#cachu is fed up

[cachu302]

Kamen Rider Legend is the antithesis to Kamen Rider Decade

Say what you will about Kamen Rider Decade, be it the mess of writing that made the show or every subsequent appearance that Tsukasa Kadoya has made since the show ran its course, but one thing that has remained constant is the character of Tsukasa himself. No matter which series or movies that he appears in, Tsukasa's character has remained consistent, which, in my opinion, makes him much more likeable and understandable. Even if every other Rider might disagree.

His surprise appearance in The Future Daybreak has him interacting with the gold-plated knock-off, Legend, which just made me want to see more of Tsukasa and less of Kaguya. Looking at them side-by-side makes the differences all the more apparent, and baffles me as to why tokutwitter thinks that Legend "saved Gotchard" when everything about Legend contrasts Tsukasa's character.

One thing that we are constantly told by the show is that Decade as an entity is a destroyer, and that he is a threat to the Rider multiverse. Tsukasa has no idea what any of that means, and frankly, none of the other AR Riders do, despite believing in Narutaki's claims that Decade is dangerous. So they fight, and Tsukasa is dragged into whatever plot the AR World of the two-week set piece happens to be. And there's the catch: Decade is inserted into the story of the AR Rider World to destroy whatever plot device is obstructing the progression of the plot that would likely be derailed otherwise without his intervention. Yeah, he's still a smarmy asshole the entire time, but that's part of the appeal of his character. As LittleKuriboh stated, Decade has basically "weaponized being a Gary Stu." Without that intervention, the conflict of each mini-arc would still be going on. Metaphorically, Decade is the intervening force that eliminates writer's block.

In universe, however, the reason that Decade/Tsukasa is considered a threat is due to his past/forgotten ambitions as the former leader of Dai Shocker. Prior to the series, Tsukasa had planned to conquest and subjugate all of the other AR Worlds using the Aurora Curtains that his sister, Sayo, could control. Then he was stranded in Natsumi's world with amnesia, and no idea why his pictures all turned out bogus. At this point, all he wants to do is exist, yet every world he comes across denies his existence due to his moniker as the destroyer of worlds. When he recovers his memories in All Riders VS Dai Shocker, Tsukasa is abandoned by everyone: his allies, his friends, his sister, and is basically at his lowest. And in comes AR Joji Yuki, who's there to take revenge against Tsukasa for the former betraying Dai Shocker. Tsukasa's response?

All the lessons and meetings that Tsukasa’s had since beginning his journey are at odds with his former ambitions of conquest. What else can he do at this point? Seeing him in this pathetic state convinces AR Yuki that taking his life is meaningless, as he can see that Tsukasa has been going through a lot of development of his own.

“You’ve wronged your world, so make it right. Don’t just accept your title as destroyer, make it mean something!” AR Yuki rips off his arm in preparation for battle, sparking something in Tsukasa, who then sets off to eliminate Dai Shocker, save his friends and sister, and maybe figure out who he’s supposed to be.

By this point, Tsukasa’s been traveling through enough worlds to understand how each AR Rider is defined. AR Kabuto is defined by his bond with his family, AR Faiz bridges the gap between human and Orphenoch, AR Blade proves that rank doesn’t matter much in the long run, etc. So now he’s searching for what defines Kamen Rider Decade. As the rest of the Riders arrive to back him and DiEnd up, Ichigou and Nigou state:

And these two statements are things that Tsukasa really seems to take to heart in every subsequent appearance. Who is Decade? The one who will be there to back up other Riders in crisis.

Moving onto Movie War 2010, Tsukasa, having accepted his role as the destroyer of worlds, fights, defeats, and seals the memories of each Rider into his cards. What’s the purpose? To ensure the survival of each AR Rider World upon his death, which is why he goads Natsumi into killing him. Each world has been destroyed and created anew with his death, ensuring that the memory of each world, the story of each world, is preserved.

But then, what about Decade?

After some collective reminiscing and revival-through-memories, Tsukasa and crew set off to stop the new conquest of Super Shocker, led by Narutaki, who for some reason, decided the best way to celebrate the death of his one-sided arch-nemesis would be to continue the conquest of the worlds. (Massive YOU WOT MATE)

That is what defines Decade, what defines Tsukasa. He’s someone who will step in if the world’s resident hero can’t step up in time. And every time someone asks, the answer will always be the same.

