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felassan · 5 months ago

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard - known Character Creation info Part 1

[LINK TO PART 2]

This post is just a dump collection of info and snippets that came out about CC (& some related topics). if you've been following the news or reading posts here, it's not new info or anything, I just put it together in one place here for convenience. ( ˶´ ᵕ `˶ )

if you notice anything missing, pls lmk. there's a bit of repetition of info in places as prev posts on the topic overlapped.

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CC is vast [source] and immensely detailed [source]

We will enter CC straight after Varric’s opening narration [source]

You are given 5 categories to work your way through in CC: Lineage, Appearance, Class, Faction, Playstyle. Each of these has a range of subcategories within them. There are 8 subcategories within the “head” subcategory" in “Appearance” alone [source]

Lineage dictates things like race (i.e. human, elf, dwarf, qunari) and backstory [source]

Backstories include things like factions. Factions offer 3 distinct buffs each [source]

There are dozens and dozens of hairstyles [source]

There are separate options for binary and non-binary pronouns and gender [source]

“BioWare’s work behind the scenes, meanwhile, goes as deep as not only skin tones but skin undertones, melanin levels, and the way skin reacts differently to light” [source]

CC has a range of lighting options within it so that you can check how the character looks in them [source]

There are a range of full-body customization options such as a triangular slider between body types and individual settings down to everything from shoulder width to glute volume [source]. There are “all the sliders [we] could possibly want”. The body morpher option allows us to choose different body sizes [source]

All body options are non-gendered [source]

They/them pronouns are an option [source]

Rook can be played as non-binary [source]

Individual strands of hair were rendered separately and react remarkably to in-game physics [source]

Special, focused attention was paid to ensuring that hairstyles “come across as well-representative, that everyone can see hairstyles that feel authentic to them, even the way they render” [source]

The game uses strand hair technology borrowed in part from the EA Sports games. The hair is “fully-controlled by physics,” so it “looks even better in motion than it does here in a standstill” [source]

The ability to import our choices from previous games is fully integrated into CC. This will take the form of tarot cards - “you can go into your past adventures” and this mechanic tells you what the context was and what decision you want to make [source]

In CC we will also be able to customize/remake our Inquisitor [source]

A core tenet of the game is “be who you want to be” [source]

There are presets for all 4 of the game’s races (human, elf, dwarf, qunari), in case detailed CCs overwhelm you [source]

It is the best CC BioWare has ever made in a game [source]

The faction we choose will determine who we as protagonist Rook were before they were recruited to put a stop to Solas [source]

Certain conversation options are only available to Rooks of certain factions. For example, Grey Wardens get conversation options that are focused on the Blight, as they know more about it from other people. It also impacts how people talk to Rook (reactivity from characters and then faction reactivity from plots relating to that faction) [source]

Faction choice affects a lot of things [source]

There aren’t unique missions (I think this means like the playable Origins in DA:O), but faction choice does set the course for Rook for the rest of the game [source]

“body customization and morphing. From more muscular characters, to curvier builds, and just about any shape you want to give your character, there are all sorts of toggles to adjust so you can give them any figure you want”. “There’s even features that let you choose proportions, so you can alter their height, give them wider shoulders, and much more” [source]

There are makeup options [source]

There are tattoo options [source]

The hair uses a “Strand system” to “make them behave and move in a believable way for the different races” [source].

There are 4 voices to choose from for Rook: two feminine and tow masculine (one American, one British for each) [source]

In CC, 'Lineage’ is the game’s parlance for race i.e. human, elf, dwarf, qunari [source]

We can pick Rook’s name, but the dialogue calls them 'Rook’ [source]

In CC we can “make a few key decisions that will impact how The Veilguard begins” [source]

“I really do think its our most feature-ful character creator ever.” [source]

All armor and clothing options will scale and mesh to any body type [source]

The character creator has lots of sliders for body parts and overall shape, none of which are tied to the voice or pronouns (she/her, he/him, or they/them) that you choose [source]

“Epler took special care to show off the extensive curly and textured hair options in the game, including several versions of braids and locs, noting that increasing these options in particular was very important to the team” [source]

You can change your character’s physical appearance at any time during the game, but not their class or backstory [source]

“Each individual class has some variability, too; even the mage class has some up-close-and-personal attacks, since a mage player character could still conceivably have an assassin backstory and would therefore need to have some attacks to accommodate that sort of career path” [source]

“ "We’ve spent a lot of time thinking about skin tone,” Corinne said. The character we made, a Black elf, seemed to glow in the bluish light of a nighttime scene, and under bright sunlight, I could see the richness of his color. Corinne: "We want to make sure that skin tone is reflected authentically” “ [source]

” “We have dozens and dozens of hair types,” she said. “And they’re fully affected by physics.” The quality and variety of choices I saw delighted me. The rows of bouncy, luxurious-looking hair of all curl types and textures (and yes, the annoyingly ubiquitous “Killmonger cut” was among the options, what can you do?) brought the biggest smile to my face in the hour I spent with Busche and The Veilguard.“ [source]

BioWare confirmed that even if you make your Rook a short king, the team has done work to ensure animations fit any character build [source]

“Dragon Age’s character creator has seen a massive glow-up” [source]. “The volume of choices you get here are frankly insane. As Epler noted, “you could spend forever here,” and he’s not kidding.” [source] The art and graphics teams spent a lot of time trying to make hair look amazing [source: the Discord]

In CC we can customise our “bulge size” [source]

Some more detail on the new lighting options to see how Rook looks like in CC when you make them: you can view them in “blazing forest sunshine versus the glare of an underground temple” [source]

“newly mobile, extra-hairy hair” [source]

Faction choice has statistical boons. For example, Shadow Dragon Rook deals extra damage to Venatori blood cultists [source]

Faction choice basically determines why Rook has been called to help in the fight against Solas [source]

All pre-determined character models in CC can be adjusted [source]

You can make a really tall dwarf if you want [source]

“Setting your previous world state is fully integrated into the character creator for Veilguard” [source: the Discord]

Inquisitor appearance will be re-created, there is no way to carry their appearance from DA:I into the game [source: the Discord]

Classes for Rook are not restricted in the sense that you can play any almost class, lineage and faction combination that you want. For example, a mage Rook can be a Crow [source: the Discord] (Fel note: it sounded like Rook cannot be a magic-wielding dwarf, even though the exception of Harding now exists) (Fel note: there is a mage Crow in one of the books)

“The diverse body and gender options make it an industry leader by a signifcant margin” [source]

“BioWare was keen to highlight the hair strand technology that looked very similar to that seen in FIFA and EA FC, also made under EA’s roof” [source]

“Fine tuning sliders that allowed for microscopic adjustments of nose angles, it was clear that a lot of options exist to get the smallest possible body parts exactly right” [source]

“There’s no specific genital customisation to be oversold as CDPR did but, much like Saints Row, there is an option for bulge customisation” [source]

Pronoun choice, gender identity, body type, and voice choice are 4 separate options, not tied together [source]

Height is customised on a slider [source]

Size is customized on a triangle like in Saints Row: the 'points’ are fat, slim and muscular [source]

The different lighting options are 4 different settings: clean, bright, dim, sunset [source]

In CC you can also try out what Rook looks like in their starting rags, in typical mid-game armor, and some level 50 gear (class appropriate for each one) [source]

There’s a way for you to modify your character’s look once the game has started if you want to make some tweaks [source: the official Discord]

You can be any class and choose any backstory/faction, any race, any gender [source]

The opening cinematic Varric narrates at the start of the game plays before CC. “Following character creation, Varric’s narration continues, revealing that he’s put together a group to stop Solas, having recruited our character and a handful of others so far.” [source]

Faction choice affects in-game moments between other factions and locations, as well as characters [source]

Re: using body sliders in CC - “It looked incredibly easy to maneuver around and create a body that is either close to that player’s real personage or their ideal fantasy self” [source]

“Our presenter said that each specialization was pretty much as deep as a job” [source]

“Many fans were subject to the horror of DA Inquition’s special green light, so BioWare made it where players could shuffle through a handful of backgrounds to see how their character looks in different lights. Body sliders for fully customizable bodies, other appearance changes like tattoos, and everything fans would expect from a modern Dragon Age character creator seemed to be there.” [source]

Rook always shares a background with 1 of the companions. Makes sense, the backgrounds are Wardens, Crows, Shadow Dragons, Mourn Watch, Veil Jumpers, Lords of Fortune, and that’s Davrin, Lucanis, Neve, Emmrich, Bellara, Taash respectively [source]

The CC team and character art team spent a lot of time working on making sure that hairstyles behaved appropriately, in a realistic way, and on representing a lot of different hairstyles [source]

“We were told that one of the three key pillars of the game was ‘Be Who You Want To Be.’” [source]

“Numerous selections for a wide variety of body types & skin tones” [source]

There is faction-themed gear to wear, like if you chose Grey Warden as a background, there is GW gear. [source: The Discord]

“As a faction, the Inquisition doesn’t really feature prominently in the story - your appearance options are more reflective of the factions and styles you’ll encounter in The Veilguard.” [source: The Discord]

body sliders + “a triangle for gradients of body types” [source]

“The team heard us loud and clear on hair styles”. Frostbite engine updates served them well. Hair moves with your body and reacts to the wind [source]

For pronouns and gender selections, everything you select is used in the game and in cutscenes [source]

They were asked about the customizability of Rook’s backstory. Rook has 6 different backgrounds that you can choose from. Each of them is tied to one of the major factions in DA:TV. “Each one sets up who Rook was before they were recruited by Varric. Well that sets out the broad events. As you go through the game, as you have conversations, either with members of your faction, other characters, you can define not just what those events were but what they meant to you. What was your motivation, what was the kind of person you are as you build up Rook. Because again, we wanna make sure that roleplaying is at the heart of this experience, and taking Rook, giving them background to ground them in the world and then letting you decide what that means, what that says about you, is also a big part of it.” “A lot of opportunities to really define who your Rook was and who they are now, so.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

They have taken a different approach on how we import our decisions into the game this time around. This is now fully integrated into the character creator. The devs believe that this serves a dual purpose. Corinne said that she playfully thinks of it as ‘last time on Dragon Age’, though it isn’t actually called this in the game. She noted that it has been ten years since the last Dragon Age game was released, so this aspect serves as a refresher on critical events as well as allowing us to remake those decisions that are critical to us. The system for doing this is very highly visual and uses the familiar tarot card aesthetic. “It’s a very visual and playful experience as you go through it.” It was very important to them that this system was built into the client, so that you can play this game entirely offline. No online connection is required, no linking to EA accounts is required – this was a big fan request.

