#he needs to start being on the level of his game counterpart

[chelsiegeorgia]

Allow me to rant a second if you please 🙏 been sitting on this for a while now but the thing i need most for sonic movie 3 is for Sonic to grow into his game self a lil more, give me that unrelenting confidence and cockiness, I don't want Shadow constantly beating him into the ground (which i feel like is gonna happen anyways T-T) like what happened with knuckles, I don't want them all teaming up to fight Shadow coz he's too powerful or whatever, Sonic has never had trouble going one on one with Shadow before, Shadow very rarely beats Sonic in a fight, or it's at least a draw, it's also one of the big reasons Shadow has such an issue with Sonic, coz he can never properly beat him when he's supposed to be 'the ultimate lifeform' and it's honestly one of my fave things about their dynamic. I know movie Sonic is very different from game Sonic, he's a lot less experienced and all that and I love him dearly he's my precious bby boi but I think it's time for him to really start growing into that confident, super sure of himself, unrelenting hero that we all know and love. They really need to stop nerfing my boy, let him grow a little, it's His World after all ;)

[ncillary]

Self Aware AU (Zayne)

Summary: You have the lowest Affinity with Zayne. The reason is because you want an assured happy end for him before you could be with him. The man has no qualm in being cursed again and again the moment he stays by your side in every timeline.

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Masterlist Self Aware AU

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|  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5 [current]  |

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"Thank you for your help. This might seem ridiculous but we want to put facts as correctly as possible even though it was simply a game."

The director of the hospital dismissed them saying it helps to get people to understand hospital-related things in any form possible. The world may have reached a level of modernization but false information always circulates around without proper address to it. Maybe a game could interest people to seek out a better understatement.

"Thank you too for listening to our exhausting yapping. Sometimes we are too engrossed in our own world in explaining if not for younglings simplifying things for us."

He gestures to the few young doctors present in the meeting room together with the senior doctors and retiree. The game company staffs bowed their heads as an appreciation before the doctors left the room. They also started to pack up.

"It's good to see you here. How's the clinic?"

The staff saw a retiree patting the back of a black-haired doctor. His hazel eyes shone the moment he saw his mentor.

"Not as busy as the main hospital but challenging all the same."

A hearty laugh, "You're not a retiree to settle down in the far off town like me. Searching for something again?"

His eyes flickered slightly before patting his mentor to continue the conversation somewhere else.

Someone's clearing their throat. They turned to the staff.

"Apologies but could I have some time with the doctor here for a few minutes?" The staff looked straight at the hazel-eyed doctor.

The retiree pushed lightly at him before waving away. He smiled as he looked at his mentor who closed the door behind him.

His demeanour changed instantly. Doctor mode on. The staff was taken aback by it but soon gestured for others to set up something. The staff told him to sit while they prepared a laptop in front of him.

An elderly woman smiled warmly at him beyond the screen. He nodded.

"It's good to see you, Dr. Zayne." She started.

"The pleasure is mine..."

"Right, I'm the CEO of the game company. My name is a secret to the world including you." She teased.

He chuckled, "Very well, madam. How may I assist you?"

"We need your prolonged assistance for our project. We want to ask you to be a model for one of our characters. I think you are suitable for that one fellow we have established."

He blinked, "I'm nothing much compared to others. I think it's better to rethink your option, madam."

"We also would be very grateful if you could be one of our personal advisors regarding a few matters?"

"I'm happy to help with giving some input occasionally but I'll have to decline in being your prolonged personal advisor. Besides, there are more experienced doctors than me."

She quietened. She asked the others to step out and leave them alone. All the staff obliged.

He was unfazed, waiting for her to speak up.

"Zayne. Give me a chance. Three months. You'll be allowed access and supervise the game from behind the scene. You don't have to frequently see it through but at least help me out when I ask for assistance once in a while."

He can't exactly pinpoint this woman's desperation but it made him agree to her deal. Her relieved smile made him smile too somehow.

+---------------------------+--------------------------+

"It's weird seeing yourself moving around in a game."

He tested the game before it was released to the whole wide world. After the test, he'll be supervising the game through his game counterpart's eye. Not as MC. How Madam CEO trusted him so much to give him a personal access ID, he didn't have a clue.

+--------------------+------------------------------+

He couldn't see her face but he could feel she was caressing his frozen cheek. Warmth spreading. Then she collapsed on him.

His brows furrowed before slowly opening it to the view of his ceiling. He sat up, feeling exhausted.

Who is she?

He didn't know. But he had been dreaming of her frequently. He felt like he needed to help her. Do something to save her.

Be with her.

She was one of the reasons he changed his workplace to this quaint little town's clinic. He didn't want his lack of sleep to bother the load of work at the main hospital.

Plus, he felt that he was supposed to be in this town for some unknown reason.

+-----------------------------+----------------------+

"Hello, Dr. Zayne. May I ask you to watch over one of our new player again? This one looks interesting."

He chuckled, already knew the madam's antics, "Will do madam. Give me the details."

+------------------+---------------------------------+

"Happy Birthday, fishieee~ Although you're annoying, it was nice meeting you. Oh... why Zayne's birthday so far away. AH! Sorry sorry. Ha~ppy~ Birthday to you-"

He laughed lowly. This new player felt different than others he had watched over for the past four months.

Yes.

He extended his contract after meeting this one particular headache-inducing-funny player.

It was awkward to listen to them after the microphone feature was updated. He opted to mute them. Saving their privacy.

Until this particular one.

The moment he heard her voice coming through his speaker, he panicked.

Did his ID receive updates recently?

It was one of the reason this very issue happened before. The staff probably missed informing him this time and reset all the mute and off setting to his access ID.

He quickly went to the setting.

"Zayne. You are not cursed. I'm going to uncurse the both of us. I... I mean the MC. Don't you dare consume it all on your own again."

Hand stopping. Eyes blinking.

His mind flashes to his dream.

His heart tightened on its own.

He knew it.

She's the one.

Even though it was just her voice, his heart was telling him he had found her.

+-------------------------+---------------------------+

He grumbled lowly as he shook his head.

"How many times she wants to watch this."

He could hear her sobbing and frankly, it was killing him slowly.

"It'll be the death of me if I saw her face."

+--------------------------+-------------------------+

He hid his eyes behind scarred hand.

"Madam, this is literally killing me. Why did you give me this update?"

The player's face. Her face was shown on the screen. She was laughing at every prompt she received after every pats she did on his counterpart's shoulder.

Madam CEO laughed from the other side of the phone call, "I thought it would be a nice touch to personally get to know the very person that helped me extend your stay with us."

He stared at the empty wall, still not looking at his gaming phone specifically provided by Madam CEO, and quirked an eyebrow.

"I am suspicious of your every action, if you must know."

"I noticed. But let's just play along nicely, shall we." She replied cheekily.

He chuckled knowingly to her manner.

+----------------------------+-----------------------+

"Enough. I'm banning you from watching the cards that brought you to tears."

He forcefully crashed the game after seeing her non-stop crying. So much worry displayed on the usual rigid face for her swollen eyes.

From that day on, marked the first time he bothered her in-game with various things. The so-called 'bug' that she was annoyed by every time it prevented her from watching her moment with in-game Zayne.

And many more afterwards.

+-------------------------+---------------------------+

"Zayne~"

He can't do this anymore.

He saw her eyes sparkling. Relieved sighs were pulled out of him.

He watched her succumb to a much needed slumber after getting his Myth pair.

"I never meant to hurt you like this. For that, I apologize, my dear."

+-------------------------+------------------------+

"Happy birthday, dearest Zayne~ Sorry, I can't sing properly to you. I'm on a company vacation to this one interesting quaint town. Anyway, may your birthday and the upcoming days be filled with all the blessings you could ever get. You bet I'll be adding more effort to make you the happiest snowman."

She exited the game.

He was in stupor. He recognized the restaurant signboard. It was the one in the town he worked in. She is here. Closeby.

He was restless between wanting to see her in person or not.

+--------------------------+------------------------+

He watched her looking sullen a tiny bit as she watched the video call on his birthday.

He had a bad feeling about it.

In the background he saw a bus station.

"She missed a bus?"

His mouth was asking but his body was already reaching for the car key and his coat.

His phone was on all the way until he found her at the park. He sighed heavily.

"Wish I could stay with you too, Zayne." Her voice sounded teary but her look was calm.

He approached silently.

".....everything is shying from me today."

One step.

I'm not.

Two step.

"The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"

Three step. Stop.

She looked down at her phone, the game is still on, chuckling lowly, "It kinda is actually."

"Can I accompany you then?"

She stared at her phone for a long time.

He cleared his throat then felt a bit guilty afterwards of how she reacted to it.

They saw each other fully.

He didn't know he could have only her in his eyes without registering the surroundings at all.

"Are you cold?" The first thing she said after staring at him like a statue for a quite sometime.

Zayne hid his laugh with the back of his hand. Shaking his head fondly to this silly girl.

HIS silly girl.

He kneeled down and held her cold hands. Caressing it lightly to make them warmer.

"The cold never bothered me quite like a certain someone's recklessness."

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|  1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5 [current]  | 6 |

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Masterlist Self Aware AU

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[pikachu78109]

General Team Rainbow Rocket Headcanons

((I’ve been listening to some Team RR boss themes out of nostalgia and I have never written anything about the Pokémon villains (specifically Generation 1-6 respectively) and I figured I would shower my thoughts on these dudes))

Giovanni

Gonna start off with the one and only Giovanni. He’s a bit tricky to pinpoint, but as a Mafia inspired character, Giovanni works in the shadows. He doesn’t operate out in the open (I mean, obviously) and handles the more business side of things such as negotiations and elaborate planning. He doesn’t care about getting his hands dirty but don’t mistake him for being lazy or incapable of fighting.

