanyu's 21st-century-shaped outlook does not jive with period attitudes, and the resulting disconnects in communication are hilarious if you enjoy dry humor; the low EQ squad, ft. founding members Lu Xuanyu and Lü Bu lololol, are an absolute riot, whether they’re interacting with each other or anyone else, and outside their low EQ sphere of immediate influence the story doesn’t shortchange readers on everyday absurdities either, whether it’s the internal squabbling within Yuan Shao’s harem of strategists/advisors or the 3K period take on “lying flat” among certain scholars (paging Zhuge Liang’s uncle…)

The events and historical characters are based on actual historical records rather than fictionalized Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but you don’t have to be knowledgeable about 3K history at all! Lu Xuanyu certainly isn’t! (And if you are, you’ll enjoy all the references to 3K memes & whatnot… actual lol at the “burning of the thatched cottage” in 3K Workers @ 2010 Three Kingdoms drama do you see that!!! do you see what proper plot logic is!!!)

Technically it falls under JJWXC’s m/f category, but I consider this story essentially gen with background UST at most. Lu Xuanyu is very shippable, in the sense that she has lots of interesting relationships with characters in roles ranging from loyal subordinates to tsundere colleagues to ideologically opposed enemies. (And I was pretty satisfied with the endgame ship, though it really isn’t the focus at all during the main story.) She passes as a man for the first ~20% of the cnovel before revealing she’s a woman, and while the f/f potential is limited (alas!), I do love the supporting female characters.

The bad news: … it’s long… and untranslated… /cries/ I want to translate some excerpts as I reread it, but I gotta be realistic—despite my love for this cnovel I just can’t sign myself up rn to translate 2.7 million Chinese characters over 700+ chapters. If you can read Chinese or if you’re ok with reading via mtl, then you can find it at:

JJWXC [how-to guide]

OR here, Ch. 1-601 (Parts 1-5) and Ch. 602-757 (Part 6+extras)

OR you can message me for a formatted ereader-friendly file >_>

Additional links (potential spoilers)—

Reviews on Weibo & Lofter (one) (two) (three)

Review - Peking University Online Literature 2022-23 Biennial List

Interview with the author 蒿里茫茫

Meta re: Lü Bu

Maps of Luoyang; army movements in the years 193, 195, & 199 CE (+zoom in on Puyang); Emperor Xian's journey 195-199 CE

Translated excerpts—

Ch. 13: LXY defending the neighborhood

Ch. 23: Mei-niang invites LXY over

Ch. 66/73: "you cannot retreat, you cannot lose, and you cannot die!"

Ch. 99: funerals for the dead

Ch. 210: Lü Bu's innate taunt skill

Ch. 679/687: the two sides of Sima Yi

Audiobook adaption (in progress)—

Ximalaya homepage

Bilibili playlist (eps 1-1000+, updating)

Youtube playlist (ep. 1-550)

[last updated 1/5/2025]

[chenria]

He's one of my immortal Dragon OCs (the other is Alani). But to explain my concept of Dragons would be too long and nobody would really read it anyway ;)

If I said I really do want to hear about your concept of dragons would you be up to explaining? I’m really curious!

Wow, thank you. I never thought anyone would actually like to know that. So I put together a small explanation about my "concept of Dragons" XD

The idea for my concept of “immortal dragons” grew over time and somehow stems from a quote from Goethe’s "Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil" …

Ich bin ein Teil des Teils, der Anfangs alles war, Ein Teil der Finsternis, die sich das Licht gebar, […]

I am not sure if there is an English translation to Faust… there should be, but I can’t find one online right now… the quote would roughly translate to

I am a piece of the part that was everything in the beginning, A piece of the darkness that gave birth to the light […]

That sums up what “dragons” are in my story (that is not really a story and more a concept in my head for my characters). Dragons are energy, corporeal energy. It’s alive and sentient and has been since… forever. And these beings adapted to their surroundings, taking on various forms. And since they are energy come to life they are … eternal. They were not always sentient in the sense like humans, before they were drifting specters observing their surroundings. Some took the roles of spirits... fairies... beings that are but also aren't.

But as sentient beings they are also aware of everything. There used to be many of the dragons in times long gone. But Alani and Callan are the last ones remaining. Because they were aware of so much most suffered from loneliness and helplessness. The things they cherished were always dying. And the Dragons were very passionate beings. When they loved, they loved with all their being. And constant loss took their toll on them. Dragons can’t die… not in the sense of mortality. They can enter a different plane of existence and return their energy to the universe so to speak. Then they still "are" but they are no longer sentient. As beings of energy they can feel the presence of other dragons in their corporal form because it's like a black hole... so very dense they can feel it, so they know they are the last ones. Alani stayed because she is ever curious and desires to live and feel and experience everything, despite her endless losses. Callan - as her brother/companion - remained with her because the thought of leaving her alone tormented him. He managed to never get too attached to individuals - more to places which he misses, too. The two are very close, but they go decades or centuries without meeting each other, but they “feel” each other still (beings of energy and such) and know they are aware of each other.

Dragons also have the power to change their appearance - drawing energy from their surroundings and the universe… so, yes… in the past there were dragons who looked like dragons as you know them. Scaly creatures, winged demons, ethereal beings… they can be all. But shapeshifting is painful - it’s not just snapping a finger and poof, scaly dragon form. It’s a slow process, regrowing and changing bone structure and such. That’s why Alani and Callan have settled for a look they hardly ever change. Small adjustments are regularly made - appearing older or younger to stay in an area for a few years more without drawing attention.

It is possible to “create” new dragons. It’s all about collecting energy and compressing it. It’s hardly ever done … Alani and Callan did it just once, when Alani got married and her husband (Xiang) learned of their secret and was offered immortality.

They can also use “magic”…. which is essentially just a manipulation of the energy of the matter around them. But who cares for the specifics if one can make stuff fly around.

So… yes. That’s the idea. As long as there is energy and matter there can be dragons. And dragons are just powerful beings... so yeah...

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Can we see something from the Spriggan's point of view? Not necessarily explaining his dastardly plans, but his thoughts on Malcolm, maybe?

Sure!

Here's something from around the time that Malcolm and the others first came to the island.

On with the fic!

--

The Spriggan.

That's what he had heard two of the humans call him, an old creature of legend here in this reality, from myths of forest men and changlings. Granted, it wasn't... too far off, at least considering what this reality had done to him.

He was a Lord of Life, someone who controlled life, or, at least, has a stranger, powerful connection to it in a way that most sentient beings did not. This reality seemed to affect his abilities in a way, that had him becoming... plant-like, in a sense.

He picked at a ruined piece of cloth off his arm, tossing it aside, as he stared down at the three humans from where they were working to build some sort of shelter. He could offer them his TARDIS, but he didn't like the idea of them being inside.

Well.

One could come in, at least.

Only one of the mortals really seemed to be of interest to him, the one who had bled on the island, bringing it a burst of energy. Fresh blood was always the best, and the island, which he connected with when he landed here years ago, took to this human's like a duck takes to water.

And through the connection he tasted it, and it was so... sweet.

