#i'm talking about the “i do have universal appeal” scene

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

for the character ask game :3

Zed Necrodopolis and questions 2, 6, 10, 11, 12, 25, and 26 (sorry for picking so many questions, I just want to hear your opinions on Zed)

don't apologize !! i LOVE answering these <33 ask game here

2. favorite canon thing about this character?

probably that he's so affectionate with addie and that he's just so in love with her and also that fact that he's canonically aware that he's hot heheh

6. what's something you have in common with this character?

being born in october....KIDDING (we do have that in common though) but seriously, we both feel threatened when someone surpasses us which is not an amazing thing to have in common...but our humor is kinda the same so we have that going for us

10. could you be best friends with this character?

eh i'd love to but probably not, i'm very quiet when i'm getting to know people and he's very....not. also i can't afford to have another giant as a friend /hj. if we could get past the awkward stage, it could possibly work

11. would you date this character?

absolutely!!! he's literally the absolute sweetest with addie and is willing to do whatever it takes to make her happy and safe so i assume he'd do the same with anyone he dated. and he can control his zombie-ing out so there's very little chance of me getting hurt. let's ignore that i was just complaining about our height difference

12. what's a headcanon you have for this character?

i already got a whole bunch but i guess a new one would be that he used to 'protect' zoey from thunderstorms when they were younger, ya know, hold her, shield her from the noise, distract her with games or stories, that kinda stuff

25. what was your first impression of this character? how about now?

literally my only thought (that i can remember) after first watching the movie was that he was cute...i had a very big crush on milo after the movie first came out (and i still do). but now, while i definitely still think that, i also think that he's kinda me-coded but if i was extroverted and didn't have nearly crippling social anxiety

26. what's something the character has done that you can't get over? be it something funny, bad, good, serious, whatever?

probably the whole swiping the moonstone necklace thing. it annoyed me then and it annoys me now. z2 zed is not my favorite person

[sarshles-cheescake-li]

Some fun translation facts about Yingdu...

-Xia Fei doesn't necessarily call Vein "warm-hearted." “热心肠" doesn't mean warm-hearted, as in compassionate. It's based on 热心, or passionate. You use it for someone who's helpful, whom you can expect to speak up for people, but not necessarily someone who's "warm." It's more a comment on someone's willingness to get involved in other people's business than their kindness.

-Laoban (老板) is a pretty common way for employees to refer to their bosses. Distinctive from surname-laoban (e.g. Li-laoban), since surnames are usually used if 1. you need to distinguish between several superiors, 2. you're trying to appeal to someone (aka basically talking them up), or 3. you're on somewhat-equal ground with the person, socially, and using it literally because they're the boss of a company. Other terms like -xiansheng (先生)/-nüshi (女士)depending on the person's gender) and -zong (总) may also be used, but laoban (without a surname) is the most "casual" without being informal. Informally, you might use surname-ge (哥)/jie (姐) (common between people of similar ages with an authority/respect gradient, sometimes used casually between friends for an older person), lao (老)-surname (more common the older you get, typically for seniority or generation gaps, but some older folks will use it universally for their friends who are around the same age), dage (大哥)/dajie (大姐) (implies a more familial relationship, but not as explicitly as gege (哥哥) or jiejie(姐姐)). In short: Xia Fei's "laoban," in terms of word choice, is pretty normal socially -- unlike in English where "boss" is kinda a weird term to call someone as their default name. What makes it silly is the fact that he uses it very informally.

-Cheng Xiaoshi calling people 帅哥 (hottie) isn't exactly correct. The shuaige/meinü (美女) (handsome man/beautiful woman) combo is just a pretty common compliment to give someone. It doesn't have to actually imply attraction, and it is often more of a "wow, this person's conventionally attractive" thing. Of course, I'm not saying that that is exactly how Cheng Xiaoshi meant it -- with that tone and context, it could go either way.

-Same logic applies to 美少年 (handsome young man), except it has far more of a teasing/ironic implication, especially when preceded by 美少女 (beautiful young woman). So far as I can tell, 美少年 kind of refers to the same kind of vibe and appearance as… a twink, just without the queer undertones. The bi-coding of that scene would actually require a second layer of linguistic irony that's kind of difficult to explain, although, rest assured, there is still a pretty bi way of reading it.

-Xia Fei's contact name for Liu Xiao means "client who doesn't mind his own business/is nosy/bothers me with a lot of things/is hard to please" or that general vibe. Basically, annoying, but very specifically the high-maintenance flavour of annoying.

-When Vein tells Xia Fei to "脾气收敛点" (or, well, Xia Fei promises to do so) as in to control his temper, the 脾气 he uses doesn't exactly mean temper, in the sense of anger. It's more of how thick your skin is, or how tolerant you are of bs (although it's also dependent on context). In the context of Xia Fei using it, it comes closer to "stop being so impulsive and reacting to people who don't need reacting to." So, more like "control yourself." Notably, 脾气 can also refer to when someone's whining. Like, if my roommate is acting all annoyed at me because I called potatoes ugly (they are extraordinarily ugly), I might say to her “发什么脾气呢" (what are you throwing a fuss about) as a joke.

Another fun fact: some nicknames for the Yingdu trio on Lofter are 鸟木哥, based on 枭, 非文哥, based on 斐 (both of these are deconstructions of their names), and 静脉哥, based the Mandarin term for Vein, as in the blood vessel.

English internet: I'm going to shorten this six-letter long name into two letters so it's easier to type.

Chinese internet: I'm going to lengthen this two-character name into three characters so it's funnier to type.

[goldeaglefire1]

so. played the Pristine Cut a few days ago (not the first time I've played Slay the Princess, for the record; I actually got into it like a month ago and have kinda just. lurked in the background, not making any posts about it. so uh. hi guys) and. GOD this game is good for so many reasons, with even more reasons being added by the Pristine Cut, and I know a lot of people have made posts about how good Happily Ever After is already, but, since I haven't seen anyone post about it from the angle I'm looking at it...y'all mind if I ramble about how good the Happily Ever After route is from a narrative perspective. trick question, I wasn't asking; I'm going to ramble about how good the Happily Ever After route is from a narrative perspective.

so! let's talk about the Damsel for a minute. this is all fairly obvious stuff but stick with me here; we need to lay the groundwork for the main discussion. the Damsel, from a purely Doylist perspective, is the archetypical "damsel in distress" trope - the girl at the end of the villain's lair who has no agency of her own and exists purely as a reward for the hero completing his journey and beating up the villain (before you get mad, I know the Damsel is not actually like this in-universe, and that fact is actually a surprise tool that will help us later, but, again, looking at this from a purely Doylist perspective: outside the world of Slay the Princess, not in it) - fundamentally, she's there to make you happy. the Shifting Mound changes based on perception, and by treating her as the archetypical damsel in distress in Chapter 1, she actually becomes one come Chapter 2, with all her hard, unconventional edges like, to pick a random example here, "the capacity to horrifically self-mutilate herself," being sanded away for a perfect storybook ending. that's what you wanted, after all.

and, if you take everything at face value, that's exactly what you get! if you follow the Voice of the Smitten's advice and completely ignore the Narrator's nonsense about how she'll "end the world" or something, you will get exactly what you asked for, because, well. that's all there is to it! there is no deeper story here, it's just "hero saves princess, the end," end scene, move on to the next princess. but that's the Damsel route, and we're here to talk about the Happily Ever After route. and in order to properly get the Happily Ever After route, you have to horribly fuck up the extremely simple narrative presented before you. so, how do you do that? two ways - either try to question the princess's character and see what underlying motives she has, or, the method I'm choosing to focus on (both because it's the one I got when I first got the Happily Ever After route and because it better illustrates my point) - when you get near the end of the Damsel's story, right as you're about to get your Happily Ever After...you listen to the Voice of the Hero. because while the Smitten may be ignoring literally everything the Narrator says, the Hero has not been doing that, and quite frankly has some concerns about the potential end of the world thing. if she really can end the world...well, she just wants to make us happy, right? so surely nothing will go wrong if you just decide to stay in the cabin forever! it's a perfect compromise!

spoiler alert: it is not a perfect compromise. it is in fact as far from a perfect compromise as you can possibly get. makes sense, really, as there are no real compromises in Slay the Princess - you can either choose to trust the Narrator in any given route, trust the Princess in any given route, or you can choose, to quote the Contrarian in the Apotheosis, the third option that nobody wants. and the only two times the third option is any good is, well, when you're very intentionally spiting both parties - hi Contrarian - and when there's an actual third party you can appeal to, as is the case at the end of the game. every other time? you will be massively punished by the narrative for trying to find another option. try the "let's keep the princess in the cabin" maneuver in chapter 1? you get the Nightmare. try to be a smartass and avoid the "slay the princess/save the princess" issue altogether? you get the Stranger.

hell, every chapter 3 is ultimately the result of you not playing the role you're supposed to in the narrative (aside from the Razor who forces you to go to a chapter 3 no matter what but she doesn't count). if you play the role you're given in chapter 2, you'll be fine! for example - did you get the Spectre? congratulations! you get the Voice of the Cold, a cold-blooded killer - except, hmm...the princess is already dead, so no one to kill there...but there is the Narrator, who you're fairly mad at for the frankly terrible reward for doing your damn job, so how do you kill him? easy - take the princess out into the world and let her world-destroying properties do the job for you. did you get the Beast? congratulations! you get the Voice of the Hunted, a meek prey animal trying to avoid a massive predator...except, well, bad news, boss - you're the only food around here, so you're going to have to get eaten. sorry man. did you get the Nightmare? congratulations! you get the Voice of the Paranoid, a nervous wreck who, frankly, does NOT want to be here, and, well. honestly, do you expect to be able to save the world? the fact that you're even managing to stand up next to this eldritch abomination is a miracle; you might as well just let her out, because, frankly, who would blame you? and so on and so forth.

the Damsel's narrative is extremely simple. you get the Voice of the Smitten, a classic, overly dramatic, simple hero to match the simple princess you're given. your job is to swoop in, sweep her off her feet, and leave. that's it. that is all there is to it. the Narrator's talk about her ending the world does not fit into this narrative, so you have to discard it. after all, why would the hero release a world-ending monster into the world? that's preposterous! he must be lying, obviously. but, by giving the Narrator the benefit of a doubt, or trying to dig deeper into the Damsel's narrative role and find depth when there is none, you expose the cracks in that narrative...and chief among those cracks is that the Damsel is not the simple character her narrative role wants her to be.

