#anyway hello i'm here. plots? threads? let's do it

[lucysgraybird]

⋆｡𖦹° i mean camaraderie! °𖦹｡⋆

part 2 of the short 'n sweet series

modern!WILLIAM H. BONNEY (BTK) x fem!reader

warnings: smut (18+), dry humping, oral, potentially unrealistic refractory period, penetrative sex, there was supposed to be more plot but i got lazy

a night out on your own isn't exactly your perfect idea of fun, but there are worse things to be doing on a friday. in a dress that doesn't leave quite enough to the imagination with glitter smeared on your eyelids, you're just about the picture of a girl on the town, and you intend to make the most of it. you've claimed a seat and a cocktail (generously, little more than liquor and juice) at the shitty bar you've wandered into, and dedicated yourself to some intense people watching.

and boy, were there people to watch.

most importantly, a man sitting at a table across the room with his legs spread wide. such was a trait you normally found unattractive in men, but as he wasn't inconveniencing anyone with his need to lay claim to his space, you let it slide. with thick dark curls that curved out from the nape of his neck like little wings and crystalline eyes, he would almost be more pretty than handsome if it wasn't for an inherent ruggedness in his being, in the slouch of his shoulders and the cut of his jaw and his lazily buttoned shirt and the way he reaches down to adjust his pants- oh, wow.

anyways, he's caught your attention partially because of his genuine attractiveness and partially because you've been able to feel the weight of his gaze on you since you walked in. you're waiting to see which one of you will break first.

as it turns out, it's him, the click of his boots heavy as he walks over when you tear your eyes away to take a sip of your drink.

"hiya, miss."

and oh, you're done for. he's got the sweetest little drawl and the slightest curve to full, pink lips, and those two words are spoken with such a genuine cordiality that it almost makes you cry. it's as though he should be touching the brim of a cowboy hat at you as you take your morning prom, rather than sidling up in some run-down dive.

he's an angel. you have to fuck him.

"hello," you say, crossing your legs. his big eyes drop to follow the slight movement, and you don't miss the way they stutter over your body on their way back to your face.

he clears his throat. "i'm billy."

his hands are fiddling with the hem of his pearl-snap button down.

you introduce yourself with a gentle smile, taking pity on the poor boy's obvious nerves. "i felt you watching me."

"i didn't mean anything...funny by it. i thought you were pretty and i couldn't help but stare. you know how it is." he's moved now to lean on the bar next to you, facing out towards the room with his elbows braced on the wooden top.

glancing up at him, you say, "do i?"

"don't think i couldn't feel those eyes of yours on me, darlin'," he replies, and when he flicks his gaze back down to you, it's different. heavier, darker. he might be the picture of polite, but he's not shy - or inexperienced, if you had to guess.

there's a beat of silence, a taught string holding to see if it'll have to snap on its own or if someone will take a knife to it and put it out of its misery.

"do you wanna get out of here?" billy asks, and the second you nod, he's threading his hand through yours and tugging you out the door.

outside, he sneaks a chaste, silly kiss against your lips, a smile on his that you would classify as drunken if he hadn't just displayed wonderful conversational sobriety. it sparks something in your chest, a kind of carnal need you've never felt before, and you're surging to kiss him for real. he's responding in kind without much of a reaction time, pressing one large hand to the small of your back and using the other to tip your face up towards his. this creates an effective angle for him to lick into your mouth - he tastes like whiskey and smoke - as he steers you both into an alley and presses you up against the brick wall.

"someone could see," you mumble when the kiss breaks so that neither of you asphyxiate on pure desire. you're still so close you can feel the way his breath hiccups against the thin skin of your lips, and you might just go insane.

"i'll cover you," billy replies, like it's the simplest thing in the world.

he curves his broad body over you as he starts to press kisses to your cheek and jaw, revelling in the way your breath shakes when you exhale. when his tongue sneaks out at your pulse point and laves the skin there, you have to grab onto his bicep for stability. your free hand sliding into his hair coaxes a low groan out of him and the vibration almost makes you buckle, your whole body feeling raw and hot like a live wire stripped to its copper core. billy nudges his knee between your legs to keep you upright, and the way it brushes against the most sensitive part of you elicits a bitten-back moan.

"you like that," he says, and it's not a question.

his hands slide down to your hips, guiding them back and forth on his thigh, and the combination of the seam of the shorts you're wearing under your dress (you wanted to look hot, but you're not stupid) and the feeling of his firm muscle under you makes your head spin. as you start to rock against him of your own accord, his mouth returns to your neck where he muffles his own sounds into kisses and bites. the way he drags his teeth over the taut tendon at the same time you manage to rock against the hard line of his desire makes you cry out, and billy captures your mouth in a fierce kiss.

"shh, baby, gotta be quiet," he murmurs. "wouldn't want anyone hearing how good you're making yourself feel on my thigh."

you know he's just as affected by this as you are, but he's managing to keep his head much further on his shoulders despite it and it's maddening.

when your movements speed up, he starts talking again.

"there you go, pretty girl. take what you need, okay? fuck, you're gorgeous. you look so good like this, darlin', you're gonna ruin me."

the rumble of his voice in your ear has you feeling very much like he's going to ruin you, actually, a coil of heat twisting in your belly to the point where you can't decide whether you want to get closer or get away.

"billy, billy," you whine, hands twisting in his shirt. "oh, oh, i'm gonna-"

"atta girl, honey, you gonna cum on my thigh? this all it takes to get you all worked up?"

he's teasing but it's almost sweet; there's a distinct tone of wonder in his voice as he pulls back to watch the way your lashes flutter and your lips part around a gasp. when you manage to confirm how close you are, he pulls his leg away just before you finish, tight hands spanning your waist keeping you upright. the frustrated look you give him has him huffing out a laugh and kissing your nose.

"wanna fuck you for real, honey," billy hums. "and i'm not doing that in an alleyway."

and okay, maybe you're a little stupid, because you're walking home with him and fumbling with your keys while he presses against your back and lets you feel all of him, then presses you up against the wall in your entryway and kisses you like he needs it to live. his hands are making quick work of the zipper at the back of your dress and pushing the straps off your shoulders, lips following nimble fingers over your collarbone and down your chest. the heat of his tongue over your nipple has you arching towards his mouth with a whimper. before you can process it, he's on his knees in front of you, hands around your hips. he thumbs the waistband of your shorts.

"can i take these off?"

when your brain catches up with your body and you figure out what he's offering to do, you immediately start, "oh, you don't have t-"

"'s that what i asked?" billy's looking up at you with soft eyes, his thumbs rubbing over your hip bones.

you shake your head. the tender way he's treating you juxtaposed with what he wants to do is stirring an aching want in your chest that drips like lava to burn in the cradle of your pelvis.

"so...can i take these off?"

but when you nod, his hands don't move.

"words, please," he murmurs, and kisses just below your navel.

"yes, god, please, billy, just-"

in one swift motion, billy yanks down your shorts and panties to leave them dangling around one ankle and lift the other to hook over his shoulder, and then his mouth is on you. licking and sucking, his goal seems to be to make as much of a mess of you as possible. he alternates kitten licks at your clit with sweeping strokes with the flat of his tongue. there's a pleasure-pain mix where his hands dig into your thighs to hold you still and upright as you try to writhe against his tongue, and it's dizzying. when he fucks his tongue into you, he uses his nose (intentionally or otherwise, you can't be sure) to maintain a hard pressure against your clit, and it's dragging you to your precipice embarrassingly fast. you're dimly aware of the way his hips are moving, the brush of denim against the shin of your (not-so) supporting leg, but you don't have the wherewithal to think anything of it. before you can even think to warn him, you're coming with a moan of his name, giving a short tug to his curls when he mouths at you through your orgasm. the sheen of your pleasure is smeared around his nose and lips, and there's a haze in his eyes like he's high off the taste of you.

"you taste good," he says, a gravel to his voice that makes you want to tug him up so you can drop to your knees.

which is, in fact, what you try to do, and he just clutches tighter at your hips and tips his forehead to rest against your tummy with a breathless chuckle.

"just...give me a second, honey."

it's then that you notice the way his body's trembling slightly and the - it might just be the lighting of your entryway - slightly darkened patch on the front of his trousers.

"did you...?"

billy gives you a cheeky, wry grin. "you taste really good."

minutes later, he has you leading him to your bedroom. it proves to be a difficult enough task because neither of you can spend more than ten seconds without kissing the other, so there's quite a bit of unsuccessful tumbling before the back of his knees hits the bed and you go tumbling on top of him. immediately, you're fumbling at his belt and freeing him from the confines of his pants. he groans as his cock springs up, rock hard and a pretty shade of red. an involuntary whimper sneaks out of you - he's big. not, like, monstrous, but definitely large enough that you can expect a dizzying stretch.

billy's hands drift over the fat of your hips, caressing. "everything okay?"

a beat, then: "i want to ride you."

he blinks. "well, i'm not going to say no."

you raise up to ease down onto him with his help, and you were right about the stretch. soaked as you are, there's a distinct burn that has your chin tipping down to your chest. when you're fully seated, he's pressing against every spot imaginable inside you, and the experimental roll of your hips sends verifiable sparks flying up your spine. billy leaves one hand on your hips, guiding your rhythm, and the other comes up to cup your chest as he looks up at you in wonder.

"you're so- shit, beautiful," he strangles out. "prettiest girl i've ever seen and i'm lucky enough t...fuck, to see you like this? god, you're squeezing me like a fuckin' vice, darlin', i'm not gonna last-"

and again, his coherence in this moment amazes you, because it feels like the push of his dick in your cunt sent all thoughts flying right out of your head, but as you brace your hands against his chest and start to move faster, he starts to be affected in the same way. his muttered oaths mix with your whines and cries, and soon he's scrabbling at your skin.

"hold on, baby, i'm gonna- just-"

without the mental means to finish his sentence, he flips the two of you over and pushes back into you, one hand flying down to rub your puffy clit. your head tips back and you stammer out a warning before your vision whites out with the force of your orgasm. billy ruts into you once, twice more before he's pulling out and fisting himself, painting sticky ropes over your stomach with a broken groan of your name. when he falls over you, both of you panting, he keeps his elbows braced by your head so you don't take his full weight. after a while, he laughs.

"what?" you say, just barely returned to yourself enough to process your surroundings.

"probably should've bought you dinner first," he breathes. you smack his shoulder; he kisses the corner of your mouth and goes to find a cloth to clean the both of you up with. hazy and sated, there's a sneaking warmth in your chest with the feeling that this isn't the last time this'll happen - and that there might be a relationship beyond it in the near future.

[featherquillpen]

Hello! I just wanted to ask: is Daemorphing finished? I love that series so much!

That's a very good question!

My intention has been to write an epilogue to the series, tying up loose threads and showing the state of the world at the end. However, all my attempts to write such an epilogue have failed. I have a graveyard of abandoned epilogue drafts on my computer. It's like I have a mental block.

I suspect the source of the mental block is that Daemorphing is so epic and has been so important to my life that my brain doesn't want to like... admit it's over? And so if I can never write the epilogue, then I don't have to admit it's over.

One thing I can say for sure: all the major plot developments of the series are over. The epilogue is just about the way the world works now, and little emotional codas of people moving on with their lives in various directions. I wish I could reassure you that I will definitely get to the epilogue soon, but I'm not sure I ever will, given how badly I'm blocked about it! If it's any consolation, here is an excerpt from one of my languishing epilogue drafts:

Eva and Cassie stood at the edge of the Sky Hive Nirx Pool, once called the Hett Simplat Pool, and stared at each other. Mercurio stood in front of a device with a screen that stood on a flexible arm emerging from the dark waters of the Pool, as if to block the screen from view. Quincy flew over the Pool near the edge, seeking the presence of a Yeerk he could not sense.

Finally, Cassie said, “Aftran wouldn’t want us to fight over this. Let’s just use the interface.”

Eva exhaled slowly through her nose. “I’ve used it before. But with her, it just feels so… impersonal.”

Mercurio sighed. “Look at us, fighting to have our privacy violated. It’s honestly sad.” He stepped aside to give them access to the interface. Eva reached out and woke the screen with a touch. It cycled through multiple languages, both spoken and displayed on the screen, asking her to choose her language and sensorium.

“English, audiovisual,” Eva said.

Quincy returned to Cassie’s shoulder. “It feels like I should be able to find her myself. But I can’t.”

“Summons,” Cassie said. “Aftran 942. Visitors: Cassie and Quincy. Eva and Mercurio.”

“Summons sent.”

The Pool interface had been invented by the Yeerks of Sky Hive. They had collaborated with the Taxxons for their technical expertise. Cassie and Eva had arranged a donation of materials, as there was not yet any mechanism in place for humans to trade formally with aliens—the negotiations were ongoing.

A hologram appeared in the air before the interface. To Cassie and Eva, she looked like any other Yeerk, and anyway sight was not how Yeerks recognized each other either. But seeing her was for them a comfort.

“Cassie, Eva,” Aftran said, or rather keyed into a Pool terminal, which converted it to sound. “Thank you for coming in person.”

“Would you rather infest one of us?” Cassie said. “This feels���”

“I know I have your permission,” Aftran said, “but now that there’s a real alternative, I don’t want to do that to you anymore. I am humbled by your trust, but I’ve been inside both of your heads, and I have seen for myself that my presence in your minds is hard on you.”

Cassie wanted to protest that it wasn’t. Aftran couldn’t violate her privacy anymore, even if she tried. “But how many times,” Quincy said in her ear, “did we agree infestation was the least worst option?”

“What does the interface show you about us?” Eva said, examining the hologram.

“I can’t naturally detect electric charges through air,” Aftran said, “but the interface can. It converts the impression of your negative charges through air into a waterborne rendition. As if you were floating in the Pool with me as electric ghosts.”

“It’s kind of like that up here too,” Cassie said.

