#i think the franchise is having a bit of an identity crisis

[shinozaki-ayumi]

i'm getting a bit jaded about copa and think i need to take a step back from it but my entire online persona is built around it. oops

[anxiousdreamcore]

I saw that recent post you made writing out how you view all the Avatar characters, and in it, you mentioned that your opinion of the characters has changed a lot in the past year and a half (I can't believe it's been that long since ATWOW!)

So how did your opinion of the characters change and why? Who changed the most radically? I'd love to hear your thought process!

Warning: yapping ahead

My opinion changed as I began consuming content from different people in the fanbase, as I sadly started out my journey relegated to mostly the recom side of the fandom.

A very specific vision I’ve formed was one of him and Neytiri. Her and Spider are two individuals forced to be close by circumstance, and not necessarily liking each other but they’re known each other for so long that they know each other, you know? The way I see it, they can’t pretend to be strangers, and their argument in the high ground comics, which is the only time any of the children oppose Neytiri makes me think that this is the dynamic going on between them.

Being a Spider fan outside of the recom space was a horrible experience for many of my mutuals, and I heard from more than one person that just liking the character earned them death threats, so I kept to the only space where he was actually liked, which uh…may or may not have been a bit of an echo chamber.

First months after ATWOW came out the opinions were extremely polarising and there was little depth to go around. I realised later on though, I didn’t have to pick a side and didn’t have to force myself to forgive Quaritch, because I never wanted to. I didn’t have to see him as either a 🥺baby gworl🥺 or an emotionless monstrosity.

As I said before, the essays made by Quaritch fans sold me at first. They seemed to provide a lot of proof and I was on board with the identity crisis theory, but as time went on I believed it less and less. Looking at the movie with fresh eyes months later, I formed and opinion of my own and that is — That recom Quaritch is an amalgamation of his past self and the Na’vi instincts/perspective of his new body. He’s a fucked up soup that is, in a way, different than his human predecessor but not different enough to be considered a wholly separate creature. If human Quaritch was a dying garden then recom Quaritch is that same garden decayed to the core, with one single flower emerging amongst the rot, not yet consumed by it. (That flower being his fatherhood obv)

I went from seeing him as a man perhaps capable of redemption and seeing value in Pandora, to a man who, while not enjoying violence per ce, obviously doesn’t give much of a damn about the moon or its habitat or its many cultures. All that matters to Quaritch is that these things matter to his son, so he’ll entertain them and go easy on the destruction, just for him. He doesn’t yet accept Pandora, not fully, but he accepts that Spider does so. That is about his only good quality.

The way I began to see it, Socorro is somewhat his only functioning organ. A breathing lung in an otherwise dead body. Miles hasn’t felt anything but manic happiness and rage for as long as we knew him on screen, and that only changed when he stood in the boy’s presence, constantly challenged by him, and brought out of his comfort zone over and over again. He needs him to be remotely alive and likeable to the audience. He needs him to be something more than a chained army dog.

That brings me to my next point; my other big change in perspective was one of his dynamic with Spider. The more I analysed the franchise the more I came to conclusion that Miles is just an unbearable softie for him, and it was really the deleted scenes and the fact that Spider has a new bow in the ikran taming scene that sold me. He not just likes Spider, he loves him, to death. His sacrifices might not seem sufficient, but for his character, they‘re very much drastic, as Miles is traditionally not a loving person.

Quaritch is canonically a traitor to the RDA because he jeopardised his mission three times in a row, all for a single child. His inner father and colonel are constantly fighting each other, as he knows what he should be focusing on, but can’t resist being a father; having priorities of his own. He was an old fool who thought he could have his cake and eat it too; make Spider safe and happy and be a colonel at the same time, but in the end he made up his mind on what matters more, and it’s Spider. The way I see it now is; Quaritch is only truly loyal to Spider. He can hate it, but he can’t run from it.

[reveriesketch]

Hailstorm and Pyrite: Reunited

In the spirit of Pride Month, and because I love this franchise, here's my Headcanon for these two, because I feel sad that their situation was never truly resolved. (Spoilers for Arc 2 & 3)

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Hailstorm before Pyrite was loyal to his tribe, brotherly to his siblings, brave and determined to fight well in the Sandwing War of Succession, a bit arrogant and fierce because of his upbringing, loved to fly and hunt, and had a deep desire to be perfect for approval. (Both from his family and the Icewing Rankings.)

After he is enchanted and becomes Pyrite, some of Hailstorm's characteristics unknowingly show through. Some of them are the same, while most are the complete opposite. While the Pyrite enchantment was designed with as bland a personality as possible, I believe Pyrite, with Hailstorm hidden within her, developed a little personality over time.

Pyrite, as a dragon, was loyal to her tribe and queen, caring and kind to her fellow Skywings, insecure and doubtful of her abilities, shy and humble around others, loved to fly and explore, and believed she was clumsy and useless all the time.

When the enchantment finally comes off, Hailstorm has a severe identity crisis with both of these personalities conflicting. The rest of the story we know well.

__________________________________

After the events of the second arc, Hailstorm was able to find his way to a sense of who he was again, but Pyrite's personality and memories never really left his head. She was embedded within him.

Of course, the Icewings had a lot of pressure and expectations for him to go back to the way he used to be before he was torn in two. Yet the more he tried to push Pyrite away, the harder it was. This pressure fed into Hailstorm's insecurities that he would have pushed down before but now stood laid out in front of him.

Pyrite had no free choice in her life since Queen Scarlet had her wrapped around her talon. However, Hailstorm didn't really have a choice either because of everything expected of the perfect brother/soldier he made himself to be.

Hailstorm felt like he was keeping a charade on the outside and felt completely messed up on the inside. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the mess inside of him wasn't a problem.

Pyrite, unknowingly, expressed a part of Hailstorm that he kept down even before the spell, a part that was afraid to be useless and a failure, and a part that wanted to have a simpler life instead of the strict Icewing standard.

A life where he could truly express himself.

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When Snowfall destroyed the Gift of Order in the third arc, a great weight of pressure was lifted off Hailstorm's shoulders. Even without a rank to help him keep up his perfect record, it was his choice to let go of his perfect soldier persona.

He enjoyed the life Pyrite lived but felt "lost" when he tried only to be her. He also felt "empty" whenever he tried to move away from Pyrite and only be Hailstorm. However, he felt complete when he accepted her as a part of him and vice versa.

It felt ok and might just be his new normal.

After a long period of wrestling with his thoughts, Hailstorm gives himself a good long look in the mirror. He can see Pyrite in his reflection.

"I don't think I can ever be the same again, because of you. But I don't hate you. You're a part of me now, and yet, I'm not ashamed or afraid. I think if we choose to be a part of each other… we can move forward. We can be the dragons we've always wanted to be."

From that moment forward, Hailstorm chooses to let Pyrite take up space, and even self-identifies with her. He does this not to lose himself to her, but for them to gather their personalities into a whole dragon, to grow stronger together.

__________________________________

Eventually, they choose to be honest about what they feel and identify as with their family and friends. They consider themselves to be plural and non-binary, having two dragons in the same body, and want to be called we/us or they/them.

I believe many Icewings, including their own mother Tundra, would be disgraced and confused. However, others like Lynx, and perhaps even Snowfall, would be more accepting and encouraging. Of course, many of the main dragon protagonists would be much more open-minded and friendly to them.

Even Winter, who would be very cautious and concerned for his brother, would also be glad they remember themselves and want them to be happy again.

"We may not be the brother you remember us being anymore, but in our heart, you will always be ours."

__________________________________

They also decide, even if they're scared at first, to try wearing the Pyrite enchantment again so that they can truly have two forms for themselves. With the reluctant help of his friends, (I'm not sure who exactly has the enchantment by the third arc) they were able to return it to him.

They rip off the conditions of the enchantment that cause the wearer to forget their memories and be loyal to Queen Scarlet so that all the paper says and does is:

"Enchant this paper so that when any dragon wears it in the form of a necklace, he or she shall fully become a female SkyWing named Pyrite, with the following conditions:"

The first few times they wore it, there was the familiar miasma of forgetfulness between who Hailstorm was and who Pyrite was, but eventually, they could remember both their lives and personalities in both forms. They wear a special locket with the enchantment and pictures of friends and family so they always remember who they are regardless of the form.

__________________________________

The two balance each other out, Hailstorm provides the bravery and determination for Pyrite's insecurities and social phobia, while Pyrite provides humility and empathy for Hailstorm's arrogance and desire to be perfect.

While both still feel loyal to their own tribes, they are willing to be more open to knowing other dragons because they were open to themselves. They realize they have a lot to learn from other dragons in their lives.

While the Ice Kingdom will always be their home, they decide it would be best to not stay there all the time. They often visit the Sky Kingdom, but also like to visit the Mud and Sand kingdoms, and the recently discovered Pantala continent.

They also love to visit the villages of Possibility and Sanctuary, mainly to meet new dragons and visit their brother. In the process of exploring, they gain a few second homes. (Idk if Hailstorm/Pyrite would like to attend Jade Mountain Academy, but I think either way they have ways to grow as a dragon.)

Lastly, they choose to forgive themselves for their past mistakes and what they did in the war. They want to move through the trauma instead of beating it down and pretending it's not there. While sometimes their brains still feel like a complete mess, they know that together, and with support, they will be alright.

"We're more than a perfect Icewing or a scared Skywing, We love both of ourselves as we are."

__________________________________ Thank you for reading!

[review-anon]

Here is a question. What is your favorite relationship (platonic or romantic, does not matter) from every DR game you’ve seen?—Timeline Anon

A wholesome question I can do, I like it!

Trigger Happy Havoc: Aoi and Sakura. These two are so sweet together as yes they are the athletic duo, and it’s not as in your face as some of the others but I just like they are vibing with each other in the background, wish we saw more of it. This friendship of course drove most of the drama in Chapter 4, but I think it’s because of said friendship the drama was so raw.