I'm not going to do a full character analysis on the Damsel because that's not the point of this post, but even on the most surface-level reading, the Damsel has two very clear desires - she wants to make you happy, and she wants to be free. and, yeah, that's fairly straightforward, but it's more than nothing, which, ah, doesn't exactly bode well. after all, the Damsel's narrative role is that of the damsel in distress, a role most known for, very notably, having no agency, and here you are, dangling her freedom right in front of her face and snatching it away, and quite frankly, that sucks! she wants to be free! she wants to be free a LOT more than she wants to make some stranger she barely knows happy, and while normally those two desires have no conflict with each other, now they do, and while the chapter 1 princess could have done something about this situation and gone Nightmare on your ass, being a blank slate as far as the narrative goes, that's not an option anymore - you've locked her into her narrative role, now, and as a damsel in distress, she can't do shit. the worst she can do is be mildly upset but otherwise have zero objections to your proposal

luckily (or, well, unluckily depending on your point of view), that's enough for you to get your proper comeuppance in the form of Smitten. poor, poor Smitten - unlike the Damsel, he really is as simple as he appears to be on the surface. even on other routes, he is always, always madly in love with the princess, no matter how she looks or acts, and all he wants is to make her happy. a simple character for a simple narrative, who, conveniently, is NEVER forced to question the Princess' role in that narrative...until now. until you forced the fact that she is NOT the simple damsel she's supposed to be directly in his face, and that she's unhappy with your decision, well. that can't be right. she can't be unhappy, we're supposed to make her happy no matter what! something's clearly wrong here - it can't be the princess, because blaming the princess for anything is inherently not an option for Smitten; it's not in his nature. it can't be us, or at least he can't figure out how it could be us, because he's a simple character for a simple narrative, and the thought of "dangling the princess's freedom in front of her and then taking it away is a massive dick move" doesn't even occur to him, because he doesn't realize that's what we were doing. so...it must be something else. maybe the Narrator, who's been describing her as this world-ending abomination when she's clearly a maiden in need of rescue, or this cabin, because, well, why would a princess be in a cabin? she need a proper castle, obviously! he can fix this, surely, there has to be some solution here, he can make this work again...and it all begins by bearing out his heart.

or, rather, YOUR heart. which, you know, kills us. everything goes dark, and we die, etc., onto the new chapter! or epilogue, if you want to go by the title card. welcome to Happily Ever After, the reward you deserve! you goddamn bastard. this route is effectively Smitten's attempt to fix the narrative you broke - and, in many ways, his efforts can be compared to the OTHER route you get by breaking the narrative of the Damsel, that being the Burning Grey. in that route, you kill the Damsel, and, well, that very obviously breaks the narrative, so when Smitten kills you in retaliation and a new world is formed, the Damsel, now the titular Burning Grey, tries to fix it. much like Smitten can't blame her, she can't blame you, because her narrative role doesn't allow it, and she doesn't blame herself, because she did literally nothing to deserve that (aside from like. the fact that she killed you that one time but frankly if you hold that against her that's a bit of a dick move), so she comes to the same conclusion that there must be an external force responsible for derailing the story. the difference between Smitten here and the Burning Grey is the solutions they come up with: the Burning Grey, fundamentally, is part the Shifting Mound, the embodiment of change, rebirth, and death. so, naturally, the solution she comes up with is to burn down the cabin with both herself and us inside, finally being together with her love forever. by melting together her and our flesh. which, you know, sucks, but at the very least the death is...relatively quick?

the Happily Ever After route does not give you or the Princess the luxury of death. after all, Smitten is not a part of the Shifting Mound, but a part of you - the Long Quiet, the embodiment of stasis and stagnation. killing you or the princess doesn't even occur to him as an option - at least, it doesn't now that he's outside of you. and while this allows him to get something much closer to what we would associate with a happy ending, it falls apart fast. the same feasts over and over again, growing more stale and bland with time, the same games over and over again, excitement dulling into boredom as you play repeatedly with no end in sight...it's not Happily Ever After, not even close, but it's the best he can manage. after all, isn't this what you wanted? you DID save the princess, and Smitten is a simple character for a simple narrative, so, this is the only option he can think of outside of riding off into the sunset with our beloved. so, this has to be what you wanted, right?

and as for the princess? well, if she was locked by the narrative before, it's even worse now with Smitten. after all, as far as she's concerned, Smitten is us, so all she knows is that, after we dangled her freedom in front of her and took it away, and she showed even the slightest bit of resistance in response, we proceeded to make her already bad situation into a living goddamn nightmare. so, yeah, she is terrified of what could possibly happen if she shows she isn't happy with this, so she's quick to smother any and all signs of dissatisfaction in the hopes that, as long as she seems happy with all this, you can't make this worse somehow. the MOST she does in terms of resistance is wear the Pristine Blade as a necklace, which is honestly more of a vague hope of "if you won't let me free from this cabin alive, then maybe at the very least you'll let me free from this cabin in death? please? on god?"

and, well, you could in fact do that. or, hell, if you REALLY feel like being an asshole, you could decide to NOT break the facade at all. but if you really want to make it up to the princess? if you realize how badly you've fucked up and want to actually make up for your mistakes? you have to let her actually express her discomfort. you have to give her back the agency she's been denied by the narrative - the agency you took away in the first place. and once she finally has that back...she cries. in relief, because she's finally free from the hell you put her in, in sorrow because, despite it all, the facade of a happy ending was nice while it lasted, in a mix of both with the tears she'd been unable to shed for so, so long...and, at the end of the day, despite having every right to hate you...she doesn't. because you DID set her free, in the end. you realized your mistakes, you learned and changed as a person, and you actually made things right, so even though you might have made her life a living nightmare...she's willing to give things a fresh start. and whether you decide to amicably part ways or start something new together, at long last, she'll finally have her chance to dance under the stars.

this is a love story.

[avelera]

hi! first off, i love your arcane meta, especially the jayce characterization and hextech details. you get it.

now second, (and feel free to ignore this wall of text for any reason):

if you're in the mood to talk about meta, i'm curious to hear your take on one season 2 thing that i've been scratching my head about

how much does post-anomaly jayce know about the future? my initial impression was that wizard viktor only told jayce what we see onscreen, and jayce was kind of improvising and trying his best without detailed knowledge of future events.

but some lines ("we're meant to lose this fight") and a comment from the artbook (post-anomaly jayce wearing armor bc he knows there is a battle coming) imply that he knows more than he lets on.

what's your (watsonian) take of jayce's knowledge of the future in season 2? is there any detail in the show that sheds some light on this?

i think jayce knowing or not knowing about certain events really recontextualises some scenes. is he following his own or wizard viktors plans? is he suprised about the events of act 3? i've been rotating this in my head but i'm not sure what interpretation i prefer.

Thank you so much!

As for your question, it's a really interesting one!

Unfortunately, I do think I need to start the answer with the Doylist one:

Jayce knows as much about the future as he needs to for the plot.

I think this is important to note because it informs an understanding of their choice not to show us him getting an exposition download of everything Wizard Viktor has worked out over the years as to how exactly Jayce can thread this needle of saving Viktor at exactly the right time.

Because, in theory, the amount of optimization could be infinite. It could get all the way down to, "Jayce needs to be scared into falling into this exact pit and spending no more than 3 months there because that gives him the suffering needed for his plea to Viktor to be heartfelt and informed by similar suffering, but not so long that Jayce goes insane from isolation."

Or even things like, "Ekko needs to go to the Happy Zaun universe or else he won't have the sympathy needed for him to prevent Jinx's suicide and without her present at the battle, one of Herald Viktor's mind-control arms snatches up Ekko too soon rather than grabbing Jinx instead, so he's not there to buy Jayce's those critical extra seconds for his appeal to True Love and also put a bomb in Herald Viktor's face."

That said....

I admit, part of me still sort of wishes that Jayce had been the one to go through multiple realities of optimizing, just because I think it answers... a few more questions? Like how did he suddenly get so comfortable with killing someone like Salo, if he wasn't fighting in other universes? Why does he look so aged if only 3-6 months passed? How does he know things like how exactly to get to Viktor's commune and the fact they're going to lose the fight, etc etc etc.?"

I think it would have been cool and very fitting for Jayce but I will admit, the story we got covers all of this too.

Jayce's aging could easily be the product of extreme hardship (I wouldn't be surprised if the animators referred to images of people who have been, say, stranded on desert islands or prisoners of war for long periods to inform just how much Jayce's face muscles wasted away while he was there and just how much extreme hardship can age you because it can be extreme even within a few months and between pain, starvation, dehydration, and magical gangrene, Jayce was going through it).

Jayce's comfort with the idea of killing Salo could just be a product of his hardship (killing and eating lizards with his bare hands lol yuck), or of understanding that assimilated people are already dead, effectively, and to stop that future he cannot hesitate at all. Also, maybe he just fucking hates that guy, which would be pretty understandable after Salo voted to banish him back in 1.02 and also is very funny to me, personally, that he was just a little more comfortable smooshing that particular Councilor than he would be literally anyone else.

And this is were I get to your question: how much does Jayce know? Presumably, if we go Watsonian, whatever Wizard Viktor believed he needed to know to actually thread this needle, because there's probably information he doesn't need to know too.

For example, Jayce might know:

He cannot let a Cultist get back to Viktor with Hexgems. Salo needs to go. Who knows what this prevented but I can easily see how Viktor having more power right now to prolong his healing/assimilation would be a bad thing regardless. Also just... having Salo at all as a potential power player that Viktor could work through.

He knows where the commune is. In theory, he probably could just ask someone in Zaun too I mean, I doubt it's a secret, and narratively we don't need to see that.

He knows he cannot under any circumstances let Viktor talk to him once they're face to face. He can't even look at Viktor after Viktor knows he's there. There's a heavy implication that if Cult Leader Viktor so much as smiles at him, Jayce will fold, if we believe the little flash of memory of Jayce remembering him smiling at him isn't just Dead Wive Vision but is actually Anomaly Future Jayce warning him about what happened to him to lead t that point, which I think is a baller theory.

He can't give into Viktor, ever. He can't let Viktor touch his forehead before the right time. Jayce fights like mad to get away from that robot once Viktor decides that Jayce will be his partner again or else.

He knows he needs to take all the Hexgems out of the base of the Hexgate, but is it to stop Viktor? Or is to buy a few extra seconds while Viktor plugs them back in again so that Ekko has time to wake up? This is the sort of thing where Wizard Viktor might know the real reason for something but doesn't need to get that granular with why because it's about buying time, not actually preventing the Herald from grabbing the Anomaly.