Whenever large crises that are beyond the scope of the current Rider occur, Decade is often one of the front-liners that will show up. In Super Hero Taisen, he knew that tricking all the Sentai and Riders into fighting each other would absolutely result in uncontrollable chaos, so he and Marvelous took the reins to prevent such from happening. In Kamen Rider Taisen, for as badly written as that movie makes Hongo out to be, as well as his appearances in the cluttered mess that was Zi-O, and especially Zi-O VS Decade/Decade VS Zi-O; no matter where he appears, Decade is one of the forces that is going to right the course of the story. He finds trouble, helps out, and then leaves, like a Tuxedo Mask that actually does his job. And again, yeah, he’s going to be a smarmy asshole about it the whole time, but at this point, that’s all he knows how to really act around others. The destroyer of worlds would look bad if everyone knew he was soft. And if he’s ever defeated, like how he was when he and Sougo A fought against Oma Zi-O in Zi-O VS Decade, he’s just going to come back. After all, as long as Decade is needed, he will truly never die, never rest, at least until he decides that enough is enough and Decade’s story is complete.

To summarize, Decade/Tsukasa is defined by the following:

He just wants to exist without his role as destroyer getting in the way.

He doesn’t go looking for trouble, trouble finds him.

His fights with the other Riders are all caused by interventions out of his control (Narutaki).

He destroys whatever obstacle that is freezing the plot progression, not the world itself.

He will be there to resolve anything that obstructs his journey/purpose.

Now then… contrasting ALL of this is the existence of Kamen Rider Legend, a boy who was saved by Decade in Zi-O Over Quartzer and decided that the best career choice would be to follow in his footsteps. How does he do this? By basically subjugating the entire world to his whim using the powers of all the Riders that “begged him” to do so. Uh… Run that fucking by me again?? You mean to tell me that this twink somehow convinced several Primary and Secondary Riders to willingly give up their powers? Like… Souji “No one can beat me because I am the best” Tendou? Eiji “Willing to reach out my hand to anyone in need” Hino? Sento “I hate war and I hate myself for allowing my Rider System to become a weapon” Kiryu? Haruto “I will be the hope for others who don’t have any” Soma? Takumi “Leave me the fuck alone” Inui? Takeshi Hongo and Hayato Ichimonji, the original Double Riders, who fought against Shocker to ensure that what happened to them would never happen to anyone else? And especially Riders like Kouta, Touma, and Ace, who are all essentially GODS?! All of them decided it would be a good idea to hand over their powers to a sparkly man child?

Not only that, when he’s first introduced, he basically states that Houtaro isn’t very gorgeous as a Rider, when, chronologically, only TWO EPISODES have gone by. Houtaro is at the start of his Rider journey! He’s only befriended Hopper1, Steamliner, Odoripa, Kamantis, and Skebows at this point! Of course he’s not “gorgeous,” HE’S LITERALLY STILL AT THE STARTING LINE!

The Gotchardriver malfunctions, and Houtaro is basically stranded in this wack dimension. Then Hundred appears and because Kaguya isn’t initially willing to step up, Houtaro goes out to fight them as himself, not as Gotchard, and only just before the fighting begins, Kaguya appears, with the Gotchardriver miraculously fixed. IF YOU COULD HAVE FIXED IT EARLIER, WHY DIDN’T YOU DO IT, YOU EGG?!

Then several months go by, and suddenly Kamen Rider Legend’s secret weapon goes missing and lands in Gotchard’s world, causing several Hundred officers, who ALL have Dark Rider powers, to arrive, planning on destroying everything that gets in their way, because evil. Which leads to THREE WHOLE WEEKS of the plot being hijacked by Legend, during which, Kaguya demonstrates that he’s an even worse offender of the “Chemies are tools” philosophy when he steals Hopper1 to do a finisher, gets butthurt because Houtaro has friends other than him, and then attacks Houtaro because “gorgeous time is over”, AKA “I work alone, stay out of it.”

So basically, Kaguya

Wants to exist and also wants to let every single world know about it.

Dragged the Gotchard cast into his problem because his super weapon has the worst security protocol.

Instigated the fight with Houtaro because “gorgeous time is over.”

Hijacked the plot, causing nothing of note to happen in the episodes he took over, save for revealing that Tamagon/Nijigon was inside the Gotchardriver (also Hijacked Majade, Valvarad, and Lachesis Valvarad screen time).

Showed up at the last minute to make an entrance when Saigetsu/Dark Kiva is about to use the never-before-seen Wake Up Three, when he could have been involved from the start instead of just sending Butler to find Houtaro.