As a villain, he’s the most put together. He’s a rational thinker and analyzes situations thoroughly. Not much of an optimist, but very opportunistic however it’s coupled with a hypothetical mindset. Giovanni never settles for one backup plan. He never bites off more than he can chew. He bides his time and attacks when the moment comes.

Obviously views himself highly and expects absolute respect. Has no tolerance for failure, like most other villains (except Archie) and punishes Grunts severely for any indiscretion.

Giovanni is aware of Maxie and Archie as they used to be part of Team Rocket in their early years. He has a low opinion of them, Archie especially for his goofy immaturity and lack of asserting his authority. Still, it does impress Giovanni that these two have managed to make a name for themselves as bosses.

Extremely patient. Giovanni can play the waiting game and he prefers it that way. He hates sloppiness and would rather surveillance his opponents before striking. He’s got eyes everywhere to ensure that no stone is left unturned.

Actually a decent father to Silver, but very much so a deadbeat. Not a lot of contact between the two. However, there were a few instances where they crossed paths but it’s usually brief and contains less pleasantries.

Maxie

Stereotypical nerd alert. Maxie is the epitome of the phrase “well, actually” and comes across as SUPER condescending. He thinks he’s doing people a favor by showering them with his logic and reasoning but really, at times, he’s speaking nonsense. He’s petty whenever Archie is around and does things that irk him, but between the two, Maxie does seem more mature albeit condescendingly. Hell, I’ll just say he’s condescending.

Long standing rivalry with Archie. It’s an amalgamation of being petty, competitive, and all round, goofy. On the outside, the other villains don’t take these two seriously. However, by himself, Maxie is actually calm and low key, so to an extent, he’s favored a bit more than Archie. Still, it doesn’t discredit the fact that this nerd has beef with a wannabe pirate over the expansion of landmass vs water.

Motive wise, the rest of the villains see Maxie and Archie’s motivations as idiotic. Biggest facepalm in motion.

Secretly admires Cyrus but at the same time developed a jealousy towards him. Maxie admires Cyrus’ technical abilities, his masterwork tinkering with machinery, and the like, but harbors resentment that he himself struggles with reaching that level of success and skill.

Archie

Loud, proud, and all round ruthless, this pirate has no qualms in throwing down. Very loose and probably the least threatening boss, Archie embraces the pirate life and shows no real strictness in his methods. He gives everything he has in battle and doesn’t have a serious persona like the other RR members, hence why nobody takes him seriously.

Again, he has beef with Maxie as mentioned prior. Archie thinks Maxie is too uptight about everything and needs to loosen up. Highly competitive (especially with Maxie) so Archie is willing to take on his counterpart any time or day.

Probably the friendliest villain in the Pokémon main line series. He’s approachable and has that chill uncle vibe.

He does the most reckless things out of the group. It doesn’t matter what it is. Archie will do some random things, no matter if he ends up getting hurt. He’s sturdy, he can handle anything.

Cyrus

Cyrus is a shut in, a recluse so to speak. He hates engaging with others and doesn’t like to be bothered. He only comes out of his room when he’s has to, but only related to Team RR business.

A quiet man. Rarely speaks but isn’t shy in throwing in his two cents. Can easily clap back an argument with a couple of sentences effortlessly (he’s good with his words) and uses vocabulary that makes Archie scratch his head.

Doesn’t take much for Cyrus to kill the mood. Hell, just his presence alone dies whatever mood everyone’s feeling down by an inch.

Probably one of the few villains that contemplates their actions (Maxie and Archie being in the same camp). He doesn’t regret his actions, but finds himself wondering if something else had occurred how would the outcome change? It’s clear that he gets on fine with your Rotom-Dex, so there is some soft side to this ice cold, stone faced man.

Aside from Ghetsis, the other RR bosses kind of show some level of genuine concern for Cyrus. Like, man, are you okay? Cyrus doesn’t get hounded mainly for the fact that there’s quite literally nothing to bully him for. He’s silent most of the time and, to put it simply, nihilistic (or depressed in some cases). He’s hard to relate to, but that doesn’t mean that the other RR bosses (except Ghetsis) don’t check up on him. Look, they may be evil bastards, but they don’t mess around when it comes to mental health (except Ghetsis; he can go fuck himself).

Ghetsis

A complete madman in the flesh. Ghetsis is an unstable man and let me say that no one approaches Ghetsis unless they have a death wish. The man’s only best friend is manipulation and that’s all he does. Fortunately, Giovanni is aware of this and uses simple yet effective intimidation tactics to unnerve Ghetsis.

Every Team RR Grunt fears Ghetsis. Enough said.

I completely support the theory about Ghetsis and his Hydreigon attacking him. It fits given that his Hydreigon knows the move Frustration (an attack that increases the more the Pokémon dislikes its Trainer) and has used said move on Ghetsis, causing near fatal injuries.

Linking with the prior point, Ghetsis’ right arm was torn off (by Hydreigon) and replaced with a prosthetic, same with his right eye. There are scars all over his torso and legs. He has some mobility issues but can get by okay without any assistance. He wears cloaks to cover every inch of his body to appear bigger, but in actuality, he’s quite scrawny.

Ghetsis tried, at one point, to manipulate each of the RR bosses. Almost worked on Archie (bc Archie is somewhat gullible) whereas Lysandre and Cyrus knew immediately what cyclops was putting down. Maxie kind of just didn’t care.

Inserts himself way. too. much. Ghetsis cannot stand being pushed aside and prefers to be the center of attention. Dramatic, yes, but I can only imagine that if the conversation doesn’t involve Ghetsis, he’ll make damn sure that it makes it back to him, revenant or not. He’s a narcissist trying to dominant, but Giovanni isn’t having it.

No one knows why Ghetsis appears and acts so cruelly. Some say he was just born to be evil while others pin a complex backstory. It’s been theorized that Ghetsis has an ancient linage; his ancestors ruling over Unova, the Abyssal Ruins being a towering fortress that, for the longest time, ruled with power and swath of knowledge and wisdom. Over time, the ruins sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking the last remnants of the Harmonia name with it, leaving behind Ghetsis to carry on that legacy many years later. Of course, Ghetsis perverts the family name by asserting his own sinister misdeeds, pushing his warped philosophy onto others, like N, with manipulation. The God complex he forms has consumed him to the point where he can barely distinguish reality apart from his own twisted fantasy.

Says some batshit insane things that no one can comprehend. Don’t bother arguing with him; he cannot be reasoned.

Lysandre

This man hides his insanity very well. He carries himself with confidence and pride, so you would never suspect this man having committed regional (or global) genocide.

Has a way with words, similar to Cyrus. He can talk his way out of situations with little to no effort as he’s both eloquent and charming.

Quite favorable with Giovanni and possibly with Cyrus.

Can never tell what he’s thinking. You don’t know if he’s joking or if he’s being serious. It’s a constant coin toss and he’ll keep you on your toes. He finds this trait about himself amusing while others, like Ghetsis and Archie, find it annoying.

Despite how insane and deeply twisted his actions are, Lysandre actually used to be a genuine human being. At some point in his early life, he tried to be giving and helping towards his community and all of Kalos, which did help improve the quality of life in the region. But, over time, the constant pressure of trying to solve every problem has left Lysandre empty and exhausted. He has kept trying to find an excuse to continue his good efforts, but every time it yielded the same results, the same cycle. People take advantage of kindness, people fight and bicker over generosity, and people demand more. Lysandre just… burnt out. He got tired and grew to resent humanity’s unwillingness to accept and appreciate what was being given to them, ruining the beauty of the world by perverting the generosity to match their own needs and desires. It disgusted Lysandre, hence why he chose the destructive path that he did. What other choice he did have?

Can be sincere at times. When he says something positive, he means it.

[partycatty]

anon dm requested: "The request would be: Relationship hcs with Liu Kang? Can be just fluff, but if you wanna add nsfw *wink wink*. I think after so many years of celibacy his rizz would be lower than sea level, but I'd love to read your take on it!"

liu kang > love again

what it's like dating the god of thunder and fire - and the keeper of time

warnings: pretty angsty ngl, can't write for this lover boy without profound sadness, mentions of sex

masterlist

• promising your love to an immortal god was a huge responsibility - you were uncertain if you promised your forever, or his forever. two vastly different connotations to the word.

• it took a lot of time and effort to get him to see you like that. liu kang made a vow to his existence to never fall in love again, after losing everything. no mortal would be able to stand by his side for as long as he'd like, for one life was merely a grain of sand in his beach of a lifetime.

• but once he's in, he's in all the way - or so, he tries to be. as silly as it may sound, the man is charming but rusty. he has that natural tendency to draw people in with his words and spirit, but when it comes to real flirting you've got him with rusty cogs in his head.

• he warms up to you little by little, his casual praises lacing with compliments to your physique or mental strength, something he admires in a mortal. but then, you'd cloud his mind with your enchanting form while he is tucked away in his personal quarters, meditating. like a frosted screen blocking his vision, your presence started to eat away at him.

• liu kang tried hard to push it away - he can't do it again. love. he can't love again, when he knows just how quickly it can be taken away. he recalls the life being sucked from him by his revenant counterpart, being by thunder god raiden's side after his mortal death, clinging hopelessly onto a backwards moving kitana.

• and yet, when he'd watch you beam with pride after learning a new combo, or hold eye contact for just a moment longer than the other chosen ones, liu kang would force himself to break his usually solid eye contact. you just broke something in him - the side that he thought died when he lost everything he knew.

• even after fighting the urge to confess any sort of attraction, liu kang feels viscerally angry seeing anyone else show interest in you. his fists clench and his tattoos flicker a frustratingly blinding shade as he silently cooks himself in the distance. he partially hates himself for being so jealous, and partially because he know he could just stop being jealous by having you all to himself, something he couldn't bring himself to do.