Goodbye Despair: Sonia and Gundham. It’s obvious why these two are often shipped together as on surface level they get on because Gundham likes to pretend he is a supervillain and Sonia loves the occult, but then dig deeper and you see it’s because both are often treated by people due to their status, whenever it be Sonia as a princess or Gundham because he was born out of wedlock, and wanting to be seen for who they are. This is why I cringe at people who think Kazuichi has a chance with Sonia, because he never respected Sonia for who she is, whereas Gundham does.

Killing Harmony: Kaede and Shuichi. It’s short and it doesn’t last long, but I wish it did as while Chapter 1 was brilliant as well as heartbreaking, it really shows the characters of these two. Shuichi is a very nervous and unsure person due to past experiences and Kaede wants him to be more confident in himself and his skills. Probably because I had a feeling Kaede had to endure some abuse from her skills when she was younger so she sees a bit of her old self in Shuichi. Of course this ends tragically since it’s Danganronpa, but it’s very telling in a franchise where most character deaths are forgotten by the middle of the next chapter, Kaede’s legacy lingers over the entire game.

Danganronpa Another: The Rainbow Trio, this being Teruya, Haruhiko and Satsuki. This chaotic group forms quite early on and they are a source of much light hearted relief and wholesomeness. I like how this contrasts Tsurugi’s rapidly deteriorating authority over the group as the others wake up to the fact he is not a good person. While sometimes their antics can be tone deaf, it helps to keep the game from being too depressing, and though the group falls apart in Chapter 4 because trios never last, their legacy lives on in Teruya as his SDRA2 outfit incorporates clothing from his fallen friends, and I feel his attitude is him trying to honour their memory which is the best way to go about it. Especially as I think he feels responsible for their deaths if he didn’t act so selfishly.

Super Danganronpa Another 2: Sora and Yoruko. It’s low hanging fruit but these two are soooo good with each other. Due to Sora’s programming it’s hard to tell if she actually likes Yuki or if it’s Mikado telling her to, but since Yoruko always seemed to be someone he shoved in last minute, her relationship with Sora is genuine. Yoruko shows she might be a hostess, but she has depth and layers to her, and seeing how Sora was learning throughout the game, you could say Yoruko was a major influence on her future behaviour. Yes they have a falling out in Chapter 5, but this is resolved once Yoruko realises how immature she was acting and Sora was undergoing serious identity crisis at the time. And the fact that though Sora sacrifices herself at the end, Rei promises Yoruko she will bring her back, is some actual Hope that these two could be reunited together in the future. Maybe they will have a happy ending.

Despair Time: Charles and Whit. Didn’t think these two would get on, but lol and behold they do. Whit is an amazing character all around and the fact he stood up for Charles in Chapter 1’s Class Trial, helped to dethrone him from Asshole Quadrant and make him a compelling character. They are like a comedy duo where Whit is the funny man and Charles is the straight man. It’s also very clear these two might have feelings for each other as while we know Whit is canonically bi while I don’t know where Charles swings, the amount of blushing sprites he has is sus. I sadly don’t think these two would stay together forever and if Whit is the mastermind then this is gonna be a Akane situation all over again, but let me enjoy these two for now.

Tetro Pink: Mai and Yanagi. It might shock you for me to say this since I’m not the biggest Yanagi fan, but I cannot deny these two are great together as Mai realises that Yanagi isn’t a bad person, he’s just very naive and needs guidance to stop being taken advantage of, both in the past and in the present. There’s also the fact that since Mai is the one girl who doesn’t tolerate the Prince act Yanagi puts on, it means interactions between the two are more genuine, plus the fact Yanagi blushes a lot when Mai puts on a suit? Damn I dig. Seeing as it seems Yanagi is getting better now, I hope Chapter 3 continues this.

Some titles were skipped either because there isn’t many relationships or there weren’t any I liked all that much. Either way hope you enjoy

[prismaticpichu]

POTENTIAL (spoiler free) HOT TAKES; DO NOT TOUCH STOVE 🔥

~

As I continue to scarf down Rebirth food like a rabid chimpanzee, I’m starting to come to an interesting realization:

I think I discovered a new reason as to why I love CC so much among the compilation. And that is bc it is debatably the easiest content in all of the 7 series to follow/digest. Don’t get me wrong- the writing is still messy and holey and did throw a bit of a wrench into pre-established canon. But chopping all of that off and looking at the game for what it is…? Idk! It’s not too rough to swallow. We have our steady main character who we see develop/grow tragically jaded, we have a villain we relatively follow till the end, we have our side character who we also see progress/regress/however you wanna put Seph’s cheese falling off the cracker. The only really boggler in the plot imo is admittedly Angeal, with his wishy-washy good guy-bad-guy conscience, but his sole presence is still not enough to completely muddy the story if you ask me. CC’s still a fun and memorable and enjoyable ride, and the plot beats are easy to process and hit just as hard as any other game in the compilation.

Now, OBV, Crisis Core has some canonical reasons for being more linear and objective: this is technically the “real” story, with Zack’s memories and all, and so it’s freed from all that ambiguity and haziness of Cloud’s journey in OG. But at the same time……. that’s kinda my point, lol? Like, again, don’t get me wrong- on one hand, og does a phenomenal job in creating tension and uncertainty and capturing Cloud’s identity crisis by making scrambled eggs out of his memories. But on the other hand, it’s also… a taaaadd much? Like to the point where it’s nearly impossible to actually understand the story on the first go. And there’s nothing wrong with it taking a few playthroughs to fully grasp things! It adds a sense of replayability. But if you don’t have that kinda patience, the whole thing can be a tad frustrating and confusing. And, idk, Ig my point is that Remake/Rebirth kinda falls into this same trap. The games are such, such, SUCH a fun ride (really! <33), but boy do I feel like I’m untangling tangled earbud wires trying to understand some of the game- especially in the homestretch. It’s just a real big meaty sandwich to swallow, and it can be a bit overwhelming lmao. Not to the point where it ruins its enjoyability- cause again, the story’s mainly a blast- but it’s admittedly hard to get 110% immersed in the world when I’m left trying to actively break down what’s going on. I won’t go into any specific details for spoiler reasons, tho I’m sure y’all understand from Remake alone where most of the confusion lies/in which elements.

The last thing I wanna do is be too negative tho. Needless to say these games and franchise is incredibly special to me, and I adore so much about Rebirth so far. The character interactions are near perfection, the stakes have never ever been higher, and there is soooooooooooo much to explore!! <33 And it’s also prolly worth mentioning that I’ma person who gets confused VERY easily lol. So it’s very possible that I’m struggling more than usual to grasp everything, and it’s creating some skewed judgment. But I thought it was worth sharing my thoughts regardless.

Thx for listening to my ramblings! Hope y’all are having a wonderful day <3333 Keep up the hype!!!

[saurons-pr-department]

Hey anon, I have screen-shotted your ask because I am going to try stay out of tag/term searches here, which in an of itself probably answers your question XD

So! Thoughts as they occur to me!

I did give the whole first season a watch. Partly out of giving it a chance, partly out of morbid curiosity, like when you can't look away from something awful happening in front of you even when you really want to close your eyes.

What I think is interesting actually, is that my main issues with the show have somewhat changed since I initially watched it. While watching it my only thoughts were "wrong, wrong, that never happened, wrong, wrong, wrong, look how they massacred my boy (gn), wrong!" And while those thoughts themselves haven't changed my main issues have changed to focus more on how it's such a badly structured story (the timelines feel both stretched and compressed in a way that doesn't add anything to the stories being told) and how I don't think it knows yet what it wants to be (it's Tolkien, but it's its own thing, but it's a 'prequel' in the very modern franchise sense of the word to the PJ films, but it's also not those films).

For the structure, I personally wouldn't have put two major stories into one show. I don't think there's the time for that. Both the Akallabêth and the creation of the rings exist as very sketchy narratives that cover extremely long timeframes. Original content was always going to be needed to fill the gaps. But by putting both tales into the one show, I feel they've doubled the amount of gap filling needed while halving the amount of screentime they have for it because there's now twice the amount of canon to cover (tbf, they don't seem to want canon so maybe that's not an issue for them...). To force them to run simultanously and then add original content that isn't just filling the gaps but appears to be completely original, you end up with a story that is both too empty and too full. Nothing is getting the time it deserves. Big moments feel undeserved or rushed. It takes the wind out of its own sails. (and that's without mentioning that these stories running alongside eachother just throws timelines and motivations out of whack, but I refuse to get us all bogged down in the minutiae of my grumblings!)

It's a pity, the story of the fall of Númenor and the creation of the rings have such good parallels, but that would require them to focus on things like religion and politics etc and they seem to be more interested in mystery boxes, so... oh well?

In regards the show's identity crisis, to be fair to them, that's really not that unusual in first seasons. They're not special XD Let's face it, how often have we all been recommended something that came with the caveat 'you need to get through the first few episodes/first season before it gets good and finds its feet'? Especially fantasy and sci-fi that has to establish facts about the world as well as characters in a way a drama set in the real world doesn't. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that the show hits its stride a bit better in later seasons.

However, my current biggest gripe with the show is what I'm seeing in the writers' attitude to storytelling. I can't stand it. The actor for a certain someone whose name begins with H didn't know who his character really was until after shooting the first few episodes. There's the back and forth of is it H or the guy who fell from the sky who'll turn out to be the villain. Sky man even gets some stalkers whose only purpose was to add confusion to this situation and then be immediately killed, no further context. One of the writers (I don't remember who) when asked about deviations from canon said something to the effect of 'we don't want book fans to be episodes ahead'. It's the modern Marvel school of story-telling. It's mystery boxes and twists and fears of spoilers and people knowing what's coming next. That's not how you tell a story. You need more substance than that. Big moments are only interesting if you've earned them with a well crafted lead up. And what's the point of a big moment if it adds nothing to the story in the first place. They had one of fantasy's most iconic villains, why was there a secret? The Second Age is where he's cracking out his most rediculous long cons. The man's twirling his mustache while kicking up his feet and writing 'evil' into every date in his diary for at least a millenium, what does a secret identity add to this story really?

Don't worry, I will move swiftly on from the topic of my boy who is not really my boy before we get in too deep... No one needs to hear that... But do you get my point? Big reveal. No substance.