Corinne added, “I don’t want to spoil anything by revealing what decisions you can import, but I will say that this [thinking about the decision import system and what decisions to include] has been a really interesting creative intersection for us, because on the one hand, this is a whole new adventure”. In this game we are in northern Thedas, in locations we have not been to before. This naturally affects “some of what will matter and what decisions they’re not using this time around, as far as decisions. But obviously there are some very, very clear connections to existing characters.” “It’s no secret that the Inquisitor is going to show up, so that’s a factor”. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

In CC, Rook’s pronouns can be chosen. You can select both pronouns AND gender, as as Corinne noted, these are related concepts, but actually not exactly the same thing. Rook can be non-binary. The pronouns available are she/her, they/them, and he/him. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

The Character Creator is very detailed and very deep. The team focused a lot on doing good hair and doing hair and skin tones respectfully. There is full body customization. They are going to show us a lot more on CC in the future, but at a time when they have the time and space to do so. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

Q. How extensive are Rook’s decision trees for companions and NPCs throughout the game going to be?

A. “Huge. It’s a Dragon Age game. We wanna make sure you have choices, we wanna make sure you can choose your roleplaying but also choose outcomes of conversations, choose how events unfold. We wanna make sure that we also react to decisions you’ve made. So, for example, you may be talking to a follower who is an elf, and if you yourself are an elf, obviously you’re gonna have a different perspective on events than someone who is not an elf. Sometimes that means different conversation options. Sometimes that’s going to mean entirely deep dialogue trees. As well as based off decisions you’ve made throughout the game, so. Again, making sure that the game feels like the it’s noticing what you’re doing is a huge part of how we’ve written out the dialogue trees in this game.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

“There are quite a few, easily more than we’ve done before I think, tattoos from various cultures. We’re bringing the vallaslin back of course. There are a ton of different options, especially when we’re going into all of these new regions. Each region has its own kinda visual language for that. But yeah, we are bringing the vallaslin back, and then a couple of the characters have them, but we’ve kinda customized them a little bit, they’re a bit more specific to their personality.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

Corinne’s favorite thing other than the companions is the CC. “That CC, the makeup options, the range of sliders… I’m a qunari fan, so even just the way you customize the horns and combine that with the really great looking hair”. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

The Inquisitor can be customized, “include some of our new customization options”. “Yeah, they’re gonna show up and they’re gonna be your Inquisitor.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

We will get to see the Character Creator before launch. “They are laying out a roadmap for what we are going to show and when we are gonna talk about it. So, yes, you will see it, as we get a little bit closer to launch.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

In CC, the body customization can be done for humans, elves, dwarves and qunari. Qunari hair options and horn options are rad. They acknowledged that it was hard to have nice-looking hair for qunari in DA:I. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

“Related to this, your Lineage (human/elf/dwarf/qunari) gives you a lot of really unique dialogue options, so that’s a really lovely aspect of choosing your lineage as well.” “Each lineage, depending on the lineage you choose and the background you choose, there are some specific call outs to. For example, if it’s the Mourn Watch, them being a faction from Nevarra of mages, obviously your experience as a dwarf there is going to be different than say a human or an elf, so, there are also specific callouts tailored to those combinations with again, the intention of giving each lineage their own little flavor as to how they fit into that faction as a whole.” [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

“Rook’s last name is defined based on their faction, again, we wanted to tie that into your backstory, but also, there’s a name generator that can give you a selection of first names. Obviously if you want to make your own first name, that’s definitely something we support as well.” But if you always struggle during CC and name all your characters like 'Bob’ or something, you’re gonna be okay thanks to the name generator. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

"some of what I saw behind closed doors, as well as the way the devs spoke openly about the passion for diversity, gave me a lot of hope for this installment." [source]

"A New Peak For Progressive Character Creators. My first thought as I watched the dev take us through Dragon Age: The Veilguard's character creator at Summer Game Fest was 'okay, everyone can shut up about Cyberpunk 2077 now'." "Dragon Age, as I've written about in more depth in my full breakdown, cares. It takes elements of Cyberpunk 2077 and Saints Row, plus its own creator from 2014's Inquisition which was then best-in-show and remains a contender even today. It acknowledges the trans experience in a multitude of ways, likely owing heavily to game director Corinne Busche being a trans woman and therefore able to inject a personal perspective that most other games lack." "The dev also made a Black woman during our gameplay demo" [source]

The world reacts to Rook’s lineage and backstory. There are unique dialogues or conversation options based on backstory and lineage. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

There are glorious, fantastic dwarf beards. "I don’t know what magic the character art team did with the beards”, but they feel/look like how beards should. [source: June 14th Discord Q&A with devs]

On the slider for body type selection: “It looked incredibly easy to maneuver around and create a body that is either close to that player’s real personage or their ideal fantasy self” [source]

“Our presenter said that each specialization was pretty much as deep as a job” ((job - class)) [source]

“sliding a cursor across a triangle that can make your character stocky and chubby or tall and muscular or anything in between” [source]

#dragon age: the veilguard #dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #solas #lgbtq #this is a topic ppl care a lot about so here's the info (that I know of anyway #there could be more) in one place rather than spread across 90000 posts haha..

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maybeelse · 2 months ago

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The Problem of Witches

"What is true power" is supposed to be one of those deep, philosophical questions with no real answer. It—and the thought experiments which grow on it like clinging weeds—are meant to become a mirror to the speaker's biases, to reveal how they think about the world. Let that be so.

To my mind, the answer is simple: true power is control of the context in which the world is understood. It is the ability to say "this is what the world is", and be heard.

It is intoxicating, and dangerous, and many-layered.

Seen through the fantastical lenses of works like This Is How You Lose The Time War and The Book of the War it is conflicting frameworks of the Commandant and the Garden or the Great Houses' anchoring of the thread (the creation of history with themselves at the center). It is the pinions which Exordia's Khai place in their subjects' souls, narrative prisons that make the Khai's success inevitable; it's Elden Ring's outer gods struggling for control of what the world will become.

In the real world it's the narratives which bind our comprehension of what the world could be, and what it is; and it's the processes which led to their current state. It's all of the choices that constrain the space of what's possible.

Perhaps this is an unsatisfying answer. Perhaps it is trite. Perhaps I'm just vaguely waving my hands and going "society's the real power, man! It's everything around us!" So be it.

In my own stories, there is magic: the ability to change parts of the world. Sometimes this is fundamentally altering part of the world (sunlight is a honey-thick liquid, that drips and stains and smells of sweet rot); more often it's changing the way something works (as long as you remember to chant these words once a day, your body will become soft and plump) or what part of the setting is like (things around the graveyard doll get spooky and sepulchral).

That's not an exhaustive list, by the way.

And then, there are witches, and the problems they create.

By the time a witchling becomes a small-witch, their existence has already begun to distort the world. Rules stop applying, or get more complex, or more conditional. There are loopholes.

Put too many small-witches in close proximity, and weird stuff happens. Things skew and break; points of disagreement or conflict gather narrative weight. There is always potential for escalation.

And then there are true witches. "A skin worn by a fragment of the Unreal", I said. "The hollow left behind by a hidden heart. Someday a sparrow will wear down the mountains which stand beyond the world and they will watch, uncaring." And then, lest I be misread, "their presence leaks into the world, corrupts narratives, stains souls. They become undeniable. Some call this a curse."

By their mere existence, they shape the world.

I've been grappling with the consequences of that ever since I started writing about them.

Because—think about it. What does that do to a world? What happens?

My forever-unfinished map of the City of Corrade shows that city as a series of thin bubbles, with buildings and forests and suns clinging to their pastel surfaces. Setting cast as a series of moods, as layers, as abstract bubbles of influence; a city seen through the lens of subway trains, connected-yet-disconnected. In many respects this is a concession to my writing; landmarks recur, and moods, but everything around them (and their relationships to each other) shift as easily as a dream's psychogeography.

That, then, is what happens to the people and places within a true witch's influence. They exist within her context, within her understanding of what the world is. In Corrade, capitalism only exists in the city's Downtown, whose striving spires cling tight to the Astral Witch's midnight observatory; the waves of gentrification and decay which lap at the city's client suburbs flow from the blended presence of several lesser true witches. Crossroads Station, HER orbital citadel, a relic of a long-ended war still ringed watchful angels, exists only because of the power slowly leaching from HER still-warm corpse.

And at their feet the lesser creatures squabble and struggle and try to thrive. Some become witches; most do not.

I grew up across the bay from San Francisco, all those years ago, and perhaps that tells you something of why I understand geography in terms of the great powers that affect it, of the titans whose movements shake the world and the fungal outgrowths of the lesser powers which serve their whims. Today I regard them as pathetic, all those child-kings clawing at the edges, desperate for more, for the glory of their unfinished apotheosis, for a final escape from reality's laws and constraints—but that's part of my witches, too. Abusers are fundamentally pathetic; powers grow so tangled in the context they create that they can never break free. They choke and die on their own success, still unsatisfied, still wanting more.

That hunger is all they are.

#worldbuilding #witchposting #essays #I have been very careful not to talk about capitalist realism here #or about marvel movies and the scope of possible narratives #but I'm sure you can see those shadows lurking just outside

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thecoffinsys · 7 days ago

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Slay the Princess is the perfect demonstration of trauma, dissociation, and systemhood.

I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS. And it's NOT just for the reasons you may think. Yes, it is due to the multitude of voices, but that isn't all there is to systemhood. Slay the Princess dives into almost every fundamental stage of grief, trauma, stress, and body sensations regarding traumatic events that we as a collective have ever experienced. Stay with me.

SYSTEMHOOD

Not only does Slay the Princess display systemhood through the multitude of voices, inability to come to a conclusion on outerbody decisions, and having different methods of how to survive specific situations— it also displays systemhood through loss of time, depersonalization, loss of identity and sense of self, alters having abilities over the body that others do not, looping the same trauma over and over again, and rapidly splitting due to traumatic experiences — even down to not being believed by family members when you tell them something horrible happened to you.

The entire idea of jumping from one alternative world to the next after dying or making the incorrect choice perfectly displays a repetition of the same traumatic memory over and over again, the mind trying to logistically think of what could have been done differently as a means of coping with what really happened. When you fail to save the world in one reality, your mind restarts the entire scenario again, trying to find a better option to the mistake you've already made.

The Stranger rout perfect displays depersonalization, dissociation, loss of self and identity, and confusion regarding time. The second you step down a staircase, you completely and utterly forget yourself in the mundane action. Forgetting who you are, where you are, what your purpose truly is - and sinking deep within your own mind, until suddenly you're right where you are meant to be and have no memory of how you got there. It's so perfect in how it shows the confusion and distress.

This game is about becoming. whole. Gaining. A sense. Of self. And purpose. Gaining more perspectives, more understandings of what it means to be a person. (Oh my god I'm screaming)

In The Nightmare, the voice of the Paranoid displays perfectly symptoms of not only paranoia regarding trauma, but symptoms of OCD due to trauma. He has an ability that no other alter has, which is to keep their organs running by participating in his own compulsion. Which really displays how some alters have abilities that other do not, because to be a system, you must be fragmented. Several shards of glass attempting, to the best of their ability, to be a functional mirror- but never having the exact strength. And different shards will hold different capabilities than those who are smaller, weaker, and carry smaller and/or more specific burdens. Paranoid is a very big shard, I think.

Following that — mirrors are a huge motif of the game. Not only do you continuously see them in every rout, but you end each rout by finally looking at yourself and seeing you for you. And the more perspectives you gain, the less "you" you truly feel. You become tired, withered. But it is all in the efforts to "become whole". To make this being of perception finally understand what it means to be more than just broken worlds creating branching understandings.

In A Moment of Clarity, dozens of voices begin to cloud our understanding due to the very traumatic thing we experienced in the last world. A rapid split because of trauma! We become more broken; "losing ourselves". Now there are even more conflicting thoughts, feelings, and opinions regarding how we should go about surviving- and it displays our further descent from our sense of self. Which is ironic given the name of the ending!

And finally (but most definitely not finally, I could keep going on and on but no one would want to read all of that), The Narrator never believing you when you tell him you've been here before, have experienced horrors that he could never imagine, and have been through countless nightmares. But not only does he not believe you, he will also ridicule your idea, and go on to say "you failed because you didn't listen to me" or "you damned another world because of what you did". Puts the blame on us, once again. It's the same thing a lot of systems do experience in the real world. You try to reach out, you try to explain to someone you trust that something horrible happened to you, but you're met with disbelief and shamed for your own trauma. Made to feel like the guilty one when you are in fact the victim- the survivor. That one stood out to me very personally.

. . .

I really want to go on but this is already a billion paragraphs and I worry no one will even get this far. But this game means a lot to us as a system and as someone who experiences things very similar to what is displayed in the game on a daily basis. Slay the Princess might be one of our all time favorite games as of right now, especially considering the guy who traumatized us for 200 episodes straight is the main guy voicing the entire thing- that also helps with sentiment-

Uhhhh thank you for reading if you made it this far :]

#🩻 Tim's Posts #The Coffin System #did #did system #dissociative identity disorder #actually did #system stuff #slay the princess #stp #plural community #actually plural #plurality #plural system

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onigiriico · 1 year ago

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Mikoto audio drama (t2) - English TL

[ links: Spotify | YouTube ]

Mikoto-ing again 🫡 I know I say this like every other post, but I 100% recommend listening to the audio alongside the translation! On one hand the VAs just did an amazing job on this, and on the other hand I also feel like it'll. probably make the switches more obvious than I can convey in text lol

Little disclaimer about the way I translated the DID terminology here: I know the correct term in English is "alter", but in the JP audio they're consistently referred to as "personalities" (人格 / jinkaku) while the closest Japanese equivalent to "alter" seems to be 自我 / jiga, from what I could find. I generally try to stick as closely to the JP terminology with my translations as possible, so I mostly went with "personality". I really don't want to offend anyone here so I hope that's a somewhat okay choice ahshbsdj

Okay. Okay that got lengthy. As usual, if you find any mistranslations, have questions, etc etc feel free to send me an ask or hit me up on Twitter where I drop by, like, once a month 😅 And now without further ado:

⬇️ translation under the cut ⬇️

(Es enters)

E: Mikoto…

M: Ah… Hi, Warden-kun.