So, on the day that these three landed on his shores, with the favorite bleeding from a nasty injury to his knee, the one they called the Spriggan showed himself.

They feared him, but he couldn't blame them. His form wasn't what it used to be, nature had latched on, and he accepted it, taking to it so well. He loved what happened to him, but he knew that it was not... appealing to judgmental humans.

The injured one, Malcolm, had spoke to him, begging to help, for freedom. He said he would offer anything he could to salvation for himself and his 'brothers'.

Interest was quick for the being that they feared, and he accepted the offer, saying they could stay on the island, if only they offer him blood to drink once in a while.

Malcolm offered right then and there, slicing open his palm on a sharp rock, and held it out.

It was divine, drinking from the offering.

He could still remember the first taste against his tongue. Perfection.

He watched Malcolm as he clung to his staff, his knee healing, but it would never be as it had been. He had done as well as he could to fix it, but it was hard to do a biological repair without a fully functioning TARDIS, so he did it the old fashion way.

He looked at the torn sash of faded, pinstriped fabric, still wrapped around the knee of the human who was still willing to talk to him. They had been here for a few days now, and Malcolm had spoke to him four times, and each time he offered his blood.

He declined each time, refusing to take too much too soon. The earth beneath him was hungry, and the TARDIS was starving, the newborns of the animals here could only do so much for her. He told her to be patient, he had an idea in mind for these humans.

Malcolm was the more interesting of the three, not just for being the one to offer to him nor for being the only one to talk to him. He seemed like a man who was determined, strong willed, and devoted to whatever he had his heart set on. He seemed like a man who people could trust and listen to.

He was also nice to look at, that was just a bonus.

There was a lot to Malcolm that he wanted to know more about, and he wanted the human to stay close, to be... something, to him.

He wanted Malcolm.

Hazel eyes turned, finally noticing the lone figure standing a distance away, watching from a higher ground. Malcolm muttered something to the other humans before hobbling his way towards him. He frowned and flexed his fingers, the ground beneath Malcolm shifted and moved.

The roots under his feet pushed the human towards him and in just a matter of moments, Malcolm was in front of him, and the being once known as the Doctor in a realm he no longer could access smiled sweetly.

"Malcolm, my prophet." He said, body creaking as he took a step closer, their chests almost touching.

"Prophet?" Malcolm asked, frowning, looking both confused and intrigued.

"Yes, my prophet, the one who shall bring my words to the world. Come, I have much to show you, tell you." He cupped the man's face and saw something spark in his eyes.

Oh, this was just too perfect. His little human, so easily wrapped around his finger.

--

I'd like to think that it clicked very early in Malcolm's mind to think of the Spriggan as a god of some sort. I mean, a wooden plant man asking for blood? Seems a bit like that, ya know?

There is no Goddess in this au, so the cave paintings aren't here either. The island was a perfectly normal one until the TARDIS crashed and quickly became one with the land, just as the Spriggan did.

Why does he need blood? It's the liquid of life, yeah? And he is a Lord of Life, he knows his stuff. Plus, he seems the sort to drink it. I mean, Ten is casual about licking blood, I figure that counts for his evil plant counterpart.

(Also, yeah, it's part of the plot of Apostle, wasn't gonna get rid of that element)

[khloeblair]

Reflection:

I’ve been wondering about how connected I often feel to fictional characters.

Seth says that all realities have at least 4 universal energetic coordinate points in common with one another.

As in, they all share the same 4.

Which means that, as distant as another reality might seem to our minds, they are interwoven with our own.

I was thinking then that a part of our own being could have once been a particle in other realities.

I’m guessing that as one entity expands in size, more particles are required to form it, and each particle that exists grows in its own right to see its own desires form.

So a particle goes through many, many realities as it builds upon its own desires and awareness.

A particle which decides it wants physical form may start as an atom in a blade of grass.

It may later decide it wants to be perceived by a greater audience, and then become a blade.

It may later wish for more colors, then become a flower.

It may later wish to increase in size and longevity, and then become a tree.

It may then wish to be mobile, and become a sentient creature…perhaps a bird or a squirrel.

This is, of course, a simplified example, and only illustrates forms with which we are familiar.

But I suspect any time we watch a television show or a movie, the universes they depict must have already been a part of our vibrational history.

That is, the same energy which flows through us now must also at some point have flown through their reality.

Otherwise, we would not have been able to experience their realities even on-screen.

I would venture to say, then, that the more media one has experienced, the larger their vibrational age, for they find vibrational communion with the highest number of realities.

As for actors, I cannot say. It’s possible that their vibrational age is even bigger because they had more in common with the roles they played.

I previously had thought, well, they’re just letting themselves channel (an enormous task), but the only way to do that is to have a high percentage of vibrational history in common.

If someone exists here and plays roles of another reality, their own vibrational history must have a large store of data from the other reality.

In other words, perhaps Tony Stark and Robert Downey Jr. have a nonphys entity in common.

If music is its own reality (and I’m sure it’s far more complex than merely one), Sasha is Queen Bey’s counterpart.

That’s kind of what stage names are, alter egos.

And it doesn’t even require a name—makeup, styling, and photo editing achieve the exact same effect.

Being “on the clock” is similar, as it involves “switching roles.”

Tuning to highly valid parts of ourselves that are not being broadcast into our actions 100% of the time.

Or, more accurately, are not being prioritized into our actions 100% of the time.

The collective vibration of our society breathes. It has ebbs and flows. Our personal emotions are affected by this, and so we often share in similar moods.

I would suspect then that the same can be said for us with other realities, as linear time is only necessary for our own logical comprehension of our existence.

So if I’m watching a cartoon, it’s almost certain that I was at one point generating existential data as some size of entity in that reality—even if only as an individual particle.

Kind of makes you wonder how much energy all of existence actually has in common, though it all manages to create infinite combinations of likes and desires.

[iconuk01]

My, my, so young Mr Ramsey stands up against Mystique (the deadliest woman in the room 99.9% of the time) AND Destiny to defend a woman he doesn't actually like or trust, using the laws he helped draft? Bold move there kiddo!

Though, because Mrs Ramsey didn't raise no idiots, he comes with one HELL of a backup team, Bei The Blood Moon (an unbeatable Arrako warrior who happens to be his wife, and the other 0.1% of the time mentioned above), Warlock (his technarch selfsoulfriend) and Krakoa (an entire sentient landmass who is VERY protective of his Speaker).

I'm honestly more surprised that in an attempt to kill Doug, only Mystique would be killed because that is NOT a group going to take chances with the safety of their favourite squishy little mutant. Irene must have gotten very lucky in that timeline.

(Also, have to say, Doug leaning against the door there in the first panel is looking darned handsome, whilst probably trying to do his best Han Solo impersonation)

[moxiety-my-love]

My thoughts while watching the new Sanders Asides video

Intro: ooh, there's some warnings, so we know this is gonna be a spicy one

0:19- WTF WAS THAT ASIDES LOGO MAGI THING?? I LOVE IT.

0:26- remus' theme, very exciting

0:49- i'm glad to know that thomas is just as awkward as i am when texting lol. also, HE'S TEXTING NICO!!

