#honestly i would have thought it would be reversed but i guess it makes sense

[sesamenom]

the classic the classic (pink)

neon pastel

sleepwear party

formal dinner

behold a collection of C&C nargothrond-era outfit doodles, inspired by PD outfits from @braywashed / @kitwilsonsass

[thewertsearch]

Ah, the Sylladex. Across the entirety of my long, long journey through this comic, you've remained my oldest and dearest friend.

I honestly thought you'd run out of ways to surprise me - but as usual, I underestimated just how far you can really go with punch-card alchemy.

You flip the card over and look at the back. The thing about this modus you think is really cool is that instead of showing a completely useless wobbly garbled code on the back, it itemizes the components which could be used to create it!

The comic has just given us a way to reverse-engineer item recipes, which was one of the only missing pieces left to slot into the alchemy system. Back in Act 4, John was convinced that this was impossible, but Sollux solved it off-panel, and now we know how he did it.

This is pretty crazy, isn't it? We can deconstruct items now, allowing us to disassemble any object, and take a peek at the concepts that it's synthesized from. The potential utility here is insane. If this modus works on ghost images, we could tear apart a Kernelsprite, and see what makes it tick. Hell, we could tear apart a Genesis Frog.

...we could tear apart Skaia.

Just another wonderful innovation by your favorite company. It releases many products of an experimental nature, often with applicability to other kinds of technology and products which haven't hit the market yet.

But, of course, this wonderful innovation comes with some serious strings attached. I'm sure it was given to Jane for a reason, and she'll undoubtedly end up using it in a way that causes problems for us, and solutions for Lord English.

Ayy, it's the Matriorb!

Granted, this doesn't really help Kanaya recreate the thing. The orb's code was never that hard to obtain - just draw it on Jade's Pictionary modus, or something. No, the real issue is that the Matriorb is virtually inimitable, and as a result, its Grist cost is astronomical. Plus, it requires a type of Grist that we've never even seen before.

Edit: Wait, hang on. That's not the cost of the Matriorb, that's how much it would cost to use the Matriorb to make the hat. Strange, that the same item can have multiple Grist costs - but nonetheless, my point still stands. The Matriorb is probably too expensive to alchemize casually.

I suppose there's nothing stopping us from editing the Matriorb's code to try and make it cheaper. Like, perhaps we could scale down the recipe somehow, and try to just synthesize a single troll's genome, rather than the genetic base of an entire race. That would be a lot more affordable, and still useful.

You captchalogue your FAVORITE HAT, which is also your ONLY HAT. You spent basically your ENTIRE CHILDHOOD in this hat, pretending to be hard boiled detectives and whatnot.

I guess it sort of makes sense that the Matriorb can be used to make Dad's hat. The orb represents Alternian parenthood, and the book of prophecies it was merged with could represent the future. Combine those two concepts, and you get the future of parenthood, from the perspective of Alternia - in other words, the parenthood of humanity. So, the merger yields an item representing a human parent: Dad Egbert's hat.

Don't ask me about the potted plant, though. I haven't the foggiest.

[briz-z]

Reverse falls

okay, so the brainrot has gotten to me and i literally cannot stop thinking about reverse falls. so here's my take on it. (or at least the pines) (also, im using their actual names)

Stanley:

everything stays the same up until he's kicked out of his house

see, my thought is that along with becoming a master con-man, he also ends up joining a circus

this is the big change

he begins to look for new ways to make the circus more enticing for people, and in doing so makes a crap ton of money

in fact, he makes so much, he is welcomed back into his family

like he becomes rich

but back to the circus business, he hears about gravity falls and all of it's anomalies

he decides to set up shop there, bringing people from all over to see the weirdos and wackos of gravity falls

in gravity falls, he ends up meeting his brother again

their strained relationship doesn't get much better (and i honestly don't expect it to...)

when he meets dipper and mabel for the first time, it is like light has been let back into his life

he really cares for them, but doesn't show it

he is especially close to mabel (like in the show) (they relate to each other)

i think he would be ever so slightly scared of ford and dipper

i think he would still be a very lonely person, but caring nonetheless

stanford:

i think that reverse ford would be a possessive, narcissistic person

filbrick pines put a lot of pressure on ford to be "perfect"

this seriously messed him up

when he lost his potential scholorship, he felt like his whole life was ruined

he decided that he would be better than everyone else

and he succedded in that

he was crazy smart and got the grant to study analmoies like in the show

when he gets to gravity falls, though, that's when it changes

when he finds bill, instead of being mauniplated, he's the one to manipulate bill

he becomes obessed with power and control

when stan comes into town, ford is pissed

but he sees how stan and his circus act could benefit him

so he basically becomes a mastermind in control

the circus brings about new people to perform experiments and what not on

mabel:

unlike the show, i think the kids would have gone to gravity falls since they were kids

this change happens because stan is let back into the family and ford never got sucked into the portal

anyway, mabel and dipper become performers for stan's circus, at least during the summer

they are known as the "physic twins"

mabel seems like a happy go lucky person, like in the show, but in reality she is not

i think that she would be a deeply sad person (if that makes any sense)

see, unlike her brother, she isn't as "special" and because of this often feels worthless

this lets her bond with stan, like, a lot

but anyway, because of her "job" i don't think she would have a lot of time to make friends or have crushes

even when she does have downtime, she has to worry about her image and how people see her

after all, they are the "physic twins"

unlike dipper, i don't she would involve herself in the supernatural much

she really just wants to be a normal kid, but because of her family, she can't

dipper:

i think that reverse dipper would be ford's apperentice

see, since birth dipper (or, i guess, mason) has been a genius

like crazy smart genius

so, when his parents hear about a certain great uncle who can help nurture this intelligence, they send dipper and mabel to gravity falls asap

here, dipper meets his crazy great uncle ford and immeditally loves it

both on stage and doing research, dipper is crazy enthusiastic

he loves what he does, both research and being one half of the "physic twins"

he ends up making his own deal with bill, following in his great uncles footsteps

he spends his free time with ford, learning and gaining knowledge

on stage, he has an uncanny ability to charm people into doing what he wants

he cares for his sister, but rarely has any time for her (i think that if mabel ever tried to leave, dipper would go crazy)

he has very (one-sided) co-dependant relationships with his family (yes, this includes stan)

Okay, that's all for now 😮‍💨 sorry if there are any spelling errors or anything like that. i might make a part 2 with gideon and paz and bill… idk yet.

[theheirofthesharingan]

As someone who never really was the type of shipping but does kinda like idea of Sasusaku, I always felt that the reason at the end why Sasuke married Sakura and had Sarada was out of deep genuine guilt for all he put her through and I do think that Sasuke loves her, just not as deeply as Sakura loves him and honestly not romantically either.

Even as a kid I always got the strong vibe that Sasuke is aroace or at the very least aromantic, with him having no romantic feelings for anyone, he’s never really fit the type. Sasuke loves, even if it’s silent, we all know he loves Itachi, Naruto and Sakura, but loves more platonically

Nor I guess that’s just the vibe I got. If that makes any sense. I wish that Sasuke was a better father though, as I do love Sarada and I just know Itachi would’ve adored her as deeply as he loves Sasuke.

I really don't think Sasuke wronged Sakura, of all the people, in any way. I mean, he did hurt her, but whatever she went through because of him was her own doing. If he didn't feel anything for her, he didn't. And he wasn't obliged to love her back.

If their genders were reversed, and Sasuke kept chasing after Sakura, he'd get a lot more hate than she does, and most of the people wouldn't find it endearing. Because no means no.

But I agree that he married Sakura out of guilt. Not because he wronged her to the extent he had to repent by marrying her, but because there came a time when he reached the point he thought everything he did and believed was wrong. And he could only make up for that by accepting Konoha and marrying Sakura.

I also don't think Sakura loves him either. She was a fangirl who was smitten by his good looks. But again, usually, my criticism towards Sakura is always tinted with criticism towards Kishimoto as well, because he wrote her in a certain way which took away some of the genuine positive aspects of her character.

Though, as far as her feelings were concerned, given the canonical evidence, they were shallow and every time she concerned herself with him, it was for her own sake, rather than his.

I do agree that Sasuke loves people platonically. And he loves them a lot.

I think Sasuke being a bad father has to do with him being unable to fix himself. Boruto doesn't seem to acknowledge he's broken and his trauma just wouldn't go away just because he battled against and lost to Naruto. It was so deep-rooted that it would take a lifetime to heal. Maybe even that wouldn't be enough. So, while he himself had had so much to deal, the story has him have a daughter he must take care of.

