#i wonder if the same connection was implied in the other versions...

[tenshiharmonia]

After a brief detour by ZDR, I've finally launched myself into Tears of the Kingdom. Having made it to Rito Village and the Lucky Clover Gazette, here is a fun tidbit that I wanted to share with you. You see, in the French version, Traysi is known as "Bourgette". Now, the thing is, exploring Hyrule in Breath of the Wild would also lead you to meet two other girls named "Florette" (a tourist in Zora Domain who mentions being a merchant) and "Fruguette" (investigating the skeletal horses near the Snowfield Stable)*. From there, we can see there seems to be a pattern : Bourgette (bourgeon/bud), Florette (fleur/flower), and Fruguette (fruit). With that in mind, I always thought that the intention was for the three of them to be seen as sisters. Sadly, aside from "Fruguette" commenting something along the lines of "as the eldest, I have to set an example", the game never brought any attention to this potential connection. But look who I meet when arriving at the Lucky Clover Gazette's premises : Traysi and "Fruguette", implying that the intrepid reporter is now working with her sisters. I don't know if the game will elaborate on the topic as I progress through the Gazette's questline, but still, I wanted to share the thought with you... :p

* Sorry, I don't know what their English names are...

[thehmn]

I was joking about Kojima doing something freaky with Heartman in Death Stranding 2 but never in my wildest imagination could I have come up with this.

Spoilers below the cut.

This right here has some insane implications for Heartman’s future love life.

Deadman and Sam are this game’s version of Hal and Snake from Metal Gear Solid. In their first game together Hal will ride off into the sunset with Snake if Meryl, the female love interest, dies and in subsequent games Snake and Hal have moved in together and raised a daughter though Snake still has flings with women here and there. Even though they’re never a confirmed couple it’s strongly implied by them living as a family and they get a lot of callbacks to other confirmed couples, including confirmed same-sex couples.

Sam and Deadman aren’t far off. Once they start suspecting that they can’t trust the president Deadman joins Sam in the shower partly to drown out their conversation but he also press Sam up against the wall so it’ll look like they’re having sex. That way no one will wonder why they’re always sneaking off together. But later on they get a much more emotional connection and in a heartfelt scene Deadman puts his hand on baby Lou’s pod as if it was a pregnant belly and basically asks Sam “The three of us, we’re a family, aren’t we?” and by the end they hold Lou together looking exactly like a couple of loving dads. Before they part ways they hold each other tight in a way Sam hasn’t done with anyone else. In the second game Deadman even tells Fragile he knows Sam’s body better than anyone, which is even less subtle than “I know the major better than anyone” from Metal Gear which is considered one of the most explicit confirmations of a gay couple in the franchise.

So Sam is devastated when he learns Deadman died in Death Stranding 2. Deadman plays a cruel joke on Sam by letting him think he can hug him only for Sam to tumble through the holographic message. In Deadman’s defence he didn’t know he’d be dead by then and probably assumed they’d be able to hold each other for real eventually.

He still found a way to return to Sam though. He donated his heart to Heartman who had abused his own heart to the point of breaking it completely. With Deadman and Heartman’s newfound connection Deadman is now able to possess Heartman’s body in the three minutes Heartman dies every 21 minutes and later on they seem to come to an agreement where Deadman can take over Heartman’s body whenever he wants.

Deadman in Heartman’s body lures Sam to a hidden corner where he explains the situation and Sam eagerly throws himself into Deadman’s arms…just in time for Heartman to wake up. Everything about both Sam and Heartman’s reactions tells us this wasn’t an innocent hug. Heartman clearly feels confused and violated so Dollman asks Sam to leave so he can explain the situation to Heartman.

Heartman seems to really think it over because one morning Sam wakes up in Heartman’s lab just as Heartman is coming back to life, suggesting Deadman had a hand in setting the situation up. Heartman sits down uncomfortably close to Sam as if he’s trying to tell him something. They talk about the state of the world for a bit before Heartman tells Sam that he too is in love with a woman, The Hydrologist, who lives in his lab and who has build a hotspring for Heartman, comparing the hotspring to love and making love. He then tells Sam that he can use his hotspring whenever he wants. No prices for guessing what he means.

We don’t know if Sam takes him up on the offer but Heartman basically told him “I’m okay with the three of you sharing my body” The Hydrologist even calls Heartman “our shared friend” whenever she talks to Sam. Just wild Kojima.

[pearlywritings]

In father’s embrace

synopsis: HSR men as dads and what your family dynamic is like.

pairings: Blade, Gepard, Luocha, Sampo, Jing Yuan x fem!reader (separately)

tw: fluff, established relationship, implied initial mortal x immortal in Blade’s

word count: 5.2k words

a/n: Luofu Xianzhou timeline is hell, so Blade’s one is quite vague. Here’s the Genshin version!

Blade

Blade tends to say that he has no connection to his past, but that is not true and very few (mostly Kafka) know he is lying. Even with his life and death fucked up he can't simply let go of someone his heart has been always full with, of someone who he promised himself to by the altar, even if under another name, of someone, who gifted him the joy of both his previous and current life - your daughter.

The blade - a cold weapon with no feelings - should not experience being lucky, but that’s what he was, when you clutched him in your arms the first time after his return from the dead and sobbed in his chest, telling him how much you missed him, how much his little angel missed him.

Back then he should've left without a trace, maybe even coming to you in the first place was a mistake, but he just couldn't. And his resolve crumbled completely when a white-haired toddler in your arms gazed at him with the same soft eyes as yours and reached out to his face, hesitantly asking "dada?".

As much as Blade is capable - he loves you and your daughter. He is quite absent due to his involvement with the Stellaron Hunters, but you understand how important that magenta-haired woman's ability is when it comes to restraining the mara in his body. After all that's the reason why he can visit without fear of hurting you or his little girl.

Some other sacrifices had to be made - one of them was moving from the Lofu Xianzhou, but that was alright and your daughter loved her new environment. Besides, dada has been visiting more often ever since you moved! And no one really bothered or chased after you (after all, you are still registered as his wife and higher ups of Lofu know), which, you assumed, was somehow connected with a young girl that once came with Blade.

Kafka once brought up a proposition of moving you two to the Stellaron Hunters' base for Blade's easier access, but he declined. At least his loved ones should have a peaceful everyday life.

With a tired sigh the black-haired man lowers himself on a sofa in the living room of the house you two purchased to start a seemingly new life. The red-hot iron in his eyes disappears behind the heavy eyelids and for a moment Blade allows himself to relax. The little wonder, that is his daughter, ran to your bedroom to fetch some hair accessories, after you encouraged your husband to let her style his long locks.

He doesn’t move when you sit next to him, hip to hip and heart to heart. He welcomes your sneaking fingers, curling his, creating a secure lock of hands. The weight of your head resting on his shoulder is grounding and he can’t help but press his cheek against it.

It’s soothingly silent.

It almost reminds him of the past.

“For how long will you be staying this time?

Even your question, spoken in a tender, understanding voice, is familiar. You used to ask him the same thing in-between his Cloud Quintet-related missions. 

These days it’s difficult to sneak and see you during breaks though.

“Fifteen days,” his breath is even, and eyes are still shut, but he senses a smile that tugs on the corners of your lips.

“That’s a lot. She will be so happy,” and he knows that you are as well.

The rapid stomping of little feet bursts into your peaceful serenity, and you simultaneously glance at the doorway. Low and behold - the soon-to-be hair stylist is proudly running into the room, tightly clutching your jewelry box with various hair pins inside.

“Dad, I practiced! Mom says I’ve been making huuuuuuge progress!”

A tiny smile touches his pale lips - it’s such a miracle that a monster like him is blessed to have the most adorable child in the whole universe. With her and you by his side, this life gets more and more bearable.

“If mom says you’ve been, then it must be the truth,” he nods, letting go of your hand - but not before giving it a little affectionate stroke with his thumb, - sliding down and onto the floor, turning his back to the girl.

Giggling excitedly, she gives you the box, which you quickly unlock, and starts looking through the many intricate pieces of jewelry (many are your beloved’s presents), until finding the perfect one.

Having his hair being touched is weird. He was aware that the white luscious locks used to draw attention, but only you were honored to run your fingers through them, and only his baby was allowed to tug on them, making her father wince. Now it’s different - she is oh so careful, brushing, collecting stray locks and braiding, not once causing him pain.

Blade sighs again, but looks at you from the corner of his eye, catching you snickering in your palm upon gazing at something that your daughter is turning his hair into. Well, that’s concerning.

But at this very moment he can’t bring himself to care. If he gets fifteen whole days before his next mission, he is going to savor this time with his family - no matter how disastrous he’s going to look by the end of it.

Gepard

A family man. So no one was surprised when in the end the leader of the Silvermane Guards ended up with three kids - two sons and a daughter. Partly it was dictated by the rules of nobles and his family among them, but ultimately it was your mutual sincere decision.

It’s obvious he is not there for many of his kids’ first times, as sometimes his duties prevail and even the Supreme Guardian cannot help it, but he really-really tries to be there as much as possible. He appreciates the videos you send him, has every single one stored in his phone’s memory and sometimes, when there is no communication, in his spare moment he replays them to remind himself that soon he’ll return home and see his kids and you.

Only one time he really fucked up because of work - during your first pregnancy you both underestimated the soon arrival of your due date and he left on a mission with his troops, reassured that he’ll be back before the day you go into labor. The snowstorm was severe and the connection was cut, so the message Serval sent him when your water broke was not delivered. His soldiers would bring to their graves the image of a deathly pale Gepard, when many hours later he checked his phone back at the base and nearly broke the screen, trying to type his sister’s number.

After that he started taking paternity leave seriously.

You do not keep in touch with his parents a lot - there were instances where they disapproved of you, but all of his siblings are always welcomed in your house and to see their nephews and niece, because they supported your relationship from the moment they met you in flesh.

Serval is an enormous help when it comes to babysitting. It’s like her part-time job honestly - you even offered to pay her, but she declined, suggesting offering her a helping hand whenever she’d need instead. Oh, and to be the first one out of all the Landau siblings (after her brother, of course) to know about the latest updates on your kids.

The kids that are adorable. All three won the ‘blue eyes’ lottery, which, given the previous generations of Landau, is not a big surprise; both boys look like Gepard, while the girl took more after you in appearance. The man really doesn’t want to play favorites, but sometimes he is just too weak for his little princess, who looks just like her mom. She is the youngest too with a pretty big age gap between her and her brothers, who were born a year apart, so there is literally no jealousy, because your sons took their father’s example and became her protectors.