0:52- logan!! the boy!! also, i think this is the first time we've seen one of the sides rise up in thomas' bedroom? not super exciting, but i thought it was interesting.

1:06- i absolutely would have laughed at '69' as well. sorry, logan.

1:33- i also have a 5am and 2pm version of myself, dw thomas.

1:43- rolling out of bed that way is SO damn satisfying. couldn't relate more.

2:14- logan, you're so cute. i love how he gets so excited about his schedule.

3:54- why is thomas turning old?? remus, what did that trap do?

4:00- it's nico! in real life! not cartoon!

4:12- oh, and ancient thomas is here too. that's fun.

4:18- how long has it been since remus has made a video appearance? since the first asides video, which was probably over a year ago? remus stans are quaking rn.

4:45- i just noticed the carrot emoji next to nico's name in thomas' phone and that is such a tiny detail and reference but it's so cute

5:31- remus, you bastard. also, a pin in the food feels kind of simultaneously evil but also below your standards.

5:59- KCUM

6:18- remus there are so many people in this fandom that you turn on, it's so not okay. also, i'm so here for the sexual innuendos.

6:35- it doesn't even surprise me that logan would ruin the updog joke

7:21- roomba on the loose, what crimes will it commit?

7:51- i like how the picture frames went blank; it's a nice detail. reminds me of when hermione's parents' pictures went blank in deathly hallows part two.

8:12- SHAPES AND COLOURS

8:49- roomba has committed a murder

9:22- ROOMBA HAS COMMITTED A LEGITIMATE MURDER

9:34- remus is allergic to soap confirmed

9:44- ok ok. i have a theory. one of the times that thomas' phone buzzes, he's going to pick it up thinking it's a chore alarm, but it's actually going to be nico.

10:04- pirate remus!!

10:11- patton would love the bratwurst pun

11:37- okay i'm here for the rube goldburg traps, but come on, remus. all that was way too much work to freak out thomas. just prank phone call the guy and that would be enough to send him into a panic.

11:56- being that he was in the closet for many years, thomas definitely knows that closets aren't sentient, logan.

12:19- is that supposed to be remus shapeshifting as nico? am i crazy?

14:16- okay so it wasn't nico. it was some random murderer. also, remus has a knife kink confirmed?

15:08- lovely singing

15:18- REMUS, YOU SAUCY BOY. intrulogical shippers are shaking right now.

16:05- can confirm, emergency ketchup does not seem like a necessity.

16:10- solanum lycopersicum!!

17:57- so he was shapeshifting as nico! i think this is the first side to do this other than janus.

18:55- what the fuscia?

19:02- vibey music

19:14- i just had a visceral reaction to logan saying "shake what your mama gave ya"

20:00- okay so i don't think remus was actually shapeshifting, he just created a fake nico as far as i can tell.

20:59- lol the butt scratching. reminds me of a dog.

21:15- wtf. tongue lollipop?

21:24- cruncy bug

21:55- ignoring dummies for dummies. are nerds in blue ties bothering you? iconic.

22:12- WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS? orange eyes obviously have to symbolize the orange side, right? and since logan was angry, maybe this adds fuel to the flame of the idea that the orange side is rage/anger?

22:21- checking your breath before answering a phone call is absolutely something i would do

22:42- nico! the boy is calling! he's so cute. also, i love the reference to the "Mr." thing they did in the last video.

23:50- logan is sad boy :( but go thomas! go get your man!

24:02- what? that's it? what a place to end off at!

24:45- it wouldn't be a sanders sides video without a hello fresh ad

25:05- i love that he has their number saved omg

26:19- bye thomas!

26:27- patton's here!!

26:34- and roman!!

26:43- and virgil! my FAVOURITE boy!

26:50- oh, logan. you deserve all the influence.

2720- ooh, virgil? some resentment?

27:55- thomas is officially in his feels

28:08- janus is here too! which makes this the first video to include all the sides, if i'm not mistaken. also, what's with the mysterious music?

28:21- the orange eyes again! damn!

Final Thoughts:

As always, I'll bey opinion. Nico and Thomas are so cute, and I'm happy we got to see more of them together. I was also excited to see that we got all of the sides in one video, finally, though I'm still waiting for some onscreen interaction between Janus and Remus. The ending was super ominous, so I'm curious as to what's in store for the future. And as you all could tell, I was clearly very interested in the possibility of being introduced to the orange side. I can't wait to see everyone's theories and such.

As always, I'll be tagging spoilers for 7 days after the posting of this video, and I hope you all will too! I'll be using the tags "ts spoilers" and "sanders sides spoilers" respectively.

[concealeddarkness13]

New Story Idea: This Time With Evil Celestials!

Yes, I shall be talking about story ideas now! Yay! Might not be able to finish everything tonight, but I’ll at least get started! Tagging: @ratracechronicler, @maple-writes, @pen-of-roses, and @onmywaytobe!

New planet, with new species, and of course, humans! So, humans don’t have any magic, and they were the major species on this planet to begin with. But, a few hundred years ago, there was a calamity that wiped out almost all humans, and the other species started becoming sentient a little bit afterwards. No one knows what the calamity was, since there’s very little evidence left behind about what happened. Humans are now hunted to be used as pets or to be paraded around, so, understandably, humans try to hide as much as possible. 

First, the species. Elementals have a connection to the elements of the world, with some of them even being able to use elemental magic. They have pointed ears and sharp teeth, and they have marks all over their body, that look like tattoos. They’re the ones that most look like humans, so humans impersonate them the most. 

Solas are connected to the sun. They have magic where they can harness a golden light that burns anything it touches. They have large bird wings, scales on their backs that absorb light and actually gives them their sustenance (food isn’t necessary, but they still love eating), horns that curl out to the side that drip liquid light, fangs, and pointed ears. They can bite humans and drink their blood, which will give them a power up in their magic. 

Lunas are connected to the moons (since there are more than one on this planet). They have magic where they can harness a white light that freezes anything it touches. They have translucent scales over their skin, gills so they can breathe air or water, long hair usually since that is how they absorb moonlight for nourishment, slit pupils, curling horns that glow at night, webbed feet and hands, pointed ears, and fangs. They can also drink a humans blood and feel a power boost.

This story follows three POVs. Sabre is the first POV. She is a human, but something happened in her past that she doesn’t completely remember. She can shapeshift into any animal, and she is invulnerable to any external damage. She’s pretending to not be human, and she doesn’t trust anyone for reasons unknown at this point, but she does have a Sola friend who she feels comfortable around. She is an introvert, but she also likes sparring and drinking. She’s fun. There are spoiler reasons for what happened in her past, that I won’t be revealing yet!

Next is Mal. They are quiet and perceptive. They are also a human pretending not to be one. Their parents hated the other species for hunting humans, and they wanted to get back at the other species, so when they heard of the chance to cause another calamity, they agreed, volunteering Mal to be the weapon. Mal didn’t agree, so they ran away, and now they are scouring ruins from the humans who lived here before to figure out what the calamity was so they can avoid it. They work as a servant to the other species to earn money, and they move on after a few years so they don’t stay too long and risk having the species learn that they are human. Currently, they are working for Lunas at night and exploring ruins during the day, not letting themself sleep very much. 