[yatorihell]

Noragami Reread Volume 18-21

We've finally come back to the original wish, and there's a lot of foreshadowing going on... I wish I had Discord emojis

Vol 18

68

Takemika and Yato still fist fighting in the background as their guides chat

Kiun defending Takemika's actions from Sekiun

This is the first time we've seen Nora get banged up this badly

Nana sees a whole army and is ready to catch hands I love her

Kazuma shows up to stop Bishamon and the whole flashback of him hold her hand

'I will always be by your side' (40 chapters later)

God remember when this chapter dropped and so did Kazuma hhfg

69

The whole flashback of Kazubisha then going to current situation I hate this manga

Who's that beefcake god Yato took the garment from hello

'You will never save anyone' vs recent chapter

Father neck cut tracker: 1

Baby Yato panel and then he just obliterates Heaven

'I'm not letting dad kill another drinking buddy' then he slashes her

Oh I'm so sad Adachitoka you make me so sad that Kazuma is carried away

Oh I'm so sad Adachitoka I'm going to kill myself in front of you that flashback to choki vs the bloody ear I'll never forgive you

70

Oh yes we're back to tying up Yato

I PROMISE I WON'T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU

Hiyori imagining Yato dying like Ebisu then going to be useful find Bishamon

Yato popping off on heaven

Amaterasu reveal followed by immediate death sentence hshdh

BOXKINE ARRIVES @boxkine I miss you <3

God remember when we got that memory page and dissected the hell out of it, thentheories on what container it was

71

Tenjin coming in clutch with the trial by pledge

Remember the reaction to Tsuyu getting beheaded jsbdbn Tenjin and Yato's faces when it happens

Daikoku volunteering I'm so sad Adachitoka you make me so sad

Yato's reaction to it all I hate this

Yukine memories breaking through nsbdb hell

Yato's dark nature seeping out why couldn't you show it to us king

Oh remember how bad this cliffhanger was with the fact Kofuku is a bad luck charm

Volume 19

72

Oh Hiyori's hand on Yato's face she's so relieved

Small trio panel jsbd

Kofuku’s guilt over not wanting to risk Daikoku but tbf they all acknowledge they wouldn't risk their own guides

Hiyori waiting for Yukine to fall asleep before leaving him

Yukine's bloody nails not a foreshadowing at all

Kuraha scratching the door, poor thinvs stuck in form until Bishamon wakes up in 5 years

Arahabaki faking Nana's death to bring her home

'I abandoned my little girl' there are several daddy issues in this manga

Yukine trauma getting stuck in the dark it gets worseee

Adachitoka sweetening us up with happy trio panel as if they didn't just traumatise Yukine

73

Time for a lughthearted chapter of Ebisu getting kidnapped

Kunimi bargaining for vacation time as if Ebisu's life isn't on the line

Kunimi with no sleep is how I feel

Little Nora is so innocent she won't kill you

Ebisu not cared for and he knows he'll be replaced, but at this point it's child neglect

'Death doesn't mean the end of flesh it's the end of memories' running of the most recent chapter live laugh lobotomy

Hiyori being useful finding Ebisu with scent

Remember the superkunimi photoshop trend we did

Oh Hiyori and Yukine height difference grows I'm so sad

Yukine having a scary dream but it was Yato and he felt better

WILL THEY HAVE TO FACE IT EVENTUALLY

I WANT TO BE HERE WATCHING OVER THEM

Adachitoka is really giving the trio content before separating them for like 5 years

74

Hiyori narcolepsy plot finally returns

SO EVEN AFTER I GROW UP I WANT TO REMEMBER IT

Oh look at all the photos I'm so sad Adachitoka you make me so sad

Hiyori shooting down the flash mob idea and it happens anyway

THOSE COLD DEAD EYES I mean it's accurate

Yato thinking Bishamon can come as if she isn't hanging by a thread

Takemika joining because he thinks it'll teach him how to be like Yato hdhd

Nora fuck off I forgot what you're about to do

Oh they're at the naming place I'm so sad

ALTHOUGH YOU MAY STUMBLE AND LOSE YOUR WAY I'M HERE TO CALL OUT YOUR NAME there is a gun in my mouth

Oh I'm going to end it the blossoms and his real name is spring tree oh I'm so sad Adachitoka you make me so sad

Hiyori's wearing her old uniform and Yato notices she's grown

Nora you fucking slut you ruined the whole chapter (I'm not slut shaming I'm just mad)

75

Oh Yatori are ao happy it's gunna end so soon

Yato forbidding Yukine's romance ahhg

Takemika just bursting through the roof like it's nothing

God another ablution for Yukine you'd think he'd just come out with it after the last time

Kiun is a whore confirmed

Oh this is the last time the three of them are together I'm so sad it was when Yukine runs off and then jdjdbd

'You think Yaboku's going to come for his daddy's head' yes <3

God what is that face Nora I can't tell if she actually likes Yukine

Nora girl bossing gaslighting herself into Takemika's employ

Oh my god as soon as I saw Hiyori with the bike I realised where I was I hate this

'Maybe you don't even realise when you're in love' what if I died

Yato read her diary NO THATS WHY HE'S DOING IT AAAAAAAA

He's following Bishamons plan I'm so sad

'I KNOW THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET ME HIYORI' Oh my god its because he believes he can be reincarnated from Hiyori

'YOU'LL SEE ME AGAIN' YEAH AND YOU'LL BE A CHILD AND HIYORI GETS KILLED

Vol 20

76

Yato really giving it all up about Father he's finally serious about ending it

'I wanted to be together until the very last second' vs recent chapter

'I still have Hiyori' he's thinking of reincarnation he puts so much belief in her

Arahabaki is basically running an orphanage

Nana hunted a bear for dinner jsbdb

'I don't want anyone taken from me ever again' vs recent chapter

Yato clicking Bishamon is unprotected then flashing to Father killing her oh we were so pressed after this chapter

77

Oh that intro had us we thought Bishamon reincarnated

Rip Kuguha you duplicitous bitch

Kazuma hatred for himself and everyone else he's microwave meal ready to be your burial vessel

Yato admitting he admired Bishamon and he was jealous as a war god

'I want you to die Yato' isn't that the bloody mood

Iwami not wanting to change history so he lets it repeat over and over watching this child suffer

Kazuma giving Harry Potter vibes with that unbreakable tracking spell on him and Nora

Nora showing up to Yukine saying she's been abandoned and her names are gone this was sus in the first place but we had a few nice chapters from it

Saying it was a lie liking him but Yukine still seems to like her

Oooo Father you're a mean one you're so slimy die

78

Nora wanted names to fill a void because she's not figured out she wants to live

Yukine wanting to take care of Nora

Yato just name him why do you feel such a way about sharing shinki bsbd

'Sweet innocent girl as a human sacrifice' fucjifbh

Hiyori death forshadowing tracker: 5

'You'll never have Yato' hhdbd probably not

Kazuma projecting his rejection from Bishamon on Hiyori telling her to try confessing to Yato

GODS CANNOT LOVE MORTALS I hate this life

A GOD AND A HUMAN CAN NEVER BE TOGETHER we've just been ignoring the signs <3

I LOVE YATO

Kazuma forcing Yato to name him and kissing his Kazu name I'm unwell

Oh they're both crying same

79

'So I never forget' girl you're about to forget so hard

'A gentler version of myself would suit him better' fuckifnnf Yukine would be such a good big brother

I'VE ACTUALLY GOT SONEONE I LOVE TOO hellscape

Hiyori's diary must show up in the final chapter it is the catalyst

Tenjin knew she liked Yato all this time jdbd

'They spend countless reincarnations waiting and that something becomes cherished' Oh Yato's going to be waiting for her when she's an old lady like grandpa Iki

'God's love isn't only about giving also taking' vs recent chapter

'Whether you live and forget or die and forget you have to give an answer' I hate this manga

Yukinora hanging out and him treating her like she's alive

'If I'm going to forget it'll be like we never met at all' hate hate hate

Volume 21

80

Hiyori ignoring the warning from teacher about falling behind and going to look for Yato girl you may as well die

Rekki practice

Father reincarnated into random bodies which is interesting, and he got the powers of a god after returning from yomi?

Yukine daddy issues have been stirred

'Nora died a terrible death'

Oh no Yukine's thinking about his death

81

Yukine came that close to breaking Daikoku and Kiun

Kofuku knows Yukine's is doomed I hate this, I wonder where they go since they disappear for a while

Yukine starts looking at news articles about people who have died sjd

Nora trying to stop Yukine but it turns out she's not trying she's sowing the seeds for him to seek out Father

'I want to meet my mum and dad' are you sure about that

'I chose to stay on this side, it's fine this way' ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT

'You're smiling and that bothers me' fucking mood

Father's really just a bastard and now Hiyori's cord is damaged

82

Masaomi forgot Yato but not the shadow or ayakashi which is interesting for Hiyori's future links to Yato

Hiyori death foreshadowing tracker: 6

Masaomi remembers Yato and says was good looking but kind of pathetic djdnnd that's how I like my men

Kazuma doesn't realise Bishamon chose Nana so Kaazuma wouldn't die

Bishamon tear oh she heard it all I'm so sad

Yato in the traffic cone using Takemika as target practice kdnc

I'm not gunna get won over by the Sorcerer' ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT

Oh he's taken the protection charm he believes in it (it doesn't really work <3)

Vomiting is this the last time he sees his home (Kofuku’s)

83

Poor Ebisu please learn to dress it's not hard

Takemika's messy hair is a look

Daddy Daikoku making a kite with Yukine

Ajshbd coo phone taking a dump on Takemika

Rip Takemika Kofuku is swearing vengeance

So the og plan is the Gods go hunting with Amaterasu without shinki

Yukine you dumb bitch this manga could've ended like 26 chapters early and with significantly less trauma

I'M NOT YUKINE GET THIS OFF ME

I'LL BE TAKING YUKINE

[writermuses]

Hello there new people 👋

In case you didn't read my pinned post I mostly only RP on weekends. I'm not typically up this late on Sundays but my team is about to get oofed from the playoffs that we didn't deserve to be in anyway tbh. Please don't feel obligated to instant-reply or apologize for taking your time. I'm here for quality, not quantity— not that you can't be a fast badass, but I'm certainly not.

Thank you for taking the time to love on my muses. I do insist on balance. If you want more than 1 thread with me then I'm going to insist that you acknowledge my girls. If you don't respond to one, then I'll respond to one of yours. I'm unapologetically petty about this and will let our threads die if all you do is respond to my males— unless we just have the one thread.

I have loads of opens available and I am hella scared of you amazing writers and tend to ignore asks/dms because anxiety™️... So please look in that indie open tag for muses to love on before asking my busy ass to write starters for you. Opens are open forever and the range of plots are vast. Alternatively, you can just dm me one of your starters and the name of muse(s) you'd want me to respond with.

Ew why is this so long.

Night! 💙 Natty

[phantasmaw]

🌼🌸 anon here to make your day a bit sweeter !! you're an amazing person and i hope you've had an amazing start of the week. now, onto some nosy questions: where do you get your inspiration for your character(s) from? are there specific types of medias that have influenced the way you write or maybe even specific writers (maybe even from the rpc)? anyways, i hope your week continues to be sweet and amazing because the best of the best is what you deserve, dear friend !!

Hello sweet anon! Thank you so much for including me in your rounds, it really made my day when I saw this in my inbox! So sorry it took me a while to get around to answering it ;w;

Man I have SO many sources of inspiration where do I even begin!!! A major recent source of inspiration has been The Locked Tomb series-- I could gush about it for hours and hours and hours. I'm so enthralled with and encouraged by Tamsyn Muir's style of worldbuilding and the strong, unmistakable voices each of her characters has and how out there the whole plot is, yet it's still so adored by so many readers. It motivates me to keep working on my own canons and writing commissions despite them perhaps not being the most 'maintstream' ideas! I also always get into the writing mood when I listen to anything by World's End Girlfriend. He has absolute astounding musical talent and skill, I feel like I'm falling into an entirely new world every time I listen to any of his songs, no matter how often I may have already heard said song. I haven't been getting much inspiration from things I've been watching, but Guillermo del Toro's movies never fail to reignite my passion for crafting odd, eerie little things that can still be comforting and homey for the right audience.

In terms of influence on my writing, I'd say for sure authors such as the aforementioned Tamsyn Muir have helped me better grasp how to put readers into a world where the world building happens naturally through characters that don't just exposition dump via conversation or thoughts. I've been reading Heaven Official's Blessing as well, and MXTX's style of episodic character-focused plot and action has also really influenced how I've started to approach writing non-linearly for linear stories and treating my writing commissions as though I'm writing episodes; that way I don't get bogged down feeling like I need to write everything in order. I also adore how MXTX writes pining-- I'm such a sucker for it already but the depth she gives it makes me want to dig even deeper with my own muses' vulnerabilities and wants.

As for people, lord alive I could rattle off a shopping list! There are so many mutuals I have that I either talk to every day and have super in-depth character relationships written out, or I'm just starting to write with them, or we chat every often and admire each other's threads and asks while working on starting our own-- and all of them make me SO excited to write! I'll go ahead and tag some to let them know how loved and appreciated they and their writing are to me (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

@tenkoseiensei / @deathmcth / @victeux / @sangdelune | @theircurse / @jardinae / @hxroccmplex / @chaoscrawls / @nvrcmplt / @suender | @saviata / @nulltune / @azurescaled / @zorkaya / @s-talking / @natterghast / @laplacemail / @precognitor / @mcnstros / @illholy / @aaternum | @emvry / @lunaetis / honestly if we're mutuals know I've been reading your stuff and I'm so AAAAA over it!

[badlydrawnnsodu]

despaired, deadly, and on air!

what is badlydrawnnsodu?

badlydrawnnsodu,,, is just badly drawn new seasons of despair universe stuff! the art gallery thread in our server has had doodles of the stuff posted, and. we joked a little about having this blog, but thanks to impulse, i have successfully just- done this LMAO [-zenith]

what exactly is the new seasons of despair universe?

- to put it simply, it's a fanganronpa universe made by zenith. the characters drawn here are the participants, backups, and/or hosts in each and [almost] every one! does this count as cast art? probably. are we gonna make people pay for it? ... mayb- [/JJJJ] - nsodu is separated into seasons, and within these seasons are episodes. what do the episodes contain? the killing games, of course. we're still on the first season, but we're going strong with twenty-one (21) games! from zero to the twentieth. - we run a roleplay server for the series, from the 15th episode down to the 20th. applications for it are closed, but spectators are absolutely welcome to watch the show when it happens! maybe you'll have a chance when we open up submissions again... and now, time to introduce our blog hosts!

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✦ ：❝ 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓'𝐒 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐘.. 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐘! ❞

✧ — you're a lebanon! kobeni's a lebanon! hello, world! i'm lumasahina, alternatively known as mod luma - at least, in this blog. i'm a momfucker first, cosmos member second, and artist third. he/she/they. my gender? uh. let me look at this script..

..this just says "unspecified". what the hell does that mean?

✦ — lebanon! lemonade! hand grenade! as implied in the previous bullet point (is that what you call it?), i like to draw! i like to draw.. a myriad of things. like, ah.. gay people. dead gay people. specifically from the hit series "new seasons of despair". but of course, to recognize that the dead gay people are being drawn by yours truly, you'll have to know who's art style belongs to who. so, i've provided a useful info sheet featuring the man himself - stanley parason, ultimate [REDACTED], from nsod: s1:e15!

