#do not make him a catalyst wielder......

[lilies-and-forget-me-nots]

DAYLIGHT VOL.? : Komori Kayo

a piece of lore i decided to format as a drama cd, specifically modeled after the daylight series! though, the premise is a little different. it's not a tear-jerking kind of story, but i think it's pretty somber. the events of this cd are canon, and are set during lost eden.

WARNING: violence, explicit threats of violence, and body horror are present throughout all the tracks.

Track 1: Ultimatum

(The Mirror of the Afterlife, the church’s most prized hunting relic. A mirror that can augment one’s physical prowess and act as a portable gateway to the Demon World. 

I was tasked to retrieve this mirror from the basement of that manor when the Vampire King, head of the Demon World, Karlheinz passed away, handing his power down to one of his sons. 

Still, with such a powerful tool, it had its consequences. Those who would use it would eventually succumb to insanity one way or another. While its cause is unknown, a common theory is that the mirror shows its wielders such a distorted reflection of the world that one can only go insane to cope.

I was able to resist such effects for a while. What insanity can it feed if I’m nothing but a hollow shell? Though, I can’t deny that a deep-seated sense of nihilism within me began to grow as I continued to use it to subdue demons. It showed me an empty void.

This mirror is also a powerful magical catalyst. It can absorb almost any magic used on it and grant the user access to its magic. Naturally, if something like the Vampire King’s powers were absorbed into this mirror, then I would potentially have the power to completely destroy the world.

Doesn’t that sound fun?)

— Distant blasts are heard. 

“Hahaha… hahahahaha! You’re going to have to try way harder than that, Adam!”

(He’s clearly inexperienced with that much power in his fingertips. If I keep baiting his blasts with silver bullets, I can get close enough to go for the kill.)

— Kayo shoots a few more times, with each shot accompanied by another blast.

“He’s getting sloppier… this is really taking the wind out his sails, huh? Well, good for me then.”

“Hm… he’s pretty well-guarded, though. If I can’t get any closer, we might hit a stalemate soon—“

— Another blast, considerably louder. There’s a sound of cracking bones.

“Oh… my arm. It’s gone.”

— Her blood gushes endlessly, though it suddenly stops. Her arm grows back.

“Fufufu… isn’t that the third time you tried to blast my limbs off? It’s useless.”

(This eye has been keeping me alive, constantly regenerating my limbs. 

The Vibora are very potent healers, better than any other race. Its royal family, even more so. There was once a story of the Demon Lord Burai regrowing his entire body from his decapitated head after the final battle against the Founders.

Naturally, with his eye in my socket, on a new moon when Vibora are most powerful… regrowing a limb or two isn’t a big deal for me.)

“Still, I might grow tired if I keep focusing on growing my arms back… I’m also running out of bullets. Tsk, how can I…?”

“Ah, that girl…”

— Kayo runs towards Adam, grabbing the girl beside him and quickly moving away. 

“You’re surprisingly easy to steal away. Don’t move, or this knife will slit your throat.”

“Eeh? Why am I doing this? It’s nothing against you or your boyfriend here, honestly. It’s kind of like stepping on a few marching ants when you’re bored. You do it because you can. Isn’t that reason enough?”

“So, don’t take this personally.”

— She turns her attention towards Adam.

“Adam, if you choose to die peacefully, I’ll make this girl’s inevitable death as easy and painless as possible. Otherwise, I’ll make her know what it’s like to have your body parts ripped straight from your body. If it’s anything like how I experienced it, it won’t be that bad asides the excruciating pain.”

“‘Inevitable death’? Yeah, either way, I’m going to kill you and destroy the world anyway. That includes her. If you love someone, wouldn’t you want their last moments to be peaceful? So choose—let her die as quietly as falling asleep, or have me tear her limb from limb in front of you. Come on, choose.”

— Adam begins to back down.

“That’s right. You really do love her, don’t you?”

“Wonder how that feels. Pfft. It seems that it only leads to a lot of embarrassment. You look pathetic kneeling down like that. Would you start barking like a dog if I demanded it of you, too?”

— She brandishes her knife.

“Now, be a good boy and stay still—“

— Kayo is pushed to the ground. The mirror is thrown to the ground, shattering.

“Ah, you’ve got a lot of fight in you, huh? Even when you know I’d kill you if you make one wrong move…”

(I suddenly feel exhausted… Is it because she shattered the mirror?)

— She laughs.

“In that case, I’ll just kill you both! Right here, right now. How’s a bullet to your temple—“

— Kayo quickly loads her gun, though Adam gets up and rips her heart out. 

“Gah—ugh…!"

(My heart, of course… Anyone would die with their heart ripped out, wouldn’t they?

Hopefully…)

— She falls wordlessly to the ground. Hurried footsteps leave the area.

To Be Continued...

[sunymar]

if there was a genshin au for captive prince what visions do you think the characters would have ?

this is a very interesting question!!! honestly damen's immediately came to mind (might be even a bit unoriginal hahaha but it's how i picture it 😔) but laurent's got me thinking a lot. let's see:

damen: def pyro. this man has pyro written all over it. at the same time i think he's probably a shielder as well 🥹. and he'd probably be a claymore user too. he also probably got his vision like at age 5.

laurent: so the first thing that came to mind was cryo, of course, but at the same time i'm so weak for the concept of him being anemo...though i guess cryo makes more sense because he'd probably get his vision during/after smth traumatic haha. otherwise i like anemo or dendro for him. catalyst wielder.

auguste: he gives me geo vibes but i could also see pyro. baby laurent would be so upset when he gets his vision and it's cryo, the entirely opposite of pyro. sword user.

erasmus: a sweet hydro baby, healer, probably uses bow or a catalyst, has the cutest burst animation to ever exist

jokaste: same vision as laurent i think, whatever it is. catalyst user, probably buffs teammates as well. actually i think she might be cryo no matter what laurent is.

nikandros: hydro for those vaporize reactions for his king ❤️❤️ sword user

ancel: a pyro baby as well and polearm user, evidently.

berenger: tempted to make him dendro for that burning reaction, but i don't have any electros yet so i'll say electro catalyst???

[erabundus]

@ruinlost &&. said... Make me choose choose: catalysts or swords !

❝  that  would  depend  on  the  context.  ❞   because  of  course  it  does  —  the  question  is  never  so  straightforward  as  choosing  one  weapon  over  the  other.  ❝  do  you  mean  wielding  or  creating?  ❞   chin  rests  between  thumb  and  forefinger;  brow  furrowing  in  thought.  there's  a  marked  difference  between  the  two;  there  was  a  time  when  he  once  would  have  chosen  the  sword  without  a  fight  —  yet  centuries  of  relying  on  a  catalyst  (  centuries  of  relying  on  the  only  weapon  that  would  not  break  beneath  his  power  )  has  skewed  his  biases  somewhat.  as  a  result,  it's  hard  to  declare  a  clear-cut  VICTOR  without  further  context.  he  can't  generalize;  each  has  their  appealing  qualities  for  different  reasons.

even  so,  the  wanderer  puts  forth  an  effort  to  elaborate  —  for  he  is  nothing  if  not  willing  to  chat  about  weaponry.  (  it's  one  of  the  ONLY THINGS  he  jumps  at  the  chance  to  talk  about,  really.  )  ❝  if  it's  a  fight,  i'd  prefer  a  catalyst.  ❞   the  balladeer  was  rather  infamous  for  his  proclivity  for  melting  any  blade  he  tried  to  wield  into  a  pile  of  unusable  metal.  his  electro  ran  too  strong;  the  might  of  a  god  equally  willing  to  turn  on  its  wielder  as  it  was  his  enemies.  though  he  fought  to  control  it,  even  entire  lifetimes  of  practice  could  only  do  so  much  to  hone  his  skill.  he  wonders  if  it  might  be  different  now,  with  anemo  as  the  power  that  ebbs  and  flows  at  his  FINGERTIPS.  it's  certainly  easier  to  use  —  feels  more  his  own,  rather  than  something  alien  he  happens  to  be  drawing  from  like  some  unsightly parasite.  he's  hesitant  to  try,  if  only  for  the  consequences;  a  sword  is  a  dignified  thing,  particularly  when  made  CORRECTLY.  (  and  perhaps  the  wanderer  empathizes  with  them  more  than  he  should.  )  he  would  hate  to  destroy  one  based  on  a  vague  assumption.