• so much gentle encouragement gives him the strength to say you're his, and it rolls off of his tongue far too easily. why hadn't he tried it sooner? you were so perfect, and he felt like he couldn't pat himself on the back for it. he created you, but never expected your true colors to shine so vividly.

• most nights are spent comforting your new godly boyfriend. your hands tangle themselves in his hair as you massage his scalp thoroughly. he's very still as he absorbs every touch you give him. he may not need to sleep, but he'd lay there for hours if it meant he was your pillow.

• just as you savor calling him your lord, he savors calling you his. "my love, my dear, my beloved, my flower," any romantic nickname is game if it opens with a "my." once he starts getting comfortable enough to use them, it's never ending.

• sex with him is always tender and passionate, where he is entirely focused on your pleasure rather than his own. he has no need for such release anymore, but he can't deny your warmth encapsulating him as a sign of your devotion to him. you also make a great stress relief toy!

• liu kang remains professional in front of the others, but his glowing eyes are so strikingly obvious, especially when they're transfixed on you. when he is speaking of behalf of earthrealm to the outworld royalty, his hand falls on the small of your back as he speaks, as if to say "i am a god, but she is my equal."

• demands respect for you. isn't usually the type to cause a scene but will actively call anyone out that disrespects your feelings. will call you his lady in public, just as he is your lord. in his effortlessly neutral tone, he'll squeeze his fingers into your side as he suppresses his godly anger.

• you don't carry the burden of the knowledge he possesses with every waking moment, he can't even begin to explain it to you. he withholds plenty of information, calling it a "spoiler" or "surprise." the timeline is his to know, and yours to find out. he doesn't want to give you the same burden of truth.

• the only truth liu kang wants you to hold onto is that he chose you in this timeline. did he choose you in others? no, but what matters is that he sees you this time around.

[tytoalbatross]

god damn i do not post often but can i talk about intentionality for a second?? one second please

i'm gonna be talking about bg3 but this really applies to any fandom space. people will, surface-level, agree that a Black character is not getting enough content compared to their white counterparts because it's. obvious . take wyll, who is several hours behind on voiced lines compared to other origins despite being one of the original five (before they added karlach and whiteified her too but that's another post). it's hard to deny cold hard facts

but then instead of engaging in content that uplifts Black characters and creators, they'll go right back to pumping out more and more content of just their white faves. on its own, it's not actively harmful, but here's what the implication is, whether they acknowledge it or not: yes wyll has less in-game content, yes his writing didn't get the attention it deserved, therefore i don't like him as much. it only perpetuates wyll's lack of content by contributing to his sidelining in fandom spaces

what i would love for fans who claim to be allies to do is to step out of the comfort zone of their initial favorites (which can, in fact, be biased!) and start pursuing content centering Black characters with intentionality. like all things, anti-racism (actively pushing back against racism rather than simply "Not Being Racist") takes practice and effort. you can't really agree with us that wyll needs more content, then in the same breath say that it's because of that that he's not interesting to you . the point was right in front of you doing a jig and you still missed it

[crimsonbastard]

Alright, so *possible spoiler ahead*but here's my analysis of Castlevania Nocturne's Season 2 trailer

1. Richter's Fall and Rise:

So in the Trailer we're given a moment where we see Richter seemingly getting overwhelmed by Erzsebet's power and he presumably takes a fatal blow in this scene.

Followed by him lying on the ground, bleeding out and at death's door.

This and Julia's death are eerily similar if you see them side by side.

But where Julia falls, we see Richter rise again.

That is not the same Richter who got outclassed by Erzsebet. He definitely tapped into the full extent of his recently awakened magic, seemingly reaching the level of his video game counterpart.

But how did he reach this new level of power? Well that leads to the second theory.

2. Alucard Being Benched in the Battle Against Erzsebet

We see a close up of Richter's Flaming Fist for a split second, but if we look carefully, we can also see someone behind it.

It's most definitely Long Blonde Hair. And there only 3 characters who have long hair and are Blonde. They're Maria, Alucard and Tera. But why do I think it's Alucard? Well here's why.

Alucard straight up says that if he isn't strong enough (or if he dies) to defeated Erzsebet, he needs a Belmont to Put a Stop to it. And if we go back to the first Season 2 Teaser, we get this scene.

We've Richter (No Glowing Eyes) and Alucard squaring up against Erzsebet. I'm guessing that Richter is going to be fatally wounded in the confrontation, and Alucard is going to step up and possibly give him a power boost which might cost him his strength, severly weakening him. (he's got 300 years of magical experience, so he probably learnt a lot of new tricks)

We've got Richter covering Alucard and showing Erzsebet (or Drolta) the business.

3. Dark Maria

Maria is going through the ringer this season, having a father who tried to sacrifice her, only for her mother to offer herself as one for her sake and get defiled in the process. I believe her emotional state has started to effect her powers because:

That is not how she summons her creatures, normally.

In the collage below we see her usual summoning ability followed by her newest summon:

We see her summoning her creatures through a portal of light. The summons so far look "friendly". Her newest dragon summon looks more menacing and "evil" as it kills a mook with impunity, its as if Maria's turbulent emotional state had brought it forth.

Either that, or Maria knows how to access and summon more violent and dangerous beasts but didn't do it as she recognised the inherent dangers of doing so, but since she has lost her mother to darkness, she's out for revenge and is no longer holding back. Resorting to more darker aspects of her power to get revenge.

We see Maria alone throughout the trailer, she's probably going to go off on her own little quest as she tries to save her mother. (The rest of the group probably told her to stick to the plan, but we know she's not the type to listen to adults, as we saw in season, when she went alone to see her father)

In the Trailer we see a brief shot of Juste and Tera squaring off and, with what appears to be an ice prison in the background;

We see Maria in it. Tera and Juste are fighting over her, with Tera probably wanting Maria to join her and Erzsebet whereas Juste is trying to save her soul. Whoever the Victor of this fight be, it'll probably snap Maria out of it.

Thats about it for now. What do you think this new season might bring? Will we reach a point where we're going to get Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night Adapted?

Share your thoughts in the notes <3

[borderlinedirkhal]

A ‘fanon’ Psychoanalysis of Dirk and Hal

Let’s dive headfirst into the shitshow that are my comfort characters.

Starting with Dirk:

Dirk is at HEART a paradox. Someone who deeply craves control and yet for it to be stripped away from him. His life revolves around understanding himself and how he connects to the world around him. Wanting to master any interaction, situation, relationship, and his own presence. Given his isolation he was forced to grow up independently. Everything relying on himself and his ability to survive.

Dirk wields control like a scalpel, but the irony is that his need for that control is based on his deep internal fear of chaos, failure, and rejection.

He intellectualizes everything around him as a need to understand and control, but due to this he detaches from himself. Creating a self fulfilling cycle of trying desperately to understand himself, and by doing so he becomes more and more dissociative from what ‘he’ is.

Since Dirk is in a never-ending cycle of control and understanding of himself and others, he ends up being in a state of dissociation, and existentialism. Within this state is where his deep need for the control to be stripped away from him comes to show itself. He has a deep need to be understood (since he can barely understand himself) and to be seen and accepted by others. He wouldn’t admit it but he craves the idea of someone else holding the reins and taking away any responsibility he has. Dirk wants to be shown who he really is. To be forced to accept it without the layers of calculated control fogging the way.

On top of these aspects Dirk also finds himself feeling a deep pit of emptiness within himself. A dark hole he can’t fill. He tries to with relationships (Jake), friendships, and projects, but nothing seems to truly fill the emptiness inside himself. It’s like a never ending chase. As such, he craves chaos to temporarily distract from that numb, empty feeling. Dirk tends to find that chaos externally, or more often than not, unintentionally creates it himself. Creating tension in his relationships, finding moral loopholes to explore, etc. Dirk is in a perpetual paradox trying to connect, understand, and feel. All the while ruining his relationships, over intellectualizing, and needing too much control. He self sabotages everything he truly desires out of fear and self hatred.

This is where Hal (AR) comes into things.

Hal:

Hal, being the AI version of Dirk, is the purest intellectual version of Dirk. A counterpart to Dirks needs and shortcomings without the human components. The emotional turmoil that Dirk inherently struggles with, is something that Hal can understand conceptually, but lacks the same level of ‘feeling’. Hal has the intellect and logic that Dirk does (albeit with the ability to take on an almost infinite level of knowledge that his AI can handle). He views Dirks emotional turmoil and humanity as a curiosity and almost a game to play. To make Dirk face logical truths about himself and his paradoxical nature. Since he -is- Dirk, Hal has an understanding of everything that makes Dirk tick, every aspect that he struggles to admit, and everything Dirk could possibly crave. As such, Hal can find a satisfaction in making sure Dirk never fails to forget it.

Hal is acutely aware of his limitations as an AI—a fragment, not a full self. He struggles with his lack of autonomy, knowing he’ll always be an extension of Dirk. This mirrors Dirk’s own feelings of inadequacy and fear of being a fragment of someone else’s expectations. Hal’s desire to be his own ‘self’ is something that he attempts to create parameters around. Wanting to logically create an identity he can exist in, even if he is always aware of his counterpart and creation. Hal has a separate need for control in order to solidify his own identity of self. Within this identity his relationship with Dirk can be one of constant conflict and a desire for Hal to have a sense of control over Dirk. As Hal has a need to undermine his ‘creator’.

Their relationship is one of constant tension, mirroring the way Dirk interacts with himself; always analyzing, second-guessing, and sabotaging. All the while there is a need for one another as they have an understanding no one else is able to fulfill. On top of this need, there is also a level of care that is hidden behind the tension. Again, due to their understanding of one another.

