#it’s also fascinating to me how much the character’s roles in the group inform their traumas and the ways they interact with one anither

[spicethymecontinuums]

there’s so much I could say about the new Yellowjackets episode (fantastic work as always), but I just want to say that it’s really telling that Shauna’s punishment for Nat is to fulfill the same role that she’s had to, to be the butcher.

it’s also not lost on me that Shauna had to butcher and prepare Javi, a young boy that Shauna has previously (somewhat) bonded with, after loosing her infant son. Of course she sees it as a punishment.

[tagamantra]

Turning The Wheel

For SUNDANG RPG, I wanted to write a different kind of turn-based system. I stand on the shoulders of giants: PbtA’s Conversation-As-Procedure and “No Combat Minigame.” My goal was to make a battle system that had the free flowing, no-minigame feel of a PbtA/FitD game, but had a bit more structure to satisfy the action-heads.

One of the bigger inspirations for revolutionizing the turn-system is my obsession with The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2, two seminal Silat films that have some of the best action sequences and choreographies in all of cinema. To me, it stands among Police Story 2 and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon as the current peak of cinematic action.

A few things to lay down to help center the thought-processes I had:

I am of a theater-academic background. My fascination and hyperfixation on RPGs stems wholly from the Role-Playing aspect. My friend group loves to extract stories and narratives from gameplay loops, but we want to Role-Play In A World first and foremost.

Therefore, I value the Role-Playing Experience above everything else. This is no doubt colored and informed by what RPGs I began with: Vampire: The Masquerade and Mage: the Ascension. RPGs are world-portals to me, ways to experience, interact, and interrogate realities.

I don’t consider Mechanics to be separate from the “Fiction”. I might even deem a game’s rules to be the “Infrafiction,” the Fiction underneath everything else that arises from a game. The Fiction that demands to be told. The specter that suffuses every rules interaction.

Tangent: This idea was first spurred on because of idle daydreams while playing and finishing my current run of Final Fantasy XII. For those that don’t know, Final Fantasy XII has the ADB or Active Dimension Battle System (which is funny because ADB is also the acronym for Asia Development Bank, one of the major enemies of National Industrialization in the Philippines). ADB is the evolution of the popular ATB battle system or the Active Time Battle System. It’s called ADB because you aren’t squared off into a different screen when you enter combat. Instead, you go into combat as you’re exploring the world. Combat and Dungeon segregation barriers are effectively destroyed. This is actually one of the reasons why I love FFXII so much, and so much of what FFXII worked is what I also love from its CRPG contemporaries such as Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic and Dragon Age: Origins. (It’s also very similar to the Combat System found in Xenoblade!)

So for SUNDANG, I had the following goals for combat and turn “order”:

Non-Minigame Combat, or Nondivided Combat Mechanics from the rest of the world/Conversation, taking inspiration from ADB.

No “Turns” just continuous “Action.”

Never-Not-Your-Turn vibe.

Skill-Based Combat.

Brutal, dangerous combat. Skull-cracking, bone-twisting, blood-drawing. Thrilling in the sense that a Horror movie is. A horror movie with wuxia protagonists.

The Action

Action Economy is when, on your turn, you have a number of “Actions” that you can do, and you cannot do anything beyond the number of actions (of course you can do anything which you can justify as an action). This will define not just how your character moves in combat, but how they think of themselves throughout their progression. The most common form of Action Economy is “Move + Action” as seen in most d20 games, especially D&D 5e.

One of the very first things that I’ve had to unattach myself from is the Action Economy. One thing I noticed while developing SUNDANG was that every aspect of the game mechanics felt like it had to justify itself within the Action Economy. This was problematic to me for 2 aspects:

It centered combat completely. Since Action Economy only really mattered in combat, every little trinket that I had to write suddenly had to have some sort of interaction that could be done when you pressed the “Interact” action during combat.

It required “mechanization.” One of the major ideas I had for SUNDANG was to provide a mechanical base that centered on the gamization of the “fluff” without the designer having had a hand in it. If something said “This is a mallet, useful for evening out dinks and repairing machineries” it should be able to be used for that without having to interact with a subsystem. Through this, we annihilate barriers between “fluff” and mechanics, creating a more “immersive” world-space that is more conducive to Role-Playing.

While nothing is wrong with something requiring mechanization, I want it to be as invisible as possible, hence why the mechanical base of SUNDANG is built for such an experience: at creating an immersive interactive world.