From the narrative point of view, I'm not entirely sure, it seems it's done to add some drama and angst in Sarada's story. But from a different perspective, Sasuke still hasn't healed and he finds relationships outside of Itachi to be painful. Because he never got to live that life himself. The child in him that yearned to be with his brother never really healed. And apart from all that, it's Konoha. The place that stole everything from him. He's tied to it and feels separated from it because of Itachi.

He doesn't have anything else to cling to. Sarada, Sakura, they are his family, and he might love them in his own way, because he has experienced many things, but he still has so much to heal, because he never got the things he would have wanted otherwise.

That's been my explanation and understanding for why he's a bad father. I think he couldn't be a good father even if we were being honest. He loved Itachi way too much and lost him again and again in different ways. In the end, with his defeat, he gave up on his destructive methods to do things. But it's been eating him up from inside.

He never experienced that paternal love. Lost it too soon. And he's expected to give it and express it when he doesn't have it in the first place.

Most of it is my theory, because I don't watch Boruto and because I think this is how unhealed trauma and loss would work. I believe Sasuke would be a much better father if he had Itachi by his side.

[casscainmainly]

I may be stupid, but I js realized that like. Okay, so yk how people defend the undertones of cass being short because she was homeless for a couple of years and malnourished? Didn't the pit like, undo Jason's malnourishment, and that's kinda how he went from scrawny teen to behemoth?? And Cass, who has been dipped in Baja blast, would have also gotten like, un-malnourished???

Like i love the visuals of small character beat up a bunch of people no sweat as much as the next guy, but. Look at those genetics!! she's meant to be a tall girl cmon guys

It's 6am and i haven't slept sorry if this makes no sense

I honestly didn't realise people thought Cass was short because she was malnourished, I thought it was because she's a) drawn short usually I think and b) Asian 😭😭😭. BUT she is half-White, so I guess that doesn't matter. I actually have no idea whether the Pit reversing Jason's malnourishment is true; I think it's non-canonical, and just a popular fandom thing??? Idk a Jason expert can say if it's a real thing or not.

Anyway, I don't think the Pit would've made her taller to be honest (though I love the way you called it Baja blast 😭😭😭😭). But I wouldn't mind that becoming a fanon hc for her, yeah why not she's just really tall now. (I will admit I'm a firm tall Stephie B truther so I like Cass being shorter than her, but if you prefer tall Cass that is ALSO valid).

Okay but to do MATH according to fandom wikis David Cain is 6' 2" and Lady Shiva is 5' 8". Apparently the best predictor of a child's height is adding the mother's and father's height, adding 13 cm (5 inches) for boys or subtracting 13 cm (5 inches) for girls, and then finally dividing by 2. So for Cass it's ((6' 2" + 5' 8") -5") / 2 = 5 feet 8½ inches.

So Cass, if she hadn't been malnourished, would likely be 5 feet 8½ inches!!! (Assuming I did the math right 😭)

[leavemebetosleep]

do you have any good fluttercord fic recs?

OH BOY DO I. In no particular order (except of when I thought of them):

1: Non-Entity by Captain Wuzz: An AU in which, instead of being turned to stone, Discord was shot in the head with a magic arrow that takes away his sentience and magic for a 1,000 years. Fluttershy mistakes him for a wounded animal and brings him home. I loved it so much.

2: Chaotic Neutral by C-Puff: The magic is starting to fade from Equestria, and the Main 6 and Discord go on an adventure to find out why, and reverse it. A bit of AU, in the sense it was written before the show was done, so it diverts in some places because of that. Super sweet, and I love the character development here.

3: Time is Taller than Space is Wide by Dott. Can also be read on Ao3 if you prefer. Soulmate AU (?) fic with a Groundhog Day style twist. I rarely see fics play with the idea of what if Fluttershy and Discord's friendship had started when they first met, so this is fun.

4 & 5: Blank and it's sequel Reconnection by @geekcat. Can also be read on fanfic.net. AU in which, before Discord can choose friendship over ruling Equestria, Twilight remembers a "reformation" spell. He is stripped of his free will, and Fluttershy does her best to bring him back. If you don't like the idea of Twilight being a villain, you might not like this one, but I think her villain arc in this is done in a perfect way for her character. It's super heart wrenching in many places, but in a good way.

6: Our Fair Lady of the Chaos Lord, also by GeekCat Can also be read on fanfic.net. Fairy tale inspired AU in which Fluttershy is a princess who's father is pressuring her to marry noble knight Sir Big Mac. Wanting to be sure he's a good person, she makes a deal with the Chaos Lord, letting herself be "kidnapped" so she can test his character. You can guess who she falls for instead. Honestly I've enjoyed all of GeekCat's fics, so they're getting an extra mention. Check out the rest of their fluttercord fics if you like any of these.

7: The Draconequus with the Dragon Tattoo by A M Shark This is a major case of, strange premise, kick ass results. Basically an AU based off Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson, with Discord as Lisbeth, and Fluttershy as an amalgamation of Mikael and several other characters, but focusing more on the murder mystery aspect of that book, and less on the...everything else. If you're familiar with GwtDT, don't worry, there's no rape scenes. Again, it's more about the murder mystery part. If you're not familiar with GwtDT, then don't worry again, because you don't need to know the original to enjoy it. It's just Discord and Fluttershy playing detective and solving a murder together. It has two sequels, but I haven't read them yet, and it didn't feel right to rec something I haven't read.

8: The Corpse Bride by Bad Horse. Dark fic. No relation to the Burton movie. Fluttershy dies in a tragic accident, and Discord brings her back from the dead as his zombie wife. Her friends (sans Pinkie) are horrified. Has a fantastic twist ending. If you like some of the darker stuff, def worth a read.

Bonus: Comic rec: The Last Adventure by Eveeka. Taking place after the final defeat of Tirek, Cozy, and Chrysalis, Discord gets into a depressive funk after shouldering the hatred from Ponyville citizens for his latest actions, but also because his friends seem to never be available anymore. He starts to think maybe Equestria would be better off without him, as he can't seem to exist with out making everyone miserable, and decides to hide away in the Everfree forest. Fluttershy, worried when he doesn't show up for tea, asks her friends for help, only to discover there's a monster running lose there he and the rest of Equestria might be in danger from. This fic has two endings, so keep reading even when it seems like it's over. You've got one more ending left. This one nearly made me cry.

[bthump]

Hey! I'm quite a newbie and have to say that I really enjoy your blog, sometimes you straight up express my thoughts, sometimes give a new perspective on things which is nice!

You have talked about the wagon scene with Griffith trying to offer himself to Casca quite a lot at this point and I wanted to ask... What do you think would happen if there was Guts instead of Casca?

Thank you, I'm glad you've been enjoying my meta!

lol as much as I'd love to say that Griffith would do the same and Guts would be into it, I don't think Griffith would make a sexual advance if it was Guts in the wagon with him, because I don't think Griffith thinks Guts wants him that way. And honestly if Griffith did make a move on him, I could easily see Guts freaking out and running off initially, like Casca, so yk, might not even change the progression of events much lol. (Though the post-Eclipse vibes and Guts' regret might be extra interesting.)

In a more general sense, I think Guts would make a better caretaker than Casca. We see that a little bit already, with Guts' attitude with Griffith after the Wyald fight, when he asks if Griffith wants to take off his helmet, and helps him with his armour. He's pretty relaxed, pretty willing to treat Griffith the way he always has. There's an element of denial there of course, but Guts has a naturalism to how he handles Griffith post-torture. When Casca's alone with him she's nervous and shaky, mentally talking herself through it.

In the torture chamber as well, Guts rushes to him and cradles him first, while Casca has a little panic attack. She may have gone to Griffith's side as well if Guts hadn't yelled at her to back off, but it's less of an automatic reaction.

I think Guts is in a better position to adjust to the change in dynamic with Griffith than Casca is. Casca spent more of her life idolizing Griffith and being taken care of and reassured by him, and it's hard for those roles to be suddenly reversed.

Guts, conversely, spent most of his years with the Hawks viewing Griffith as just a guy he likes. A commander, sure, but also someone he wants to hang out with, have waterfights with, get drunk with, make out with. The Promrose Hall speech changed that, and he spent over a year thinking Griffith looks down on him and trying to catch up, but once he internalizes that he was wrong about that I think he could readjust to seeing Griffith as just a regular person, someone he loves rather than idolizing.