To add a note of positivity, I actually really like Sky man's music. It's genuinely a really nice piece of music. I also liked that they wanted to add one of the 'original' orcs, that's a cool concept!

Oh! And whoever okayed those American 'stage-Irish' accents needs to be fired into the sun :D

[geekgirles]

Even though I love the Love Square to bits, I need to rant about the premise for Transmission a bit.

Don't worry, this'll be properly tagged as salt.

First and foremost, I'm a hopeless romantic, alright? I'm a shipper first and a person second. It's in my nature, I need to ship something before I can get invested in a show or franchise. There are very few exceptions.

So you can imagine just how bad it has to be for me to actually complain about the levels of amatonormativity in Miraculous.

That shit is insane.

Listen, I've been shipping the Love Square ever since I first watched the show, seven years ago. I want it to happen and for my precious beans Adrien and Marinette to be happy and together, okay? But I cannot wrap my head around the fact that their secret identities getting in the way of their love lives now is the catalyst for Tikki and Plagg to free them from their duties as Ladybug and Chat Noir.

After everything these kids have been through and all the excuses for that decision that have been created along the way, that's what makes those two old-as-time creatures stop and think, "Hm, maybe this is too big a responsability for them to shoulder"????

Seriously?

Didn't the fact that they're literally children fighting an adult with no time limit for using his powers clue you in?

Or how about the fact that, ever since becoming Ladybug and, furthermore, the guardian, Marinette has had emotional crisis after emotional crisis?

Couldn't they have used the excuse of Gabriel seemingly spending more time with his son while being more flexible with his responsibilities to have Plagg (mistakenly) assume Adrien's happiness is no longer so dependent on being Chat Noir and therefore relinquish him from the responsibility?

No, of course not.

They just had to use the romance excuse—never mind that was never an option when the mascarade was killing Lukanette or Adrigami (though I'd argue the latter actually had more commitment issues on Adrien's side)—because everything in this show revolves around the Love Square. Everything else can be ignored as long as we get some ship tease.

Seriously, at literally any other point in the story, I could have got behind this. But now that Monarch is more powerful than ever, the stakes are naturally higher as well and hence Paris needs the help of its two more seasoned and trustworthy superheroes to truly save the day?

I'm sorry, but they could have gone a million other ways about this.

[crusherthedoctor]

Sonic villain tier list?

From top to bottom:

Eggman: Duh.

Hard-Boiled Heavies: All five of them had more personality in a game without dialogue than Sage did with it.

Chaos: The original monster, and still the best, with clever designs for each of his forms, and an interesting backstory. My only regret is that he started The Trend.

Erazor: The best villain that's not Eggman, made by Eggman, or associated with Eggman. He's everything Mephiles wasn't, and he brought out a lot in Sonic through his antagonism and his cruel relationship with Shahra.

Metal Sonic: His robot status and identity crisis give him an edge over other dark rival characters. His design is iconic, and he works not only as Sonic's equal, but also as an extension of Eggman's evil. (OVA Metal is the best, of course.)

Captain Whisker: He's a more compelling Eggman Nega than the actual Eggman Nega. And his boss music is peak 60's Spider-Man.

Infinite: Not sure why everyone likes to single this guy out as one-note when this franchise is utterly stacked with one-note villains, some of whom are praised for it. Infinite may be simple, but at least he's fun.

Gerald: His recorded video was certainly ominous, and he does work as a tragic character, but there's a lot of questions surrounding his story that take me out a bit, and while Chaos may have started The Trend, Gerald - by using Shadow as his posthumous proxy - was the one who established it as a trend.

Black Doom: Not actually a good villain (very controversial, I know), but everything about him is hilarious, and he never gained a disproportionate fandom like certain other villains, so I can't help but enjoy him ironically.

Merlina: She could have been great in practice, but she suffers from Disney Twist VIllain Syndrome, in that once you get past the fanfare involving the twist, there's actually not a lot to her beyond that, and we don't get enough of a feel for her as her true villainous self. There may have been some mild foreshadowing, and we may have gotten a look into her sympathetic motives, but all in all, it was very undercooked, and a major reason why I don't think Black Knight's story is that amazing.

Deadly Six: I defended them for so long, and I'll still defend their original outing (at least Zavok, Zor and Zazz), but ever since IDW turned them into yet another Better Villains Than Eggman... I'm not as dedicated in doing so as I used to.

Void: He exists.

Ix: He also exists.

Eggman Nega: Either he's a redundant presence since there's nothing he does with Eggman that the doctor couldn't do on his own (Rush duology), or he's another usurper and exists only to pose as a so-called better version of the main villain of the franchise (Rivals duology). Take your pick.

Mephiles: Complete dumbass that does not live up to the suave mastermind archetype that the writers intended him to be, and what fans pretend he is. "Eggman makes mistakes too!" Yeah, but never to this level.

The End: He brought back The Trend in the games. And he boasted about being better than all the other threats Sonic has faced, like a textbook bad fancharacter. And he never shuts the fuck up. And he failed to live up to his big talk. And his fight was Perfect Dark Gaia-tier. And he's a purple bollock. I really can't think of anything redeeming about this guy (as much as I hate Mephiles, at least he had Dan Green going for him). As far as personifications of death go, I'll stick with the Dreamworks Wolf.

I didn't bother adding non-game villains since most of them would have fallen into the same "shite, lol" category. Same for the post-Chaos giant monsters.

[asexual-fandom-queen]

My Canadian 9-1-1 Spin-Off Dreams

Okay so this post has reminded me that I have a whole Canadian 9-1-1 spin-off plotted and ready to go, so I'm gonna scream about it here in case anyone cares

It's called 9-1-1 True North obviously (the lyrics in the Canadian national anthem refer to Canada as the "true north, strong and free" and since they went the nickname route with Lonestar, I think True North tracks)

It's set in Vancouver, primarily because if Hollywood is gonna film fucking half their shows there, the least they could do is set something in the actual city! Also, as far as Canadian winters go, it's on the milder side, so they can do one or two snow episodes a season without needing to make it their entire personality. They have the ocean for water emergencies, they're on a faultline for earthquake drama (even if they don't actually feel most of the earthquakes they get like California does), and BC unfortunately also has a terrible wildfire season.

And that's just on the natural disaster front! Vancouver as a city has a lot of interesting social issues to bring in that human element 9-1-1 likes so much. Vancouver's Downtown East Side is often referred to as "Canada's poorest postal code." The city has an incredibly deep socioeconomic divide that exacerbates an ongoing housing and cost of living crisis. It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Canada, an estimated 55% of its residents are non-white, and Indigenous folks have called the Vancouver area home for over 10,000 years, specifically members of the Squamish, Musqueam, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Since I've sold you on location, let me line up some vague character profiles to get invested in (bearing in mind, it's gonna feel a bit like the intro to Lonestar where it's just a Diversity Carousel, but I promise, they're actually fleshed out and 3-dimensional in the show, this is just the pitch)

DETS Social Worker Girl. She's a late 20-something with a brand new MSW working at a not-for-profit in the Downtown East Side. Her whole thing is harm reduction and de-escalation and finding ways to help without involving the police. She's got a heart of gold, but also grew up upper-middle-class and has a bit of a White Savior thing going on the show absolutely gets to call her on, and a big part of her arc is learning to be of service without centering herself as the hero.

The Crystal Highway Of Metro Vancouver. If you've watched the Canadian medical drama Skymed (which if you're a 9-1-1 fan who hasn't, get on that immediately) you're familiar with Crys's whole archetype. An Indigenous character who isn't just Indigenous but who the narrative also deeply respects by allowing their Indigenous identity to be a core aspect of who they are. I see his character struggling a bit with that "foot in two worlds" feeling. He brushes elbows with DETS Social Worker on various calls, and their budding romance gets to be the Buck/Abby slash TK/Carlos romantic backbone, at least of the first season.

Every Buck Needs An Eddie (And Vice Versa). Because what's an ensemble cast procedural without a Work Bestie dynamic? Buck and Eddie. Chim and Hen. Paul and Marjan. You get it. He's first-generation Indian Canadian, he's a bit of a goof, a sweet sunshine child. Also, since Vancouver is very much Canada's Portland, I don't think it's off the table for him, 9-1-1's Crystal Highway, and DETS Social Worker to end up getting poly with it in later seasons. (Also, I think in the hands of a respectful writing team who ensure their characters are fully fleshed out and not just tokenized representation to tick boxes, a running gag of "not that kind of Indian" between the Work Besties could land)

Disabled Dispatcher Rights. Which I'm a bit surprised neither the OG 9-1-1 or Lonestar has done. 9-1-1 as a franchise does a lot to ensure diversity in its cast, but I think it's time network TV really steps it up with better disability rep. Like Bobby in Trackers proves (and like Felicity Smoak could have proved if the writers hadn't magically fixed her spinal injury) you can be a badass from a desk and contribute just as much to the success of the team, thank you very much.

Firehouse Mom Who Is Tired And Gay. And so butch. So, so butch. Please, ABC I'm begging you. One butch woman on my screen. You can do it. I know you can. We've had Bobby, and we've had Owen, but it's time for a Lady Cap. And while I'm not saying you have to cast Jane Lynch... I just think you should think about it.

In short, the next 9-1-1 should be set in Vancouver, and if I can get just 10 minutes alone in a room with Tim Minear, I think he'll see the vision...

[digitalmediadesign1styear]

Final Year Project

Throughout the summer I wouldn't say I've done many things that would be productive, but I've been thinking about ideas for the final year degree project.

Something I've always been a fan of is the "kaiju" genre of media. Most popularly associated with the Godzilla franchise, I grew up watching shows and movies in this genre. So an idea of mine does stem from my fascination with this genre.

During the 2nd year, I did quite a bit of 3D animation work in Blender so I thought I would try to expand what I've done and utilize it for the final year project. I've decided that I want to produce a 3D animation for the degree project regardless of the concepts.