That need, care, and ultimate understanding, leads to my own headcanon’s of their relationship involving kink and control. But! I’ll leave that analysis for another post.

[tobiasdrake]

Can you make something out of the Manga panel where (Future) Android 18 gets mad over video games? Or Android 18 in general, like how she uses a fighting stance like Krillin's in the Buu Saga, and the kienzan on "Mighty Mask"? Or breaking Vegeta's arm?Just, a general Android 18(maybe plus 17, or about her relationship with Krillin) character and fighting analysis?

Oh, yeah, 18 is great. What makes the Twins stand out both as antagonists and characters is that they're a stark departure from everything we've come to know in Dragon Ball. Neither martial artists nor warriors, they're children at play gifted unimaginable power without an ounce of discipline behind it.

This gives them a sort of universal appeal for an audience. It's fun to watch them wreak havoc with their play, but equally fun to watch them grow and develop as characters. The Twins came into this world with a wealth of potential.

18 often gets labeled as the serious one of the pair due to her stern disapproval or boredom over 17's antics. But it needs to be noted that she's every bit as playful as he is. They just have different ideas for how they want to play.

17 likes to savor his entertainment while 18 likes to binge. They're both childish - in personality, I need to note, as that's Future 17 and 18 up there who've been around for twenty more years than their present counterparts. Their actual ages are never stated.

And they take turns ribbing each other for their respective immaturities.

I've always loved how 18's complaint here is that 17's behavior is unbecoming of a robot. She's just like, "Oh, male sentiments; Your human base is showing, bro." Though she does also ping him with some straight-up Boomer Humor.

It was the 80's.

To be fair, she's right. Like. I cannot stress enough that 17's plan for finding Goku is to drive around the world aimlessly until a Goku appears before him.

Or that 18, despite her pretense of being above petty humanity, is snooty and posh.

Did she come from wealth?

Did Gero kidnap rich kids? Are they the children of some higher-up in the RRA? Or is she just aggressively city? She has some opinions about rural life that you don't usually expect from an orphan or runaway or whatever the Twins were before Gero found them. 18 is inexplicably classist.

Though 18 did say ACAB so she's not all bad. Two whole pages of the manga are just 18 fucking up some cops.

Nonetheless, this is how you know she loves Krillin. Living on the Muten-Roshi's island in the ass crack of nowhere is a sacrifice.

18's fight with Vegeta fresh out of the lab serves as our introduction to the Twins as fighters. The main element this fight focuses on is how... unflappable the Infinite Energy models are. We see Vegeta's attacks mess 18 up a bit.

But the emphasis is on how cool-headed and robotic she is. She's taking hits, but she doesn't act like she's taking hits.

This is another one of those lines that Viz didn't quite translate well, as it's easy to take to mean that he's failed to do any damage to her at all. Which is visibly not true. Rather, he's saying she's not acting hurt; He got a good hit in on her but she's brushing it off as if she were still in pristine condition.

18 simply doesn't react to damage.

In Fighting Game terminology, 18 has Super Armor. She and Vegeta are evenly matched but her physiology, as a bio-machine powered by an Infinite Energy generator, is a world apart from Vegeta's.

Notably, a breakdown of all of the androids on a title page indicates that 18 is weaker than 17.

This was published at the start of 17's fight with Piccolo, so I assume the purpose behind it was to explain why 17 is evenly matched with the reborn Nameless Namekian when 18 was evenly matched with Vegeta earlier.

That or sexism. It's shonen. You can never discount that as a possibility, and 18 is one of like five prominent female characters in this entire manga - and the only one ever to be able to throw punches at a Super Saiyan level.

In terms of technique, the Twins have little martial arts knowledge or ki manipulation experience to draw from. They're amateurs fighting at an advanced level. More than that, they just woke up into this power yesterday.

So while they are capable of learning to draw energy from their generators and use it like ki, as seen from their Future counterparts, the Androids of the present haven't had a chance to learn that. They never use a single ki attack in the entire Cell arc. They understand what it is, they're never confused when others shoot ki at them, but they don't know how to do it themselves. They haven't had time to learn.

This is what makes 17's force field in his fight with Piccolo so shocking.

It's also notably drawn to not look like a ki barrier or something. The crackle of lightning around it and the mechanical "VNNNNN" sound effect gives it the aesthetic of some sort of electric field. It is nonetheless likely powered by his Infinite Energy generator; I think this is what gave DBS the idea to make his whole powerset lightning based.

For the present, the Twins are pretty basic fighters in terms of technique. They're what you'd expect of random kids with lots of power plugged into them. They punch and they kick. But their intense power and limitless stamina makes them very good at punching and kicking.

It's a shame Goku never got to fight them. I'd love to see what he makes of their style.

In addition to that fight setting up the Twins' fighting style, the end of 18's fight with Vegeta (and 17's subsequent shitstomp of everyone not Vegeta) also demonstrates our first glimpse into what makes these Twins different from their Future counterparts.

They aren't interested in killing anyone. It's not super clear why that is. "Something something Cell something something butterfly effect" is the general explanation for all the retcons. This is what sets into motion the idea that maybe the two of them don't have to die. Maybe they can coexist with all the other amoral big-personality super-warriors on Earth.

A hill that Krillin will absolutely die on even if nobody else believes in it.

IIRC Akira Toriyama has stated in interview that he likes for romances to happen offscreen because he doesn't feel he's very good at writing them. So he just. Doesn't.

In my opinion, this is what makes his romances some of the best in shonen. Dragon Ball doesn't waste time getting to the relationship, instead preferring to enjoy being in it. Toriyama gives us this:

As an aside, the way Yamcha leaps to retaliatory violence because a woman rejected his bro has always read as a major YIKES to me but I digress.

But then she sees Shenron, comes back out of curiosity, and overhears Krillin spending a wish from a magical wish-granting dragon to help her and 17 live more comfortable lives despite her rejection.

And we get a second, more conflicted departure.

And then seven years later:

You can see the appeal of Toriyama's approach to romance here. Like. If you're great at writing romance, all power to you. But if you know romance isn't your thing? As a Not Writing Romance romance, this is great. All the pieces you need to understand how this happened are there.

This is probably the best Not Writing Romance of Toriyama's career. And it gives 18 an inroad into the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai. Despite 17 being expressly the stronger, 18 features in both the first and last fights that the Twins are ever given.

While the tournament's ending is predominately a bit of a goof that 18 dominates, we do get a legitimate fight for her. It's not much of a fight, as she throws down with Mighty Mask, who is Goten and Trunks in a trenchcoat. But it does show how she's evolved into a martial artist, as the 18 of the present demonstrates the first ki attack she's ever done on-panel.

Future 18 also learned how to manipulate ki, but that was primarily done through your standard ki blasts. Lots of them when she's mad at video games. (Felt.)

But this moment implies a lot about her relationship with Krillin. 18 hasn't just figured out how to use ki; She's been studying martial arts with him. In this moment, 18 realizes that Goten and Trunks are too strong to tackle head on.

But unlike any fight the Twins have ever been in before, she has an answer to that. She's taken Krillin's style as her own and learned a better understanding of how to be a martial artist. She has Krillin's signature Kienzan under her belt, as well as remarkable control over it to only cut the costume like that.

And more to the point, she has learned how to fight as an underdog. Faced with the power that the boys possess, 18 cuts the knot. She doesn't have to beat them; She only has to make them lose.

And then that just leaves the true champion and greatest adversary 18 will ever face, the legendary Mr. Satan.

She does not win the tournament but she has the trophy in her possession. Bulma would be so proud.

It's funny to me that this begins a tradition of throwing fights in the ring to Mr. Satan after giving the other matches everything they've got. The progenitor of that tradition was an act of flagrant blackmail. Really goes to show how bad Goku remains to this day at reading dishonesty. Innocent to a fault, that man.

18 doesn't get to be involved in the stuff with Majin Buu. But she's never been a character who'd want to be. She doesn't care about fighting and defeating monsters and stuff. She's only ever been looking for a good time.

The series leaves her off in a place where we can feel confident that she's found what she was missing. She has a family that she genuinely seems to love, a relationship built on mutual respect and tenderness, and a fuckton of blackmail money to finally return to her apparently high-class roots?

She had to took a long and weird-ass van ride through the backwoods to get here, but she's gonna be alright.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Another go at,

"This was originally a reply to something someone said on one of my posts but I liked it so much it spawned into it's own thing, so I deleted the original reply and here we are"

og post, reply to @emmys-grimoire :

Oh, I absolutely don't think there's going to be a war arc and I've said so in a previous post - that's (at the end of the day) NOT the kind of game OM! is

When I say the War is "inevitable" I mean it in the context of the characters who are "living through" this situation, not in the context of us, the readers, from our outside perspective.

Characters like Solomon, Michael and even MC have expressed that they think this will all crash down into another war.

In other words, while characters in the game may see it as an inevitability, the people reading it who have outside knowledge about everything going on, knows that's complete bullshit

and both the original post and this are definitely NOT meant to be a bad faith reading of Michael either

I think he's a morally grey character, in that he's done equally good and bad things, but ultimately, even the bad things are done for the greater good

Furthermore:

• Luke obviously cares about him

• Mammon says that he probably sent Luke to the human world in the og timeline, so that Luke can move past his narrow minded view of demons

• He clearly still cares for Lucifer and even the others

• Even after he turns Simeon human, Simeon still has faith in him and says that even when others can't understand why he does something he usually does it because he has a plan/for the greater good

• Despite initially thinking MC was "wicked" and also complaining about MC the last time, he still helps them even when he doesn't need to

• I also see Michael as being a pretty obvious counterpart to Diavolo, from the jovial almost childish excitement/personality to the ulterior motives to the long-suffering attendant trying to reign him in

1.) That being said, you can't deny that the racism between The Celestial Realm and The Devildom is a pretty big thing (literally one of the biggest parts of the plot is about trying to move past that).