Finally, Igneous. He is an android who was made to look like a human. He works in a human museum, who has gotten all the facts about humans wrong. He lives with the other androids when not working, and they’ve become friends and named each other (he decided on Igneous because it sounded like a cool fire). He knows the other species are wrong about how humans were, and he (and all of the other androids, honestly) wants to find out more about humans by leaving the museum behind and researching. And finally, he gets up the courage when he sees Sabre and decides to try and talk to her because he’s able to tell she’s human. 

So, about the plot. This calamity, and the beings who talked to Mal’s parents, are very important to this story. Those beings are Celestials who have grown bored with the species on this world, and they want to start over (just as they did for the previous calamity), but they need someone to cause a new calamity. They’re interested in using Mal. But there were also good Celestials, and one of them placed their hope in Sabre. Not going to say how that will all work because spoilers, but yeah, Sabre and Mal have big destinies forced on them, and Igneous is just vibing and being a friend. I love Igneous.

[kingoflesserminormages]

"Yes, and hopefully with the onboard labs and beys they will be able to improve their ship making efficiency... you also forgot the most important detail... on that ship... we did find some... trophies... some had died... but we found species of animals plants, and more from up to 100 different worlds... that all now are dead mining worlds... and 25 different sentient species... all of these were in cages and or crypto chambers... it is estimated that 5 have a big enough population to repopulate... 2 more have known survives... 1 repurposes asexually... and 9 more are theorized to be able to reproduce with known sentient species... the remaining 8... will still face extinction, unless Scientific efforts to clone or find suitable partners are taken... of the 8... 1 is a child who who is on there won't... sorry.."

*there is a pause... Juli... looks down at there hands...*

"Right"

*she looks up*

"We will spend some time to find people who will help relocate those who wish to start again... and welcome any who wish to Join... at least 3 of the cultures were pre FTL when there planet was destroyed and one of those cultures was a multi species culture who's partner people were also captured..."

*a few tears trickle down Juli's cheeks*

"Luckily one of the bigger groups were welcomed by the trazonki people (the aliens we helped) and will be resettling on one of there Eden colony worlds."

"The child.."

*something is caught in my throat*

@the-mighty-dalob @profeshinul-wizurd @goblin-wizard-in-the-making

(It is late at night and the writers block has hopefully passed for good :)

(Writers block hit me for this post so I’m just gonna have this, let’s split loot up and let’s have one of you take it, because I can’t write the aliens right now. My brain is saying no.)

@the-mighty-dalob @serious-tabaxi @profeshinul-wizurd @goblin-wizard-in-the-making @regina-the-sorceress @kingoflesserminormages

@the-mighty-dalob

@the-mighty-dalob

[mach-speed-spin]

So, how do bit-beasts/ avatars work?

I know each series is its own universe with different rules but the lore is so vague that nothing stated in one series contradicts another. So here is my attempt at understanding something the writers clearly don’t understand

Origins

Bit-beasts/ avatars are created by a type of material only found in meteorites (mfb). The meteorites fall to Earth and the material is harvested. Once you have magic space material, you infuse it with an extension of your mind/soul (Gwyn creating Genesis is the only time we see the birth of an avatar)

3 types of artificial bit-beasts/ avatars exist. The first type is completely synthetic, like a drone (used by the All-Starz). The second is like a sentient AI, created by humans but with all the capabilities of a real one (Doctor B’s Cyber bit-beasts). The third is created by extracting the souls of animals and using those to create a bit-beast/ avatar instead of a human soul (created by BIOVOLT and used by the Demolition Boys)

What can they inhabit?

The first object they inhabit is whatever piece of meteorite was infused with a soul to create them. After that, anything goes. They can jump from bey to bey (or be forcefully moved, like what happens with Black Dranzer). They can inhabit other objects like swords (Dragoon) and statues (Achiiles), and in some cases living beings (Spriggan)

What are their abilities?

Besides allowing beys to go from toys to weapons of mass destruction, they can grant the blader abilities

Tyson has superhuman speed and endurance granted to him by Dragoon. It can be assumed that all bladers experience at least a slight increase in physical abilities. Wang Hu Zhong, Xander, and Lodin are probably the most extreme examples

Several characters grow wings (Miguel, Brooklyn, etc), probably due to their beys

The Dark Bladers can teleport, and so can Ryuga

Delta’s transparent hair is bey magic. I’d say it’s possible bey magic is the only thing keeping Ranjiro’s hair like that as well

Bey magic affects the hair for Aiger, Lui, Gwyn, Zeo Zagart, Hikaru, and Hyuga

Can they die?

Short answer: no

Long answer: When the object they inhabit is destroyed (like a bey) they presumably don’t possess anything, and as such don’t have effect on the real world. However, they can possess any object they want, but they likely wait for the beys to be rebuilt

Avatar/ blader shared headspace

Bladers can communicate with their avatars in this pocket dimesnion-like space. Given the length of their conversations I’d say time flows faster inside this space. Bladers are not physically in this space, as the audience can clearly see their bodies. Bladers are likely only mentally there. In some cases, this space can be invaded by others (Phi does this to Shu and Aiger) but it’s very rare. In other, also very rare cases, multiple bladers and avatars will share the same space, like Valt and Aiger in the Turbo finale

Personality

They seem to be an extension of the creator’s soul at the moment they were created. This is why Phoenix doesn’t seem to mind doing evil stuff but Achilles does (and tries to warn Aiger). Phoenix’s avatar (not the bey, which was created beforehand) was created when Phi was evil. So Phoenix is evil. Achilles was created when Aiger was good. So Achilles is good. It should be noted that avatar personalities can change, as was seen with Diabolos after Delta created Master Diabolos

Inheriting bit-beasts/ avatars

Bit-beasts/ avatars do not always elong to their creator. Gingka’s Pegasus was passed down many generations, as had Dragoon’s sword (before Dragoon moved into a bey). L-Drago was created by evil people. The avatars’ personalities are an extension of their creators, and if you inherit an avatar from someone, that avatar will be an extension of their soul, not yours

This does not mean that all beys with the same name share the same avatar. The Bahamut avatars share the same name but were created by different people. In a sense, they’re like pokemon. Pikachu isn’t the name of the one specific pokemon. It’s the species name. The same applies to Longinus, Fafnir, Ragnaruk, Pegasus, etc.