Now that I've got the format decided, a concept that I have been thinking about is based on the Dada art movement. My interest in the art movement came from a popular kaiju (or alien in this case) associated with the art movement in Japan which is also named Dada. Dada has always been mildly terrifying to some (I mean just look at its design), but it's because of Dada that I found out about Dada as an art movement. A basic introduction to the Dada art movement is expressing nonsense or anything non-logical as a form of rejection of art itself. But admittedly, Dada (the alien) itself doesn't have that much to do with the art movement aside from the design and name, but it does have a strange movement pattern and can teleport randomly which is sort of the "nonsense" aspect of the art movement.

Another potential idea also stems from Dada (the alien). I've been thinking about making a 3D animated kaiju short in Blender. As mentioned I've always been a fan of the genre itself and I've done a short animation for one of the 2nd year's projects which features kaiju as well, I didn't put as much time into that one as I did for the Independent project but it is something I've always been thinking of doing. I've looked at some animations done by other people on YouTube which have a very showa-era style to the work. I've been thinking of creating my own kaiju in blender with a showa-esque feel to it and making it rampage the city like a lot of kaiju media with outdated special effects. This concept is probably the most realized idea of the ones I have but the idea itself could lack a bit in the story aspect, so that's why I'm holding off for now.

The last idea I have thought of is based on a Japanese proverb "Everyone has three faces they wear: one to the world, one to their family, and one only to themselves". This idea also derives from Dada, Dada is infamously known for changing the appearance of its face (3 variations). The idea is about the self and personas. I've sort of thought of a working title for this idea, "False Faces" is the name I've thought of but it is subject to change depending on whether I go with this idea. If I were to make an animated short about this idea, it would follow the day of a person basing his interactions and personality on who he/she interacts with. The idea may also incorporate concepts of identity crisis if fully realized.

[icyschreviews]

A Review of Prince of Persia: Warrior Within

The Bloody Mary of the Franchise

Yes, I often lie awake at night wondering how this game came to be. Imagine you’re some creative director at Ubisoft and Sands of Time just came out. It’s a commercial and critical success and you think to yourself: wow, let’s make a sequel.

The game you just created could serve as a strong foundation for an upcoming franchise. Stories set in the Middle East are a rare treat and you’ve barely scratched the surface. You established a complex and well-liked protagonist and it’s only natural to continue his journey. So where do we go next from maharaja’s palaces and the sound of Oriental music?

Enter Godsmack. Yes, Godsmack. I mean, if someone only played the prison sequence from SoT, I guess they might come to the conclusion the franchise was all about hard rock and bloody walls. For everyone else the shift in direction is seizure inducing.

From a cynic’s point of view none of this is surprising. It’s a dumb corporate move to cash in on the recent success, while also fixing the issues of the first game and making it more mature (and let’s interpret maturity as more blood and nudity while we’re at it). You know what is surprising? It’s that this game actually turned out good.

It’s crazy to think that Warrior Within came out only a year after Sands of Time was released. Even back in the day, when games were smaller, this was insane. You’ll realize the two games share the same DNA as soon as you pick up the wooden branch in WW’s first level. A keen ear will notice that hitting a rock with it will produce the same metallic sound effect it does in SoT when you hit a wall with your sword. I’d normally call this an absurd oversight, but in a game which suffers from an identity crisis hearing the old sound effects helps ground WW within the same franchise.

Watch me beat the Dahaka with this piece of wood.

The Holy Trinity which SoT was composed of were the story, the platforming and the combat. What’s interesting is that each of these aspects got handled differently in WW. The story (which I’ll couple with the presentation) experienced a full 180, the platforming remained the same and the combat was added onto like toppings are layered over a waffle. Let’s break each one of them down starting from the story.

Coming back to WW after some time, I was worried I’d find the game’s edginess a bit juvenile. I first played WW when I was a kid and the Prince’s acts of defiance always resonated with my own refusals to do my homework or clean my room. A part of my concerns proved to be justified, but for the most part I was surprised to see that the game is a lot cooler than I ever gave it credit for. The moment that intro hits you and the Prince stands up to the Dahaka with his swords up, you know the game means business. I think that despite the tacky rock music, the over-saturated blood effects and the fact that the Prince sounds more like Kratos than a posh Brit, the game still manages to resonate because of its strong emotional core.

The story picks up a couple of years after SoT, with the Prince being chased by death itself, the Dahaka. Most games try to convey the characters’ emotional struggles through cut-scenes, but WW does it right through gameplay. You know exactly what drove the Prince to fight for survival like a cornered animal because you’re forced to fight for survival throughout the entire game. The enemies are blood thirsty, the traps are unforgiving and the Dahaka is constantly breathing down your neck. You have to become a savage to get through this game and there’s no wonder there’s nothing left of the naive youth we got to know in SoT. Nowadays I wouldn’t be caught dead listening to Godsmack, but no other music better reflects the despair and rage which fuels the Prince in battle.

If I could turn back time...

In a lot of ways WW’s story is more than the sum of its parts, but there are parts that still stick out. First off, the women in this game are absolutely ridiculous. I don’t know who’s worse: the metal thong pirate or the empress with her vague Italian accent (totally not a stand-in for Monica Bellucci). Kaileena sort of has an arc, but I just can’t take Shahdee seriously. Some of the game’s attempts to sound more mature, like the Prince calling Shahdee a bitch, just made be burst into laughter.

Likewise, the time travel in SoT required some suspension of disbelief, but in WW that is stretched to the maximum. The game has no idea if cause and effect apply to any of its scenarios, let alone how to make sense of the convoluted plot. The Mask of the Wraith is a shameless MacGuffin and if it weren’t for the emotional pay off in the end, the whole plot would just cave in.

The pre-rendered cut-scenes still look sick by today’s standards and are probably the main source of inspiration for the mountains of fan art dedicated to the game. On the contrary, the in-game ones are hilariously clumsy. The dialogue is wooden and awkward and the cuts are often unexpected and jarring. Thankfully the story is told through more than just cut-scenes. While I’ll always hold SoT as the superior game, there is one aspect of WW which surpasses its predecessor and that’s the level design.

I think I'm just gonna stand back and let you ladies settle your differences.

Don’t get me wrong. I think SoT’s level design is superb. Each level was beautiful and instantly memorable. The platforming sequences were masterfully laid out to allow for exciting combos and each level told a unique story of this once mesmerizing, but now devastated palace. While in SoT the levels were stringed together and after completing one you’d move straight onto the other, in WW everything is connected. The Island of Time feels like a living breathing ecosystem which you get to explore in a significantly less linear fashion.

I simply adore the idea of jumping between the past and the present and experiencing the levels in different ways. I feel WW got the chance to be a lot more contemplative with the design of its obstacles. Observing a room and how it used to operate in the past and then witnessing the way it fell apart in the present gives the world of WW a whole new dimension. The levels don’t only play, but also feel different. The past makes you an intruder in this alien world of ancient mystery and the present cruelly reminds you of the imminent doom that awaits both you and the Island of Time.

I’m amazed at how confidently the game lets you retread levels. The moment that really impressed me was when I missed the health upgrade in Shahdee’s boss room. I decided to try to go back for it much later and was surprised that the game actually let me do it. It had to account for both the ruined staircase leading up to the boss room and the collapsed hallways from a previous Dahaka chase, yet it still put in the effort. This immense sense of inter-connectivity becomes even greater once you put on the Mask of the Wraith. That’s when the game takes you by the hand and leads you behind the curtains of each level.

Welcome to the Island of Time! The throne room is up ahead, lavatories to the left.

This strange world is presented in much different colors than the ones you found in SoT. Gone are the bright yellows and calming blues of the Orient, replaced by murky greys and browns and lots and lots of red. The contrast within the palette is nothing revolutionary, but it does the trick. Inside combat music fiercely pounds in your ears and blood sprays from each enemy you slay. Outside of combat more melancholic tracks accompany your exploration of the ruined citadel and the slow sinister darkening of your screen signals the dreaded arrival of the Dahaka. The atmosphere couldn’t be more oppressive, yet the environments are still as captivating as ever.

The one thing that fell pray to the game’s art style is the visibility of its obstacles. WW’s palette is pretty bleak and while I get this is brought on by the themes of the game, I don’t think you should let your art style degrade your gameplay. Some things like the red drapes are properly accentuated, but I often died or got stuck because the next ledge or beam just didn’t pop out of the background. The bird’s eye and first person view don’t help much and potentially exhilarating sequences are transformed into guess work.

But none of this excellent level design could be appreciated if traversing the world of WW wasn’t satisfying, which gives me a great segue to talk about the platforming in the game. As I mentioned earlier, WW imports SoT’s platforming mechanics. Instead of modifying them, it just utilized them even more. While SoT’s platforming sequences could be challenging, WW really pushes the limit putting all of your skills to the test.

There are new traps along with the old ones - the ropes and the extruding blocks being the first to come to mind. But new obstacles aren’t the sole reason why the platforming is so good in the sequel. The first reason are the later parts of the game when you put on the Mask of the Wraith. This is when the platforming sequences becoming devilishly difficult and would be frustrating if it weren’t for the regenerating sand tanks. I felt that some of the ideas presented in these sequences, like the tilted walls you had to jump off, had enormous amounts of potential.

Some poor chump is putting in the effort to wash the curtains even after the plaster has fallen off.

The second reason, and you’ve guessed it, are the Dahaka chase sequences. In WW the Dahaka is the main driver of the plot. It’s the main source of tension and the reason behind the Prince’s emotional state. Usually games let you fight your antagonist, but I think it’s so much more effective that the only thing you can do against the Dahaka is run. Each time you travel back to the present, there’s a looming fear of when the beast will appear next and each time it does, your adrenaline spikes through the roof. Not only that, but the Dahaka puts all of your platforming skills to the test. You’re asked to perform the same stunts you practiced earlier in the game, but this time with flawless precision and no time left to spare on the clock.