By the way, I have a theory that one reason Jayce needs to get the gem burned into his wrist is because there's universes where his bracelet gets cut off and he loses the gem so Wizard Viktor is like, "This is gonna suck, but you really need this thing embedded in your flesh so it's there at the right time." Though, it could also be so he can engage the magic in his Alt Universe hammer. Still, I am a little sad that it's not an effect of Jayce universe hopping where some battle got it burned into him, because that was my original theory and I'm still very partial to it.

Jayce knows that he has no chance of winning the fight, he just needs to survive it. Once he gets to the top of the tower, once he grasps the hammer, it's all over. From that point on, the only thing he can do is have faith and get his big Power of Love speech ready, that is his only chance.

As for what Jayce is surprised by, I do think he might have been told information but not shown it necessarily. I am still really sad we didn't get a visual of what Wizard Viktor told him but, at the same time, one of the fun parts of Arcane is that it doesn't spoon-feed us, which gives us the chance for discussions like this, so wanting that scene is me being a Jayce addict not because I think it would necessarily strengthen the story.

So I think Jayce doesn't know what Machine Herald Viktor looks like. It's possible that Wizard Viktor doesn't either, because that didn't happen to Wizard Viktor, he didn't get slowed down at the commune, Jayce probably joined him there and probably didn't fight him at all, there's a strong hint that Anomaly Universe Jayce surrendered to Viktor at the top of the tower (the explosion marks around him are behind him, which implies that the force of his conversion might have been in front and willing, like he was kneeling before his king, and we don't have the top of his head to know which direction the fingerprints are positioned in).

So basically, Machine Herald Viktor is a product of Viktor needing Singed to regain enough power to go get the Anomaly, which Wizard Viktor didn't need to do.

It's possible that Wizard Viktor doesn't know about Ekko, he just knows that something outside his awareness has to happen for MH Viktor to be caught off guard, and as MH Viktor says, "That device cannot be," he cannot in his infinite knowledge account for what happens in a world where Hextech never got beyond its infancy with Jayce and Viktor at the helm.

So, at a certain point, there may have been things that Jayce and Wizard Viktor just had to rely on faith to come about too.

But it's way more fun to speculate because I think we'd be punching holes in it instead of speculating on it if we had been given this whole download.

Hope that answers your question??

[mama-qwerty]

Sonic 3 Review

Okay guys, I'm still gonna do some breakdowns of scenes and characters (feel free to keep sending in asks if you have something specific you want my take on), but wanted to get my thoughts on the movie out there.

Keep in mind that I came into Sonic through the movies, and have never played or watched any cut scenes from the older games. I have no idea the actual plot and specific details of any of them, just a vague "this happened in some game or another" in the broadest of senses.

So I didn't come into Sonic 3 with any preconceived ideas about what should be in it regarding Shadow's story. The movieverse is a separate universe (as are all Sonic media, in my mind), so even if there were some things that were different, I took them in correlation with what's been established, or what can be done under the rules and physics of the movie's world building.

Obviously spoilers ahead:

All in all, I found the movie fun, and it told a good story with good characterizations. The action started quickly and kept steady through most of it. We had an exciting introduction to Shadow at the very beginning, when he woke up and chose violence, and it was a good way to start things off.

Yeah, it was a little goofy in some parts, but this is a movie made to appeal to children, so Jeff and Co. couldn't go all into the angst for the whole thing. There were some parts I would have done differently, or omitted entirely, but if you look at the more weird parts of the movie as kind of along the same lines as Boom (especially for the dance number in the laser hallway) you can roll with it.

There were many moments that tugged at your heartstrings, and a few very powerful moments that I've already talked about. There is a much more emotional impact in this one that was missing from the first two, as our boys struggle with their actions and how they affect others. They were all handled very well, with each having a good role to play in the story.

The climax was great, and it was exciting to see Sonic and Shadow working together.

As I said, all in all, a really fun ride and my whole family enjoyed it a lot.

That said, let's look at a few of the points that I see some complaining about, and my take on them.

Not Enough Wachowski Family Moments

Okay, this one I will kinda agree with. We got a teeny peek into their dynamic is a family at the beginning, right before Rockwell showed up to whisk the boys away to clean up their mess. It would have been nice to see them all interacting more, to see how Knux and Tails have fit into this dynamic.

Devil's Advocate - There's only so much screen time available, and we know they're a family. We don't need to be bludgeoned over the head with fluffy scenes of the boys doing chores and having group hugs and all that. It would have slowed the narrative, and in the end, all that would not further reinforce the idea that they've come together as a family any more than their camping trip and celebration for Sonic's "B-Earth-day" already established.

Shadow's Origin Change

In the movieverse, Gerald claims that Shadow came to Earth encased in a meteorite. His energy readings were off the scale, so they took him to a facility to study him. He was not originally created by Gerald, and was simply an alien come to Earth and then taken to be studied.

Devil's Advocate - I have no opinion regarding this change, as the movieverse is different from any other media. They've already altered backstories where they needed, to make things at least somewhat 'realistic' and allow the boys to exist in 'our' world without major complications of Sonic just running around as a child fighting Eggman, and Knuckles being the last of his kind and having thousands of years separating him from his closest ancestors. (Not to mention the size change of the Master Emerald - having one the size of a VW Beetle would have been a little hard to hide or cart around.)

Having Shadow arrive kinda like Stitch is fitting in this version of the Sonic verse, as going into a lengthy explanation of how Gerald could manage to create a space hedgehog from scratch, when Angel Island may or may not exist, would have pushed suspension of disbelief a little much.

Maria's Not Sick

I thought the whole "Gerald takes her with him everywhere" thing for Maria seemed a bit flimsy, especially since she wasn't sick and in need of him to find a cure for her. They were in a super high security facility and there's this girl who's just allowed to wander freely simply because she's the granddaughter of the lead scientist?

I would have liked to see more of the reasoning behind her being there. And more of Maria and Shadow's relationship, especially from Shadow's side.

Devil's Advocate - Despite my comments above, I actually liked that they didn't make Maria's defining factor be her illness. She was a character in her own right, and befriended Shadow out of her own kindness, and not simply because he was created to cure her, and thus they were kinda forced to be together. She reached out immediately, and essentially kidnapped him from his tests to show him how to have fun. She showed him kindness, not because he was supposed to be her 'cure', but because she saw this little boy, all alone, and treated as a thing by the scientists, and took it upon herself to show him that he was more than that.

Too Much Gerald and Eggman Screentime

I will admit that sometimes it did seem like they were focusing a little too much on the Robotniks. We were subjected to a montage of Eggman living out little moments of childhood 'milestones' with Gerald, and that aforementioned dance number in the hallway was reminiscent of the dance battle in the second movie. Kinda silly.

Devil's Advocate - I think these scenes were to delve a little into Ivo's character a bit. It was established in the first one that he was an orphan, and through the second it reinforced the idea that he thought he didn't need anyone. He pushed people away, built his walls, and hid behind his bots. But now that he's faced with an actual blood relative, who seems to want him around, all those walls came down and we saw the hurt little boy within Ivo. This only made it hurt all the more when Gerald turned on him. And damnit, I actually felt bad for Ivo in that moment.

The Master Emerald/Chaos Emeralds

There is some confusion as to how these things worked. At the end of the 2nd movie, Sonic very distinctly sent all the chaos emeralds away. Knuckles reformed the Master Emerald without them. But in this movie, Sonic went Super with the Master Emerald, and somehow the chaos emeralds were still within it.

Devil's Advocate - Yeah, I got nothin'. 😆 Not sure if there was a deleted scene explaining that or something, but it seemed a pretty glaring continuity error.

But, whatevs. We go with it. 'Cause dis is how we roll.

And as an aside WHY DO YOU HATE WADE, JEFF??? Seriously, there were so many other ways to handle that scene, and you did THAT to him?? UUUGGGGHGGHGHGHGHh

Sonic Didn't Call Tom and Maddie "Dad and Mom"

Okay, yeah, I agree with this one. He called Tom 'Dad' at the end of the 2nd, meaning he finally accepted them as his parents. They call themselves a family. And yes, I will accept that he may slip back into their names during lighter times, when it's an emotional scene, he should call them "Mom and Dad". Such as in the cave and when Tom was hurt.

Devil's Advocate - Yeah, no, I can't argue with this. You can't have him call Tom 'Dad' in the last movie and then never touch on that again. The boys didn't even call each other 'brothers', for crying out loud! The perfect place to do that would have been the cornfield, and it was still 'friends'. THEY ARE BROTHERS YOUR HONOR AND TOM AND MADDIE ARE THEIR PARENTS

~~~

I'm not saying the movie was 100% perfect. There were things I found silly, or unnecessary. Things I would have done differently.

But taking a step back and looking at the full picture, and not just the individual brush strokes, it was entertaining, fun, and had more than a few moments that I found really powerful, much more than either of the previous ones did.

I'm excited to see where they go in the next one. Things are really ramping up.

~~~

Check out my other Sonic 3 analysis posts

[theravenkin]

hey followers and mutuals:

just a reminder that you can help suffering palestinians from afar. it feels hopeless, but there's always something we can do.

you can donate. i've been donating to the palestinian children's relief fund; there's also a chapter on campus at my university. there are other organizations you can donate with, too: unicef and launchgood are good ones too i think. it doesn't have to be a hundred dollars at a time; give whatever you can afford. just remember why you're giving in the first place.

you can boycott. boycott starbucks, boycott mcdonald's, boycott nestle products, coke products, unilever products...there are so many fucking companies with their hands in israel's pockets (and vice versa) right now. even better, the boycotts are working. starbuck's stocks have dropped like crazy in the past couple of weeks; the world is feeling our collective effects. boycotts work if we stick to them. go to bdsmovement.net to learn about more companies you can boycott or pressure.

you can call your representatives. call and email your representatives every single day. you can call the white house. you can tell them that you are a registered voter and that you will not be voting for any candidate who does not demand a ceasefire. tell them that you will refuse to support any elected official who accepts bribes from AIPAC (such as democrats Brian Higgins, Gregory Meeks, Joseph Morelle, and Ritchie Torres of NY and Pete Aguilar, Ami Bera, and Julia Brownley of Cali). flood those motherfuckers with messages. it does more than you think.

you can share. get on social media and find those palestinian journalists and civilians who are sharing in real time scenes from Gaza. it's gruesome and it is horrifying, but people (especially those so removed from it) need to see it to understand. western media can only spread so much propaganda; when you've seen those dying children, people crying and searching through rubble for their families, something is bound to change. go to instagram and follow motaz (@motaz_azaiza), bisan (@wizard_bisan1), plestia (@byplestia), the heroes on the ground in gaza, risking their lives. they start each new post with "i'm still alive", often worrying that they may not be for long. palestinians are begging the rest of the world to listen and to tell their story in case they don't make it. they just want to be remembered. that's the very least we can do.

you can have conversations. talk to your friends, your family. post on social media. address it directly. it will be uncomfortable. you dont have to be aggressive about it; just try to appeal to people's humanity, present them with the facts, and if you must, show them the gruesome footage from gaza or the badly veiled propaganda from israeli officials. do anything you can to get them to care. tell them how they can help. get people talking about it, even just thinking about it.

you can educate yourself. i've learned more about the history of israel and palestine in the last few days than i ever had before. and let me tell you: learning the objective facts of history makes it 200% easier to know who to support.

you can support your muslim, jewish, and arab friends. they all need it right now. check in on them and see how they're doing. let them know that you're trying to do something; even though it feels small, it will mean something to them, i promise. let them know you're there and you support them.

please please share and do whatever you can to help those suffering without food, water, electricity, or medical care right now. don't be afraid of the issue because it's "sensitive" or "controversial". it's uncomfortable to face, but it should be more uncomfortable to allow thousands to die while we do nothing.

free palestine. 🇵🇸

[rexomi]

Inquisition Replay Rambles

I'm replaying Inquisition and I want to ramble about it a bit. This is going to be a bit of analysis about his first conversation with Lavellan. This will be of course only my opinion, I think part of the appeal of Solas is there are so many facets to him that there's a lot that could be said depending on what speaks to you personally.