Even from a 'big bad dragon' that is their aunt…

When you step inside your house and hear the kids still fussing somewhere in the rooms, involuntarily your gaze falls to the old grandfather’s clock in the foye. Almost midnight. All three should be long asleep with Serval sending you a notification of her success. Which you didn’t receive and for that reason had to cut your date short and hurry back home.

Your husband looks as concerned as you are, locking the door and straining his ears to determine what’s going on. With both your coats abandoned, you carefully step further into the house, making your way to the line of light coming from under one of the doors.

Two jaws almost kiss the floor when you see Serval lying on the floor tied and gagged with a scarf. Alone. For a moment you fear the worst.

Rushing inside, you let Gepard search the other rooms for intruders. Helping your sister-in-law to sit is no problem, but the knot behind her head is awfully tightened. In the end you manage to yank it down to free her mouth, quickly switching to the rope constricting her hands.

“Y/n, oh my god,” she gasps, finally able to speak. “Who taught your sons to tie knots like this!? I didn’t know a sixteen- and fifteen-year olds can be so strong-”

“Come again?” Stunned, you stop untying her wrists, looking at the woman with widened eyes. Your boys did what?

“My precious nephews - whom I really do not want to strangle - took the game of knights too seriously, and when - maybe a half an hour ago? - I decided to play the dragon who was stealing the princess - my niece of three years, - they attacked and tied me!”

“Huh…” is all you can say, feeling relief wash over you. At least there are no burglars or kidnappers and your kids are safe.

When, listening Serval’s huffs of complaints, you move to untie her legs, the heavy steps of your husband are heard in the hallway, accompanied by the boys whining and begging their dad not to come to the living room, because the dragon would eat their sister.

His tall figure appears in the doorway, with your daughter in his arms, looking very sleepy, and two almost carbon copies of their dad pulling at his jacket to give them their sister back.

“Serval, what in blazes have you told them?” The judging tone and the squint of his blue eyes are directed at his elder sibling.

“It was just a game, Geppie! A silly game they turned into reality.”

“Aunt said she’d eat her,” your oldest pouts, eyeing her cautiously. “And she told us stories about the cannibals the other night-”

“Serval, you what?”

“Hey, they asked me to! Oh, thanks, Y/n,” she shrugs the loosened rope off of her. “Where did you even get this?”

“Aunt Lynx gave us,” the second son chirps, hugging Gepard’s side. “She showed us how to do knots.”

“This little-”

Suddenly you feel a headache coming. With big family come big challenges, but something of this caliber hasn’t happened in a while. It makes you smile though - you almost forgot what it was like - to raise two boys. Seems like your girl brings the borderline naughtiest out of them.

Luocha

To begin with it's worth mentioning that your and Loucha's marriage started as an unpredictable necessity. You both needed to enter the world that allowed only married foreigners' access. So, quickly figuring that your goal matches, you got married on a neighboring planet, spent a month there to make the marriage more believable in the sense of its duration and learning more about each other. Yeah, all of that just to fulfill your respectful jobs. You invented and rehearsed all the possible answers to the questions, perfected your affectionate act and were actually feeling quite comfortable around each other.

It was almost funny, when on the 'how many kids do you plan to have?' Luocha confidently answered 'two', and a couple of years later your first son was born, and then, after 7 more years, another one was too.

Admittedly, the oldest one was kind of unplanned, but at that point you traveled so much together, shared so many memories, even ended up caring for each other on a lover-like level, that you decided to give it a shot, just like you did with the continuation of your marriage.

And Luocha couldn't be more pleased. Surprisingly, he found the peace of those first years he spent settled down to raise your boy delightful. And there was something exciting about having a little wonder with a perfect mix of both of your features in your arms, as your husband's hand is resting on the small of your back, leading you through the crowds of the new planet's lively market, as the child's eyes shine with marvel, taking in his surroundings.

When Luocha suggested having another one it simply felt right.

Your sons are so lucky in the sense of seeing the universe, because their father is a traveling merchant. Sure, he doesn't always take you and your two boys with him, but whenever his deal allows him enough freedom and your kids are doing great in school and can be taken on a little vacation - you three are going with him.

Usually he gets to take care of the youngest one, since only Luocha's vast knowledge can satisfy his curiosity, while the oldest one calmly walks hand in hand with you, content with listening to their conversation and pointing out to you the things he already knows himself, receiving a soft praise from you and an approving nod from his father.

Back home the roles reverse - the oldest is spending most of his time with Luocha to learn all about medicine and healing techniques, while the youngest is more interested in sharing your hobbies. 

The two hardly ever quarrel as siblings tend to do, and it must be because of the overall serene atmosphere of your family dynamic, your soft nature and your husband's tranquil behavior. 

More than a decade ago Luocha wouldn't have imagined himself with a wife and kids. Nowadays, however, he doesn't like the thought of not having the three of you by his side.

It is a quiet afternoon. A little house you rented for a little vacation has a nice yard - perfect for the kids to have fun outside. You occasionally glance at them from the window of the kitchen to make sure everything is fine, while your hands never stop moving - washing, cutting, stirring.

At some point you are so caught in the moment of tranquility, that you do not hear your husband walking in, until he softly hums to alert you of his presence, and puts his palms on your waist.

“Smells delicious,” you smile, feeling his chin on your shoulder, and grab a piece of a tangerine you are meaning to use for dessert, offering it to him.

“Mhm, I am trying to cook what we had yesterday at that restaurant.”

Ah, right, the restaurant the kids enjoyed. He remembers how you sneaked to the kitchen and came back with a little less credits, but with new recipes and an excited smile on your face.

“Hopefully my rendition will be to our boys’ liking. And don’t think I forgot about you - those Loufu Xianzhou-style noodles are already on their way!”

“So thoughtful of you, darling,” his silky voice caresses your ear and not a second later a kiss is pressed to your cheek. “Do you need any help?”

“Weren’t you busy?” You decide to clarify, clearly recounting how he locked himself in one of the rooms earlier that day to test something. To your question Luocha shakes his head.

“All done already. And I missed you and the kids.”

“Then go and play with them,” you urge, turning to face him to offer a sweet smile. “I’ll handle it here, but the boys could use some quality time with their father.”

“You say that as if they didn’t drag us all around the city yesterday and then climb into our bed and refuse to leave.”

“I mean, it’s the first time in two months they properly see you. That last deal of yours was exceptionally time-consuming.”

“You kept me updated on them so well and those video calls we had… it didn’t even feel like I ever left.”

You only huff and return your gaze to the stove, yet leaning into his chest a little. For a minute it’s quiet, and the man is taking his time before parting from you. That is until he takes a deep inhale and nuzzles his face in your neck.

“Thank you, Y/n.”

“What for, handsome?” There is that teasing lilt in your voice he came to love. Over the course of your lives together he discovered many things to love you for, and if not for that desperate decision to get married - he thinks he’d hardly ever feel the same about his life.

“For everything.”

He leaves your side with a kiss on your shoulder and the next time you glance out of the window again - he is already there, hoisting his youngest in one arm and chasing after the oldest one with his hair swaying in the gentle wind. And your heart is at peace. 

Sampo

In all his life Sampo has managed to never impregnate a single woman and he considers that a success. For all the crap people speak about him Sampo is not an idiot, even though he acts like a fool at times. He is extremely self-aware and bringing a child to this world is probably the last thing on his list.

But no one said anything about someone else’s child, right?

Your and Sampo’s relationship is… strange, not going to lie. One evening you happened to help a scared woman to escape from some drunkards (whom you lately found out were the Silvermane Guards, sober and on duty), only for the long wig to slip and the heavy coat to slide down, revealing shortly cut but nicely styled hair and obviously male broad shoulders. The only thing the man managed to get out was a sheepish “hehe”.

And boy did that “hehe” change your life.

That day Sampo Koski got off the hook, since you didn’t comment anyhow and just let him go, which, given you were an overworlder, he found intriguing. So he dug a little bit, out of pure curiosity. Besides, this man didn't like staying in debt to someone and he needed information to see how he could pay you back.

That’s when he found out you were a single mother. An opera singer, but divorced and with full custody over a six-year old daughter.

And honestly, he didn’t give it much thought at first. He simply arranged a nice bouquet of red roses for you, paid Natasha a little for a handmade plushie and left it all at the door steps with a ‘thank you’ note.

Until a couple of weeks ago, disguised again, he didn’t stumble into a group of kids obviously bullying a little girl, mocking her for not having a father, and throwing something among themselves that she tried to catch. And he recognized the toy. And one glance was enough to see how much she looked like the woman he met only once. And against his better judgment Sampo walked to the children, easily snatching the toy and effectively scaring everyone off. Only with that little girl still being there, eyes full of unshed tears and fingers digging in the skirt of her pretty dress.

That tiny ‘thank you’ when he handed the plushie back to her and she hugged it tightly to her chest made the conman’s heart clench, and for the second time that day he sent his plans to hell, keeping her company near the house you lived in until you arrived from work.

That day he learned many things - how much your daughter loved the toy and what a sweet little thing she was, how tired a person can look and how much a throat can hurt from the whole day of singing during rehearsals, how nice a home-made dinner can be once you are invited, but most importantly - how even such a damned man like him can be gazed upon with gratitude and not from one, but two people.

From that day many other instances happened, but in the end he just stuck around. It was strange, it was new, but in a sense it was comforting, especially when you would come home - on Friday, for example, - and he’d be there, entertaining your daughter and then greeting you with a smile and a silly wave of his hand.

You don’t have a husband, and your daughter doesn’t have a father - but with his presence Sampo Koski manages to fill those voids even if a little bit.

Aeons you love days off. A morning to finally sleep in and do not run around like crazy in attempts to get yourself and your kid ready. Even breakfast wasn’t on you today, because the ‘silly man’ stayed the night and told you to get your sleep, assuring you with that confident puff of his chest that the Sampo Koski would offer you his best service, which effectively made you giggle.

Tonight he even cuddled with you, letting you bury your face in his neck and be a little vulnerable in the arms of a man with whom you had the most peculiar relationship ever. But after such equally peculiar moments you really start thinking of suggesting moving from the couch in the living room to your bedroom permanently. It’s been months already, who would’ve thought.

Barefoot and not even glancing at the robe on the chair near the window you leave the room, rubbing at your eyes and brushing your hair away from your face. You are craving the cup of your morning drink, and so you let your legs carry you to the kitchen at first. However two voices coming from your wardrobe room instantly peak your interest and make you halt in your walking. What on earth could your daughter and your clown of a man be doing there?