❝  if  we're  speaking  purely  in  terms  of  forging ...  ❞  ren  starts  to  continue,  only  to  trail  off  just  as  quickly.  he  shakes  his  head.  ❝  a  catalyst  and  sword  are  two  completely  different  animals.  ❞  in  a  manner  of  speaking.  ❝  a  catalyst  can  be  almost  anything,  provided  it's  made  from  a  material  conductive  to  channeling  raw  energy.  that's  why  it  isn't  uncommon  to  see  so  many  variations  in  their  design.  ❞  as  if  to  demonstrate,  the  wanderer  summons  his  own  weapon  —  bell  chiming  delicately  above  his  upturned  palm.  ❝  a  sword  is  considerably  more  rigid  by  comparison ...  although  i  would  argue  that  in  itself  is  its  greatest  STRENGTH.  ❞

he  banishes  the  catalyst  with  a  flick  of  the  wrist.   ❝  have  you  ever  heard  stories  of  famous  art  pieces  that  were  crafted  under  severe  deadlines  or  inhospitable  conditions?  more  often  than  not ...  restriction  is  ironically  the  very  thing  that  allows  creativity  to  prosper.  ❞   though  it  also  helps  that  ren  has  a  very  personal  history  with  bladesmithing  in  particular.  either  way,  ❝  i'd  rather  make  a  sword.  ❞

MAKE HIM CHOOSE.

[obitv]

7 ghostknife

7. Hug with a height difference

GENSHIN AU YAYYY

vyncent in a fight is breathtaking to watch. you don't knoe any electro vision wielders, but even if you did you're sure he'd completely outclass them. he swaps between his regular shortsword and such a wide variety of other weapons made of crackling purple energy completely fluidly, making it obvious how big the gap in skill is between you all. a vision is an extension of yourself, sure, but his is beyond intuitive.

you and dakota hadn't even been expecting a fight- you'd been sent to liyue on vyncent's first commission outside inazuma, and were steadily making your way to whatever cave you'd been sent to clear out. the mitachurl had come out of fucking nowhere and you'd barely pulled up your catalyst, mist solidifying around you into shards of ice, before it started barrelling at you. but vyncent just- ran directly in front of it, electro swirling around his hands to elnogate his sword qnd form a shield that stunned the monster long enough for vynce to attack.

all is to say- dakota next to you is holding his claymore and gapong in shock, and in front of you is a fucking mitachurl crumbling to ash and vyncent standing there panting.

you'd meant to just dispell your catalyst and run up to him and check he's ok, but instead you practically barrel into him and apparently some wires in both of your brains got totally crossed because when you hit him his arma go around you immediately and then you start hugging him like a madman. it's- nice. your face starts burning with a blush immediately, but he doesn't... let go, so neither do you. you press your face against his chest and feel the rapid beating if his heart and he rests his head in your hair and you both stand there, together.

but because dakota is an ass and you can't have nice things, you're startled out of your little moment when he yells out with excitement from where he's sifting through the dust and it jolts you enough to untangle yourself and start actually checking vyncent over for injuries. priorities, idiot.

[izunias-meme-hole]

KH Animated Series Rough Draft - Master Xehanort

I already went over how I'd adapt Ansem/Xehanort II for a KH animated series, so I wanted to tackle the old man because while I want him to be goddamn DEAD for this series, I still feel like he should have a looming presence, even in death. Not because of some master plan, but because of the fact that he, and he ALONE was the catalyst for almost everything that happened in the show, in a domino effect type of way, which is similar to what his role was BEFORE DDD in both KH2's secret ending and the actual BBS game, except I intend to fully commit to this.

As a young boy, around Sora's age, he was found by Eraqus's master and taken in to be a keyblade wielder.

Xehanort's entire background is kept a secret, but it's implied that throughout his lifetime he's been around all the worlds, so as far as we're concerned he's never had an actual home.

Like his amnesiac "Reincarnation," Xehanort I dove into research about the darkness, but with a little bit the ancient history thrown into the mix.

Eraqus never knew a SLITHER of his old "friends" intentions in the slightest.

Ventus is still his pupil for a small bit, however when he extracted Ven's darkness to make Vanitas, Xehanort put some of his own darkness into the mix, thus Vanitas is tightly bound to him as well.

Almost everything that happened in BBS still happens, but the graveyard battle is more like a mixture between Fate of The Unknown (In terms of brutality and how things play out) and the actual game (In terms of how everything goes down).

After body-snatching Terra, getting his ass beat by Lingering Will, and getting his ass beat by Aqua in Radiant Garden, Xehanort tries removing Terra's heart from his body, but just breaks his own heart AND Terra's in the process, thus Ansem/Xehanort II is born.

This lore is never outright spoken for seasons 1, 2 and 3, however there are small allusions to it, like Maleficent knowing about other worlds due to an "old madman with a key," and other things.

The only time we even see Master Xehanort before any post-KH2 shit, is from Lingering Will's POV in season 3, where Sora ends up in the Keyblade Graveyard and is mistaken for the old bastard by the angry hunk of metal.

By the time we reach season 4 where Ansem/Xehanort II is back, he's relying on the few scraps of old master's memories that he has in service of his own agenda, even making a younger replica of him to assist in his own quest for the X-Blade and dark godhood.

Also season 4 just straight up reveals the IMPORTANT points that happened in BBS, and those are literally the old man's only scenes, but they'll be powerful enough to make him unforgettable.

In other words, Master Xehanort is nothing more than a literal ghost. He's not a physically active antagonist in the slightest, but you're able to process the impact he had on almost everything in the show. Ansem and Xemnas find ways to attack Sora and friends when they're alive, the old coot is dead yet he caused an entire domino effect with just ONE body-snatching and a lifetime of ancient knowledge. Again, this is just a draft, so everything here might not be 100% what I'd like to do, but like last time I'm proud of what I have.

[sleepy-moron]

The main party but I give them Genshin style visions and move sets bc I’m bored and I really like how visions work in that universe and I wanna ramble….is this set in the st universe? No idea yet we just vibing:

Mike (Anemo vision): I think a lot of people would be tempted to give Mike pyro or cryo but I actually think anemo suits him the best. There’s a paradox where anemo is the element of freedom but most of the playable wielders perform a duty out of a sense of obligation which suits Mike being a leader but also not liking authority at all. Anemo is focused around elemental reactions and aoe/crowd control skills. Personally I think he probably awakens to his vision after losing El/Will (another anemo trend) but he can’t use its full potential until he accepts himself as he is. Weapon wise I see him using a one handed sword or a polearm but despite that I think he has more of catalyst like way of fighting.

Mike’s skill (for lore purposes not actual in game skills I’m just calling it that for simplicity) is he makes wind drills/lances that can either yeet things or tear things apart depending on if he wants to kill the thing or not. His burst would be a big shield that swirls elements off of him/whoever he casts it on and also buffing their attacks. This is lore based so he can do way more things with his vision but these are unique skills to him.

Lucas (Dendro vision): Dendro is the element of wisdom, and it’s the element we have the least playable characters to go off of. Lucas has the most common sense and is the most grounded party member but that’s not what geo is about so I think Dendro is probably the best fit for him. Dendro skills have a lot of aoe damage and remote bombs that detonate after a certain point of time and I think that suits him quite well. He definitely uses a bow and I think there are a few points I can see him getting a vision, any point of learning and personal growth works really

Skill time! His skill gives him a projectile that stuns enemies in a small radius while also inflicting dot in a larger area. His burst lets him place a large barrage of projectiles that explode upon contact and also leave a dot zone with a higher damage multiplier than his skill. All of the characters can do stuff with their powers outside of this but these are more like signature moves

Dustin (Geo vision): Geo is about contracts and agreements, and Dustin is usually the one to bring up the party rules and try to bring people together to solve a problem. Geo also is the most construct heavy and defensive element in the game and Dustin builds things like cerebro and is a little bit of a proud little shit when it comes to his theories and that’s also pretty typical of the element. I don’t know when he would actually get his vision but I do know he would be a non traditional catalyst user for a weapon of choice.

Skills! Dustin fights using a skill that creates some geo arms that hit the monsters for him (sorta like oz or a razor burst) and his burst places down a geo construct that buffs allies in a certain radius and makes the next attack to hit a nearby enemy act like it hit the monsters weak point doing extra damage and stunning them.

Max (Cryo vision): We don’t know what ideal the cryo archon represents yet but it’s heavily theorized to be love and I really think this suits Max bc despite the fact that she tries to be cold and closed off sometimes she is someone who deeply cares about the people around her. Cryo can freeze enemies solid and also has some speed oriented skills so it suits her desire to zoom as well. It’s also one of the best dps elements and is very common for offensive teams to run. She gets her vision after coming to terms with how she feels about Billy’s death…however that happens in this au. She also uses a polearm bc it has the fastest attack speed!

Skill time…I want to say her skill gives her an ice skateboard so bad but realistically I think that’s more of a unique sprint. So her actual skill would probably be a short range teleport that sorta leaves a trail of ice spikes that damage enemies behind it for a second. Her burst would be a big damage aoe that triggers shatter damage and does more if one of her ice trails is in the blast radius.

Will (Electro vision/ heretical teachings from the abyss): Electro is the element of eternity and I think that suits Will struggling to put his trauma behind him while also not being ready to let go of being a kid and wanting things to stay the way they were before. Most electro users stand out from the crowd and they tend to be very dedicated and highly skilled people. He gets his vision during the week he goes missing and he would use a catalyst to fight. He also totally goes to the abyss for a week and learns to do fucked up abyss control shit in this au so do with that what you will.