[DISCLAIMER: even though stanley happens to be gay, he is, in fact, not dead. yet.]

the art style used for stanley is something you'll see on the regular. the cooler stanley's art style, on the other hand, is reserved for the semi-shitposty, overdramatic pieces. you'll see what i mean in a bit. :)

✧ — lego! citizen! ..my relation with.. zenith? who's zenith? i don't know them.

what do you mean i run this blog with them? you must be hearing things. this is my blog. this is luma's blog. not.. zenitsu's, whatever their name was. and this is my only blog, too! badlydrawnnsodu is all i have! are you trying to take that away from me?! absolutely preposterous. i can't believe you're doing this! after everything i've been through-

✦ ：❝ 𝐀𝐍𝐃... 𝐂𝐔𝐓! ❞

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☐ ; 𝐉𝐎𝐘 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃! except. for. JOHN. I HOPE THAT FUCKASS DIES.

❒ ; [𝐢'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬����𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤. 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. /srs, and i never will.]

anyway, hey, my name is zenith. mod zenith, if you will, for this blog. i use they/it/xe pronouns, and i'm the one that'll probably answer most asks about the series or even the characters. dadfucker first, cosmos memeber second, and general artist third. can't promise any like, consistency on my part, i guess? but i hope that you enjoy what we bring you as much as we like making them.

❒ ; 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎? 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎? 𝐔𝐇, i wanted to record a message for you...

i'm the sole creator of nsod. i mean- it started with me and the help of someone else. [hi, if you come across this blog. i'm sorry.] it all started three years ago, and we're going strong with a better plot than before. it was supposed to be a spin-off of the original dangan series... but i scrapped that. now there's lore with guns and ships ships, a world that isn't real, mothers that are agents- god damn! look at me now.

now- this bit may be like. a little too soon, but i just wanna put it out there. uh, i just hope that this is taken right. and that it's taken into consideration 'nd stuff.

my personal request to you, however, dear viewer... please do not bastardize the characters. please do not sexualize them, please do not ship yourselves with them. please don't get parasocial with them. please do not threat them extremely. i'm okay with stuff like "can we hold hands,,," or "what if we sat on froggy chairs together", that stuff's funny and it's nice. but anything related to what was mentioned, don't. do any of that, please. thank you.

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✦ ：𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄(𝐒)!

the origin point ; house of carrds ; #luma commits several war crimes

❒ ; 𝐃𝐀𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐈𝐘𝐀𝐀𝐀…

down abysmal ; all in on me ; #zenith goes ballistic

[dxfiedfxte]

Update: This blog is still alive!

Hello everyone, it's been a while I know I'm tired of these update posts, but I'd rather post and update instead of staying completely silent. It's been a hectic 3 months. I've had lots of shifts to work, and have just had a few more things going on in my life than I usually have which was quite the sudden change of pace that I was not used to, which leads to my absence over the past little while.

I don't usually let radio silence go on for this long, but now that things have lightened up a bit, I can have more free time to be back here. I'll probably be changing my activity to make it work better with my schedule from now on.

That being said, I just have a bit of shopping to do today, after that's done I'm gonna be back for writing. (Should be back in 1 to 4 hours bc rush hour sucks with traffic >_>)

All my threads I had active I'm still willing to continue (Especially if we've plotted a lot of it ahead) If any thread that was active needs to be dropped please let me know so I can cross it out of my personal thread tracker. So sorry for my disappearance, but if you've been following me for a long time, you know I always come back when the time is right.

Anyway Just wanted to say hey everyone, I still exist, and plan on continuing to exist here.

[perexcri]

9 and 13!!!

hello hello!! thank you so much for stopping by :]

9. Do you write every day? If you wrote today, share a sentence of what you’ve written!

i used to! the last few weeks have not been kind though :') i think i'm probably just creatively burnt out after writing a bunch the past year and have been crocheting and reading a lot to cope instead lol

i did work a little on something i'd written months ago last night, though, so i can share something from that:

He’d tried to carve that space for El–he’d done all the right things, and he’d liked her–he truly had–but their moments together had never been as overwhelming as being around Will had become, how the proximity of elbows or knees or ankles could make him feel like he’s a thread in a sweater being slowly pulled out of place, something both discordant and terrifyingly desirous in its destruction.

and the rate i'm going now it will be out in *checks sundial* five trillion years

13. How much planning do you do before writing?

it honestly depends!! and the mental planning is always greater than the written planning - i have to let an idea stew in my brain before it hits a point where i know i can turn it into an idea (which usually means that i think of a specific scene, a specific line, a repeating symbol, or plot gimmick i think would be interesting!)

in general, i try to vaguely imagine the whole story before i start planning it out just to get a general idea of its flow/vibe. almost all of them have really strange outlines, or at the very least a list of stuff i want to have happen ranging in depth of detail depending on how liable i am to forget it later on. the first 1-2 pages of my fic docs are almost always reserved for me to write random notes/ideas/outlines on for future reference

the only big exception to this was my fantasy au, A Flower That Resembles You. i genuinely had no outline for it. like here's a part of what the notes/outline part of that doc looked like:

it's total nonsense tbh. i only blacked out that one line because it's technically a spoiler and idk how you feel about those or if you're even ever planning on reading it, but just in case~

anyway, thank you again for stopping by!! it means a lot to me, and i wish you the best of luck in your own writing :] 💜💜💜

[mdhwrites]

🦝 hello, haven't been here for a bit so I'm sending you a funny(?) Ask, your opinion on these ships and which is better?

Eda x Raine

Or

Eda x Stanley (gravity falls)

Personally, Eda x Stan because it's just crack 🤣, but what do you think? I'm not a fan of Raine so don't mind if you dislike the ship

SO! I… am going to only tangentially answer this mostly because your last point makes me REALLY want to use this as an excuse to talk about Raine.

So let's talk about Raine, who is simultaneously one of the best characters for the plot of TOH while also being one of the most blatant in terms of how awful TOH handles romance and character arcs.

Let's start with the positive though! Come the end of Season 1, one of the main plot threads, genuine plot threads and not having to do with character arcs, was dealing with Belos. How was our band of outcasts going to get back at Belos for fucking over their lives and trying to kill ALL of them? And how were they going to stop the Day of Unity?

Now I want to preface this: I am going to praise this aspect of the plot but recognize it's a touch of damning with faint praise. TOH manages to make this element of the plot work but… For a show that SOOOOO many claim is plot driven rather than character driven, remember that actually tackling the subject of Belos is done with not even every appearance of Raine, Hollow Mind and KIND OF, if you really stretch the point of the episode, Titan Hunters. And then the last two episodes of the season of course.

This show is not plot driven like people claim and I could make an entire blog about it.

Anyways, back to trying to be positive. Belos is the emperor, powerful, has secrets we will never fathom, etc. like that like any fantasy emperor that a plucky group of adventurers has to take down. How is the exciting part and Raine is effectively the answer.

Their status as Bard Coven leader gives them access to information and resources that our outcasts wouldn't. They still have to scrounge for this information but this also allows Eberwolf and Darius and their internal rebellion to be brought in beside Raine. Also, the twists of Raine's allegiance and how it is done is actually handled pretty well to keep you guessing where their allegiance lies but always coming firmly back down to them being a good person who our heroes will be able to appeal to for the sake of their information and status.

But… There is a problem. And that's that Raine is superfluous in this role. Imagine for a second that Luz's words actually mattered to Hunter and so after Hunting Palisman, instead of it taking "Oh, I'm going to die if I don't quit" to finally get Hunter to even question Belos properly, he began doing some digging himself. Looking into things, he gets caught by Darius and it seems like our burgeoning is in real shit. Next time we see Hunter though, he claims that the Owl House has more allies than they think and he's rocking a little bit of abomination assistance.

After all, as the Golden Guard, Hunter appears to be on a similar level to the other Coven Heads (he's the closest to a replacement EC coven head we EVER get), he has a connection with Darius through Darius' sympathies for the past golden guard and this would also allow Hunter to have… I don't, fucking mattered and have an actual arc of questioning and action and intrigue? Instead of "Oh, these girls cute. Maybe I should listen to them? OH and my Uncle is going to kill me so I guess I REALLY ought to become good now."

And this is all good plot stuff. Revolutionary? Fuck no. But it's good and some of what probably should have been happening long before it actually even started happening in the show.

There is an inherent problem with removing Raine though and that's Eda's revisionism. Not her arc but kind of her arc as well. See, almost EVERY character who has an arc in this show also undergoes revisionism so that the audience can supplant who they were introduced as or the like with a version that is more… pallatable. Amity used Willow for it, Hunter uses Luz and Willow for it by showing he's actually a nice guy and not a bigoted murderer, and Eda uses King and Raine.

For her, it's to make it clear that she's just always been mischievous. A bad person? A criminal for at least over a decade if not two? Not knowing what a hug is in the first episode? PLEASE. Look at her adopt this puppy and have this sweet, tragic romance with the old love of her life. It makes it easy to forget who Eda was in the past so that the more she leans on "Momma Eda" (a term coined in Raine's first appearance…) the less you think about her having been wanted by the law for so long.

Remember, by the end of S2 they make a whole slew of Coven Scouts assaulting the house a big deal. That works if Eda hasn't ever dealt with that sort of threat or has no reason to think without her magic she can't. However, back in S1, Hooty took out an entire squad or more of Coven scouts and LILITH, THE COVEN HEAD, SINGLE HANDEDLY. Not just that but without breaking a sweat or seeming like it was a real threat to them. Eda was literally busy drinking tea and knitting while this was happening.

You cannot remember that and take Titan Hunters seriously so the show tries its damndest to make you forget and Raine is that tool. It's why Raine serves such a higher purpose for Raeda than they do the actual fucking plot of the show or their character. Want proof? Look at Them's the Breaks.

That episode spends 20 minutes making sure, a second time, that you love Raeda. That Raeda is the best thing ever and they do this by making someone who's main traits so far had been mostly their awkwardness and more serious nature become a clone of young Eda. Rash, willing to role with the jokes, athletic and never, EVER nervous. It's fun, it is theoretically good chemistry even if it's incredibly boring chemistry, but it's also not Raine. And then in the last two minutes, we get the reveal that Raine is actually a good person and then they kick the plot further down the season because they already wasted the entire episode covering material they desperately didn't need to.

And if you're going "Well, they needed to establish the juice thing," that could have been as simple as Eda drinking Apple Blood, reminiscing to Luz about the best juice she'd ever had being by Raine, and that being the impetus to kick the rest of the episode over to what Raine is doing so we could actually move the fucking plot along.

But uh… No, we definitely needed 20 minutes of young Eda.

What sucks even harder is that is probably the best episode of S2B. I'm not sure but it's definitely one of the most entertaining and closest in feel to S1.

But yeah, if all of that doesn't make it clear: I'd prefer Eda and Stanley because I don't think one person serving only for the other's character is interesting or a good basis for a romance/ship and… Boy does Raeda fail that test. Edit: Also I did my best but I am SOOOOO sorry if I ever screwed up Raine’s pronouns.

[spookyserenades]

hello just wanted to let you know that I literally love Trouvaille so much. I adore how complex each of the characters are, it's impressive how I can easily tell which character is which even without their names just based on the way they act. Each character is so fleshed out and intriguing, which is double impressive considering your balancing 8 major characters who are regularly in the same scenes.

I also really like the romance/relationship writing for this fic. It's a slower burn, but has its occasional high tension/spicy moments that make it far from boring. It's interesting to be honest because I feel like hybrid fics have such a fine line between being cringe worthy with characters that are too cutesy and being enjoyable with mature characters. It makes them weirdly difficult to write for, but I think you do very well. (And honestly having mature characters just makes any fluffy moments so much better I think).

I appreciate reading a fanfic that is so plot driven because it makes the relationships aspect so much better and substantial. (Also, just my opinion, but just romance gets a little boring, so having other stuff to balance it out really just adds so much to the story.) On a similar note, I think all the plots are balanced very well here. I'll admit I was excited when I first saw this fic because I hadn't seen this kind of trope/plot mixing before. But I was looking for a good supernatural/horror fic and this was perfect lol.

Also, the undercurrents of the supernatural and paranormal for a creepy subplot are literally perfect. You have a great grasp of imagery and writer's brain that's able to make even minor events creepy. The scene with the ghost in the mirror literally was so perfectly scary. I actually checked over my shoulder a few times and turned on the lights in my room so I wasn't in the dark anymore.

Anyways I just really like your writing lol and I hope to read all you're willing to share here. (But if you ever start writing professionally- you should totally let me know----).

💚💙💜

Hello my love!! Oh my goodness... you've made my week with this message 😭💖!! It brings me so much joy that you're enjoying Trouvaille and have sent me so much love in response 💜

Thank you so much for loving all of the main characters so far, each of the boys and the MC herself have a lot going on with their backstories and personalities! It can be challenging to balance many characters in stories like this, but I'm really happy that you think they're fleshed out and distinguishable, thank you thank you!!

Ahh and their relationships so far with each other!! Trouvaille is quite a slow burn with romance, but I definitely want to add those occasional fluffy or spicy moments here and there until the romance becomes more pronounced. Hybrid fics are all unique, but a common thread I see a lot is hybrids being affectionate/clingy, which is something that I also want to build up over time! I'm so excited to keep dialing up the skin ship and slowly develop these relationships over time, hopefully as naturally and realistically as I can!

EEE so I'm such a fan of spooky/paranormal media, so I am also always on the hunt for fics with these kinds of themes! I really wanted to write something a little eerier when I started drafting Trouvaille a year ago, and I'm super excited to ramp up the spookiness in future updates. In particular, the October update will definitely have some haunted happenings, so I'm stoked for that! But I'm really so so happy you're loving the plot, frights and all, so far! 💓

fhsakhf I'm sorry for spooking you with that old hag ghost scene!! But also, it was a blast to write, and if you're like me-- it was deliciously exciting to read! I wonder if that spirit in particular will make a comeback... 🤔 this time, I think, MC will be more prepared!