All of this would at least be palatable if we were shown how Kaguya came to claim all of this, like how we were shown Tsukasa’s journey of becoming the destroyer of worlds, but instead, we are constantly told, by Kaguya himself, how great he is. Remind me how this knob “saved Gotchard”?

Now with the spoilers for The Future Daybreak, somehow he loses the Legend Chemy Card(?) and Tsukasa shows up to encourage him. Uh… okay. The actual conversation between the two better be “Do better, kid” and not “You’re doing good, keep it up”.

TLDR; Decade is better than Legend.

[elen-benfelen]

welsh remus guide pt.4

Fourth Part

Welcome back, lads. It’s time for slang, swearing, exclamations and terms of endearment. Buckle up, this is a long one.

Just to get it out of the way, I will begin by stating that, whilst a very romantic and poetic language, Welsh is not what I would personally rely on for dirty talk.

I’m sure there’s folks out there using Welsh for such purposes, most of us however will cringe because it just doesn’t land in the same way as English dirty talk.

This might genuinely in part be because a huge part of the language’s preservation came from people learning Welsh at their local chapels and churches because you weren’t allowed to speak it in most schools at that point in time. But this is just me guessing.

On the flip side of this, if the goal is romance or a beautiful proclamation of love, Welsh is absolutely your best friend. It’s a very loving language, and not just platonically.

It is very common for older people to call you “bach” or “cariad”. Anyone can use these for anyone. Especially when comforting someone or being polite.

Bach - Small

Cariad - Love

This is done in both Welsh and English.

“Ti’n iawn, bach?” (Are you alright, bach?)

“Dere ‘mlaen*, cariad.” (C’mon, cariad)

*slang for ymlaen meaning “forward” and in a Carmarthenshire accent sounds like “mlân”

Many folks will also use “cariad” to refer to their partner.

“Fy nghariad.” (My love/My partner/etc)

South Walians (especially south west) might say:

Wajen/Wejen - Girlfriend

Sboner - Boyfriend

Your married partner can be more specifically called:

Priod - Marriage partner

With a wedding being a “priodas”.

Gwraig - Wife

Gŵr - Husband

Conclusion here is: Everyone is “cariad” and your romantic partner is “my cariad”.

The word “calon” meaning “heart” can be used in the same way.

“Shwd i ti, calon?” (How are you, calon?)

Personally, with “fy nghalon” (my heart) I would use that directly with my partner but not when talking about them with others.

So again, everyone is “calon”.

Now we get to the real funky bit of exclamations/swearing.

We don’t have a word for “fuck” we literally just say the English one and then spell it phonetically so that it’s “ffyc”.

It’s my favourite thing ever.

Cachu - Shit

Buwch - Cow

Ceri i grafu - Fuck off / Go to scratch

(Apologies for those who aren’t comfortable with what is considered blasphemy in some communities but these are common exclamations here)

Iesu Grist - Jesus Christ

Iesu Mawredd - Christ Almighty

Both “Iesu”and “Mawredd” can be said by themselves as well and are generally what I personally say when I’m tired, facing a problem or have hit my foor against something.

Alternatively, a little less Jesus focused is:

Bois bach

Mam fach

I uh….don’t know how to explain these ones. I really don’t, lads. Because the literal translations just don’t make sense.

“Little boys” and “Little mother”

We just, say them.

I say them a Lot. Again, same concept of being fed up, tired enough or in enough pain to just exclaim. It’s like saying “gosh” or “dear me” and such. Very common.

Now to return again to the more blasphemous ones. We reach one of my Mamgu’s favourites:

Jiw jiw nefi blw

Again….I don’t know where nefi blw comes from or if this is even the right spelling. My Mamgu (grandma) says it so often but she also doesn’t know what it means.

The “jiw jiw” can be said alone without the second part and sounds a bit like “jew jew” but is just a evolution of the phrase “duw duw” which means “god god”.

The first time I said this in front of a very English friend they were very confused and concerned that it was some kind of antisemitic phrase - fortunately it is not!

Duwedd annwyl - Dear God

On the more positive side of exclamations is the word “lush” which is more popular in the South and is used a lot in the English language within Wales. I believe it’s short for “luscious”.

“That coat’s lush!”

“Ti’n edrych yn lush!” (You look lush!)

This is common amongst non-Welsh speakers as well as Welsh speakers.

Some very common Northern / Gog slang is “champiwn” and “eidial”.