As much as I praise the Dahaka’s every appearance, the final boss fight against it is abysmal. The worst kind of difficulty is the one that’s a product of bad game design and you could easily fill a bingo card with just this fight. A good boss builds up on all of the skills you’ve learnt so far, but none of the advanced combos or techniques you’ve been perfecting during the game are viable against the Dahaka. Its attacks aren’t properly telegraphed, your dodges don’t provide consistent iframes and you can’t block or counter-attack it. The only option you have is to spam roll + attack until your fingers give out or you’ve chipped enough of its health bar to be able to finish it off with the Cyclones of Fate. It’s a test of your good will and patience and certainly not of any skill you've acquired while playing the game.

And here comes another perfect segue to talk about the final aspect of WW - the combat. You can tell that Ubisoft is proud of WW’s combat system since they called it something as stupid as “Free Form Fighting”. To put in plainly, Ubisoft decided to take SoT’s combat and use it as a foundation. On top of that foundation they build a house which is WW’s combo system.

Run, you fool!

The promo materials sure like to brag about all the possibilities this system has to offer and for the most part they are not exaggerating. The sheer amount of combos is impressive to say the least. I guess you could button smash your way through most fights, but the game is the most satisfying when you perform a deliberate set of actions and see heads flying as a result. Combos are broken down into categories and while its impossible to memorize all of them in a single playthrough, you’re sure to use a wide variety to get you through different encounters. The system offers a lot of room for creativity, so while you’ll perform a lavish move like the Angel Drop in one room, you might feel inclined to steal an enemies axe and chop its head off in another.

Having said all of that, while WW’s combat is its most marketed and talked about feature, I think it’s also one of the game’s most flawed elements. SoT’s combat was far from ideal and left a lot to be desired. However when deciding to use it as WW’s foundation, Ubisoft didn’t fix a single one of those issues before neatly stacking a combo tree on top of it. As a result the whole house is shaking.

One of SoT’s most critiqued features was its camera. It had a tendency to go bonkers whether that was in the platforming sections or in combat. SoT did some simple tricks to circumvent this. Mainly, the levels in that game are wide and spacious, not giving the camera many chances to get stuck on random objects.

Contrary to that, the Island of Time is a labyrinth of tightly weaved corridors which invites a whole new set of issues. More often then not you won’t be able to turn the camera because it’s smashing against one of the nearby walls. Getting it to do what you want is like trying to tame a stallion. The prime example of this are the golem fights where the camera’s main objective must have been to induce motion sickness.

The tight corridors also narrow your field of view, which spells disaster for a lot of the enemy encounters. The enemies are much more aggressive, so while in SoT you could just wait for them to come to you, in WW you constantly need to be on your guard. They’ll rush you from off screen without any prior indications and usually while you’re in the middle of performing another move. I’m having war movie flashbacks just thinking about the bloody hedgehog dogs.

I almost regret the fixed camera angles from the tutorial section. Almost.

Speaking of combos, the biggest sin this game commits by far is not giving you any iframes during your finishers. This is such a huge and glaring misstep that I honestly don’t know how it made it into the final product. If I perform a complex button combination and initiate a high damage combo, shouldn’t I be rewarded for it? You could say that initiating a combo in the wrong moment should punish the player, but that’s not what I’m arguing against.

In WW you might assess the situation and determine that it’s the right time to perform a certain move. However while your in the combo’s animation the status quo can drastically change. I’d be fine with this if the game let you break out of combos, but once the animation starts rolling you’re stuck in it until the end. What’s worse is that some enemies can break you out of your own combos, even though you yourself don’t have that power. The assassin ladies are the worst since their jump attack can not only break you out of an animation, but also lock you in their own.

The hit boxes don’t abide to fairness either, so sometimes enemies can stand far enough not to be hit by you, but also somehow close enough to do damage to you with their own attacks. So while you’re stuck in an animation, some cheeky bastard could happily chip away at your health. Mix that in with enemies rushing you from off screen and you’ll soon find yourself smashing you head against the desk.

You could always play more defensive, but then what’s the point of the combo system? Shouldn’t you be encouraged to charge into crowds like a blood thirsty beast and unleash all hell around you? The promo materials show off all of these fancy moves, but outside the sterile testing environments fights can get extremely messy.

Which one of you smart asses would like to smack me over the head first?

I’d honestly like to attribute all of this to my shortcomings as a player, but having beat the game on the hardest difficulty multiple times I’m beginning to see a clear line over which my combat prowess gets subjected to chance. A game shouldn’t base its difficulty on unpredictable attacks and mechanical hiccups, but on mastering its systems and learning how to spot and take advantage of enemies’ weaknesses.

Environmental combos, while some of the best looking, aren’t the most joyous to perform either. Some of the controls for platforming and combat overlap and the game can have a hard time determining which action you want to perform. E.g. wall running and blocking occupy the same button, as well as attacking and doing stunts with pillars. It’s insanely annoying when there’s an enemy waiting for you on the other side of a pit and you can’t initiate a wall run because the Prince keeps blocking instead. Though I do love that you can swing your secondary weapon and wipe the smile of their face (die hedgehog dogs, die).

Having criticized the game’s combat so much, I have to admit that when the cards are just right WW can provide some of the most satisfying scrumptious carnage there is. Seeing your carefully executed moves in glorious slow motion, ending with an enemies last whimper, will leave you gloating every single time.

I also like that the game encourages you to use sand more often. In SoT, my tanks were usually half full, while in WW I was constantly begging for more. This is certainly the result of the higher difficulty, but I don’t condone it. However the game can get itself into trouble when it forgets to take into account your sand consumption. There are certain environmental obstacles which you can only overcome by slowing down time, but sometimes you’ll get to them with no sands left in your pockets. This wouldn’t be a problem if the game remembered to put one or two jars in the vicinity, which it doesn’t always do.

Buddy, you're done for.

On the technical side of things, I encountered some minor issues (though they might be exclusive to the Steam version). The save system is pretty buggy. After a reload, enemies that should be dead reappear and enemies that should be alive are nowhere to be found. The secondary weapon you’ve been carrying can disappear after death. This seems like a nitpick, but it’s especially aggravating when you’re fighting the Dahaka for the fifth time and need your Light Sword. The game can sometimes freeze during loading screens and you’ll have to close it by force. Also, skipping cut-scenes only works after you’ve seen them for the first time and the game completely forgets about this if you decide to reload your save or, God forbid, exit the game.

If I were to give one final note, it’s that Stuart Chatwood is probably the best investment Ubisoft made with the entire franchise. Lots of tracks in that game had a hint of hard rock and Chatwood masterfully flipped them inside-out to get what we now know as WW’s OST. You might have thought that the sound of WW is pure rock, but the Oriental roots of the franchise are interwoven with the guitar riffs in a lot more tracks than you’d think. It makes the two OSTs perfect mirror images.

Warrior Within is probably the best PoP game to bring up over a beer. It’s a game based on numerous contradictions and seeing how each of those manifested itself in the final product is fascinating. It was scrutinized upon launch, but amassed a cult status over the years and is now remarked as a diamond in the rough by many. Time took off my rose-tinted glasses and made me see Warrior Within as the flawed ride it truly is, but even so I’m taken aback each time I boot it. I know only a few games that take this many risks and even fewer that manage to pull it off this well.

Right to retcon the sequel or left to cash in from the movie tie-in? Oh, man.

[regallibellbright]

Ugh, right? I get that they had an idea to encourage breeding and make higher-level products more of an achievement!!

But I don’t WANT that. I know there was the team shakeup, and I try not to hold it too much against them, but it really does stand out how Connect to a New Land/Story of Seasons subtitleless gives you your first cow as a gift from the lovable mentor grandma, and people get attached to that cow. We are encouraged to get attached to that cow, and any animal we acquire. We’ve been encouraged to for years across the franchise - it’s a very idyllic sort of farm sim, and the animals are your friends, such that they produce higher-quality products the more they like you. When encouraging breeding also means encouraging selling the animals you’re forming bonds with, it’s not going to mesh well with the playstyle the franchise has long promoted.

I kind of hated the system in the SoS:FoMT remake that capped the affection level of your livestock.

If you wanted to reach full hearts with your animals, you had to breed multiple generations. But there was only so much space in your barn/coop, so you’d inevitably have to sell some of them.

I don’t want to sell any of my animals! They’re my family!

[shihalyfie]

With Digimon Ghost Game starting, I thought about how different it is from previous Digimon series, though it's still undoubtedly Digimon... and then I realized all Digimon series are like that. So I wonder, what do you think sets each Digimon series apart from the rest?

I think both Ghost Game but also the reboot have been a wake-up call for people in terms of realizing that likes, dislikes, and tastes are subjective, and I think it's especially important in terms of this fanbase that is so obsessed with this idea you can objectively rank things by quality -- especially when each series is often deliberately trying to have its own identity, so it's arguably apples and oranges -- and forcing this idea of what's Good and Not Good on everyone else (especially when there's a nasty double standard phenomenon where Adventure and often Tamers get to be so impervious to criticism that people conveniently forget they're perfectly capable of being scrutinized for a lot of things they're weaker in). Very frustrating to see everyone who likes less popular series treated as if they have to accept that they like a "badly written series" for some things and everything else is a guilty pleasure, which I find to be incredibly dumb.

The most important take-home here is that the fact each series has its own identity is always going to be the main factor in what makes it "good" or not to you, not some arbitrary bar of comparison that's based on some narrow-minded view of "good writing" (which is usually unreasonably based on Adventure). For instance, the reason why 02 is so important to me is because (see below), to me, it has the highest amount of meaningful, important life lessons and themes that it wanted its audience to remember, to the point that I frankly do not care about where the plot goes in comparison. That may not be the case for everyone else, and that's fine, but should my tastes be called unreasonable for that? I think we're also coming to realize that because of Adventure (and kind of 02)'s precedent, so many people have been judging series purely by how intimate their individual character development style is, but this is unfair because Adventure and 02's ridiculous level of character depth to psychological detail is extremely unusual and unrealistic to expect of others; Adventure and 02 only achieved this by practically considering the plot utterly subservient to its character arcs, and it's arguably why they have some of the weakest "plots" in this franchise. It's so bizarre that I can see character development in other Digimon series that outstrips even most kids' anime on the market, but it's not as much as Adventure's so apparently it's bad. And, moreover, as it turns out, some people have priorities other than characterization; just because Adventure had that as its strength doesn't mean that's the only thing anyone should care about. Is the plot fun? Is there a meaningful message besides characters (also important to me)? Do you vibe with the tone being dark, or being silly? How much do you care about resourceful usage of Digimon lore? That kind of thing. Everyone is different, so that's why everyone has their own priorities. If you’re someone who prefers darker content, you may not realize that writing good and well-timed comedy is actually a very, very difficult task, especially when said comedy simultaneously has meaning (in comparison, it’s surprisingly easy to write “dark” but shallow content).