And soon enough you find it out.

“Sit still, please!” The girl begs with an eye shadow palette in one tiny hand and a huge brush in the other. “It’ll smudge if you keep turning to the mirror!”

“Just can’t wait to see how beautiful I am, princess, ‘s all~”

There, on the floor among the rows of your clothes and shelves with beauty products and accessories, none other than Sampo is sitting, willingly offering his face to your daughter’s practice of applying makeup. And gods he looks absolutely hilarious.

But that’s not what exactly concerns you.

“Is that my dress?” You point at the red shimmery thing snuggly sitting on the man in front of you and that’s when the two notice you.

“Yes, mommy!”

“Say I pulled it off, right?” With a smirk the green-eyed menace winks at you and it looks even worse with poorly done lashes. You have to stifle your laughter. “Though I must admit, we had to keep it unzipped - my chest appeared to be bigger than yours-”

And that’s when you regret not bringing slippers with you - one flying in his head would be of great help.

“Sometimes I really hate you.”

“Nuh, sweet thing, you love me!”

“Well,” you step closer, grabbing a tissue to try and fix at least the overly bright blush on his cheeks, “maybe. Maybe I actually do.”

Suddenly Sampo is tongue-tied and silent, trying very hard to fight off the stupid grin forcing its way onto his face. But with thoroughly smeared red lipstick on his mouth it looks so damn comical.

“Mom, do you think pa looks pretty?” Your daughter hopefully asks, putting aside her tools, and that little two-letter word doesn’t go unnoticed by either of you. You feel a real blush burning under your deft fingers.

“Yes, sweety, Pa-mpo looks very pretty,” his head whips in your direction like you’ve just told him to go and surrender to the Belobog’s esteemed order keepers.

“...Pa-mpo?”

“Would you prefer Da-mpo instead?” Cocking your head in question, you smirk at him, relishing in the pout he is wearing at the moment. “Or maybe Sam-pa?”

“No, thank you very much,” he huffs. “Little princess called me ‘pa’, so be nice and respect it.”

And now it is you who is surprised. You haven’t really discussed with Sampo who he was to your daughter, and who she was to him - but if he is making this step of acknowledging the matter, then who are you to spoil it? Who knows, maybe things will work out quite pleasantly in the end.

“Alright, pa, I will respect that.”

“Hey! For you I am your precious popo baby, a koskiss to your lips, the love of your-”

“Don’t even dream of it.”

Jing Yuan

Yanqing would be enough of an answer to the kid question, but it is not. Sure, his young disciple is practically a son to the General, but it doesn't mean the man doesn't want his own children.

He does and he has. On multiple occasions Jing Yuan's subordinates walked in on him with a small figure sitting in his lap or perched on his strong arm, observing what the dad's been up to with his plans and documents. You scolded your husband for this many times, but the bastard only smiles and keeps stealing his daughter to work to keep him company. Or she sneaks on her own - that caused you many almost heart attacks when she was no older than a couple of decades.

For Jing Yuan it’s all good though - he gets to spend time with his baby and have you inevitably join him in search for your adventurous child.

The General has a separate folder for all the pictures of his daughter on his phone - every single one he takes and every single one you send him when he couldn’t bring his girl to some of his meetings (yet he really tried, until you put your foot down and saved many of his subordinates from the prolonging of said meetings). Even the background, hidden from prying eyes behind the passcode of your and her birthdays, is his little one, cradled in your arms, as the two of you are watching kites flying in the sky.

Yanqing at first was set on treating her with the same respect he does his mentor and you, his wife, but you quickly put an end to it, basically turning the boy into her older brother. He didn’t mind at all - if anything he is sometimes way too eager to push the two of you to go on a date so he can babysit. Often you would return to the two fast asleep either on the girl’s bed or cuddled to Mimi with toys scattered and at least two books lying on the floor. The huge lion adores the girl - sometimes you feel like it thinks of her as its own cub, and the thick mane of hair your daughter got from her father does not help.

And it appeared to be as eager to steal your daughter from you as your husband is…

“Y/n!” You practically jump when the doors to your bedroom fly open and Jing Yuan bursts inside. Immediately you notice his disheveled state - hair down and a mess, the robe he wore this morning for comfortable work in his home office is falling off one of his shoulders and a shoe is missing from his foot.

“Aeons, Yuan, don’t scare me like that,” you put a comb down on your vanity table and fully turn to face him. “What happened?”

“Is our precious baby with you?” He steps further into the room and starts looking around frantically. Okay, now that got worrisome.

“No? You took her earlier this afternoon after lunch to play in your study while you work. Have you really forgotten that? My love, you are getting old.”

You hear clearly as he curses under his breath, raking thick fingers through his hair. The golden eyes look at you and in them you spot a flicker of anxiety.

“...Jing Yuan, don’t tell me that you managed to lose our daughter.”

“I didn’t, I swear,” he winces at the full name usage, watching you rise from your seat and quickly approach him. “She was right by my side, watching the animal videos on my phone, but then I got immersed in the latest reports from the Sky-Faring Commission and when I finished whose - she was gone!”

“Uh, want me to call your phone? Maybe she still has it.”

To that he puts a hand in the robe’s pocket and brings out his device. Oh god.

“It was lying on the floor, still playing videos.”

“Okay, deep breaths,” you are not sure if you are telling it to him or to yourself, but you too take an inhale, meanwhile busying your hands with adjusting his clothes. “Even buried in work you’d still notice if a human sneaked in, right?” He nods. “And you’d notice if she left - she would’ve warned you about that.” He nods again, lips pursed and eyes staring at one point. “Yanqing is not as skilled to come unannounced and take her, and he wouldn’t do it without your permission, so-”

“Wait,” his hand catches yours and realization flashes in his features. “Mimi came.”

“...Mimi?” Before you can ask him to elaborate, your husband turns around and rushes out of the bedroom. Concerned and a little bit intrigued, you quickly follow.

In one of the rooms of your huge house the two of you finally find the lion, and Jing Yuan almost drops on the floor in relief when his girl is spotted in the animal’s embrace. 

“Is she…sleeping?” You ask, glancing from behind his broad back.

“It appears so. Hey, Mimi,” the maned head lifts, two ambers taking in your appearances and a pleased huff is let out through the nose upon recognition.

“Well, my dear,” you pat his shoulder, shaking your head, “it appears that people were right - like the owner, like the pet. Congratulations, your lion took your habit of stealing our daughter to heart. Good luck prying her from it.”

“You say it like it’s something hard to do,” there it is, a confident smile is back on his face as he strides closer to the animal, ready to bend down and get his girl. Only for that lift of the corners of his lips to be gone when Mimi growls at him in a warning and shields your daughter’s little body with its head.

You only smirk and leave the scene to go and get your phone - there is no way you are not filming your husband dealing with the consequences of his own behavior.

[thirstkanaphan]

Some more thoughts about Youth

Here's Mingi singing Youth on BIBIM-POP (full ep here)

I love this version of Youth and Mingi has never sounded better. His tone is so good and he brings a mellow flavor to this performance that we don't see when he's on stage. I also love how deep his voice gets at the end.

I also really appreciate having the English translation because the lyrics are really quite insightful.

The line adults use the word youth to say that sadness is happiness / to enjoy the moment makes me suspect that Mingi was told by many adults in his life not to complain about his struggles...like, you're an idol, shouldn't you be thrilled? The way certain adults deny the pain young people feel and insist that this is the happiest time in their lives. Mingi asks of his Youth: Did you enjoy these times? Did the happiness outweigh the pain? Bear in mind, Mingi wrote this song when he was 22 and on hiatus. This is 22-year-old Mingi talking to his younger self, not the 25-year-old singing the song.

It's hard to even sleep, yeah

I wonder if the "yeah" isn't meant to be a lyrical punctuation to the line; instead, might we also think of it as a question mark: It's hard to even sleep, yeah? Mingi asks of his Youth, To make dreams a reality, yeah? and Youth responds: I'm too young, it's too hard right now.

We know Mingi's a fan of emo music from the '00s (my teenage years) and his playlists include Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, The Killers, Green Day, and Linkin Park. This musical influence is more apparent in Tunnel, where he is especially candid and vulnerable in his lyrics, but Youth also frequents the same space. The lyrics are pure emo, even if the sound is smooth r&b.

What did I do wrong? With a drink, can it be shaken off? We don't know the answer and we never will, but this may be the first time I've ever heard reference to drinking in a kpop song. It's such a distressing sequence of lines, and you can't help but think of Mingi's hiatus and the strength it took to come back.

Then you exit that chorus to the sound of Yunho's voice soaring above the instrumental track. On this night, night when even the moon cries / Please find it, somewhere in my heart / Is there a place I can rest? It's such a devastating refrain, and he puts those words in Yunho's mouth.

The wind of my twenties / when I was alone

jeeeeeez what a line. The wind of my twenties / when I was alone is pure emo but it nudges at something deeper and more existential. Mingi is still in his twenties; he'll continue to be in his twenties for a while. The line implies future knowledge of the right-now Mingi. He's still going through it.

Of course I'm going to connect this back to Yungi, because the two got very (and perhaps uncomfortably) candid in their conversation for Off The Record. Yunho praises Mingi for his growth and development, but remarks that Mingi perhaps lost some of his youthful innocence.

Yunho says: I wish I could see more of that happiness from you

Mingi's response is so interesting: The thing is, it's not really innocence, I think I just adapted...I'm not the type to lean on others, because I only trust in myself.

Yunho wishes that Mingi could look back, reflect on yourself, and refresh. In a way, Yunho resembles the adults who use the word youth to say that sadness is happiness, to enjoy the moment. Yet when Yunho tells Mingi to live in the moment, it strikes a different chord.

Mingi says: I think I felt what kindness and thankfulness is from you.

He learned these things from Yunho, who took him to lunch and bought him beef in high school; who traveled across town to eat with Mingi and waited for him to finish his meal, who experienced the same highs and lows of pre-debut and idol life...

Yunho who called him nearly every day of his hiatus.

As in all things, Yunho is the exception. In his 8 Face episode, Mingi compares him to a "savior-like entity."

Yunho has been keeping an eye on Mingi since predebut. Here's a letter he wrote for Mingi which Mingi reads aloud during a live:

Look at Yunho, the way the embarrassed smile drops from his face.

Mingi owes Yunho his life, however you interpret that statement, and it means something that Yunho is someone from whom Mingi learned a kindness that got him through the worst of those months. It's for that reason that Mingi wrote Youth with Yunho in mind.