Again thank you so so much for all of your kind words and this sweet message. I'm truly grateful for your support, and even more so that I can share Trouvaille with you! If I ever start writing professionally, you will be the first to know! Wishing you a wonderful weekend, love! 🥰💗

[getougender]

Hello! I've been out of the loop with JJK mange since Yuta joined Culling game, I'm seeing some rumors about Kenjaku using Gojo's powers to commit some international crimes? Can you fill me in please? You can tag spoilers, I don't mind I won't read until Gojo's free anyways.

hello!!

that most recent bit of information about gojou and kenjaku was a part of some leaks that may or may not be fake; i usually read the leaks on fridays when they’re made available with the site i read jjk on, so i can’t really say for sure what all that’s about just yet :)

you haven’t missed much, as most of the culling game so far has just been a series of battles that last for a couple of chapters that result in either the protags upping their body count or gaining a new ally, and they’re getting points either way. so, to recap:

yuuta and rika won all their fights and are fine

miwa’s participating, but we only saw her for like two panels and she looks. bad. she’s not injured or anything, i’m just concerned. the others may or may not be aware that she’s even here.

panda lost to kashimo hajime, who has some personal beef with sukuna and history with kenjaku, but he’s doing fine in a smaller form (he’s toddler-sized now and may or may not have only one core left, having lost his brother and sister. maybe? it wasn’t super clear). kashimo and hakari fought, and when kashimo lost he decided to team up with them so he has a chance of getting at sukuna.

nishimiya’s been playing messenger, but she said she’s planning on working with ui ui to help with colony-to-colony communicaton.

it turns out maki is totally unaffected by the barriers and can travel through them whenever she wants. she’s teamed up with noritoshi and two other players. naoya was there for a little while as a curse, but she leveled up even further, became fully realized, and killed him again. good for her!

the angel (kurusu hana) picked megumi up after he passed out from his fight and ran into yuuji and takaba fumihiko (the comedian guy) along the way. the four of them are up in a hotel together and are planning on getting tsumiki out very soon and freeing gojou.

we still haven’t seen gojou since he was imprisoned, but he could be coming back into the plot soon (either as himself or because he’s being exploited through the cube) because angel has finally been formally introduced as of the most recent chapter.

kenjaku’s most recent appearance outside of a flashback was when the culling game began, i think? when they were entering an international meeting room of some kind? so nothing new. we know gojou and the prison realm are in their possession, so the rumors about them auctioning off his power might be true. i’m kind of hoping against it, though.

all of this could still be a way to start bringing things together, since we’re at a point that each of the teams can start preparing to close in on kenjaku. in the most recent chapter, though, it was revealed that the angel will only let gojou out if megumi and yuuji help them kill sukuna, which obviously puts yuuji in a bad position, even if the angel doesn’t know he’s the vessel yet. these brand-new plot threads seemed really cool and i’m glad the story is picking up again, but the kenjaku auctioneer thing feels like a really abrupt escalation, if not a complete deviation, from what was introduced quite literally just last week.

[angrycowboy]

Hi hi. I suppose this will be my last message as the 👨🏻 anon, as mustache has driven off into the sunset with the love of his life and soulmate, Alex Guerin. I have been putting off watching the finale, just because I didn’t want it to end. That, and I knew that there would probably be loose ends. Overall with the thought in mind that they were expecting a season 5, I’m satisfied (enough) with the ending 🫣. I really wish Liz and Max would get their happy ending, but I’ll let that live in my head. I wanted everything to be wrapped and tied into a neat little bow…but how often do cancelled shows get that chance? Anyway, I hope I’ve provided some amusement during the last season, and who knows, maybe I’ll show my real self eventually (though, this is way more fun.) -👨🏻 anon

Hello anon!

Thank you for the messages all season, for sharing in my dislike of the mustache, and brightening my day when I'd see a message from you after a new episode aired. You made this season so much easier to deal with, so thank you thank you thank you 💜.

I feel like the loose ends are manageable for the most part, at least. I do feel bad for the Echo fans, because it sucks that you're left with what is obviously incomplete character and relationship arcs. But I also wish people would stop comparing it to Malex, because the wedding was never meant to be any sort of completed arc for them. It FEELS like it is (and I'm sorry you're getting my salt here) because society has engrained that norm in our minds that wedding/marriage is a happy ever after, but that was never their narrative close.

Leaving Liz at the end there, with that shot of her alone at the portal, hopeful for Max's return one day reminds me of Alex at the end of 1x13, sitting outside Michael's airstream, hopeful for them and their relationship after he'd finally said the things that needed to be said the night before. And Max choosing to go to Oasis, reminds me of Alex leaving to join the Air Force at 17 out of a sense of obligation to protect Michael, leaving Michael behind and alone in Roswell all those years.

But yes I was over the moon that canon decided to give us Alex Guerin. I've been hoping and wanting and wishing for it since S1. For all the bad writing, for all the complaining I made about overused pop culture references, and slow moving plot, the show did give me something I have wanted for years, and that alone made it all worth it.

I wish there was a way to get that S5, but I'm trying to make peace with what we've got. I'm working on a lore meta with @im-the-punk-who because we've discovered some really interesting narrative threads that do hold up from the pilot right until the finale. It makes me wish we'd gotten to see CAM's vision to completion, but I can live with what we got. I've got lots of fic planned, so if you're into that sorta thing keep an eye out!

Anyway, thank you again. 💜💜💜

[laerrynseelie]

shadowgast in "cowboy like me"

hello and welcome to another episode of Coco projects all of her issues onto Caleb Widogast and also cries about the Other Gay Purple Wizard™. this episode is sponsored by severe sleep deprivation and being in the airport at 6am, which is where I wrote most of this. but this is also something I've been yelling about for weeks, primarily at @theravenkingscourt and @dinah-lance, sponsored by taylor swift and emotions.

I will begin this dissertation with the song "cowboy like me" by Taylor Swift, from the album "evermore." those overlapping in the taylor swift and critical role fandoms have spent a long while yelling about how cowboy like me was MADE for shadowgast, and it is. here is my most recent annotation of the song lyrics (spoilers, obvs):

cowboy like me has many lines that have a direct, literal line to shadowgast, such as "the old men that I've swindled" == Ikithon, etc. but the things I want to highlight here are the themes it presents, and why I hold these boys so near and dear to my heart, and maybe why you do too. (also cc: @shadowgastweek)

many lines repeat but can have various, literal and metaphorical meanings. "eyes full of stars" can be about Rosohna, the dumancy floor of the tower, or ambition and power and desire. the fun thing about this is that they all connect together into a wonderful constellation of pain :) without Essek's ambition, the beacons wouldn't have gotten to the Cerberus Assembly, and they may have never met. without Caleb's ambition, he may have never been at the Solstryce Academy, ended up with a beacon, in Rosohna, or met Essek, or learned dunamancy, or have the floor of endless possibility. and much of this is put aside for the Nein and each other. "never thought I'd meet you here" indeed.

the bridge and third stanza of this song go SO. HARD. I have spent MONTHS yelling about the hanging gardens of babylon and no I will not stop. first of all, it's just a great fucking line. "now you hang from my lips / like the gardens of babylon" bitch are you FUCKING kidding me. the story of the gardens is that the queen missed her homeland, which had sprawling greenery, and so the king made her a garden that went around the palace and over roofs. (hey hey hey, gravity, xhorhaus, tower, you get it.) and I want to focus on the question on if the gardens actually exist. there are no surviving babylonian texts that mention the gardens, and no archaeological evidence that it ever existed. so it is a story that no one can confirm, or something completely obliterated by time and society. (or misattributed and was actually a different garden but shh it doesn't fit as well) for me, that's a strong allegory for the queer experience, and looking back at history and relationships. moreover, let's think about Caleb and Essek's interactions, and the fear of showing affection == being outed. studying together, talking close, forehead kisses. something that is not confirmed, or will be obliterated by their circumstances.

a theme that stands out from "cowboy like me" is this idea of wanting love. as a queer asian immigrant kid and a sociology student, the conditions of unconditional love is a concept that fascinates me. societally, unconditional love is talked about a lot, especially in relation to families, which we know if not always the case, and we fear it constantly. it’s hiding bad grades from your parents, or feeling like you need to prove yourself to earn love. it’s going to a pride parade and removing the stickers and face paint on the train home. it’s the fear of abandonment, of what if this is what makes it too much to love me. there was a post floating around (hehe, floating) about how both caleb and essek skirted around the ACTUAL worst things that they've done when asked about it. throughout the campaign, something that Caleb and Essek have gone through, not just with each other but the rest of the Nein, is hiding the unforgiveable things they’ve done because they think that will make them leave. and they take every unforgiveable thing, and they love them anyway. these things still happened, and that’s not okay, and they don’t dismiss it, and maybe, just maybe, if people can love them despite every unforgiveable thing, maybe they can let themselves be loved. maybe they can love themselves. and maybe, they can love, too.

the fear of love not being enough is also threaded through the song. in the case of shadowgast, it's the question of country, of war, political positions, familial desires, friends, location. (it's the question of if matthew mercer will let shadowgast be endgame goddammit.) in caleb's words, it's complicated. the Nein have defeated a lot "with the power of friendship," but what if it's not enough? what if they don't get Molly back, or they're corrupted by the eyes, or they can't get Veth back to her family? what if Trent gets Essek, or Caleb, or the Dynasty finds out, or Astrid and Eadwulf betray them, or they find their way back to old paths of power and ambition. what if love isn't enough?

"and the skeletons in both our closets / plotted hard to fuck this up" hurts me. taylor swift's bridges never miss. first of all, in closets, gay, obligatory pun, yada yada yada. it's also all the unforgiveable things they've done, war and Caleb's family, "important" but "not good" intentions, and all the people who threaten them now, ex. cerberus assembly, bisexual maelstrom, and the fact that Essek worked with the very people who abused and manipulated Caleb. all these previous fears are present in this line.

and when we see someone who is healing, who is loved, doesn't that give us hope? and isn't that present throughout critical role's history? we get to see full grown adults still enjoy a hobby, with a solid group of friends, tell us stories about growth. tell us healing is possible. Liam is Caleb and the Nein, showing this to us, Essek.

I will leave you with this. there is a theory that every relationship we have is a reflection of our relationship with our parents. every relationship is us trying to get that first relationship right, this time. this is fascinating to look at for each of the M9 (Beau and her aggression and strength and standing up against authority; Jester and her positivity and kindness and acceptance; Fjord needing to be strong and taking control), but of course I'm going to talk about Caleb. think of Caleb and Ikithon. think of Caleb and Veth. think of Caleb's need to prove he is good enough, not just in power and intelligence and ambition, but that he is good. that he is good enough. think of how his intelligence is his armor and his weapons, both literally and figuratively. at making sure Veth gets back to her family. of showing off for Essek, believing in Essek and in Essek's goodness. Essek being Caleb's foil is beautiful, but what if this is Caleb, making sure that this time, they survive.

[baekhvuns]

Agreed, some of the stories from those games are cheap Harlequin type of stories, but some seriously surprised me. 👀

Btw, do you know gacha and/or otome games like Obey Me, The Arcana, Twisted Wonderland? A seemingly random question, but it's for a reason ajhdiajwkwjdhsjs.

Ateez x Hospital Playlist AU when? There's something about the law field that feels sexy even though it isn't irl, lmao - I actually applied for law at uni and even got in, but chose something else. But I still enjoy all the law talk and cases, so it's a shame not many people write those stories. Miss lawyer Baek, you need to deliver! Have you seen How To Get Away With Murder? We need that!

Okay, okay hold on because I saw a thread with Seonghwa as pictures of black panthers on Twitter once, so you're onto something here! But also WDYM one of them isn't who I think he is?! 😭 Yo, I'm gonna go crazyyyyyy

Ohhh, Gonna start Levelling Up My Husband then.

Yeah so I was right this isn't a fic, but it should be https://tizzyssmutblog.tumblr.com/post/650610076198043648/catseonghwa-as-your-secretary-cat-seonghwa/amp - also may I add how much I love secretary Park, that video is so funny and TWO Seonghwa's... like come on this is too much for my weak Shinestar heart.

Anyway, I'm not ready for their first concert today, not only because they'll be killing us, but also I'll be in the state of mourning for the next 3 weeks or so since I can't go. 💔 We need to be strong and not let those cruel men destroy us completely, but I have a feeling something BAD for our mental health is gonna happen. 😩 - DV 💖

HELLO

Agreed, some of the stories from those games are cheap Harlequin type of stories, but some seriously surprised me. 👀

RIGHTTT some be having such interesting plots like have me double taking “o-oh??? this fr???”

Btw, do you know gacha and/or otome games like Obey Me, The Arcana, Twisted Wonderland? A seemingly random question, but it's for a reason ajhdiajwkwjdhsjs.

I HAVENT ACTUALLY but i searched up arcana and 👁👁 helllo, p-pls to tell me what this is bc iM iNTRIGUED

Ateez x Hospital Playlist AU when? There's something about the law field that feels sexy even though it isn't irl, lmao - I actually applied for law at uni and even got in, but chose something else. But I still enjoy all the law talk and cases, so it's a shame not many people write those stories. Miss lawyer Baek, you need to deliver! Have you seen How To Get Away With Murder? We need that!

NO FR WHEN WHAT THE HELL THEYD SUIT IT SO GOOD 😭😭😭 omg law is only sexy in london bc there’s actually attractive ppl there who dress UP 😭😭😭 it feels so sexy maybe it’s the authority u have but it’s so???? wackass tbh i was told by my chart reader to do this field for the sole reason of the authority 😭😭😭 OH NO WAY??? THAT WOULDVE BEEN SO COOL u could taught me and id repay in fanfics 🤲🏼 YEAHH i def like that hongjoong lawyer thing def but that requires a lot of plot and thinking 😭😭😭😭 MISS ANON I HAVE AND I FBWNDBNSBDKWHDNS WILL DO IT SOMEDAY FR FR I WILL

Okay, okay hold on because I saw a thread with Seonghwa as pictures of black panthers on Twitter once, so you're onto something here! But also WDYM one of them isn't who I think he is?! 😭 Yo, I'm gonna go crazyyyyyy

HAVE YOU?? MAN if panthers were a person they’d be so intimidatingly hot with a personality of a tulips yes. he. FBWMDJS I MEAN ONE TWIN ALWAYS GOTTA BE EVIL RIGHT ☺️☺️☺️

Ohhh, Gonna start Levelling Up My Husband then.

YES SUPER GOOD!! im just waiting for updates but i also rec “see you in my 19th life” the main guy gives san energy

Yeah so I was right this isn't a fic, but it should be https://tizzyssmutblog.tumblr.com/post/650610076198043648/catseonghwa-as-your-secretary-cat-seonghwa/amp - also may I add how much I love secretary Park, that video is so funny and TWO Seonghwa's... like come on this is too much for my weak Shinestar heart.

i- why would u do this to me, IM GOMMA CRY THE EARS R GONNA MAKE ME CRY FBWNBDSMDH,,,, RIGHT HES SO 😭😭😭🤌🏼 two seonghwa’s x one reader.. wowzie

Anyway, I'm not ready for their first concert today, not only because they'll be killing us, but also I'll be in the state of mourning for the next 3 weeks or so since I can't go. 💔 We need to be strong and not let those cruel men destroy us completely, but I have a feeling something BAD for our mental health is gonna happen. 😩 - DV 💖

HWY DID U REMIMD ME FHHDMWHDKSHDKW I FIRHOT FRJEMBFDJ HES GONNA FBWNDHKSHD WONDELRAND MY ASS FJKWHDWKBFWM PREPARE FHWNDJKS FOR ME SCRWMJMF I HAVE A BAD FEELIMG THEYRE GONNA DO SOMETHING ESP THAT SEOMGHWA GUY IMBFKWHDKW 🔫🔫🔫🔫

[trensu]

Episode 47: The One where JGY Gets Kinky with WWX and NO ONE Likes It

so our boys are still wandering around yunping and wwx is trying his hand at being matchmaker

he starts asking lwj if there's any female cultivators that *insert list of traits here*

they're still walking ahead of wn, who looks distracted by smth idk what

lwj: what for?

he asks as soon as wwx finishes listing off traits

It’s off-screen tho so we don't get to see his expression

But this is lwj we’re talking about and we all know how he gets when wwx so much as implies interest in other people

wwx: it's not for me!!