I think it's fair to like every Digimon series for its own thing, depending on your personal tastes. I can't speak for everyone, but my impressions are that it has to do with the following:

Adventure: Significantly easier to understand than 02 due to its more straightforward plot, and focus on individual character development ("individualism" being a strong point here). In terms of characters, it goes a lot into some very real social problems (the divorce around the Ishida and Takaishi families and the pressures surrounding Jou, for instance) in a very realistic manner. Also, it has that sense of mystique and absurdism to the Digital World that's both whimsical but also mysterious, and while 02 has it too, Adventure's the isekai story that has it the most.

02: The first is its focus on the importance of human relationships and the compelling group dynamic unparalleled in this franchise, and the second is its important themes and life lessons that I think are some of the strongest in said franchise. I have a whole tag for the ridiculous amount of nuance packed into every detail and dialogue line for this series, and I think every time I've rewatched an episode I've learned something new about it because there are so many things that clearly wanted to be said in each line. The entire series is basically an unpacking of the feelings of insidious self-hatred and the crushing feeling of being subject to society's expectations, and ones that are so deep-seated that you often don’t even have a single answer to how to unpack it (for instance, Miyako hardly has a tragic single event in her backstory, but she says and does a lot of things that'll be painfully familiar to those who have experienced chronic anxiety). Almost every plot point can be said to connect to each character arc in some way, and the mantras for appreciating and treasuring your own life and living life the way you will make this, in my opinion, the strongest series in terms of speaking to those who struggle with this kind of existential crisis for reasons of depression or otherwise. (Oops, I think I went too passionate about this; my biases are obvious...)

Tamers: I think it forms an interesting study and unpacking of the kinds of things you take for granted in Digimon or the monster-collecting genre in general, and an examination of how they'd work in a real-world context (although 02 had a focus on daily life, it didn't quite merge the Digimon and the real world factors until very late in the series). Also, probably the second highest on "hard sci-fi" (the only one that outstrips it is probably Appmon, but Appmon has a very different, more simplified take on it).

Frontier: A series that lies somewhere between Adventure's scale of individualism and 02's scale of group dynamic, and one more discussing the feeling of having your heart hardened from being an outcast, and what it takes to accept the idea of opening yourself up to others again. Recommended for those who like transforming hero and magical girl stories, too. From the Digimon perspective, also the one with the most detailed and consistent Digital World mythos.

Savers: I think this is the series that most drives home "life is complicated" (i.e. there isn't a single mastermind behind everything) in the most tasteful manner, because while it drives home the point that you can't just simplify everything into a good side and a bad side, some bad things really are evil (hi, Kurata), and it doesn't change the fact that everyone's responsible for cleaning up the fallout. The portrayal of the evils of government bureaucracy is probably the most realistic out of any of these series.

Xros Wars: For those who like fun, most of all! For those who like seeing Digimon finally get more of the spotlight and individuality since so much of it had been geared and biased towards the humans prior to this. For those who really like worldbuilding, and, after all, this is called Xros Wars, so it's interesting to see shakeups on the usual formulas in the form of the different factions and their priorities. Hunters is very different in tone, but I do think they have some of these aspects in common; that said, it being closer to having single partnerships brings it a bit closer in line to conventional Digimon partnerships, and it also has more of a picture of daily life. Also, as much as Tagiru is probably your-mileage-may-vary since he's not exactly a very nice kid (I get it if you don't vibe with that), which may also rub those hoping for not nice kids to become nice the wrong way, I do have to say I find him to be one of the funniest characters in this entire franchise, and you'd be surprised how hard good comedy is to write.

Appmon: Probably one of the strongest theme narratives besides 02, since it has a very clear and obvious theme about the importance of kindness in a world where technology is dominating and we're almost encouraged to strip the feelings out of everything. (Bonus for more straightforward plot than Adventure or 02 while still retaining a lot of its elements in terms of how to characterize them.) Also the first series to be speculative about the near future instead of taking place around the time it airs, and it's very obvious it wants to provide important and necessary commentary about what we need to do in the incoming era, especially as a lot of what it has to say becomes increasingly relevant.

Reboot: For those who like Digimon mythos and null canon -- this is probably the only series to show it off in this level of detail -- and the kind of cool action fights that would usually be saved for the climax in prior series (and animated in much more intimate detail with battle choreography than prior series would have). There are a lot of people into this franchise who felt like it genuinely was not making enough use of its Digimon roster and its potential because it kept going back to the old standbys (especially Adventure-based ones), so it was a huge relief for that crowd to see attention finally being paid.

[thevindicativevordan]

You got any thoughts on Superman Birthright?

Probably my second or third favorite Superman origin, and the one that has my favorite Clark/Lex interactions.

Real pity it didn't get to stick as the "canon" origin because I like it a lot more than the Byrne origin that preceded it and the Johns Secret Origin that succeeded it. Smallville's influence is undeniable, but not a detriment, I like the Kents as flawed younger parents rather than wizened flawless mentors (if they have to be alive still when Clark becomes Superman that is). Pa Kent struggling with feelings of alienation with regards to Clark growing up and taking more of an interest in his heritage is still one of my favorite Pa/Clark moments in Superman's history. Ma Kent being a UFO buff is a great idea, apparently Waid had a story about that he never got to tell. I wonder what it was? Would probably make for a nice Annual or fill in story now that he's back at DC.

Lois is great of course, for all the reasons she usually is, as is Perry who gets way more panel space here than he usually does. Lois and Perry's relationship here is hilarious, love the gag where he writes out two lists of reasons to fire or keep her respectively. "No good place to hide the body" had me cackling. Jimmy though is just kind of there, he's the pal who has Supes back as always, but he's heavily overshadowed by the rest of the cast. Only real disappointment for me in terms of the core cast members.

There's a lot to like here in it's handling of Clark Kent as well. Love that Waid actually shows us Clark has travelled the world to gain some perspective, that he's not naïve or clueless, simply idealistic. He's seen the cruelty of the world up close, and he's also seen the way people react when they realize they're dealing with someone who has "gifts" (whether that's himself or Lex).

Showing us some of Clark's pre-Daily Planet journalist career is also a big pro for me, that's an area of Clark's life I wish got fleshed out more. Waid manages to establish a divide between the Clark and Superman identities that still makes the two feel different without it being a repeat of Pre-Crisis. It's a return to Superman being more "real" while Clark is more of a disguise, but "Clark" isn't bumbling so much as overlooked and ignored (which if you've lived in a big city is pretty much exactly how you get treated as a newcomer). His co-workers barely acknowledge his existence, Lois isn't giving him the time of day, Perry tears him a new one for not having a story to turn in about the ongoing alien invasion on time, Clark has to suffer in the trenches over the course of the story to prove himself.

Like Morrison's Action Comics run, this origin tries to fold a lot of the original Golden Age attitude back into Superman. This incarnation is a man with a temper, him shooting a gun then catching the bullet before it hits the guy who sold guns to a school shooter is literally a recreation of a Golden Age panel. Yet this isn't a "retro" take at all, despite being from Christopher Reeve's biggest fan. Waid writes Clark as someone who makes mistakes, fucks up in ways you don't typically see Superman do, and has a lot of doubts about whether or not he can live up to the task he's set before himself. Doesn't help that Metropolis doesn't welcome him any more easily as Superman than it does as Clark.

Public opinion about him is divided at first, then swings heavily to negative as Lex frames him for a false flag Kryptonian invasion, only to finally recover after he saves the day and exposes Lex. Personally I like Superman to have to work for that glowing reputation he usually enjoys, and if Lex is involved in trying to turn the public against him, so much the better. The anger and contempt towards Lex he demonstrates in particular sets the tone for the relationship between the two in the modern day.

Speaking of Lex, my God, this has got to be one of my favorite takes on him, and on his relationship with Clark, both pre and post Superman.

As adults Waid nails the Post-Crisis status quo of Lex being a selfish piece of shit who hides his nature behind a façade of philanthropy. For all his attempts at projecting an aura of power and intelligence, both of which he has in spades, Lex is so clearly defined by the lack of love and understanding he was shown as a youth. It's Superman "disrespecting" him, by not being happy to pose for photos with Lex after seeing him commit an act of sabotage, that pisses Lex off. For this "crime" Lex does everything he can to smear Superman to the public, and entertains holographic fantasies of dissecting Supes to copy his powers. He quips that killing Kal is "genocide" since he's the last of his people, something he demonstrates no empathy for at all given he laughs in Clark's face when he realizes Superman doesn't know he's the last.

Waid's Lex is probably one of the most monstrous incarnations, yet one of the most sympathetic as well. For my money, Waid is the one who convinced me that Clark and Lex being friends back in Smallville is a good thing.

One reason is that Clark gets to see how people react to "gifted" individuals. By observing the way Lex is treated for being unlike the rest, Clark gets a taste of what's to come if his own abilities were ever exposed. This has the dual benefit of establishing why Clark puts so much effort into making people feel at ease, and also establishing Lex as sympathetic for being unable to hide like Clark can.

The second big reason is that it shows why Clark thinks there's a chance Lex can be redeemed. Birthright Lex wasn't a monster from the start. At first he tried to help, but it always backfired. Doubling the efficiency of the milking machine scared/hurt the cows and upset Pa Kent, his ideas for how to improve the local government got rejected, and of course his experiment with Kryptonite. Sad twist of fate that Lex mistaking Clark's look of pain for the fear/disgust he sees everywhere else is what causes Clark to eventually give him that look of disgust for real when they reunite as adults. But having their first interactions be friendly instead of hostile makes Clark's hope that Lex can become a force for good feel grounded in reality instead of hopelessly naïve.