This will only be through the lens of Inquisition. I am not interested in discussing through VGs lens. Due to continuity, I will be referring to the Inquisitor as the Herald/prisoner/Lavellan depending on which is relevant.

But also I don't care, I just really want talk about Solas and make you look at screenshots so here we go.

It's very important to me to state how early in game this is. You potentially haven't even left Haven yet and I think that sheds some light on what exactly Solas' purpose is with this conversation. This unlocks after the Inquisition is reborn officially. In the game Solas is nowhere to be found during this scene but in universe Solas probably watched the Herald's first walk up to the Chantry after waking up.

Mere days ago a prisoner was dragged through Haven in chains. While we do not know exactly what happened between first appearing in front of the ruined Temple and waking in chains, it would not surprise me if Solas had pleaded for the prisoner's life. Not out of any affection but out of desperation. His Focus is still missing and whatever hope he has to regain it is the magic in the prisoner's hand.

He had talked with her on the march up the the Temple of Sacred ashes but she was still the Prisoner then; now the Herald of Andraste walks up to him.

He's testing the Herald.

Solas is gambling. He's desperately trying to predict where the dice will fall. He cannot retrieve the Mark or he would've already. What will she do with this power? Not only the ability to close the Rifts and Breach but also the sheer belief that is being placed on her. If she is capable enough he only knows that will grow.

He is in a very precarious situation. He is everything the Chantry despises and he is painfully aware of it. Still weak from waking from Uthenara just earlier that year. So to test her he offers her pieces of himself, who he is at his core - an Elven Apostate who seeks out the company of spirits - and waits to see what she says.

He is risking so much by these admissions. Templars wield the brand for lesser "crimes" than being an odd apostate. Elves are seen as spiritually and legally lesser, the Chantry declaring their souls further from the Maker. Spirit Healers face greater suspicion from Templars, terrified that they'll turn abomination due to their proximity to spirits. Dreamers are considered generally extinct (with Feynriel being stated to be the first in two centuries) but we can assume that a Templar would be even more terrified of one.

His dialogue then splits into two paths.

Lavellan can choose to either answer his question directly or instead question further on those intriguing thoughts he brought up. While personally I generally ask about him I do think there is merit in looking at the other options. Screenshot from Daitranscripts.

With a single question he has a better understanding of the Herald. Of her foundations. While she may change as her power grows it gives him the starting block to try and analyze her. But Lavellan can turn this around, she can learn from him instead.

I have to give massive amounts of credit to GDL here because Solas' voice changes subtly when you ask him about his studies. Up until this point, Solas has talked a bit stiffly in those first few lines. As I said he is testing the Herald and there's this firmness underlying it as he refuses to reveal his hand. That drops from Solas' voice when he begins to talk about the Fade and his dreams.

This Solas is a bit freer, it crescendos if Lavellan compliments his skill. I sincerely doubt Solas had any idea that anyone would show a genuine interest in his cavorting with what the world would see as Demons and it shatters his previous pretense. This is unscripted and for a moment Solas glimmers through.

He even smiles. it's faint but the corners of his lips turn up.

This is a surprise but a pleasant one. Genuine appreciation was far beyond anything I think Solas could prepare for when he started this line of conversation. For a few moments they're just two people, sharing a pleasant discussion about his interests. What he learns of Lavellan is worthy of respect, albeit still tempered by his caution.

While I realize it is a game limitation - why record three versions of one line when one will do - there is something jolting about how his face sobers in the next line. That moment is gone, he can't let himself get too carried away. He stares off into the distance somewhere past Lavellan and his expression straightens. That sternness is back.

I will stay then, at least until the Breach has been closed.

He's back to subtly pushing the Herald, to see their reactions.

Was that in doubt? I am an apostate mage surrounded by Chantry forces and unlike you, I do not have a divine mark protecting me./I am an apostate surrounded by Chantry forces in the middle of a mage rebellion.

There are a few layers of subterfuge here but I want to reiterate that he is taking a massive risk admitting this. In the middle of a conversation where he just confesses to being everything the Chantry hates he adds that he's been waiting to see if he should even stay and help. The Herald has the ear of the Former hands of the Divine and the former Templar who is the Inquisition's Commander while you can't in game for plot reasons there's no reason to believe that this couldn't go badly fast depending on Lavellan's possible bias.

Another piece of subterfuge that while he makes it sound like he had this revelation during this conversation, I actually think it happened earlier at the first Rift the Prisoner closed. He cannot leave the Inquisition until they discover what happened with his orb. He admits to willingly locking himself in a cage in one the disapproval scenes and in the other he refuses to leave even though the Inquisitor may have slaughtered an entire temple of Elvhen. Even punching him does not have him leave like it does with Dorian. He will endure abuse both physically and verbally for a chance to retrieve what is his.

Screenshots from Daitranscripts, second is from here.

Solas is a trickster and like a trickster he is pulling the rug out from underneath the Herald to see how she lands. He wants to prod and push and see if she snaps at his indiscretions. Is the Herald sympathetic or has Chantry dogma gotten them as well? And even the Dalish are suspicious of spirits. For an elven mage Herald he could be seeing if she'd be willing to sell out one of their own at a chance for survival.

While this is clearly Solavellan centric I do think it is worth looking at the non romantic options. Screenshot from Daitranscripts.

Once again by taking that risk, by putting himself in an unfavourable situation, he learns more about the Herald. He has another piece to the puzzle whether she's dismissive of his plight (and by extension of those of mages) or if she's sympathetic. He can also get a view of how she sees problems, whether she pushes them out of the way to deal with later or if she even thinks she has power to stop others.

So obviously you and I are here for the Solavellan so let's talk about it.

I adore that the romance choice is not "I'll protect you" but rather "You can trust me". Solas does not trust people, he is not a misanthrope by any means (so many of his motivations come out of his love for people) but he is constantly waiting for the knife in his back. He has been betrayed badly and I think that is a large motivation to his conversation here. He wants to know what problems could occur so he can be prepared for what he sees as the inevitable fall.

When Lavellan offers this, offers protection, he immediately tries to tear it down.

How would you stop them?

His voice drops, there's a gravely timber to it. He is demanding to know how. Not to know what her plan is but because I don't think he thought she had one. Solas probably took her offer as an empty platitude, one he could easily toss aside. Solas does not want to trust others and Lavellan offering a hand comes across as a threat regardless of her intentions. It would be worse if she was genuine and only later decided to betray him.

Now I cannot sit here and state Lavellan's meaning. There are as many answers to that question as there are Lavellans. Each one of my own Lavellan comes to a different conclusion. Whether because they may both be elven (?apostates) in an Andrastrian organization, whether Lavellan is genuinely interested in him/his friendship. It may be to return a favour she believes she owes him, he saved her life as well in the intro. Instead I'm going to shift to Solas' perspective.

He was either expecting nothing or for her to backtrack. Instead she looks at him with such determination and declares she would do whatever it would take.

This whole conversation was him trying to unsettle the Herald, to try and push them into a response so he can categorize them. Instead the rug is pulled out from under his feet. He freezes for a split second before thanking them, his voice is gentle and tender. That's all he can do. Whatever he was expecting by starting this gamble it wasn't this.

There's this gentle ebb and flow underlying this entire conversation. He pushes and she pulls, each of them taking turns leading and surprising the other. You can hear in Solas' voice when he has the conversation scripted, each word hand crafted for Lavellan to bounce her ideals from, but you can hear when she reaches beyond his expectations. When she hears underneath his stoic veneer and sees a man she genuinely wishes to know better.

I know a lot of people - myself included - see this as the moment when Solas falls for Lavellan. in part due to the fact that he is so touch and affection starved but I also think it has to do with this game he set up for her. He tested her - as if a shadowy figure in a fairy tale - and she turned it around on him. Subterfuge is his expertise and she flips everything upside-down by being so genuine with him that he cannot help but believe it.

And what i truly believe convinces Solas of this is that she isn't aware that she's doing it. She slips through his defenses for a second because of this. She had no ulterior motives in declaring that she'd keep him safe and he cannot help but for a moment trust her.

That is the foundation of their relationship. That for a few moments they can pretend to be who they really are and just love each other for that alone.

[quill-and-paper-cranes]

(My answer to this got rather long, @pepsiiwho , and felt like something that might start some interesting thinkjuice in the tag, so I'm making it its separate post.)

Hrmm. How to encompass all that we've been talking about for like a month now, about why Basilio/Will is compelling.....

To set the stage a little- there's a Metaphor Re Fantazio post I've seen making the rounds that says, to paraphrase: 'the universe of MRF is excellent for fanworks specifically because it is so vague.' I'm inclined to agree even though this is also a double edged sword; we are given little 'meat' on a lot of functions and lore of the overall setting, mere drips and drops of backstories and history, passing one-line mentions of otherwise fascinating topics never broached again..... we're shown just enough to hook us in and make us care, make us wonder, make us want to expand upon what little is given, and no more. It is frustrating, to be sure, but on the other hand, it allows for a LOT of wiggle room for fan creators to sort of just take the slack in the reins and run with it.