And I think we see that starting in how Guts interacts with Griffith post-torture. He's protective, he still sees Griffith's personality shine through even though he can't talk (like when he thinks that Griffith's still just as awesome after Griffith indicates to Pippin how to save them from the Bakiraka's explosion), and, symbolically shown when Guts asks if Griffith wants his helmet removed, he's willing to see and engage with the real Griffith underneath the image of the Hawks' leader. He's also the only character we see who actively wants to stay and take care of Griffith, as opposed to feeling obligated to take care of him out of debt or pity.

Soooo I guess to circle back to your actual question, I think if Guts had been in the wagon instead of Casca he would've behaved more naturally around Griffith, been less awkward, and without Griffith overhearing Casca tell Guts to leave, the Eclipse wouldn't happen, so Guts and Griffith's relationship could develop more slowly in some kind of a no-Eclipse AU.

Thanks for the ask!

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.239 Scratch that, reverse it

Sleep evaded me as thoughts of our vacation, home renovation, and our sweet potato's first day of school danced around my head all night. To make matters worse, I had another nightmare during the little bit of sleep I did get. I was being eaten by a murphy bed. Like, WTF?? Since me and sleep weren't getting along, I got up early and sat in the kitchen with my thoughts until Desi came down and gives me a soft greeting. Did she also have trouble sleeping? Or is she nervous? Speaking of... You know what makes me nervous? The fact that she is shaped just like her mother. I hope it's a long, long time before she discovers what her hips can do. Can we rewind?? Is there another potion we can get to send her back to childhood when everything was simple? Don't get me wrong. I want her to enjoy life, especially while things are relatively uncomplicated, but the stakes are so much higher for girls. I'm not sure my heart can take this teenage journey.

We have about an hour before time to go, so I told her about our vacation plans. She was very excited about going to the beach, so hopefully, the news helped quell her nerves in case she really was nervous.

"Do you remember where we lived before we moved here?" I asked.

"Uhhh...barely."

"Yeah, I didn't think you would. When we get back from vacation, we're going to move back there."

"But why?" she asked in a sweet yet whiny voice. "I like it here."

She loved this house just as much as we did. I remember her being excited when we first visited and talked about school before her child birthday. I'm sure she'll come to love our old house just as much once they get done with it. At least I hope we love it.

"We do too, Des. But the thing is, we only moved here so Aunt Less and the kids could live next door. Now that they're gone, it doesn't make sense to stay and pay for an empty house."

"But...what will happen to this house?"

"Nothing. We'll still own it, so it'll just sit here. If you want to live here when you graduate, you can do that. We still own my dad's old house, too, so that's another option."

She watched me for a moment with inquisitive eyes.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Are we rich?"

I knew one day we would have to discuss our financial life with her, especially once she figures out other families don't have a certain golden tree planted in their yards. When the time comes, I figured it will just be a conversation about being smart with money. At least that's the way I wanted it to go. I don't want this lottery business changing how she sees the world, but I also can't hide it from her.

"Ummmm...well, we are now. Your mom won the lottery last week."

"We weren't rich before?"

"Well, I guess some people would think so, but I say we were just very comfortable. There's a difference. When we have more time, we'll talk about it."

Sophia walked in with mere minutes to spare, and Desi was all smiles. I honestly didn't expect to see her. She was too emotional on Desi's last first day of school. I thought she'd be the same way again, but I guess she got herself together and fought through it, though barely. And judging by how happy Desi is, I'd say she had concerns too. I'm glad she proved us both wrong.

[belit0]

Pt 8? Msmxkdkc

Lemme give you a kiss belit0 💋

kiss kiss muak muak

The sun had dipped lower by the time they made their way down the slope, quiet steps over soft earth.

The storm of earlier still hovered behind Asura’s ribs, but beside him, Kumo walked—less like a ghost now, more like a man coming back to himself.

His wide straw hat was pushed slightly back, revealing a little more of his face.

His eyes were sharp, still scanning the treeline, but no longer with suspicion—more like someone searching for something he'd lost long ago.

Then:

—So… she married him?

Asura glanced sideways, lips tugging into a grin. —Oh, she did. Took her long enough, but yes.—

Kumo snorted, shaking his head.

—That uptight training-obsessed lunatic? The one who never looked at anything but the sky and his sword?

—That very one, but hey, that's my brother you're talking about.— Asura chuckled. —He looks at her now like she’s the only thing he’s ever seen. Makes the rest of us nauseous, honestly.—

Kumo barked a laugh—genuine, though still tinged with disbelief.

He ran a hand through his face, eyes flickering with something that looked dangerously close to emotion.

—And she’s… happy?

Asura nodded. —Yeah. She’s… stronger now. Softer in some ways. Fierce in others. You’d be proud of her.—

Kumo was quiet for a moment, calculating the next inquiry.

—Do I have any nieces? nephews?

Asura couldn’t help the grin that bloomed across his face.

—Four little monsters.

Kumo’s head snapped toward him.

—Four?!

—Raizen’s the eldest. Too mature for his own good. Quiet. Looks just like Indra but got all of Ivy’s sense.

Kumo’s brows rose.

—He got sense? From Ivy?

Asura laughed.

—Then there’s the twins—Hikari and Inari. Absolute chaos incarnate. They drive Indra mad. Ivy too, though she pretends they don’t.—

Kumo grinned to himself, eyes softening.

—Twins...? Ah... Life is one hell of a thing, huh? I guess she somehow gained back what she lost...- he mumbled mostly for himself, bittersweet, thinking. -...And the fourth?—

Asura’s voice gentled.

—Ame. She’s five. Bright-eyed. Curious. She looks like Ivy did as a child.

Kumo stopped walking.

Just for a heartbeat.

Then he looked up at the canopy, breathing in the sky like he didn’t quite know how to hold everything in his chest.

—Ame,—he repeated, like tasting the name. —A girl. Ivy always wanted a little girl. She used to say she’d name her “rain”.—

—She did.

They kept walking again, silence stretching, but no longer uncomfortable.

It was the silence of catching up, of grieving in reverse.

Eventually, Kumo murmured:

—She never stopped looking for me, did she?

—No, never.

And for the first time, Kumo looked ahead—not at the trees, not at the path, but at something beyond it.

Home.

They neared the edge of the woods, where the trees thinned and dusk slipped softly through the branches.

The inn was still a ways ahead, tucked between hills like a forgotten secret, but neither of them hurried.

Kumo walked slower now, thoughtful.

His voice came low, with the kind of gentleness that only came after years of silence.

—So... tell me the truth.

Asura raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways.

—Is he sane? Like… mentally sound? Stable enough to be married to my sister? Because... no offense, but from what I’ve seen and heard, he’s not exactly famous for emotional balance.—

Asura laughed despite himself.

—Define ‘sane’.

Kumo shot him a look.

—Just answer my question.

Asura sighed, lifting both hands in mock surrender. —Okay, okay. He’s… not easy. He was worse before. Quiet, cold, merciless. All edge, no softness. The kind of man who would rather walk into a thousand enemies alone than ask for help.—

—Sounds like the boy she used to talk about,— Kumo muttered, eyes narrowing slightly. —That kid from the forest. Always alone, always training. You know... she used to come home and say,— he dropped his voice into a higher pitch, mocking his sister’s childhood tone— ‘I’m gonna marry him someday.’-

Kumo chuckled softly, then sighed.

—I thought it was a phase. I thought she’d grow out of it.

Asura smiled, softer this time.

—She didn’t.

Kumo tilted his head back, letting the forest canopy sway above him—She always saw something in him. It scared me, how much faith she had in that kid.—

—She saved him,— Asura said quietly. —That’s the truth of it. Not with swords. Not with power. She found him when he was just a boy, trying to disappear into something darker than himself. She never let go.—

Kumo stayed silent, his steps slow.

—Indra was scared, not used to feel, to be human anymore. He wanted Ivy since the beginning, yet he was terrified of hurting her, of being what people said he was. She didn’t care. She stood in front of him and told him she remembered who he was.—

A pause.

Asura turned, walking backwards for a moment to look at Kumo directly.

—She reminded him that he was human. That he could still choose something different. She made him laugh again. Made him come home.

Kumo blinked, something raw crossing his expression. —I don’t know whether to be relieved or terrified.—

Asura smirked.

—Welcome to the club.

They walked a few more steps before Kumo exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.