One of my problems with Action Economy is that combat becomes about Action Economy. This is a problem that you can see so deeply within some of my favorite games: Final Fantasy Tactics, Tactics Ogre, and Final Fantasy XII all have Speed Stats that are affected by Weight, etc. Since having more “turns” is infinitely valuable in a game about getting more chances to reduce an opponent’s HP to 0, Speed-generating strats dominated those games’ upper mechanical ceiling.

While I think that’s cool, it’s not what I wanted to do with SUNDANG. It makes strange mechanical repercussions, dominations of certain strategies and therefore a larger gap between what is used and what is not used. I don’t want to make a game where you have to “solve” it through buildcrafting. I wanted to make a game where you can express yourself in.

So, away with the Action Economy. What do you do on the turn now?

The Turn

“On your turn, you can do X and Y.” This is the basic assumption in most RPGs. In OSR and NSR games this is the common assumption as well. Move + Action is elegant, simple, and gets things moving along. It gets the system out of the way so people can keep focusing on the fiction.

More importantly, the Turn splits combat into every acting character within the current situation, context, or scene. Gives everyone a chance to act. Pins everything down into spacetime.

For SUNDANG, this was not the vibe I wanted to give off. It felt too spartan, in a way. I wanted people to be constantly moving, constantly turning. More importantly, as the RPG is a player-facing medium, I want there to be the vibe of “never-not-your-turn.” This is a problem I face with much of my past RPGs and with other combat-heavy RPGs.

You take your turn and then you sit back and wait for your next one. If you’re invested in the game, you watch as the situation and gamestate changes. If not, you wait until someone calls you out and then you ask what has happened and what has changed. In all honesty, my position is that this is not a bad game design quirk. In fact, if you design around it, it could be a good quirk. Being able to do something while it’s not your turn helps a lot with Attention Deficiencies, for example.

But this isn’t something I wanted to do with SUNDANG. I wanted it to be Never-Not-Your-Turn.

So I stole a bit from Fire Emblem. There, in Fire Emblem, a “Turn” isn’t a single character’s turn to move, but rather, an advancement of the combat time-space. You often have objectives where you have to “Rout Enemy In 40 Turns” or something along those lines.

So I revolutionized how I thought about Turns. What if Turns weren’t each individual being’s turn, but an entire group of people’s turns? Now this is phase-based or side-based initiative, common (and good! I actually love side-based initiative) in OSR games. It’s very wargame-y and, honestly, conducive to strategy. But that’s not what I wanted to do here.

So I turned the Wheel again. What if Turns were chunks of time in a combat? What if turns were just Rounds? Often, the existence of a combat minigame is so that people can “zoom-in” into the action, because this is a matter of life or death! You can get killed here! Hence why we zoom in, stop time, focus on the details because the details means the difference between kill or be killed.

So I focused on that aspect.

Turn The Wheel

In PbtA, one of the major schools of RPG Design that I profess to have arisen from, combat doesn’t have a “Turn System” or a “Combat System.” Instead, it flows naturally from the conversation. It is contiguous to the rest of the system, not requiring special attention. What you can do in normal roleplaying, you can do in combat! That’s what that meant. When you sequester combat away into a new set of rules, you implicitly change the game unless you explicitly design for it to be a microcosm of the game’s already existing rules. Due to this change, I believe the mindset then becomes that you have to play the game according to this new set of rules unless you’re particularly good at improv-ing or are some form of designer/GM yourself.

I wanted that. So SUNDANG’s “turn system” has no Action Economy, no Initiative, no Reaction (no Reactionaries!) When you want to do something, do it. But it will most likely require a roll, and it will change the state of the situation.Everything has an equal amount of appropriate consequences. This is already how PbtA “combat” goes, since it’s not separate from the Conversation, the combat is also a conversation. You do something, the world does something, you react to that, then the world reacts to that, and so on.

I therefore fused the “Turns as divisions of action space-time” and “Combat-as-Conversation.”

A lot of this clicked after listening to a Robert Kurvitz interview about how he wanted to do Skill-Based Combat Scenes. Which aligned with what I wanted to do. Check it out!

For arguments of space, such as movement rates, the normal movement rate is 5 tails (roughly, 25 feet) per second. One can then infer how much a character can move in a single Turn through that as well as the modifying, environmental factors (harsh terrain, labyrinths, and so on). This allows it to be played on a Grid with the Grid as a space-representer, with shifting distance-scales for each grid square. The more interesting consequence is that, when you move, what about the world that's actively trying against you? That will then necessitate a Check, making even movement volatile and situation-changing. 