E: You… are Mikoto, right?

M: Uh… What are you talking about? It really feels like it’s been a while, doesn’it? How have you been? – Huh? What’s that…? Chains? Oh, no. Take them off!

E: I refuse. You’re too dangerous. Physical restrictions are necessary.

M: Umm… (laughs) What are you saying, restricting someone who can’t even hurt a fly?

E: You really aren’t aware, huh…

M: Well, I mean… I do get it. I… go out of control while I’m asleep, right?

E: …

M: The others told me about it. How I got into a fistfight with Koto-chan and whatnot.

E: Seems like it, yeah.

M: I wonder if it’s like… some kind of sleepwalking…? After all, I’ve been losing sleep more and more often recently… Man… It’s really troublesome, isn’t it?

E: Mikoto…

M: The others are all scared of me. I can tell by looking at the way they act. Because I read the room.

E: …

M: It’s pretty tough, isn’t it? (laughs) Ever since I came here, so much has been happening that I don’t understand…

E: … You really… do laugh when you’re suffering, huh?

M: Huh?

E: You don’t get angry. You don’t scream. You laugh, like it’s a minor inconvenience.

M: Ah… I guess so. I might have that kind of trait.

E: …

M: Usually, if you just laugh and pretend, things work out in the end, right? I’m pretty good at that. Making things work out to the best of my abilities.

E: Is that so…

M: (laughs) …But… it’s not coming to an end. All of this. With things I’ve never even heard before, the whole ti—

E: …

M: —the whole time… I have to make all these irritating experiences…!

E: You came out, huh.

M: Hey. Looks like you haven’t gotten a beating yet, Warden brat.

E: …!

M: Hah? What, are you scared?

E: Like you didn’t get beaten by Kotoko…!

M: Hah. That was just because she caught me off guard. We went at it again while you were asleep, and it’s not like I lost there.

E: Multiple personalities… Am I right with the assumption that the you I’m talking to right now is another personality of Mikoto’s?

M: Well, I guess that’s about right.

E: I see. What do you want me to call you?

M: Huh? You’re accepting this pretty readily, aren’t you. Wouldn’t the whole multiple personalities thing normally raise some eyebrows?

E: Yeah. I also didn’t think it was real, at first.

M: Figures. If it wasn’t me, I wouldn’t believe it either. I’d just think it’s a lie someone came up with to get away with murder.

E: But Milgram acknowledges that [it is real] in your case. I simply accept that as the truth, and develop my thoughts from there. So? What do you want me to call you? Your name.

M: No clue about that. Just call me whatever.

E: … For convenience, I’ll be calling you John.

M: Sounds like a dog’s name.

E: It’s derived from John Doe, the name given to unidentified bodies. Do you like it?

M: Can’t say I’m very fond of the way you’re flaunting your knowledge.

E: … Anyway. You’re acting pretty calm today, aren’t you? I thought of you more like a monster of some sort. I wasn’t expecting to have such a proper conversation with you.

M: Don’t get cocky! If not for these chains, I would’ve beaten your face in by now, brat.

E: Ohh, scary, scary.

M: Hmph.

E: John, you are not a prisoner of Milgram. The fact that Milgram’s usual restraints are ineffective against you is more proof for that than anything. Milgram has judged that Mikoto is the prisoner, and you, as his alter, are an exception.

M: Huhh, I see. So that’s why you believe that there’s multiple personalities.

E: That’s why I thought I would try and talk to you as a key witness today. I’m rather glad that you’re being cooperative.

M: But, you know… This isn’t a good thing, probably.

E: What do you mean?

M: I (boku) might be trying to disappear.

E: …

M: Evidently, the time I (ore) have been fronting has been getting longer, so this “me” has been able to stabilize. Isn’t that the reason we can talk properly?

E: …

M: If I had stayed a monster… maybe that would be better.

E: …

M: What?

E: You’ve turned out to be much more rational than I expected… I’m surprised.

M: I’m a university graduate, after all.

E: (sighs)

M: As for alters… Why do you think they’re born?

E: In precise terms, it’s called dissociative identity disorder – generally speaking, [it refers to] when a person experiences severe pain or stress, and a new personality is created to try and isolate [the original personality] from the resulting trauma.

M: Yeah. I… probably come out to ease the stress Boku experiences. The fact that I come out for longer just means that Boku is constantly under extreme stress.

E: Stress… Namely the environment of Milgram, right?

M: Right. Especially the fact that you judged against forgiving Boku is causing a lot of stress. That’s why he’s entrusting me with his heart.

E: I see.

M: Not like I can blame him. From his point of view, he’s being blamed for a crime he can’t even remember.

E: If that’s the truth, then… you’re the one who committed the murder?

M: Yeah, it’s me. I killed them off.

E: …

M: So Boku really didn’t do it.

E: Can I ask… why you killed them?

M: They annoyed me.

E: Who did you kill?

M: Just someone who was walking around nearby.

E: … How many did you kill?

M: Can’t remember. I was first born back then, you know. It’s kinda fuzzy.

E: How can you talk about that so calmly?

M: (sighs) According to the law, how would this go for Boku?

E: With a psychiatric evaluation, there’s a chance of a reduced sentence, but depending on the number of victims… the death penalty might be inevitable.

M: …! I– I’m the one who did it! Boku was just sleeping!

E: Is this really something that works that conveniently?

M: Just put yourself in Boku’s shoes for a moment! He was bottling up all his stress! He kept dealing with it all by himself the whole time, until it exploded! It’s not like he just decided that he wanted to hurt somebody!

E: …

M: He’s not the type of person who could do stuff like that! He always looks out for others, always reads the room, always tries to get along with people around him! He can’t do stuff like that… He was on the verge of exploding! That’s why I was born. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Boku didn’t do anything!

E: Even if that’s true… Even if it wasn’t what Mikoto wanted – someone’s life was still lost.

M: …!

E: Even if it was you, John, who was in [your body at the time] – there’s no way for you to prove that. At the very least not in a way that would be accepted in court. It could still be judged that you’re pretending—

M: You…!! What do you think?

E: I…?

M: I’m the one who did it! Boku didn’t do it! You know that because of Milgram! I don’t care about the law, I want to know what you think!

E: …

M: Please… forgive Boku. I’m the one who did it.

E: … I can’t… judge that right away. It’s not something that I can easily decide to forgive. In fact, Mikoto’s mental footage was so violent… it’s unforgivable. That’s how I judged.

M: That could also just be a fake or owed to the multiple personalities, right?! Boku really isn’t at fault! I’m the one who killed them!

E: …

M: Are you really satisfied [with the unforgiven judgment]? He turned into a murderer overnight!

E: What you did could still be considered a sin, though!

M: …! … I think… I might be the person Boku wishes he was. The person who stubbornly stands his ground, who doesn’t cry himself to sleep from stress, who gives people their payback. If I, the “ore” personality, hadn’t been born, I’m sure Boku would have reached his limit and fallen apart.

E: John… you…

M: It’s true that I was the one who wanted to destroy everything… and the weakness of Boku, who couldn’t stand up for himself all alone, might have been the origin of that. But… that’s all there is to it. Is that a sin?

E: I’ll be considering that after this.

M: After talking to you, I get that you couldn’t forgive what I did. And I’m fine with that.

E: …Yeah. That’s right.

M: The one Milgram is supposed to judge is Boku – Mikoto, right. He’s not me – so, not John.

E: Precisely.

M: Please, forgive Boku. If you don’t… I’m sure he won’t be able to deal with this any longer.

E: “A sin committed by another personality isn’t a sin”... you’re telling me that’s how I should judge?

M: Yeah. If you forgive Boku… I’ll disappear.

E: …

M: That’s right. I’ll have to disappear eventually, anyway… Disappear, and take all of it with me. I… was born to protect Boku, after all.

E: You were… born for it…

M: Yeah. If it’s for Boku, I’ll… do anything.

(machinery whirrs, bell rings)

E: John…

M: W…what? A dog’s name?

E: Mikoto…?

M: Warden-kun, you own a dog? What breed? No, wait, let me try guessing first– A toy poodle? Actually, maybe you surprisingly prefer the ugly-cute kind… like a French bulldog!

E: … No…

M: A pug, then?

E: It’s not the name of a dog!

M: Ehh… Then what…?

E: … It’s the name of your… friend.

M: (laughs) I don’t know anyone like that~

E: … I bet you don’t.

M: Huh…?

E: Prisoner no.9, Mikoto. Sing your sins.

#milgram #milgram music videos #mikoto kayano #milgram mikoto #milgram es #translation #fan translation #I'm crying can't every Milgram vd be this quick to translate /hj

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liyazaki · 1 year ago

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"specially abled" and "disabled" are absolutely, unequivocally not interchangeable terms. & yeah, it actually is that deep.

I wish my autoimmune disease made me specially abled instead of regularly ill. I'm a pro now at managing constantly-changing treatment regimens, coordinating monthly (if not more) doctor visits & endless bloodwork, but alas- that's not a superpower. it's the day-to-day reality of living with a disability.

I can only speak as a someone who was relatively healthy before I got sick, but the mourning period I went through was brutal. getting diagnosed with an incurable disease brings a metric fuckton of grief with it, requiring a huge perspective shift.

I'm an intensely independent, self-reliant person- sometimes to my own detriment. unsurprisingly, coming to terms with this new reality was no small task.

when I was finally diagnosed, I made a playlist (my go-to coping mechanism). I played one song on a loop because of its namesake line, & it still packs an emotional gut-punch for me: "I needed to lose you to love me."

I was angry at my body for 'failing' me- for having zero control over such an all-important outcome (my health). I had to reconcile myself to the reality that my life was different now. I had to lose my old view of myself to love the new version that needed more sleep, more sick days, more accommodations.

it took me years to get comfortable using the term "disability" to help describe what's now a big part of my lived experience (especially since mine is invisible). it went from being a foreign term I could've never imagined using for myself to my bridge to self acceptance.

(note: I have my own complex relationship with the term, as do most people. I’m talking about the harm in equating terms here, not implying that anyone should use these words to describe themselves. that’s entirely up to the individual.)

there's nothing romantic about my disease- a quality that "specially abled" imbues for me. do I- & all disabled people- have special abilities, valuable experience & unique skills? you bet your ass we do. one has absolutely nothing to do with the other.

every person has the right to choose the terms they're comfortable with to describe their experience. for me? treating "disability" like a dirty word 1) glosses over (if not entirely erases) the very real, life-altering struggle inherent to my condition, & 2) muddies the waters, potentially making it even more difficult for disabled people to get the accommodations we need when we need them.

using terms like "specially abled" isn't some evil, awful thing, though. if anything, it tells me that the person is trying to be delicate & respectful with their word choices. I genuinely appreciate that, even if it's misguided (in my opinion).

when in doubt? listen to how people describe themselves. honor them by using the same descriptors (unless they tell you otherwise). choose to believe people when they tell you how terms affect them.

forgive yourself if you don't always get it right- who does? perfection isn't the point- effort is the point. kindness is the point. respect is the point. how we get there is as varied as people, but it starts with the words we use.

#disability #disabled #disabilities #autoimmune #autoimmune disease #i'd say 'back to our regularly scheduled ql programming' but it was a take in the ql community that prompted this so-#back to kind respectful programming (manifesting)#mor rambles

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sharoo · 1 month ago

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Canto 7 thoughts

So me and my pals finished canto 7 yesterday and just. Projmoon how do you keep one-upping yourselves. How are you going to keep one-upping yourself we still have 5 episodes of Inferno and god knows what more after that.

So like a lot of fans i'm gonna leave my thinkpiece here and try to sort out the emotions I have about it all. This is going to be rambly as heck.

Family and how messy that can be

Bloodfiend families kind of make me short-circuit when I get thinking about them. A chosen family of blood, but one with an unfortunate power dynamic, where the children cannot willingly disobey or harm their parents.

Old Don Quixote was a good guy. He was an idealist, he treated his kids well, he wanted the best of for them. But so often they did not have a choice in his antics. Sancho herself even says, during the Bloodfiend war days, that she could not leave him.