His normal attacks would just be beams of lightning and his skill would be a giant electro hyper beam that can lock on to multiple targets at a time but only deals damage. His ult is a heal zone that converts physical damage into electro damage and boosts electro damage while in its radius.

El (heretical abyss powers/ Hydro vision): El is just born with her weird abyss powers and she doesn’t get her vision until she sacrifices herself to save Will against the demogorgon. Hydro is the element of justice but the main reason why I picked it for El is the bonus for having multiple hydro users in your party is a healing boost. Since El’s whole character arc is around healing what happened to her in the lab via genuine connections with other people I thought it would be cool. El would be a melee catalyst user who mixes in her abyss powers with her cool telekinetic water punches!

Her skill would be the fucking bubble thing since she does levitate things pretty often and the hydro mage bubble attack is one of the most annoying things to exist and she deserves to be a menace. Her burst also traps an enemy in a bubble but does a bunch of damage and then smashes the enemy into the floor so she can punch it again!

Note: as I was finishing writing this up @andiwriteordie started writing an atla au with the kids and so I offer you a very different elemental power system with the party if that sort of thing is appealing to you (also I’m sorry if half the things in this thread aren’t well defined this games lore is very complex and it would take way too long to explain everything)

[deadvalentine]

I regret thinking "I'll love Scara even if he's a catalyst wielder" because I guess he is one 😤

[raayllum]

Because I’ve been listening to “Poison” by Rita Ora and Reckless Driving / Orange Show Speedway by Lizzy McAlpine too much let’s talk about the

Rayla’s Duality as Callum’s Destruction and Salvation

Rayla is a character informed by duality. A compassionate ‘monster,’ a dual wielder of blades, her symmetrical markings, an assassin turned ally turned friend and lover. She embodies the moon accordingly, both secretive in what she tries to hide and too transparent to almost ever do so successfully. One of her biggest gripes in S1, after all, is that she cannot divorce herself from caring about Callum — what he thinks, what he feels about her — and she cannot successfully hide herself from him. She takes her hood off in front of him once — and she can never fully put it back on. 

I tie this into Rayla’s embodiment of the moon due to the dark and light sides she subsequently represents, which I’ve delved more into here. I also think it’s especially interesting that going forward into season four, Callum is actively seeking secrets regarding the mirror, while Rayla will (eventually) be trying to free her family from the coins; they are both, unknowingly, symbolically chasing after each other’s primal and personal embodiments. 

But, to stay on task, how does a duality of being both Callum’s salvation and destruction inform Rayla and their relationship?

Well it begins accordingly with their first meeting. As noted in the meta linked above, Rayla is routinely linked to light; her eyes illuminated in a flash of lightning before she shows mercy, arriving during the daytime at the castle, walking through a brightly lit doorway even as she stares Callum down, swords in hand. 

In the same night she threatens to kill him, she also saves his life. Over the course of a few hours they go from reluctant enemies to fire forged allies, already placing each other’s lives in one another’s hands. This is reflected even in the way Rayla is the catalyst for destroying one of Callum’s prior relationships — Claudia — or at least setting it in motion, while she also gives Callum a new relationship — herself — and perspective on magic. 

Callum’s search for magic will eventually lead him to both high-highs and low-lows, and bring out the worst and best in him. But more on that later.

Then there’s also the consistent pattern of Rayla getting Callum into ‘death’ adjacent situations... and also getting him out of them. She drops the egg that leads Ezran to going under the ice, but she also is the one who realizes Ez is alive and gets him out, restoring Callum’s family to him. Callum takes his initial anger and grief out on her regarding Harrow, but also returns to find comfort in her arms, and her arms alone. 

Rayla is the both the calm before the storm, the storm itself, and the aftermath, transforming him radically with unconditional acceptance as they go. 

Then, of course, there are the many times over the course of the series where Rayla saves Callum’s life or cautions him against risking himself, most consistently seen in 2x04, 3x01, and 3x05.

The “Book One: Moon” novelization actually makes this duality explicit, as Rayla explains the difference between moon berries and death berries, and how to tell them apart. 

“Wow. So they look identical, but they might kill you or they might save you,” Callum said.

“Exactly. Just like me…” Rayla smiled.

This is also reaffirmed in TTM, and we’ll touch on this more later, but: the first and last thing Rayla does in series, currently, is try to spare Callum’s life. In 1x02, it’s a terse declaration of “You don’t have to die; there are only two targets tonight.” Then in TTM, it’s Rayla being adamant that this matter should only involve her and Viren, and she can’t let Callum be dragged down with her: “I can’t risk you coming with me [...] I’m sorry.” And put a pin in that, cause we’re gonna revisit her choice in TTM as well as the Leap in 3x09, too. 

The ultimate theme that ties this all together is one that underlies many platonic, romantic, and familial relationships in the series, is

Love to the Point of Self-Destruction

We see this in many relationships in show. Harrow pursues vengeance and dark magic, decisions he knows are bad and possibly short-sighted, due to his love/grief for Sarai. Viren loved Harrow to the point of being willing to give up his life, but that was destroyed in an instant. We see this perhaps most notably in Claudia, who is willing to tear herself to pieces in order to keep her family together.

We see this in both Callum and Rayla’s relationship with one another. After all, the Leap is so notable because it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Callum would rather die with Rayla than live without her, that if there is any chance to save her even at great cost to himself, he will take it. 

But the Leap works out well. What about the times that it doesn’t, and the action is almost solely self-destructive? We see this most notably in Callum’s choice to do Dark Magic in 2x07 to save her and her choice to leave in TTM, as these are similar “I’m making a choice I know you’ll hate to try and protect you, damn the consequences” choices with mirroring motifs to boot (broader meta about the similarities here). We also see the increasing instability these choices wring of each other, as well. Rayla is broken down to tears on her knees when Callum falls ill, forced to beg and bargain for his life by her own love and conscience. Rayla’s choice to go into the portal is motivated mostly by her shame and guilt, but also love for her family and for Callum (as she is already worried about his well-being if Viren lives) and similarly brings Callum to his knees.

However, one of the most interesting aspects here is how Rayla’s duality as Callum’s destruction is that in and of itself can be two-fold. In trying to save his life in TTM by leaving, she basically destroyed their relationship and his heart in the process, however unintentionally they knew it both was. Rayla threatened to kill him in 1x02 and over three seasons later, she has, in some ways, finally finished the job. Just as she thought she had to kill a king and prince of Katolis, she did so; just not the ones (Viren and Callum vs Harrow and Ezran) that she expected.

And yet, according to Tarot and other associations, there’s more than one meaning to death, literal or metaphorical, which is to say

Death as Transformation

In Tarot and many mythic traditions, death operates as transformation rather than just destruction. This is also where Rayla’s path as Callum’s salvation, and indeed each other’s, comes in. Just as Callum strips away Rayla’s prior identity as a straightforward assassin by encouraging her to break the cycle, Rayla restores to him a sense of purpose and self-confidence he never had before by guiding his path to magic. Without having done dark magic in order to save her, Callum’s path to or ability to unlock primal magic could’ve looked completely different, if it happened at all.

We can see this in his sort of rebirth following Rayla’s departure in TTM, even if it’s somewhat for the worst. And we can see the best of it in the Leap, in which Callum stares down death and the love of his life...

and transforms, saving not only himself, but her as well.

Where do we go from here?

Doubling as a conclusion, the question of where do we go from here is an interesting one. What I can say is that I expect this pattern and duality to continue to play out, before it’s finally resolved in a mutual salvation type situation of selfless, non-destructive love, where choosing the other person is almost synonymous of choosing to love yourself, too.

Death operates as transformative salvation largely because true growth cannot exist without destruction of the old, without the acceptance that you can never go back to exactly who you were before, but must move onwards and forge a new identity by pushing on ahead. 

I expect something adjacent to this duality to play out in S4, perhaps with Callum’s vulnerability or love of Rayla leading to him being manipulated/used, but also being what saves and frees him in the end - and the same for Rayla as well. 

But for now, we’ll just have to see!

[zonai-of-the-lost]

Okay I'm watching a Kingdom Hearts let's play, and I have gotten to the point where Sora is about to do the Ansem/Riku boss fight, and I was looking at the Dark Mode suit and going, "Okay I know they reuse it for Vanitus, but I swear I've seen something else like them before." And then it hit me, Darklings.

In Union Cross we were introduced to the Darklings, which is a breed of heartless born from when keyblade wielders fall to darkness, and in Kingdom Hearts 3 it's heavily implied that Aqua was in the midst of turning into a Darkling.

Now, if we look at Riku's Dark Mode, we can see some similarities between the two, for one the end of Riku's gloves are a red just like the Darkling's claws and the ends of Aqua's fingers in the GIF above. The dark blue of Riku's suit actually goes with the dark blue that we see form on Aqua's skin, which I think is the replacement for the Darkling's black in this case.

Now I think we need to take a look at Darkness himself, Vanitus.

Vanitus color scheme is a lot closer to that of the original Darkling design which makes sense, as it was basically confirmed in Dark Road that he is the one of the 13 original True Darknesses, which Ventus sealed in his heart in order to give Darkness a form that they could actually beat.