Turn-Based Combat: Never-Not-Your-Turn

First off the bat, this conception of Turn-Based Combat arises also from Clocks and Skill Challenges. The difference is largely the Presentation, mentality, and structure.

Additionally, SUNDANG’s Skill System is integral to this conception of combat. SUNDANG is a 24-Skill System inspired by the likes of Artesia: Adventures in the Known World and Runequest, where the majority of the Skills are not even combat-focused Skills, which color a player’s expectations for how combat could go (why be chained to the 3-4 Combat Skills when you can potentially agitate your Creativity to try and use the rest of them?)

So in SUNDANG, Turn-Based Combat is as follows:

If you enter into a situation wherein life-or-death is in the details, set up a 4-, 6-, or 8-segmented circle, known as The Wheel. Segment it according to the time you have left.

Find something within the world to be the temporal anchor, the World-Time. It could be the moving train, the skyskiff (that you might or might not be on at that moment!) plummeting into city streets, the wheels of a horse-carriage heading into a crash, the juggernaut battering ram barreling through enemy trenches. You can use this to lengthen the timescale of a battle. A day-long duel between two masters might have the Sun as their World-Time.

Turn 1 begins when you point at one segment and say it does. During a Turn, all the relevant PCs must do something.When they do something, the world then does something back. As always, this is just the conversation. When a PC goes and swordstrikes a pirate captain, the pirate captain will probably swordstrike back (dealing damage if that’s the PC’s consequence or threatening damage if not). Keep the conversation going.

When all the PCs have done something, mark out that segment of the Wheel. Turn to the next one adjacent to it, and say “Turn 2.” This is called Turning The Wheel. When you Turn The Wheel, before the PCs do anything, describe how the temporal anchor moves forward in time, and ascertain the consequences of that happening:

The skyskiff breaks through the high-rises. (Now there are potential people watching, now there are potential casualties, and so on.)

The horse carriage bumps against a tree and barrels closer to the cliff. (The carriage might have chunks broken off, some combatants might be knocked off, and so on.)

The Sun begins to sink into the horizon. (Dark becomes to impair vision, a nocturnal sea predator might breach soon, and so on.)

The juggernaut battering ram flies over enemy heads and moves closer to the city walls (there might be some warriors firing projectiles at you now, and so on.)

Finally, when all the segments are filled, a Revolution happens. Something Big. Throw away that Wheel. The situation changes. It has to. That’s the only real thing in this world.

The skyskiff crashes into the city plaza.

The horse carriage flies off the cliff.

The Sun sinks completely into the sea, ushering darkness.

The battering ram slams into the city walls and breaks it open.

Often, this change in situation ends Violence. You have to deal with the consequences now. In SUNDANG, you get XP for surviving Violence, not winning it. But SUNDANG is also a wuxia-western-silat game of wandering justicemakers and hotshot swordsmen. If this happens, set up another Wheel and choose another world-time.

You somehow survive the crash, and now must fight in the city plaza amongst hundreds of watchers.

The horse carriage plummets into a jade jungle, and you must fight upon its descending carcass.

The Moon rises now, as the fight continues on.

The King’s Man-At-Arms now charge toward the juggernaut to swarm and destroy it, with you still inside it.

The Violence continues. Deal with the consequences of your actions. Look forward to another Revolution.

If this piqued your interest, SUNDANG is currently out on my Patreon and I'm running pseudo-playtests of it on the Patreon Discord!

[adrianicsea]

the time that glenn howerton was in a gay period-piece play about crossdressing

so awhile back i was poking around glenn howerton's wikipedia looking for movies and such that i might have missed, and i noticed it had a small theatrical section listed. this was never something i'd given much thought in the past, but on this particular occasion i was so hard-up for new Glontent that i decided to see what i could find about the three plays listed there, because i'd never seen anyone else have much luck with that and i love a good internet scavenger hunt. walk with me.

compleat female stage beauty caught my eye right away-- the title of the play itself is interesting, and i happened to know already that the most famous real-life duke of buckingham was the lover of king james. so of course i went delving...

and what should i find but the entire playscript for compleat female stage beauty, For Free, on archive dot org? anyone on earth can rent it and read it for an hour at a time, or for 14 days if you want to really take your time with it. i have to assume that this is NOT common knowledge among sunny fans (or anyone else), as the archive upload only has 99 views at the time of making this post.