Which are basically “champion” and “ideal” with heavy North Walian accents.

It’s like, a confirmation in a way. For anyone who’s familiar with the word “slay” and how that’s used, it’s similar to that.

Like instead of saying “okay” sometimes someone will just say “champiwn” or “eidial”. With the “ch” being the English “ch” in “change”.

Which brings us to the greatest criminal of the language but also one of my favourite words:

Cwtch

The only official word in the Welsh language that has that “change” ch sound spelt as a “ch”.

Would I go back in time and stop them from spelling it that way if I could? Absolutely.

Cwtsh is how it should phonetically be spelt. Alas. There is no reversing the insane amount of merch across Wales with Cwtch spread across them.

It’s particularly warm hug or cuddle but it can also be like a nook.

In my area we refer to the cupboard under the stairs as the:

“cwtch dan star” - (cwtch under the stairs)

but also:

“Put that in the dog’s cwtch.” Is a perfectly acceptable phrase.

or:

“This is my cwtch, go get your own.”

Like “lush”, this word is used by many non-Welsh speakers in their English and is a very common term (at least it is in the South)

So a cosy reading nook would be Remus’ cwtch and Sirius would be his cariad.

I think that about covers swearing and endearment? Of course there’s probably ones I’ve missed or aren’t familiar with but these are what came to mind for me.

For the next part I’ll go into terms for family members before moving on to culture/history with a focus on events that would influence the marauders era. Which, oh boy, things were a bit rocky in Wales then. Lots of protests for the working class and for the language.

Note: I am not the collective consciousness of every Welsh person. My experience is not universal - especially when it comes to North Walian things. This is just meant to serve as a general guide. Hope this helps and good luck with your writing!

[captivesrp]

Drops of rain pelt Alaric’s bare neck as he hunches over, using all his strength to tear his knife into and through the underside of the boar carcass. Similar sounds of tearing flesh resonate through the clearing as Cydwag and Archora make similar attempts to skin and gut slaughtered animals dragged from a large pile nearby. The smell of blood and earth together form a bittersweet scent that nauseates Alaric almost to the point of vomiting. He continuously reminds himself that this is only the first day of training, that there is much more to come.

It comforts Alaric when Archora, whose continued suffering is evident, begins to joke with them in the afternoon.

“This is offal, what a fowl activity,” she says, pulling handfuls of feathers from a bird carcass. 

Alaric enjoys the well-timed pun but it is Cydwag missing the point that incites a chuckle from Alaric; she responds, “It’s way better than yesterday.”

A while later, Archora once again speaks to Alaric, but this time about a different issue entirely---one that catches Alaric completely off guard.

“Uh, if I were to . . . leave. Um, would you have any pointers?” 

Alaric looks up at Archora and can see the anguish on her face, but the idea of her leaving in her current physical state unsettles him. “I don’t think that’d be a good idea Archora,” he replies, doing little to hide the apprehension on his face. He knows what her reply will be.

“I’m desperate.”

“Today hasn’t been that bad,” he offers, knowing it will not be enough.

All of a sudden, flashes of red begin to cloud his vision. Alaric knows Archora is saying something to him but the sound of blood rushing in his ears drains out all else. He blinks furiously and the red in his vision begins to recede. He hopes another episode does not follow in turn. He responds, with what he hopes is a sensible statement, to Archora’s unheard comment, “It’s too dangerous. You don’t know where you are.” It is almost a certainty in Alaric’s mind that Archora will struggle to simply survive on her own, let alone with a camp of vicious brigands on her trail.

“Others have survived in the wilds, tribeless and alone. I . . .”

“Not like this.” Alaric’s mind is drawn back to his own experiences out on the road, and he struggles to imagine Archora in his place.

“I have a better shot out there,” says Archora, following words Alaric missed in his recollecting.

Alaric looks intently at the willful girl for a few moments, then gives in to Archora’s words as he understands there is no swaying her from a decision already made. He turns from her and resumes his gruesome task, sweat beading on his forehead as he thrusts the blade into a thick hide, sawing back and forth with as much strength as he can muster. It takes a while before Alaric notices the change in the atmosphere around him. “Cachu,” his whispers as he realizes his predicament.

His breathing begins to quicken as he stares down towards his crimson hands. His eyes lock on the horrific sight. The stone knife slips fluidly from his hands and he makes no effort to pick it back up. Alaric’s bloodied hands are the only constant image in his view as his mind falls back into memories buried deep within his mind: the pile of animal carcasses disappears, replaced by an image of his mother and father, tangled in a bloody embrace as their murderers walk out of the cabin, bloodstained knives in hand. He looks out from his place under the bed, unable to move, his hands stained red with the blood of his kin.