Will we learn more about them

No. The show seems to not want to give us answers, probably because it doesn’t have any. No one is actually sure what they are or how they work and that includes everyone involved in this series

[mach-speed-spin]

General changes (including sacred beast lore)

Bey evos are reworked to be closer to the actual toyline

everyone can see sacred beasts as long as they have a blading spirit. Making them invisible to most people is unfair, but Hiromi still can't see them at first because she has very little going on at the start of V-Force and needs what she can get

sacred beasts are like JoJo stands in that they are a manifestation of the original blader's soul. Inherited beasts (like Dragoon) were created long ago by a person, and the beast just outlived its creator (mainly because they're immortal)

by extension, creating a sacred beast with your own soul is possible, but extremely difficult (to explain why not every blader has one). In addition, a person can only create one beast with their soul (again to explain why there aren't billions of them)

special move callouts are standardized to be closer to mfb. It's a minor change, but "special move! [Attack name]" just sounds better imo

To justify V-Force's plot, the 4 main sacred beasts were created together and have the power to "bring life." Similar beast "groups" exist but they don't matter to the story

AJ Topper, Brad Best, and Dizzi exist. Dizzi is reworked into being a beast created with Kenny's soul (and it inhabits his bey instead of his laptop)

The dub gave every team a name. I'm keeping that in

A bunch of minor characters become semi-recurring by appearing in big tournament arcs. They lose early on but it's a reminder that they exist. Plus, I'd rather see a minor character return than have an unnamed extra in their place

Sub names > dub names, with some exceptions because, sometimes, the dub gave characters names that better suited their backgrounds (mainly those in the American tournament)

There were a lot of cool HMS beys that never appeared in the anime. Ideally there would be a season 4, simply because I wanna see what a bey called Bloody Devil Metal Satan would be like in the anime

Season 1

Hitoshi is introduced very early, without his Jin of the Gale persona. He's basically Takao's (and later the team's) coach. He sticks around for most of the series (until the BEGA arc, but that gets a massive rework)

The rule that each match must have all 3 battles is removed. If a team wins 2 consecutive matches, it's done (it was a dumb plot point the one time it was brought up). Also, less 3-0 sweeps. Making sacred beast users constantly sweep non-users just makes the whole thing seem unfair. More 2-1 matches please (plus it makes the tournament seem like a bigger challenge for the protagonists)

The PPB uses artificial sacred beasts. The difference between them and the ones in V-Force are that the PPB's are non-sentient drones while Doctor B's are actually sentient (like a roomba vs Skynet)

the Dark Bladers' curse is reworked so that the Majestics losing lifts it. The reason they tried to steal sacred beasts was to gather enough power to defeat them

Soichiro's dub name is incorporated into the story. Voltaire is the alias he uses when doing evil

Cyber Tala (well, Cyber Yuriy) is a great idea. Throw it in for no reason other than it's cool (but also elaborate on it in g-rev)

After season 1, the Volkov Abbey is exposed for its crimes. Volkov had a plan for this and is ruled innocent while Soichiro is thrown in prison

Volkov disappears and the Demolition Boys now own the abbey (and make it not an evil cult)

V-Force

Ditch the school stuff. It doesn't add anything. Hiromi still exists, but make her Takao's neighbor instead (or anything else that leads to them knowing each other)

Takao's animosity towards Hiromi comes from her lack of blading experience more than anything else (misogynistic Takao feels super out of character considering season 1)

After she gains the ability to see sacred beasts, Hiromi becomes a blader. She's not great, but she's around Kenny's level. She later gains a sacred beast

Gideon is being paid by Zagart to capture the sacred beasts, but Zagart is otherwise uninvolved. Keep Zagart in the dark about Psykick's actions since he's supposed to become good later (and if he's not gonna answer for Psykick's crimes, then he should be as far removed from them as possible)

The villain of the week formula is reworked. After the stone is stolen, Doctor K, she sends out 1 blader as a test run. After he loses, she sends out multiple bladers at once to target the Bladebreakers separately. Functionally, it's still the same, but it makes Doctor K look a lot more competent while avoiding the repetitiveness we got in V-Force

The movie is canon. Daichi goes on a training arc (probably off-screen) during the movie and G-Rev)

G-Revolution

The Bladebreakers split up on friendlier terms before the qualifiers (including Kai). Takao doesn't take it well, but the initial breakup doesn't turn confrontational

The world championship format is changed so matches are a best of 3 just like season 1, with each time having 3-4 bladers (3 plus an optional sub). Kenny and Hiromi are both part of the BBA Revolution. All teams have a sub except F-Dynasty who only have the siblings + Romero

2v2s operate on Metal Masters rules, where a 2v2 counts as a single round in the best of 3 (and have to be accepted by both teams). Hopefully this leads to returning characters not being as shafted

Ivan staying in Russia and Steve being injured are actually discussed by the characters instead of being relegated to the ending sequence of the last episode. Explore how their absences affect their teams

Yuriy changed his name to Tala to distance himself from the Volkov Abbey. The Cyber Tala plotline is actually explored (the ramifications of being turned superhuman against your will are certainly interesting narratively)

The connection between Barthez and Volkov is hinted at sooner

Kai and Hitoshi join BEGA but for good reasons

Kai realizes that BEGA's bladers are probably victims of Volkov like the Abbey kids were, and infiltrates BEGA to help them out. He tries to reach out to his friends, but Volkov is breathing down his neck so the most he can do is leave hints

Hitoshi knows bladers like Brooklyn need better guidance so he joins BEGA to help

He actually tells Takao about this

Creating 5 HMS beys total, with one being for Kai, was kinda dumb on Kenny's part considering Kai was missing. I'd have him still make Dranzer MS, but he'd also make other HMS beys in case Kai didn't show up. HMS versions of Wolborg, Hopper, Leopard, Ape, and Gargoyle exist irl. He could make HMS beys for himself, Tala, Miguel, Ozuma, and Dunga. Speaking of that, have the Saint Shields show up in the BEGA arc because an evil man controlling a group of bladers with powerful sacred beasts is precisely the kind of thing they're supposed to stop

Volkov gets arrested at the end on extortion charges or something. Like, he goes to prison but it can't be for the season 1 crimes. I'm not sure what crimes he'd commit with BEGA but extortion sounds about right (the other option is tax evasion but that's not evil enough)

maybe one day i should just compile a list of (realistic) fixes to g-rev i'd make. some would be more self-indulgent (ie "i personally think this would be cool as fuck") than others but eh

[threadsketchier]

i'm the anon asking about Luke's Jedi school, i guess i meant the whole who, what, when, where, why thing? who was there? what did they do, in general? when was this (which i guess means how long after ROTJ)? i guess the where and the why can be skipped cause you said it was on yavin iv (right?) and the why is obviously the "pass on what you have learned" so yeah. also a random question haunting my brain is how did they, like, get groceries, were they near a town or something? thankssssss

OK  *cracks knuckles*

The Whoozle - Luke’s first class attendees were:

Tionne (a scholar/historian and musician)

Dorsk 81 (a clone from an entire society of clones)

Kirana Ti (a Dathomiri witch)

Kam Solusar (a former member of cloned Palpatine’s Dark Side Elite)

Brakiss (an Imperial spy who never fooled Luke but he kept him on hoping to turn him to good; he eventually ran off and got recruited by another failed student, Dolph)

Streen (a Bespin tibanna gas prospector who kept himself isolated from sentient contact because he couldn’t control his strong latent Force empathy from picking up everyone’s thoughts and emotions around him)

Gantoris (tormented leader of a forgotten colony on a deadly volcanic planet)

Corran Horn (attending under an alias of “Keiran Halcyon” for Reasons™, otherwise a cocky asshole from the X-wing novels lol)

Kyle Katarn (a dude who got his own graphic novels/video games; he didn’t stick around for long and had a bunch of adventures on his own - and actually spent some time tutoring Mara Jade)

Kyp Durron (a sadly messed-up kid who was fucked over by the Empire real good and thrown into the spice mines of Kessel before he could even reach puberty, so he carried a really big traumatic chip on his shoulder; he was like barely 17 or 18 when he was busted out and started at the academy)

Cilghal (a female Mon Cal - a niece of Admiral Ackbar, and also a New Republic ambassador - who possessed a natural talent for healing)

Mara Jade (that baddest bitch we all know and love from the Thrawn Trilogy lol)

***There’s a few others mentioned on Wook but I’m not including them here because they’re kind of sprinkled in from various other EU media and don’t make an appearance (that I can recall) in the actual JAT series.