—I’ve never seen my brother kneel for anyone the way he does for her. Not out of duty, not out of fear. Just love.— Asura admited.

Kumo’s voice was soft, barely above the wind:

—...She really married him.

—She really did.

And as the light from the inn began to peek through the trees, Kumo’s steps quickened—less a warrior’s pace, more a brother’s urgency.

Years had been lost.

But some things, like family, could still be found.

//

The inn stood quiet, a crooked thing nestled between stone and pine. Smoke curled from the chimney in slow spirals, scenting the air with something warm and unfamiliar—cooked rice, maybe. Or chestnuts.

The sound of cicadas buzzed low in the fading light.

They found him behind the inn.

Indra was sitting on a wide, flat stone near the edge of the slope, one knee drawn up, the other leg stretched long toward the grass. His elbows rested against his thigh, hands loosely clasped.

No weapon in sight.

His long hair was caught in the breeze, his face tipped upward to the sky as if he were listening to something far beyond reach.

Not a flicker of tension in his body.

Asura stopped a few paces away and motioned with a quiet nod to Kumo.

—Go on.

Kumo hesitated.

Then stepped forward.

He didn’t say anything at first—just stood in front of him, studying the man his sister had never stopped waiting for.

The man who had once been a boy in the forest, full of silence and fury.

Who had become a tyrant, but also, somehow, her husband.

—So,— Kumo finally said, voice light, dry— you're the infamous Indra.—

Indra blinked once, slowly, and shifted his gaze toward him.

—I am.

—You don’t look as terrifying when you’re sitting down.

A pause.

Then, to Asura’s surprise, Indra offered the faintest curve of a smirk.

—Most monsters don’t.

Kumo didn’t laugh.

Not quite.

But he did drop the sharp edge of his tone.

—You’ve got a reputation,— he said, stepping closer. —Blood. War. Power. People talk about you like you're a god, or a curse. Or both. So tell me...—

He met Indra's eyes.

—Who exactly did my sister marry?—

Indra’s smirk faded.

He looked at Kumo fully now, all calmness and certainty, like a man who had already answered that question a hundred times in silence.

—The same boy she once found in the forest.- Just the simple truth.

—Hn... And you have children.— Kumo’s voice had softened now, something like awe threading into it.

—We do. Raizen, the eldest. The twins—Inari and Hikari. And Ame. She’s the youngest. Smart. Curious. Stubborn.—

—Like Ivy,— Kumo murmured.

—Exactly like her.

A quiet pause followed.

The sky above was deepening, turning indigo at the edges.

Kumo exhaled, eyes still fixed on the horizon, then finally lowered himself beside Indra—not too close.

Just enough for the silence to feel shared.

—I was scared,— Kumo confessed, voice low. —That if she was alive… she’d been swallowed by your world. That she was just another casualty of your darkness.—

Indra’s gaze went back to the trees, but something behind his eyes shifted.

Not defensiveness.

Not anger.

Just something old, and heavy, and known.

—She wasn’t.

Kumo waited, and Indra took his time.

—The world I built doesn't touch them,— he said at last. —Not if I can help it. Raizen walks too close to the edge sometimes, but he’s still young. The twins are chaos—relentless, bright. And Ame... she drags stars into rooms without meaning to.—

Another pause, softer this time.

—They argue. They shout. They fight over burnt rice and broken toys. They think I don’t hear them laughing when they’re supposed to be asleep. But they’re alive. They're loud. They belong to her more than to me.—

Kumo glanced at him, startled by the honesty folded into such simple words.

Indra’s jaw tightened slightly before he added:

—She is the only softness that ever stayed. The only voice that didn't ask me to change in order to be worth saving.

He finally turned his head, meeting Kumo's eyes.

—If she ever steps into the abyss... I will follow. That much, I promise.

Kumo swallowed hard, his throat dry with silence.

—I guess you do love her,— he said quietly.

Indra didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

—Then maybe she was right all along.

—About what?— Indra asked.

Kumo smiled, faint and crooked.

—That she was gonna marry you someday.

This time, Indra didn’t smirk.

But the silence that followed held something warmer.

And when Asura finally walked toward them and sat at their side, he said nothing—because there was nothing left to say.

Only the quiet comfort of a reunion long overdue, and the peace of a promise kept.

[revive-the-fandom]

Please tell us more about the dragon hunters idea as I have had several of my own thoughts about how to attempt to make them make sense and would love to hear someone else's :)

done! full thing here

after thinking about it they make a little more sense than i thought but Johann's twist still puts a spanner in the works sometimes. Edge of Disaster doesn't make sense if he only joined up between s4 and s5. but Dire Straits and Last Auction Heroes don't make sense if he joins up before that.

theres a couple of things that people have pointed out i didnt address, like there being no women. but i honestly think that's a sexism thing from the creators - they couldnt be bothered to go back and make new female models, then later realised that theyd made wayyy too many male ones so panicked and made the wingmaidens.

it's a problem thats existed since rob aired bc neither the Berserkers or the Outcasts have women among their ranks. (we see some women on Berserker Island in Somethings rotten on berserker island, but theyre not a part of the army).

berserkers, outcasts and hunters being all male ↑

this even extends into httyd 2 as there's no women in erets crew or drago's army

there are basically only npc women on Berk, the Defenders of the Wing (and thats only because they recycled the "hiccup and heather in disguise" models) and Wingmaiden Island lmao.

like i dont even count the warlord lady because wow we got 1 woman. like i dont even see other women in their armies

which is a weird fucking decision since there were warrior women on berk this whole time

like theres less than id like but they are there, its a trend not an exception.

but for the in canon explanation tho, i think that maybe Dagur attempted to take the Berserkers backwards a bit, and maybe put all their women on defense instead of aggressive positions. he undid 50 years worth of peace with Berk because he felt that the berserkers had lost their edge, so he probably reversed some of the laws his dad made too.

I guess since the Outcasts are all criminals or descendants of criminals they might have some kind of civil war between the genders? or civil agreement to not live together. because i imagine theres quite a few assholes living there and generally historically women have been the target of said assholes??

as for like eret and drago and the warlords i guess the Archipelago is more isolated and has more progressive rules about women than the rest of the world.

the Hunters might have a more traditional view on women. i think that they have various settlements (ports, farming villages, etc) and thats where their women are. one of the biggest jobs for viking women irl was making the sails of the ships, so i think that probably took up most of the Hunter women's time.

Heather joining them might have been forced by Dagur, who at least recognises that Berk has produced a lot of formidable women warriors and possibly had to reassess some views after getting his ass handed to him by Heather and Astrid.

but again, the more likely reason is that the creators are just sexist.

i hope that was interesting at least lol

[midnight1nk]

Read your review, right and it made me realise my mistake. I- I didn't even notice the title was all caps. Which is something I like- it's my bad theorist thing right? Mainly because it doesn't make sense. But the more I look at them, the more it feels like- IT FEELS LIKE they're trying to say something.

And I'm still not over the Vanny masks. Count that with the "SMG3 takeover" with Steam and I'm getting uncomfortable(/pos) by the second. Like I know the idea of an arc where 3 and 4 are the antagonists together (TOGETHER???!?%??!!?!???%?!?!?! 😳😳😳😳😳😲😲😨😲😲😲😳😳) and they need help to get their shit together like. I'd be SOOOOO here for it.

And anyways, do you think 4 sometimes thinks about how he should've died with the castle so he wouldn't need to live with that guilt, that maybe why he was so non chalant about it even this time all things considered because he feels like it'll be something he will never live down? The inside out episode still feels so out of place to me. It had to mean something to this. What if Glitchtrap!Puzzles and 3 and 4 are like Gregory and Vanessa. This is an idea that kills me. It is actively stabbing me in the back. Like, the implications are crazy. Especially if you know how the whole digital infection thing Glitchtrap does works. Because I won't lie if the IGBP thing can be compared to it, maybe 4 DOES have a reason to want to die as much as I hate to say that.

it's always these titles, dude, they're trying to mess with us (TEAM WHEN I GET YOU TEAM /silly). a reverse-WOTFI 2023, where instead of 4 & 3 working together as protagonists, they'll be the antagonist duo...

y'know what? I FW IT HEAVY HONESTLY, HELL YEAH 🤝

IGBP, oh i've been thinking about the implications of 4 for MONTHS. i have too many thoughts about it that you guys need to shove me into the basement to make me stop talking 😊💙

anyway 4, buddy, you need to get therapy. you need it bc there is absolutely no way you haven't been constantly thinking about IGBP. Chat, 4 does think about it but he's suppressing it so much that we as the audience can't see it. EXCEPT in wotfi 2025, when Mr Puzzles took control of the channel for Puzzle Park. When 4 least expected it, he gets reminded of what happened, and this time, he couldn't hide. so yeah, makes sense why he thinks this way and he's a ticking bomb of guilt oof

"SMG4: Inside Out" strikes again, they can't keep getting away with it!! something is off about that episode and the main 2 things I was able to come up with are that 4 is currently (1) Mr Puzzles' failsafe to bring back goop!4, or (2) the unintentional spy. but because of the Vanny mask, my third might come true after all, 4's mind is going to be altered. Painfully, if we're going through the Glitchtrap route. If it's exactly how it is in FNAF, then 4 would be to be emotionally vulnerable for the plan to work, at his lowest (point, wow just like Puzzles). Possibly, at the same level as he did for MAR10 Day. Or worse, surpass it.

i guess Mario was right, "be afraid"

thanks for the ask!