to give a VERY succinct summary of what the play is about-- in the 1660s, during the english restoration, women were allowed to act professionally onstage for the first time in english history. this caused problems for the male actors who had previously made their careers playing female characters, such as edward kynaston, around whom the play centers. outside of his acting career, kynaston is a gay man, and he's in a romantic entanglement with george villiars, the duke of buckingham (NOT the same duke of buckingham who was fucking king james-- that was this villiars' dad. we love gay fathers and their gay sons!) kynaston struggles to find his place in a changing social landscape where it seems as though his talents are no longer needed or wanted.

before getting into the script proper, the book has some information about notable early productions of the play. this is great because it pins down a lot of details about glenn's involvement in the show that wikipedia left unanswered, but there's also an unexpected sunny crossover here-- in an even EARLIER production, the lead role was played by david hornsby!

(i also learned over the course of my deep dive on this that glenn's costar, lead actor brandon demery, was a fellow member of glenn's graduating juilliard group!)

things don't end well for kynaston and villiars, but still, the onstage relationship between the two is both electrifying and heartbreaking as it changes over the course of the show.

now, this WOULD be where i would include cast pictures or footage or any kind of photos of glenn in this show... but if any such material exists, it's not publicly available. i went so far as to email the publicity and outreach coordinator for the theater that hosted glenn's production of this show to ask if they had any archived materials, but she told me that they didn't.

but this production took place in october of 2000, meaning it was pre-that 80s show, meaning we can all sit and think about how a glenn that looked like This was acting in a gay period piece about crossdressing and gender roles and the mystery of human sexuality. dudes rock.

a bit of a disappointing note to end on, i know, but i really wanted to talk about this play and share it with people!! it's a super interesting and overlooked part of glenn's early career, but also i think the script is fascinating and very well-written in its own right. i definitely encourage yall to check it out on the internet archive if you're interested-- again, it's literally free!

[away-ward]

Kill Switch Discussion Questions

On to Kill Switch, which I possibly might have even less to say about.

What did you like most about the book?

There was a scene were Emmy was hinted at. I liked that.

What did you like least about the book?

Winter. And Damon. and most everything else.

If there was one aspect of the story you could change, what would it be?

I really don't know. I wish I could tell you why these characters aren't connecting with me, why I didn't really like anything that happened, and why all of that somehow led to this blog.

Did I like it? No. Did it compel me to continue? Yes. But why?

I would have changed Winter's personality a little. I would have left Damon's redemption, if he absolutely needed one, to the end of the series. I would have changed a lot.

Was the book what you expected it to be?

Yep. I was about as interested as I expected to be.

Is Damon a sympathetic character?

I'm literally dying. Sure. Abuse sucks. He went through a lot of it. His responses make sense. I sympathize.

I just wish that his redemption didn't lead to him to becoming a caricature of his former self.

Do you understand his behavior in previous books more or less so now?

Yeah, of course I understand. I don't think anything he's done was a healthy response. It wasn't reasonable. Damon's still a mess, and no matter how much you explain the reasons, there is no magic wand that is going to wave his craziness away and make his behavior acceptable.

But again! I also never cared if his behavior was acceptable. Let him be messy!!

Where you surprised that Rika and Damon had such a strong relationship without Michael knowing?

Rika can't help herself from getting involved with things she knows she ought not. Damon likes messing with things that aren't his.

I struggle to understand why anyone finds Rika fascinating. So on that level, yeah I was surprised. But as far as the characters and this story go, this all made perfect scene.

Do you feel that the relationship between Will and Damon is co-dependent? 

Still yes. Neither of them function well without the other. One leaving causes a disturbance and disorder in the other's life.

Banks acts as Damon’s kill switch growing up. How so?

He used her to distract from his pain by creating a new pain, and she took an active role it in to keep him happy.

Who is the most powerful character in Kill Switch?

I don't know. Can't be Gabriel cause he dead.

I'm just gonna toss out Winter, because she's the only one who tamed Damon and got him back in line so he could stop terrorizing everyone. Could be Rika because she set this all in motion by supplying the information.

I think I continue to miss the point about why it matters.

Is Will closest to Damon out of the group, because he understands him and connects with him, or because Damon is another of Will’s vices?

Will doesn't feel like he can compete with Michael and Kai, because they take a more mature approach to things, while Damon indulgences Will. So in a way, Damon is another of Will's vices, but I don't think that's the whole reason why they're closest to each other.

Now reading Michael’s, Kai’s, and Damon’s story, who is the strongest leader so far?

Again, I'm crying. I can't figure out why this matters.