For me- and most others, I'd imagine- one appeal of shipping comes broadly from taking something not in canon (usually not even implied) and bringing it into existence. This is typically done by interpreting source material in alternative ways- certain lines can be thought of as more rosy than they are, some canon scenes that end early with a cut-to-black might in the imagination be extended and deepened, the way characters are animated to interact with each other might seem just so.... we know all that, I don't need to explain how we go about fueling the brainworms for pairings in general. What I WOULD like to submit to the class is that Basilio/Will in particular feels, to me, like something that is ripe with narrative opportunity, which makes it FUN both as a creator and a consumer.

Let me see if I can explain what I mean by 'narrative opportunity' and why it appeals to me (and probably others) from a fanwork creator's perspective. Humor me for a minute here.

Let's say you have characters A and B, set in a universe, and lalala the plot happens. A and B are not canon but are the perfect shipbait, are both very fleshed out, they each have defined personality traits and goals and nuances. The universe is also very well established and described. And finally, the PLOT is very well established. These three things are critical. It's a tight story all around: there's few to no loopholes in the timeline or pacing, the characters feel deep and deliberate, the events of [thing] happen in a very specific way/order the whole time. This is a good thing! This is how good stories are often told. When an audience is confused and frustrated and fed bullshit half-answers about a vague world and characters that are shallow or contradict themselves, it typically makes them care less about a subject because there's no cohesion, no common threads to follow. Excessive handwaving is annoying as fuck.

Typically.

I say typically, because sometimes.... sometimes, you end up with what MRF managed to pull off.

MRF has an overall plot which on its face it SEEMS cohesive- such and such happens, the cast goes here then here then here, they do this, the day is saved. It APPEARS to be a tidy story, if all you look at is on the surface. But if you dig into this IP, even a little, it falls the fuck apart. The timeline is a mess. Decisions/plans made are a mess. Some of the beloved characters are one dimensional or are a mess (using tropes or singular traits or hints of intriguing nuance that are never again touched on.) The worldbuilding is a mess. And as a writer, I HAVE to dig into these things. My entire craft is based upon my understanding of the source material, and in the case of MRF, the source material is just. Fucking. All over the place, holy shit.

That said.

It is... a fun mess. This is the most important part: it is a fun mess regardless. For all that MRF falls short in many ways, it is STILL charming and nuanced enough to overcome its abject sloppiness or total lack of concrete lore. It has "good bones", as our friend group jokes.

So back to the narrative opportunity thing.

I typed all that shit up there to contrast a theoretical 'tightly woven' linear storydriven IP to whatever the fuck MRF is, through the comparative lens of creating fanworks off of either piece.

For the tight IP, where everything is laid out and makes sense and things are more 'set in stone', I as a writer have less wiggle room to change things- I have less narrative opportunity. Sure sure, as a writer I can do "anything" as long as I'm good, but realistically.... if the original work did not leave me a shitload of loopholes to exploit, or vagueness of characters/history/lore/whatever, if I want these things tweaked to suit the point of my story, I have to do a lot of fucking legwork. It might not even be feasible. Again, this is not inherently bad- it's good, I'd argue. It means the story doesn't suck, it means thought and effort was put into worldbuilding by the creators.

However- with Metaphor Re Fantazio, there are plot holes in that motherfucker so big I can drive a gauntlet runner through them. This is my delicious narrative opportunity.

Because canon in MRF is already so handwaved and vague, if not outright contradictory- as a writer, I have a LOT of freedom to change or fix or completely negate things without it feeling nearly as 'disruptive' to an audience. Let me give a quick one: electricity. You can't recall if MRF uses electricity, can you? I'll save you the hassle- there is ONE undeniable instance of electricity being used. (Sea monster attack, a lightbulb above the table very explicitly shorts out and dies.)

This opens up so many more questions than it answers. Did Neuras alone discover electricty? Is it just not commonly adopted yet? Was it a fluke by the Atlus studio?

Therein is my narrative opportunity.

And that's just one small example. MRF is full of this open ended shit, ranging from the society, to the physical worldmap, to the food, to the clothes, to the tribes, to the history and religion and 'animals' and magla and prince and- you get the idea. The characters, notably, are not exempt either.

Circling back to the original question 800 tangents later, "what is the best part of the Magnus Brothers/BasWill":  I personally like writing and reading Basilio/Will because of this narrative opportunity.

Basilio is incredibly fleshed out. He is, imo, an excellent character on all fronts. His visual design, VA, animations, backstory, interpersonal relationships..... it's genuinely a goldmine. For every one character trait or tidbit a main cast member has, he's got three.

By contrast, Will.... I'm gonna level with y'all here, I think Will sucks LMAO. The game does NOT give that guy more than the barest minimum nothingburger personality imaginable. Will doesn’t say more than a full sentence or single word answers for like half the damn game, and the utter wasteland of a personality for someone who SHOULD have a lot on the line, is... offputting, to me. However, there are still some facts to be gleaned from what little we're given: Will is calm, quiet, to the point, determined, and kind. Generally. Vaguely.

Once we recognize that Basilio as a character is more 'locked in' to believably behaving a certain way given his canon-established facts, whereas Will is NOT- that's where my narrative opportunity comes in. That's where my fun is.

Authors can, within reason, write Will SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS because of this. He's very close to a blank slate, while still showing enough personality that sssssooome things you could still point at and go "uh yeah that feels pretty ooc" but it's much looser. As an author, this means I can bend him into a little pretzel to behave certain ways that suit the narrative of the story I'm telling at that time, and it won't be egregiously difficult to do so nor conflict with canon. As a reader, it means I get to experience other people's Wills and see what THEY wanted to get out of him! And it (probably) also will not feel OOC, even if it's very different from mine! And that is so, so fun.

That is my technical answer.

My personal answer, if we're angling more for a quick bulleted "what do you like about THEM though, Quill," list (keeping in mind this is all personal preference or things that at least captivate ME on some level): size/strength difference, lived experience difference, experiment trauma background, Basilio's accent and personality is fun, his depth of character both in tandem with and apart from his brother Fidelio, his sense of humor and group banter, he's got unique non-human features (humans bore me so much omg), and he's just... a good person. Him and Will are straight up just good people, and that checks a box for me. Boring or simple, perhaps, but I (personally) don't read fanfic to make myself sad and miserable with sad and miserable characters, so Basilio/Will having such massive narrative opportunity to be nice people is pleasing to me and the genres I tend to favor.

That same narrative opportunity in the hands of a good writer can easily extend, though, to making them petty, or reserved, or despondent, or angry, or any number of completely different takes. And again: therein lies much of the fun, because MRF makes it so so easy to twist canon with what it does not give us. It's all in the nuance babeeeeeey.

This is already long so I won't crowd it further with an analysis on the Magnus Brothers- and that would be best under a spoiler tag anyway. But suffice to say, in all regards, it is the depth of character that Basilio has and Will, contradictingly, does NOT have, that makes them fun to write, read, and ship.

[ryin-silverfish]

Do you think SWK could, in an imaginary scenario, have also fallen prey to Daji's beauty? Ik that book SWK has no show interest in anything like that, however, we can also admire a nice painting or a nice view.

(Since a JTTW-FSYY crossover is deep in AU and HC territory by nature, everything below is my own fannish take.)

It depends on whether the "beauty" is just that, extreme aesthetic appeal, or a supernatural charm ability. I feel like the latter is closer to how Daji's charm works in FSYY, especially the part where she charms her executioners to the point of not able to lift the axe.

The former is possessed by plenty of demonesses, none of which has stopped SWK from attacking them when push comes to shove. The latter depends on how high his magic resistance is. /j

Seriously, though: in FSYY novel, we only witness Daji affecting mortal soldiers and executioners with her charm, before she's decapitated by the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife.

Though Lei Zhenzi (and, after the first failed attempt, Yang Jian and Wei Hu) are also there, they are overseeing the execution and we have no idea if they'd have fallen to the same effect if they were holding the weapons themselves.

(The fact that they have to command mortal soldiers to chop off the Three Demonesses' heads instead of, y'know, do it themselves is kinda an inconsistency that never gets explained.)

A similar scene of Daji charming her executioners is also found in the earlier Pinghua version. Here, it seems like her charm depends on line of sight to work——when Yin Jiao stepped in after two executioners had failed, he covered his eyes with a sash.

Daji still escaped in her true form before the strike connected, but was spotted using JZY's mirror, immobilized by his seal, and finally stuffed into a sack and crushed with mortars.

Now, going back to the magical resistance thing: SWK's magical resistance is pretty damn high, though not as high as his resistance to physical attacks——special moves like Yellow Wind Demon's Samadhi Wind, Red Boy's Samadhi Fire, and Scorpion Demoness' poison still cause problems for him.

(The "pretty damn high" statement can be supported by the failed execution methods after his capture by the Celestial Realm. Fire Bureau and Thunder Bureau gods get involved, and their flames and lightning didn't do a thing either.)

However, however: we don't really see any magical power that only affect the mind in JTTW, aside from maybe illusions. Certainly nothing like FSYY's various spells and treasures that work directly on the soul.

When JTTW demons try to deceive/charm people, they tend to do it the old-fashioned way——through actual trickery and seduction.

Yeah, there's certainly some interesting potential in exploring how FSYY's soul-based arts and AOE formations interact with JTTW's more one-on-one battle style and rarer, but more memorable treasures in a combined universe.

Anyways, I guess whether Daji's charm magic works on SWK will depends on 1) whether you think his magical resistance wards against this type of attacks, and 2) the context of this hypothetical encounter.

Like, does he already have an idea of how Daji's power works via a failed attack/watching someone else fall prey to it (probably Bajie because...Bajie)? Is he caught by surprise mid-battle?

Did Daji like, eat someone's soul again, then possess their body and approach the pilgrims in an attempt at playing the long game?

Nah, wait, are we talking about pre-Havoc SWK, Journey-Era SWK, or the Victorious Fighting Buddha?

...I know this question probably isn't asking for an analysis of Daji's charm power and how JTTW and FSYY's different "Battle of the Arts" style will work in a combined universe.

However, if you are asking me whether a SWK/Daji ship is possible: shipping is for fun. Crackships especially. It doesn't need permission or canon compliance to work for you.

I'm not personally interested in any SWK ships, being about as aroace as Book! SWK myself, so I don't have much to offer on that front.

That said, Daji would probably make a good White Bone Spirit style villainess, who relies mostly on manipulation, enhanced by a power set that is relatively rare in JTTW and works best when the target is caught by surprise or completely unaware of its influence.

Also, someone who's very aware that she can't take on the silly OP monkey directly, but his very guillible monk master is ripe for the taking.