Now let me make this clear, Aqua was in the process of transforming into a natural Darkling, so she would not have had the heartless symbol, as the emblem bearing Heartless are the artificially made ones.

Darklings don't have them, as they are naturally formed Heartless.

However, that begs the question, why does Riku's Dark Mode suit have the Heartless symbol but have similarities to both Vanitus and the Darklings?

I think Riku was forming into the very first artificial Darkling.

As at the time Riku was not a true keyblade welder, as he had not forged his own but he did have the potential.

Not only that, there was abundantly more artificial Heartless in the worlds then natural ones at the time, also Maleficent gave him the ability to control the Heartless, now that ability probably is not limited to the artificial ones, but that's probably a good catalyst as one of the reasons that he at the beginning of the transformation into.

One of the other reasons he could have possibly been turning into a Darkling, was the fact that he was exposing himself to so much darkness, but I think the reason why he would not have been a true darkling but an artificial one was because of Xehanort's Heartless, Ansem The Seeker of Darkness had intervened with the process.

As Riku was supposed to be his new vessel in order to gain access to Kingdom Hearts, but as we all know that's not how things turned out.

Now could I be wrong? Yes very much so, but it's a good possibility I could be close. It's really up for discussion at this point, because honestly I'm convinced that's what was happening.

[rfaromance]

Mystic Impact

AKA combining two of my fandoms

Yoosung: Once an Anemo holder, he lost his Vision after losing Rika. His drive and motivation disappeared with his Vision, which explains his apparent slacking that contrasts so sharply from his younger teenage days. Over time I think he would regain his fervor, with the help of a kind traveler. Yoosung wants nothing more than to be seen as an adult, and he wants to prove himself at any opportunity. I actually see Anemo in that respect because he spends so much time trying to please others that he needs his own outlet to be free and without judgment, instead of desperate to meet others' expectations. Undoubtedly gets a sword, because he wants to be a hero.

Zen: Pyro. He is defined by his passion, his zest for the stage. Pyro is associated with the archon of war, but it manifests in the form of the burning fire of passion (e.g. Yanfei for law, Xiangling for cooking, Xinyan for music, Bennet for adventuring, etc.). He wants to blaze a trail on his own. Plus he's a tad hot-headed, while still warm and very much a "mom friend" of the RFA. He'd have a polearm, because it's elegant.

Jaehee: Geo. Since the Geo archon represents commerce and contracts, Jumin would be inclined to have an assistant with such a blessing. Furthermore, Jaehee is level-headed, determined, hard-working, and probably the most reasonable person in the RFA. That dedication and acuity are what will enable her to eventually pursue her dreams. Jaehee gets a claymore, because she's a martial artist and incredibly strong (and because petite women with big weapons make me happy).

Jumin: I'd be inclined to say Geo as well, but I hand you Cryo. Cryo characters are kind but lonely, often misunderstood and isolated. They are not cold per se, but the world has often been cold to them. Jumin is hard to read and comes off as harsh and icy, but he just struggles expressing his thoughts and feelings. He's fiercely loyal to his loved ones, but he's not afraid to be strict and perhaps overbearing when needed. I think this intensity, this gentle but firm strength, lends to Cryo. He would likely have a Catalyst, namely the pen from his father.

707: Pyro. But in his case, it is both for passion and war. He has done many things he isn't proud of, has learned many skills that many would describe as unsavory, in order to preserve himself but mainly to aim for a better life for Saeran. His passion for protecting his brother is unparalleled; we've seen the ends he will go to for Saeran's sake. He'd have a Catalyst that is best described as a wand or staff. He's also an alchemist.

Ray: Ray would be a Hydro wielder who is given a Cryo delusion by his Savior. While he's not afraid to use the Cryo to destroy enemies, at his heart he's a gentle young man who wants to tend to his garden. Hydro belongs to the archon of justice, and his life has been anything but just or fair. Whether justice means a fair trial or Hammurabi's code... that's for him to decide. Ultimately I think GE Saeran would only use his Hydro Vision, discarding the cursed Cryo, and his weapon would be a bow and arrow. Conversely, in an OS timeline, Unknown would reject his Vision entirely in favor of his Cryo delusion, which is powered by a Catalyst (yes, elixir). Also an alchemist.

V: Hydro. No wonder Ray hates him! In all seriousness, Hydro being the element of justice suits V, who wants to do right by saving Rika as atonement for neglecting his mother. He tends to take on the sins of everyone else and bear sole responsibility. He's a tragic character whose sense of justice hinges on his belief that he is the cause of everyone's suffering. He'd initially use a bow, but after he loses his eyesight, he'd need to switch to a sword as a close-range weapon.

Vanderwood: Electro. There's a joke to be made because they're constantly threatening to tase Seven, but more importantly Electro belongs to the archon of eternity. Vanderwood, as an agent, has no past but also no definitive future. They are forced to live only in the moment they have, abandoning all else. It's a lonely eternity trapped in a single moment. Catalyst that's essentially a taser, lol.

Rika: The Tsaritsa is SO Rika-coded that it kills me, and I'm dying for her eventual reveal. In the meantime, enjoy Cryo archon Rika. I could discuss this in further detail but that'd be a post in and of itself. She can use both a polearm and twin blades (think Childe in his delusion form).

[theotheroccassionalfanficwriter]

gonna be a weird request but--octopus boi childe fucking the reader with his tentacles and making them suck from another tentacle please

Anon there is no such thing as a weird request, just one no one has ever thought of yet. Anyways! just like the previous request, please apply the adage "If there's a hole, there's a way!" three tentacles in one hole might be too much but with the power of love and lust nothing is impossible!

Wrapped in Love

Summary: In the aftermath of Liyue, in the cold and merciless everwinter of the Tsaritsa, Tartaglia learns how to fuck you with his new appendages.

--

There were few things in life that you regretted, most of it involving Tartaglia in one way or another, your infatuation of him was an open secret among the Fatui. Not even the Tsaritsa was above using it to tease you on occasions where a meeting just ran far too long for her liking. Right now on top of your list of regrets, directly above the time you had loudly mentioned that Tartaglia was the most desired bachelor within the social circle of Snezhnaya’s noble ladies due to his family man side, was the consequence of you showing your tentacle kink to Tartaglia that one time he had specifically requested your skills to unseal Osial.

The consequence being subjected to help him test out Dottore's insane projects. A rare moment of cooperation between the two considering the immense dislike that was present among the rest of the Harbingers and Tartaglia, with the exception of you. It had taken you less than a month to accept the fact that compared to the other Harbingers, your talents didn’t include scheming or fighting.

If anything your talent was your dogshit luck at getting along well with the other harbingers, a glorified messenger that knew how to fight well enough when necessary but had no innate skill for it in the same way as Tartaglia. You were better off giving them ideas, a human rubber duck to bounce off thoughts for the Tsaritsa.

Which led to your current situation, in Tartaglia’s bathtub, massaging his new appendages. Of all the situations you dreamt of why you’d end up sharing a bath with him, this wasn’t one of them. Sure his thick tentacles were soft and squishy but when he curled them up, you could feel the core muscles, his new appendages were strong and you had no doubt Tartaglia would have no problem strangling 8 people at the same time.

Which then led to your current horny thoughts praying to your Archon to have mercy and not let Tartaglia comment on your thoughts that was entertaining the idea of tentacle sex.

‘I bet this would feel good inside me’ You thought as you gently observed the suckers on Tartaglia’s tentacle, the one you knew was his detachable dick.

Tartaglia’s tentacle wriggled gently on your hand, alternating between feeling out the gaps of your fingers with its thick tip that barely fitted through, and leaving marks on your hand with its suckers. The tentacle was darkish blue in hue, turning violet when the light hits it at a certain angle, if asked you would not be able to identify what sort of octopus he was beyond a specie that was most likely a bottom dweller.

While you were busy sitting on the rest of Tartaglia’s wriggling tentacles in your swimsuit, Tartaglia lounged about on the other end of the tub, facing your back with a displeased look on his face. His face rested on the knuckle of his hand, turbulent thoughts apparent on his face.

Tartaglia worried about your obliviousness once you became absorbed in your task. He wondered how you could still observe his tentacle when another one was wriggling directly below your crotch. He was quite aware that if it went on for another minute, he could definitely slip it in. His stare on your ass, whose crack was slightly visible from the way you crouched, burned through you but you ignored it. Countless missions spent with Tartaglia had made you immune, slowly but surely, to his bouts of displeasure on some of your work ethic.

Being younger than him had the equally fortunate and unfortunate effect of him being almost caring towards you. You bore with it because 1. You liked him, and 2. Letting him do as he pleased was more energy efficient. Such actions of course led to him liking you a whole lot more compared to the other harbingers, which meant that more often than not you were sent along with him to distant lands, which meant you dealt with whatever fall out occurred from his penchant of following trouble.