[doubleddenden]

Finally, we're at the gen 9 rivals and friends. Honestly some of the best in the series- Some call Arven or Penny Rivals, but that's wrong. Still, I feel weird not including them in the list. They even repeat some old tropes in the franchise, but still manage to pull it off in an enjoyable way.

Anyway, let's get to it

Lets start with the actual main rival, Pokemon Goku, Nemona. Nemona continues the trend of friendly rival with a weaker starter- but she finally does something to make that fun: She's already a champion. She's already a champion, and she's crazy enough to try and groom a complete noob into becoming her ultimate rival. She purposely restarts from the bottom to match us, because she's so battle crazy that she's scared off everyone else. Thus, when we beat her, the joy is JUSTIFIED, because we're another step closer to her ideal rival. She is pretty funny and crazy, a little autistic probably, but I love how she REFUSES to take no for an answer when she asks us to be rivals for life after we, too, become champions. The rush of battling us as two champion tier trainers overwhelms her with joy- because she finally, FINALLY has found someone that can handle her freak and won't run away when she challenges us. Literally, Goku training Uub.

As a trainer, her teams are very packed with hard hitters- and even though she picks the weaker starter, she does have the added benefit of the starters this go around having a reverse type triangle of strengths and resistances. Sure, that goes flying out the window when she terastilizes a Quaquaval against your Meowscarada, but at the same time, if she outspeeds? You're still in trouble. And her final Blueberry rematch team is something INCREDIBLE as well, stacking up with other starters like Infernape or Greninja to help make her already decent team even better. Literally a cut above most of the rivals since Barry, imo, maybe only being outdone by N in terms of struggle at the current level. As a character and rival, 9/10, she's fun, if not as deep as Arven.

As a design... Eh. Kinda middling. She does wear the same uniform as us with a cool little arm thing, so she's not getting *too* much special treatment compared to us, and I think we're all in agreement that the Scarlet version is more fitting for her. I'm not really a fan of the green in her hair or the forehead, and I think maybe it'd be pulled off better with a gold highlight instead on some bangs. I will say, the render looks fine, but she actually looks a bit better in game imo. 7/10 on design, there's more interesting looking rivals imo.

Now that our rival is done, lets take a look at our buddy (since he calls us "Little Buddy," Arven. And of course, he's gotta have Mabosstiff, it feels wrong to separate them. Arven starts off pretty rough, and I thought for a second *he* might be our asshole rival- but then he sends out a Skwovet he just caught. Some time passes, and we're literally traveling the countryside hunting down Titan pokemon, battling them side by side, all to find Herba Mystica- an herb that wasn't even confirmed to exist- just to save his best friend, Mabosstiff. It turns out, Arven is actually a pretty cool guy, even if he's rough around the edges to strangers. His backstory of being practically abandoned by his parents to study in Area Zero- or in the case of his other parent, LEAVE Area Zero without him- is a rather sad and complicated affair that actually intertwines with the legendary we are given, who he partially blames for his parents leaving him. Couple that with his "parent" suddenly contacting us to come to Area Zero to help stop the Time Machine? And then to find out that his real parent died? Bro has gone through a LOT on his own, and him being so good with cooking makes so much sense when you realize it's because nobody else would do it for him. So of COURSE it makes sense he's desperate to save his dog, that dog is the only family he has that hasn't abandoned him! And guess what? Arven is such a bro that he doesn't abandon US either! He knows he's not the hottest shit, but he's still fighting those titantic bastards right next to us, and STILL dives into Area Zero with us to keep us safe AND give his shit mom or dad a piece of his mind.

Now sure, towards the end, I think it's pretty bullshit that he suddenly decides his mom and dad are super interesting and he should learn more about the people who ABANDONED AND NEGLECTED HIM, but he's been through a lot. I do find it ridiculously charming, too, that he's protective enough of us from even Carmine and Kieran, claiming us as his best friend. He even joins the tournament and challenges us because he truly loves battling with us!

Arven is without a DOUBT the heart and soul of Scarlet and Violet's story, next only to our motorcycle-er, dragon. The game probably would not be nearly as tolerable without him in it, and I gotta say, I'm glad a character like him exists. I hope we get to meet him again in future games, healthy and happy. As a character, he is basically 9.5/10.

As a trainer, I think he's definitely not as strong as Nemona, and he's not worried about that kind of thing either. His team is literally the friends he made along the way to saving Mabosstiff, and for the most part are food themed. It's very fitting and another really charming detail about the kind of person he is. I don't sweat fighting him- at least, not until that Garganacl shows up- but I do have fun, and that's how you make a buddy trainer imo. 9/10 for the intention and detail.

As a design, his hair is a mess, being sort of a fusion of Sada and Turo, but again he does look better in game imo. He's both handsome and pretty otherwise, I can see the hype. He's definitely got that strong explorer look, and even though that backpack of his must be HEAVY AF carrying all of those picnic materials, it does fit him and fit the vibe of a desperate treasure hunter. The outfit goes together really well, with my favorite iteration being the violet colors- I want a uniform like this, but alas, ours is separate to spring and autumn. Appearance wise, he definitely reads as someone that probably should have graduated high school by now, being held back for bad grades or just not turning in assignments- he's got better things to do, tbh. On a design perspective, he's 9/10 as well. Just a fantastic character all around. The literal bestest best friend we've ever had.

Penny is...Okay. I think her twist of being the head of Team Star carries her farther than it should, but her plot to dismantle Team Star with you so that they'll start going to classes again is decent enough, and the reveal certainly is entertaining, plus the Eevee love is super relatable- would've been GREAT if we got a new Eeveelution to warrant it, but I digress.

I feel that a lot of her personality doesn't really start to form until AFTER the Team Star story... and tbh, I kind of see why she was bullied. She's a bitch. A funny bitch sometimes, certainly a smart one, but she is still pretty snooty with people for practically no reason, even just trying to have a conversation. I'm a victim of actual targeted and excessive bullying on a physical, mental, and verbal level, and that shit followed me home, too, because people at school knew where I lived. Under no circumstances do I ever condone bullying- but I do gotta say, if you act like a bitch, you're gonna get treated like a bitch. She does mellow out after befriending us, and I do dig the vibe she has a super talented hacker- also she called our mom hot, that's just the funniest shit ever. Otherwise, I think she's probably the weakest link among our friend group. 7/10 character.

BUT WAIT, She's Peony's daughter, and Peonia's sister! That bumps her back up to an 8. Wait til she finds out we're best friends with her dad lol. I explored the Crown Tundra with that man, and the two of us cleared the Galarian Star tournament together, so I can see her just being gobsmacked to see us being chummy together.

As a design, I think it definitely reads as intended: Outcast nerd with a special interest that doesn't fit in at school. I think the hair is a bit much, and the see through skirt with the shorts was probably only added so we wouldn't think she was a boy, because she does have that vibe. Idk, I know they were going for a vibe and it's counter intuitive to make her conventionally look like something or another, but I can't say it vibes with me 100%. But the eyes? Yeah, that's Peony's daughter. Very subtle, especially the name, so when it was officially revealed in game? That was a great connection.

BUT, I will say this: Why does SHE get to get away with dressing however she wants, but not us? I don't get it. I'm just saying, she should have at least HAD to put on the uniform after all was said and done, just like the rest of Team Star.

I will digress. Design for it's purpose is an 8/10. On a personal taste, probably 7, I really like her Eevee backpack and the color of her clothes, but I really dislike her hair.