[spearsillustration]

°[By Your side - Primis Nikolai]°

Primis Nikolai x reader

Notes: Okay, this one is for the Nikolai people because I know you all exist. (I've seen at least one person on Tumblr. Case closed.) He is not my favorite, but I can see the appeal. 

-Alright, I will admit this is kind of rushed and shorter than normal, but I've been busy with a new job.

[Unedited]

Page number: 3

Word count: 1,049

        There we all stood Richtofen, Dempsey, Takeo, Nikolai, and myself, directly in the middle of ruined Stalingrad, surrounding the mech that holds the fresh corpse of Nikolai's alternate self.

        The final soul had been collected in the summoning key, leading us all one step closer to Agartha. I turned to face my Nikolai from Dimension 62, noticing how he couldn't keep his gaze from his alternate universe self.

        They couldn't be more different. Your Nikolai was a noble soldier, while the other was a depressed drunk, abandoned by his own government when he wasn't needed anymore. He just continues to stand there as if mourning his counterpart, the rest of us watching him silently.

        I gently placed my hand on his shoulder and gave him a weak smile. "Are you alright?"

        Nikolai looked up when I placed my hand on his shoulder, turning his gaze away from his counterpart. His eyes looked even duller than usual; his shoulders relaxed and slumped. The man looked tired, not physically, but mentally. He seemed to be carrying the weight of something heavy on his shoulders.

        "I'm…I'm fine," he mumbled after a slight pause.

        His response didn't seem convincing whatsoever. My face turned into an expression of sympathy as I removed my hand. Nikolai kept his gaze on me for a moment longer before sighing silently and turning his attention back to his dead counterpart resting in the mech's cockpit. He didn't seem to know what to do or say at this point. It was almost as if he was reliving all of his trauma all over again. Meanwhile, Richtofen, Dempsey, and Takeo all watched the scene in silence, their own expressions varying between worry and concern.

        "How about you guys give us a minute…alone." I gestured for them to leave as I took a step closer to Nikolai, having our shoulders brushing. I was ready to hold all the weight he was carrying, even for a moment.

        Richtofen, Dempsey, and Takeo exchanged glances between themselves before shrugging and walking far enough away to give us both some privacy.

        Once me and Nikolai were left alone, I took a step closer to him, my shoulder brushing against his as Istood beside him. Now able to view his expression more clearly, the look of exhaustion and weariness visible in his eyes. Nikolai's shoulders slumped even further as he took a deep sigh, still struggling to find the right words to say.

        "You don't have to talk if you don't want to, but I'm here if you need to," I said, looking up at him.

        Nikolai nodded silently, his gaze still fixated on his dead alternate counterpart. He was quiet for a moment, but eventually, he spoke up in a low voice.

        "It's strange…seeing what I could have become…if I didn't have you all," he murmured, his voice trailing off as he seemed lost in his thoughts.

        He paused, letting out another heavy sigh before continuing. "I can't help but wonder…what would have happened if we never met?"

        My heart could shatter into a million pieces as his voice reached my ears, sounding more broken than it ever had before. I looked back at the body, then back at him. "Well, you don't need to worry about that," I said, gently grabbing his hand in mine.

        Nikolai's hand twitched slightly when I grabbed it, but he didn't pull away. He merely gripped my hand tightly in return, silently appreciating the gesture.

        His gaze was still focused on his counterpart in the mech, the broken and lost expression never leaving his face. "I…I know," he mumbled softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just…I can't help but wonder about the 'what-ifs' sometimes, y'know?"

        "Well, there are far better what if scenarios you could think about instead," I responded lightheartedly.

        Nikolai let out a soft chuckle in response to my lighthearted comment, his grip on my hand lessening slightly. "Oh yeah?" he replied with a hint of a smirk, finally turning his gaze away from the mech to look at me. "Like what?"

        "Well for starters what if Richtofen's crazy plan works and we save our crazy asses? What if we get our happy ending?" I respond matter of factly.

        Nikolai's smirk widened into a small smile, amused by my matter-of-fact response.

        "I suppose that would be a much more pleasant 'what if' to think about, wouldn't it?" he mused, his expression becoming a little more lighthearted.

        He paused for a moment, his grip on my hand remaining tight as he considered my words. "You really think we'll get a happy ending?" he asked, a hint of skepticism in his voice.

        "I don't know, but we can dream, can't we?"

        Nikolai chuckled softly at my response, his smile growing slightly wider. "Yeah…I suppose we can," he agreed, his expression becoming more thoughtful.

        He was silent for a moment longer, his gaze drifting away from me to the ruined city surrounding us both. "You're always so optimistic," he noted softly, his grip on my hand still tight as he spoke. "How do you do it?"

        "Well, I have you for starters. And I'd rather be optimistic than sulk around waiting for death."

        Nikolai chuckled softly again, his expression seeming a little lighter now. "I suppose that's true," he acknowledged, looking back down at me. "You do have a way of brightening up even the darkest of situations."

        His gaze lingered, seemingly lost in thought for a moment before he spoke again. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

        I gave him a playful smile. "You'd be dead by now if I wasn't there to watch your back."

[rapunziedameron]

🔥

Okay bestie, you get the most unpopular of my unpopular opinions: I really hate st*rmpil*t as a ship. That isn't to say I support the fact that Lucasfilm didn't go through with it, because I don't, and I'd be very curious to see the version of the trilogy Oscar had in mind with a romance between the two of them, because he's a fantastic storyteller and I know he was Cooking with something.

But outside of that context? I've never understood the appeal of the pairing, because it feels so entirely one-sided and unrequited, and that's not even digging into the fact that just within the context of the films and the novelizations themselves, Poe doesn't seem particularly important to Finn: in the TFA novelization, Finn ejects from the TIE Fighter assuming that Poe is already dead, but goes back once he's unconscious (not disparaging him, btw, it's a really good indication of Finn's role as the Han archetype in the trilogy, initially focused on self preservation before running back to help someone else). In TLJ, he's focused entirely on preventing Rey from returning to the Resistance fleet that he's convinced is doomed along with everyone aboard it, and seemingly has no problems with leaving Poe behind aboard said doomed fleet.

The deleted scene that everyone loses their minds over, claiming it's such good evidence of them being Han & Leia coded, legitimately features both of them having a conversation wherein neither of them is listening to the other. Finn is not interested in what Poe has to say (the recruitment speech), and Poe does not want to hear that the man who saved his life, completed his mission, and made such a huge sacrifice going to Starkiller, has no interest in joining his cause.

We see that communication problem carry over to TROS; Finn keeps his force sensitivity a secret from everyone, and Poe keeps what happened when he was a teenager with Zorii a secret too. Both of them are nosy kings (I understand, I'm also hella nosy) and keep pressuring the other to crack about what's being kept from them, which leads to even more conflict between them. I mean - they're literally willing to bicker their way through execution. And that's not even remotely digging into their argument on the hill.

And that's not to say I don't love Finn either (this is the piss on the poor website, I feel like it needs to be clarified). I adore Finn, and I love the complexities he's allowed to have! But I don't think he and Poe are a good match, long-term, as canon currently exists (I see no point in wasting my breath imagining a universe where their relationship was actually fostered and allowed to bloom more fully into a healthy friendship after The Force Awakens, and potentially into a romance, because I knew that was never going to happen, however onboard Oscar may have been for it.)

Which leads me into my other points: number one, I don't feel like John ever played Finn being particularly into Poe. We know John is a very vocal FinnRey shipper (good for him!) and it translates when watching TFA because that man is acting like a Jane Austen love interest opposite of Rey. Those heart eyes in Maz's castle when he finally confesses to Rey that he was a stormtrooper? Be still my heart. Or even in TLJ with Rose, that soft look he gives Rose when she's talking on Canto Bight when they're on the balcony? Sweet as fuck.

But he never brings that energy when it comes to Poe; I have no problem believing Poe is into Finn. That's coded directly into Oscar's performance, and ergo subtext in canon. You can see the exact moment in TFA when poe.exe quits working on the tarmac scene when Finn grabs his shoulder and leans in - but that's just it, it's one-sided as hell. I do think that Finn cares quite a lot about Poe, to be clear, but he's not initially one of the most important people in Finn's life and [checks notes] that's for 2 out of 3 movies.

And finally, whatever neutrality I had towards the ship, eventually bloomed into it becoming a NOTP because of its fandom. I have never had a single good experience bumping into that fandom, and I think it did more harm than good when it comes to fanon for both characters. The insistence that Poe does not have a character arc at all, that he was only good in TFA, is so blatantly untrue and speaks volumes to how much they actually value Poe as his own character - you mean you only like him when he has no clear character arc, because he's barely in the film? And we're given broad strokes of what he's like as a person and is essentially a blank slate for you to project your Perfect Cinnamon Roll Who Does No Wrong persona onto him, or fetishize him to the highest degree?

Finn is not so lucky to have as coherent arc as Poe and Rey; I really don't think the writers ever knew what to do with him from the start (just from what I've gleaned over the years, especially after reading the Art of the Force Awakens and watching the documentary for the film) and of course that only got worse (and we know why!), so it's especially irritating when fandom wants to take what little meat we got for Finn's character and warp his character into only being obsessed with Poe, or having no reason to exist beyond being a love interest. I don't think we should be actively stripping away what little Finn already gets for the sake of a fanon ship.

That's not even digging into the racist portrayals that's so prominent in the fandom. I feel like any time I see fanart for the ship, it's nothing but racist stereotypes or fetishization. Or the sheer amount of misogynistic attitudes that is so commonly thrown around? When the Poe comics were coming out, you could feel the fandom ready to attack Karè, Jess, and Suralinda if they got a little too close to Poe. Rey had to be quickly shoehorned into the role of lesbian or asexual so she wasn't a threat to their ship (because asexual people can't experience romantic attraction; we sure love some arophobia and erasure in this household!) or lest she actually seem interested in the men of color (when she canonically is giving them both heart eyes at different points in the trilogy). Just recently, I saw a shipper claim that Rose was only the subject of so much vitriol because she was an obstacle for the ship, completely erasing the very real racism and sexism that Kelly Marie Tran faced in the backlash from TLJ. Y'all don't need to be doing Lucasfilm and the Mouse's jobs for them by making up excuses for harassment that's rooted entirely in racism. That's not even digging into the responses to Jannah (I am not mentioning Zorii here, since a lot of the criticism was earned with the retcon for Poe's backstory, but I'll say there was more anger about the fact that Poe could also be interested in a woman, than the fact that they chose a racist stereotype for his plot twist backstory).