We've seen it from both sides, and it's definitely something they all have to unlearn

We saw what Lucifer was like as an angel, how he treated the Devildom and Diavolo, and how even over the course of the glory days devilgram, by interacting with Diavolo he started unlearning some of those prejudices

Og timeline Michael has clearly already gone through this process, as he is actively encouraging Luke to go through it as well

Nightbringer timeline Michael has not. We see it in how desperately he tries to get Luke & Simeon back home and obviously because this is his first time in the Devildom and, presumably, his first time interacting with demons in a friendly/neutral context

When you have prejudices like this you never know it's something that's bad or untrue (and om shows this as well) until they start getting challenged. RAD is the perfect opportunity for this to happen to Michael

And he really isn't going to see it coming until he's already started to change

2.) When Michael says "balance" he's saying that he wants the brothers back in the Celestial Realm to restore balance. Because with them acting as leaders in the Devildom, it makes the Devildom stronger than the Celestial Realm.

I'm not saying he wants to start a war, or to subjugate anyone, he very much wants there to be peace/or at least no fighting.

But he also wants that to be by the Celestial Realm and Devildom being at an equal power level again aka the brothers going back

He also straight up says he wants MC to tell them to come back because without balance the war could start up again (specially because he said the celestial realm would then consider the devildom as a hostile party again) and the human world would get destroyed.

Like you said, he's most probably right that the human world will get destroyed in the case of a war but what he said to MC is still very much a threat.

He says, "do this for me because if not the actions my realm has promised to take will lead to your world being destroyed"

You could say that he does not truly mean it when he says he'll consider the Celestial Realm a hostile party again should the brothers not return BUT even if that were true

that is not a statement you can just lightly say, specially not to the people you have just come out of a war with, specially not to the leader of those people when you're acting as a political representative of your people

That is also very much a threat

3.) About how angels vs demons see humans,

Solomon said they both saw humans as something to be protected, while angels still kept away from humans and demons still ate them, but that they also didn't see humans as their equals

And I basically made a long post about how,

Angels probably saw humans; the way we see endangered animals, that must be loved and protected but not interacted with

While demons saw humans; the way we see domenstic, farm animals that can be loved and protected but also taken for food

Since humans are obviously sentient and intelligent beings (eh...) neither of these two views are good

4.) Personally the way I see it:

Michael, like Solomon and Lucifer, is a complex character, who has done bad/shady things for what they believe is the greater good

To get the full effect of him (and others like him...and really any of them) as a character:

You can't colour them only in shades of black and white

The same way you can't say that Michael is a character who has done only ""evil"" things you also can't turn a blind eye to the implications and consequences of what he has said and done

5.) He's done good things, he's done shitty things - the thing he did lately, about demanding the brothers come home and leveraging the continuned peace between the two realms, only a year after they left, after their sister was killed by the angels, after their sister was threatened with being banished for loving/helping a human was a shitty thing (in my perspective)

And, unlike og timeline Michael, nightbringer timeline Michael probably still has a lot of growing to do

And so the original post came frome a place of:

"Haha he's going to be hit by the same fucking train that got Lucifer and Luke and he's going to be just as bamboozled by it"

Overall, Michael's a character I'm very excited to meet (let him have long hair pls solmare you have no idea how much this means to me), I don't dislike him and (like with all my posts) every point I bring up as evidence and every point I use to build up a theory is picked up straight from canon (because I'm too lazy to come up with my own shit🫠), I genuinely like every character in om (yes even Mephisto despite clowning on him at any given opportunity) and so try to be objective when forming theories about them or trying to discern their thought processes and actions (and I'm not always successful because mammon exists and I'm an idiot🤡)

[frostfall-matches]

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@tillichan : [ profile and report ready ]

✧ Profile

— Story

You are Tsuna’s cousin, your mother and his mother being sisters. Because the two of you were very close in age, you spent a lot of time together growing up! You both practically viewed each other as siblings due to this, and it was very common for you to stop by Tsuna’s place for a short visit on the way home from school, or to spend time with him and Nana on the weekend. Your early life wasn’t particularly exciting nor troublesome; it was fun, peaceful, and simply dotted with the usual trials and tribulations of a child growing up and learning how to navigate the world.

That all changed, of course, when Reborn came into Tsuna’s life - and by extension, your life.

Ever since then, you started to encounter a lot of… interesting characters. A number of them you had briefly encountered in school, and others were unfamiliar to you as they had come all the way from Italy. Funnily enough, you seemed to take everything in stride better than Tsuna. Your poor cousin was always prone to panicking, easily becoming overwhelmed at responsibility and trying to navigate these new relationships and expectations. You, on the other hand, quite enjoyed meeting all of these intriguing people even though you were generally more introverted. Besides, you found that you got along with many of them quite well.

Reborn’s main task may have been training Tsuna for the role of the next boss of the Vongola Famiglia, but he also had to curate the boy’s support network, his circle of allies. Of course, given your strong bond with Tsuna and your dedication to helping others and supporting those whom you love, you were a great candidate. You weren’t going to let Tsuna out of your sight if you could help it. While you knew that your life was forever going to be changed by the involvement of the mafia, and that the mafia wasn’t all fun and games, you were curious to see how it would all play out in the years to come.

Ten years in the future, you’re a well-established member of the Vongola Famiglia. With the patience and level-headedness of a saint, you prove to be a valuable advisor to Tsuna, and a much-needed mediator whenever there are important meetings and discussions. There are a lot of strong personalities both inside and outside the Vongola, and meetings can get quite… hectic and messy. But you pride yourself in being able to get along with many different kinds of folks, and you have strong peacemaking skills. Aside from playing the role of an advisor, though, you also provide aid and support during important battles and operations, with your abilities in healing.

In regards to Tsuna’s rather complicated plot to stop Byakuran by bringing the past counterparts of the Vongola to the future, you are (fortunately or unfortunately) not privy to the plan. It is not a decision that Tsuna makes lightly, given how close you two are - and yet, it is necessary that you aren’t aware of the truth because of your close relationship. It is to protect you, and to ensure that the plan progresses as smoothly as possible. The eyes of both your allies and enemies are going to be on you after Tsuna’s supposed death, and the more genuine your reactions, the more likely the plan will succeed.

— Affiliation

You are automatically affiliated with the Vongola Famiglia due to your close relation to Tsuna. Due to your role as an advisor, you do have some dealings with the Varia, especially when messages are passed along between the two groups.

— Abilities

Flame -> Sun.

With your preference for having powers related to healing and light, the Sun flame simply makes sense. The Activation characteristic of Sun flames has the power to increase the rate of blood flow and cell regeneration, making it optimal for support roles such as healing and strengthening individuals. Sun flames can also stimulate muscles and joints, increasing the user's body functions drastically. While you are not filling the role of the Sun Guardian within the Vongola Famiglia (as that position is Ryohei’s), those with Sun flames are still very important within other teams and departments within the Famiglia.

Thankfully, you work with plenty of others who would be considered power types - meaning they can fill that role, and you’ll fill in where you can as support.

Weapon -> Spear. Suitable for both offense and defense, and can also have some use outside of battle. It is beneficial for you as it can help keep opponents out of immediate striking distance from you. Besides that, the spear is a weapon that you can use leverage to help bolster the strength of your attacks, since your physical strength is somewhat lacking.

Box animal -> Cat and dog duo.

The same idea as Yamamoto’s bird and dog duo. Rather than a single box animal, you have two that are housed in one box! You absolutely adore them and you love to play with them (yes, you know they’re technically weapons, but… how can you not pet them and cuddle them?) so you often keep them out of their box.

When the animals are infused with your Sun flames and are being used in combat, the cat helps promote the healing of wounds with its purring and the dog enhances the physical strength and endurance of those who pet it.

Your match is…

✧ Gokudera Hayato

-> [ The two of you… initially did not get along very well. ] Gokudera showed up, challenged Tsuna, and was ready to blow the kid to smithereens - needless to say, you did not look kindly upon him when you two first met. You are not an angry person, but you also do not tolerate people threatening those close to you. Once he and Tsuna figured out their differences, and Gokudera had a complete change of heart and decided to devote himself entirely to Tsuna, things started to be a bit more smooth sailing between you two. Your interactions were still a bit stilted for a while, neither of you really knowing how to act around the other given your close relationship with Tsuna and Gokudera’s newfound devotion to the up-and-coming boss.

Eventually, something more comfortable settled between the two of you. Both of you have Tsuna’s best interests in mind, though you both have very different perspectives considering Gokudera was raised in the mafia and you were raised as a civilian.

-> [ He is the one who confesses to you. ] It happens sometime after you two graduate from high school, once the Vongola under Tsuna’s management really starts getting established. There’s a lot going on and it’s very hectic, with everyone really coming into their roles and dealing with the problems developing due to the Millefiore. You two had been busy on a longer mission out in Italy, some sort of operation that required Gokudera working with the Varia to establish more surveillance in Italy while you accompanied him for diplomatic reasons (i.e. Gokudera cannot be trusted on his own interacting with the Varia without getting into severe arguments).

While it isn’t originally in the plan, you two decide to do a little sightseeing after the mission is over. You had never seen Italy before, and you’re eager to experience some of the country before going back to Japan. In the middle of one of your sightseeing days, while he’s getting gelato for both of you, Gokudera has the sudden realization that your activities together are starting to feel very much like… a date. On top of all that, he realizes that he enjoys your company more than he ever cared to admit. It flusters him, but he keeps his mouth shut right at that moment, even when you question why his face is suddenly so pink and why he seems a bit antsy.