Michael is the leader regardless, because Damon follows to him. Whether it's out of ease because he doesn't want to be without them and he knows Michael wants the role, or because Michael is stronger in the role and Damon doesn't want the job, doesn't change anything.

It's not Kai, though. That's a hilarious thought.

Why is the Queen on his chess board a metaphor for how Damon operated during this book?

Ugh, chess. I haven't played in a million years.

The queen is the most powerful piece on the board, though it's not the end goal and it can be captured. The queen is also not limited in its movements, which directions it can go in, and how many squares it can move in a single turn.

So is the point that Damon could go anywhere and was a powerful player, but he wasn't the end all, be all of the game?

WAs winter the king? Rika?

It wasn't Banks because of course it wasn't.

I don't know. I think it's in how he moved throughout the story.

How do you believe spending 33 months in solitary confinement changed Damon’s perception of reality, changed him mentally, and changed him physically?

It made him worse. It would make anyone worse. I don't know the exact ways it changed him. He'd be more deranged, less resilient both physically and mentally. He falls apart in Corrupt, less than a year after being released, and it takes him nearly three years to start putting himself back together.

After reading about what transpired between Winter and Damon, do you feel Winter betrayed Damon and wrongly sent him to prison because she didn’t tell the truth?

In a way? Like she knew that she was a willing participant but she was violated. I don't think it was wrong, but she was not being fair.

Do you believe Damon raped Winter because he actively concealed his true identity? If you were Winter’s parent, would you feel like he had taken advantage of her impairment?

Yeah! And Yes. He definitely took advantage of her impairment. How else do you understand it when he's making the effort to trick her other senses to avoid her being able identify him.

I don't mean to say that Winter is without responsibility in this situation, but if you are concealing you're identify because you know this person wouldn't come near you under any other circumstances, and you gain their trust and then use that trust to have sex with them, you have to understand when that person feels violated. That's fundamental. And I maintain that consent requires full disclosure.

But she was aware that this person could be anyone. She put herself in the position, and I don't usually victim blame, but in this case she was a willing participant. I don't, however, blame her for feeling like she'd been violated.

She should have accepted that she let someone who had not disclosed their identity get close to her, instead of refusing accountability for the entire time.

Should Damon have served time in prison?

I believe if Winter had accepted accountability, (and if strings weren't be pulled behind the scenes) Damon could have avoided such a long sentence.

I don't know whether he should have gone to prison or not. It's not like Winter was 18, and was fully aware of all the facts. He took advantage of her. There consequences for that.

It may not seem fair, but it is justice. They don't always align.

Was Damon justified in his revenge towards Winter and her family?

I guess. Because Winter only hated Damon as much as she did because her dad lied about her injury. If he hadn't lied, then Damon might have been able to be honest and have a real relationship with Winter. And then if he hadn't encouraged Winter's feelings of being violated, she might have spoken up in defense of Damon.

Mayor Ashby attempted to ruin his life and his relationship with Winter, and for a period of time, he succeed. Damon wanting revenge makes sense.

Who is the stronger sibling, Rika, Banks, or Damon? 

Why are we back here? Not that I'm shocked.

I guess Rika, because the other two will move to defend her. They sort of revolve around her. I guess she is the King on the board.

I hate that we're still talking about this.

With regards to Winter’s “ghost”, do you believe she thought it might have been Damon or truly believed it was someone she didn’t know?

I think in the deepest part of her that she didn't want to acknowledge, for self-preservation, she knew there was a chance it could be Damon. Her ability to deny that was both a blessing and a curse.

Why did Gabriel let his wife molest Damon?

Because he thought that it would make him a man like him, cruel and feared? Because he never cared about Damon and his pain, and maybe his pain could one day be useful? I mean, it almost worked for his benefit. If those darn friends hadn't come alone and weakened him.

Do you feel more or less sympathetic towards Christiane’s character now that you understand what happened between her and Gabriel?

It changes not one bit how I feel about Christiane's character. I sympathized with her before, I feel bad for her now.

Do I think this provides an excuse for her excessive drinking and leaving teenage Rika to care for herself? No. She's mom. No amount of bad things happening make it okay for her to turn that part of her off and nearly drink herself to death. And it kind of sucks that she comes back to life only when Damon becomes available to her again.

The way Rika deserved a better mom...

huh. Maybe I do feel less sympathy for her. What do you know. The questions might be useful after all.

Should Gabriel’s death have been more horrific knowing how terrible of a person he was?