LOL WHY DID HE FEEL THE NEED TO RUSH IN AND EXPLAIN THAT??

IT’S NOT LIKE HE’S EVEN NOTICED LWJ’S JEALOUS STREAK

WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR HIM TO KNOW IT WASN’T FOR YOU, WWX?? HMM??

and then he goes on to say how wn is all grown up now and probs can't spend the rest of his life third-wheeling them

wwx looks back and sees wn surrounded by children while lwj is still facing the other way

and i only mention this bc once wwx sees wn with the kids, wwx reaches over and PHYSICALLY TURNS lwj around by gently grabbing him by the shoulders

wwx: following me like this, is not an appropriate life for him. According to the bro code, i def need to find him a partner

this is actually so sweet tho, wwx doesn’t want his buddy to be lonely!!

wwx: hanguang jun, what do you think?

lwj: *nod*

wwx: at least, he needs to make some friends

AND THEN HE GETS A SMILE ON HIS FACE AND LOOKS AT LWJ

wwx: lan zhan, i think sizhui is a perfect candidate

OMGGGGGG

I AM LITERALLY LAUGHING OUT LOUD RN

AS SOON AS WWX SAYS THAT LWJ LOOKS DOWN AND SO VERY AWKWARDLY TWITCHES TO THE SIDE AND KEEPS WALKING 

I'M  D Y I N G  LOLOLOLOL

HE'S LIKE SHIT FUCK HE STILL DOESN'T KNOW, DAMN IT, I DIDN'T TELL HIM YET, I MUST LEAVE RIGHT NOW

wwx doesn't dwell on lwj's abrupt departure bc when ISN'T lwj abrupt, right? 

After wwx rescues wn from the children, he tells him to go wait at the inn while he and lwj continue to investigate. 

wn goes all Sad Puppy about it.

but wwx doesn't see it bc he's already running towards lwj "lan zhan, wait for me!"

Small interruption to say that i really really enjoy watching our boys walk side by side?

we're constantly getting shots of their backs as they walk next to each other and even if they weren't EPIC SOULMATES, it’s still like, aesthetically pleasing.

Oh look, they found out that jgy's deed was to a Temple of Doom

or okay, a standard religious temple but considering what goes down in there eventually, i think Temple of Doom is a pretty accurate name for it

lwj mentions he senses a magic circle hidden in the temple and they proceed to talk plot stuff

but i'm just so distracted by their pretty faces

mostly wwx's, but lwj also has a pretty face

blah blah plot blah

it's decided they need to come back at night when it'll presumably be empty

now wwx is politely questioning a monk

wwx: Asks Clever Plot Related Questions

me: *dreamy sigh* so pretty wwx, so pretty

ooooh, wwx's Clever Plot Related Questions reveal that the monk is a FRAUD. 

idc about it or why he's a fraud but i just wanted to demonstrate HOW SMART MY SUNSHINE BOY IS. he’s got beauty AND brains!!!

cut to next scene and IT'S NIGHT TIME

wwx, lwj, and wn are approaching the Temple of Doom

lwj stops wwx from getting any closer to the doors with an outstretched arm

then lwj gets closer to the doors and kind of just...lobs a bit of his blue spiritual energy at the door

turns out it's warded! no getting in that way

so wwx says they'll get in through the courtyard or smth and tells wn to stand guard

LOLOL LOVE THIS LINE:

wwx: i am half a wreck but we still have hanguang jun~

WWX HAS SO MUCH FAITH IN HIS SOULMATE

we get some alone time with wn who notices some ominous black clouds rolling in so he takes off to investigate

MY BRATTY SON!! MY BRATTY SON IS HERE!! FOLLOWING HIS DOGGY

And that dumb dog is leading my precious brat of a son straight to the Temple of Doom!!

GO BACK TO BED, BRATTY SON, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE HERE

now we cut to our boys spying over the wall and they see a whole bunch of random dudes with bows/arrows

and now we hear barking! AHH!!! THAT STUPID DOG IS PUTTING MY BRATTY SON IN DANGER

jl knocks the door AND BEHIND THE DOOR ARE A BUNCH OF ASSHOLES AIMING THEIR ARROWS AT HIM

HOW DARE THEY

DON'T YOU TOUCH A HAIR ON MY BRATTY SON'S HEAD, I WILL KILL YOU DEAD

wwx is thinking to himself: why is jl here? why didn't wn stop him? naughty kid, leave quickly with the dog!!

BUT JL DOESN'T LEAVE WITH FAIRY

INSTEAD JL DOES WHAT HIS UNCLE WWX DID AND CLIMBS UP THE WALL TO PEEK OVER

we get a close up shot of wwx's eyes here and i'm mentioning this for two reasons

1) wwx has beautiful brown eyes and everyone should take a moment to be grateful for this close up of them

but, more importantly

2) WE ALSO GET A GLIMPSE OF HIS EAR IN THIS SHOT AND HIS EAR HAS FRECKLES AND IT'S THE CUTEST THING EVER. FRECKLY WWX!!! WWX WITH FRECKLES!!! I'M SO HAPPY

okay back to the show i guess

jl manages to pull himself up BUT OH NO, THEY'VE GOT AN ARROW AIMED AT HIM

WWX SEES THIS AND HIS EYES GO WIDE WITH FEAR BC THAT'S HIS DARLING LITTLE NEPHEW THEY'RE PLANNING TO SHOOT

we see wwx gripping his bamboo flute 

and in the next second the bad guys loose their arrows at my bratty son!! HOW DARE THEY

wwx thinks fast and flings his flute at the incoming arrows and one of the arrows oh so conveniently splits the flute so it's unusable now

wwx: jin ling, run!!

WWX GAVE AWAY HIS POSITION TO SAVE HIS NEPHEW, I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

now our boys are getting shot at and it's super stressful

but wwx and lwj leap off the roof (wwx does a fancy flip bc ofc he does) and wwx starts flinging talismans everywhere like nbd

they're smoke bomb talismans apparently

NOOOOOO I DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT SCENE WAS COMING UP HERE I'M NOT READY FOR IT

so smoke bombs right, and we see somebody walking calmly through it

our boys land on the ground and get ready to start fighting

BUT SUDDENLY WE SEE A FLASH OF GOLD THREAD 

WWX FLINCHES BACK TO AVOID IT BUT ALL IT DID WAS MAKE IT EASIER FOR FUCKING JGY TO WRAP IT AROUND WWX'S (BEAUTIFUL) EXPOSED VULNERABLE NECK!!!

IT'S A GARROTE AND MY SUNSHINE BOY IS CAUGHT IN IT

JGY HAS THIS DARK EVIL LOOK ON HIS FACE AND HE'S HOLDING WWX HOSTAGE!!!!

I'M GONNA PUNCH THAT EVIL SMIRK RIGHT OFF YOUR FACE JGY 

LET GO OF MY SUNSHINE BOY, YOU BASTARD

lwj has his bichen drawn and pointed directly at jgy but he hasn't made a move yet bc wwx is being used as a human shield!!

jgy: i advise master wei not to whistle. it doesn't matter if the flute is broken. but if a finger or tongue is lost, that would be tragic

he says it with a fake, condescending concerned expression

I HATE HIM SO MUCH, I'M GONNA STRANGLE HIM WITH MY BARE HANDS

wwx gives a little huff and says sarcastically: you have a good point

eeww, we hear the garrote creak as jgy starts walking backwards 

and wwx has no choice but to follow BC HE'S GOT A GARROTE AROUND HIS NECK

lwj keeps pace with them, sword still pointed at jgy BC HELL NO HE'S NOT GONNA LET HIM TAKE MY, I MEAN, HIS WEI YING AWAY

oh, side note, we get a nice peek at some decorative etchings along bichen’s blade, kinda like suibian’s red line, except they’re pale silvery blue

Have they been there the whole time?? HOW DID I NOT NOTICE??

I blame wwx’s beautiful face for distracting me at every turn

Anyway, the etchings are pretty, whatever they are

Jgy is like don’t even THINK of trying anything hanguang jun!!

the garrote creaks bc FUCKING JGY TIGHTENS ENOUGH TO CUT INTO THE TENDER SKIN IN WWX'S NECK AND MAKES HIM BLEED!!

at that, lwj stiffly lowers bichen and he immediately gets surrounded by jgy's henchmen

the expression on lwj's face!! this is him scowling up a storm

since this is lwj's face we're talking about tho, there's only the slightest downward pull at the corner of his mouth. 

his eyes, on the other hand, his eyes are glowering fiercely

wwx tells lxc not to feel so bad about being tricked bc after all jgy is the best at what he does 

now wwx and jgy are doing that thing i love, you know the trope?

when the good guy and the bad guy speak to each other lightly, casually 

As if no one is actually poised to get murdered or anything

with an implicit acknowledgement of each others' immense skill

And they exchange notes as to how the good guy discovered the bad guy’s nefarious plot and the bad guy taking it as constructive criticism for future evil endeavors

Good stuff, good stuff

as they do this, jgy keeps his eyes pinned to lwj, who is the only real threat to him right now

wwx: since we’re completely at your mercy how’s about you tell me what kind of treasure is in the Temple of Doom?

jgy: the price to satisfy your curiosity is high. are you sure you want to try, master wei?

he says all falsely regretful

look i hate jgy with every fiber of my being, but i do appreciate this sort of banter

unfortunately it gets interrupted by some henchmen dragging in my bratty son!!!

jgy gives jl a sweet benign smile, with dimples and all 

which kind of cracks me up tbh, bc it does not mesh with the fact that he's got wwx by the neck here

jl: uncle jgy!

jgy: 'sup a-ling?

wwx: what's wrong with you, kid? why'd you come here at night??

JL: IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

OH GOD, THAT'S HILARIOUS. 

IT REALLY JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH OF A KID HE STILL IS (BC HELLO, HE'S LIKE 12 I MEAN 16)

that was totally just a reflexive indignant response to wwx's tone, i love it

bc it's not like his one uncle is threatening to murder his other uncle or anything important lololol

and for all the dog lovers out there, to really hammer in how evil jgy is, jgy orders his henchmen to go murder fairy

my bratty son is very upset by this

lxc comes in here and is like, hey, jl is just a kid!! and also your nephew!!!

and jgy is all like, ofc i know he's a kid and my nephew! what do you think i'd do?? kill him???

well, i mean, you did murder your own infant son

i can't imagine killing your teenage nephew is that big of a leap for you, jgy

and then he goes right on to say that hey nephew, if you run or scream, probably something awful will happen to you so maybe don't do that

MY POOR BRATTY SON

oh now we cut to the inside of the temple and people are digging into the floor

wwx is wondering what the heck jgy is looking for

then he looks at lwj and with just a twitch of his eyebrows indicates that OMG JGY IS DISTRACTED AND THERE'S AN OPENING FOR AN ATTACK, GO FOR IT LWJ

or at least i'm assuming that's what that eyebrow twitch meant bc lwj catches it and leaps into action

he raises bichen and dives towards jgy aiming to cut his head clean off, it looks like

but jgy sees it coming in the last second and jerks wwx in front of him. 

bichen stops just barely an inch or two away from wwx's bleeding neck

wwx closes his eyes in disappointment  bc they had been so close! 

and now he just looks so upset bc he thinks he’s ruined their chances by letting jgy use him as a shield

jgy: hanguang jun, put bichen down now. do you really want to kill master wei?

THAT’S LOW FUCKING BLOW, JGY

HE KNOWS IT TOO

HE KNOWS LWJ FEELS GUILTY ABOUT WWX’S DEATH, THAT BASTARD

and omg wwx's face his eyes are red and teary, wide open and pinned to lwj as we all watch lwj obediently lower bichen

wwx: lan zhan, don't listen to him!

my sunshine boy's brow is all furrowed and he sounds desperate here

wwx: i have never blamed you! lan zhan, you go first to find reinforcements!

HE'S PRACTICALLY BEGGING HIM HERE

BC DEEP DOWN HE KNOWS THAT LWJ IS NOT GOING TO LEAVE

LWJ IS TOO GOOD OF A PERSON TO LEAVE SOMEONE IN DANGER 

BUT WWX HAS NEVER FELT WORTHY OF THAT SORT OF SACRIFICE

HE’S ALWAYS BEEN WILLING TO DIE FOR OTHERS, SO HE’S TRYING TO CONVINCE LWJ TO LEAVE 

BC WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS TAKING JGY DOWN NOT SAVING HIS OWN LIFE

Lwj looks him straight in the eye and shakes his head no for everyone to see

bc nothing will tear him away from wei ying, not again, not when he finally got him back after 16 long long years.

I AM IN PAIN

THE ANGUISH IN BOTH OF THEIR FACES IS KILLING ME

jgy: great! Next, please sheathe bichen

there's a slight twist to lwj's mouth as he sheathes bichen angrily 

but he did it with no hesitation 

the sound fx team really made the shing-clack sound of it very prominent here

i'm assuming to emphasize how lwj is briskly and willingly de-fanging himself in order to keep wwx alive

wwx: LAN ZHAN NO!

wwx pants a couple of times (bc lwj is putting himself in danger!!) and his beautiful beautiful face twists into a snarl

wwx: jgy, don't go too far.

jgy: is it too far for you already? next i even want hanguang jun to seal his own spiritual power by himself. what would you call that?

wwx's eyes widen like, no, no don't

and we get a shot of lwj who is the picture of grim resignation

he knows that as long as jgy has that garrote around wwx's neck, he will do anything he asks of him, anything at all

wwx protests but jgy just tightens the garrote

lwj sees that happening and immediately locks down his spiritual energy

(side note to say that i really like the sound effects and the motions they choreographed for the "locking of energy" thing here. It’s really cool)

wwx: lan zhan…

WWX'S EYES ARE BRIMMING WITH TEARS AND HE SOUNDS LIKE HE'S HOLDING BACK SOBS

lwj presses his lips into a firm line in response

THIS ALL IS GIVING ME ANXIETY AND KEEPING ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT

WHICH IS STUPID BC I ALREADY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS 

BUT HERE I AM, FREAKING OUT ANYWAY

oh and now there's a convenient thunderstorm TO SET THE MOOD I GUESS?? 

jgy is like, hey guys let's move this inside so we don't get rained out. no worries, if you do what i say i totally won't maim and/or kill you

cut to inside the temple

creepy breeze? Check

eerie candle lighting? Check

highly contrasted cool colors vs warm colors? Check

jgy also likes his classic villain tropes, it seems i wonder if he and xy compared notes on that...

jl is sitting next to lxc, clutching his sword

meanwhile lxc keeps his eyes closed like maybe if i refuse to see what's happening, it'll make it not be happening!