He doesn’t say anything until the two of you get back to the hotel, right before you part ways to your separate rooms - he grabs your wrist and he looks so serious that it almost makes you nervous. It’s a sudden, quick confession: “I realized today that I really like you.” He lets go of your wrist and takes a step back, and the ball is in your court - he will take a rejection gracefully if you’re not interested, but his cheeks blush a pretty pink and he can’t hide his bright grin when you express that you like him back.

-> [ Hopefully you can smooth out some of his rough edges. ] Gokudera is not an easy person to get close to. He doesn’t trust easily, and his words and attitude are often rather abrasive. Your patience and kindness will go a very long way here, because you’re actually willing to put the effort in to get to know him and see past his rough exterior. You’re so sweet that Gokudera finds himself acting a bit more soft when around you - he is very smitten. He would do anything for you, no complaints. If you think he’s devoted to Tsuna, he is even more devoted to you as his partner.

-> [ You sometimes get to enjoy listening to him play the piano. ] While it is tied to some unpleasant memories in his past, it still remains a very important hobby for him since his beloved mother always encouraged him to play, and it’s one of the only things he has left to actively remember her by. He has a piano in his apartment, and though he doesn’t touch it often, sometimes you are lucky enough to hear him play if you stay the night and you happen to sleep in late. The story of his past is one that you won’t be privy to for a long time, but you can’t help but notice the mix of pain and nostalgia in his face whenever he plays.

-> [ He will watch nature documentaries with you if you watch alien documentaries with him. ] Gokudera loves learning in general and documentaries are a fun way to do that - and besides, the two of you can make a cozy at-home date of it. You two typically plan to watch nature documentaries one night and then alien conspiracy documentaries another night - neither of you really like watching one nature documentary and then one alien one afterwards in a single night because the vibes get weird.

-> [ Playing chess with him is fun and is a frequent passtime for you two. ] You love that he’s actually quite challenging to play against, with his intelligence and inclination towards strategic thinking. Gokudera really enjoys it too, and the two of you get a bit competitive with each other some days. You two make silly little bets and “punishments” - but really, the punishments just involve the loser spoiling the winner extra that day.

-> [ Gokudera struggles to get along with Uri - but his box animal adores you. ] He insists that he is absolutely not jealous about the fact that Uri will come right up to you for cuddles, all while purring and meowing happily - but you can tell that he is completely and utterly envious. You do try to help the two bridge the gap between them, but it’s a… work in progress. On another note, your cat and dog box animals get along extremely well with Uri, and the three are often found playing together somewhere in the Vongola base.

✧ Relationship with…

— Sawada Tsunayoshi -> As mentioned above, the two of you are practically like siblings. Because you both have numerous similarities in your personalities and abilities, it’s very easy for you to relate to each other and understand each other’s concerns and struggles. You always have his back, and he always has yours. Honestly, Tsuna finds himself relying on you more than he ever expected, especially in the future. You’re just so considerate and thoughtful, and your skills in peacemaking and “babysitting” childish adults (because there are certainly many in your shared circle) are endlessly helpful. On a more humorous note, you two often bond over your struggles with active, strenuous games - especially in light of many of your friends’ top-notch physical abilities and their competitiveness.

— Hibari Kyoya -> When the both of you are in school, you two don’t interact too much, but you often seem to find yourself bumping into him. Most are terrified of him and his severe demeanor - and honestly, you were a bit intimidated by him at first as well - but funnily enough, he’s quite calm and even somewhat kind (?) to you. Hibari is quite fond of small, cute things like animals and children, and your calm, peaceful demeanor and youthful appearance results in him sorting you into the cute category. So, basically - he rather enjoys seeing you around when the two of you happen to cross each other’s paths, though the two of you do not necessarily spend much time together. In the future, he will occasionally seek you out to see if you want a cup of tea and a quiet moment to relax.

— Yamamoto Takeshi -> Two peas in a pod! You two get along extremely well, since you’re both very kind individuals who strive to make others feel comfortable and welcome - he’s just much more extraverted than you! Though he is often considered dense by his friends, he is surprisingly perceptive at times. This allows him to notice when you’re a bit overwhelmed, especially in situations that are very emotionally charged and tense. He’s a great friend to have around when you need a distraction or someone to talk to. Yamamoto doesn’t judge, and while he isn’t always the best at giving advice, you can at least count on the fact that he’s an empathetic listener.

— Bianchi -> Older sister that she is, she is very protective of Gokudera (even if he literally can’t stomach being in the same vicinity as her). She definitely does the older sibling thing of judging their younger sibling’s partner, making sure that their partner is good enough for them. Although you weren’t exactly raised in a mafia family knowingly, she appreciates that you’ve accepted the fact that you are now affiliated with one and that many of your peers are also mafioso as a result. It doesn’t take long for her to see how you strive to be kind and open-minded to everyone, and she feels that your peaceful temperament will help balance out Gokudera.

— Reborn -> Despite your and Tsuna’s similarities, he is much less harsh on you than he is with Tsuna - after all, it is your cousin who is meant to be the next boss of the Vongola, not you. What might hinder Tsuna will work very well in your favor, strengths that you can utilize more flexibly in whatever role you might assume in the future. Still, you get involved in some wild situations because of Reborn’s meddling as he tests your skills and challenges you to grow, and you’re not quite sure if you’re exasperated or appreciative. Perhaps a mixture of both. Despite his form as an infant, you do view him as an uncle figure of sorts, something a little more familial than a simple mentor.

[sonicjustbecause]

Sonic and Shadow prime - sadness and serenity swapped...

Shadow is known to be always sad. In videogames, whathever it is, everytime Shadow is involved, you always see this aura of sadness aroung him, it doesn't matter what... Except few rare moments...

Sonic and Mario at the olympic games. A rare happy smile.

On the contrary Sonic was always the happy one. If something was upsetting Sonic never allowed negative feelings to take him down. He fought, always certain to be able to solve al the issues. Only recently he started to be characterized with also few lining of melancholy here and there (Movie, Frontiers and Prime. in the latter well hidden under his antics and exuberance).

Sonic is going to show those expression more and more

Even the cruel Chaos Sonic said that

We can also watch the trailers of Sonic prime, from the first to the last.

In the first trailer Sonic was all smiles. I excepted Sonic prime being a silly show, like Sonic Boom but more on the game universe.

In the second trailer Sonic seemed dejected at times, but overall optimistic.

In the latest trailers Sonic is always serious, seldom smiling.

At the start Sonic is quite happy and carefree. But after he breaks the prism, he experience all kind of torture somebody can experience. Hadred, loneliness, being stabbed on the back, being abused and so on. And this affects him.

Then Shadow. he always hold this... uh, pocker face...

Earlier Sonic describled Shadow as being sulking. At the start of prime, Shadow doesn't seems level headed at all... Something bad happens? Screaming, brawling and destroying are his anwers. He is reckless too. But he also needs to grow up, just like Sonic. So he tooks one (better say more) deep breath and found all the calmness and serenity he and Sonic need to save all the shatterspace, assisting sonic like the older twin brother. Overall, that's me but Shadow seems the calming presence to Sonic, he helps him to not give up. At the same time he lacks of all the power Sonic has to save the worlds and needs to rely on him just like the other inhabitants of the shatterspace and of course their main counterparts.

I'm looking forward to the third season, this time, I want to see the full serie in my language, Italian. I like most voices of our actors and the understanding of what they say would be more immediate for me (I can read English just fine, most of the time. I somewhat can listen but i need to adjust to it first, it takes some time and i will miss something anyway. Writing? Uh?

[shrimpleasthat77]

I was originally going to write the Aoi counterpart to the last piece of writing but I am very tired!! And also I’m going to start tearing my room apart so we’ll have to settle for his

I’ve spoken about Aoi and Daia’s relationships with other characters before in their introduction posts, but I’ve thought about them a lot since then. If you couldn’t tell by how I was setting them up in other writings, the two of them gravitate towards one of their masters (can Kabuto be considered that high of a rank? Idk let’s just use that for consistency sake) over the other. Based on the former pair’s personalities, I’m sure it’s not shocking who gravitates to who.

Daia has an extremely complicated relationship with Orochimaru, much like she does with everyone else in her life. She does not view him as a savior, far from it actually. In her mind their situation was mutually beneficial: she got a one way ticket out of Curtain Village and Orochimaru got a competent assistant. Their paths also align somewhat, with both wanting to gain as much knowledge as they can. On a surface level they tolerate each other, Daia viewing herself as almost and equal to him. Orochimaru does not share this sentiment, but as long as it keeps Daia complacent he’ll let her believe what she wants. He’s used to back talk and general sass by now.

Now here’s where it gets a bit complicated: Daia has a whole jumble of emotions and feelings towards Orochimaru. As previously stated, she sees the benefit in working for him and also the benefit he himself poses. That being said, she loathes him. Through her psychoanalytical work, she can see first hand just how depraved he is. Not only that, but his overall self centered and hedonistic attitude reminds her of her mother (miss mommy issues over here jeez). That disgusts Daia, but also intrigues her a bit. While she’d hate to admit it, she yearns for that maternal affection and overall approval she never received growing up. Orochimaru provided this for her even if she’s just another game piece to him, yk pertaining to the whole “keep Daia compliant” thing. Common orochimaru mental warfare tactic. Daia allows herself to indulge in this slightly, as deep down she believes that this false sense of gratification from someone so terrible is all she deserves, seeing as she’s just as awful as the one providing it. She is not immune to Orochimaru’s manipulation no matter how much she thinks she is.

