What is the story synopsis for the harlequin au?
Just like the Suspenseful Digital Mystery, I do plan on making a masterpost about it, but the story synopsis of the AU is that it follows a serialized-1210 Combat Harlequin named "Pomni": a Puppet who's whole purpose is to fight.
Initially just wanting to defeat the fugitive Puppetmaster, Caine, to "prove a point", she eventually ends up joining the man after he manages to convince Pomni that he's only trying to help improve the situation of Circuit City, a city that's been overrun by manic marionettes, killing and destroying everything that even dares move.
So now, she has to deal with various bosses, with some of them even joining the team after they've been "corrected" by Caine.
The whole AU is inspired by a Souls-like, specifically "Lies of P" because I REALLY love that game. Their designs take on a more Steampunk-esque theming, but the genre of the whole AU is Soulpunk.
So far, the designs I've done yet for the AU are for Caine, Pomni, Ragatha, and Kinger (who's name lacks the "e" part for a e s t h e t i c purposes)
Everyone who's been shown in the TADC canon is bound to be a boss for this AU with the exception of Caine, since he's Pomni's starting ally/objective giver.
And yes, EVERYONE is a different classification of a Puppet, which are robots of sorts.
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Throughout the trilogy, Effie is a personification of what the average Capitol citizen is. It is Effie who Katniss thinks of when Gale mimics the Capitol accent (THG, 1). With little contact, Effie has come to be what 12's citizen envision when they think of the Capitol.
As readers, we receive an early glimpse into what the Capitol is like through her fashion style and persona during the reaping ceremony. Effie is bright, bubbly, has pinkish hair, and a spring green suit (THG, 2). When Katniss arrives in the Capitol, its citizens are eager to see the tributes. The Capitol's colours are artificial, "the pinks too deep, the greens too bright, the yellows painful to the eyes" (THG, 4).
As Effie views her previous tributes as "savages" (THG, 3), so does the Capitol commentary reflect a similar view when they refer to District 12 as "a bit backward but that local customs [the three-finger salute] can be charming" (THG, 3).
District 12 is an underdog whose chances to win the Games are marginal and who rarely receive sponsors (THG, 4). This unpopularity within the Capitol is represented by Effie's exclaim that she might be promoted to a "decent district next year!" which leaves Katniss uncertain whether Effie is "overcome with either the emotional parting or the possible improvement of her fortunes" (THG, 10).
Effie's emotions pertaining to the tributes are akin the feelings the Capitol citizens have of their tributes. The crowd "screams assent" (THG, 10) on the prospect of more information on the star-crossed lovers. The tributes are pawns in their entertainment system, and the prospect of an interesting storyline is emotional and exciting. There was no uproar to question the Games, no saving these two kids—this fascination relied on their inherent doom. Thus, while emotions alike Effie's might be at play here, they are not enough to question the legitimacy of the Games just yet.
Once victors, Katniss and Peeta are placed in a different rank to the Capitol society as the Capitol engages in a voyeuristic enjoyment in their lives (CF, 3). While much of this can be read in a sensational manner, and that is no false interpretation, the Capitol citizens are interested in the lives of their victors and receive Katniss' and Peeta's fresh love with interest—Katniss and Peeta are celebrities who they have built a relationship with, such as being emotionally involved in their wedding (CF, 12).
Effie's care for the victors can be understood as a symbolic interpretation here, too. She has come to care for Katniss and Peeta, and it is expressed by gestures such as offering Katniss sleeping pills (CF, 5). No more tributes associated with barbarianism, she, much like the Capitol, has uplifted Katniss and Peeta to a new status; now caring for them, because she assumes they are guaranteed a long life.
On the 3rd Quarter Quell reaping day, Effie gifts Peeta and Haymitch golden jewellery and wears golden hair. She is upset at Cecilia being reaped and has come to view the victors with a loving care despite their flaws, such as when expressing Chaff could not stay out of a fight. Overall, Effie cares for the victors and seems to be in visible distress at the Quarter Quell's prospect (CF, 14).
In much the same way, Peeta states that the people in the Capitol citizens are unhappy that the victors must return to the Games. In his words, the Capitol citizens got "attached to their champions" (CF, 14).
When the victors are being interviewed on Caesar's stage, their statements consist of appeals targeted at the audience, such as the victors' deep bonds created with the Capitol people. Once Katniss enters the stage, "the audience is an absolute wreck" and "the sight of me in my white silk bridal gown practically causes a riot" (CF, 17).
However, it is Peeta's statement that causes this riot. "As the bomb explodes, it sends accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flying out in every direction. Even the most Capitol-loving, Games-hungry, bloodthirsty person out there can't ignore, at least for a moment, how horrific the whole thing is" (CF, 15).
The word "barbarism" is the Capitol's citizens journey—and by definition Effie's journey—they have had throughout the past year. From perceiving the tributes in such a manner to seeing the 75th Games for what they are, the reaping of the Capitol's champions, these who they have began to care for, is reason for great upset.
The implications for Effie have no villain-hero morality attached to them—she is marked by her representation—and is a morally grey character whose indoctrination is slowly shedding away. Her status as an oppressor are bound to her Capitol citizen status, as the Capitol reaps the fruits of the District's labour.
Like Effie, the Capitol citizen's had been indoctrinated and their beliefs around the Districts were shaped in their own understanding of being the peak of civilization, as their language expressed—"savages" (THG, 3) and charming local customs (THG, 4).
Their awakening, that of Effie and the Capitol, occurs simultaneously. Effie, remaining Katniss' frequent Capitol contact, is an expression and mirror of the Capitol society. Yet, her focus, similar to the audience's focus, on the victors alone remains a vital aspect to understanding her character. They system itself is not questioned. Instead, there is upset for having wronged the Capitol's "champions" (CF, 14). Their tears and upset do not evoke questioning the broader system. In that, the Capitol citizen and Effie herself are rendered in an ignorance about their own participation.
She is neither villain nor hero. Like her fellow citizens in the audience, she is a part of the system by being born into it. While her role as an escort has granted her a larger part in the Capitol's complicity, she remains a character whose upset is ultimately powerless and whose fear of the Capitol remains always present (CF, 17).
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