Not that you mind, sure you weren’t the best fighter among your colleagues, nor were you the best schemer among them but you were certainly the best negotiator they had when it came to compensation. So it stood to reason that it was best that you were paired with Tartaglia most of the time, which was fortunate considering the events in Liyue. Economic relations had only taken a slight dive after the whole Osial fiasco, with Tartaglia almost duking it out with Signora once they were away from prying eyes.

Your assurance that you had evacuated the entirety of Liyue Harbor with the spare Fatui soldiers you had and the rest of the Millelith, was the only reason Tartaglia easily backed down.

The result was that Tartaglia had warmed up to you considerably, and was without a doubt considered you as his “friend” if it meant sparring sessions every day that went from fighting each other all out to him teaching you how to use every weapon he knew. And Tartaglia as a catalyst user was just a sight to behold as much as he was a dual blade wielder.

“How long are you planning to ignore me?” He asked as he pulled you close to his chest, tentacles wrapping around your waist and legs, slyly splitting your legs wide apart.

“I’m not?” You answered, confusion lacing your tone.

You reached for the tentacle that you were studying, “Can you pass the recorder to me? Dottore was demanding an oral report.”

“Didn’t he hate those?”

“Yes. But for some reason he wanted one...ugh I’m getting back at him for this” You complained as you made yourself comfortable on his chest, slouching slightly as Tartaglia cuddled you in the tub.

He hummed at the sight of you being completely relaxed around him despite his temporary state as a weird octopus thing. His tentacles were exploring your skin, the small scars that you got from moments of carelessness in exploration made some parts of your skin different. His arms played with your hair, absentmindedly kissing you every now and then on the back of your head as two of his tentacles stealthily slithered up your chest resting below the area of your chest.

He watched you for a moment as you fiddled with the recorder, figuring out how to use it.

“There we go~!” You muttered, pleased at your actions that you remained unaware of imminent realization of your lewd thoughts.

Tartaglia smiled fondly before it turned into a lascivious smirk as he simultaneously gripped your waist as his tentacles slipped into your hole and sucked.

“Hnn~!” You moaned in surprise, back-arching at the intrusion only to end up pushing it further inside, the tentacles near your chest immediately latched on your nipples, sucking it until you let out another moan, “Ah~!”

“Wha-” The thick tentacle inside your hole sucked on your wall, gelatinous hydro coating its thick tip until it felt like your hole was filled to the brim, “No! Ahn! Don’t twist inside-”

Your words were interrupted by the intrusion of a particularly thick tentacle in your mouth. “Mmmpff!!!”

Drool dripped down on the sides of your mouth as you felt the appendage roaming inside, thick and slick as it fucked your mouth. You wriggled your body, doing your best to break free from the tight hold of Tartaglia’s tentacles but only made it tighten its hold on your limbs and drove it deeper inside you.

“You feel really good,” Tartaglia praised, making you pleased for a moment which was enough for his appendage that was stimulating your insides to go further, “How many of my tentacles do you think you can take?”

His words sent you to a bout of panic, the lone appendage that was sucking on the walls of your hole, wriggling about and hitting your spot was already too much for you. You signaled to him that any more would break you but all it did was make his grin wider just as you felt the two tentacles on your nipples grope your chest and then twist your over-stimulated nipples.

You cummed just as you felt the hard thrust inside your wall, sending you to another orgasm that had your body bending from the pleasure only to turn limp once the high was done. Even as you laid on his chest with your tired body and hazy mind, Tartaglia’s tentacles didn’t stop moving, you felt and saw your legs spread wide, two tentacles holding you up until your ass was lifted. The soft prod of another tentacle on your asshole made you sit up in alarm but it was useless as you felt your asscheek being spread and then the cold intrusion of the tip.

“Mpff!” Your alarm turned into a moan, mouth opening wide for one of his slightly thinner tentacles to slip in.

“Look at you, wriggling in pleasure” Tartaglia said as he licked your neck, “Did you think I wouldn’t notice how you would rub your slutty crotch on my tentacle? Did you like the feeling of my suckers rubbing your slutty hole?”

You were helpless as his tentacles lifted your legs up, the soft prod to your hole was all the warning you got before another tentacle roughly pushed its way in. You cried out in pleasure, hole clamping down in reflex but it was all for naught as you saw your legs being spread wide in the air and then felt your hole being fucked again and again until you came once more.

“Nnn!” You moaned as you laid on Tartaglia’s chest, your hands reached the nearest tentacle and began sucking it with your mouth.

Tartaglia laughed in delight, “What a cute slut you are!”

His laughter rang in your ears as you felt your mouth being forced open, his tentacle slipped out, your saliva coating it and stretching until a thin strand was left connecting the tip of his tentacle to your tongue. And then he kissed you, passionately as he twisted your body to sit facing towards him.

His tentacles harshly slipped out of your abused hole, making you moan and cum once more. The water on the tub sloshed and spilled from the harsh and vigorous movements of Tartaglia. His hands held you by the waist, treating your hole like a fleshlight as he repeatedly slammed you to his tentacles, occasionally rubbing your crotch against his suckers until you found yourself doing it personally.

You held onto his shoulders as you repeatedly used his tentacles to seek out your own orgasm. Dottore’s recorder was already long forgotten as it continued recording on the wet tiles of the bathroom floor.

“Tartaglia!” You cried out his name, when you felt another tentacle thrust inside you as his teeth clamped on your nipples. You came loudly, your hole twitching as it clamped on the tentacles.

“Fuck!” He cursed before pushing you down the tub, the waters drastically reduced, and moved to cover your entire lower half. You felt his beak and then the familiar push of the head of his cock on your entrance.

His hands played with your chest as he easily plunged his cock inside you. Your moans was silenced with his kiss, and then he began moving. He fucked you ardently, like a starved man, it was an odd sensation for your lower half, his suckers leaving bruises while his cock repeatedly and easily fucked your hole.

The water turned murky with each orgasm the two of you had, Tartaglia’s back was filled with your scratches and the crescent marks of your nails from digging deep in his skin. Your neck was littered with bruises and bite marks from his mouth. The two of you fucked as if both of you had been doused with aphrodisiac, as if neither of you had sex in a long while.

And though it was farthest from the truth, Tartaglia wouldn’t deny that he had missed you terribly. The entire time on Liyue had been spent either preparing for taking the gnosis or fixing up trade relations, there wasn’t a single time he was able to spend a day with you without it being work related.

Not even his weekly challenges with the traveler were able to stave off his longing for you. So for him, this was the closest he had been to you for a long time. When both of your lust had been satiated, you laid on the now almost empty tub, simply basking in the afterglow as you gave him absentminded kisses on his chest.

“Oh shit!” You cursed as you frantically left his loving embrace and searched for the lost recorder.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, tentacles pulling you back to his side.

“Dottore’s fucking recorder! I’d like it if our sex life wouldn’t be part of the official record of Dottore’s whatever!” You answered, as you swatted a particularly lecherous tentacle that was rubbing your still sensitive hole.

Tartaglia helped you look for it, arms hugging you as his eyes searched about before he spotted it near the claw foot of the tub. His tentacle reached for it, bringing it to you like a prize, ignoring the blinking red light that was still recording.

“What prize do I get?” He asked as he kissed your cheek, squeezing you tighter in his arms.

You hummed as you fiddled with the recorder, stopping it and hoping in vain as you replayed it’s contents.

“AHN~! NO!--IT WON’T FIT AT ALL!”

As soon as you heard your dirty talk, you immediately stopped the playback. Imaginary tears falling down your eyes as you cursed your past self for always being swept up on Tartaglia’s charm and antics.

“Ah~ as expected of my beloved comrade~ even though you said it wouldn’t fit, in the end you had three tentacles inside you in one hole right?”

You blushed at his teasing, “With how big your cock is, it would be a wonder if three didn’t fit.”

“Ahahaha!” He laughed, pure and genuine, “Comrade! That isn’t a winning argument for you at all~”

“Who cares! Anyways, what kind of pet name is comrade!?!” You tried to steer the conversation away from your loss, “Change it! Or are you dating the Traveler on top of me?!”

Tartaglia’s eyes softened at your kitten-like jealousy. He smiled at you, soft and loving that had you melting from the inside. It was in moments like this that made you wonder what life would be like for the two of you outside the Fatui, a normal life free from politik and schemes and the ever-looming threat of Celestia’s wrath.

“Then what about супруг(spouse)?”

An unsaid question, for a future that may never come. You paused, heart beating fast as you thought hard and deeply, not weighing the pros and cons but thinking of the possibility that this might not end in happiness. That this promise might end up the first one he’d break.

“Are you sure?” You asked him, meeting his eyes head on, willing him to understand what he was asking.

Out of all the Harbingers he was the closest to death. The one most likely to die first. He was their Vanguard, a sacrifice, when push comes to shove he would have to lay down his life for the rest of you. It was a thought both of you knew, a reason why he wanted to become stronger and stronger because no matter how many times he claims that world domination was his goal, you knew that protecting the ones he held dear was also the reason why.

Tartaglia may long for a glorious death from a battle, but you knew that he also longed for a life outside the Fatui.