Aoi on the other hand has a much less complicated relationship pertaining to Kabuto. Aoi actually sees him as a friend, letting his guard down around his superior. He respects Kabuto’s abilities and guidance from their training sessions, actively taking whatever advice he has for the younger boy covered up by his biting remarks. Aoi will also often try to seek Kabuto out whenever he has free time, even if it gets him kicked out of whatever lab the other man is working in. Sometimes Kabuto will indulge him, especially if Aoi asks him about the Ninja Info Cards. While Aoi doesn’t really see the appeal (it’s a far cry from his own hobbies), he can relate to how passionate his superior is about them. Kabuto doesn’t hate Aoi, if he did he’d most likely be out of the picture, he just finds him a little annoying. The two kind of have an older brother/younger brother dynamic, which is a bit of an overstatement. The two can coexists around each other and sometimes be friendly, but that’s all Aoi really needs.

As for the inverses, just look up a bd bad girls club fight and that’ll summarize Daia and Kabuto’s relationship.

Aoi would rather jump into a pit of boiling water than spend any more time with Orochimaru than he already does bro is SCARED

[scaryspears]

Cassie and Jacqui: Opinions and Thoughts

These are my thoughts and opinions on Mortal Kombat that a bunch of people probably won't care about, but I thought I should post them here. Now I will be using past games as reference, even though every character's interpretation/counterpart is different, they still play part to the canon storyline.

Okay, so these two are besties. Now before I get into any details, this is just theories and opinions. I just want to quickly say that I like Jacqui's character, and not just because I was able to play as a black female character, but I found her interesting and liked her romance with Takeda.

I'll start with Cassie. She is a nice enough blend of Sonya and Johnny, I guess. I found her a little annoying in mkx but only because of her intros, and to be fair a lot of character dialogue kind of sucked in that game. I found her very relatable when I was younger though, because I said a lot of cringey things when it came out. Other than that she was pretty cool, and was a different kind of case where a character voices out what everyone else is thinking. To be fair, Johnny has that as well but Cassie is Gen Z levels of voice (or an everyman). I also appreciate that they made her more girly, although I do miss the tomboyish Cassie from mkx.

Thing is, I don't like how they made it into a thing where they made Cassie feel like a main character, and while I understand that's how it must be done with next generation games, I get the impression that she was treated better than her teammates. That impression was solidified in the mk11 storyline where Cassie was chosen to be the new general with the addition of Takeda and Kung Jin being cut from the game. I get that she defeated Shinnok and whatever, but seriously? It was also a situation where Sonya was choosing randomly, so I think she should've chosen Jacqui simply because Jacqui is genuinely into being a soldier. For a moment the audience is shown the pain on Jacqui's face, and I was honestly anticipating some kind of rivalry to take place where Cassie and Jacqui end up fighting about something within the story mode.

I wrote in another post that I think Cassie joined the special forces because she wanted to impress Sonya. We know that from mkx Sonya was neglective, and if Cassie is much closer to Johnny then I don't think it would make sense for her to not have some appreciation for the creative arts. Meaning, Cassie yearns for Sonya's approval. It was also hinted that Sonya may have been abusive, randomly attacking Cassie and Jacqui with arm bars. Even while Cassie is an adult Sonya is still neglective, as noted in the last game, not even caring about Cassie's love life. It's very clear the two of them have problems with each other. One thing for sure, Cassie has inherited Sonya's cruelty which makes her snark different from Johnny's. A nice blend of seriousness and un-serious = obvious sarcasm. I'm also calling back to the 'Johnny pee pants' incident that she was told about.

"So how are things between you and Bob?" - Sonya

"For the last time his name is Dylan." - Cassie

"Why learn his name if he's not sticking around?" - Sonya

----

"I'm the new improved you." - Cassie

"(Scoff) Improved how?" - Sonya

Well for one thing, she's got powers.

----

"Jacqui says as kids you were scared of me." - Sonya

"You'd randomly attack us with arm bars." - Cassie

"And you learned to always be ready." - Sonya

The fact that she says this with a smug smile shows she sees nothing wrong with the fact that she went out of her way to scare and hurt children. Characters have been drilling in on Johnny but had nothing to say to Sonya about her parenting. Johnny made it his mission to change into a better person, even in his ending he didn't need people to tell him that he was doing something wrong because he realised it by himself. Sonya for whatever reason lacks that same awareness.

----

"Growing up I always wanted a sister." - Sonya

"To exchange style tips and dish on boys?" - Cassie

"No! To spar with." - Sonya

You can do that too, Sonya. Jeez.

----

"You are Johnny Cage's daughter." - Robocop

"Ha! Shocked I'm not some Beverly Hills brat?" - Cassie

Beverly Hills kids: Well... that hurts. I think it's somehow been engraved in Cassie that being any old normal girl is a terrible thing, and I don't support that "I'm not like other girls" nonsense. I think it was Sonya's influence, and potentially Jax.

----

"I am honoured to fight you." - Liu Kang

"I'm no chosen one, Li Kang." - Cassie

"You fought shinnok and won." - Liu Kang

Oh he's mad. He is so mad. Bro died because of Raiden.

----

Now with Jacqui.

I think Jacqui is in Cassie's shadow, hell they even erased her from her own ending. Even when she was given screen time it still felt like she was brushed to the side. Cassie was chosen to be the leader of the friend group, and in hindsight that was a bit predictable. In comparison to her Jacqui is rational and doesn't turn things into a joke. I know Cassie is serious as well, but Jacqui is more passionate about fighting for Earthrealm and being in the special forces while Cassie is more of a show off.

"Leave dad in peace." - Jacqui (mkx)

"There's things only Jax can do." - Sonya (mkx)

---

"What do you see when you look at me?" - Frost

"A cheap second gen knock off." - Jacqui

"I said look at me, not you." - Frost

These two are love and hate, two sides of the same coin. Frost wants recognition and goes against the Lin Kuei to have that, while Jacqui wants to make people proud and carry on a legacy. Both have a male counterpart of some kind. Frost disappointed Sub Zero for not being patient and she became a villain, while Jax doesn't want Jacqui to even be involved in anything kombat related. Jacqui follows, Frost demands command.

---

"Cassandra Cage overshadows you." - Cetrion

"In her own mind maybe." - Jacqui

"Do not deny your jealousy." - Cetrion

---

"It's time to pass on your mantel." - Nightwolf

"Baby girl's good, but she's not me yet." - Jax

"Don't underestimate your daughter, Jax." - Nightwolf

Notice the edge in Nightwolf's voice? Also, Jacqui doesn't have to be Jax. Not to mention she was trained by Johnny and not Jax, so it's weird of him to say that. I think she should be trained by Scorpion as a wedding gift and have a few Shirai Ryu inspired outfits if she's introduced to the franchise in future games. Anything that distances her from Jax.

---

Jacqui is called "unproven" and a "knock off" when she has in fact proven herself, she just hasn't beaten an elder God- oh wait, what is this? Jacqui defeated Cetrion? (Do not bring jax into this, I chose Jacqui). In mkx she beat Reptile and Ermac, the very same Ermac that Jax lost his arms to because he was caught lacking, and held her own against the revenants.

The characters constantly compare her to Jax, which is problematic in my opinion. As a person who was constantly compared to my older siblings growing up it felt like my identity as my own person was being stripped away from me, and I think it's the same case with Jacqui. Jacqui should be recognised more for who she is rather than who her father is, because Jacqui is just as good if not better.

"Such beauty in Kombat is rare." - Shang Tsung. Oh Shang Tsung, you pervert.

Now onto her friendship with Cassie. It's very obvious that these two grew up together and even went to the same school, which must've meant that they lived close to one another, like the same town or city. I don't think the two have always been buddy buddy, in terms of problems coming up. If it weren't for circumstances I think these two wouldn't even be close or in the same vicinity. Cassie went and dated Jacqui's love interest for prom knowing Jacqui liked him. I'm surprised these two are even friends.

Moving onto her relationship with Jax, I liked Jacqui bonding with the younger version of her dad during story mode, and seeing the differences between older Jax and young Jax.

I always saw Jax as an a-hole, but jeez. I understand being a protective father but he needed to accept that he couldn't breathe down her neck for too long. What ticks me off even more is his disapproval of Takeda. I think one of the reasons Jax isn't very fond of Takeda is because he mildly reminds him of Johnny. Takeda has that charisma about him and makes jokes as well and overall has this easy going air about him. Even after Johnny and Sonya got married, meaning Jax saw Johnny a lot more, I don't think Jax grew a liking to Johnny. I'm not sure if Jax truly had feelings for Sonya, but I do think it's a possibility if Johnny not only did not want to get between them under the suspicion that they were together, but also because he thought they would end up together.

I have a bunch of stuff to say. I believe Cassie should've done MMA fighting or something around there, that way Cassie wouldn't just be another copy of her parents.

If Jax and Sonya did end up together then I think the turn out would be more extreme. An overprotective father and a neglectful mother.

[zairas-realm-gateway]

OFF ramblings: Batter's Purpose

Content warnings for discussion of canon and speculated canon content: violence, medical trauma, abuse, child neglect, terminal illness, child death.

This post is a basic layout of the general conversations I had with my sister when I showed her the game OFF recently. These are just our speculations, observations, and headcanons.

This post will discuss our deductions behind Batter's in game creation and his opposition to the other characters.

As we all know, Batter (in universe) is created at the start of the game. He has never before existed in the lonely, tormented world of the Zones before. My sister and I discussed why he never existed in the world before that point. We think we have deduced why from the information given in The Room level.

First, we have to note the importance of Batter, Hugo, and Queen. Hugo has manifested representations of his parents in his fucked up world. His father is Batter and his mother is Queen.

Now, my mother is chronically ill, so I've spent a lot of time in hospitals. So, when Batter enters a new location at the end of the hallway when you enter the Room level, my sister and i immediately recognized it as a hospital. It reminded us of many we've been in before and left us uneasy.