And the queerphobia in the fandom that's allegedly SO concerned with progressive queer rep is outrageous. Poe isn't allowed to be bisexual or pansexual because that's homophobic, despite Oscar saying on multiple occasions he thinks Poe is bi/pan? Not even digging into the fact that, upon suggesting Poe could be ace as a headcanon, I - at the age of 17 - had a complete stranger in my dms arguing with me that I was being homophobic because hate crimes exist, and people are hurt for just holding hands with their partners, and saying that Poe was ace meant that he couldn't be physically affectionate with Finn was inherently homophobic. Because I guess that holding hands is sexual now???

This got so long, longer than I meant it to, and I think I've gone on longer rants in our server about it before. But the tl;dr is that I don't think they're a good match, that they're kind of unhealthy and one-sided, and the fandom completely ruined whatever neutrality I had towards the ship by being so toxic and obnoxious.

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/8/2024 PART 3: ABBY

STANDARD DISCLAIMER: October 8 was another rabbit hole day of my Blogtober program, and I have managed to refrain from slapping a snarky nickname on this little marathon of American race-centric horror movies that raise some uncomfortable questions. Can white guys make compelling movies about Black anxieties? Can Black directors get away with making white actors say things white people shouldn't get away with saying? The answer is…it depends on who you ask!

And if you want to know why I'm capitalizing one word and not the other, it's because I generally agree with the AP statement about the lack of meaningful cultural commonalities between white-skinned people--other than generalized privilege, of course. In my mind, it is useful to talk about whiteness in political contexts, but it is not so useful to talk about a "White" ethnic identity unless you are into white pride, which I would prefer not to validate. I understand that this is not a perfect solution, and many people feel that the lowercase "w" supports the delusion of whiteness as the universal default for humanity. I do not want to invite a big heavy debate on my silly little movie blog, but you should feel free to comment with links to worthwhile discussions on this subject, as long as you are doing it in good faith and you are not a white supremacist asshole. END STANDARD DISCLAIMER

Due to Warner Bros' litigiousness, this poor movie is only available as a version pulled from a badly damaged print--but if you can make it through the fuzz and the scratches, it's pretty entertaining! The great William Marshall plays an archeologist-cum-exorcist who witlessly frees a Nigerian deity to possess his daughter-in-law Abby (Carol Speed), a pious suburban housewife. Abby soon transforms from a devout, hardworking preacher's wife into a sadistic sex maniac, and it will take more than the usual power of Christ to exorcise her.

ABBY is one of those films that reminds me to question what exactly is meant by "blaxploitation". There is a tendency to put that label on any all-Black genre film made between the 1960s and 1980s, though this is misguided. Blaxploitation is actually sort of hard to define. I tend to think of it as primarily describing movies that exploit Black stereotypes to entice audiences--Black or otherwise--who find them appealing; examples are BLACULA (great!) and BLACKENSTEIN (pretty dire). Such movies may be made by Black or white filmmakers. Blaxploitation can also describe exploitation movies made by and for Black audiences; Melvin van Peebles combined exploitation-style entertainment with sharp political messages, and Rudy Ray Moore made delightful vanity projects for himself and his friends from the Chitlin Circuit. You couldn't fairly say that either of those guys mainly exploited stereotypes and the audiences that enjoyed them, even though they did capitalize on them. On the other hand, I always bristle when people call GANJA & HESS a blaxploitation movie; I guess if the only older Black films you watch are in the blaxploitation category then that's what it looks like, but it is way too posh, intellectual, and experimental to participate in any exploitation category.

ABBY was made by William Girdler, who is white, and an interesting character in exploitation history. He turned out nine films in six years, including the incredible terrestrial JAWS knockoff GRIZZLY. Even when he was making a cash grab, he didn't skimp on entertainment value, and ABBY succeeds with its strong characters played by an absolutely stellar cast. This is certainly a blaxploitation film, as an African-flavored coattail-rider of a mainstream hit, replacing THE EXORCIST'S Pazuzu with a horny Yoruban Orisha. However, the main characters are all hardworking, upstanding suburbanites; even the nightclub scenes are full of regular folks having a good time, not insulting caricatures. Those scenes are actually the weakest of the film since they break up the movie's core cast with a bunch of extras.

William Marshall, best known as Blacula and also the King of Cartoons, is fabulous in this...although he also has a tendency to slow things down just because of his flamboyant style of speech-making. Carol Speed gives a gleefully perverted performance as Abby, though the Orisha is voiced by Bob Holt, who in 1972 voiced the Lorax and the Onceler. I know I shouldn't say "the Onceler" on this website, but the freaks who react to that could really stand to watch something as good as ABBY instead of continuously beating off to children's media. Uh anyway, the actual biggest star of this movie is Juanita Moore, who may not have much to do here, but she was nominated for a fucking Oscar for fucking Douglas Sirk's remake of fucking IMITATION OF LIFE. She is no fucking joke. And there's also the great Austin Stoker, famous for ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13. This movie may be a typical exploitation picture in many respects, but it is full of talent and made with care.

With all that said, just so I don't run the risk of making ABBY sound like more than it is, I should note that William Marshall expressed dismay at the loosely-handled African elements of the story. It sounds like he recommended some more respectful revisions, and was ignored. However, Carol Speed defended the film, for all that it misrepresents and rips off, as a terrific piece of entertainment. What she said could be applied to any number of exploitation classics: "There are no (new) stories since the Bible."

[axemetaphor]

just saw the new Sonic movie and I have a headache so this isn't going to be the best most coherent collection of my thoughts. but here they are

could've done with far less Jim Carrey. tbh

not a bad adaptation of Shadow's story given the constraints they gave themselves within the film universe

I understand they can't really get into how Fucked Up shadows story actually is in a kids movie but seeing this movie just made me wish for a movie adaptation of SA2. or a remaster of the game I can't remember if they're working on that. the narrative of deception, manipulation, and deciding your own fate is something im weak for

also shadow felt like he was taking a backburner so we could watch Jim Carrey in two different fatsuits talk to himself. not really appealing to me even though I do enjoy Jim Carrey's physical comedy. I wish Shadow got more talking time and more presence in the film. considering this was sold as Shadow's Film? ough.

shadow looked so stunning tho. tbh. can't fault the models n textures for this movie

Reeves did a pretty solid job with his voice but I still think Griffith is the best Shadow performance

I can't tell if its on purpose to up the cheese factor of it all but I do not like the human performances. I don't remember having this issue with the last two. am I just getting more critical because there's 3 or was I just not in a Suspension Of Disbelief mood today? do not know

the bonus scene revealing Amy and Metal gave me Marvel vibes (derogatory) and I'm growing a little worried about the series. im not the kind of guy who hung all my hopes on the sonic movies being Perfect or even Good, I just want them to be fun to watch even if it's in a "so bad it's good" way, I mean I like the John Dies movie even though it is a downright Terrible adaptation with its only selling points being the cinematography and performances (I love the guy who played Dave to bits). but if this becomes Marvel 2.0 I'm out, honestly.

that being said I loved Amy's design actually. it seems like she has an interesting eye shape/her own uniquities in design which I always love. just nervous as to how she's gonna be introduced

in all I did enjoy the movie, but I really wanted more from it, yknow? idk. if you read this please give me your thoughts I'd like to hear them

[angelosearch]

I'm kind of annoyed that FF8 was supposed to be the first game in the franchise to be all about romance, yet Squinoa only share 1 hug, never say I love you directly (they do sort of indirectly say it at separate times in Disc 3 — he says "I've fallen for you" in his head, and she admits that him saying "Just stay close to me" had started everything for her... but again, those aren't direct love confessions), and their 1 kiss panned away from them so quickly, it ended up being a discretion shot.

But... on the other hand, we are talking about a JRPG game from 1999. Eastern countries like Japan were and still are very iffy about PDA, hence why, if any kisses occur between couples in the FF universe, such kisses literally only happen once, and only between a canon couple. Of course, that doesn't really explain why, just 2 years later, in FF10, Tiduna (which I love, btw!) got a real, fully-displayed kiss... not sure what happened in the 2 years between those games to change gears like that 🤷‍♀️

Sorry, I just had that thought pop into my head and wanted to share it with you 😅😜 What are your thoughts?

Hello anon! Thank you for sharing. Haha, I am always down to talk FF8!

In terms of why the PDA was at a minimum, I think you're right that it has to do with the culture around the game. Why was FF10 so PDA heavy in comparison? This is all conjecture, but I wonder if it was an overall increase in Western influence on the company. (or just an increase in wanting to appeal to a Western audience)

Right before the release of FF10 was the release of Spirits Within. That movie required a new level of localization because of the voice acting. Then, FF10 was the first game in the franchise to require voice acting. Working with Western voice actors and translators throughout the production of the game may have had some bearing on how the story was told. Of course, FF10 was also being produced alongside Kingdom Hearts, which was a MAJOR Western Influence. I mean, it doesn't get more America than Disney, in my opinion. Whatever American executives that were working on the Kingdom Hearts storyline may have inspired changes to FF10.

Not sure if this had any bearing, but when SquareSoft was working on FF10, they were attempting to appeal to Enix for a merger. Some of their decisions around major cinematic moments may have been made to make them more competitive. I mean, when I think of 10, I definitely think of the kiss scene, so I really do think it appeals to a Western audience.

Now, in terms of if FF8 was successful in illustrating a romance... From my perspective, the way FF8 shies away from the more typical signs of love (saying the words, physical contact, etc.) makes it all the MORE romantic to me. It's like... their love transcends what is normal and expected. Maybe they don't hug and kiss much, but they do so much more. Squall carries her half way across the world on his back. Rinoa travels across time to bring Squall back to life. Squall throws himself into space. Rinoa gives Squall a metric fuck-ton of patience. Everything is so grandiose and epic, a kiss on the cheek or occasional hug, I think, would have ruined the rhythm of it all.

(Although, I am Ace, so to me, physicality and romance can exist in two completely separate spheres.)

In terms of saying "I love you" - I don't think it will be easy for Squall to come to identify with those words. He knows he feels something, but he's probably never said that to anyone but Ellone. And for Rinoa, she probably knows saying something like that to Squall could chase him off, especially because by the end of the game they've known each other for about... two weeks.

(Rinoa does say something like "We love you. There, I said it!" in the middle-of-the-road interaction at FH on disk 2 though, which I've always imagined as her saying it in a covert, "I've got a crush on you" sort of way.)

That is to say, I do think FF8 is all about romance, and I love how they portray it. Would I like a high-definition close-up kiss shot for AMV purposes? Damn right, I do. But I don't think the lack of PDA or specific wording takes any love away from the story. Anyway, that's my take! Thanks again for the ask!