And the fall of La Manchaland involves several instances of him making choices for others without considering them. Forcing Sancho to leave when, as the story clearly shows us, DQ is in large part her reason for living and happiness; forcing the family to first live off of flavourless mush for 200 years and then locking them away to endlessly keep on starving as they're unable to die, all for the safety of humanity.

Don Quixote has the air of someone who centres his actions on what he feels is right or wrong, not necessarily considering others?

But as someone once said, any action committed in the name of love exists outside the framework of good and evil.

I do not think DQ was evil, nor were the bloodfiends. They were just trying to survive and do what felt right. And really, Don sums it up best - he was upset with them, they were upset with him. It's not black and white.

Really, the villain here is their illness and what it forces them to do to stave it off.

But also we have another family. The family of a Bloodfiend who all her life insisted she'd start none. A chosen family who forged their closeness in blood, yet do not share it.

Heathcliff's line about your coworkers being kind of like family (of course it's him saying that, seeing how the dead rabbits replaced the Earnshaws) and then the entire group talking about how much Sancho means to them, how much her bravery inspired them...

All culminating in her telling her father about this wonderful family of twelve she's acquired. God, that just killed me in the softest way possible.

Both Don Quixotes have large families of those younger than them who are ready to fight with them, who are going to support them.

Except our Don does not have the undertone of an imbalanced power dynamic over the sinners that her father had over her and her siblings.

Even just how Sinclair, the youngest of the Sinners, looks up to Don, wants to be like her, mimicking how Sancho wanted to be like DQ as described in Hero. It's so good!

Choice

During the dungeon, we had a discussion with my friends over the postulates older Don posed - that bloodfiends cannot change their nature.

I am of the opinion that you cannot change if you are not given choice or are not aware that you have a choice. And there's a difference in meaning. When people in a state of depression bemoan unchangeability, they often are blind to the tiny changes, they wish they could drastically alter themself in an instance in order to remove whatever part of them poses them trouble. That's what Don the elder sees - they could not change.

For most of the canto, Sancho denies her ability to be better too. Bloodfiends cannot den their nature, it's useless to try. Her choices were either made for her (leaving la manchaland on Rocinante) or were made in the name of avoiding pain (forgetting oneself and slipping into a dream delusion).

But in the end, she realises that the dream of Don Quixote is one she and her father shared. That he did not force her into it, but that she inherited it through choice, through interest, through being inspired, little by little.

She chooses to continue it for them both, now that her father is too exhausted to dream it. The title of Don Quixote, much like in our world for some, becomes a symbol of daring to have a dream.

The duality of "dream as delusion" and "dream as tomorrow"

I love the dual meaning here. I love how the canto is called the Dream Ending yet in its final minutes our Don's rebuttal is literally "The Dream Un-Ending". I love how it flips her "needing to wake up" on its head.

It's not the idea of heroism she has to abandon, it's her dream of escape. Sancho became Don Quixote to escape pain. But she cannot change and become better if she just leaves all choices to her amnesiac self.

Sancho's Don Quixote act really began as wilful delusion. An escape from pain into this hope that she shared with her father, really, the most valuable elements of the memories she'd be erasing.

But that "delusion" ended up genuinely inspiring others. Especially our boy Sinclair, who wants to be like her, brave and strong.

Now she's awake to actively engage with the world, to strive for the better, to consciously dream. To hope.

The line between hopeful ideal and delusion is really just... in the eye of the beholder. At what point is it alright to chastise hope?

To wake up from it, to abandon it... it's not worth it, especially in this City ready to crush you into pieces the moment you stop hoping for a better tomorrow.

The Christian undertones

They put a confessional in La Manchaland, I get to discuss the christian undertones of the entire set up. Is it thematic? Idk, it's fun for me tho :]

Of course I in no way want to imply that this is universal for Christianity, just that, depending on your religious surrounding, it can lead to such interpretations; speaking from a perspective of a former Catholic who used to be really religious, I do see this theme of selflessness at all cost emerging here.

Selflessness and sacrifices for the sake of others can, in the right amount, be necessary and beautiful and noble. The issue is where that line crosses into indirect harm.

How much happiness must you deny yourself for the sake of others in order to be "good"? Is it even worth it?

Bloodfiends, by their nature, crave blood. It's not something they can just deny themselves. It can't kill them but the emotional toll of it is not much better.

And now imagine framing that necessity as "sin". I mean for goodness' sake, they built a confessional where bloodfiends could talk with a priest about their forbidden craving. They have to be penitent for something they cannot control.

Blood is their forbidden fruit. They disobey the teachings of the Father who built them a paradise in order to taste it, and they are subsequently punished.

#limbus company #canto vii spoilers

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zwoelffarben · 2 years ago

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#nice #right to repair movement #though I think right to repair should be limited to some extent #I don't want unqualified people trying to fix essential life-or-death things like brakes #or engines

Tags from some video it's not important, but they make me want to talk about right to repair, what it is, and what it ain't.

Right to repair is a specific framing of a more general personal and/or private property right that grants you the ability to alter or have altered on your behalf any object in your possession. Whether you want to upgrade, fix, break, downgrade, or laterally customize the object, the right to repair bestows on you that capability, and the additional unspoken right to choose any qualified person you want to make the desired alterations on your behalf if you yourself are not qualified.

The reason it's such a big deal is because companies don't want you to be able to do this. Apple, Toyota, Ford, John Deer, and so on all want you to be entirely reliant on them as the sole source of repairability and modification so they can take as large a slice of the pie out of that secondary market as they have in the primary market; because if they can charge you for repairs, or refuse to repair it at all (inventing the need for a full cost replacement) that's more profit in the shareholders' pockets.

Having the right to repair does mean having the ability to open up your car and ruin the engine; but everyone who isn't my father would never do that because cars are the most expensive consumer good normal people will ever own, and the tendency among normal people is toward preserve the car's value as a functional object.

Instead they'd take the car to an expert of their choice to be repaired on their behalf, and again Ford etc would rather you be required take it to a liscenced Ford repair person paying Ford repair liscence premiums, even for something as routine as a tire rotation or oil change, because then Ford gets a kickback which is more money than they'd get if you tooke it to the equally, or perhaps more, qualified Moe's Auto Repair that doesn't bother with Ford liscenced repair shop nonsense.

And if someone vastly unqualified to throw a wrench into their car engine does so, and shreks their car's roadworthiness, there are laws defining road worthiness and the privilege of driving which regulate to mitigate the potential damage that behavior can cause without infringing upon the right to repair. Not to mention cars without working engines don't run; just ask my father who somehow managed to completely brick his Ford F150.

...

The right to repair movement isn't telling everyone to repair everything they own themselves, or at least that's not what anyone correctly articulating the point of the right to repair movement is saying, but rather trying to free everyone from the oppressive policies of manufacturers who want a monopolistically large cut of the repairs market, and are using paternalism to justify their unfair business praxises.

#right to repair

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linkspooky · 1 year ago

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Alright so I sent this a few days ago but since tumblr ate it here it is again: Do you think Megumi has ever lived for himself? Personally I'm in the camp that he hasn't. If you think about it he's always lived for someone else (Tsumiki) or told what to do all his life (Gojo). I am a corrupt!Megumi truther and I was wondering what your take was on this since I think if the corrupt allegations are true, Megumi's gonna go fucking ape shit with all of that in mind personally.

I love reading your analysis so i'm really curious to see your take on this!

Hello to a fellow corruption megumi truther!

The short answer for this is: No, he hasn't.

I assume you want the long answer though, which will take awhile to answer. To begin with though let's define what "living for yourself" is. There's two two possible definitions I can come up with off hand.

Number One: Living for yourself is having agency. Basically it means having the power over your life to make your own decisions. Is Megumi in control of his life? Does what he wants matter?

Number Two: Living for yourself means being selfish. In this context it would mean is Megumi truly entirely selfless in his devotion to both Tsumiki and Yuji or is there an element to selfishness as well?

I'll answer both of these underneath the cut.

EGO

Megumi's stated motivation is to selfishly save others. On further elaboration in the Origin of Obeidence arc what he means is that he became a sorcerer to protect a few loved ones like Yuji and Tsumiki because he does not want to see good people suffer.

Even in the end of the Hidden Inventory flashback, it's shown to us that Megumi made the decision as a child to go with Gojo rather than the Zen'in Clan on the basis that Tsumiki would be miserable in the Zen'in. He made that life altering decision for Tsumiki's sake rather than his own.

He even says in his flashback dedicated to Tsumiki that he finds the idea of saving people as a Jujutsu Sorcerer stupid. In an interesting inversion to Geto in Hidden Inventory, Megumi doesn't really feel obligated to protect weaker people out of some higher minded ideals. He doesn't believe it's his duty to help everyone, he'll even argue against going out of their way to save strangers if they're pressed on time.

Which is why he's chosen to elevate Tsumiki and Yuji over everyone else and dedicate himself to saving them instead. That is Megumi's motivation, his choice, he's choosing to save the few out of the many. His reason for being a Jujutsu Sorcerer ties to this as well, because he's not motivated by getting stronger like Gojo, he's not out to save as many people as possible like Yuji. Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is just something that will give him the ability to protect his loved ones.

I bring up Megumi's motivation to emphasize that Megumi is making choices. Agency is the ability to make your own choices and take control in your life. Even if I'm not going to elaborate on how Megumi is someone who's basically been handed off to different people and has had little say in what he wants to do his whole life, he's still capable of making some choices of his own.

When he requests for Gojo to save Yuji, Gojo interrogates him about if that's what he personally wants and Megumi confirms it. He's going against what Jujutsu Society considers right and instead making his own selfish choice in the matter.

He says the same to Noritoshi more or less, that he's trying to follow his internal conscience rather than what other people think is right. THis is to contrast him to Noritoshi who's specifically trying to be the ideal heir for the Kamo Clan elders, so he can inherit the clan and then make it a place where his mother can belong.

Megumi is capable of making his own choices and deciding for himself, however the vast majority of time he does not do that. The panel ahead is another example of that, when the more complex politics of the Jujutsu World is brought up Megumi mentions he doesn't care.

He's capable of being decisive, but tends to be indecisive and flippant about a lot of things. One of the exmaples I bring up is how much he dismisses the possibility that Sukuna might be after him, because he cares more about Yuji's life than his own. Therefore when Yuji insists it's dangerous for Megumi to stay near him, Megumi ignores it.

Megumi is someone who has had a lot of decisions made for him in his life. He didn't choose to be a sorcerer. Gojo offered him a choice that wasn't a choice. Either he goes to the Zen'in and be a sorcerer but they'll treat Tsumiki horribly, or he goes with Gojo but Tsumiki might have a chance at a normal life.

His decision isn't made on the basis of his well being but his sister's. Gojo also walked up to a five year old child and had them make a choice that would affect the rest of their life. Not only that he exorted labor out of that child as collateral for uh.... giving that child money so he doesn't starve to death.

Megumi wasn't raised as a child, he was raised as a sorcerer. He was raised with the implicit idea that he owed Gojo and that he'd be a future return on Gojo's investment in him. Neither of these things make Megumi inclined to make decisions about his own life... because when have his opinions mattered? When has he ever been in control of anything?

He's essentially a foster child passed between different homes that has no permanent place of belonging or family. Toji not only left him alone so often he can't even remember his father's face, but then he remarried Tsumiki's mom and abandoned both children permanently. Afterwards he finds out his father sold him, and the person who apparently "rescued" him from the Zen'in only did so to come into his life to take advantage of him.

Megumi had little control over any of that. Which is why late into his teenage years he still doesn't try to make decisions for himself or assert himself because he's had so many choices of his taken away before this. He's not allowed to do what he wants he has the massive responsibility of being a sorcerer thrust on his head because he owes Gojo for not letting him starve to death.

This results in Megumi putting little to no value in himself, and even being shown as suicidal at several points going out of his way to try sacrificing his own life. Gojo comments on his tendency to sacrifice bunt rather than swing for the fences but he doesn't properly diagnose the reason why.

Megumi tries to match the others around him and downplays his own strength, because that's what he's been doing his own life. He doesn't live according to his own wants, but what other people (Gojo) want for him and how they cane use him.

IT'S OKAY TO BE SELFISH

On the flip side despite the fact that Megumi lives primarily for other people, he can actually be quite the selfish character. His habit of pedestalizing both Tsumiki and Yuji isn't as good or noble as it seems. In fact Megumi romanticizes his own devotion to Tsumiki in particular into a sort of sleeping beauty and her knight protecting her fantasy. You could even say he's white knighting her...