“Yes” He answered as he drew close to you, forehead touching with yours.

You kissed him, gently and lovingly, and for the first time filled with hope instead of resignation at the harsh future that would come. An unsaid answer for a future that both of you would fight for.

‘I will be with you always, from this day until not even death may part us.’

[cheelduh]

hii, could i request just a crumb of fluff for diluc and a very shy/wallflower reader (especially if it could be more crush/mutual pining focused if thats fine)? 👉👈 thank you 🥺

Nothing Else

Pairing: Diluc x gn!reader

Warnings: Spelling mistakes prolly :( fluff!

Words: 850

Synopsis: Diluc looks forward to seeing you everyday, because deep down he perceives you as his biggest epiphany, that someone could seamlessly make room for themselves in his unpredictable world, to take him by the heart and never let go.

Note: Sorry I took so long to complete this!

He's distracted. It's something that you notice almost immediately. It's only one hour into his shift, yet he's fatigued like he is during closing time.

Something isn't right.

You observe him quietly, discreetly, careful not to wane his momentum.

It's an injury. Somewhere that's easily irritated, because as he continues there's a barely notable grimace. This isn't exactly shocking to you, because you know he's ought to be injured after his nightly escapades, which he tries to conceal from everyone including you.

He looks the same as ever when pouring drinks, except his body is taut in stiffness, recoiling when there's a glass in his hand, sensitive.

It's his palm.

When the rush time disseminates as the time goes by, at long last giving him time to breathe. Your breath stills, hesitance brewing in the thick of your skin. It's your chance.

"Diluc." Your voice is barely above a whisper, but he hears you regardless. He always does.

He approaches you, a soft smile playing at his lips. Something he doesn't even try to hide from you anymore, and it's enough to kindle a flame in your heart, joining the dust of cherry on your cheeks.

"Another drink?" Diluc's gloved hand reaches for your cup. Even so, you stop him by gently enfolding your hand on his wrist, halting further movement.

It takes him by surprise, a pleasant one at that. It's messy, his heart beat, increasing with speed by the second. Before he can truly appreciate the touch, your hand is already gone, the moment ebbing into a new memory. One that both of you will cherish, unknowing of the feelings the other one holds.

"I'm—I'm sorry," You stammer, voice dripping in doubt, then reach for something in your bag. "I just—I couldn't help but notice that you were in pain."

He raises a brow. "Pain?"

Stillness. Until you fluidly push a tinted, compact glassed bottle his way. "Your palms are irritating you are they not?"

It's common for claymore wielders. The overuse sometimes forms small, painful little blisters, and the gloves act as a catalyst to further aggravate the skin. It's nothing more than an insignificant annoyance to Diluc, so why does it matter so much to you?

Diluc controls his neutral expression, but his red ears hold another story, blending in with his hair. He's staring at the bottle too long.

"It's a salve," You explain shyly, mistaking his hesitation for confusion. "Liyuean. It should soothe the burning?" It sounds like a question, but that's only because you don't know how much longer you'll be able to keep this conversation going, especially with the ringing in your ears and the compression of your heart.

You burn under his gaze, fidgeting with your sleeves when you turn away.

He snaps out of his daze, grabbing the ointment, mentally berating himself from taking too long to answer.

"Thank you." He says, and you miss the tenderness held in his voice due to the erratic palpitations in your veins.

You let out a soft mhm as a reply, shoving your books in your bag.

Diluc pockets the bottle swiftly, panics a bit at your impeding departure. Worries that he's made you distressed with his aloof persona. "I—leaving so soon? I can fix you another drink if you'd like?"

You shake your head at him, sending him a genuine, close-eyed smile. "I'd love to. But I'm afraid if I don't leave now my brother's going to ruin your floors."

As if on cue, your brother stumbles through a body of people, half of his body folding over the counter as he sticks up two fingers.

"Four more drinks please!" He claims, all red in the face.

Diluc's not impressed.

You seize your brother by the arm, tugging him away from the bar top to avoid further embarrassment. "Time to go home."

Using all your weight to push your drunk brother outside the door. You stop momentarily, as if forgetting something.

The golden hues of the lantern reflect themselves in the whirls of your hair while you run back to the counter, biting your lips in contemplation. Then you take a deep breath.

For the first time, you don't waver when you stare into his eyes with another kind of determination. "Please take care of yourself. You can't help people if you don't help yourself first!"

Diluc's heart immediately stops, and he thanks the Archons it's Kaeya's off day, else the mischievous cavalry captain would've caught his near-loss of composure. Would've teased him relentlessly too.

There's nothing else to say, but he doesn't want to let you go. Not without conveying something, anything at all. Just to reassure you, to articulate a semblance of his feelings.

But Diluc isn't the best at expressing himself, he never has been. He wants to be, but until the second he's able to do so properly, with words of intimacy that you deserve, he opts for something elementary in the meantime, something that lasts till your next encounter.

"I look forward to your visit tomorrow, Y/N.”

When you wave a final goodbye, and take your exit with a hidden grin, Diluc softens.

[zaine-m]

Categorizing Akumatized Villains

I'm not sure if anyone else has done this but this is how I categorized them. Freezers, Transformers and Trappers could definitely be one but I wanted more categories.

Affecters

Villains that can change something that should be intrinsic to a person.

Reverser, Catalyst, Dark Cupid, Reflekta, Oblivio, Simple Man, Sliencer, Miraculer, Risk (probably).

Boosted Heroes

Villains that were regular miraculous wielders that got akumatized.

Queen Wasp, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Chat Blanc.

Shapeshifters

Villains that change how they look.

Vanisher, Troublemaker, Animan, Chemeleon, Animeastro.

Classics

Villains based on mythology/ popular stories (I probably missed some).

Pharaoh, Sapotis, Zombizuo, Captin Hardrock, Anansi, Quilin, Dark Owl.

Controllers

Villains that can control other people, animals, or objects and give them orders.

Princess Fragrance, Mr. Pidgen, Simon Says, Rogercop, Kung Food, Despair Bear, Robostus, Maldiktator, Puppeteer, Darkblade, Befana, Christmaster.

Forcers

Villains that can force people into doing specific things.

Wishmaker, Guitar Villan, Backwarder, Truth, Ephemeral.

Freezers

Villains that can stop people from moving.

Lady Wifi, Timebreaker, Glaciator, Frighntengale, Lies, Gamer.

Giants

Villains who's advantage is their size and most can get bigger.

Gamer, Horrificator, Stoneheart, Gigantitan, Gorizilla, Bakerix, Feast, Sole Crusher, Ikari Gozen, Weredad, Kuro Neko (probably).

Hero Knockoffs

Villains who's powers imitate Miraculouses.

Copycat, Antibug, Volpina, Queen Bee, Mirculer.

Makers

Villains which can make things appear/ disappear (because I didn't have anywhere else to put him).

Magician of Misfortune, Sandboy, Evillustrator, The Mime, Santa Claws, Furious Fu.

Teleporters

Villains who's power comes from them being able to move around magicially.

Prime Queen, Oni-Chan, Time tagger.

Transformers

Villains who can turn people into objects.

Stlye Queen, Heart Hunter, Queen Banana, Moolak.

Trappers

Villains who can trap people.

Pixelator, The Bubbler, Collector, Desperado, Kwamibuster, Party Crasher.

Weapons

Vilains who's advantage comes from them having a weapon.

Riposte, Rocketear, Ikari Gozen.

World Affectors

Villains who's advantage comes from being able to change the space around them.

Stormy Weather, Syren, Frozer, Weredad, Startrain, Gamer 2.0.

[your-brilliant-lady-m]

Part 3 - Basic Concepts of Miraculous Ladybug: Transformations, Potions and Power-Up's

Welcome to my analysis of basic concepts in Miraculous. Let's talk about transformations, potions and power-up's. This one is going to be interesting.

Apparently, only child superheroes have a time limit and can use their power only once. And adults can use their powers many times and maintain their transformation.

I don't take Thomas Astruc's Twitter statements seriously, but he said that adults don't have to detransform because they can feed the kwami with their energy. What happens when energy runs out? Does it mean that holder of the miraculous dies and transformation drops? Or does transformation drops when the kwami grows tired enough? However, according to "Silencer", transformation can't be released until the holder says detransformation words or uses their power (applies to children only). Is that why Master Fu doesn't transform these days? Because he is old and doesn't have enough energy for Wayzz.

At the same time, Bunnix/Bunnyx held her transformation for several thousand years in "Timetagger" and she was still alive. Moreover, not only she was still alive, she hasn't aged a day. Alix still looked around 25 even after spending so much time in stone. Her sanity was also still intact. Does that mean that as long as people are transformed they are immortal and can't die of natural causes, can't get sick or be killed? Does the Miraculous pause all inner processes? Do people stop ageing when they are transformed? Does that mean that prolonged transformations essentially slowed down puberty for Marinette and Adrien because every Akuma attack (their transformation during this attack to be precise) acts as a pause for their growth process? Does that mean that transformed heroes don't need food, sleep or oxygen? And Alix doesn't experience any negative side-effects after prolonged transformation. A lot of questions must be answered here.