[romaticiseadarkcity]

i'm not sure if you have already answered a question like this... but this is a two parter so buckle up! i'm a high school senior (in the US) and i'm very uncertain about my future and need a nice big GOAL to push for. right now i think urban planning is it. i'm hoping your answers might clear some stuff up for me.

number 1- what got you into urban planning/urban design? was it something you saw in your community? at what age did you realize this? what kinds of things did you do when you were younger that you realize now could have indicated your future interest in this career path?

number 2- materials. do you have a list of literature, articles, resources, or creators that you like to go to for indulging personal interests in urban planning/design. this can include university assigned literature too ofc, i'm just wondering if you have any recs of materials to consume that could kind of point me in the right direction. (aka help me see if my current interest is real by seeing if i'm geniunely interested in literature on the subject of urban design)

anyways, ik that was a long one!!! pls take your time 😭 and cool sideblog you have just gained a follower :)

hi pluto! no worries about the length, I have a science degree so I'm used to 2000 word papers ahaha (this is not to brag btw it was a pain in the ass the whole time I studied it, would only recommend if it's your jam)

so glad to hear you have a goal and I get that feeling! tbh when I look at the many multifaceted things I want to make a difference in, being able to do something that influences people's lives in such a fundamental and behind-the-scenes kind of way really keeps me going.

OKAY so the thing that got me into this was actually permaculture! when I was your age we did a geography unit on feeding the world while conserving the environment, and, for context, my high school also had what was basically an accelerated design program at the time (totally by accident, one dedicated teacher and my grade who were Very Into this kind of thing). basically, back to geography, where that unit landed was

"Permaculture is a design system for the creation of socially, economically and ecologically sustainable settlements, whether in rural areas or metropolitan cities.” – Bill Mollison

and I was like! aha! design! see at this point, roughly 7 years ago, urban design wasn't that big of a field yet (most degrees in it have only popped up in the last decade or so) and so I thought a career in design at that point meant one of three options that didn't really appeal to me: architecture/ landscape architecture / interior design, industrial design/ engineering, or graphic design/animation. BUT!! on this day I was proven wrong!! because the definition in itself said design! and it was about being socially, economically and ecologically sustainable so I'd get to do Social Justice Things and Environment and Biology Things as well as use my knowledge of smallholder farming and business running from my side gig of breeding guinea fowls. At that point I knew what I wanted to do! I looked up permaculture degrees, and found nothing at a university level--which I knew I wanted to study because to understand the planet and our design needs, I thought I needed a lot more education.

Instead I applied to a bachelors of environmental science at several universities in Australia. The employment prospects were good, and I did biology in high school, and climate change was a Big Talking Point I thought I'd do well to understand a bit better. As well as ecology--living in Queensland at the time, it's one of the most rapid areas of land clearing. Urban design came later; for my fourth year I was required to do a year-long research project and write a thesis on it. There was a lot of emphasis on choosing something you know you can do for an entire year, and at this point I had three and a half years of backlogged ideas on how to make changes to our civilisations to be better for the environment, so I knew I wanted to do something that would allow me to express them in design. One of my capstone subjects was one on river catchments, and in it we studied something called water sensitive urban design. I arranged a crossover project between my lecturer for that subject and someone from the school of design at my university I later found out was the course coordinator of the master of urban design. She suggested this degree to me, and I enrolled--just at a different university to where I did my undergrad. tbh, it's everything I wanted at 17 when I wanted to design human scale civilisations that incorporate the principles of permaculture. I only wish working in the industry was more activism-led and less following a status quo that has historically been terrible for the environment and nonwhite people, and is making much too slow progress to remedy this.

PART 2: okay this will be a short one because I am that student who literally NEVER does any of their readings. I do them, eventually, at the end of my degree (like I did for environmental science) where I just save all the links and read through EVERYTHING for my entire degree at once. so I could not tell you what the good readings are. HOWEVER I want to push something: this field is NOT about reading. it is rooted in science, yes, but unlike something like biology it is a much more applied science. At its core, it is about problem-solving and innovation. It's about listening to your users. It's about holding their perspectives and their longings, and that of the land as well. It's about listening and creating. So I want to ask you these questions: 1) can you draw, whether on paper or digitally? Can you visualise things in your head and then translate that to a document? 2) can you collate several genres of information (planning law, ecology, social needs of MANY groups of people, stakeholder conditions, hydrology, the user experience, just to name a few) and use this to create a solution that covers all bases? and 3) can you listen to the land and the stories it tells, and would like to tell? Have you listened to you local Indigenous community about who they were before colonisation, how they feel now, and what they want to be? Are you ready to be the person who helps them see that vision? Are you ready to be the person who helps us see a vision of less traffic, of low carbon lifestyles, of being outdoors and meeting each other in peace?

I'll put up some links for reading sometime down the line when I hunt down where I saved them all to, but the reason I tend away from making this discipline too academic is because you're designing for the everyday person. You're not designing only for the small percentage who are capable of having academic conversations. You need to understand what someone on the street is saying behind their words, at least as much as you need to understand something some academic wrote in a paper or a book or even a council website. You're here to listen to the marginalised, listen to the need for connection of the wealthy who are hiding it behind accumulating things, and then have those perspectives in mind when you build up a collection of tools on how to make those needs a reality.

[astridthevalkyrie]

U want lds thoughts? I gotchu 🫡

I really like all 3 boys, but I'm leaning Zayne bc he's just so husband coded. He's the only one I could see a long-term relationship w. I love Xavier and Rafayel, but I just can't picture them as husbands or dads (at least w my MC/myself). I also desperately need them to interact in game and in the main story, there's just sm potential for chaos and funnies.

I honestly dk what will happen next. Obviously, MC is gonna want to investigate Onichynus and her heart, but idk how that story will unfold or how they'll tie in the stories w each li and their separate myths/reincarnation bit. (Also, the fact that the myths happen in the future doesn't make sense to me yet, so I hope they plan to really flesh that out and not give us questionable writing like most mobile otomes do). Idk how I feel abt Sylus (and possibly Caleb) becoming lis, ig I'll have to see what they're like and if they appeal to me at all, bc so far we haven't had enough Caleb content for me to actually get attached (I was also convinced he was MCs brother so idt I'll ever be able to see him romantically 😭).

I hope we'll get to see more of the side characters and what MCs life is like outside of just the three guys, but I honestly doubt it lmao (more for me to hc abt ig lol).

I have more but this is already rambly and idk how to be coherent rn. This game is giving me brainworms and I'm def thinking abt it too hard. Oh, well. I don't consume media, media consumes me.

i'm telling you it's xavier boyfriend zayne husband and rafayel sneaky link. that's exactly the look and vibe they give off.

i think as of right now zayne is the most popular, at least on ao3 him/mc is the most popular ship. which is just to be expected when you have a levi ackerman coded character LOL. like you said, he's a husband. he just is. he's a doctor and he's successful and he cares for the mc so deeply it just makes sense. i started the game for him because. i mean he looks like THAT. he acts like THAT. he has ice powers and you get to melt the ice in his heart and make him love you i adore that shit see my pinned post for the kind of romance i write you could make a zayne x reader set in the aot universe and it would be my fic. and dooooooon't get me started on dawnbreaker zayne. DON'T GET ME STARTED i gasped during the anecdote when the truth about the kid comes out. he dreams about his past life what the fuck bro what the fuck.

surprisingly, though, while i do love him, he's probably the one i've had the least amount of thoughts about (that's still clearly a lot of thoughts so that's not saying much). i think it's partly because my gacha favors xavier and rafayel a lot more and right now i pretty much am just heavily thinking about whichever guy i consumed the content for last.

xavier and rafayel have me obsessed. i thought xavier would be completely meh because zen from mysme was meh for me. but um. he was not meh. my levi hawks pattern has told me that i love a man who was forced into fighting because of the stupid goodness in his heart and manipulative outside forces. and even though that's not exactly what's going on with xav, he does have that vibe. his is the only myth i've watched in full and i'm just. they should have been able to go to uluru together. the scene where they're both lying on the ground i have watched it so many times. i love love love the royalty x captain of the guards trope so much. the fact that they both serve in both roles is insane. i've read the anecdote about her first life on philos too there's a fucking part in there that talks about how he shares his EARBUDS with you?????? end me.

and rafayel is beautiful. like he's actually beautiful. his english voice actor makes him sound so fucking bisexual + the bi wife energy whenever you're with him is just. UGH. the game is hilarious whenever he's on screen and obviously with the way the main story has ended for now he's the most intriguing. and while you can feel the pining energy from all three of them, his is just. lowkey the most pathetic. and i eat it up. bro started TEACHING AT HER COLLEGE just for the chance to see her. i like that he's not possessive per se but he is very whiny and attention seeking the sassy man syndrome is real. i need to unlock his myth but i'm not patient so i may very likely just watch it on youtube. i need to see hunter rafayel. i need to see him right now.

the main story is genuinely fascinating. i was a little bit bored up until the explosion happened and it really kicked in. bc suddenly it's not just 3 guys and you doing your best, but you actively investigating and them helping you. like i said i don't have raf's myth and i haven't finished zayne's yet (need more fucking upgrades to his card) so i don't have the full story but at least what i'm getting right now is okay. they're all from the past or future. they all remember?? xavier and rafayel definitely do. zayne knows something about grandma who seems kinda shady to me. i've seen the caleb=sylus or at least caleb lives theories. i saw someone say the man at the end isn't sylus though? and his english va is the same as caleb's but in other languages it's someone else. idk.

idk about the others but xavier's myth being in the future makes sense. i'm pretty sure the timeline goes: in our current timeline, earth is about to go bye-bye and become inhabitable bc of wanderers -> survivors go to philos -> xavier and a new mc are both born -> she dies bc of something in her heart and is reborn bc she's the only one who's truly immortal (everyone else on philos lives forever naturally but can still be killed i think??) -> new lightseeker mc and xavier are meant to become guard and prince respectively but philos is dying -> to save mc from being sacrificed again and again xavier decides to go back in time to find another way where he after at least like 200 years meets current timeline mc

i know what you mean about not being able to see caleb as a love interest. the first time i saw him i genuinely thought they had no need to make my brother this hot what the fuck. and then i realized he was just her childhood friend and i went

and then he blew up 😭

i neeeeeed to see the love interests interact. i mean mc barely thinks about the others whenever she's with one but i really hope in the next arc we actually see them meeting each other. beefing or working together or whatever, i need to know (i may also have already started a fic about what's gonna happen next bc i'm mentally ill). xavier has a tracker on her so he should be able to find her and zayne kinda disappeared off the face of the earth but i want them all back. i want interaction. i want it so bad.