Even in the story itself we never learn who the real Tsumiki is. We don't know what her thoughts or opinions are. We only ever see her through Megumi's eyes, we only know what Megumi feels about her. Megumi has obviously made her out to be some sort of perfectly innocent suffering victim.

She is sleeping beauty on her bed. The thing about sleeping beauty is she has no agency. She can't argue with you. She can't say cruel things to you. She can't ever leave her bed. She's just the perfect princess always asleep and in need of someone to rescue and take care of her.

I don't think Megumi wants Tsumiki to stay asleep forever in bed though, part of his motivation is saving her from whatever curse she's affected by. However, by making Tsumiki the princess to his knight he's actively taking away a lot of her agency. He's not taking her opinions or what she wants into consideration. When you decide to put someone on a pedestal like that, the one-sided nature of that viewpoint robs the pedestaled of any agency in the relationship.

I do think Gege is deliberately paralleling their story with sleeping beauty, almost every time she's mentioned she's shown as either asleep or associated with flowers that are symbols of innocence and purity. She's cited as his model idea of a good person. He has her up on that pedestal. The one time that we see Megumi interacting with Tsumiki after she wakes up (though it's actually Yorozu) he tells her to go back to sleep.

It's like Megumi wants to wrap Tsumiki in bubble wrap and put her somewhere where she's safe, so he can continue to live out his fantasy of protecting her. While I don't doubt Megumi loves his sister considering he basically sold himself to Jujutsu High for her sake there's a twisted element to this as well.

I'm going to reference Tokyo Ghoul here. There's a scene where Eto outlines that Kanae a character who's been desperately trying to get their cousin / love interest (I know, gross) Tsukiyama to recover from their sickness and leave there bed that all along they didn't really want Tsukiyama to recover. As long as Tsukiyama stayed in his bed then Kanae would have total control over him and he'd never be able to leave her, or love someone else.

That Kanae's feelings towards Tsukiyama aren't pure love and devotion, but rather a possessiveness that arises from her fear of being alone. Which is likely the same for Megumi, if he loses Tsumiki he has no one therefore he lives his entire life for protecting her.

Megumi is deeply motivated by his own abandonment issues and his fear of being alone, which is why to him his own life matters absolutely nothing in comparison to losing either Yuji or Tsumiki permanently. At the same time his protectiveness of Tsumiki can cross over into possessiveness considering his unhealthy viewpoint of her and his habit of putting her on a pedestal, making his feelings more one sided. Tsumiki being in that bed gives him a person save, a reason to live, someone to fight for.

On top of that Megumi pretty regularly disregards Tsumiki's feelings. The one thing we ever se of her in his flashback is how much she hates the fact that Megumi's constantly getting into fights.

Megumi not only completely ignores that, but he also starts using Tsumiki as an excuse to be violent. In the culling games he commitss unnecessary violence in her name.

When he enters the culling games he says (i'm paraphasing here because it's funny) "I don't know about Yuji but I'm TOTALLY WILLING to kill people." Then he goes on to show that it's true.

Megumi hears the announcement that Yuji has completed his side of the mission and that he can transfer points between players, meaning it's no longer necessary to kill people. Immediately after that he goes out of his way to finish off a man who's already on the ground and prone in the most brutal manner possible. He doesn't need to kill that guy, Megumi just does, and then he justifies it as saying it's a part of helping Tsumiki break free from the culling games.

His brutal takedown of that man is a pretty clear parallel to the way that Toji took out Gojo at the end of their first fight. If you're being paralleled to Toji then that's definitely a bad sign.

Megumi is someone who's had little control over his own life, and one way he exerts that control is through violence. The flip side of picking and choosing who to save, is picking and choosing who lives and who dies. Megumi's shown he's perfectly willing to make judgements on who's worthy of salvation and who's trash that needs to be thrown out.

He almost violently attacks this girl later on and the only thing that stops him is the idea that Tsumiki might disappear. Megumi lashes out in violence on a pretty regular basis, but it's understandable because the only thing he's been taught his whole life is that he needs to get stronger. That's what he's been raised for, his potential to become someone on Gojo's level because of the cursed technique. THat's what he's been told his whole life is the solution to every problem, get stronger, get stronger, get stronger.

THe Zen'in only cared about strength and so abused Toji all of his life until the only thing that mattered to him in life was proving that he was stronger than the sorcery world that rejected him. Which turned Toji into an incredibly violent person who kills others with little remorse.

Megumi similiarly had his whole childhood taken from him, because someone wanted to raise him as a weapon against the elders due to the cursed technique he was born with. Megumi's only value as a person is his strength, so he falls back on violence. In order to try to exert control over his life he lashes out in violence and desperately tries to get stronger.

Which is why the Megumi corruption arc conspiracy theories exist. Megumi hasn't broken away from this violent cycle at all. He's gotten stronger and more confident in using his abilities, but in every other way he's just growing more violent over time and more willing to kill others to get what he wants. He is a character that's selfless in his motivation and at the same time blind to his own selfishness. Because he is unaware of it he can't really do anything to fix or improve upon it which is why we see him steadily getting worse.

So if Megumi's violent behavior is a negative reaction to the trauma of his life then you can just imagine how he's going to react when he finally regains his body and has to live in a world where Tsumiki is dead. I doubt it's going to be pretty.

#jjk meta #megumi fushiguro #fushiguro megumi #tsumiki fushiguro #toji zenin #toji fushiguro #satoru gojo #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen theory #jujutsu kaisen analysis #metasks

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modtheartifex · 4 months ago

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i wrote this into a youtube comment like moments ago, but i feel strongly enough that i will put it out here as well;

Lego Monkie Kid Season 5 does NOT have villains. it has characters that are antagonistic forces and layered with nuance on top of nuance.

not to say previous seasons didnt do this, but this season ABSOLUTELY is entirely filled with characters like this

lmk season 5 spoilers, as well as anything from previous seasons just in case cause idk. might get long too tbh oopsies JINNGFDOIJN

we have a few characters to consider for LMK s5's "villains".

we have Ne Zha's dad (i forget his name, ill probably call him pagoda man), nine headed dragon (consort, 10th king, xiangliu) and nuwa. we could theoretically consider thousand eyed demon, however hes only relevant in one episode so id hardly count that

pagoda man is the easiest to explain, he is an antagonistic force because hes trying to hold onto what little order there is left of the world, he is trying to be the duct tape keeping the sawed in half boat together, and hes trying to minimize risks. does that excuse how he treats ne zha? fuck no, but thats a whole different discussion and depending on your interpretation of how much of the chinese mythos you use for this work will vary. he is just like mk as mk himself points out, it doesnt have to be just pagoda man doing the work, theres people willing to help, and then he joins the heroes side for the end.

cool, great, now. what the fuck do i mean by nuwa?

this is where interpretation is strongest, where it is key. ill just be sharing my perspective. when i was first watching season 5 my partner pointed out to me that in chinese mythos chaos is a core element of the world, it is necessary. this, coupled with the fact that nuwa made mk to fix a cycle she created (which we also dont know how many cycles the world has gone through, it could be one, it could be two, it could be in the hundreds if not thousands, whos to say.) and to keep chaos out... she is keeping the world from being complete. her little cave without the outside world, without proper balance, her little people living blissfully apocalypse to apocalypse. "but theyll all die!" "theyll live again" nuwa says, smile on her face.

she is disconnected from her cave, her world her people, her creations, who knows how long shes been in the limbo, how well she can perceive time, how many times a sacrifice comes in, they get a few words exchanged before they just leave, her in the pillar, only getting glimpses when the cycle is ending of the world, only to be shut in again.

neat, ok, but xiangliu??? hes who was gestured at from the BEGINNING of season 4.

see. heres where we get into the GOOD shit.

this is why it is important to establish that we dont know how many cycles have happened. we do not know how long he has been stuck, how many times he has tried to fix the world over and over. he makes it clear in his ending dialogue, if only he knew how to fix it, that sharing the power of the stones was the key to his freedom. the fact that he goes from what most would consider the least important title to the most important one, his own name, the fact he states he was wukongs friend, his enemy, both, wukong just doesnt remember

that implies longentivity. that implies so many cycles and lifetimes lived inside this cycle, being aware of everything, being so damnably aware of what one considers true freedom, and having to sit at the precipice of that.

it is agony.

xiangliu for the majority of the season is the only one to call mk by his name. mk gets so often called child, kid, nicknames by the others, maybe mei refers to him as mk, but xiangliu has it be DELIBERATE. he altered the course of the cycle to give mk a life, to let him HAVE a life where nuwa didnt care for one, he WANTED mk to grow enough that he would be able to choose. because everything is about mks choice, his ability to choose it all matters on HIS. CHOICE.

the only time this falters is when xiangliu thinks he is trapped for good. he rushes at mk, one final chance at freedom seemingly taken from him. xiangliu never fights mk. he only fights the others when they start fighting him. when its just him and mk at the edge of the world, at the edge of chaos, he talks to mk. tells him what to expect, mentions a mysterious "he" now that mk has opened the cage. and he pushes mk back so he gets to go back to his life. so that mk can have choices still. xiangliu got what he wanted, so its only right mk gets what he wanted too. to live with his friends and let everyone live a life where they can figure something out.

that is why i do not think there are villains in lego monkie kid season 5. they are antagonists with layers of nuance, nuance we arent privy to for reason or another, be it episode count, length, screentime, or that were just not supposed to yet. season 5 does not have an obvious bad guy, a villain, because the nuance is right within our grasp.

thank you for reading this. fucking essay apparently oopsies JINNGFDIJN

#lmk #lego monkie kid #lmk season 5 #lmk season five #lmk s5 spoilers #lmk s5 #lmk nine headed demon #lmk nuwa #lmk season 5 spoilers #lmk spoilers #lmk discussion #lmk mk #lmk li jing #dont expect shit like this from this blog specifically if i ever do anything fandom related its either my art blog or ill make something #specific for this stuff because GOD i want to talk about fixations so bad but this blog is a reblog dump oops

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crissiebaby · 4 months ago

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Bender Dummy

“Th-this feels so wrong,” muttered Rocky as she tentatively clutched the front of her pointed diaper; a far cry from the smooth surface she was used to. Unfortunately, even the slightest abrasion was enough to send shockwaves of euphoria coursing from the tip of her newly-minted penis through to the rest of her body. Typically, the kind of pleasure she was used to was subtler in nature, radiating throughout her entire midsection before spreading to the rest of her body. This notion had been completely flipped on its head, leaving her with a hyper-sensitive appendage that greedily stored up lustful energy with seemingly no end in sight. Moreover, the way it constantly wiggled and pulsed was practically begging to be played with.

As surprising as Rocky’s sudden switch from a V to a P might have appeared, it was the blushy result of yet another erotic CrissBaby product with her boyfriend, Mark, at the helm. “Do you have any idea how drastically our new Gender Bender Diapers could change the entire kink landscape? Just imagine possessing the ability to test out how the other has lived for a short trial period,” said Mark, pitching his latest bizarre diaper concept to Rocky. It was a nightly occurrence that saw her diaper-obsessed significant other rattling off whatever wild ideas popped into his sleep-deprived head. At the time, she had no idea how serious he was about his new, transformative pamper. If she did, she probably would’ve done everything in her power to shuffle such a daunting task onto her testing partner, Margarette.

To Rocky’s dismay, Margarette was mysteriously ill the day of the Gender Bender Diaper’s inaugural test, meaning all testing duties fell upon her slender shoulders. “You’ll be a pioneer,” spouted Mark, attempting to make the prospect of temporarily altering her genitals sound like an exciting adventure, “And look at it this way, if you get stuck with a dick, I’ll have no choice but to let you peg me.”

“I’m holding you to that,” responded Rocky, her heart rate ticking upward as the serum-laced diaper was taped to her hips. Prodding the plastic landing pad, she was a bit surprised that it looked and felt like a normal diaper, “So, how long is it supposed tooooooOOHH!”

Rocky’s eyes practically bulged out of her skull as an unfamiliar bulge slowly formed along her diaper front. She’d initially wondered how drawn out the process of swapping out sex organs would take, though nothing could’ve prepared her for how sudden it all felt. She winced as her clitoris expanded above her shrinking slit; a disturbingly pleasurable process. Her only solace was that her transformation came to an end as swiftly as it started, leaving the rest of her body beyond her pelvic region untouched. “D-Does it ever go down?” she asked cautiously as her nervous fingers traced the outline of her budding phallus.