The scene vanishes, and once again Alaric is pulled back into reality.

He turns his hands palm down and presses them into the wet grass by his knees, unable to stand the bloodstained sight any longer. He forces himself to stop trembling, suddenly aware of the two other children working away beside him. He hopes they have not noticed his episode. It takes all the strength he can muster to lift the knife back into his palm and continue to skin the deceased animal lying before him. Nausea and anxiety flood his mind and it takes every fiber of his body to hold himself together.

*     *     *

In the following few days, the hunters are trained in the use of spears and bows, alongside endless endurance and weathering training. Alaric’s world becomes a vicious cycle of intense labour, pathetic food, and barely any rest. His labour on the seventh day since the Dranclwmcoeden is made even more strenuous when he finds out that the day of Archora’s departure has finally arrived.

Alaric and Cydwag, heads down in a sudden downpour, walk in silence back to the camp after their archery lesson was interrupted by the storm. Alaric takes the opportunity to think over Archora’s words back at the slaughtering field on the first day of training. If it was Cydwag who had decided to leave, Alaric would have fewer concerns. He knows there is plenty of difference between the two girls; Cydwag is similar to Alaric: well-built, strong, and resilient, while Archora is small and lean, and not from extended toil. But Alaric has to admit, he would be a liar if he named anyone else as equally determined or bold. He wonders if that will be enough.

Archora falls into step beside Alaric and Cydwag, her black hair plastered to her head. “I’m leaving tonight,” she says with unsettling energy. “Draeg caned me yesterday when I couldn’t keep up on the run, he’s taken my dinner away today—I won’t survive the week. I’m leaving.”

When they finally arrive in the village, soaked and trailing mud, Archora is ordered to her tent. Cydwag continues on to clearing in the middle of the camp, where dinner is waiting. Alaric reaches for Archora before she can walk away. His hand lands on her arm and she stops in her tracks, turning around to face him. He cannot let her leave without being fully prepared---and fully fed.

“Don’t—don’t leave from your tent right away.” He stares at her intently, waiting for a sign of confirmation from her.

“Okay,” she says slowly, “but I can’t wait long.”

“Of course,” he assures her, then turns to catch up with Cydwag.

Once he has received his food, Alaric, keeping his head down, cautiously moves away from the giant dinner table and wraps his rations into his shirt. He would go hungry tonight, but he would not be able to live with himself if he did not do his damndest to boost Archora’s chances in the wild.

He makes his way towards Archora’s tent, trying to walk casually---just another captive seeking shelter from the storm in his own tent. He finds himself relaxing slightly under the cool relief of the deluge. As he walks, Alaric finds himself wondering if any other children have planned to escape. He is certain Cydwag does not have such intentions, and he highly doubts that Ainsley, his pit-mate, has them either. Alaric has yet to interact much with any of the other captives, all of whom are being trained during the days in one way or another. For better perspective on the situation in this strange village, he decides he should try to speak with another captive. He will be living and working alongside them, after all.

Alaric’s thoughts are interrupted abruptly as a barrage of thunder rings through the darkening sky.

Archora is standing outside her tent when Alaric arrives. “This is for you,” he says as he pulls out the cornbread and meat from beneath his shirt and offers it to her. She accepts it quietly and Alaric is glad he does not need to convince her to take it.

She looks up at him with eyes full of pain. “Can you say goodbye to Ffrewgí for me? I—I didn’t get the chance.”

Alaric knows the face of Archora’s pit-mate; he has seen him around the captives’ tents in the mornings. He accepts her request. “Gods be with you,” he states. The wish holds no meaning, nor comfort, for him anymore, but he hopes it does for her.

“They’re peeking at us tonight,” she says, inciting a small smirk from Alaric.

Enjoying the show? he thinks as he looks up into the heavens. A bolt strikes the night sky, followed by the bellowing of thunder.

“Thank you, Alaric.”

Alaric looks back down to Archora. “Good luck, Archora.” She turns and runs, and Alaric moves slowly to his tent. Archora’s fate is in her hands now.

He stops outside his tent and looks back up at the pitch sky. He sees nothing but complete darkness---the only time both his eyes see the same. He wipes the water off of his face and bends into the tent. He intends to rest for whatever awaits him tomorrow.