Onto DLC characters:

Ah Carmine, probably my favorite of the two Kitakami siblings. "But she's abusiveeee!!!!!" You are an only child and it shows. OR, worse, you ARE Carmine and you don't wanna face it. Carmine is probably the most misunderstood character from the fan side, and I'm sick and tired of it. Why? She's not abusive, she's literally a big sister. Let me tell you, as someone that actually HAD an abusive big sister- I'm talking could ruin my life quite easily with just a little blackmail, has physically beaten me as kids, verbally abused me into my 20s, and much, MUCH worse- Carmine is NOT abusive. She is literally just a bitchy older sister, which is pretty common to see on tv or from my friends' older siblings. Does she need to be knocked down a few pegs and taught a lesson? Absolutely, and that's what happens with us and Kieran around. So chill.

So what is Carmine? A vane bitch, yes. She's fun to bully, a bit like Klara in that regard, but Carmine, I think, has a bit more of a satisfactory rebound to someone more likeable. She's still pretty full of herself, but she's actually very thoughtful of others- The only reason she doesn't want to tell Kieran about Ogerpon is because she knows her little brother is obsessed with it. Keep in mind, she's from a village that has indoctrinated its citizens into thinking that thing was dangerous and killed people unwarranted, and her thought process towards foreigners isn't all that uncommon or strange if you've ever heard or read about things like Logan Paul, or your average Hawaiian native dealing with asshole tourists. Plus, you know, she's from a small town in the boonies- it's not a good thing to be xenophobic, but it is an understandable trait for people from places like that to have, as it's very common around here. Plus, she does come around in the end.

In fact, she's so caring of others that she immediately wants to help Ogerpon upon learning she's perfectly innocent, and even when Kieran is off being emo somewhere, she doesn't hesitate for a moment to try and help US help Ogerpon get her masks back from the Lousy Trio. She asks us to help with Kieran, too, and personally recommended us to Blueberry Academy. She's excited to see Ogerpon in your party again when you battle in Blueberry, too, and is a lot more chill by then. I know, people's worst feared trait: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! What do you mean this asshole character becomes better? That can't be right!? Jerks are evil people forever and can never be redeemed!

Okay, sure, she could have handled some situations better, but I blame that more on shit writing, which tbh the writers were kind of giving up after the game released in it's shit state. I do hate that she progressively becomes more useless as time passes, and we don't battle her much in Indigo Disc, but I do love her character progression in Teal Mask and how we become closer friends over then. As a character, I'd rank her as an 8. I like her, and I hope we see her again.

As a trainer, and I guess rival? We fight her a few times in Teal Mask, I guess. Her team kinda sucks? But at the same time, she does employ some strategy you probably aren't used to seeing. I know my Hisuian Typhlosion was taken out by her Sinistcha after it survived a weakened Eruption. She could be better, and still has some weaker Pokemon when you first arrive to Kitakami, but that won't last for too long, and I have lost to her once when I wasn't paying attention with a brand new team. 7/10

As a design- I LOVE it. Her hair is really pretty, and it gives me Pike Queen Lucy vibes, who I severely miss. Her eyes are also RIDICULOUSLY pretty, especially in game. She's really tall, too, kinda rare for a girl character in the games- she definitely knows she's pretty, and she's correct. The uniform is the winter one, and it fits just right, and also can be viewed as a subtle description of her character: Cold. The red, black, and gold of her natural self blends in so well with the blue, white, and very subtle reds of the uniform as well. She reads as upper teens as well, maybe about to graduate soonish, which explains her attitude imo lol. 9/10 design

This is also the best render I could find of her Jinbei uniform as well, which is basically just as good as her base uniform all things considered. still a 9/10, wish she wore it more often in Kitakami.

Kieran is the soul of the SV DLC, by all accounts, and I certainly think he's an excellent rival throughout both Teal Mask and Indigo Disc with one of the best character developments in the franchise. Its the reverse of the douchebag rival: He STARTS as your friend and progressively loses his shit because he keeps losing to you, and especially because you take Ogerpon. It is only after surviving certain doom together and knocking off his pedestal that he finally realizes the error of his ways, and we become friends again. I think he gaslit the entire fandom into thinking he was this innocent little uwu shy bean, and while he is certainly empathetic, he's not entirely in the right.

Sure, he believed in Ogerpon before the others- be he liked it BECAUSE it was the monster first. From Ogerpon's perspective, he's just another villager that hates her and is snooping around her den without permission. Maybe we could have told him about Ogerpon sooner, but what good would that do? Need I remind you that we literally had just met him when this shit started happening? All we know is that he's obsessed with the ogre everyone else thinks will kill them. Maybe we shouldn't have lied (we didn't have a choice, shit writing remember?), but at the same time, he could have used critical thinking skills to realize WHY we were lying. When he finally found the truth, instead of immediately helping Ogerpon and forming a bond with her, he starts being mopey and steals the mask, or just avoids her. It's no wonder she sides with us- we actually bonded with it. We helped her fight the lousy trio while he was off being emo. And then when SHE chooses us, he STILL tried to battle us for the RIGHT to catch her.

And the thing is, him snapping and becoming a piece of shit in Blueberry academy is a result of built up resentment. He didn't have to become an asshole just because he hates US now, you know? Sure, maybe to his sister or Drayton, I understand, but he's an absolute dick to innocent people as well and not taking anyone's feelings into consideration, including his own Pokemon. Terrapagos was just curious and wanted to *see* us, not even join our party, and he tosses a Master Ball at it. He's a kid, definitely not in his right mind, but I feel like most of the fans think of him as a "do no wrong" kiddo that we turned into The Joker, when in reality, he's ALWAYS been the Joker, waiting for an excuse to lash out. In fact, Carmine is a bitch, but she cares a lot about others. Kieran is actually a lot more selfish in that regard as a balance- keep in mind that he's an anime teen, and anime teens aren't really the same as regular teens, so he's not innocent in any of this.

But that arc is still something incredible to see unfold. Kieran is a type of rival I've been asking for for years and finally got- crash out and all. He's not the main rival, which sucks, but at the same time, we finally got him! And then? When we make up? We finally have a beautiful friendship again. In Mochi Madness, we even get to team up to stop a psuedo zombie apocalypse. I know a lot of people think we fucked up a perfectly good bean, but the thing is, his flaws and anger MADE him a good character. Things didn't resolve as neatly as I'd like- I personally think the SV writers kinda gave up and just wanted the DLC to be done at some point- but that's a very important aspect about him I like.

Plus... Cmon... You're telling me you DIDN'T take a picture of him when you caught Ogerpon and when you took the championship from him?

As a character, I think he gets a 9. I certainly was hoping that maybe he was under the influence of some malevolent legendary, but it turns out he's the normal one and was just built that way.

Team wise, he starts out pretty weak, but it's a story in and of itself. He uses pretty cute Pokemon at first, mostly just randos you catch in Kitakami- but then he snaps trying to take Ogerpon from you. His first big boy team is a team of MONSTERS- stuff like Shiftry and Yanmega- both oger and oni coded and described- but then you also have some intense strategy with stuff like a Gliscor that has an ice type weakening berry and Hyper Cutter, Probopass with both Sturdy AND a special attack boosting berry, and his Poliwrath has both Belly Drum AND a sitrus berry. About the only thing that stands out is his little Dipplin.

Getting to Blueberry, when he's champion? Bro uses a competitive viable team- He an has a fucking Intimidating Incineroar, aka the scourge of VGC since Sun and Moon in 2016. Then he has a Grimmsnarl that sets up Reflect and Light Screen PLUS Sucker Punch. A Politoed with Drizzle AND Helping Hand that pairs excellently with his Dragonite that has both Hurricane AND Thunder- which does not miss in rain btw- and also holds an Expert Belt. Then he's also got a Life Orb (30% extra damage at the cost of hp) on his Porygon-Z with Adaptability (increases STAB to x2 instead of 1.5) and Hyper Beam, basically he OKO's everything that doesn't resist. Then to top all that off, his Hydrapple has an assault vest- increasing his special defense- but then he TERAS to fighting to avoid the obvious Ice type weakness, and this thing is a monster all on its own.

Now that is seriously a tough rival, and I think one of the hardest fights I ever had. If you wanna troll him, you can even bring out Ogerpon during the fight at BBA and he'll have a small melt down. Probably one of my favorite fights in all seriousness. That alone makes him a 9/10 for battling and rivalry.