From an interview with Jongho published in December 2024:

I don't usually write this much but if you have any thoughts or opinions about Youth, I'd love to hear them!

[clownfire]

my insane interconnected multiverse theory

this is (mostly) a joke, but also I worked really hard on this

The magic system & pantheons in Judgement and Apotheosis are identical down to the 'cycle of aether' reincarnation system appearing in BOTH, to the point that the players themselves are theorising that it's the same universe. BUT judgement HAS to happen first, because there are still gods and ppl are still aware that usurping the gods is a thing that can be done (Zuen confesses to erasing that from the collective consciousness).

In Apotheosis, Ludite is a magical crystal-like material that rained down from the sky when the celestial realm was destroyed. It allowed mortals, for the first time in history, to wield magic without having to be 'chosen' by the gods. What's also a magic rock? Wonderous Coal.

The very top of the mountain of wonder is directly connected to Prime, as well as many other realms that seem to be converging. Alystr Cross also lives in Wonder (while I'm inclined to believe this is a different version of him, he does reference prime and heroism in a way that to me is meant to imply this is the same Professor Cross from PD). Another character from Convergence that appears in a different campaign is Kasper (referred to as Mr Kass). He travels the multiverse with this pocket-dimension that the carnival is.

We also know that Riptide is connected to Wonderlust - a pirate world does make a brief appearance - and is thus also connected to Prime Defenders. But as further support, I'd refer to the two non-canon what-if crossovers.

Another character from a different campaign also makes an appearance in Riptide; Green is clearly meant to be an older Taxi (Green Needle is was his tabaxi name in fated). Wild theory, but hear me out: the world of Mana in Riptide is the same Mana from Fated, in a timeline where Ungarou won and flooded the world (or at least was defeated after large parts of the land were already lost beneath the tides).

Now that is SEVEN campaigns that I can red-string together through explicit cross-over happening.

I could also connect PD to The Suckening through the taxi driver that Arthur meets who Charlie gives a similar voice to William Wisp, and say that he was that universe's version of him. From there I could say that BITB and TS could feasibly exist in the same universe, on the merit that they are other-wise 'our world' settings, and BITB's story is self-contained to Galloway. There's nothing saying that they couldn't take place in the same universe.

[thr0wnawayy]

Midoriya's Delusion

This is post that builds upon my previous one, I've copied many of the points I made there to here. Albiet with some corrections and tweaks.

To summarize, I have a bit of a crack theory that chapter 430 isn't as real as we've been led to believe. (As for when this actually takes place, that's up to you but I like to imagine the start of his third year marks the beginning of his mental decline.)

(As an update, I find it dubious whether 8 years have actually passed or if that's also a part of the fantasy. I can see Midoriya becoming so attached to the lie that his reference of time begins to warp)

This theory mostly comes from some inconsistencies in regards to the hero rankings and some other things I've found.

Corrections:

It's left ambiguous whether Best Jeanist and Endeavor are still active. However the fact that people view these two in a postive light (especially after Dabi and the war) still seems absurd.

2. Midoriya wasn't outright abandoned, rather their busy schedules make it hard for their days off to coincide. This falls apart when you look at this panel

"The rate of new villains keep decreasing and the number of heroes have stabilized"

Besides Ochaco who's funding a quirk counseling project, the rest of the class should be able to make time. Again it's stated that they aren't actually fighting.

There's no real threat to face. Besides PR and Community Service there's bot a whole lot else (besides the occasional natural disaster)

One could argue it's because the scope of what heroes do is increasing, thus keeping them busy. But again, we see heroes doing exactly what they did before, PR, Advertising and (implied) Showboating.

This leads me to believe that the lack of contact is based in reality, to some extent.

Whether it was by choice or forced by their (1A's) respective PR teams to preserve their images (can't be seen around the "freaks" for too long, now can we?).

The lie comes in the form of busy schedules.

Now whether that's what Midoriya tells himself or what he's been told, I cannot say for certain.

Disturbia:

For those of you who didn't read my last post, you may be wondering, so what's going on?.

Simply put:

Midoriya's having a breakdown fantasy to cope with the fact that he won't be becoming a hero due to the loss of his quirk.

Im aware it sounds crazy but consider the following:

1. Midoriya subconsciously knows the way he's been treated was wrong.

This manifests within the escapists fantasy in Bakugo's drop in the rankings + the attitude surrounding him (as well as his damaged hand never fully healing)

He meets a kid who just so happens to be in a near exact same position as he once* was (and still is to an extent). One could take this as his mind's way of trying to cope and heal itself, by having Midoriya do what he does best and help others, henceforth working though his trauma by using the kid as a stand in.

*Even the kid's "bully" seems to be a warped version of Bakugo (perhaps this is how Midoriya tries to fool himself into believing how it was)

2. We see Kota.

I believe that here, Kota serves as what Midoriya thinks he could have been had he not failed. Kota is the idealized version of Midoriya here, the unobtainable.

3. A lesson ignored

Apparently people forgot the connection between Endeavor and Shoto. You'd think this would be a good thing as Shoto would be able to become his own person.

This falls flat when you remember that also includes people forgetting the reason and happenings behind Shoto's existence, it feels like Midoriya is trying to have his cake and eat it too

To elaborate, this is a major copout, it allows Shouto to be unaffected by his family's past bith career wise and emotionally. While also feeding into Midoriya's rather toxic belief that forgiveness is required to be a good person.

(The fact that killing Tomura violated this only adds to my theory that this whole thing is an escapist coping mechanism.)

(You can also add the idea that Tomura didn't forgive society for what they did to him and his friends. That likely broke all the "rules" that Midoriya knew.)

4. The Mech Suit is a massive cope, it's the dying whimper of Midoriya's childish hope that All Might will save the day.

This time there's no magic quirk, no garrish mech suit, no plot twist.

No. There's only Midoriya and the consequences of his, his classmates and hero societies actions. It doesn't matter how shiny and seamless the illusion, how sweet the lie.

You can't hide the blood.

Concerning Aspects:

That was mostly the revised stuff, let me introduce you to some new points

1. A Frozen Lake

Something I noticed was certain characters seem to be almost frozen in time, as if someone tried to continue a story using scraps of the original text.

The curious case of Rei Himura:

This scene seems almost stagnant, what was most noticeable was Enji's bandages still being on and Rei still being there.

It's as if Midoriya hasn't seen them in years (or perhaps doesn't want to acknowledge what happened). So his mind uses what he last saw/heard of them, creating a sterile, static scenario. Little better than props.

Those surrounding her (with the exception of Hawks) also seem to be stuck in the past.

It's definitely strange.

2. See No Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak No Evil

Shigaraki is a representation of Midoriya's repressed guilt and his fears. I believe deep down Midoriya knows that, inevitably the cycle will repeat, so long as the system is allowed fester and wallow in it's complancy.

I find the fact that he's behind Midoriya to be ironic, as if to say: don't look back, don't think about what you've done.

A Symbol of Stagnation:

I should warn you that it does get lengthy from here, however I think it's important to get the full picture. Even if I tend to ramble here.

It's implied here that Lemillion's the top hero. This is awful for a variety of reasons. Mirio is a horrible symbol.

All Might was flawed for a variety of reasons, but a majority of these were byproducts rather than directly being his own doing.

Mirio on the other hand, has such a cancerous philosophy that it actively harms all who interact with it.

Mirio is a follower, he follows orders first and asks questions never.

Eri is the best example of this. Even after Nighteye's death, Mirio never truly reflects on the damage his actions could have caused ( only saved by the narrative, seriously it's a miracle Eri trusts anyone besides Midoriya after being abandoned like that)

You see, the difference between Toshinori and Mirio lies in their actions and principles.

Mirio left Eri to die, all for the sake of the "mission".

For all the heroes knew, Eri could have been a trafficking victim and either have been killed or relocated. But no, appearances and "gotta catch em all" take priority even after knowing Eri is in the Yakuza's clutches.

Lemillion made the worst decisions possible. He followed a known murder into a secluded, restricted area (with a hostage mind you) bringing his pupil with him.

Willingly ignored blatant signs of abuse (just look at the girl) and played hooky with thre leader of a criminal organization, who is known for his short fuse and willingness to kill.

He did all of that, when he could have easily detained Overhaul at any point (his quirk being a direct counter)

Toroshinori would fight tooth and nail in that situation. Consequences be damned if it meant saving Eri.

Part of the reason Toroshinori was so effective as a hero was 1. His sense of justice and 2. His compassion.

Mirio is a symbol that can be controlled, a weapon if you will.

The fact that Mirio is at the top shows that things haven't changed and are even beginning to decline. So this brings me to my next point

You may be asking, if Midoriya's losing it in his own mind, what's the outside world look really like?.

Allow me to set the stage.

4. Speculation

Within Midoriya's muddled mind, Lemillion represents both his toxic optimism and a subconscious understanding that nothing has changed. It represents denial and acceptance, a dysfunctional middle ground that's easy enough for Midoriya to stomach.

The truth of the matter is, delusion or not, the reality is soon to sink in.

Something that I don't see discussed is the lack of reactions from other nations or really any insight into how they were affected by everything that happend.

Here's the idea: Most likely they are foaming at the mouth.

Particularly it's the countries who suffered under Imperial Japan in the past (Korea, China, Singapore etc), however this also applies to every nation Nedzu brow beat into aiding with the rebuilding efforts, albiet their reaction would be latent.

Not not only is the attitude painfully reminiscent of how Japan handles it's past atrocities, Japan has had them clean up their messes. seen below:

(you cannot tell me Big Red Dot over here is having a good time)

From an outside pov. The Commission never told anyone about AFO, rather they suppressed any information, locked him up in Tartarus and then sat on the whole situation until it blew up in their (read: everyones) faces.

He then proceeded to: kill over 8000 people (+ those killed during the Blackout period), kill the top hero of one of the world's most powerful nations and incite mass panic. Destroyed massive amounts of infrastructure and transport nationwide, broke thousands of criminals out of prison, destroying those prisons in the process.

Meanwhile the heroes:

Abandoned civilians in mass by quitting in the middle of a war.

Left the public in the dark for months and allowing crime and paranoia to grow rampant, even (forcibly) bringing someone they knew was being targeted by AFO and his forces to the one place they could find shelter.

Mutilated a seven year old girl. Who has a history of being mutilated for the gain of others and patted themselves on the back. (Also having no holdup on how that may effect her physically via her quirk or mentally via her trauma)

Mic: tried to kill a docile prisoner who could be considered in comatose, based off of his emotional attachment to a dead man + viewing it as justified if it meant Spinner couldn't get to him.