The Whatzle - everything got started in the Jedi Academy Trilogy by KJAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

*cough* sorry  XD

Fun fact: apparently it was Mon Mothma’s idea to suggest the location and not Luke, go figure.

The Whenzle - about 7 years after ROTJ (I get annoyed with Legends EU always dating stuff as “X years ABY,” meaning After the Battle of Yavin, so I always gotta mentally subtract 4 years from those dates).

The Wherezle - yep, Yavin 4, a nice green steamy joint much nicer than Dagobah, where you can still get swamp-ass without the swamp.  They repurposed the ancient temple that the Rebellion had used as a base in ANH.

The Whyzle - Luke eventually let the fire under his ass get lit and petitioned the New Republic to get his Jedi school started so he could finally not be the only fucking Jedi saving the whole-ass galaxy all the damn time...aka, yes, “pass on what you have learned.”  (Like I mentioned, this took place barely a year after Palpatine tried to come back and wreck everything again, so there was definitely some motivation from that plus the Thrawn disaster that happened the year before THAT.  The GFFA is always crisis-central so the Jedi needed to make a serious comeback.)

WHAT DO - Like I also mentioned, Luke was still figuring everything out regarding the old Jedi Order, and his own training had been the severely abridged Cliff Notes version (plus, um, these books were written way ahead of the prequels so...they don’t mesh well), so needless to say his teaching methods were not nearly as formal, and he tended to use examples from his own training.  Because he was the only master to go around, there wasn’t any pairing up for “padawans” at this point, he was teaching everybody simultaneously, so there were a lot of group lectures and activities.  They’d also gather to hear Tionne sing about Jedi history that she’d researched and turned into ballads.  In order to keep everything running, there also likely had to be task assignments as part of everyday life - somebody’s gotta clean the toilets and cook, etc., but that’s technically extrapolation.

JEDI DOORDASH - no, loooool, considering that this place was on a jungle moon, they had a nice tropical climate but not a ton of clear space for agriculture.  Keep in mind Luke’s a former moisture farmer (and I can’t believe the only thing the Larses were harvesting was literal moisture) - he had to have extensive knowledge of hydroponics or other indoor farming, and that temple is huge, so it’s totally possible they could grow at least some of their own produce.  But they need a lot more supplies than that, especially at the beginning, so they had supply runs from cargo ships who would bring them stuff - and hey, Mara herself was one of those supply pilots sometimes.  Some of my fellow Legends peeps also conceptualized the academy as opening up to some tourism to contribute much-needed funds - come chillax in the hot springs and learn more about the “mysterious” Jedi that used to creep so many people out back in the day, and see they’re just ordinary folks like everyone else...

...except that, yeah, they can technically kill you with their minds.  :)

In Legends it seems like the academy (also known as a Praxeum) was the only habitation on Yavin 4, but in Disney nu!canon there are other settlements on the moon; Poe Dameron’s parents Shara Bey and Kes Dameron go live there with a baby Force tree.  Feel free to remix and mash-up whatever elements you dig!

[notbecauseofvictories]

the way poe and rey bicker makes me feel like there's also an undercurrent of unresolved sexual tension

I mean, far be it from me to think two star wars characters aren’t fucking, but if Rey and Poe had sex I think it’d be about....just about anyone except each other. 

It might be about Finn, who keeps pulling away from Rey like her hands have changed somehow, in the wake of Crait. (On her worse nights, she lays in the dark and holds them up in front of her face, watching phosphenes burst on her knuckles and thinks he might be right. Her hands had reached for Kylo Ren, shed blood for him---can such a thing be done without leaving some mark?) On Poe’s part, it’s almost definitely about Finn, who keeps drawing closer to Poe and then looping away, disappearing into the medbay to spend time with Rose or disappearing after Rey, reporting to Organa. It’s not that Poe’s grudging, really! He’s glad that Finn is integrating! It’s fine! And coming a distant fourth on Finn’s list is perfect, all right; no, he doesn’t know what Snap means when he says Poe is glaring. It’s FINE.

It might be about the General, who Poe has been in love with practically since he could hold her image in his head, since Shara Bey told stories of the durasteel princess of the Rebellion, dressed in white and unafraid. (Rey looks so much like what Poe pictured, all those years ago, it ought to be illegal.) It might be about Leia, who tries not to look at Rey like she’s carrying Luke’s legacy on one shoulder and Han’s on the other, and fails. (Rey never tells her the whole story of---of Kylo Ren and the throne room, of Snoke. Rey’s certain she’d collapse under the weight of yet another legacy to carry.)

It might be about some other sentients altogether---Rey, ranging and sun-browned, hardened as half a dozen Outer Rim contacts Poe has known; Poe, who since the first has cut an almost-mythical image in Rey’s imagination, the brave Rebel pilot with eyes full of stars. She is all of them, and he is that enormous shadow, and when they come together (if they come together) they’re thinking about all of it: the shadows and stories, the contacts, the General (Leia. The General. They never settled that one.) and Finn (Finn.)

.........afterwards, Poe lights up a cigarra and watches Rey dress herself again in jerky, frustrated movements. “All right, then,” Rey says, lifting her chin. She’s not quite looking at him, but he nods.

“All right.”

[mocsbylexan]

Matoran Morphology, Section 9: The Southern Isles

The Southern Island chains that resided in the Great Spirit’s legs were mysterious and largely uncharted by what one would consider the main body of matoran civilization. No one really ventured further south than the island Artidax.  For most of the history of Mata Nui’s Universe, it was believed by most that no Matoran lived on the Southern Isles. Though some still hold this belief today, it isn’t true. Matoran did live in the isles in fairly large numbers since the beginning of the universe; they were simply isolated from the rest of the population.

Form: Southern Islanders vary greatly in height, but tend to be in the short to mid range. They have small, compact bodies with long, mostly mechanical limbs. Their legs are strikingly unique among matoran, having two knees that bend in opposite directions (fig. 7). They are similar in form and function to the “digitigrade” classification of legs used for some Spherus Magnan animals, though my agori colleagues stress that they technically can’t be classified the same way.