“Speaking from experience, only after you play with it,” teased Mark, biting his lip as he stared bisexually at Rocky’s lower half, “Now then, we didn’t grow that penis just to look at it. You and that stiffy of yours have a full day of testing ahead…”

💜 Artwork By CodiBaby 💜 💕 Story By CrissieBaby 💕

For more of Rocky and Mark's ABDL antics, check out the full gallery of Test Dummy stories at https://www.deviantart.com/crissiebaby/gallery/78640127/test-dummy-series!

SubscribeStar: subscribestar.adult/crissiebaby pixivFANBOX: crissiebaby.fanbox.cc All CB Links: linktr.ee/crissiebaby

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Special Thanks to Our CrissBaby Diaper Company Investors: BlushyBen DD JFN Nike PrincessKittenLizzi Rosie Princess SissyDina Strawberry Sweetsamantharebecca & One Anonymous Investor

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theoryofweirdness · 2 months ago

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What if Dipper and Mabel Pines were in Super Smash Bros?

This is something I wrote several years ago and it's just been sitting on my drive. I posted it on Ao3, but recently became aware that Tumblr might be a better platform. So, here goes my first real post on this site.

Ever wondered what it would be like if Dipper and Mabel from Gravity Falls were playable characters in Super Smash Bros.? Well, wonder no longer, because here's my extensive idea for what their moveset would be like. Though sadly, I don't have art of this, since my digital art skills are... lacking, at best.

I also haven't 100% figured out all the nuances like how much damage every move does, so if anyone has any balancing-related suggestions (for that or anything else, really).

General Overview

Statistically speaking, the Mystery Twins would be fairly weak, with relatively low average damage and launch power, as well as being lightweight and not particularly fast. This makes sense as they are both (physically, at least) completely ordinary just-barely-teenagers with none of the inherent supernatural powers of most of the other child characters like Ness, Lucas, the Inklings, or the younger Links. Even though they are older than the younger Links (not sure about Ness/Lucas/Villager), the Links have the Triforce of Courage making them stronger and granting them the combat prowess of previous Links, Ness and Lucas have their supernatural PK abilities, etc.

The Mystery Twins make up for this statistical weakness with versatility due to their variable moveset. Many of their special moves are also able to temporarily either nerf opponents or buff themselves to even the odds. They are also significantly stronger when working together, since for most moves, they’ll attack at the same time, but even together, their raw damage wouldn’t be particularly excellent. The Mystery Twins would be a very difficult fighter to play effectively, but I’m hoping they’d also be a very fun one. I am aware that this fighter would be a nightmare to program and animate, but this is my imagination, so such paltry concerns as “budgets,” “programming,” and “animation time” mean NOTHING!

We'll start with their special gimmick, since that's key to understanding how this character works:

Gimmicks:

Mystery Twins Forever: This is basically the fact that they’re a two-part fighter, like the Ice Climbers, and work in much the same way, though with one notable difference. Using their D-Special when neither twin is KO’d will switch which twin is in front and under direct control (same as pressing [L] in Gnome Gemulets), changing most other moves.

Because of this, they essentially have two different movesets (similar to Zelda/Sheik from Melee and Brawl), meaning there’s a lot of versatility to this character, though of course it’s dependent on both twins being around. Though they are a single fighter, each twin is a separate entity and can be independently KO’d, just like the Ice Climbers. Try to avoid this, as it will both limit your move choices and make an already complex and statistically inferior fighter much weaker.

A KO’d twin respawns only after the other is also KO’d, or after using a Final Smash. If the current active twin is KO’d, you lose a stock (or point) and both respawn. KO'ing the non-active twin will not affect points or cause stock loss, but does replace the remaining twin's D-special with a different move.

On the fighter select screen, you can decide which twin will start as active, much like Pokémon Trainer can choose the starting Pokémon.

Special Moves

[B] Neutral Special (Dipper) - Growth Ray: Dipper turns the size-altering flashlight’s blue Growth Ray on himself, increasing his size for 10 seconds, with the same effect as the Super Mushroom item. Others very close to Dipper (such as Mabel) can also be affected. There is a 20% chance that Dipper fumbles the flashlight and points the growth ray forward (with the same hitbox as the normal shrink ray), not affecting him at all, but potentially growing other fighters who touch it.

Duration: 10 seconds

Backfire chance: 20% (1 in 5)

[B] Neutral Special (Mabel) - Shrink Ray: Mabel turns the size-altering flashlight’s pink Shrink Ray on enemies, creating a short-ranged cone in front of you that shrinks enemies hit by it, causing the same effect as the Poison Mushroom item for 10 seconds. There is a 10% chance that Mabel fumbles the flashlight and shrinks herself (and Dipper, if he's there) with the same hitbox as the normal Growth Ray.

Duration: 10 seconds

Backfire chance: 10% (1 in 10)

This move is of course based on the size-altering flashlight which Dipper created in s1e11: Little Dipper, though its function seemed both too powerful and too confusing to put into a single move, so I split its two options between the twins, on the grounds that Mabel also uses the flashlight in that episode, and it is her magic item in PinesQuest, in which case shrinking is the only thing it does.

Both rays have slight startup lag to take out the flashlight and aim it, so you can’t just surprise someone with a sudden growth. No other fighter can so easily buff themselves or nerf opponents, but overuse of this powerful move is inadvisable, as that gives enemies more chances to take advantage of it (though in team battles, you could also grow your teammates!), and also provides more chances for it to backfire. However, this is the main means by which the Mystery Twins’ low stats are directly compensated. The move can’t be used again (by either twin) until its current duration wears off (no matter what happened). Use it strategically!

[<B>] Side Special (Dipper) - Memory Gun: [EN] Dipper fires a short-ranged blue energy projectile (about the same range as Z-Suit Samus’s charged Stun Pistol N-Special) that deals small flinching damage. It also makes the target temporarily forget how to use their special moves, disabling them for 8 seconds. This can be reflected and also absorbed. The ray will have no effect on subsequent hits aside from the light damage until the disabling effect wears off. If the ray hits a fighter while they are performing a special move, it won't take effect until that move is over.

This move is based on Dipper’s use of the memory gun in s2e07: Society of the Blind Eye and s2e15: The Last Mabelcorn, and the fact that he evidently had it in his backpack all the way from s2e07 to s2e13: A Tale of Two Stans.

Damage: 2%

Duration: 8 seconds

[<B>] Side Special (Mabel) - Leaf Blower: [WI] Mabel uses a leaf blower to suck in objects and blow wind. Hold {B} to suck in air. The sucking grab box is visible, similar to King Dedede’s Inhale N-Special. She can’t suck in other fighters unless they've been shrunk down, but she can suck in projectiles and non-heavy items. If she sucks in a projectile, item, or shrunken fighter, the suction stops, and the object will shoot back out of the leaf blower when [B] is released, again similar to King Dedede’s Inhale, and with a similar sort of speed boost.

If Mabel doesn't suck in anything after 3 seconds or if you just tap {B}, she’ll blow wind in a cone straight out in front of her, causing a visible windbox similar to the Gust Bellows item, but smaller and weaker. Mabel can move left and right and jump once while holding the leaf blower. This move is based on Mabel shooting Jeff the gnome leader out of a leaf blower in s1e01: Tourist Trapped.

[^B] Up Special (Dipper) - Magnet Gun: Dipper fires a beam from Ford’s Magnet Gun (which he uses in s2e17: Dipper & Mabel vs. The Future) which can grapple onto ledges when used in the air. On the ground, it’s fired straight forward by default, but can be angled slightly up or down. In the air, it’s always fired at a 45° upward angle but will autocorrect toward ledges within a wide radius of the end of the beam. The magnet beam appears instantly at full length (though it will be interrupted by walls that can't be grappled onto) and can’t be reflected or blocked, but can be dodged.

If the beam hits an enemy, Dipper will either pull them toward himself as a command grab, or him towards them, depending on the difference in weight between Dipper and the target. If the enemy weighs more than him, he’s pulled toward them; if he weighs the same or more, the enemy is pulled toward him. When Mabel is present, she holds onto him and they collectively weigh twice as much for this move.

If Dipper is pulled toward another fighter, he'll automatically footstool jump off them upon contact, pushing the enemy down while gaining height himself. The same will happen if an enemy is pulled toward him while he is in the air.

If Dipper is on the ground and pulls another fighter toward himself, this special move can be canceled immediately into a grab when the enemy enters his reach, making this move potentially the longest grab in the game.

This move causes no damage.

[^B] Up Special (Mabel) - Grappling Hook!: [PH] Mabel fires her grapple gun upward, acting as a tether for recovery, which can also cause damage with decent launching ability. It’s a long tether that can grab onto ledges, basically the same as Joker’s default U-Special. On the ground, the hook is fired at a slight upward angle and has significant end lag as it retracts. In the air, it’s fired at a 60° angle by default but can be changed with directional input to 90° (straight up) or 45°. The area in which it will autocorrect to ledges is smaller than for Dipper's magnet gun. The hook can be reflected, but won’t bounce back at Mabel if it is; it just falls to the ground and must then be retracted.

Damage: 12%

Dipper’s Magnet Gun is better at horizontal recovery and can be very useful for combos, but doesn't actually deal any damage and its effects are very conditional. Mabel’s Grappling Hook is better for vertical recovery and actually deals damage, but has a lot less combo potential and more end lag. If both twins are present, they’ll hang onto each other and both be moved by either version of this move.

[vB] Down Special (both present and within reach of each other) - Tag Out: You switch which twin is under direct control. This can be used in the air (but only if the twins are within reach of each other) and is accomplished quite quickly, but does still leave you open for about a second. The newly active twin's Zodiac symbol (Dipper: blue Pine Tree, Mabel: pink Shooting Star, Stanford: red Six-Fingered Hand, Stanley: gold Mackerel) will appear on the damage counter, and will also flash in the air overhead when switching. If one twin is KO’d, this move changes (see below).

[vB] Down Special (Dipper alone) - Enter the Mindscape: [MA] Dipper casts the Mindscape projection spell from Journal 3 (seen in s1e19: Dreamscaperers, though in Smash it’s quicker, and he won’t say the words as that would give him away), causing his physical body to collapse, but entering the Mindscape as a ghostly, nearly invisible psychic avatar (inspired by what happened to him when Bill possessed his body in s2e04: Sock Opera). In this form, he can fly around freely with directional controls and pass through all parts of the stage, though speed is limited. The astral projection is intangible and immune to physical-, fire-, ice-, earth-, water-, sound-, toxic-, and wind-based damage, but not to magic-, electric-, or energy-based ones. However, Dipper’s real body is completely immobile and open to attack.

Pressing [B] again will immediately return Dipper to his real body. If you do so while overlapping an enemy fighter, that fighter will take heavy damage and become dizzy (like with a shield break; this is due to Dipper entering their mind and inflicting psychic damage). However, there is some end lag when you return, so don't get too cocky.

This attack cannot be blocked or countered. Fighters with higher damage will be stunned longer. If either Dipper’s real body or astral projection is hit, he’ll immediately return to normal (with end lag) though he’ll only be launched if the physical body is hit. You definitely need to keep an eye on Dipper’s real body when using this move, as well as watching out for attacks that can actually hit his astral projection, since they’ll deal 1.5x damage.

Dipper will be automatically returned to his real body after 12 seconds, but returning this way cannot affect enemies and will cause Dipper to become dizzy instead. If Dipper successfully hits someone or lets the move time out, there is a 20-second cooldown before he can use this move again.

If this seems a bit ruthless for Dipper, put it down to him seeking revenge for Mabel.

Duration: 12 seconds

Damage (non-launching): 25%

Immunity (x0 damage): PH, FI, WA, IC, EA, WI, SO, TO

Vulnerability (damage taken x1.5): EL, EN, MA

Cooldown: 20 seconds

[vB] Down Special (Mabel alone) - Attack Glitter: [WI] It’s pretty but it hurts! Mabel blows (or possibly coughs up?) a cloud of glitter into the air in front of her (based on the attack glitter used on Soos in s2e11: Not What He Seems). The glitter cloud floats in the air for 8 seconds, causing small, non-flinching tick damage over time and slowing down other fighters moving through it, similar to the Swirlix Pokéball summon (“I got glitter in my eye!”).