As far as designs go, let's start with the basic look: Wet cat. He looks incredibly shy and innocent, and of course reads like a little kid you wanna befriend and protect. It's a trap though, as his eyes have a snake-like glow to really show off just how fucked up he is. Carmine's hair has scarlet undertones, and Kieren has violet, which makes for a nice tie in to the games. I don't really know what the deal with the headband is, but it's fine. I think it's a 7/10, I certainly like the hair better this way.

his Festival Jinbei isn't really much different, just loses all the blues and reds and goes all in on white. Its a fit that looks good and, again, I wish he got to wear it more. 8/10

Ah, and Joker Arc Kieran, probably my favorite look. Peak levels of DOUCHEBAG right here from design alone. He's got his hair pulled back into a man bun that kinda looks like an onion or a peach- and yet that damn peach had nothing to do with him. He's letting his jacket slide off and wearing looser socks- he no really cares about appearances, and to top all of that off? The red tank top underneath. This is peak asshole design, and I really dig it. It makes his breakdown all the better. I do wish we could somehow pair his regular hair with this outfit, but it's good enough. 8/10, I think he could've gone further with the douchebag look with some baggier, longer pants.

all in all, Kieran is a 9/10 for being the crashout rival I've been asking for for years. Still can't believe Nemona beat him.

And with that, we are caught up with protagonists, friends, and rivals up to gen 9, minus ZA, which I will do a more thorough review of once I get more info.

What should I review next? Or should I give it a break? Champions? Box mascots? Legendaries? Evil Teams?

[2n2n]

ch 123

here we GOOOOOOOOO. whoaaaa 'cat' what does that chapter title mean? How strange.

*gets distracted immediately* ahuao *crawls under the desk*

I'm thankful for the immediate problems lol. We can't let it be too easy.... leaves me suspended in curiosity for what could be going on with those fools... clockkeepa..

heehao

hahaha heehee *clap clap clap clap*!! heehee!! AOOO haha uueee ee ee ouuuuu they are like little small sachels with elastic threading around their skirts, they grab things and then tighten themselves up into little sacks of goodies... HEEHOO!!!!! I aaouuu I love them they are koooooot

*was SHOOKT*

little white sockies......

little teefers....

🫵WHAT IS THAT 🫵🫵🫵🫵

a BLESSING FOR ME PERSONALLY, for me Avvy, to ENJOY, some sort of CLOCKWORK KITTEN some sort of YUGI IN A CAT FORM. feralized yugi.... here, ALONE, with NENE-CHAN

IN MY WILDEST DREAMS I COULDN'T IMAGINE THIS--!!!

nibble nibble...

how do I not post every panel

misssschievoussss scamperous wonderfully delightfully drawn...

Aida-sensei is a talent beyond all renown...

I'm fascinated by a Yugi self-referring as "poor, pitiful"... you're going to not understand or agree, but it makes me inclined towards this being Tsukasa. It's just difficult to imagine Amane identifying himself that way...

I like that these this dapper little outfit evokes the gakuran's flowery ends, the same thick rim & ornate cut edges. Meanwhile, the white paws evoke the hands just peeking out from the black pajama body, down to the backfeet still being black like the shoes.

however, both Yugi wore the gakuran in life. But we're definitely having a 'hanako-like' aesthetic, atmosphere, intentionally.

but then, doesn't the Yugi-sensei in the Red House have a Tsukasa-like atmosphere? it would be interesting if the two's stations were so reversed. It would make one reflect on the similarity of the Yugi, and their situations, behaviors, as circumstantial.

There is so much overlap, and so much of their lives is a consequence of the hands they were dealt.

uhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm it's a really nice panel isn't it. *collapses in on myself like a folding table*

Nene-chan's pure heart is transfixing. Don't you want to help her?

I guess I'll be honest, it reminds me of the kinds of pauses Tsukasa takes on Nene-chan.

ughhh obsessed with every little panel

this flirtyyyyyyyyyy dainty kitty kitty .... aaouuurhghh.. I think it has the seductive energy of Tsukasa 💢 that's my present stance... I could be wrong...!

isn't it too girlish 💢

somehow.... I think of Tsukasa are moreso this externalizing his thoughts and ponderings openly, honestly admitting things easily. Amane keeps everything locked up inside of himself, or reveals it as riddles or something...

reminds me of this boy.

😭 kowaiiii

ermmmm what a cute pair//// sooo cute to hold kitty like this eeeuuuuu

uuhgghfff. I feel this is a Tsukasa-like expression... don't you?

I really love this soft moment with Nene-chan... whichever this is, so sweet.

well, there's my bets hedged, perhaps humiliatingly if I wind up wrong... let's be honest though, it's more fun that way!!! To just dream!!

To get into it a little more,

narratively speaking, I think it makes the most sense to be Tsukasa.

if 'Hanako' in this timeline has become a Red House haunting, well-serving cursed entity, a Tsukasa-like position,

then the 'Tsukasa' should be similarly opposite to our expectations, and perhaps be bound to the school in a Hanako-like position.

I think the Yugi are more similar than different, and, this arc may be attempting to put a pin in that, and challenge who we ally with, and why. If any Yugi can be flung into unfortunate circumstance, why should we give up on any of them? Is it right for any one to be banished to the shredded existence, given no sympathy? Can't Nene-chan bond with either of them? If Tsukasa was put into a position to protect or save Nene-chan, would he do so, like his brother?

We have already spent plenty of time this arc sympathizing with Yugi-sensei. I don't personally believe Tsukasa would be flattened into nothing but a ghoul, at least ... I believe his place in this world would be as developed & considered as Amane's. I do not feel we would breeze past it. Especially when we have recently been allowing Nene-chan & Tsukasa to have so many loaded, leading interactions, surrounding the clockkeepers... I have to believe those are all building up to something, bestowing Nene-chan with more contemplation on Tsukasa. Since Nene-chan is typically our audience surrogate, we should mirror her curiosity.

I could see the clockkeepers choosing to conscript Tsukasa & wipe his memory, rather than completely eradicating him from all of existence. He's just a useful asset at that point, & this is plenty humiliating a position to put someone in, isn't it? If he has no power here, there's no issue...

if he has no memory, the simultaneous existence of Amane's "Tsukasa-kun" poses no issue. Just a random creepy weird ghost story.

If the cat was Amane, I guess I would question what that would add to the narrative, if we just spent so much time accepting the complexity of his fate. He seems to have so much going on as it is, and a continuity of existence that makes sense to me. I'm also not sure what shenanigans-that-resemble-normal-canon-but-slightly-different-with-Hanako kitty would really offer, other than just being parallel to our world. But isn't the point how this world is twisted, should make you think twice about everything around you? Betrays your expectation? Perhaps your hero is a villain and who you thought of as your villain could be your hero.

To respect Nene-chan's grieving over Hanako, I'd like this strange company to be Tsukasa! But I would love for him to remind her of Hanako... to remind us.

It would be easy to fall in love in this kind of circumstance, wouldn't it? Well, I mean, if you weren't already in love, anyway ......

[system-of-a-feather]

@hiraetheanine asked in the comments of a post for some pointers on Final Fusion and I felt it'd be better to make a post here; @hiiragi7 @subsystems @theorionissystem (<- i forget what late stage recovery you guys are at) tagging in case yall have two cents to throw in

---

Largely I did want to say first and foremost two things.

1) this is me just writing off the top of my head a few things that come to mind so I'm not putting an extreme amount of thought and/or formality into this

and

2) recovery, fusion, DID and all that is always a very individualistic experience and recovery journey so while there are things I say here that can be helpful, this is based on how it worked for me and may not be the same for you (could even be entirely different!); its 100% best to just kind of follow your experiences where they take you ideally with a therapist to help

With that out of the way, I think when it comes to seeking final fusion - or as I prefer to call it "full integration / a state of being fully integrated / full fusion" since I really dislike the connotation of the word "final" - it's kind of best to not really SEEK it out too much.

By that I mean that I found that whenever I "tried to fuse and integrate because I want final fusion" I found that I actually made slower progress and arguably - at some points - reverse progress in the sense I became more dissociative and had more conflicts with parts. Maybe its the Buddhist in me, but I find that fusion is one of those things that is actually deceivingly simple and natural and as a result, actively chasing or seeking it out tends to make it more complicated as you start to have to deal with what you Think Fusion Is rather than just simply experiencing it.