Can't gush enough about Yu's art either, he can make Superman look bright and inspiring, or scary as hell. His take on Metropolis makes it look and feel like a "City of Tomorrow", someplace exciting and dangerous, a city that needs Superman to protect it. Yu's Krypton is also one of my favorite incarnations, love that he gave Lara the S-curl! That's one idea from the DCAU I wish had become sacrosanct for all future origin retellings. Lara doesn't get to have enough influence on Kal to my tastes, so any little bit counts.

Sadly overlooked as it was coming out due to Azzarello and Lee doing For Tomorrow, it seems like it's risen in status after the fact. The S-shield being a symbol of hope on Krypton in addition to the El family crest has carried forward thanks to the DCEU (which is hilarious given Waid's feelings on that franchise).

Waid has another Superman project coming up next year with Brian Hitch that appears to be a "Year 2" follow up to Birthright. No clue if it will actually take place in strict continuity with Birthright, honestly it feels weird to have anyone but Yu do a direct followup to that, but Waid has said that a Superman run from him would basically be an issue 13 that continues from this story. I'm excited to see Waid take another big swing at Superman, I think he still has it in him to put out a great story, and Birthright being out of continuity may end up being to everyone's benefit. If this ends up being Waid's last Superman story, I hope he gets to do whatever he wants with the Birthrightverse. Kill off the Kents if that's his desire, I know he prefers them dead (as do I). Fingers crossed whatever he comes up with is good.

[greatqueenanna]

Talking about Olaf - The Heart of the Frozen Franchise

*FINALLY* bringing this series to a close is of course Olaf - the person, or snowperson, who brings everyone together. He represents the bond between Anna and Elsa and develops alongside them. Olaf is of course very popular among fans, second only to Elsa, and has become one of the main drawing points for the franchise.

This is why he is the heart of the story - not only because he represents the sisterly bond that the franchise is known for, but also because of his place in the franchise as a whole.

Olaf’s "Childhood"

I'm having a bit of a crisis of identity, I think.

Olaf never really has a childhood per se, but he does enter the world innocent and full of curiosity like one. In Once Upon a Snowman, we actually get to see what Olaf's first few moments were like before he met Anna and Kristoff.

He ultimately tries to find his purpose, while also trying to find a nose. Interestingly enough, his arc here actually sort of mirrors Elsa's - she is trying to find the key to controlling her powers, only to discover that her love for Anna is what helps her. Olaf is trying to find out his identity in this short and discovers this through Anna and Elsa's memories of him.

Thus, for both Elsa and Olaf, sisterly love is the key to their arcs of self-discovery.

Olaf in Frozen

The sky will be blue, and you guys will be there too.

Here, Olaf wants more than anything to see summer. This mirrors Elsa and Anna's desire to find warmth from each other amidst the cold that they were surrounded by for so long. This is especially true for Elsa. His optimistic nature throughout the film is what ultimately keeps Anna and Elsa together, being the first to be trusting of Elsa and letting Anna know what love really is.

His support role for the sisters continues in the shorts - especially in Olaf's Frozen Adventure. He is bound and determined to find a tradition for the sisters, mirroring Anna's determination to find one as well. While he goes out to see other's traditions, Anna explores the attic to find hints of anything that could help. Later on, the short reestablishes that Olaf is the bond between the sisters, and represents their love.

Olaf in Frozen 2

I'll just dream about a time, when I'm in my age of prime!

As said, Olaf mirrors the development of the sisters. In Frozen and its shorts, Anna and Elsa are rekindling their bond and trying to find love - thus, Olaf's development is about him finding his purpose and the warmth that comes with love. Frozen 2 does the same, but this time with the idea of change.

Anna and Elsa are both having their own experiences with change - Elsa wanting to explore change but is afraid to ruin what she has, and Anna fearing it outright for the same reason. Olaf contemplates change in a similar matter, having a curiosity for the idea (like Elsa) but fearing it as well (like Anna).

Olaf throughout the film just sort of tries to accept that he won't have to face change until he's older - that's when change will make sense and he won't be afraid of it anymore. However, Olaf has to face change head-on just as Anna does, when he loses his life and realizes that everything can indeed change in the blink of an eye - regardless of age, circumstance, or personal fears.

However, he realizes that regardless of things change, love is permanent and should be the key to keeping bonds strong and helps us push through and trust our loved ones.

Olaf in the Future

Well, as recently announced, we know that Olaf will be getting his own series called Olaf Presents (2021). This reiterates Olaf's presence as the heart of the Frozen franchise and could be on his way to becoming one of Disney's permanent mascots.

However, in terms of the Frozen Franchise itself, we know that Olaf will reflect whatever is going on with the sisters. If Frozen 3 or a series focuses on Anna and Elsa learning something in particular, then Olaf will also learn this lesson in an innocent and funny way. However, he will ultimately be the thing that keeps the sisters together no matter what life will throw at them.

[anxious-logic]

The Sides of a Haunting

Inspired by that one post on here that’s like “what if Nico thinks Thomas is haunted but it’s actually just the sides”

I ended up changing it a little bit from the post because I liked my version better

Warnings: Ghost mention, haunting mention, Virgil swears a little, Janus and Remus aren’t unsympathetic but they’re not really sympathetic either, they’re just hanging out

Word count: 2832 (this is what happens when I don’t set arbitrary deadlines for myself)

Summary:  Nico’s pretty sure Thomas is haunted. Weird things keep happening around him - things that can’t be explained in this realm of existence. But does Nico really want to deal with another existential crisis?

Something was going on with Thomas.

The first time Nico had come over to Thomas’s house, he’d noticed a few weird things; Thomas kept whispering to himself (what Nico could hear sounded like one side of a conversation) and he would look at something, blink, and then it’d move. Originally, he’d just put it down to nervousness; both of them were tense at the situation, so his mind must have been playing tricks on him.

But then as they had gotten to know each other better and spending more time together, he’d noticed more… weird things.

He’d see some items float in front of him for a minute, before Thomas would hiss something, and then the floating thing would either drop suddenly or vanish altogether. Nico would knock on Thomas’s bathroom door because he’d been in there for a long time, and he would hear Thomas shushing somebody.

Then there would be the times when Thomas’s hair or clothes would move, when they were inside without any significant air flow. His hair would ruffle itself, sometimes, or his shirt would straighten. Sometimes his collar would turn the right way out, or his pants would even out.

Even weirder, he’d occasionally see something out of the corner of his eye. A flash of purple, usually, although sometimes it was red. Once he’d seen light blue, and then yellow right after that.

And then there were the reflections.

He’d be walking with Thomas outside, and he’d notice their reflection in one of the windows of the shops. Except it wasn’t just him and Thomas – there were other people, too, who looked almost identical to Thomas except for very small differences. But then he’d look again, and they’d disappear. It happened in mirrors, windows, he even could have sworn he saw something in his phone camera once.

And then!

There were six people that Thomas kept mentioning – Virgil, Roman, Patton, Logan, Janus, and Remus. He barely mentioned Janus, and Remus even less than that, but he’d say something about how “Patton said” this, and “Logan would say” that, and “Virgil would love” something that Nico had said, and “Roman thinks” Disney is the ultimate franchise.

The thing was… he mentioned them almost more than he mentioned some of his other friends, and Nico had never met them. Thomas hadn’t mentioned anything about them living far away; there had been no FaceTimes that Nico was aware of; and yet, Thomas would bring up something that one of them had said “yesterday” or “last week” or even “earlier today”.

So, yeah, something was going on.

If he didn’t know better, he’d say that Thomas was… haunted, maybe. Except that Thomas seemed to be very familiar with these… ghosts, for lack of a better term; from what Nico could figure, when Thomas was in the bathroom, he was talking to them. He didn’t sound scared (at least not most of the time).

So yeah, Nico was confused. And he wasn’t sure if he… wanted to bring this up with Thomas. It would be nice, sure, to know what was going on with him, but he didn’t want to deal with an existential crisis if the explanation was something… otherworldly.

Sue him, he’d had an existential crisis when he figured out he was gay. One was enough to tide him over until he was at least fifty.

Nico rocked back and forth on his feet as he waited for Thomas to open the door. They were going to hang out for a bit today – Nico had suggested going on a picnic, but Thomas said he wasn’t sure if he was up for a more formal outing, so they might just be staying in and watching movies together.

Suddenly, he heard voices from inside. He perked up, absentmindedly checking that his hair and clothes were in order.

“We’re going to scare him away,” Nico heard, muffled through the door. The voice was deep and forceful.

“No we won’t, kiddo!” another voice said. This one was lighter, more bubbly.

“We can’t continue leading him on,” a loud voice added. Well, louder than the rest of them.

“Falsehood.”

Nico was surprised by how close this voice was. He stepped back from where his ear was pressed up to the door, whirling his arms to try to avoid falling down the steps.

It didn’t work.

The voices inside the house went silent as Nico crashed down the steps, rattling the railing on the steps and groaning as he hit the bottom. There was a second when everything went quiet, and then someone opened the door.

Even though he looked identical to Thomas, something about him just felt… different. He was wearing glasses, for one thing, which Nico had never seen before. He was wearing a black polo shirt, and a blue necktie (which… well, Nico was pretty sure Thomas would only put on a necktie if there was a reason, and a date with him was not something that would fall under that category).

“Are you injured?” the stranger asked. Nico blinked as his brain short-circuited as another person appeared behind the stranger. This one was also identical to Thomas and also wearing glasses, but had on a light blue polo and a gray cardigan tied around his shoulders.

“Oh, kiddo, are you okay? Is anything broken?”

Nico shook his head slowly, propping himself up on his forearms. “…Nothing’s broken, no.”

The man in the tie nodded. “Optimal. Thomas?”

Then Thomas pushed past the two men in the doorway, his face panicked. He ran down the front steps, crouching in front of Nico.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” he asked, his hands fluttering over Nico.