Which, hey, we’ve all been there! 

okay, maybe not this exact same scenario, but still! Totally a valid coping mechanism, probably.

and on the other side of the room we've got our boys sitting shoulder to shoulder against a pillar together

wwx: lan zhan, you don't have to do this. that year....you owe me nothing

Aka, it’s not your fault i died. You don’t need to atone for anything!!!

lwj takes in his words for a moment

lwj: i don't think i owe you.

he says it so seriously

wwx: so why did you do that??

lwj looks over to him

lwj: it's what i should do.

BC THEY'RE SOULMATES AND HE LOVES HIM

AND WWX SMILES THAT LITTLE PINCHED SMILE OF HIS 

some mood-setting stuff happens

you know, creepy wind slamming open doors, blowing out candles, that sort of thing

oh, there's a knock on the door and FUCKING SU SHE APPEARS BC THINGS WEREN'T HORRIBLE ENOUGH ALREADY NOW WE GOTTA DEAL WITH HIS UGLY MUG TOO

huh, he's got an unconscious nhs with him

wow he just drops nhs on the ground like a sack of potatoes, rude

blah blah evil plotty exchange between evil master and evil subordinate blah blah

blah blah emotional confrontation between jgy and lxc that idc about blah blah

ugh gross now su she is approaching wwx and lwj and is talking to them all smugly condescending

i want to hit his face with a brick tbh

LOL

WWX AND LWJ ARE NOT AMUSED

wwx just rolls his eyes and lwj looks off to the middle distance bc this insect is not worth his time or attention lololol

god that chip in his shoulder that he's got for lwj is really getting annoying

ss: i just can't stand his attitude, as if he's better than everyone else!!

idk about “everyone else,” but he's definitely BETTER THAN YOU, YOU GREASY LITTLE COWARD

lol wwx gets offended on lwj's behalf (bc lwj has yet to acknowledge su she at all)

wwx: when did lan zhan say he was better than everyone else?

awwwwww!! lwj sneaks a glance at wwx when he starts to defend his honor. that's so cute!

wwx: iirc, in the great big book of lan fam rules, there’s one that says "don't be arrogant and prideful"

AND LOLOLOL MY BRATTY SON CONTINUES TO BE A BRAT OF A TEENAGER EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THIS DRAMA

jl: how do you know the principles of gusulan so well?!

wwx frowns all sulky and taps his nose adorably

wwx: i have transcribed it so many times that i memorized it.

jl: why did you transcribe the principles of lan??

WWX GETS ALL DEFENSIVE AND IS ARGUING WITH A TEENAGER WHILE THEY'RE BOTH BEING HELD HOSTAGE LOLOLOL

wwx: do you think it was my choice? that (and here he glances at lwj from the corner of his eye and lwj is side-eyeing him and it's hilarious) was my punishment

jl: shame on you!

he says it all haughty and adorably irritated and turns his head away sharply. it's GREAT

After that, wwx is going on about how lwj has had that indifferent expression on his face his whole life and he can't really help it, it’s not bc he’s snooty or whatever ss thinks

and he continues to blabber on in that way he does

ss gets all mad and moves to strike him with his hand

and quicker than a blink of an eye, lwj puts bichen (still sheathed) between wwx and ss 

He glares at ss like, just try it, i dare you! and doesn't put bichen down until ss lowers his hand

i would like to point out that ss still relented to lwj even tho lwj HAS NO ACCESS TO SPIRITUAL POWER 

BC SS KNOWS HE'S A WORTHLESS NOBODY AND LWJ COULD DEFEAT HIM EASILY EVEN WITHOUT HIS RENOWNED CULTIVATION SKILLS

as soon as ss backs off, wwx runs his mouth again, i love it

There’s a bit where wwx says, "i'm not afraid of death, i just don't want to die"

which i guess is some kind of word play in their native tongue? Idk

wwx goes on to explain it but idgi; either it doesn't translate well or i'm not bright enough to understand it, lol

anyway, this all culminates to ss drawing his sword to kill wwx for being annoying

BUT HE GETS INTERRUPTED BY JC'S EPIC ENTRANCE

ZIDIAN CRASHES OPEN THE DOORS AND SENDS SU SHE FLYING

WE GET SOME SHOTS OF POURING RAIN AND A BLOODIED UMBRELLA

A SHOT OF JC’S HAND WRAPPED AROUND SANDU

AND THEN AN OUT OF FOCUS SHOT OF HIM IN THE RAIN

FOLLOWED BY A SHOT OF THE FLOOR ON THE ENTRANCE WHERE WE SEE HIS SHADOW SLOWLY GROWING LARGER AS HE MAKES HIS WAY IN

THIS IS SUCH A COOL SCENE OMG

SLOW MOTION CASUAL SAUNTER ONTO THE SCENE

AHHH, SO COOL JC SO COOL

lwj does not look impressed lolol but you can tell wwx thinks it's pretty neat 

(not that he'll ever admit it bc you never admit those sort of things to your little brother, LOL)

jl is so happy to see him!

jl: uncle!

jc: you're calling me now? you know how to call me now? why did you run away a while ago?

and jl looks away with that yeesh expression kids get when their parents start in on their scolding lectures

THIS ALL CRACKS ME UP BC IT'S NOT THE TIME OR THE PLACE FOR THAT SORT OF EXCHANGE

JC JUST BARGES IN AND STARTS TELLING OFF HIS NEPHEW LIKE THEY'RE NOT ALL TRAPPED BY AN EVIL MASTERMIND

oh here comes fairy AND WWX IMMEDIATELY CLINGS TO LWJ'S SHOULDERS

wwx: lan zhan!!

lwj calmly lifts his arm so wwx can cower behind his billowing white sleeve

LOL

jl is commanding fairy to bite ss and as wwx is cowering, he's ALSO encouraging fairy to bite ss

(which really just means that, while wwx will probably never get over his phobia of dogs, he might eventually be able to get used to fairy maybe)

lol ss goes running with fairy hot on his tail

then we cut to wwx who notices how he's clinging to lan zhan's outstretched arm and gets embarrassed

he gently pushes the arm down and gives it a pat and smiles bashfully at lwj

IT'S ADORABLE

fun fact, this scene is the reason i started watching the show, i saw a gifset of this little exchange here and was like, THAT'S AN ADORABLE SMILE ON THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD

IT’S SO CUTE HOW THAT THE GUY IN WHITE LET HIM HIDE FROM THE DOG LIKE THAT. I HAVE TO WATCH THIS NOW.

and now some henchmen try attacking jc and jc whips them away with zidian and is generally just looking AWESOME

then lxc warns him about the Evil Magic Music

so jc's solution to that is to grab a random sword with zidian and chuck sandu into zidian and then scrape the two swords together?? to block out the music with super irritating noise, i guess???

lol even lwj is wincing at the racket

you know what, i'm gonna ignore the weirdness of this makeshift solution and just enjoy how cool zidian looks

now jgy is monologuing at jc and it's boring

lol, wwx leans over to lwj while that's happening

wwx: seriously, he talks like xy

he is not impressed by it lololol

both jc and jgy hear him and give him a Look and wwx puts on an innocent face

jgy starts picking at jc's emotional wounds and complicated brotherly feelings

jc starts getting defensive and snappish

lxc: don't answer him. he's good at talking. 

so at least lxc is learning from his mistakes here, that’s good!

jgy switches tactics and starts in on wwx and his complicated brotherly feelings

but wwx responds with, hey man, i already know jc hates me so that isn't gonna work

oooooh, now jgy is revealing how he heard that jc was running around lotus pier asking ppl to unsheathe suibian

wwx's eyes get all wide and surprised

he throws a desperate look at lwj

wwx: my sword? didn't i give suibian to wn??

lwj doesn't answer but wwx realizes that he hasn't seen wn carrying suibian lately

and he starts frantically asking lwj how suibian ended up with jc and why the heck would jc ask others to draw suibian

wwx: has he drawn it by himself??

pretty sure he knows the answers to all those questions and is basically asking lwj to tell him his suspicions aren't correct

lwj: wei ying, calm down

jgy notices wwx's reactions and pushes on bc he's found a weak spot and he's def gonna exploit it

he's like, oh yeah, i also heard you were able to draw suibian from its sheath, jc

wwx's face is full of dread as he realizes what happened

he starts blinking back tears and he's getting all shaky bc this is his nightmare unfolding before him

FUCKING JGY NEEDS TO SHUT UP

HE'S DREDGING UP ALL OF JC'S INSECURITIES, AIRING THE YUNMENG BROS TRAUMA FOR ALL TO SEE

I WANT TO THROTTLE HIM

he gives jc a sarcastic bow and keeps picking at those wounds

wwx jerks forward as if he was going to try to shut up jgy, but lwj holds him back bc honestly, what was wwx going to be able to do anyway?

jc staggers back as if physically wounded

wwx's eyes are red with tears bc this was never supposed to happen

AND I'M JUST HURTING SO MUCH FOR MY YUNMENG BROS

jgy chooses this moment to attack and now we have a sword fight

we get a shot of lwj and wwx here

wwx is squirming in his seat like he wants to intervene but knows that he can't

Lwj is keeping a close eye on wwx, ready to stop him the moment wwx tries to sacrifice himself for jc (again)

in the middle of their fight, jgy suddenly flings his sword right at lwj!!

lwj tries to raise bichen but it's not gonna be quick enough

jc sees this and dives towards lwj and manages to block the sword

lwj looks at him in shock, which is understandable bc jc doesn't even like him

he could've totally just let that sword slice him in two and been guilt-free bc hey he's in the middle of a life or death battle himself, you know?

but he didn't! he took the time to protect lwj 

For his efforts, he gets wounded (like mortally wounded) and now he has another reason to hate lwj lol

Anyway, jc can't do much now except channel all his spiritual energy into the wound so he doesn't, yknow, DIE

wwx is watching him with worry

here comes su she, all bloodied up 

lol looks like fairy was able to tear into him a bit. what a good doggy!!

now i guess the henchman were able to finish digging or whatever, WATCH HOW MUCH I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT NONSENSE

Let’s check in on our boys instead

wwx and and lwj share a look 

and all i can think is omg look at how close their hands are, if they each shift just a couple inches they'd be holding hands!!

LET MY BOYS HOLD HANDS

But no, we're going to have an emotional discussion instead

wwx: did you know about it?

lwj gives a very reluctant nod

wwx: when did wn tell him?

lwj: while you were knocked out

also omg they're having this conversation and jc is literally only 3ft away

HE CAN HEAR YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?

wwx: that's how we left lotus pier??

lwj: wn is very sorry about that

look at lwj being a bro and sticking up for wn!

wwx: i've told him time and again to never speak of it

jc: never speak of what?

and here they seem to realize that yeah, hello, everyone can hear their conversation

they look at jc all surprised

*facepalm* guys, guys, i get that you both get a little wrapped up in each other sometimes, but c'mon

AND THAT'S THE END!!

SO INTENSE, SO STRESSFUL

But we still got quality times with our boys, and some fun times with jl and jc, so i guess that evens the scales!

Return to Masterpost

[sealofreconciliation]

Posting these here first just in case Reddit doesn't let me post it there. I've only gotten up to his analysis of Conquest 21, but i'll post the rest here when i'm done with them. I don't know how to quote someone via Tumblr, so i apologize for these looking like greentexts, but if anyone can help me with that, i'd appreciate it.

Shoutout to @emblemxeno btw; they're the ones who provided sources for the jp script of Fates, and i probably wouldn't have even made these in the first place if it wasn't for them. They're an excellent blog, and i highly reccomend that anyone reading this check them out.

Fates: was the story as bad as people say?: a response (Part 1: opening statements, introduction and prologue).

Link to the original post here.

Hello everyone.

You might be wondering why i'm making this it's own post instead of just leaving a comment on the posts themselves.

It's relatively simple: these posts wouldn't get any attention if i just went to the months old analysis threads and posted them there, and i don't feel like spending so much time writing all these posts just to get ignored and/or have no one but u/Odovakar (herein reffered to as Odo) to call me out if i make bad arguments.

For the record, i will be using the original japanese script when talking about the plot, due to the localization taking massive liberties with certain aspects of Fates's story and characters, creating problems that weren't there originally, including problems claimed by these very posts. My sources whenever i claim differences between versions can be found at fateswartable here (fan-translated versions of the scripts made before the game was localized; was unfortunately mostly abandoned after Fates made it to the west, making it so the last 2 chapters of BR and over half of Rev remain unfinished) and at Linkmstr's channel here (playthroughs with a patch retranslating the game to be more faithful to the original script). I double-checked to see if there were any differences between the two, and aside from the english patch making extremely minor and irrelevant changes to the dialogue in order to make it read less stiffly than the fan-translated scripts, they seem to be practically identical to each other (most of the time), leading me to trust them as sources.

With that out of the way, let's get on to the post itself, starting with the introduction.

I'm mostly fine with Odo's introduction, except for this weird paragraph:

>Fates often gets defended by sweeping generalizations. "It's not that bad, people exaggerate", "people miss the point/the themes", "people can't read", "it's a story for teenagers so it's okay for it to be bad", "Fire Emblem isn't known for its stories anyway", etc. I think these kinds of excuses are improper in any serious discussion, and by making an analysis like this I want to detail why Fates is so often singled out as the worst written game in the franchise and show that it's not some kind of conspiracy or people being upset over unmet expectations.

I'm.... gonna need some more context for some of those arguments, chief.

Like, yeah, the last two are pretty terrible arguments, the fourth because it implies having a target demographic excuses bad writing and the fifth because, even if the entire series had terrible stories, it wouldn't and doesn't matter when discussing Fates's story on it's own merits.

But the first two just sound like normal arguments. I don't see the issue with them as long as the defendant provides evidence for those claims, even if it's gonna be harder than accusing a specific person of doing so due to the increased burden of proof that comes with claiming a lot of people do something than just one.