Hold {B} before releasing to gather more glitter and create a larger cloud. Though each cloud only lasts 8 seconds, there’s no cooldown (Mabel always has glitter), so she can make more than one at a time.

Damage (per tick): 1%

Normal Moves

If both twins are present, they will perform their neutral attacks at the same time, allowing you to set up “team” combos if positioned properly.

[A] Jab (Dipper): [PH, EN] A basic but quick 1-2-3 punch that can be used for jab-locking but is very weak until the third hit, which is enhanced with a glowing blast of power from the Gnome Battle Cuffs. Launches on the final hit.

This is Dipper's basic ground combo in Rumble’s Revenge, with the added power boost on the last hit being based on his charged-up attack from Gnome Gemulets.

Damage (1, 2):

Damage (3):

[A] Jab (Mabel): [PH] A one-two spammable swinging punch (similar to Villager’s Jab). It has slightly more reach than Dipper’s jab, as well as better damage per hit, but it's slower. Can launch on either hit at higher percentages. This is Mabel's basic ground combo in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage (1, 2):

[>>, A] Dash Attack (Dipper): [PH] A fast side kick that launches diagonally upward at a slight angle. This is Dipper's dash attack in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage:

[>>, A] Dash Attack (Mabel): [PH] A straight punch that's stronger than Dipper's kick, but launches at a lower angle and has more end lag. Same as her dash attack in Rumble's Revenge.

Damage:

Smash Attacks

When the twins are present and within reach of each other, they’ll perform a combined Smash Attack.

[<<A>>] Side Smash (Dipper): [SL] Dipper slashes downward with the Manotaurs’ bone spear (seen in s1e06: Dipper vs. Manliness, also his strength item in PinesQuest). Has less forward reach than Waddles, but a wider vertical hitbox, a sweet spot at the spear tip, and also less start and end lag. This is one of Dipper’s only moves that’s potentially stronger than Mabel’s corresponding one, if you land the sweet spot. Similar to Marth's S-smash.

Damage (min, sweetspot):

Damage (max, sweetspot):

Damage (min, normal):

Damage (max, normal):

[<<A>>] Side Smash (Mabel): [PH] Mabel sends her pet pig, Waddles, charging forward a short distance (based on Mabel's ground combo finisher in Rumble’s Revenge, which is itself based on her siccing Waddles on Robbie in s1e10: The Time Traveler’s Pig). Distance increases slightly with greater charge. Waddles moves the full distance whether you hit someone or not, before turning around and running back to Mabel for a hug. The run back is a sourspot that's much weaker. Waddles does not count as a projectile and cannot be reflected (he would never hurt Mabel).

The alternate costume of Stan (#8) uses Shanklin the Stab Possum from Lost Legends Part 4: Pines Bros. Mystery instead, to the same effect.

Damage (min, forward):

Damage (max, forward):

Damage (backward):

[<<A>>] Side Smash (Combined): Both twins perform their respective S-smash, with the active twin facing forward and the inactive twin facing backward.

[^^A] Up Smash (Dipper): [SO] Use awkwardness as a weapon! While charging, a lamb costume appears on Dipper and he performs the Lamby Dance. When released, he cuts to the end pose, causing a semicircular burst of music notes above and around himself that will damage and launch enemies. This is based on Dipper's ground combo finisher in Rumble’s Revenge, which is itself based on Dipper doing the Lamby Dance for the ghosts in s1e05: The Inconveniencing.

The hitbox is similar to Samus’s U-smash, but all at once instead of individually. Only the notes are a hitbox, but it’s pretty wide even on the sides, However, it's on the weaker side for a Smash attack.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[^^A] Up Smash (Mabel): [FI] Mabel fires a blast from a confetti cannon (used against zombies in s2e01: Scary-oke) directly overhead. Similar to Ivysaur’s U-smash, it can hit very slightly in front but is much better for anti-air. It’s stronger than Dipper’s embarrassing dance, but with a lot less reach.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[^^A] Up Smash (Combined): [FI] The twins perform both U-smashes at the same time, as Mabel gives an explosive confetti finish to Dipper's dance, combining the power of Mabel’s cannon blast with the reach of Dipper’s music notes.

[vvA] Down Smash (Dipper): [EA] Dipper casts a spell from the Journal that summons two zombie hands out of the ground on either side of himself, which can launch enemies directly upward. Similar to Megaman’s D-smash, though somewhat weaker. Based on Dipper summoning zombies during s2e01: Scary-Oke.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[vvA] Down Smash (Mabel): [BL] Swing a golf club in a wide-reaching attack that hits from back to front, covering nearly a complete circle around Mabel, with only directly overhead being uncovered. It doesn’t reach as far outward as Dipper’s zombie hands, but is faster and can actually launch enemies quite hard. This is one of Mabel’s only attacks that’s faster than Dipper’s corresponding one. It’s based on Mabel's mini-golf skills showcased in s2e03: The Golf War.

Damage (min):

Damage (max):

[vvA] Down Smash (Both): [EA, BL] Instead of causing damage, the zombie hands summoned by Dipper’s spell will hold enemies still, then Mabel swings her golf club to knock them out of the park, breaking the zombie hands and gaining a damage bonus as the trapped enemies can't defend themselves.

Tilts

If both twins are present, they will perform their tilts at the same time, similar to Ice Climbers.

[<A>] Side Tilt (Dipper): [PH] Two quick slices with a fireplace poker, based on Dipper's duel with Wax Sherlock Holmes in s1e03: Headhunters. This move is fast and has decent reach, but it’s not particularly strong. It’s useful in combos or as a “get off me” tool, but not for launching.

Damage (per hit):

[<A>] Side Tilt (Mabel): [PH] Swing a karaoke machine for a strong attack that can launch enemies quite well, but has both start and end lag. Based on her use of the karaoke machine as a “surprisingly good weapon” against zombies in s2e01: Scary-Oke.

Damage:

[^A] Up Tilt (Dipper): [PH, EN] Dipper jumps slightly forward with an uppercut. (This is a combination of the only time Dipper actually hits Rumble McSkirmish during their battle in s1e10: Fight Fighters, and his charged attack in Gnome Gemulets). It’s similar to Megaman’s U-tilt, having a sweet spot at the very start of the move (indicated by a flash of energy from the Gnome Battle Cuffs) and significant end lag. This is one of Dipper’s only moves with more end lag than Mabel's corresponding one. In fact, it's one of his only moves with significant end lag at all.

Damage (sweetspot):

Damage (sourspot):

[^A] Up Tilt (Mabel): [PH] Spin a stretchy sleeve overhead to multihit enemies, based on the charging-up animation for her charged attack in Gnome Gemulets.

Damage (per hit):

[vA] Down Tilt (Dipper): [PH] A very short and weak but fast and spammable kick that barely flinches enemies, much like Ness or Lucas’s D-tilt. It isn’t based on anything in particular, there’s just not that many actual times when Dipper fights things, so I’m pulling from other child characters.

Damage:

[vA] Down Tilt (Mabel): [PH] Mabel curls into a ball and rolls forward a short distance, similar to King Dedede’s D-tilt, though much weaker.

Damage:

Air Attacks

If both twins are present and within reach of each other, they’ll hold onto each other and use a combined air attack, improving both hitboxes and damage, though often at the cost of end lag.

[A] N-Air (Dipper): [BL] A basic aerial kick with a lingering whole-body hitbox, similar to Mario’s N-air (and many others). Based on the first hit of Dipper's aerial combo in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage (initial kick):

Damage (lingering hotbox):

[A] N-Air (Mabel): [BL] A basic spinning move, similar to DK or Ness. She never does this in any medium I’m aware of, but it certainly seems like her style. Hits once but is stronger than Dipper's lingering kick.

Damage:

[A] N-Air (Combined): [BL] Mabel grabs Dipper’s arms from behind and spins him around right as he tries to use his normal kick attack, resulting in a spinning kick with greater than normal reach and a sweet spot on Dipper’s foot, though it does now have some landing lag (Dipper was not prepared for this).

Damage (middle):

Damage (sweet spot):

[A>] F-Air (Dipper): [BL] Dipper swings his hat in an arc from high to low, which somehow actually does damage. It's fast and has a wide hitbox, but is pretty weak. Based on the final hit of Dipper's air combo in Rumble’s Revenge. For alternate costumes without a hat (such as tuxedo and Gideon's suit), he’ll suddenly be holding his normal pine tree hat for this move. The Ford alts use an explorer-style pith helmet.

Damage:

[A>] F-Air (Mabel): [BL] A diagonal downward punch, similar to Little Mac’s F-air. Not as big as Dipper’s hat swing, but with more damage. Based on the first hit of Mabel's air combo in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage:

[A>] F-air (Combined): [BL] Dipper’s hat swing carries enemies downward into Mabel’s slightly delayed punch, which becomes a sweet spot that can spike diagonally.

Each hit does the same damage as when performed individually.

[^A] U-Air (Dipper): [BL] Dipper swings the Journal overhead from front to back. It’s a wide attack, similar to some other fighters’ “headbutt” U-airs, and can be used for juggling, but isn’t very strong, at least in comparison to other U-airs with similar hitboxes like Ness's.

Damage:

[^A] U-Air (Mabel): [BL] A back-flipping kick, similar to Mario's U-air. The twins' U-airs aren't really all that different.

Damage:

[^A] U-Air (Combined): [BL] The respective air attacks collide in the center for a strong launching blow, similar to Sonic’s U-air.

Damage:

[<A] B-Air (Dipper): [BL] Dipper kicks backwards with both feet, similar to Mario’s B-air. Not based on anything, really.

Damage:

[<A] B-Air (Mabel): [BL] Whip a stretchy sleeve backward for a long, but somewhat weak attack, similar to her Z-air.

Damage:

[<A] B-Air (Combined): [BL] Dipper holds onto Mabel’s stretchy sleeve while she flings him back, creating a sweet spot as he kicks outward.

Damage (sourspot):

Damage (sweetspot):

[vA] D-Air (Dipper): [BL] A downward axe kick. Can spike enemies at the start of the move and has more reach than Mabel’s stomp, but isn’t as strong. This is the second hit of Dipper's air combo in Rumble's Revenge.

Damage:

[vA] D-Air (Mabel): [BL] Stomp downward with both feet, which has more startup lag than Dipper’s kick, but is also stronger and has a longer-lasting hitbox, kind of like a smaller version of Captain Falcon’s D-air. This is Mabel's aerial combo finisher in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage:

[vA] D-Air (Combined): [BL] Similar to their combined F-air, Dipper performs his attack slightly ahead of Mabel and can hit foes into hers.

Damage:

[Grab] Z-Air (Mabel only): [BL] Mabel whips a stretchy sleeve forward for a decent-reaching, though weak attack. Unlike most Z-airs, this cannot grab ledges.

Damage:

Grabs and Throws

If both twins are present, the throws are changed; otherwise they are the same for either twin.

[Grab] Grab (Any): A basic short-ranged grab.

[Grab, A] Pummel (Both): Mabel ties up the enemy in her stretchy sleeves while Dipper punches them in the face (or whatever else is at his eye level).

[Grab, A] Pummel (Single): Holds the enemy with one hand and punches them in the face (or whatever) with the other. Easier to escape than most grabs. Based on grappling in Rumble’s Revenge.

[Grab, >] F-Throw (Both): [PH, EN] Mabel grips the foe with her sleeves and Dipper punches them outward (obviously making use of the Gnome Battle Cuffs), causing the foe to snap back into a second, stronger punch that knocks them out of Mabel's grip. This throw hits twice, but does take a while.

Damage (total):

[Grab, >] F-Throw (Single): [PH] Weakly toss the enemy forward. This is based on throwing enemies in Rumble’s Revenge; it's the least effective attack.

Damage:

[Grab, ^] U-Throw (Both): [PH, EN] Dipper uppercuts the tied-up enemy into the air, then Mabel whips them back into the ground. Hits twice.

Damage (total):

[Grab, ^] U-Throw (Single): [PH] A basic and weak upward toss.

Damage:

[Grab, <] B-Throw (Both): [PH, EN] Mabel spins the enemy around a full circle with her stretchy sleeves, which can hit other enemies, similar to Mario’s B-throw, while Dipper charges up the Gnome Battle Cuffs, then punches them out of Mabel’s grip and backwards over her head. This is the twins’ strongest throw in terms of launching.