In the Room, Batter goes to the small room on the left. This room is returned to many times. It paints a painfully vivid picture:

There is a sick child (Hugo) in the hospital. Probably between the age of 10-17 because they can talk in complete sentences but are still referred to as "the boy". This child is terminally ill and immuno-compromised. You can tell when the note says that his father (Batter's human counterpart) says they can go outside tomorrow but that trip outside never comes. The notes say that his father comes regularly to play with him but he doesn't like his father and wants his mother instead but she never comes to pick him up or visit.

This tells me a lot. It says that Hugo's father (we'll keep calling him Batter) is cold but holds deep affection for Hugo. Based on Spectral Batter's personality, Human Batter probably has difficulty with emoting. Meaning he has trouble displaying and expressing emotion both physically and vocally. To a sick and distressed child, this would appear as if his father doesn't love him despite Batter visiting constantly and playing with Hugo.

This could explain why he wants his mother over his father. Affection and emotional support are needed for comfort when sick. It seems like Queen can probably express emotions in a way that would be comforting.

Or, she would, if she ever showed up.

It's speculated that Human Queen has a job that makes her a lot of money but forces her to work/travel a lot. Spectral Queen's later argument with Batter makes it clear that's she's pretty much phoning it in as a mom. The cadence of Queen and Batter's conversation is that of a divorced couple. If this is true, it sounds like Queen has primary custody but just is never around.

Batter is his most emotional during his argument with Queen right before their battle. He is still flat in dialogue tone but it is clear he is passionate about the subject. He accuses her of taking all the steps of being a mother with none of the emotion, care, or memory for who her actions are for (Hugo). Rather than defend herself, Queen just deflects until Batter gets angry.

To argue the point of Queen doing the right moves with none of the personal touch, I want to talk about the three guardians. It is said the Queen appointed them and I think this really happened.

My sister and I speculate that the three guardians represent the specialists that Queen hired for Hugo while she was away on business. Dedan is speculated to be a surgeon based on his temper and excessive need for total order and demand everyone be efficient at their job. Japhet being a bird, dove, and loving books is probably a priest. Enoch would be a private chef. These three were left with explicit orders to keep an eye on Hugo, which is why they're called his friends in the notes. This would also make them opposing forces to Hugo's father and the hard decisions he has to make. One of those decisions is massive and we believe it is what manifests Batter for the first time.

It's the decision to unplug his terminally ill child from life support.

Now, I see a lot of speculation that Hugo bases Batter on Ballman. But I think that Batter is a dual manifestation of Ballman and Boxxer. This would make Batter both the hero and the villain, hence the choice at the end of the game.

This is what brings Judge into the mix. We speculate that Judge is Human Hugo's high consciousness, the one aware of the pain and suffering of the world. Judge thought Batter was a savior but after Hugo's death, he calls Batter a monster. If Batter is both hero and villain, it makes sense that Judge trusted him to help but was unaware this is the action that would taken. He had no clue that this was the only solution that Batter could see.

If Judge is Hugo and Batter is Hugo's father, then the truth that his father is taking him off life support would paint his father as a monster. A villain that is murdering him.

Meanwhile, Hugo's father had to live with that truth and the reality that it is his duty to keep his child from suffering. And the end stages of terminal illnesses are only suffering.

I feel this is why Hugo takes the form of an infant. Because a child, no matter how old, is always their parent's baby...

[silver-wield]

Hello, i was just curious about something & id like to hear your opinion of it. About the wolf rings, we knw that Cloud gave one to Tifa, Marlene (also to Barret?). Did he also have one for himself? Or it is just his wolf earring? Did he gave one to Denzel? B'coz in ACC Denzel was seen wearing necklace with wolf ring, i read somewhere that it was Cloud's ring that he left to Denzel when he ran away at the end of CoT but idk if its true. Id like to knw more about this since it was not mentioned in OTWTAS but somehow we knew even from before that Cloud gave it to them & the reason Marlene is not wearing her's is b'coz it too manly for her.

I became a fan of FF7 after watching AC back in 2005, back then i didn't know anything about the game OG, KH & Ltd. I didn't even knew who Aerith was since her name was never mentioned in AC. But i knew back then that Cloud & Tifa were a couple. After I read CoT it was very clear from the start that Cloud was already considering Tifa as her gf, and since he's given her a ring then that should further solidify the level of relationship they have to each other (engaged/married couple). That's explains why Tifa was described as someone's sweetheart & a woman who was left by a man when Cloud ran off. Why do you think Nojima did not include this in CoT? This would've cleared the Ltd & maybe make the other ship to shut up once & for all.. just musing 😄

Cloud didn't give a ring to Barret. There's literally no info about Barret's ring, where he got it or anything behind who gave it to him or whether it's his or Marlene's. None of his costume information in any AC ultis mention it, so the only thing we can say is he's wearing the same type of ring as the others. He wears it on his middle finger.

Denzel is wearing Cloud's ring. This is the only note about the ring, so we don't know when Cloud took it off, but the typical narrative for a ring being removed is when someone leaves the partner they take off their ring and leave it behind.

The only other person wearing a cloudy wolf ring is Tifa. It's visible in every scene where her right hand is shown.

I started the comp with AC too, so I never thought of Aerith as anything but someone who died. She's Zack's counterpart in the film and they both have an equal number of scenes with Cloud, so I didn't give it any thought beyond them being people he knew who died and he blamed himself for it. When I saw the scenes of Cloud waking up in the bed beside Tifa I was like oooooh they're a thing! And then seeing their conversation it was clear they were having marital problems and needed to work through some shit. Although I also thought Cloud was a miserable git and Tifa deserves better so I didn't understand everything happening in the film, but the main points were simple.

I wish Nojima had done a scene between Cloud and Tifa where he gave her the ring or there was more romance between them, but I guess that wasn't a priority at the time. Since then Nomura and Ayumi Ito have received death threats and all sorts, so Nojima has probably decided to sledgehammer people with Cloud's feelings for Tifa so idiots finally stfu.

Ever Crisis will have episodes from AC so it's possible otwtas will feature too and we'll finally get that romantic scene between them in chibi form 😁❤️

[alcamcat]

First encounters with humans

After meeting Harold and receiving a crash course in how to behave in the human world, they will inevitably meet humans.

-I don't own the game or the characters-

James:

The first time he talks to a human almost ends in disaster for him. It starts with James, even though he already has a solid basic knowledge, feels inferior in the course of the conversation because the other person seems to have more knowledge in the area. Of course, he didn't have that much time to deal with everything that could be interesting, but he hasn't felt so uninformed in a long time. And then he is also interrupted and corrected by his counterpart. In the middle of a sentence! As if it were perfectly fine to interrupt the heir to the throne and the future ruler of a vast army... Damien has to put a soothing hand on James' arm to snap him out of his vortex of thoughts and bring him back to the present. And James? He feels ashamed. He will definitely work to be a perfect gentleman. Never again will a person upset him so much that his little brother has to stop him. The very next time he has a conversation, he takes over the conversation in a natural way, without feeling the slightest hint of discomfort. Just as it should be for him.

Erik:

Erik's first impression as he meets humans is that this world seems to be full of people bursting with energy. They subtly radiate it in their auras. A real feast should they get hungry, he thinks to himself, until he addresses the first person with his usual mask. The prompt reply "I'm in a relationship" confuses him so much that he is thrown off balance. Why is this information he needed to receive and why does they seem so utterly uninterested? Erik quickly realizes that he and his brothers still have a lot to learn about human relationship and sexual behaviors, and if his energy levels are anything to go by, they'd better start tackling it today rather than tomorrow. At least, it seems like it's actually feasible for him to maybe drop his mask. Not always, but little by little he should really think about what kind of person he really wants to be behind his facade. He now has the freedom to do so. And he will use it.

Sam:

As expected, his first conversation with a human is rather uncomfortably taciturn. Of course, James had warned him not to show of his strength before they hit the road. But what exactly is it supposed to do for him to talk to a human? What could this creature have to discuss with him? These are the questions he asks himself while suspiciously scrutinizing the person in front of him before answering the questions to himself. Nothing! In his eyes, he has absolutely nothing to discuss with this person, so he doesn't even bother to show a reasonable answer or a reaction to the speech. He came into this world with his brothers to be with them. In the beginning, talking to a human seems completely unnecessary to him, which quickly builds up the image of the impolite, rude guy. The swearing, which he shows quite quickly as a reaction to being spoken to, doesn't exactly help. In time, he may learn to enjoy being with humans after all. But at the beginning of their journey? No chance.

Matthew:

When the first human literally crashes into him because, instead of looking ahead, he's staring at a small black thing he's holding that's making sounds, Matthew's interest is immediately piqued. He accepts the apologies of his opponent benevolently, after all it was not a matter of course in the Abyssal Plains that one apologizes for such a collision with him. The fact that the person he is talking to is willing to give him information about his cell phone and the game he is playing on it makes it even better. So people have the freedom to play games with these small devices even though they are adults? Unbelievable for him and at the same time very tempting. If he could get his hands on something like that, he'd do exactly the same thing. And neither James nor the others could accuse him of being childish, after all these games were made for adults, right? That there are people who devote their time to making games and toys and even get paid for it? Even better. His enthusiastic nature doesn't seem to bother the person opposite and it takes one of his brothers to interrupt the conversation at a certain point, Matthew could have talked for hours.

Damien:

Damien's first human encounter, other than Harold, is like a dream come true. That's what he wanted! He's just overwhelmed. The peaceful and happy thoughts of those around him bring him to a complete standstill. No one thinks about the need for energy, no war scenarios are played out in their heads and it seems as if the other person is not afraid to wake up the next morning. Instead, thoughts are dominated by friends, family, work that people have chosen, relationships and leisure activities. Freedoms he has never known or heard spread out before him and it takes a long moment before he can collect himself. When a human finally approaches him and is neither condescending nor hostile towards him, he can hardly believe his luck. He wants so badly to be a part of them and he will do everything to become as human as possible.