The third one sounds bad, but i've gotten into pointless arguments with internet randos before. Most times, when someone pulls that line, it's just shorthand for “a lot of people often misinterpret what happened in x piece of media in order to make it look worse/better than it really is”.

Which is a hell of a claim to try and prove, granted, but not much more so than the first two, so i still don't see what's so bad about it that makes it “improper in any serious discussion”.

Moving on from that, we head to the analysis itself.

For the record, a lot of this is just restating what happens in the plot, so i'm only going to go over parts where i actually have something to say.

Starting this off weak by nitpicking a nitpick:

>It's never explained how Corrin could mistake a fish-dragon for a bird, even as a child,

Idk man, young children are pretty stupid.

Assuming Corrin was like, 4 or 5 years old, I can buy them just assuming Lilith was some sort of weird bird they'd never heard of or seen before.

Onto some actually interesting points:

>Once back in the real world, the protagonist gets bonked on the head and kidnapped to Hoshido. The one doing the bonking is Rinkah, one of the prisoners whom Corrin saved last chapter - it's never explained how she found them or why she lingered in that exact spot Corrin would teleport back to after all the Nohrians had left following the earlier attack on the fort, but it's lucky that the protagonist gets attacked by someone who owes them one - Rinkah even let's Corrin keep their evil sword!

Rinkah's dialogue heavily implies she found Corrin by accident:

>Kamui: It seems like i'm back.

>Marx and everyone else are no longer around...

>??? (Rinkah obviously): ...A Nohr soldier?

>Kamui: !?

The fact that she's surprised at finding what she thinks is a Nohrian soldier there implies she just went there to check out the place, not expecting to find anyone (no idea why tho, you got me there).

Which is incredibly convenient, no doubt about that, but hey, i've never claimed nor ever will claim that Fates is above doing some contrived shit in order to move the plot forward.

>It's now becoming clear that the prologue is struggling to contain itself. So much happens in a single chapter now that neither Corrin nor the player has any time to react to what is going on. Corrin doesn't question their transformation nor their sword almost murdering them. Gunter, who has been one of the few people in their sheltered life, was murdered in front of them and yet is not mentioned again in the prologue once Hans runs away. Maybe Corrin cried in their tree cabin in their fish-dragon-maid's pocket dimension, but if they did, the game didn't show us that.

This is the first of many times throughout this post where Odo criticizes the prologue's break-neck pacing, mostly in regards to it not lingering long enough on scenes or plot points, and i actually agree with him here. Even if there's nothing to imply those scenes couldn't have just happened off-screen, that doesn't do much to alleviate how little time the audience has to process any of what just happened in the story, or that it would have been nice to see said scenes.

>Corrin tries to protest and says the Nohrian siblings are their real family, and Ryoma says something which I think is indicative of the worldbuilding of Fates as a whole: he does not recognize the Nohrian royals' names outside of Garon. Perhaps this is meant to imply that the Hoshidans don't know or care about the world outside of their borders, as they seem to live in a paradise, but even then that is extreme, especially since a war has been going on and Ryoma is an active fighter; he would want to know the name of the highest ranking members of the enemy. We know he was on his way to the fort Corrin attacked where all four Nohrian royals were present, too. At the very least he should know who Xander is, being the crown prince, the queen's son and a leader of Nohr's military.

Doesn't happen in jp:

>Mikoto: you see, Kamui, you are a Princess of Hoshido...

>When you were young... you were kidnapped, and taken to the Kingdom of Nohr.

>I am your mother, Mikoto.

>We are your family.

>Kamui: That can't be...

>You are my real mother?

>You're lying...

>I cannot believe such a thing.

>Ryouma: Yes, you would think so.

>But this... it's the truth.

>I am Ryouma. Your older brother.

>Kamui: ...My older brother...?

This is the entire conversation between Corrin, Ryoma and Mikoto before Ryoma tells them about Sumeragi, Corrin tries and fails to remember what happened, and then they leave to rescue Hinoka and Sakura from the Faceless.

Moving ahead a bit, i know, but another piece of evidence to support that this detail was made up by the localization is that, at the start of the route split, Ryoma recognizes Xander as a Nohrian prince immediately:

>Marx: You're alright, Kamui...!

>To think you were alive, and came back for us...!

>Kamui: Big Brother Marx!

>What's with this war!?

>Marx: Come on...Let's go. You can also participate in the battle, Kamui.

>With you here for us, the war will be over soon. We'll be able to conquer Hoshido without any needless sacrifices.

>Kamui: Big Brother Marx... I...

>Ryouma: Watch out, Kamui. That man is a Prince of Nohr.

Ryoma knowing that Xander is a Nohrian prince at that point means he either knows enough about Xander to recognize him just from appearance or knows his name and overheard Corrin calling to Xander at the start of their convo, and recognized him through that.

Either way, it means Ryoma, at the very least, knows the name of the top general of the country he's at war with, and i presume that line was added in by the localization to try and set up Hoshido's isolationism problems earlier on, regardless of whether it made sense or not.

And a small nitpick: we don't know how long the Nohrian siblings stayed at the Bottomless Canyon for; for all we know, they retreated long before Ryoma got there.

Next nitpick:

>Monsters known as the Faceless are attacking villages, and Sakura and Hinoka, two Hoshidan princesses and Corrin's real sisters, are there. It's never explained why Hinoka doesn't fly away with Sakura to safety,

They do explain it.

>Hoshido Soldier: Yes.

>Princess Hinoka and Princess Sakura stayed in the village to help evacuate the villagers!

There's more evidence for that in Hinoka's inroduction, but i'm saving that for a point Odo makes later on in this post.

>One could assume Corrin inherited the gift of foreseeing the future from Mikoto, since they've both now predicted the future to an extent, but neither the dream nor Mikoto predicting her own death are ever acknowledged, get forgotten, and the future sight ability never comes into play again (outside of three very specific S supports. We'll get there).

Mikoto is dead, so yeah, the fact that she had one prophetic dream when she was alive, which she only confided to Yukimura, and no other dreams that we know of, isn't going to be a particularly interesting talking point to anyone.

It's safe to assume it's been a really long time since Corrin's birth, and it's heavily implied by their dialogue that this was their first time having a dream like that; i would take MORE issue with the future sight if it showed up again despite taking so long to manifest for Corrin the first time around, unless they changed the game so someone like Orochi had plot armor like the siblings and couldn't die in battle, conveniently knew about the future sight and how it worked, and helped train Corrin to hone that ability better throughout BR and Rev, but that would take way too much effort just to further explore a throwaway ability that already has a built-in reason for not appearing again.

It's fine to want more out of the future sight, but on an objective sense, there's nothing wrong with it disappearing from the story like it does given how rarely it seems to trigger.

>I suppose we're not meant to question how Mikoto could predict her death, but why would she only tell Yukimura? And why weren't any steps taken to prevent this and prepare Hoshido and her children?

Let's look at what Yukimura has to say about Mikoto foreseeing her own death:

>Yukimura: Lady Mikoto had a premonition of her own death. Her fate was inevitable...

>Therefore, this was not your fault, Lady Kamui.

>It was all King Garon's...

>No, more like that terrible demon's work. That is what Lady Mikoto said.

It's pretty weird to assume that Yukimura saying Mikoto “predicted her own death” and “she told me it'd be Garon, no, a demon's fault” translates to “she foresaw her death down to the time, method and location, and didn't do anything to stop it or prepare the kingdom for when it happened for unexplained reasons”.

Not only can i just as easily make the argument that Mikoto only foresaw that she'd die in general, and had no idea when, why, how or where it'd happen, only having the vauge suspicion Anankos would have something to do with it, i actually have evidence to back up said claim aside from just it making more sense for the story: Corrin's dream was very innacurate.

Corrin's dream correctly guessed the location in which the route split battle would take place in and that the Hoshidan sibs would try to use their supposed blood relation to turn them to their side. It also incorrectly guessed who would be fighting there (all the retainers are there instead of just the royal siblings), what exactly they were going to say to each other, how the fight would go down, and possibly even which side, if any, Corrin would choose depending on the route (the dream always portrays Corrin as having picked BR IIRC), so that's 3 (maybe 4) for 2 on the innacurarcy-to-accuracy ratio for the prophetic dreams.

Assuming Corrin and Mikoto's dreams are the same ability, it only follows that her prophecies would be flawed too, even if in vagueness instead of inaccuracy.

It also explains why she didn't tell anyone else; telling everyone in Hoshido “btw i'm going to die someday, don't know how or when but i think it'll be because of Garon or something” is likely to just cause mass panic and worry in the kingdom over something she doesn't even know the date of, including wasting resources on defenses for an invasion that could be years, if not decades away.

>As it stands, this line seems to only be here to excuse any involvement Corrin may have had in Mikoto's death. Absolving any moral responsibility will be a recurring element in Fates. This is just the first taste of it.

I find it strange to claim Corrin had any moral responsibility for Mikoto's death in the first place.

The only thing they did wrong was bringing Ganglari with them to Hoshido, and even then, as far as they knew, the Ganglari was just some edgy-looking sword who tried throwing them off a cliff once and accidentaly led to Corrin getting their own pocket dimension; it would be ludicrous for them to assume it was also an undercover bomb and throw away a perfectly fine weapon, especially since it never misbehaved before or since the canyon.

>The speed at which Nohr can mobilize its forces is astounding. Considering mere minutes have passed, the Nohrians must've known exactly what would happen and when. But how? That is never addressed,

Firstly, Garon's little more than Anankos's meat puppet at this point, and Anankos is almost certainly the one who sent the invisible soldiers to kill Mikoto in the first place; it'd be stupid of him not to have Garon mobilize the Nohrian army in preparation for the barrier going down when he's the one who decided exactly when it was going to happen.

Secondly, where did you get that math from?

There's no way of gauging how long it's been since the barrier went down; no one says anything to give a point of reference as to how long it's been since the explosion, and fights in Fire Emblem have always been scaled down from what it's probably like in-universe for the sake of gameplay, including time.

>and it's also not addressed how the Hoshidans didn't see them coming before they were right at the border. If there's one thing we know of the Hoshidan military it's that they've got spies and ninja.

Who's to say they didn't?

We don't know where they deployed from, how far away said deployment was from the Hoshidan border, what Hoshidan strongholds or patrols they had in the way of the army, or how long it took for the message to reach the capital. There's nothing to imply they were only seen when they were near the border already.

>Come to think of it, how on earth did Kaze know the Nohrians were right outside the Hoshidan border? In Corrin's own words, only an hour has passed since the plaza was full of life, and Kaze fought with us against the mysterious assailaints, so how come Kaze is the one making this report?

This post should have really used the jp script:

>Kamui: .......!

>That's right, everyone in town...?

>...No...The town...!!

I assume that's the line Odo's talking about, but even if it's not, i searched both the fateswartable script and the patched playthrough for the line where Corrin states it's been an hour and it was nowhere to be found in either version, leading me to assume this was another example of poor localization.

Also, like.... how is Kaze making it to the border and back in the time it took for Corrin and the Hoshidan siblings to have that conversation an issue, at all?

That's genuinely just a speed feat for Kaze that puts him as being able to move to and from the Hoshidan capital and border quickly.

Lastly, carrier pigeons exist in Nohrshido, and Takumi even uses those in BR while he's possessed to tattle on his party to Iago; it's not a stretch to assume Kaze got the report through one of those if there aren't any soldiers nearby and if we assume he wasn't fast enough to go to the border and back.

>Here is an interesting question I've not seen brought up before: if the invisible people attacking Hoshido could use Corrin's evil sword and cause an explosion well within the Mikoto's barrier...why did they need Corrin to bring it to Hoshido? Garon summoned it effortlessly at the start of the game, and the specters demonstrate clearly that they're able to kill a lot of people despite being within the barrier, so why? Did they need Corrin to get close to Mikoto? The game shows they're capable of teleporting and/or turn invisible, so that seems unlikely. Mikoto could've been assassinated and Hoshido invaded long before this.

The only specter in that cutscene who might have teleported is the head honcho, who's implied to somehow be of a higher caliber than the rank-and-file Vallite soldiers thanks to him being the boss of this chapter, though even then it's somewhat ambiguous whether that was teleportation or just him dodging Ryoma's attack then hiding himself with his invisibility.

And the soldiers's invisibility is flawed btw. During battles, you can see it's not true invisibility; it's them turning themselves opaque, so it's difficult to see them, but anyone can still see them if they squint hard enough, and that's not even mentioning how much of a dead giveaway the purple flames that surround them whenever they turn invisible are.

Given all that, assuming the boss specter didn't teleport, i do indeed find it hard to believe they'd have made it that close to Mikoto, especially since we don't even know how often she leaves the castle. And if Corrin, Ryoma, Kaze and Azura were enough to push them back, i don't fancy their chances against the entire royal guard if they tried fighting their way to the throne room.

And even assuming they could have done it themselves... why would Hoshido blame Nohr for that, at all?

The barrier would still have been up, so it couldn't have been a Nohrian that did it, and no one there knows about the invisible soldiers; wouldn't they assume it was either some disgruntled Hoshidan kamikazing himself or an accident, and just stayed defending themselves from Nohr's advances?

Like, the only way Hoshido could possibly blame Nohr is if they assumed Nohr had made some miraculous advancement in Faceless technology very quickly, and had gone from creating dumb muscle that didn't have a will of it's own and had to be set free on camps to attack anything it saw, including their own soldiers if they stayed there, to making perfect copies of humans, that still didn't have wills of their own, could turn opaque, summon swords, and were smart enough to blend in with crowds and use subterfuge.

That'd be an insane assumption to make about Nohr's R&D division, instead of just chalking it up to an accident or betrayal.

The next two paragraphs are criticizing the pacing again, which i agree with, except for Ganglari but i already gave my counter to that earlier, and then we get to this:

>Why did Azura have a Dragonstone at the ready?

She likely got it from Valla and, as such, would have made up some bs excuse even if Corrin had asked her more about it, so it would have been an irrelevant scene for the worldbuilding; plus, that's disregarding how out-of-character it would have been for Corrin to choose to stay and demand that Azura explain to them where she got that dragonstone instead of heading out to help in the fighting, given how she only gives them the dragonstone after getting the report that Nohr was invading.

>Why did Garon have Gunter assassinated (and was Corrin the real target)?

Corrin has no reason to trust Hans, the bloodthirsty psychopath who kills for fun, at his word, and has no one to ask it to who could give them a satisfactory answer, given that none of them have any personal experience with Garon or know whether he'd order such a thing or why.

>To make one thing very clear: the problem isn't that we don't get answers immediately. The problem is that next to no questions are asked or mulled over.