But apparently, the "adults can use their power many times without detransforming" rule does not apply to Gabriel. In "Heroes' Day" he turns Nathalie into Catalyst who gives Hawkmoth the power to "release as many akumas as he desires". Does that mean that he can't normally do it? On the other hand, in "Queen Banana" he creates another Akuma right after the fight with akumatized Chloe ended.

Do you remember this? In "Origins" we find out that akumatized butterflies can multiply. That's why Ladybug needs to purify them. So, does that mean that Scarlet Moth and Catalyst weren't necessary?

Hawkmoth's plan in "Heroes' Day" was actually very smart. However, it can fall apart when you remember that butterflies can multiply. How does that work? Why do they multiply? Could Gabriel akumatize Nathalie into Catalyst (akumatized object is something not very valuable, like a piece of paper), then break the akumatized object and release the Akuma into the world? Would that turn people only into copies of Catalyst? I wouldn't call this thing a plothole, exactly. I'm just curious because it's an unclear moment. Perhaps you could explain it as the element of a soft magic system with unclear rules. Because the magic system in Miraculous is a mix between the hard and soft system.

Adults without time-limited power have a serious advantage over children. Why does Master Fu give Ladybug and Black Cat to teenagers then? In the beginning, Fu doesn't know that Butterfly holder is an adult. Isn't it safer to give 2 most powerful Miraculouses to adults just in case? If Butterfly Holder is a child then 2 adults with more powerful Miraculous would win much faster. If Butterfly Holder is an adult as well, then the fight is more even.

We know the out-of-universe reason for doing this. There would be no story then. Miraculous holders have to be kids since it's a kids show. But in-universe it doesn't make sense. In "Furious Fu" Su Han even says that children are not allowed to handle the Miraculous at all according to the rules of the Order. Fu knows that children have a time limit. It looks like he deliberately sets them up for failure. Why?

Is that because children are easier to manipulate as they are most likely to trust Fu's judgement no questions asked? This reasoning doesn't look good for Fu, who is supposed to be a wise and kind mentor. Is that because children won't abuse their powers? Find a trustworthy adult then. Give us some kind of in-universe explanation!

If you can't explain it then do something with the time-limit rule. It's an important plot device, which contributes to tension and raises the stakes during fights. So, removing it is unwise. Consider giving adults a time limit as well then.

Or you can create different rules. Maybe Black Cat and Ladybug can't be wielded by adults, unlike other lower-tier Miraculous? Maybe Miraculous and Kwami can choose the wielder in some capacity, and this magical bond can't be changed? Do Kwamis feel a pull towards several people and Guardian then chooses the final holder? If there's no pull whatsoever, then Kwami won't be able to grant powers to this person? How much weight does the decision of a Guardian have?

I actually like this last idea the most. It makes sense and avoids plotholes at the same time preserving the time-limit rule. I spent less than 20 minutes figuring this out.

This way Fu gave Ladybug and Black Cat to children because he didn't have a choice. Plagg and Tikki gave him suggestions but these people didn't pass his tests. Marinette and Adrien are the last ones and they do pass. It adds some tension and showcases desperation on Master Fu's part. Magical pull doesn't always mean that potential holders are good people. That's why Miraculous sometimes end up in the wrong hands.

Insert a conversation between Marinette and Tikki or Plagg and Adrien about this choosing process, have them wonder about the bond Nooroo and Hawkmoth share.

Then add more information about bonding. The magical connection can be formed just like people form relationships if human and Kwami spend some time together. It nicely adds up with the reason why Master Fu gave Ladybug and Black Cat to teenagers. He could have given both jewels to adults without a bond and waited for the connection to form but alas, there was no time. He needed active holders right now, and waiting for some adult to come around wasn't an option. But here's the catch. Only decent, kind people with good intentions can earn and create a magical bond. And this has the potential for a truly delicious scenario (more on that later).

It's a very tricky situation. But these rules must be stated and figured out in the very beginning. Because it can create plotholes down the line.

Unification

Combining several different Miraculous is an interesting concept and fusion of powers has been used for a long time as a storytelling element. It's important for the plot in several episodes of seasons 3 and 4.

However, there's "Kwamibuster", where the worldbuilding is broken one more time. It is awfully inconsistent within itself just like "Chat Blanc", "Timetagger" and "Furious Fu". (How do writers keep doing this? I have no idea. But then again even "Avengers: Endgame" contradicts itself numerous times. It's truly miraculous how they managed to do this with their budget, I'm impressed).

For a moment let's ignore all absolutely awful priorities that Marinette has in this episode as well as the rule "you can't know the identity of your partner or else you will have to give up your miraculous". This rule is literally never mentioned again before or after this episode. It's just there and it doesn't make sense. I know it's hard to ignore, but one must try. Instead, let's focus on this dialogue below.

Master Fu clearly states that you can't merge the Miraculous. It could make you lose your mind. The only more or less acceptable unification is that of Ladybug and Black Cat.

What happens next? Marinette puts on every Miraculous without any problem just "to free Kwamis" and transforms into Multimouse. The only sign of her discomfort is a moment of dizziness that's gone in a few seconds. Moreover, it never happens again, it's never mentioned. Then she does the exact thing that Fu told her not to do and starts merging Miraculous left and right. She continues to do so in season 4 every other day. What? Of course, how could I forget Shadowmoth? Gabriel merges 2 Miraculous every time in season 4. He doesn't lose his mind.

You can't tell us that merging can make you lose your mind and then in the next scene show us the complete opposite. That's bad writing. If you need the concept of unification to work then cancel the "lose your mind" rule and instead say that the merging process tires you out. There's no lasting harm, just that you will be very tired. If you want to raise the stakes, then say that wielding more than one Miraculous requires a strong will and practice. It's possible, but you can't perform unification just like that.

In this case, you lay the groundwork for the plotline of Marinette and Adrien for season 4 and 5. This plotline is about mastering unification. Show us how our heroes practice with different combinations of Miraculouses outside of Akuma battles. Show how they are improving. Maybe, Ladybug and Chat Noir nearly lose in the season 3 finale because the unification still drains them. However, in season 4 they put more effort into their training and by the time season 5 rolls around they are good at this. They became a stronger team and partners because of that. Their training sessions are also a good set-up for the development of the love square. Nothing like this will happen, but a girl can dream.

Look, I get it. You want Marinette to be special. Unfortunately, you have made her too special. She starts to break the laws of your magic system. We don't see the process. One moment she has 0 knowledge about something and then she is already an accomplished master of the thing in question and often it happens in the same episode. Marinette somehow just knows about the properties of every Miraculous on-screen, but her training happened off-screen. We as the audience are left confused and wondering. Wait, how does she know this? Was there a missing episode? Was this mentioned in some comic? The audience keenly feels the lack of plot-relevant content and explanations.

Potions and Power-Ups

They are a marketing ploy to sell more toys and merch with character transformations. That's it. Are they useful for the story? Yes, they are sometimes. Do power-up's make sense as a worldbuilding element? I'm sorry to tell you this, but no.

Miraculous Grimoire contains lots of potion recipes for Kwamis. I liked that Kwamis can't read the grimoire to avoid giving information to malevolent holders, which implies that they can't lie to their holder about their powers. I talked about this in my previous posts.

Let's start with Ice Transformation. Apparently, in-universe its only useful characteristic and the thing that sets it apart from normal transformation is skates. Maybe, this transformation also has additional protection from the cold. Maybe. Miraculous makes heroes nearly invulnerable and enhances their physical abilities. I find it hard to believe that protection from elements is not included in the package. And that's it. If we remember that Miraculous holders have subconscious control over transformation's appearance, we can also assume that a person can have conscious control as well. The laws of the magic system in Miraculous allow Marinette to ask Tikki to create skates for this particular transformation. Potions aren't necessary for this. This way you can still sell new toy, but in-universe this works better.

Our next stop is Aqua Transformation. It gives heroes the ability to breathe underwater and fins. That's all. In "Syren" it appears that this transformation also makes them more agile and fast in the water. However, Ladybug's yo-yo worked just fine before Aqua form when she tried to drag Kim to the surface. Her movements underwater weren't restricted either with normal transformation. So their fighting ability is not affected by the potion.

Kwami can live without oxygen. I mentioned earlier that Bunnix with normal transformation in "Timetagger" spent several thousand years in stone without oxygen and probably in some kind of stasis. Do transformed heroes need oxygen? No. Then their inability to breathe underwater doesn't make sense. Therefore, a potion isn't necessary for this.

Next, let's talk about fins. They could appear through the conscious desire of the holder just like skates.

Honestly, "Timetagger" and "Chat Blanc" completely destroyed worldbuilding in Miraculous. These episodes just shouldn't exist. They aren't even consistent within themselves, nevermind the rest of the show, which is why I still don't understand why fandom has such a weird hard-on for them and for Bunnix. Oh, wait. On second thought, I get it. They were just fanservice after all.