Used hospital staff and patients as meatshields (Central Hospital) during a riot.

Most had no qualms supporting a child beating eugenicist and implied marital rapist, even with his one of his victims exposed him and citing it as his main reason for turning to villainy.

Held an illegal questioning* with said abuser while ignoring his main victim (Rei, who is probably the most reliable source of information there)

(*which effectively is like conducting an investigation on yourself and declaring you are not guilty)

And so much more! (But this post is getting too long)

My point is by the time everything was said and done, it seemed everyone but Japan was paying for it.

It's outright stated that the US president risked national security by sending every hero they had to help Japan. (Impeachment worthy if you ask me)

Endeavor's little plan to kill himself and Dabi in a blaze of death ended up disrupting the weather. Very likely it'll end up resembling an El Niño phenomenon, only vastly off schedule and even more destructive than normal.

For Reference [https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html]

Very likely it'll lead to an agricultural drought in the northern America's and mass flooding in southern America's, likely starting at the west coast and bleeding inland. Leading to a domino effect where cost of living surges due to the sudden displacement of people and the rapid loss of products.

Worse still, because the US had no heroes (likely for months on end), crime has likely surged in the America's, which will further impact the rest of the world.

The rebuilding efforts likely emptied the wallets of most participating countries, leaving them unable to help anyone, including themselves.

Also keep in mind that Japan incriminated themselves with the Business Course footage. I don't think the general public (outside of Japan) is going to take too kindly to a known murder and abuse apologist being in charge of a system already known for it's corruption.

The end result is likely be a world that detests Japan, either from a moral perspective (Rei's treatment + the treatment of those society abandoned), a financial perspective (we can't afford shit and you contributed to that) or historical perspective (you do this everytime and ignore the consequences).

A world divided by struggle and united by an immense loathing for the Commission's Japan and the culture surrounding it.

Oh, don't forget there's no finding left for quirk research. Meaning that it's very likely no one will be prepared for quirk singularity to start manifesting in the upcoming generations (Thanks Nedzu).

_______________________________________

Update: Can I just say that Aizawa's lack of ownership infuriates me even though this is likely a fantasy and not grounded in reality.

Like what the fuck do you mean "with the way he talks, it was pointless" Fantasy Aizawa.

Because "Hey Asshole", You deliberately ignored his attitude and offenses!. And what? Now your just gonna shrug it off like it wasn't your fault. To hell with that you had two years, most teacher are said to only get one. As you so graciously mentioned at the start of this shit show of an epilouge.

Heres the moment I'm referring to btw:

While we're at it. Are you telling me it was too hard to get Momo some proper attire all three fucking years she was at UA for.

Not to mention Toru is still naked, how the fuck hasn't she died yet, she is literally exposed to the elements (and lord help her of she gets a cut)

Kirishima's costume is still his biggest liability considering it exposes his chest and back (also seeing as even when hardened he can't repell bullets)

Does Denki still fry himself with his quirk?

Before we move on Aizawa. How's that daughter you neglected, her horn still broken?.

Speaking of which let's look at the rescue team:

What the hell is this!?

Let's see, we got a guy who can only do damage (and his sweat detonates on contact, destroying whatever it touches.)

A brainwasher who only got into the hero course via nepotism and who can only brainwash people who directly respond to him!. A person trapped underneath rubble either frantic or groaning in pain isn't going to be able to respond or even just give consent.

(On a side note what are the laws regarding mind control quirks, does some sort of waiver have to be signed, can a person sue for being controlled against their consent?)

Oh, but wait there's more.

Midoriya running headlong with experimental tech that has, very likely never seen the light of day. Let alone preform in an actual high stakes situation before.

You're trying to carry someone and oops! Something malfunctioned or was miscalculated, now there's an even bigger mess (hooray!)

Who could forget Mezo "they'll come for your kids" Soji. Who climbed the ladder and pulled it all the way up.

Yeah forget that Heteromorph's were getting hate crimed long before the war, ignore the fact that you yourself were maimed by an angry mob after doing one of the most heroic things a person can do. Dismiss Spinner's comment about being sprayed with Pesticide for walking in public.

Nah screw it, let's all sing Kumbaya while the Creation Rejection Clan runs wild outside the reach of the cities, then ignore that the discrimination still is prevalent in the countryside and it's only a matter of time before somone gets fed up and takes matters into their own hands. (talons, claws, you get the picture)

But your a hero now Soji, you got your's. So fuck the rest of 'em

And don't even get me started on Hawks. Congratulations you ignorant bastard, way to kill time and by that I mean for everyone but the heroes.

"Yeah life is great!, everyone hates us, we're rapidly falling into debt from all that rebuilding 8 years back."

"Speaking of which some of those buildings are staring to fall apart due to being rushed to meet deadlines set within the month they were started."

"Social darwinism is on the rise and people are becoming more complacent that ever before due to heroes applying bandaid solutions on decade long, deeply ingrained problems."

"All so the average person doesn't have to think about what's festering beneath society's floorboards, so thank you Safety Commission. Here's your star of positivity ⭐️." - Some random anti-hero civilian

So much for greatest heroes, huh.

_______________________________________

UPDATE 2:

A dark thought I just had, is that the main reason Izuku killed Tomura was because Tomura broke the rule of "Forgiving Your Abusers makes you Good".

When Tomura refused to relinquish his hatred, when he stood his ground, that is when Midoriya decided he had to die. If not to "stop" him, then to preserve Midoriya's perception of the world .

Shigaraki + The LOV by their very ideals went against everything Midoriya has had beat into him by Bakugo and Aldera over the years.

Makes me wonder how'd he react to a person refusing to forgive their abuser. If he interacted with Natsuo or Rei, I could see that delving into a complete mess.

Now that I think about it, The Midoriya we know now, he would have never tried to hold onto Eri back when they first met.

Ironically, he became what he named himself after, a Deku. A puppet attached to thorns of liquid gold, glistening and burning hot.

A slave to his own biases and belief system, now trapped in a stage of his minds own making.

First bound by his past, then by legacy and finally, now by his own hand.

木偶.

[pastorfutureletthembe]

X

I love the differences between LA!Lu Guang, Manhua!Lu Guang, Musical!Lu Guang, Mini!Lu Guang and Donghua!Lu Guang. I know this theory was proven wrong, but I like to think they all are the same person but from different timelines. It's always so fun to think that way, because it offers us new canon and headcanon for the characters.

My favorite game is to connect the dots. How would one version of this Lu Guang would become this other version of Lu Guang.

LA!Lu Guang being rich while others can barely afford instant noodles, for example. This one fact is so interesting, actually! The first dots between him and the others is that they often refer to Cheng Xiaoshi's debt as theirs. I wonder if after the first round, Lu Guang decided to give all of his money to Qiao Ling's family but it still was not enough. He still did it in the following timelines.

Or! Lu Guang being awkward when photographed? First, he's hot and only gets good feedback on their website. In asian culture, it is a real advantage to be beautiful. So I never get why he would be self-conscious to this point in the Minisodes. In Yingdu, he has no issue being under the spotlight, is very casual and apparently good at it. There also was this video on the official's account about our favorite trio taking pictures and he turned red. This isn't even a different media, it counts as Donghua!Lu Guang, which means all of these versions exist as canon. It's obvious by now that Lu Guang cannot say no to Cheng Xiaoshi, so it's possible that, going through the motion over and over, he would become a pro at playing a model. He's Cheng Xiaoshi's favorite model, after all.

One very personal one, is that Cheng Xiaoshi remembers Lu Guang as very critical. But he's actually very sweet; a true mother hen. Manhua!Lu Guang is so soft on him that it is truly heartwarming. It's sad, yes, but I wonder if the original Lu Guang was just as harsh and cruel as we see him at the beginning of the live action adaptation, but losing his one and true friend, he realized he could have done better. He would start to show him his good side more often.

Musical!Lu Guang is my favorite! They sometimes imply canon events or gestures from other media, but also their own old shows. The kiss scene on the couch in the encore for example lmao or the finale hug. They make it better and better. Lu Guang originally looked like he was not a part of their childish game. Nowadays, he barely seems annoyed and goes with the flow happily. He doesn't always resist the final embrace. I sure hope there is one version when he just jumps in Cheng Xiaoshi's arms.

[sepublic]

Alright, let's talk about some details from the TOH pitch bible;

A lot of the stuff is what we've already seen and/or in line with the show. What's interesting is that King WAS a former King of Demons at one point, and we would've had an episode where he runs into his old gang and chooses Luz and Eda over them. It makes me wonder if he even had a connection to the Titan in earlier drafts, if he wasn't recognized as one back in the day because he just wasn't big enough, etc. Eda makes a deal to help remove the collar, which IS the source of King's woes, placed by a 'mysterious wizard', I wouldn't be surprised if it was Obron AKA Proto-Belos.

What gets me is that Tibbles originally started off as a friend to the protagonists, while Bump was an antagonist! Coupled with Tibbles being re-elected as mayor after Bump is deposed for corruption. I like the detail of Bump being a parasite controlling a body from the head, because it carried over into his final design with Frewin, and before we got confirmation Frewin was a separate entity, I loved the joke theory that the imp on Bump's head was the REAL Bump!!! Seems that was always the implied story of the design, I love it. Tibbles being the demon fan of human stuff would eventually become Gus instead, so this is technically Proto-Gus too…?

Interesting how Bump and Tibbles' alignments switch completely with one another, and it makes sense that with Lilith no longer the principal in the final draft, it goes to Bump, who ends up being really chill and a subversion in his own right! Interesting, but I do prefer the final Bump we got, and that's fine by me, because when the concepts aren't as interesting as the final product, it means we got the best possible version.

I've already discussed Obron and William in a separate post, and Pupa is someone we've been told about in a previous livestream. Lilith would've been both head of all covens (and not just the Emperor's Coven) AND principal at the same time, and she seems much more of a jerk to Eda in general; She has no qualms with cursing Eda because of a direct order from Obron.

Apparently the curse would've been an AGING spell, which settles my questions on how it would've been portrayed in earlier drafts! This goes along with Eda's older look. Likewise, there would've been a subplot of Eda considering Luz's sacrifice as a way to restore her youth, which likely goes hand in hand with Obron's orders to bring Luz to her, etc. The 'Bloom of Eternal Youth' quest, which Eda and Lilith go through together as their sisterly relationship is explored, feels like a carryover from this past idea.