The Southern Islander body takes a very unique approach to the relationship of the matoran’s inner and outer bodies. For Southern Islanders, the outer body is treated not like a vehicle of the inner body, as is typical, nor even like a suit of armor for it, like the post-cataclysm Metruan method. Instead, the outer body is treated like a robotic framework that can support and enhance the strength of the Matoran’s "true” body, but doesn’t really cover it the way most outer bodies do. This leads to the most strking and unique feature of Southern Islanders: in a normally operating matoran, the inner “tentacle” arms are fully visible on the exterior of the body (see fig. 4). In their deactivated state, they seem to act like cables or hoses, carrying information, resources, and nerve connections from the chest to the hands. If you see a matoran with a pair of thick, armored cables running from their back to their wrists, they are probably a Southern Islander.

Functionality: The Southern Islander build prioritizes physical stability, multi-terrain mobility, and strength above all else. Their unique leg structure is designed for efficiently climbing and walking over the often jagged and rocky terrain of the Southern Isles’ coasts; perhaps the only geographic quality that most of the islands had in common.

Southern Islanders share the strange quality of being the matoran most likely to enter their diminished state. It’s not simply that the outer build is more fragile and therefore more prone to damage that would necessitate separation. Comparatively to other matoran, even the slightest amount of physical damage can potentially cause the matoran to eject from their exoskeleton. Some even claim that Southern Islanders can shed their exoskeletons at will, though these reports are unconfirmed. It seems that in the relatively chaotic environment of the Isles, the matoran developed an escape-based survival strategy, where in the event of an emergency or dangerous situation, their outer body would be shed as quickly as possible to allow their more nimble diminished form to flee.

History: The Southern Isles spent most of their existence being almost completely isolated from the world further north. Southern legends tell of an event very early in the history of the universe known as “The Great Assault”, where a being clad in red armor and wielding an axe almost singlehandedly conquered most of the isles and ruled them as a brutal warlord. Though this legend is far fetched, it’s probable that a real war that inspired it encouraged the central and northern parts of Mata-Nui’s universe to quarantine the Isles for their own safety, leading eventually to the loss of knowledge of what the land past Artidax was like.

Being by far the most isolated population of matoran in the world, the Southern Islanders eventually developed a wildly different culture from the rest of matoran civilization. One of the most notable differences is that they have never in their collective memory determined gender identity by element; matoran of any element identify as a variety of genders, often from creation. They are also more willing to trust and collaborate with non-matoran, due to the formerly wide diversity of other sentient species on the isles. The vast majority of Southern Islanders are Onu, Ba, or Ga-matoran, and as one might expect their society was based primarily on mining and seafaring trade, with fishing, foraging, and subsistence farming providing sustenance.

The isles suffered perhaps the least damage of anywhere in the universe during the Great Cataclysm. Earthquakes were already frequent and expected in the region, presumably due to the vibrations caused by Mata-Nui walking on planetary surfaces, and the Cataclysm itself was much less forceful in the region. However, even the Southern islanders knew something was different about that quake; their name for it is simply “The Tremor”. Their isolation came to an end with the Reign of Shadows; as chaos ensued in the Northern lands and the inhabitants of Mata Nui’s universe began to gain a better understanding of the nature of their world, refugees flocked to the isles in hopes of finding an escape from Makuta’s tyranny. But decades before the Reign even began, it was the Southern Islanders who first discovered the escape hatches that allowed the universe to evacuate during the Battle of Bara Magna. For that, we are forever in their debt.

Acknowledgements: This section’s volunteer models are Metuni, Onu-Miner Taruka, and Turnaka, Ga-toolsmith Bei.

[neverwatchedonepiece]

630-631: "Explore! A Kingdom of Love and Passion - Dressrosa!" and "Full of Enthusiasm! The Corrida Colosseum!"

Zoro in therapy, thinking about all the times Sanji called him “Moss Head.”

Well, episodes 630 and 631 were a great start to the longest arc in OP history so far. 

Oda has done a good job at creating a sense of place and hinting at the unique culture of the island (toys, anyone?) A new, mysterious and intimidating character has appeared. There is an old, local legend about thieving fairies (I am sure there is more to this than meets the eye). Plus the Temptation of Luffy plot is up and running!

Brook Gently Suggests Assaulting Minors Maybe Isn’t the Best Idea

Sunny has laid anchor! The Strawhats have finally set foot on the island! Well, some of them have.

The first scene in episode 630 was where Oda took time to split up the group. He always does it but in the past it hasn’t been organised with such clinical precision. Usually, something awful happens, or a plot point needs investigated, and they are broken up into teams. This time, Law had a master plan.

Luffy wanted to head straight into town. Law was all for that but warned everyone to remain on guard. If they failed to destroy the SMILE factory, it would ruin their plans. Law tore his vivre card in half and handed a piece to Nami. He warned her if anything happened to them, she had to sail straight for Zou. The vivre card would point there.

He then unveiled a hilarious map that looked like it’d been drawn by a kid with some crayons. One of Law’s crewmates designed it. (I hope it’s not his navigator, lmao.) Courtesy of said map, we now have the lie of the land. Doflamingo’s palace is at the centre of Dressrosa. Law guessed the SMILE factory might be nearby. The Caesar Handover Team - consisting of Law, Robin and Usopp - will travel on foot through Dressrosa and cross the Very Long Bridge north to Green Bit. They cannot travel on foot because Law heard it’s impossible to reach Green Bit by water. (Maybe it’s a rocky cliff coastline all the way round?)

As I have watched other shounen anime before, I have a sneaking suspicion it might take them a Very Long Time to cross the Very Long Bridge. (I am also happy to be proven wrong.)

Staying behind on Sunny to ensure news of whatever happens arrives in Zou are: Nami, Brook, Chopper and Momonosuke. Chopper was not exactly happy about not having Sanji around to protect them. This is it, Chopper! It’s your time to shine. Plus, you have Brook there. You forget how badass he can be.

There was a weird little moment when Luffy got into a funny argument with Momonosuke because Momo wouldn’t fly Luffy into Dressrosa. Luffy (and everyone who watched Punk Hazard) recalled that Momo almost flew out of the garbage dump in a sort of trance. But Momo does not remember that happening at all. And even if he did, he would never do such a dreadful thing again!

Then there was a tiny flashback of a guy with a deep, booming voice reaching out to grab Momonosuke. His only words: “What’s your name?”

I wonder why Momo has a fear of flying? Did this happen to him at Punk Hazard? It can’t have happened in Wano because he wasn’t a dragon then. Who grabbed him? Or who hurt him? Hmmm...

Not sure if it’ll be resolved any time soon because the focus for the rest of 630 and 631 was on the Factory Destroying Team! AKA Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Franky and Kinemon.

BARCEROMA!

Before the plot marched on, the Narrator appeared to give us a handy-dandy summary of Dressrosa: the Kingdom of Love and Passion. 

@meheartonepiece You were right about the Spanish connections here. More specifically, Acacia Port Town gives me Barcelona vibes. The buildings are definitely Gaudi-inspired. There was a ton of seafood dishes on offer. Acoustic guitarists accompanied flamenco dancers in street performances. Even the warren of streets reminded me of the Gothic Quarter. It’s pretty cool. Oda has taken a bit of time to really build a strong sense of place.