“I’m fine,” Nico said. He could feel a soft smile spreading across his face – they’d been dating for three whole months, and he still couldn’t help turning into a smitten preteen around Thomas.

“Here,” Thomas said, offering a hand to help Nico up. Nico took it, lacing his fingers with Thomas’s when they stood up.

He was interrupted by a squealing noise coming from the doorway. Another man was standing there, this time without glasses. He was wearing a white jacket with gold braiding, with a red sash laying diagonally across his chest. He was the source of the noise, and was bouncing up and down and flapping his hands.

Thomas’s eyes widened, and he gave panicked glances to Nico and the men in the doorway. “Um,” he said. His breathing increased.

“Fuck,” came from the doorway. Nico looked up to see a man in an oversized hoodie and black eyeshadow under his eyes breathing quickly, his hands shaking.

Sweater turned around to face Eyeshadow. “Oh, c’mon kiddo, it’ll be okay,” he said. “Let’s all go inside, and get this figured out, okay?” He hustled Tie, Sash, and Eyeshadow inside. “We’ll be inside when you’re ready, okay Thomas?” he called behind him.

“…Okay,” Thomas said, his voice quiet. He was staring at the sidewalk, his free hand fidgeting with the material of his pants.

“You wanna introduce me to those people?” Nico asked, squeezing Thomas’s hand. He tried to make the question not too accusatory or nosey – just… an opening, if Thomas wanted.

Thomas blew out a breath, nodding to himself once. “Sure,” he said. He seemed to be steeling himself, or planning something.

He walked Nico up the steps, opening the door for him. Nico stepped in, putting his bag down next to the door. As he turned around, he was surprised to see the four people standing in Thomas’s living room.

Tie was standing just a few feet away from where Nico was right now, his hands clasped behind him. Sweater was standing in front of the back window, his hands on his hips. Sash was in front of the TV, his arms crossed and a pouty look on his face. Nico could barely see another person – Eyeshadow, maybe? – sitting on the stairs, sprawled out.

Thomas gently tugged Nico to the couch, where they sat down. The other four men looked at Thomas attentively.

“How would you like to approach this, Thomas?” Tie asked expectantly. Sash rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything.

“Just- let me handle it, for now,” Thomas said, taking a shaky breath. He closed his eyes, then shifted to face Nico, holding both of his hands.

“So… Nico…” he started, his voice hesitant. Nico nodded encouragingly. “So, this is kinda weird. But… this is Patton,” Sweater waved, “Roman,” Sash bowed to Nico, “Virgil,” Eyeshadow gave a two-fingered salute, “and Logan,” Tie gave a polite nod. “They’re… aspects of my personality. That I can manifest. Into people. That can affect the real world.”

Nico blinked, thinking about it. He looked up at the other four people. Sweater – Patton – had a… hopeful look on his face. Roman looked like he was preparing for ultimate failure, and Virgil had a look in his eyes like he was ready to run. Logan was simply staring at Nico, his face impassive.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “Aspects of your personality – who’s what, then?”

All of the others immediately brightened – although Nico noticed that Logan seemed to tamp down his excitement quickly, returning to a neutral expression.

“I’m Thomas’s Morality!” Patton exclaimed happily. “I help him figure out what’s right and wrong, I tell dad jokes, and I try to keep the spirits up!”

“I’m his Creativity,” Roman said, then paused. A strange expression crossed his face, before he shook his head quickly and continued. “I help Thomas think of video ideas and help him with his parts in acting productions. I’m also a… manifestation of the ego, and am a part of his romantic feelings-”

“I’m his Anxiety,” Virgil interrupted. “’Nuff said.”

Logan adjusted his tie. “I am a manifestation of his Logic,” he said. “I am in possession of a majority of his knowledge, as well as the one in charge of monitoring his diet, water intake, and sleep schedule.”

Nico nodded at the introductions, mentally taking notes on all of them. Then he remembered.

“Oh – I remember, you talked about… Janus? And Remus? Are they… the same thing? Or, um. Types of people? I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s offensive.”

Thomas gave a little smile, then sighed. “Uh… yeah. I don’t… really… talk to them as much as these four, but yeah.”

“Would you like to meet them?” Logan asked.

“Why?!” Roman exclaimed. “It doesn’t- If Thomas doesn’t talk to them much, then why should Nico meet them…?” He trailed off as Logan raised his eyebrows at him.

“They are parts of Thomas, and Nico wants to know Thomas better. Is that correct?” Logan turned to Nico for confirmation.

“Yeah, I’d say that,” Nico said slowly.

“Perfect. Therefore, it makes the most sense that Nico meets Janus and Remus now, rather than putting it off.”

Thomas bit his lip. “Okay, I think- I think I’m going to say that Janus is my Deceit, he’s in charge of… basically, when I lie and what I do to lie? And Remus is… the other side of Creativity. He has… the thoughts I don’t like to think about. And the creative things that I just… generally don’t like.”

Nico nodded, squeezing Thomas’s hand sympathetically. “Okay,” he said. “I mean- you don’t have to introduce me, if you don’t want, but I’d love to if you’re open to it.”

Thomas took a deep breath, and nodded. He gestured with his hand twice, once towards Roman and once towards Logan. A person suddenly appeared next to each of them. Roman’s neighbor was dressed in a sparkly black shirt with a green sash – almost the exact opposite of Roman’s outfit. Logan’s was dressed in a dramatic overcoat and a half-cape, with yellow gloves and a hat.

“This is Remus,” Thomas introduced, wincing as he gestured at Roman’s partner, “and this is Janus.” He gestured at the dramatic-looking man next to Logan.

“Hello,” Janus said smoothly. “It is… wonderful to meet Thomas’s new… infatuation.”

Nico frowned a little bit, but Roman jumped in before he could think about that sentence too hard. “He is not an infatuation! He is Thomas’s wonderful, incredible, talented boyfriend, and we-”

Roman cut himself off, looking at Thomas. They were both blushing immensely.

“We care for him very much,” he concluded, looking down and away from everyone else. It seemed like there was more that he wanted to say, but he didn’t continue.

“I certainly care for him one way…” Remus put in, wiggling his eyebrows and shimmying his shoulders. Nico saw Virgil wince, and Roman gave Remus an offended look.

“As much fun as this was, Thomas, Remus and I have… things to go back to,” Janus said suddenly. He sunk into the floor to disappear, allowing Logan to step back into his place.

“I’ll see you later tonight, Thomas!” Remus giggled, wiggling his fingers at Thomas before sinking down as well.

Thomas winced. “Well, that was… an experience,” he said. He looked up nervously to meet Nico’s eyes. “Are you… okay…? With this?”

Nico nodded. “Of course,” he said. “I can’t say I… completely understand it, yet. But I’m not going to… break up with you, or something, over this.”

Virgil let out a deep breath from his spot on the stairs, surprising Nico a little bit. “Okay, now that that’s been determined, I’m going to go back to my room. Bye.” He sunk through the stairs and disappeared, leaving Nico blinking at the place he had been sitting.

“Sorry about that, kiddo,” Patton said, drawing Nico’s attention. “He’s a little… high-strung, sometimes – not that that’s a bad thing! – so he needs some… relaxing time, sometimes.”

Nico gave Patton a tiny smile. “I understand,” he said.

“I am going to check up on Virgil,” Logan announced. “Thomas, I hope this has helped your inner dilemma. Roman, I will talk to you in,” he checked his watch, “three hours and twenty-seven minutes.”

He sunk out as well, leaving Nico and Thomas with only Roman and Patton.

“I… very much enjoyed the chance to meet you,” Roman said, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I am going to prepare for my meeting with Logan now.”

“Bye,” Nico said, giving Roman a tiny wave.

“Sounds good,” Thomas said, giving Roman a smile.

Roman went away as the others had, his hands positioned dramatically.

“It was really nice to meet you in person, kiddo,” Patton said, looking towards Nico. “I liked seeing you hang out with Thomas when I was invisible, but it’s not quite the same, is it? Anyway, I’m going to leave you two alone, and let you talk for a little bit. See you later!”

Nico blinked rapidly as Patton sunk down, processing what he said.

“Wait,” he said, meeting Thomas’s eyes. “Were they- following us? On our dates?”

Thomas rubbed the back of his neck (just like Roman had, Nico noticed). “Um… yeah, I don’t… I don’t know what to say. They like to come out and see things in their body instead of just… in my head, I guess?” He laughed uncomfortably. “They’d… follow behind, sometimes. Give me… advice, on what to do.”

Nico leaned forward, intrigued. “Did you… follow it?”

Thomas tilted his head back and forth. “That… depends on the situation and who was out. Roman? Usually not. Logan? Usually yes, unless it was… very directly asking you to copulate with me, in which case I didn’t.”

Nico let out an embarrassingly high-pitched giggle. “Copulate?”

“Uhhh… yeah. He’s not the best with social interaction, but I love him anyway.”

Nico smiled, squeezing Thomas’s hands. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Nico had a realization.

“You’re not haunted!”

Thomas looked at him like he had grown two extra heads, a spare foot, and half an arm. “What?”

“Well, I kept seeing things in mirrors and reflections. And then there were floating things that just… disappeared, or things that moved by themselves. Or sometimes I’d hear you shushing people or talking to someone in the bathroom, or your hair and clothes would move when there wasn’t a breeze.”

Thomas’s eyes widened, before he threw his head back to laugh. “Oh, that’s hilarious,” he said. “I never thought about that, gosh!”

Nico found himself unable to stop the grin spreading across his face at Thomas’s laugh.

“Really, though,” Thomas said once he had calmed down a little. “Thank you for… being so okay with the whole thing.”

“Of course,” Nico said, leaning forward just a little to get his point across. “I don’t care.”

“It’s just- I’ve thought through a lot of different scenarios, and none of them turn out very well, and it was… honestly really nice to have someone respond positively to the sides.”

“Sides?”

“Oh, it’s – it’s what we call them. They’re sides of my personality. Sanders Sides?”

Nico gave a little giggle. “That’s clever,” he said.

Thomas perked up, with a tiny, hopeful smile on his face. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Nico squeezed his hand. “I like that.”