I think I prefer the final draft; I like that the curse isn't just aging Eda, but also takes away her magic, makes her turn into a beast, etc. I like Lilith being a lot more complicated in her relationship with Eda, instead of just hating her and cursing her without hesitation. The redefining of the curse makes it less about age, and more a chronic illness metaphor, and I like how Eda in the final draft is upfront about having to learn to live with it, deal with it, on her own terms. She isn't trying to find a cure (although Lilith being promised one by Obron feels like a carryover of Eda's moral dilemma with Luz), and that adds another nice dimension to her conflict with Lilith, as well as Gwen. It's pretty frank in its own right about normalizing disability, and those who play an antagonistic role (however brief) are the real weirdoes for making such a fuss about it.

The Bat Queen would've had more of a recurring role based on the description, which saddens me; I always got the vibe she was planned for more, but between all of the other stuff the show had to juggle, plus the shortening, she ended up getting shafted despite being one of the earlier characters. Sashley, Pasha, and Bruno are also interesting, with Pasha in particular giving me freaking Philip Wittebane vibes with his grossness, beard, and anti-demon attitude; He even starts off as a potential friend to Luz because fellow human, only for his true bigotry to show. Makes me wonder if Philip ended up incorporating Pasha, we also have bodily transformation because of consuming magical stuff... P-names.

(Also, I like how in the drawing of typical Demon Realm denizens, I can see an eye demon who resembles a past drawing of Dana's!!!)

Eda was actually a late bloomer, which creates a parallel with Luz in one way, and their relationship is referred to as sisterly (in the final draft it’s explicitly maternal). So Eda wouldn't have been the talented youth, in fact things may have switched between her and Lilith; Lilith's disdain may have partially come from Eda not being as innately talented as her.

Luz and Amity's dynamic seems like it would've had Amity retain a lot of her more stand-offish, pragmatic personality even as a friend with Luz, and this would've come up more; So basically, she'd remain more like S1 Amity. That, or this part of their relationship would've lasted longer, and then we would've seen character development as Amity unlearns a lot of the issues her parents passed on. I also wonder if the Willow who cameos in the pilot was originally supposed to just be an extra separate from ‘Paulina’, but then they combined the two together.

The themes are exactly as I expected, glad to see they're still there, nothing changed! Luz becoming a witch and defying all odds to do so, putting in real work and passion. Celebrating individuality amidst conformity, plus Luz trying to impose her own fictional tropes onto the world, only to have to put that aside... Just like Wing it like Witches. It seems Amity would've had more involvement with Luz's journey to become a witch, though we still do have a carryover of that disconnect with her rant near the end of Covention.

I love the Demon Realm being situated BELOW the Human Realm, way to be subtle about being Hell you guys lol... Apparently portals to the human world are a lot rarer to find and use, which makes me wonder if the pilot's 'dimension port' doesn't have access to the human world; Meaning Amity is Luz's only way back, so her improved relationship with her is linked to getting back home. There's a gag about the Knee having service with the human world, but I can see how that didn't make the cut, for dramatic purposes; It seems like the premise for a S1 episode or at least a B-plot. Would Luz have struggled to communicate with Camila through this, or would her search for wi-fi be for mundane reasons?

Apparently Luz's magic would've required a lot more steps to complete, and I see why the show simplified things down to just glyphs. I wonder if there was always going to be the connection of glyphs as a gift from the Titan, or if the Titan and her story was going to be less intertwined in the overall narrative. There also don't seem to be nine main covens, just the many, many covens, some of which are pretty ridiculous, and Covention's sub-covens seem a callback to that.

Luz's first spell would've been levitation, and THEN she would've infiltrated Hexside, with Amity being a lot subtler about exposing Luz, though in the final draft she does figure that out as the way to go in I was a Teenage Abomination. Yeah, I prefer Light being her original spell, feels so much more symbolic and personal, etc. I wonder if the Titan is even as much of a character in early drafts, and if there's still the whole connection/relationship with the land and learning to respect it aspect. Some of these hypothetical episodes push the idea of Amity as a more episodic, typical popular kid antagonist, though in the final draft, the show goes through her character development and explores Amity's romantic relationship with Luz and its complications.

It seems the idea of the Mirror Ghost was split into Adegast and Vee, with Adegast being the one who offers the easier narrative for Luz to believe in about becoming a witch (only to be a fraud who uses uncanny puppets), and Vee being a doppelganger whom Luz communicates through with mirrors. Interesting how Yesterday's Lie was born from this. We saw the test animation from Spencer Wan for TOH, so I guess we know what Luz's puppet-doppelganger is called! And we can safely call her Proto-Vee. I wonder if she also would've been a sympathetic character, I always thought she reminded me of Lake from Infinity Train (and speculated her to be as such since Enchanting Grom Fright), and now the similarities are even MORE apparent!

Alas, The Good Witch Azura, or 'The Unassuming Princess' seems like it'd have been a lot less dear to Luz's heart, as the pilot also reflects; In the end, it turns out the author is just Eda's ex using her adventures as basis, and including private information. I remember when I once speculated that Raine, before we saw their face, would've been just like this as the author of Azura... Again, I think I prefer Azura as being a lot less mean-spirited in the final draft, and instead a celebration of who Luz is as a person, her relationship with fantasy and fiction, etc. We also would've had a Luz birthday party, the Quincenera we've been hoping for since S1...! In the final draft (and episode) we still get that Human-Demon Realm disconnect, though by that point, Luz is much more attuned and chill with the isles.

There’s definitely more of an episodic, sitcom feel to this pitch bible, especially when you compare Proto-Yesterday’s Lie to its final version. Makes sense, Dana is pitching this to Disney executives, though her statement on Understanding Willow feeling truly like her show makes me wonder if she always intended to push TOH in that more serious, emotional route we got.

[mythicalartistx]

Recoded is actually important to the Naminé plotline...

Re:coded is often remembered as the game that "doesn't matter" or "skipable" but I always disagreed that it has purpose like showing that a data version of Sora— a version everyone thought Sora was could handle hurt. It's something that was proven wrong by the actual Sora.

However, I noticed something even more interesting and that has to do with Naminé and COM.

During Halloween Bastion part 2 when you're helping Riku recover, you have this moment from the Novel since it's easier to follow than the game.

It is implied that the person who added data was the person who had the journal's data represent Riku.

The reason this is a big deal is because it is Naminé— if she added extra data inside you about hurt and then she chose Riku to be the person who represented the Data it leaves the question to why.

I often wondered why is it a Data version of Riku. It struck me as oh Soriku and we have these cute moments, but there is a deeper meaning. In Chain of Memories we learn that Naminé replaces Sora's memory of his important people one is Riku (and the other is Kairi).

Since Naminé knew how special Riku is to Sora, it would make sense for her to pick Riku as the person to represent the Journal's Data.

I also want to add that his appearance is the exact same one as how Riku looked at the end of Chain of Memories as he still had short hair at that time, but had the Organization Coat on.

Naminé knew Riku was special to Sora as she took memories of him and planted herself in place as you couldn't take memories from nothing. It's kinda like in a lot of "magic" type things you have to have something of equivalent value.

Then in Re:Coded it is also revealed that everything that's happening in the journal's data is revolved around Sora.

So who is picked to represent the data's data again — Data Riku. Meaning his world revolves around Sora and they're deeply connected.

[pompomchihuahua]

Despite Genya looking like his other siblings, I did always like how he had the same eyes as Sanemi showing that him and Sanemi do look the same despite Hiroshi looking like an exact copy of Genya just with different eyes. I always thought it was interesting because it made me wonder if Hiroshi looked up to Genya or if his hair grew out like Genya’s

YES!!! SAME! any connection Genya has with Sanemi I EAT UP they are such BROTHERS!!!! I think it's also implied they have the same face shape too!

Now, you may be thinking: "Maple, it's an anime, of course they have the same face shape" but hear me out!!

One thing I always notice with Genya is his forehead: specifically, those little creases on either side of his forehead! As far as I can see, he's the only one who has these little creases.

None of his other siblings have them!! All except for...

THAT'S RIGHT!!! SANEMI!!! Granted they're only visible in flashbacks but follow my delusions here!!

I choose to believe that this supports my headcanon that Sanemi and Genya actually look very similar, except for a difference in hair and build.

They've got similar little battle smiles, too<3 (even down to the cupid's bow) They've both got thick lashes as well (though Sanemi's got him beat there!)

As for Hiroshi! This is where I insert a few more of my headcanons!

For example: why does Genya shave the sides of his head? While I understand why they chose this detail from a design standpoint, I'm talking about in canon reasons. AND I actually adopted this headcanon from a tumblr post: this one! The headcanon being that Genya has curly hair and that's why he shaves it off<3

As for what they're saying about the databook, I have searched high and low, through every version of the databook I can find, and have yet to find this tidbit to be confirmed canon. HOWEVER, I adore it so much that it's canon in my heart!! We deserve curly-haired characters, and Genya would be SO CUTE with little ringlets as a baby!! As far as I can tell, that Tumblr post is the oldest source on it, as it was posted in 2019, while the other posts I've seen on it were from about a year ago.

As for the boys all having close-cropped hair (except for Sanemi) this may just be to keep their hair from getting matted and to prevent disease, something poorer families used to do. (there's also the wives' tale that shaving a baby's head will cause hair to grow back thicker and fuller) It was common to shave babies' heads until they reached three years old. Though Hiroshi and Genya definitely look to be older than three, it was probably just easier to keep their heads shaved than to have to deal with hair maintenance. BUT, keeping that one little bit of hair definitely feels deliberate and Hiroshi could definitely be trying to imitate his big brother Genya!!

Hehe I will definitely be thinking of little baby Hiroshi waddling along behind Genya wherever he goes.

Thank you so much for the ask!!

[darklinaforever]

What does that have to do with the Wyler tag ?!

Seriously ?!

But also, I don't understand the mention of Hunter being gay either ?! The link given by the anon doesn't talk about the people who ship the actors, but simply the characters of Tyler & Wednesday !

Yes Hunter is gay. And ? Tyler is not. So what's the connection ? Again, the link is about the characters, not the actors.

And yes, whether they like it or not, the scene looks like they could kiss. They're literally close to each other, breathing heavily ? Literally a cliché in terms of romance, especially among enemies to lovers ?

This is literally a request and a answer trying to make the Wylers shippers seem crazy when the link it's just a Wyler scene from the show with background music ?!

Also, I don't understand the person's delirium answer to say that enemies to lovers works in fandoms and fanfics but not well on screen today ? Literally, what are you talking about ? It's still one of the most popular tropes that has existed since always !