Damage:

[Grab, <] B-Throw (Single): [PH] A basic and weak backward toss.

Damage:

[Grab, v] D-Throw (Both): [BL] Dipper curls into a ball on the ground, then Mabel shoves the enemy, causing them to trip over him. Leaves the enemy prone. Based on when Wendy does this to Ghost Eyes in s2e18: [Weirdmaggedon].

Damage:

[Grab, v] D-Throw (Single): [PH] A basic and weak toss onto the ground that pops the enemy upward.

Damage:

Movement

(Speed and jump height are stated as an approximate comparison to existing fighters.)

Walking, running, and jumping animations, as well as idle animations, are taken from Gnome Gemulets.

[<>] Walking: Despite being light, the Mystery Twins aren’t particularly fast. They're probably similar to Lucas and Ness.

[<<>>] Running: Still not particularly fast, but better. If both twins are present, they’ll hold hands while running.

[^] Jumps: 2, a bit below average in height.

Wall Jump: No

[v] Crouch: They kneel down.

[v, <>] Crawl: Yes

[Shield, v^] Spot dodge: There’s nothing approximating dodging in any of their games, so these will probably just have similar animations to those of the other Smash fighters that share their proportions (Ness, Lucas, Villager, Inkling).

[Shield, >] F-roll: See above

[Shield, <] B-roll: See above

[Shield, <>v in air] Air dodge: See above

Ledge roll: If both twins are present, they’ll pull each other up, though the animation takes the same amount of time no matter what.

Miscellaneous

If both twins are present, they will perform a different, unique taunt on the Up and Down Taunts. For the Side Taunt, if both are present, they’ll do both at the same time.

Up Taunt (Both): A simple high five. This is a double reference, first to their end-of-level victory high-five in Gnome Gemulets, and second to Stanley and Stanford’s “high six.”

Up Taunt (Dipper only): Pumps arms up and down in a victory celebration while saying “Yeah-ha-ha!”. This is Dipper's end-of-level victory screen in both Rumble’s Revenge and the Take Back the Falls mobile game.

Up Taunt (Mabel only): Jumps up and down in joy.

Down Taunt (Both): Awkward sibling hug (pat, pat). Seen in both s1e01: Tourist Trapped, and s2e19: Escape From Reality.

Down Taunt (Dipper only): Dipper pulls out a magnifying glass and inspects something on the ground. References both the theme song and Dipper’s general investigative nature.

Down Taunt (Mabel only): Mabel snuggles with Waddles, just like in the theme song (and plenty of other times throughout the show).

Side Taunt (Dipper): Dipper opens his journal and writes something in it. The first time this taunt is performed on [name of as-yet-undecided Gravity Falls stage], it starts a Journal Entry on whichever other player is both next after you in the player order and not on your team. These will be similar to the Palutena’s Guidance conversations, opening a text box that resembles a page from the Journal at the bottom of the screen, where Dipper reads his observations about that fighter, with commentary from Mabel and occasionally other characters as well. I’m not sure whether I’ll ever actually write these out (suggestions welcome).

Side Taunt (Mabel): Mabel takes out both a sock puppet of herself and a puppet of either another Gravity Falls character or a random other fighter currently on-screen and plays around with them. The second puppet can be any one of Dipper, Ford, Stan, Soos, Wendy, Gideon, Pacifica, Robbie, McGucket, or other fighters present on-screen. If a Pokémon Trainer is present, the puppet can be of them or any of their three Pokémon.

Idle Animation: Same as in Gnome Gemulets (I don't remember what it is).

Stage Entry: The twins fall out of a dimensional rift, like the one Mabel falls into in Lost Legends Part 3: Don't Dimension It.

Origin Symbol: The Zodiac Wheel (duh). No, it’s not too complicated. What are you, a cop?

Kirby Hat: Since there are two potential N-Specials here, there are also two Kirby hats, as Kirby only inhales the active twin.

Dipper: The Pine Tree hat (duh). (Growth Ray)

Mabel: Mabel's hairstyle, with a Shooting Star clip on the headband. (Shrink Ray)

Palette Swaps/Costumes

All of Dipper and Mabel's palette swaps are alternate outfits that they (or others) wear throughout the show.

1) Dipper and Mabel’s most iconic appearance.

Dipper: red t-shirt, dark blue vest, Pine Tree hat, gray shorts, black sneakers, holds Journal 3 (unless otherwise specified, he’s holding Journal 3 in all of these).

Mabel: purple skirt, pink headband, magenta Shooting Star sweater, black flats.

2) Fancy dress outfits from the ball in s2e10: Northwest Mansion Mystery.

Dipper: tuxedo, brown dress shoes, no hat

Mabel: fluffy pink dress (if Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina can fight in ball gowns, so can Mabel), weird hat thing, high heels, uses a feather boa instead of stretchy sleeves.

3) Mystery Shack employees/Anti Gravity AU inspired.

Dipper: Soos's dark green Question Mark t-shirt, cargo shorts, and cap.

Mabel: orange headband, white t-shirt, Wendy's green flannel jacket, boots, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves.

4) Secondary antagonists inspired.

Dipper: Gideon's light blue suit and Pentagram cape, holds Journal 2.

Mabel: Pacifica's purple shirt, skirt, jacket, boots, and hairstyle, uses a purple scarf instead of stretchy sleeves.

5) Pool outfits from s1e15: The Deep End.

Dipper: red swim trunks, white t-shirt, whistle, sandals, red-and-white “Night Patrol” hat.

Mabel: pink one-piece swimsuit with a yellow star on the chest, flip-flops, uses a jump rope instead of stretchy sleeves.

6) Goodbyes, based on the series finale. Dipper: same as #1 but with Wendy’s trapper hat instead of his regular one, and holding the blue Pine Tree Journal.

Mabel: red birthday cupcake sweater, pink skirt and headband.

7) Outfits from s2e13: Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons; Dipper: elf costume consisting of a green tunic and cape, pointed ears, no hat, replaces S-Smash spear with a sword.

Mabel: orange Ducktective sweater and headband, blue skirt.

8) Original Mystery Twins/Relativity Falls AU. Stanley and Stanford as kids, with their appearance from s2e12: A Tale of Two Stans/Lost Legends Part 4: Pines Bros. Mystery. Ford takes Dipper’s place, Stan takes Mabel’s. They have different voice actors and lines than the younger twins (applies to #12 as well).

Ford: white t-shirt, brown jacket and shoes, dark green pants, holds Journal 1, replaces Dipper's hat with a light brown pith helmet.

Stan: red-and-white striped t-shirt, jeans, missing tooth, band-aid on face, brown shoes, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves and Shanklin the Stab Possum replaces Waddles for the S-Smash.

Additional Alternate Costumes (just for fun)

9) Evil versions. They have different voice lines and facial expressions. Dipper: Dippy Fresh, the twisted, ‘90s-stereotype version of Dipper created by Mabeland in s2e19: Escape from Reality, has a different voice actor.

Mabel: Anti-Mabel from Lost Legends Part 3: Don't Dimension It, wearing a black sweater with an x-eyed cat face on it.

10) Outfits from Dipper vs. Manliness. Dipper: Manotaur loincloth and tattoos; Mabel: Yellow skirt and headband with black lightning bolt sweater.

11) Trick-or-treating costumes from s1e12: Summerween.

Dipper: peanut butter costume

Mabel: strawberry jelly costume, Waddles wears his brown business suit costume.

12) “Modern” Stan twins; same as #8 but wearing downsized versions of their “modern” attire.

Ford: red turtleneck, brown trench coat, black pants, shoulder bag, holds Journal 1.

Stan: black Mr. Mystery suit, red string tie, eyepatch, and Mackerel fez, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves.

13) Outfits from the Woodstick Festival in s2e09: The Love God. Dipper: dark red v-neck shirt, vest, jeans, sunglasses on forehead, no hat, holds Journal 3.

Mabel: Rainbow-striped pride sweater, purple skirt.

14) Outfits from s1e13: Boss Mabel.

Dipper: Mystery Junior suit (similar to Stan's #12), combed hair, eyepatch, no hat.

Mabel: blue business suit and glasses, Stan’s Mackerel fez, uses a rope lasso instead of stretchy sleeves.

15) Campaign manager outfits from s2e14: The Stanchurian Candidate.

Dipper: red “Team Stan” t-shirt, no vest, yellow visor.

Mabel: red-and-white striped sweater and headband, blue star-spangled skirt.

16) Inspired by my Reunion Falls AU fanfiction One Day Reunited.

Dipper: dark brown jacket (same as #8 Ford), red t-shirt, hiking boots, cargo shorts, no hat, holds blue Pine Tree Journal

Mabel: purple “Love Yo’self” sweater, yellow skirt, purple headband.

17) Reverse Falls AU version #1. They have different facial expressions and voice lines.

Dipper: similar to #4 but also with an amulet, holds Journal 2.

Mabel: light blue dress, amulet on hair band.

18) Reverse Falls AU version #2. Dipper and Mabel are replaced with Reverse Gideon and Pacifica, respectively. They have different voice actors and lines.

Gideon: Similar to Dipper’s #1, but with a light blue shirt instead of red, plus white hair and freckles.

Pacifica: tie-dyed shirt, ripped jeans, hoop earrings, bracelets, uses a scarf instead of stretchy sleeves, replaces Waddles in S-Smash with a chicken.

19) Gravity Rises AU inspired. Dipper and Mabel switch roles, Zodiac symbols, and movesets. They have different voice lines.

Mabel: blue-and-white Pine Tree t-shirt, brown pants, orange hoodie, holds Journal 3.

Dipper: dark blue t-shirt with a yellow Star over yellow long-sleeve shirt, black shorts, no hat, band-aid on face, sleeves of his shirt stretch just like Mabel’s sweaters.

Victory 1: Lower down from the top of the screen on Mabel's grappling hook, just like when they destroyed Gideon's robot in s1e20: Gideon Rises.

Victory 2: Do the short victory dance that happens when you solve certain puzzles in Gnome Gemulets, finishing with a high five (or high six, as the case may be).

Victory 3: Awkward sibling hug (pat, pat), same as the D-taunt. Yes, even the Stan and Ford alts do this.

FINAL SMASH

Like most of their moveset, the Mystery Twins’ Final Smash changes depending on which of them is present when it’s activated, though after using any of these Final Smashes, a missing twin will respawn. This is the only way to cause a missing twin to respawn without being KO’d.

Dipper only - Quantum Destabilizer: Dipper fires a straight shot from Ford’s Quantum Destabilizer, the super weapon with which he unsuccessfully attempted to destroy Bill Cipher in s2e18: [Weirdmaggedon], though it will certainly prove effective against Smash fighters. This is very similar to Dark Pit’s Final Smash; the narrow beam travels the length of the screen and will heavily damage and launch anyone hit by it, resulting in an instant KO if it takes a fighter’s damage above 100%.

Damage:

Mabel only - Imagination Unleashed: While mounted upon the dolphin-man-hallucination-monster Aoshima and karaoke singing either “Don’t Start Unbelieving” or “Taking Over Midnight” backed up by the music of her totally-a-different-art-style dream boys Xyler and Craz, Mabel unleashes her disturbing extraordinary imagination in a glittery tidal wave of rainbows, waffle soldiers, cat faces, stickers, flying sweaters, random stuffed animals, and of course, shooting stars. This is very similar to Wii Fit Trainer’s Final Smash, and is based on Mabel’s Mystery Power attack in Rumble’s Revenge.

Damage (per hit):Both - Unite the Zodiac: A large image of the Zodiac Wheel, albeit missing the image of Bill Cipher in the center, appears around the twins. Any enemies it touches take Bill Cipher’s place in the center of the wheel. After a cinematic of the ten members of the Zodiac united around the wheel, a white pillar of cosmic energy erupts from its center, obliterating anyone inside. This is always an instant KO on anyone it catches… damage doesn't matter, no exceptions.

Since the Zodiac Wheel Prophecy was unsuccessful in the actual show, it’s unknown what would have happened had it worked, so I’m free to interpret it however I want for Smash. I don’t necessarily think this is what would have happened, but it works quite well for a Final Smash. The initial capture hitbox is a ring around the twins, and its limits are pretty obvious.

#gravity falls #dipper pines #mabel pines #stanford pines #stanley pines #super smash bros #moveset #what if they were in super smash bros?

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