Cosmo Bug an Astro Chat. Space power-up give heroes the ability to fly and exist without oxygen. Ancient grimoire had the recipe of space potion, apparently. And humans got into space in the second half of the 20-th century. Ok. That totally makes sense.

If ancient people invented a space potion, that could also mean that back in Ancient Egypt Ladybug and Black Cat holders could use advanced technology. But Su Han in "Furious Fu" is surprised to discover that Ladybug can just call Chat Noir. He assumed she would send a bird with a message. That means that unconscious control over transformation extends to the weapons of heroes. For Marinette and Adrien communication means smartphone with navigation, messages, trackers and Bluetooth earbuds. That's why magic gives them smart weapons. Su Han's words prove that the invention of the space potion is not possible. Unless space potion was also subjected to unconscious control over transformation. People couldn't imagine the possibility of space travel in Ancient Egypt, but they could imagine flight. So, perhaps, for heroes back then space potion simply meant wings.

We've established that heroes don't need oxygen. So, a potion isn't necessary for this. The ability to fly also could be achieved through conscious transformation.

That's all for this part of analysis. Let me know what you think. Stay tuned for the next meta. See you!

[tiramisiyu]

If there really was a crossover between genshin and tot, what elements do you think the guys would have and their roles in a party? Coincidentally, perfect four for a party. I personally think Xia Yan would be great as an anemo character. This is mostly influenced by his SOTT card, with the birds and being selfless in his actions to grant MC her wish despite barely knowing her. And uh partially bc most of the anemo boys are suffering.

ooh very fun question! my poor anemo boys T.T

for Xia Yan i'm personally leaning towards him being a pyro DPS, pyro because of his associations with warmth and fire and because Natlan the pyro country is the country of battle, which fits the combative parts of his job. If anyone in the four was a DPS, it would be him. Sword or claymore for weapon, probably.

for Zuo Ran, I'm inclined to put him in hydro because Fontaine the hydro nation is the nation of justice haha, although geo might also work for him (totally not because of Zhongli). If he's hydro, he'd be probably sub DPS working with XY for vape reactions? If he were geo, he could be a buffer of some sort and/or give lots of crystallize reactions.  He's a gunsman so maybe bows would work for him.

for Mo Yi, Dendro (some Baizhu influence)? Also because Sumeru the dendro nation is also the nation of knowledge (ahem Mr. 2 Doctorates)? Alternatively, I think cryo would work well with him - I remember reading an analysis about how lots of cryo users have sort of clashing or conflicting sides to them, even the Tsaritsa herself, and that kinda fits the two sides of his family thing. I think he'd be a catalyst user (assuming we'll ever get a catalyst man), but bow also works well for him because he knows how to use that. A support and maybe healer? (Still waiting for him to fulfill his mental health guy job in NXX after the others have seen some pretty traumatizing stuff)

for Lu Jinghe, I'm leaning towards Anemo because of his adaptable nature and link to the arts - probably a Liyuean anemo wielder who's bound by the family business and sticks with it, but also wants freedom? Although if he was hydro, that would make four hydro rich boys which would be amusing... Either way, both are known for being support elements thanks to reaction damage. Also, he gives me polearm vibes.

It was kiiinda hard deciding since we don't know exactly know the criteria for granting specific Visions per element at the moment (and the range of personalities within all elements currently is pretty big, aside from Dendro) but these are my thoughts on it!

[pastel-rights]

Spoilers for all of the Inazuma Archon quests!

Damn, I was watching some of my favorite Genshin streamers react to the new archon quest earlier today and I just… man. It got me thinking… this is very much so headcanons and my personal feelings towards the cutscene… but…

The Musou No Hitotachi… it’s sure as hell a powerful move and seeing it in action is one thing… But seeing it being used again is a whole nother feeling.

Seeing it being used on someone you’ve come to know and even become close with must be traumatizing. It must be life ruining. And for all that to happen again, with someone new… Kazuha’s world must have felt like it was ending. The air felt stiff to Paimon and the Traveler after seeing it the first time. The air must have been suffocating to Kazuha.

Kazuha can hear everything, as long as it travels on the wind. The sounds of the Musou No Hitotachi, the sounds of Signora turning to ash and the sounds of the Raiden Shogun acknowledging the Traveler’s victory, Kazuha probably heard it all.

And seeing the Shogun appearing behind the Traveler with the intent to execute them, the look of terror in Kazuha’s face… it wasn’t the same as Gorou’s look or the Traveler’s look. Kazuha seemed genuinely traumatized… Seeing that glowing purple blade triggered memories in Kazuha’s brain. Ones Kazuha’s brain has tried so hard to suppress. He’s teleported back to the day he first saw the Musou No Hitotachi. The day it was used on Tomo. He probably heard Tomo’s body hit the ground before he saw it. (I think Signora burned to a crisp because of the overwhelming heat already in her body, the intense heat from the Musou No Hitotachi just lit it up like gasoline and burned it till there was nothing left.) He sees Traveler in Tomo’s place. His body locks up, he’s frozen. He’s suffocating from fear. He feels powerless. He feels weak. And then there’s the voice. “There will always been those who dare to brave the Lightning’s glow.” It’s the last thing Tomo ever said to him.

Now it’s canon Kazuha can hear the wind. It’s also canon that the statue of the omnipresent god has visions imbedded into it and those visions contain voices. (The Traveler hears those voices.) Those voices, can be heard with the wind. People’s hopes, people’s dreams, their ambitions… they all travel on the wind. Tomo’s voice isn’t the only voice Kazuha hears but it’s the only voice Kazuha can focus on. In that moment, Kazuha is hearing 99 different voices at once (not including Tomo’s own) and it… compels him. “You may have been helpless last time, but you’re not helpless this time.” Kazuha’s body makes a decision before his mind catches up to reality. He blocks the hit from the Shogun to protect Traveler. It’s pretty obvious Kazuha isn’t able to catch up to reality quickly enough. He stares at his sword in confusion. (“How did I get here… why is my sword infused with… electro?”) It causes him to be caught off guard again when the Shogun strikes him. She strikes him at his chest (probably with the intent to fatally wound him.) but to her dismay, it only serves to knock him back.

I wish The Raiden Shogun mentioned something about that moment. I don’t think she’s ever had someone block a hit by the Musou No Hitotachi. Especially having someone survive it too. It’s new to her. It’s shocking. She’s so caught up in the Traveler that she completely disregarded Kazuha. Yes, having someone who can manipulate the elements without a vision is interesting but having someone who can manipulate an element that’s not their own (especially the one YOU control) is just as interesting. Not only is the Traveler an enemy to eternity… but in that moment, so was Kazuha. To reactivate a dead vision, apparently before that moment, didn’t seem possible. This is a change, a change that can’t go unnoticed. It takes a certain catalyst, a certain event to reactivate a vision. To rekindle a vision. Ei must have known Kazuha from when he took the dead vision. She must have. Kazuha was probably unique in her eyes, but not in the same way the Traveler was. It’s not the first time a vision was taken from her grasp though. It may have been the first time it was a live vision… but she’s been defied before. And the shock on the Raiden Shogun’s face when Kazuha blocked her attack? I wonder what the puppet saw. Was it just Kazuha? Was Tomo’s ghost there? The ghosts of the others? What did she see? I think she saw something in Kazuha. Something surrounding Kazuha. The puppet shouldn’t have been surprised by someone striking back. There was just something about Kazuha that took her by surprise.

The way Tomo’s electro vision started back up, the way it resonated with Kazuha’s anemo vision, the elemental energy surrounding Kazuha and his blade, it all looked so cool.

I wonder if having that added electro energy hurt Kazuha at all. Absorbing electro energy must be shocking, maybe even numbing but even then, it’s at a lesser degree. But the electro energy this time, was coming from within Kazuha, as well as the anemo energy. Not to mention the electro energy from the Shogun as well, and the close contact electric shocks from their weapons clashing too. Pyro energy makes you hotter, you burn up from doing too much, cyro energy makes you cooler, if you stand still too long, you’ll freeze. These things would be worse for new vision users probably too. Electro energy probably causes burns, it may sap energy from the vision user overtime. Having your energy drained during a fight… especially against a powerful opponent like the Raiden Shogun… no wonder all Kazuha could really do was block the attack. Anything else and the Shogun would have killed him. He wouldn’t have had the energy to dodge or attack back, and if he didn’t block correctly… it would be all over.

And we also see the electro vision fall, and when it falls to the ground, it deactivates and returns to its masterless state. Though, is it really masterless anymore? Even for a brief moment… Kazuha was able to draw power from it. Even if he not longer has the vision on hand, can he still draw the electro energy from it? Is he Teveat’s first duo element wielder? Is there even a such thing? Not to mention, after Kazuha leaves, the vision lights up again. (It was probably just as a transition but mAN-)

I wonder if Kazuha can resonate with other masterless visions as well… and if he can draw on their powers during people’s times of need…

“You… are the enemy to eternity… you defy the laws set by the archons… you defy what is known…”