And the same arguments again ! "What difference does it make that Tyler is Laurel's victim for Wednesday ?! He almost killed Eugene and Enid !"

Yes... Eugene essentially under the orders of Laurel, his master to whom he is forced to obey and who tortured him ?

Note also that Laurel technically didn't tell Tyler to kill Eugene but to take care of him and that strangely, he's the only victim of Tyler who escaped death ? Coincidence ? Maybe not !

And if you want an explanation for Enid, it is implied that the Hyde offers a second personality, different from the human version ? The Hyde is not Tyler. It's a second personality. Literally, these people are being dishonest on purpose.

And they go so far as to agree that the Hyde should be excluded ? While the show is literally about the treatment of the marginalized ? The excluded from society ? And they think it's positive that there is a category of outcast among the outcasts themselves ?!

Clearly not.

The treatment of Hyde is something that needs to change in this show ! And for that, we first need to finish understanding how these creatures really work.

But hey... Not as if we had incomplete research on the subject, that Wednesday is interested in it and that she just happens to have a Hyde on hand to look into the subject...

I wonder where this scenario could lead us ?! But certainly not to a questioning of the treatment of these creatures by the society of this story according to the antis (#irony) ?! Of course, nothing will ever change for the Hydes ! They are too dangerous ! Long live the status quo !

This is driving me crazy !

Yes, what the hell would Wednesday who defends the oppressed and the victims, have to do with Tyler, the outcast of outcasts himself who was groomed by a psycho who triggered the Hyde in him to use him as a puppet and who has the equivalent of a mental illness by being a Hyde. Hyde by which she is fascinated, and who it is implied that she will complete the unfinished research on them ?!

Seriously, the writers racked their brains to write us a character like Tyler, a teenager with multiple problems, including family problems, a victim of abuse and whose hyde (the creature marginalized among the marginalized themselves, knowing that the whole message of the show is to accept the marginalized in reality) seems to be the equivalent of a mental illness, for people to be like "Yes, this guy is a pure villain who cannot have redemption ! He is rotten and the show is right when it says that the Hyde are too dangerous for the world ! Nothing must change and nothing aspires to a change of point of view on these creatures in a show where we are encouraged to accept the marginalized (and whose hyde is the marginald of the marginalized himself) through the only Hyde that we meet in person throughout the story who is only a teenager victim of abuse with the metaphor of mental illness !

These people are tiring me out...

Also, saying that Wednesday letting Tyler fight Enid is proof that she doesn't forgive him makes no sense ? She literally has a school to save, and at this point, she's still mad at Tyler ?

Also, it's crazy how much it goes over their heads that Wednesday doesn't blame Tyler specifically for nearly killing her friends. First, it would be bad faith, because she also did it in the show with Enid, but above all, it's a question of ego. No really justice in her anger towards Tyler.

She is mainly angry at Tyler because he managed to fool her and her intelligence. She is deeply hurt in her ego and personal feelings. Once this aspect calms down everything will surely be better and she could potentially look again at the case of the Hydes whose research remains incomplete, and therefore Tyler.

But to return to her friends, Enid and Eugene are fine. Wednesday can recover from what Tyler almost did to them. Especially since Eugene was under Laurel's orders (and strangely, Tyler who could have easily killed Eugene... strangely didn't do it ?), and that Enid explains it by the fact that Tyler was in Hyde mode, his second monstrous personality, that he doesn't seem to really have control over ?

Just... God, if you think Wyler is an impossible relationship to fix, then you've never read or seen a real enemies to lovers romance !

I literally read one romance where the guy almost killed the heroine forever by stabbing her in the heart ! And if it weren't for the intervention of other characters, she would have died ! And yet at the end of the story, they're happily married !

The enemies to lovers trope isn't as fragile as these morons think it is ! One mistake and the relationship is dead forever ? Wow... Wyler is also so soft in that category too ! The antis / Wenclairs seem like a bunch of fragile people when they talk about Wyler.

Literally every time these people try to put the Wylers down they just make fools of themselves. Because they just bring up arguments that have been contradicted a billion times or are comically weak, or they just say bullshit that is simply not true.

And they have the nerve to say that we are fucking insanely dangerous ?! But on what basis, in fact ?! Seriously, this part of the fandom needs to get some treatment.

[foxx-queen]

there's something fascinating to me about the fact that mythal's fragmented spirit went on to try and help the world. we don't know how much her spirit was fragmented, or how many pieces there were, but I think this appeals to me because it does connect with lore from the previous games

veilguard all but confirms the popular theory that andraste carried a piece of mythal's spirit. people have been talking about the mythal/flemeth/andraste similarities for years! morrigans cryptic comments seem to tell us that that same fragment later came to flemeth after she was 'betrayed by those sworn to love her', which is I think confirming the version of flemeths backstory that she was married to a poor poet who sold her to a lord, who then killed the husband and imprisoned her.

whatever her faults, flemeth has frequently popped up to help when the world needs it. we know she's spent time with the dalish over however many centuries, since they have their own name for her. even just looking at the previous games - we wouldn't be here without her. the warden? dead. hawke? dead. inky? lasts a little longer maybe, but still dead. I defs wouldn't say she was a 'benign' influence like emmrich says, but if not for her intervention, we simply wouldn't be here.

but there's other stories throughout the history of thedas that have been attributed to mythal.

there's yavana, an antivan witch thought to be a daughter of flemeth, who's protecting high dragons since they'd vanished from the world prior to the start of the dragon age, who is implied to contain a fragment. (this also makes me wonder, if this is a separate fragment of mythal, did flemeth go around finding her fragments and putting them to use? is this a fragment of the fragment flemeth contained? many questions)

there's tyrdda bright-axe, the mother of the avvar, who led her people to fereldan at the advice of her lover, a spirit in the form of an elf, who was said to be the lady of the skies. nice that mythal had a gf for a while, as a treat

in the hissing wastes in dai, we find the remnants of an ancient dwarven thaig built on the surface, the only known of its kind, that pre-dates the first blight. the codex entries imply that when they left because of a civil war between the dwarves, they knew to be wary of dragons, even though they'd never seen one before. there's a statue of mythal watching over the tomb of paragon fairel (the dwarf who led them to safety). did mythal lead these dwarves to the surface in a hope to help them given what was going to happen once the first blight happened? it's not hard to imagine she had regrets over the dwarves and the titans, and that she might've wanted to atone by helping in some way.

flemeth tells us in da2 that 'regret is something I know well'. while we don't know exactly what regrets mythal has, it's clear she has them, and it's easy to see that she might be watching over this world to make up for her part in breaking the one that came before.

is the fragment you meet in the fade a bit of a bitch? sure. I probably would be too if I'd spent hundreds of years unable to do anything but watch the world, when my very nature was to help it, and my only friend had never visited me but instead went on to try and destroy the current world out of a very misguided attempt to make up for our mistakes. and still, even though this is the fragment that's never grown from spending time in the world, she still helps us. of course she does.

however much I'm not really satisfied with the conclusion of her story (I wanted to see that vengeance that would shake the very heavens, I wanted to see her fight with us against elgar'nan, and instead it culminated in her just being used to persuade solas) I do think that the fact that she cares about the current world has always been there in the previous games. it's funny actually, because as much as the writers keep telling us the dalish were wrong about their gods, mythal ended up becoming what they believed of her. protecting the world as best she could.

biggest complaint was she should've been voiced by kate mulgrew tho

[noddytheornithopod]

oh my god oh my god oh my god more pnf rough animation teases

first, the video i'm seeing these from... hope it lasts, anyway let's see what we have

Farmer and his wife return. Tag implies it's More than an Intern.

Forced perspective western town? Looks neat. Isabella posing for the camera, Candace telling them to hold it, all very nice nice. Tag says "520", and if Intern was 510, this is probably 510b (or maybe 11a cuz as you'll see Meap Me in St Louis throws a wrench in things, aka maaaaaybe we're not seeing this ep in June). Yay, maths! Also they did a western style town in She's the Mayor, will that be referenced or is this all coincidence?

Doof running exercise? Maybe to power an inator? Hard to read what ep this is, most I can make out is "Doofexercise". 532 if it's the episode number implies it's probably towards the end of the season though (probably 516b/17a).

Buford with some pool? Ep 535 (516a). The setting and uh lack of clothing makes me wonder if it's the ep he goes out into nature, lol.

GIANT MOM CLOUD. And yeah, it's definitely Cloudy with a Chance of Mom, based on ep number and stuff we've seen before. I do have a theory about how this ep could go, I might talk about it sometime. Short version is: either PnF are intentionally doing this, or they take advantage of this, they do it because they WANT to show their mum.

Also from that episode, some "wind con"? Probably a throwaway gag. Candace seems to have a line cut off. Also, "vacuum con sucked", ha.

Candace from License to Bust with her driving instructor. Love the awkwardness here, it's hilarious.

Episode 505 (3b, Dry Another day), chilling in a pool? Also scene from the same ep with Candace dressed for cold weather and lots of weird water park looking stuff? I did see the submarine sandwich submarine labelled as from this episode but this doesn't seem to line up, maybe that was a mistake and Appetite for Adventure (502a) or something. Candace insists the time is important and brings Linda to watch the news. The clothes also makes me wonder if it's the ep with the song about all the seasons at once, cuz I recall that being a thing.

More than an Intern Clip (505b). So uh... is Carl okay? Did he quit being an OWCA intern, and is trying to do paid jobs? Or both at once? Either way, he seems very clearly worked up over being an OWCA intern.

Lord of the Firesides content, aka one of the eps I'm most eager to see... seems like a rough time for the Fireside Girls. Isabella seems struggling and suggests holding hands and singing a jovial song. Meanwhile, scene of Ginger going insane working on red velvet cupcakes, insisting she loves the taste while clearly being out of it. Why red velvet? It says so in the background. This does kinda feed into some ideas I've had for the ep before, but I'll keep it brief for here. Basically, it's an ep where the other Fireside Girls get sick of Isabella's shit. The red velvet thing is what really made me think of it.

Doof questioning Diminutive's death traps, wondering if LOVEMUFFIN it too evil... also, hippos instead of sharks. 513 - 7a = Agent T for Teen? Tho label says Agent A sequence.

Some of that Candace Suit song that leaked. Noticed it says 514 (aka 7b vs 8a), so IDK if some eps got shuffled around or what. Also a bit with Doof and an inator on his head in Perry's car.