I get that, i really do, but you picked a terrible point in the story to criticize Corrin for not asking more questions; they've just been informed that Nohr is about to invade, are still feeling guilty over Mikoto's death, and are very likely conflicted as to which side to join, if any. They're not just going to stop and ask Yukimura for a history lesson as to why the Yato was inside a statue instead of heading out to the frontlines.

The only way Corrin asking these questions at this point in the story could possibly make sense would be to make up some version of Fates where Nohr takes longer to start invading after Mikoto's death.

Which is fine to want, but i'm not interested in discussing what the game could have been; i'm interested in discussing what it is, and in the version of the game that we got, Corrin refusing to join the fighting in order to ask irrelevant questions would have been hardcore character assassination.

>There is also something to be said about the cast being very Corrin-centric. As the protagonist, it makes sense Corrin would be the most important character, obviously, but characters are frequently very clear over their devotion to Corrin. Lilith says her life can't be empty with Corrin in it,

The closest Lilith ever comes to saying something of that intensity in the og script are these dialogues:

>Lilith: You gently cared for me....

>Because of that time, i dedicated my life to you.

>By making use of that undeserved power, never again can i return to being human.

>But it's okay... even though very soon forgiveness, too, will not be possible.

>Even so...If Lady Kamui is alive...Then...

And even then, it's thoroughly justified in-universe as to why Lilith likes Corrin so much; they saved her life and treated her well, and she's extremely grateful to them for doing that.

It's no different than any other character in any of the games, or even in fiction, being deeply grateful to another character for saving their life and feeling like they owe them a debt they can never repay, so i don't see the issue with Lilith liking Corrin.

>Camilla and Elise frequently fuss over Corrin,

They barely get to visit Corrin in the Nothern Fortress and know they only have five other people to keep them company when they're not there; i don't think it's unreasonable to infer that they're trying to make up for lost time when they do get to visit.

Still, i would have preferred it if Camilla's reasoning for caring so much about Corrin was given in the story rather than supports, i'll give you that.

>and on the Hoshidan side only Takumi shows mistrust towards the person raised in enemy territory waltzing into the castle, carrying the blade that eventually killed Mikoto.

After they wept over her death, turned into a mindless dragon that attacked anyone it saw out of sheer grief, killed a bunch of the enemy soldiers instead of helping said soldiers take down the rest of the royal family, or at the very least running away to safety, nearly killed, and had to be pacified by, Azura while in that state of blind rage, offered to go into self-imposed exile out of guilt, and was chosen by the Yato as someone who would save the world, all against the one piece of incriminating evidence that they didn't throw away a sword.

Accusing Corrin of detonating Ganglari intentionally doesn't make any sense given all those events, unless the Hoshidan family is just supposed to distrust Corrin so heavily that they think they're trying to do some 4d chess maneuvers; they'd have to assume Corrin's sadness at Mikoto's death was just some really convincing acting chops; that they were in complete control of their transformation all along and were just feigning the blind rage; that staying and helping them kill the enemy soldiers was just to gain the family's trust; that attacking Azura was an unexpected curveball they did just to really sell the “gone mad with grief” angle, and somehow knew she had a dragon stone that they could use as an excuse for why they'd calmed down and why they could control themselves fine every time they transformed afterwards; that they knew for a fact that the family would just refuse to accept their offer to go into self-imposed exile and it was just done to make the act even more convincing; and lastly, that they either managed to find a work-around to the whole “the Yato decides who's worthy to be it's wielder” thing and somehow got it to only show up when they felt like it should, in order to give themselves some more credibility, or that intentionally causing all this destruction to a peaceful nation was a step towards saving the world.

I don't blame Takumi for being angry at Corrin, for the record; he was always the most emotional of the four siblings, and seeing his mother die in front of him cannot have been good for his mental state.

Him accusing Corrin of having done so intentionally IS juts him lashing out at whoever he can get away with blaming for this, though; not only due to all the reasons listed above, but because he also tries to blame Azura for it with no evidence:

>Takumi: Shut up, Aqua! You're her accomplice!

So, yeah. Corrin unironically did nothing to deserve suspicion from the Hoshidan sibs.

>Hell, all of the Nohrian siblings defied Garon's orders almost immediately so that they could bail Corrin out despite not knowing whether or not they'd actually be in any danger.

They were paired up with a convicted criminal who used his promotion to soldier-dom as an excuse to commit murder and theft legally, and were ordered to take a fort with only him and Gunter for backup; i think it's fair to be concerned about their safety in that situation.

>To make a short list of the characters "tied" to Corrin, we've got: three maids, one butler, one combat instructor, four Nohrian siblings, four Hoshidan siblings, Azura whose life mirrors the protagonist's, one adoptive father, and one biological mother, and the list will just grow longer from here.

Sounds like an incredibly generous definition of what makes a character “tied” to the protagonist. They have 5 people who work for them/their adoptive father, 4 adoptive siblings, 4 “real siblings”, some rando who parallels them, an adoptive dad, and a mom.

I'm pretty sure if we're going by that definition, most protagonists in the series have only slightly less characters tied to them at the start of the game than Corrin. Most of them start with people they're friends with, and if we're including something as vague as “works for them” as a valid reason to be “tied” to the protagonist, nearly all of the FE protags skyrocket past the 16 people listed here by the start of their mid-games/end of their early-games.

>Yes, these are characters in their own right, but throughout the prologue and beyond a key aspect of their character is their relationship to Corrin. Thus far into the game they have also been introduced and defined primarily through their connection to the protagonist. To give an example, Hinoka is introduced crying over finally having Corrin back, and then Ryoma explains she became a warrior for their sake, after which Hinoka has almost no lines for the remainder of the prologue.

Literally false.

Here's Hinoka's ACTUAL introduction:

>Hinoka: It's alright.

>Your hard work to protect those people was very noble.

>The villagers are still in the middle of evacuating...

>We must fight until none remain.

>Even if our situation is unfavorable, we'll show them how princesses of Hoshido fight until the bitter end.

When Corrin talks to them for the first time:

>Kamui: Are you alright?

>Hinoka: I'm fine. This is nothing for me.

>You are one of Big Brother's reinforcements...?

>Sorry, but your help isn't neccessary.

>On my pride as a Princess of Hoshido, i will fight to the end even if i am alone.

>Kamui: I understand, but please don't overdo it. We will do something about the enemy.

>Hinoka: Hey, wait.

>Kamui: Yeah?

>Hinoka: For the time being...I am grateful for your assistance. Thanks.

>You can take this medicine. Your wounds should heal if you use it.

>Don't worry about me. I’m still going good.

This introduces and defines Hinoka as someone who cares about the safety of the innocent people of the village, is willing to die fighting in order to protect them, is so prideful as to refuse help at first and tries to downplay how bad her situation really was, before softening up after Corrin shows genuine concern for her, gives them some medicine, and reassures them that she's fine, showing she does care after all.

She never mentions Corrin once in any of those dialogues, unless you count being surprised at being told Corrin's name at the end of that last dialogue and repeating it in shock.

THEN she breaks down crying after finding out her sibling she thought was either gone forever or dead was alive and had returned to them, Ryoma mentions that she trained hard to get them back from Nohr, and then she calls all of Nohr evil for sending the Faceless to Hoshido and kidnapping a child, promising to make them pay for what they did to Corrin, all of which pales in comparison to what her previous dialogues estabilish about her personality.

And lastly, i don't see why the first point is a bad thing as long as it's justified in-universe. All the people listed have very good reasons to care so much about Corrin, so i don't see the issue with them being introduced and defined, mostly just at first btw, by their relationship to them.

Odo repeats the exact same complaint about the future sight being underutilized, this time with an unnecessary Awakening comparison, and gets to a section i have a lot to say about:

> Corrin's established character up until this point makes returning to Nohr a very unlikely option.

This is not solely a subjective opinion, but rather an idea the game has gone out of its way to reinforce. Let's take a look at what the player knows of Corrin and the conflict thus far:

>1) Corrin hates violence and killing and is ready to go against Garon in order to defend people. The Nohrians are unambiguously the aggressors in this conflict.

I don't think it matters too much who started this war; picking either side means Corrin spends months engaging in violence and killing innocent people, and they know that.

They know that the rank-and-file soldiers are likely just following orders, that Felicia, Flora, and Jakob are still in Nohr, as far as they know, and that they'll probably have to fight and kill them if they side with Hoshido, and most importantly, that the Nohrian siblings won't take this blatant betrayal standing and will try to fight them. They're not going to be eager to side with Hoshido and more likely than not be forced to fight and kill their own siblings, who they know are good people, along with their own friends on the Nothern Fortress AND a shitload of likely-conscripted soldiers just for a shot at killing the people actually responsible for this, even if it's the better choice morally.

>2) Corrin knows Garon murdered Sumeragi, their real father, and kidnapped them as a child.

>3) Garon has been sending monsters into Hoshido to cause as much destruction and suffering as possible.

Both of those just sound like good tactics to me. Kill the leader of the country you're currently at war with in an ambush, take the young child with him as your own to both deprive the rest of the Hoshidan royal family of manpower and increase your own, and destabilize the opposing country by hassling them.

It isn't nice to do any of those things, granted, but this is a war. Not only can Garon easily justify all of those with pragmatism rather than him being evil, the Hoshidans also attempt to do the first and third ones multiple times throughout the different routes, and Corrin even siding with Hoshido in the first place means they're dedicated to killing Garon by any means neccessary, including ambushing him while he's enjoying a show, so i don't see why they'd take that much issue with that.

>4) Garon gave Corrin a magical sword which exploded, killing Mikoto, and before that almost killed Corrin themselves. It also came close to killing Corrin at the Bottomless Canyon.

They have no proof Garon intended for any of that to happen, other than the fact that it's incredibly convenient for Nohr that the barrier around Hoshido went down as a result of Ganglari exploding, which is not evidence.

>5) Garon was behind the assassination of Gunter, orchestrated by Iago and carried out by Hans. Gunter meant a lot to Corrin and was one of the few constants in their life.

Corrin literally has no evidence for that claim whatsoever other than a beaten, retreating Hans telling them as much, which could just as easily be an excuse he made up on the spot to try and stop Corrin from killing him.

>Now, obviously, the argument is that Corrin cannot abandon the family they grew up with, but Corrin themselves even said that they wouldn't regret dying if they died kind. Assisting in the invasion of an innocent nation with the knowledge of everything mentioned above is shaky at best and most certainly not kind.

Fighting and killing their way through a nation they know is filled with innocent people just to take down the three guys responsible for fucking everything up isn't kind either, if still moreso than choosing Nohr.

The only choice Corrin can make at this point that doesn't involve throwing away at least part of the kindness they displayed at the start of the game for the sake of joining a war is picking neither side, but we'll get there later.

And besides, this is assuming humans are always perfectly consistent with their stated morality, which is evidently untrue. People can and do betray previously stated beliefs for multiple reasons, including emotion, and i don't see why Corrin would, or even should, be exempt from that, especially since picking Hoshido doesn't mean just themselves dying for the sake of saving the lives of defenseless P.O.Ws; it means betraying and very likely killing the only family they know, along with their friends and a bunch of random soldiers, for the sake of killing three evil people. Those are two very different consequences for a moral choice.

>Corrin has been consistently portrayed as too kind for their own good and ready to stand up for their beliefs, even against their family members; Xander won't win them over by saying "if we kill them all here, they'll be demoralized and we can conquer Hoshido more easily!"

From a pragmatic sense, it could appeal to Corrin. Nohr is so much stronger than Hoshido that any chances Hoshido has of winning this war are slim to none, and prolonging a war they know they can't win will do nothing but cause further casualties. Assuming Corrin already agrees that Nohr winning is a foregone conclusion (which is weird of Xander to do, admittedly, but maybe that's just some good old-fashioned patriotism seeping through), then yeah, that IS a pretty good argument for Corrin joining them.

>Furthermore, and this is important: returning to Nohr is effectively suicide. As listed above, as far as Corrin knows Garon wants them dead. Garon ordered Xander to kill Corrin if they stood in his way after the fight with the prisoners of war, the sword given to Corrin by Garon flung them down the Bottomless Canyon, and when it exploded in chapter five it's possible Corrin would've died if not for Mikoto.

I've already given my counterarguments for the last two points before, but even assuming, for the sake of the argument, that Corrin does believe Garon intended for the last two things to happen, i find it odd to list Garon threatening to have Xander kill Corrin for openly disobeying a direct order as one of the reasons for their distrust. It isn't nice to try and have them killed because they wouldn't commit a war crime, but that isn't in any way evidence that he'll try to kill them at the first available opportunity.

>We know that Garon commands absolute obedience and is a tyrannical psychopath who even indulges in the occasional maniacal laughter. Going back to Nohr isn't, or shouldn't, be as easy as just waltzing over to the Nohrian side of the conflict.

And given the only things Corrin knows for certain, Garon has literally only threatened to do something bad to them when they disobeyed an order, and by all accounts, they went above and beyond in their mission: instead of just taking over some random fort, they helped kill the leader of the opposing country and gave Nohr a chance to invade Hoshido, even if by accident. Corrin has zero reason to believe that anything bad would happen to them if they went back to Nohr.

>Having to pay for multiple paths

>Of course, if you only bought Conquest, you've got no choice but to go down that route anyway! That is another major flaw with the way Fates is structured: you're stuck with the version you bought, so if the prologue convinced you to want to experience one side rather than the other, you need to fork up more money. Needless to say, while not directly related to the quality of the writing, it is not conducive to the players' immersion.

>More than that, you barely know these characters you're meant to fight for after only a few chapters. If you bought only one version physically you're locked into your choice and likely selected that path either for the marketed gameplay difficulty or because you liked the design of the Pokémon anime characters on one side more than the other - a very common joke in the days leading up to Fates' release. The choice, as it's presented, was likely already determined before you reached this point.

This is honestly the weirdest part of this entire post. What does the completely out-of-universe criticism of “it was greedy of IS to make you pay for the different routes”, which i agree with for the record, have anything to do with the writing in Fates? Doesn't this contradict your earlier statement of “I will only be discussing the writing, plot, characters, etc., unless there is a rare instance where I need to comment on gameplay elements which directly tie into the plot.”?

And that was the branch of fate section of this analysis.

Overall, i'd say there's a few good points here, like the pacing and unasked questions, that are, unfortunately, overwhelmed by a sea of easily-debunked nitpicks, bad faith interpretations of developer intention, characterizations and plot points, and multiple arguments criticizing dialogues or plot points that only happen in the localization, not the plot as it was actually written.

Unfortunately for everyone, this is far from the last time these flaws will pop up in this analysis series.

See y'all next part.