And did I mention there is a sizable population of sentient puppets and toys living alongside humans?

Dressrosa: the Kingdom of Love, Passion and Toys.

I get the feeling Perona would love this place. Then again, the toys here can talk back, so maybe not.

Luffy and Franky Don’t Do Dress Codes

Meanwhile, the Factory Destruction Team had made it to Acacia Port Town. Kinemon had come good with extremely sophisticated disguises. Shades, suits and ‘staches. Classic.

They were initially weirded out by the toy population of Dressrosa (a serious-looking teddybear sat reading a newspaper at a pavement cafe, lmao). But Luffy recovered quickly and was like, “Let’s eat!”

As they dived into a nearby bar, Zoro sensed the approach of another. An old, blind dude with wicked facial scars who wore clacky, traditional wooden shoes (geta?) and walked with the aid of a stick. As soon as I saw this guy I thought, “Yup. Here comes a badass.”

Zoro almost drew his sword, but the guy slowly walked past Zoro, then turned and said, “Excuse me, I heard there is a gambling house around here. Do you know where it is?”

Zoro apologised, said this was his first time on the island but that the guy might try the bar across the street.

Inside, the Destruction Team were waiting for their food order. Foxfire was impatient. He did not like all this waiting around! Franky, who is sensible, reminded him they needed intel before making a move. Sanji noticed all the people were oddly calm for a state whose king just abdicated without warning.

“Maybe these people don’t know yet,” Zoro suggested.

Hmm... not sure about that. Maybe they all know he’s up to something. So far, his people are pretty confidence in Doflamingo’s competence as a ruler.

Then the food arrived, along with a strange little local legend. Since it was mentioned twice by Oda, I’m thinking it’ll be important to take note of it.

Sanji asked why one of the dishes was called “Fairy Pumpkin.” The toy waiter who brought it explained that it comes from the Dressrosa legend of the fairy guardians, who used to watch over Dressrosa for years. No one, however, has seen them in years. But that doesn’t stop them pilfering stuff.

Stealing stuff? That is definitely suspicious. Would not be surprised if a real, non-fairy thief is later unmasked in a Scooby Doo moment.

“Y U STEAL MY SWORD??”

“Would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for you meddlin’ Strawhats!”

Or, you know, there is a chance it *could* be fairies.

Might be an Underpants Gnomes type situation.

Step 1: Steal Stuff Step 2: ??? Step 3: Profit

But I had no time to dwell on the puzzle of the supposed fairy guardians, as the old guy Zoro encountered swanned back into the action and was the centre of a Really Cool Scene.

This. Guy.

While Luffy and co were tucking into their amazing food (seriously, I am hungry just thinking abouit the lovely food you can buy in Dressrosa), there was a commotion at another table.

The Old Dude had found the gambling table and was running an amazing streak of luck. At roulette, every time he placed a bet, his colour would come up. He had guessed right fourteen times in a row.

Of course, some dodgy characters entered the scene. I knew as soon as I saw them that they existed to have their asses kicked by this guy. A shambling bunch of hype fodders.

They challenged Old Dude to a game and basically cheated him out of the win every single time. If Old Dude guessed white, they’d lie and say it was black. Because Old Dude couldn’t see. So it was alright to cheat him, right?

As Old Dude placed all his chips on a final mega wager, the Fodders were about to cheat. Then a familiar voice piped up, “It’s white.”

Exposed as cheaters, the Fodders snapped, “It’s black, idiot!”

Luffy, monching away on his squid ink spaghetti, repeated himself. “It’s white. Old man, you win!”

Old Dude thanked Luffy for his kindness. Luffy was like, “No bother. I just said what I saw. But why are you even bother with these losers? You look strong.”

When the Fodders attacked, Old Dude tripped one easily. Then a fantastic beatdown commenced.

“It’s no good. Young man, could you stand aside for a moment? I’m going to send these people to hell.”

Ohhhhh, man. 

It was beautiful.

I’m still not entirely sure what actually happened, but Old Dude appeared to slash up the Fodders. Except he didn’t. There wasn’t a mark on them. But as he walked, a mysterious pressure forced them downwards, with such intensity it cracked the floor and they plummeted into a huge hole.

Zoro wondered if Old Dude was a Devil Fruit eater.

I’m wondering if that alone was the power of his haki.

At any rate, Old Dude made a swift exit, handed the maitre-d’ a card to where he could send the repair bills (nice guy). He seems to be Mega Famous, as the maitre-d’ recognised his name instantly. Sanji spotted it too. “Is this guy Extraordinarily Infamous, or something?”

Alas, his name was not revealed. But I have a suspicion Old Dude has seen through Luffy’s disguise, as he said it wouldn’t be a good idea to let slip his identity, “For the sake of both of us.”

Is he friends with Rayleigh, or something? Maybe a pirate? I actually have no idea. Maybe he’s just looking into events on Dressrosa and will be a temporary arc ally (like Vivi in Alabasta).

The Temptation of Luffy

Again, I did not have time to dwell on the mystery of Old Dude, as the Fairies had been hard at work during the chaos of the fight.

Everyone in the place had been robbed blind. Their reactions were quite strange. “Oh, well. If the Fairies did it, we’ll just have to forget about all your valuable stuff.” 

Are you serious? I’d be charging straight after them!

And Zoro agreed with me because Shusui had been taken. Luckily, he spotted it tied to a sack that was halfway out the window. Of course, Zoro took off. Kinemon ran after him, “RETURN THE PRECIOUS NATIONAL TREASURE OF WANO KINGDOM!” and Sanji tore after both of them because they DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO LET ZORO WANDER (lmao).

Within minutes, Kinemon lost Zoro and Sanji but was being watched from a dark alleyway by a guy with a gold, spiky helmet.

Luffy was inches away from joining the chaos, but Franky held him back. He had an idea. I’m not sure if it turned out to be the best one, or not, but it certainly moved the plot along (thanks, Franky!)

Luffy and Franky grabbed one of the Fodders and dragged him down another dark alleyway for an... informational interview.

“You’re working under Doflamingo, yeah?” Franky demanded.

“So what? You think you can mess with the Young Master on Dressrosa and get away with it?”

Franky punched the wall above him with just enough force for the guy’s life to flash before his eyes (probably).

He spilled what he knew. He remembered going after a few Samurai but had no knowledge of SMILE. He’d never even heard of it. Franky and Luffy guessed this guy was such a Fodder he wasn’t high-ranked enough to be in the know. So the next step was finding a few who did occupy such high office.

It turned out the Corrida Colosseum (where Diamante is the local hero) was having a special event. All the high-rankers, the great and the good would be there. Doflamingo had offered up a special prize. Everyone wanted it.

I knew even before the Colosseum commentator revealed it that the prize was Ace’s fruit.

This is cool.

Doflamingo is laying the bait, knowing Luffy won’t be able to resist.

And Law isn’t there to guard Luffy against temptation. 

He’s going straight for that apple in paradise, isn’t he?

We all know that look. That is not a good look.