Perry with specialised hats, a haberdasher and... creepy moth Doof? The Haberdasher, obviously (tho along with last ep, it's 515 aka 508a, so IDK what's the order here now). Also call me crazy, but is Alan Cumming the Haberdasher? Sounded a bit like him, even looks a bit like him. Maybe the upcoming Doctor Who ep is making me see things and connecting it to the time Swampy posted about him. Also with him talking about wanting to do this idea AND creepy moth Doof... I'm calling it, this is a Joshua Pruett episode. Also, shot of inator hitting satellite ready to hit some poor soul and Perry flying. Think Doof is probably thinking of using moths to eat the hats, maybe turning the Haberdasher into a mothman (will the cryptid be mentioned lol), but instead the inator hits Doof?

Candace mentions Bango Ru, and 517-A suggests it's Meap Me in St Louis (which may affect other numberings I've speculated on). Makes sense, not just cuz Bango Ru came in in the OG Meap but also the St Louis teaser has the Meap and Suzy fight in what seems like a Bango Ru convention (huh, wonder if it's a yearly thing?).

520, southern accented Doof looking weird with Perry. Same ep as the forced perspective western town. Feel like there should be a correlation here but IDK what.

532 scene again, Doof selling the exercise thing and saying it's free. Totally not an evil plan, guys.

Doof surrounded by sheep and complaining about losing sales. Ep 533, so towards the end of the season.

The scene from Biblio-Blast that was shown earlier. Still very funny.

Soooooo yeah, that's everything I caught and can infer based on other stuff we know. Looking pretty good here, now even more eager to see the episodes!

[streets-in-paradise]

Gladiator ll crafted a rivalry for the main heroes splitting the two stages of Maximus' character, exactly like Troy did when trying to emulate the first Gladiator.

Tags: @wildsaltair

GLADIATOR ll SPOILERS BELOW

This won't have the lenght this topic requires, but is the first thing I wanted to touch because I noticed it inmediately.

Given you know I am a huge fan of Troy, Macrinus didn't have to compare Lucius to Achilles in direct callback to the " Hector reborn" comparison Maximus received for me to cook this idea in the back of my mind through my first watching. The Lucius vs Acacius fight on the arena only solidified this perception that kept growing on me as the film advanced, and is that the sequel emulated the original in the very same way Troy did when trying to copy its success twenty years ago.

Taking advantage of some superficial similarities in the original characterization of the heroes from the Iliad, Troy crafted two lead heroes from the one of Gladiator: Hector, shaped in General Maximus, and Achilles, very obviously inspired in Maximus as his gladiator persona. In this last case, the callback is so obvious that the movie has its own version of the "Are you not entertained?" moment in the " Is there no one else?" the warrior yells at the enemy crowd after he easily took down their strongest man. These two men tecnically have an enemy in common, villian that comes from the political plot of the film, but war has put them against each other when one suffers the loss of a loved one in the hands of the other. The narrative shows very explicitly that the good commander didn't feel proud of his actions, but the bloodthirsty warrior can only think of revenge untill killing his opponent.

Stopping the movie's summary here, what I find interesting to revisit is the way the rivalry was constructed. There are no good guys vs bad guys in the Achilles vs Hector fight. Brad Pitt himself, on the film commentary, said that it was presented in a way that keeps you rooting for both. Hector and Achilles are heroes, and it's tragic that they are going to fight. Their true enemy is Agamemnon, who is actually going to profit from this battle when Achilles would take down his first great obstacle to conquer Troy. In fact, it's stated before that at the beggining of the film Agamemnon trully feared Achilles could side with Troy, so he is the only winner here. Seeing all the paralels between the heroes bringing them closer and closer despite their differences, you are left to wonder " This could have worked, if Hector and Achilles would have meet differently/ had an oportunity to see they could be on the same side". They even share a connection with a woman too! Briseis is the cousin of Hector, and Achilles' love interest.

Isn't this the exact same feeling that Lucius and Acacius give you, untill the general manages to convince the prince turned gladiator that he is not his enemy? They accomplished what Achilles and Hector couldn't, but it's too late because the good general will die anyways and chaos will be unleashed from this point. In one movie, this leads to the fall of Troy, while in the other it's implied Rome was saved after all once the villians fall because Lucius continues the task Acacius started.

I find fascinating how, willingly or unwillingly, this sequel's startpoint to recycle from the original follows the same central idea in one of those movies that tried to be like the original back in the day :

Split Maximus' character journey in two characters, and put the two halves against each other for personal reasons that deviate from a political trama where otherwise they would be two potential allies.

[alistair-blackwood]

Psst. Hey. What do you think Kabru's opinion on Laios' issues with his parents would be?

Gosh, I can barely manage to form my own concrete opinion on Laios' feelings about his parents, much less ascertain Kabru's, haha! After all, Laios says the source of his strained feelings towards his parents is how they treated Falin after her powers manifested, but then again, Falin still regularly writes to them and Laios himself says she wasn't particularly phased by her parents or the village's treatment of her (which is additionally confirmed in the AB). I can't help but wonder how much of Laios' resentment actually stems from how they treat Falin, or if he uses it as a justification to hide how deeply it hurt for him to feel like an outsider. I think this is best supported by how he says he couldn't stand how the village treated Falin, and yet, somewhat paradoxically, says this is the reason why he leaves her behind, which was worse for her than anything the village had done. As with all things, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

Personally, I can't help but feel a lot of the tension between Laios and his father comes from the two of them seeing in each other the parts they don't like about themselves. Ryoko Kui leaves just enough breadcrumbs in the supplemental material to imply Laios' father also has trouble connecting with and taking an interest in the people around him, finding solace in hunting and his dogs, and that could be why he appears to be so standoffish with his family. It's probably especially frustrating for him when Laios falls up short of his expectations because he himself has already run this circuit. I think it's intentional that Laios' father seems to be an alternate version of Laios if he'd never tried to become adventurer, although it's hard to say if Laios had ever picked up on that himself. If they were to ever understand the similarities between them, I think it would go a long way to mend their rift.

As to how Kabru would feel about it, I'm sure he'd recognize how deeply complicated and tangled Laios' feelings would be, considering his own complicated relationship with Milsiril. Coming to terms with your parents' flaws is such a tough pill to swallow, and lord knows it's 10x more complicated with everything going on between Kabru and Milsiril, but Kabru at least seems to have already reached a place where he's made his peace with it, the same as with Falin (which, ugh, Kabru, you are a much stronger person than I am lol). I do feel that he'd want to help Laios mend his relationship with his parents if it's something Laios expressed an interest in doing someday. If nothing else, I feel that Laios' opinion of his father would likely soften over time after having experienced a few stressful years of leadership himself. (I also think Laios' father would more easily come to terms with his own mistakes as a father after seeing Laios surrounded by people who love and accept him for being himself.)

[hellyrossum]

scattered non-comprehensive s2ep9 thoughts

at first i thought jame just invited himself into helena's house, but no, she still lives with him full time?? awful. she needs to get the fuck out of there. "i wish you'd eat them raw" fuck off man. she can't stomach being the perfect eagan heir; she never could.

miss eustice huang... that felt like not just her last scene in the season, but maybe the whole show?? which. makes me a little sad, honestly. i'd raised the idea to some friends after last ep that that ep might have been a good opportunity to include cuts to eustace as the b-plot to provide a grounding point / comparison for the related bits of cobel's backstory, and i'm feeling much more vindicated in that thought now. there's a lot you could do with a character like her, it feels like a shame to leave it here.

all the milchick stuff this ep is, as it has been through this whole season, spectacular. tramell tillman the actor you are. i really wonder what role he'll be playing in the finale, now that he's seemingly teetering on the edge of rebellion...

"[dylan] has to choose between one group of people or the other; choose which version of himself gets to be loved. and innies aren't made to be loved." <- shoutout to that last line basically calling the end of this arc this season. dylan g. tries to have what he as an innie can't, and so he loses both his outie's family and the remaining connections he had down here. and then he pulls what irving b. tried to, and there's no one to do for him what he did for irving. evil, evil show.

(dylan, whose world blew open when he learned he was a dad but will never get to meet his kids, telling miss huang it isn't her fault... augh. ...meanwhile, no one's there to reassure seth, tell him it isn't his fault. he has to say it for himself.)

related: when the dylan-helly convo started i was so excited to see the show highlighting their bond again. and then it stabbed me. i get it, dylan, but. somehow this season feels like it's been even harsher on helly emotionally than last season was. which, when she's your favorite character, means. pain. good pain, tbc

the irving and burt stuff... god. there's something about jon tuturro's facial acting in this ep that's so... he looks so young and desperate. makes the heartbreak hit so hard.

dr. mauer. the band-aid on his forehead from when gemma hit him with the chair... directly parallels mark's head wound and band-aid from when helly threw the speaker at him in s1ep1. which could mean nothing

so, reghabi was just, wrong about the innie cabin not being a viable option?? like, it'd be one thing if she said "there's no way we're getting in there", but instead she said "they're two completely different things," which to me at least implied it wouldn't trigger the switchover to innie mark. is it that there's something special about this cabin - and if so... why? why would they need a cabin that-- ...oh. right, that... was established as a thing that some work innies have experienced. ... killing jame eagan right now with my mind

mark calls devon persephone in s2ep2. in this ep cobel passes her off as “one of jame’s”. if lumon is the underworld, then... you see it, right. (in a way, mark s. is the "child" of jame's that devon is responsible for. a fucked way, but. that's the only read i have of this parallel that isn't. well.)

(helena has siblings she probably doesn't even know about, out there in the world. ...potential replacement heirs, if she fails her father enough times. ...almost makes me wonder if she was a bastard child, actually.)

living for the crumbs of devon interacting with mark s. <3

really surprised there was no ricken this ep. like, i can't imagine him showing up in the finale, and i was so expecting that we'd get one more scene with him this season to put a (temporary) bow on his subplot. maybe we'll get something with him calling to check in on devon??

speaking of the season finale, apparently it's gonna be the same length as this ep? not 76 minutes?? i mean, they wrapped a lot of stuff up in this one, but that's gotta be a very packed 44 minutes to contain the innie mark - outie mark convo (which better go hard as hell) AND whatever jame has come to helly for (so scared for that. sir don't you have cold harbor to be worrying about. are you going to use her as leverage against mark. or is this more personal.) AND the full explanation/demonstration of what cold harbor actually is AND THEN the break-in to the testing floor + mark-gemma reunion + escape attempt, along with outie mark meeting helly for the first time somewhere in there. and also hopefully dr. mauer getting what he deserves (killed <3 )