I think the best way to kind of progress with integration and fusion is largely to just kind of throw out a lot of notions of late stage recovery other than a "that would be a nice result" and just focus on learning about yourselves, building relationships with yourselves, and developing hobbies and interests that parts can engage with together. The level of which parts are connected, integrated, and/or fused tends to just kind of come along the journey of building a very strong, very firm, and supportive relationship with your parts.

I think a lot of people think of final fusion as this phenomenon where parts disappear and a new person is formed - and while that might be the way it is for some people - for me its a lot more like slowly becoming co-con with another part so much to the point you don't have to explicitly internally talk to be on the same page and experience things together.

In that sense, I think focusing too much on what parts are doing what and where they are in the stage of fusion can really kind of "backtrack" the fusion (Which! Is not bad! Sometimes fusions don't work the best and don't work well for the situation and its better to say 'yeah no this isn't working' and backtrack. I 100% support undoing fusions if they don't work and we've done is SEVERAL times on the way to where we are now; undoing a fusion also doesn't mean final fusion is impossible; it just means those two as they are are likely not the best combo).

It's honestly really just as simple as just kind of learning to love, care, support, share, and enjoy life with your parts and the more universal that support, love, and care is throughout the system, the more integrated and possibly fused you'll find yourselves becoming.

It really wasn't this sudden night or day phenomenon for me as much as it was a realization that I really didn't cling or see myself much as any specific part and that most of the time, the days I did identify as primarily a specific part (let alone ONLY as a specific part) became the odd days whereas me just being "me and all the parts around idk" became the norm.

I dunno, I guess its kind of a non answer but I just kind of used this as an open mic to ramble. I'd love to answer some specific questions since its honestly a large topic and theres no way I could reasonably come up with ever little aspect of how this happened and things that helped / caused issue in it all

[habibialkaysani]

Fic writer meme: 2, 4, 81

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

omg so I think the coolest one was with edwina sharma in my first multichapter bridgerton fic, the viscountess who vexes me. for those who don't know, the tl;dr of s2 is a doomed love triangle between edwina and kate sharma (sisters) and anthony bridgerton who pursues edwina because he doesn't love her and is terrified of being in love. the fic I wrote was a kate/anthony engagement fic because in the show they skip over that completely and jump straight to the epilogue when they're married. I always thought given the circumstances that edwina would not have attended kate and anthony's wedding - I know that I wouldn't have if I were ever in that position. but the more I wrote of edwina, including her interactions with anthony now he was engaged to her sister, the more I started rethinking my plan. edwina was not meant to be in a lot of scenes in this fic, and she's not in loads, but she does feature somewhat at the wedding and other ceremonies (mehndi and pithi) not because I planned it but because edwina just would not leave my mind. plus I found her dynamic with anthony fascinating to write. that being said, I know that most of the fandom dislikes her immensely, so I don't write as much of her as I would like.

4. what is the plot bunny you've been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven't written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

okay okay so there's this legendary bollywood movie that is an absolute classic - kabhi khushi kabhie gham (translating as "sometimes in happiness, sometimes in sadness") and I wrote my idea for a kate/anthony au based on the plot. I was a genius about it tho because I reversed the gender roles. in the movie, rahul is the adopted son of a rich guy who falls for anjali, a working class girl, and then rahul's father doesn't accept him and refuses to give his blessing for their marriage. I dreamed up an au with kate sharma as rahul and anthony as anjali, not just because of the gender switch here but also the change in kate being from the upper class instead of anthony. my main thing with this is that I have 3 active wips currently and I don't want to add to that pile when I'm barely updating my current wips as it is. not to mention I think I'd need to watch the source material (both bridgerton and k3g) to fully immerse myself in this au and idk. the stars just haven't quite aligned yet.

plus there's another movie au I'm obsessed with but idk how to write it - and that's wicked! in my mind, kate is fiyero, anthony is elphaba and simon basset is glinda, with a very homoerotic friendship between anthony and simon (just like the show lbr) and kate/anthony endgame. my whole thing is subverting the roles characters have in the original source material because I find their roles in aus far more interesting in exploring underrated elements of characters - like anthony's more playful or sassy or bashful side in elphaba, simon's mean girl potential or kate being a female casanova. and also then I'm taking away what previously felt like integral parts of said characters like anthony being wealthy - and it still makes sense character wise. I feel like all my stuff is character driven, so having aus as a way of character exploration is fun, but I guess the reason it fills me with existential dread starting any new wip is literally because I know it will snowball, that's what happened with my last three fics lmao.

81. if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?

oh god. see I'm tempted to say just don't write as much smut as you did, but honestly I don't think I'd have been able to learn to get good at it. and I think you have to be bad at smut to then learn to be good at it, at least for writers starting out as teenagers or whatever.

maybe I would say that just because you regard something as practice writing doesn't mean you shouldn't consider fic as sharpening your craft or being a better storyteller. I feel like I only really started having conversations about specific storytelling techniques very late into my fanfic journey, and that was such a shame. and I guess advice for me specifically is that when you get an idea write it down stat, because your brain sucks and you won't remember.

fanfic asks

[raconteur-wanpi]

i really love your generation swap au idea, its sooo fun...... i kinda hope ppl take you up on making their own content for it, im not a creator myself but id love to see more!! who were you thinking for the rest of the crew? i feel like tom for franky, olvia for robin..... maybe fisher tiger for jinbe..? he was definitely an adult already during sun pirates times but iirc FT was enough older that maybe theyre technically a generation removed & otherwise i cant think of who would fit. its even more confusing with brook lol, hes already a generation (or more) older than everyone. also tell me any other fun ones you enjoyed thinking up in the rest of the cast that wouldnt be immediately obvious if you want..!! its literally so fun to think about

Yeah, people seemed receptive to it, I'm glad! I don't even feel like I came up with it, my subconscious did, lol. I did end up having a lot of thoughts about it, though! I'd genuinely love to see what people do with it if the idea spreads! Seeing what people can do with prompts like this is always delightful.

Also spot on on my ideas for Franky and Robin, yeah! I considered Clover for a bit when it comes to Robin, but I think Olvia makes more sense, especially since I Support Women's Wrongs and want to have a more balanced cast gender-wise. For Jinbe honestly, I couldn't figure it out at first, but Fisher Tiger makes the most sense! The AU in my head is less about mapping the generations out perfectly, and more looking at the Strawhats and their roles, rather than ages. So it is role-based-first!

Honestly for Brook, I had two ideas initially! My first was swapping him with Yorki, but that doesn't feel right considering they were peers.

But then it dawned on me that in terms of who's alive and who is not in this AU, the canon / original Strawhats kinda follow the state of the mentors they've been swapped with (i.e. Nami, Chopper, Robin, Jinbe and Franky would be dead 😢), and since characters keep the same powers and skill sets from canon (so Luffy still has the Nika fruit, Shanks still fights with just Haki and Gryphon, etc), that means Chopper's Human-Human Fruit got reincarnated.

So of course, I think it would be ideal for Laboon to have gotten it! I love the idea of Brook being the one waiting for him to return at the lighthouse on Reverse Mountain, and Laboon being the one that got lost in the Grand Line and is trying to find his way back! I imagine this Hito-Hito version of Laboon would develop a very sweet friendship with Hiriluk once he joins the crew! Considering Chopper would be his dead father figure in this lol. Kinda like Luffy being glad that Sabo got Ace's fruit in canon, and feeling like he lives on through him.

Other non-protagonist cast ideas include Roger being swapped with Ace (so Ace is the dead pirate king, and was still Luffy's older brother figure. Meanwhile Roger is Shanks' older brother figure like Ace was for Luffy in canon, since the ages have been fudged around for this. Or maybe more like a young uncle? Either way he's still an older male relative figure lol).

Garp and Koby feels like another obvious one, with Koby being a Vice Admiral and a good friend of Luffy, despite the fact that Luffy is an Emperor lol. I like the idea of Luffy being the World's Youngest Grandpa somehow in this, and Garp as his grandson being Koby's trainee haha. There's a lot you can do with so many characters honestly. I'd just have to go arc by arc at this point haha.

If I'm being honest, I kinda found myself more invested in figuring out what the Older/Mentor Strawhats are like in this AU, rather then the equivalent of the young protagonist crew. I guess it makes sense, considering they're the actual protagonists in the original story lol, but I enjoy all the ideas I was flooded with about them a lot!

I actually started writing a long-winded file with bullet points about all 20 main swapped characters, but I wonder if anyone's actually interested enough for me to post it or not. It's not even done yet, but if people really want it, I'll finish it lol.