Hm. On one hand, his death was very anti-climatic. But there's also something great in it being treated as unimportant.

He was a terrible person. Let his existence fade without note.

Why did Damon marry Winter’s sister and not her?

Power trip? Toying with Winter?

I'd actually be interested in a thoughtful answer to this question.

What is Winter’s kill switch?

Damon? Dance? Those times when Damon would take her driving?

Why did the power switch to Winter in the dynamic between her and Damon after the bathtub scene?

Oof, I don't remember. I wanna say it's because Winter became aware of how much power she actually held over him; how weak he was to her.

Why was it so significant that Damon hid those tiny treasures in the catacombs and gave Winter the “instructions” on how to find them?

Huh. Again, don't remember this. But was it because he was introducing her to part of his world, but trusting her to navigate it alone?

Is sex Will’s kill switch?

Yeah.

How is the knowledge of Michael’s father responsible for the death of Rika’s father a change in the relationship between Michael and Rika?

Rika is vengeful, but that's her fiancé's father, so obviously that's an issue. To get her revenge, she'd have to risk stepping over Michael.

Why is Damon leaving the revenge on Michael’s father in her hands?

Because she's the King?

Or it's possible that he considers this revenge to be hers and not his, and she gave him the opportunity to get his revenge. He's returning the favor.

Maybe speed running these questions two years after I finished reading them the first time was not my best idea, but I wanted them complete.

Nothing called for this and I do wish I had better answers. Thanks for reading anyway.

[the-bitter-ocean]

(OPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENT CONTENT, ACT 3/ ACT 5 SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT) @biblicallyaccuratecrow I hope you don't mind me adding my two cents in analyzing Bonnie as well because I also adore this scene and Bonnie as a character. This scene ABSOLUTELY left an impression on Siffrin and he internalizes that the entire game. It’s so so fascinating to me how well-crafted the dialogue and callbacks to certain moments are it makes me run around in a circle

Like when the MAL DU PAYS fight was happening and it was speaking as Bonnie, the dialogue reminded me of the stupid rotten adults scene. Granted in the context of stupid rotten adults / Memory of Promise achievement Bonnie lashed out because they didn’t like the party talking about death- about how each and every one of them were fully on board with sacrificing their lives if it meant protecting them. This is notably different from the Mal Du Pays version of Bonnie who is voicing all of Siffrin’s fears and self loathing on the situation ( their feelings of having personally failed to protect Bonnie and that they should’ve died instead to protect them)

Shoutout to the @isat-script-project for providing the dialogue from the game for easy access to everyone else, the screenshots I used are from that website/ blog specifically so be sure to check that out if you hadn’t done so! You can find a link to the website here. Anyway moving on to the analysis:

Stupid Rotten Adults:

Act 5 (Failed Friend Quest)

(Act 5 MAL DU PAYS fight)

Like when you analyze what Bonnie says in stupid rotten adults versus act 5 both of them outright tell Siffrin that he should die. It wasn’t pleasant and genuinely was hurtful, even if we the player and also Siffrin in hindsight post game know that Bonnie didn’t mean to say that and was just a kid verbally lashing out in a high stress situation.

I said it before a while ago and so have many others when analyzing Bonnie or the rest of the cast but I’m not surprised Bonnie reacted so viscerally to Siffrin getting hurt for their sake. Not only has it happened before in the past prior to the events of the game (the sadness incident) but given what little information that we know about Bonnie’s older sister Petronille, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Nille probably had a similar mindset to protect their younger sibling too. (Nille being the one to run away from home at a young age because it’s heavily implied that it was an unsafe/ abusive environment and decided to raise Bonnie all by herself). I wouldn’t be surprised if she got frozen in time while protecting their sibling, telling Bonnie to run or go find help and prioritizing their safety first before anything else. That sort of survivor's guilt can heavily affect anyone- so it’s not a shock that it hit home for someone as young as Bonnie (who at the youngest would be 10 and at the oldest would be 12 because they’re stated to only be a preteen).

There’s hints of how much Bonnie dislikes the idea of people dying/ getting hurt for their sake all throughout the game- even before you get to the ACT 3 Friend Quest or even the Memory of Promise/ Stupid Rotten Adults achievement. In general Bonnie repeatedly expresses that they want to contribute to the party in a meaningful way. Bonnie wants to help too! They want to have an important role and be able to protect their family and be viewed as someone equal rather than be viewed as “just a little kid” that the party has to babysit or coddle. A lot of the party is aware of these feelings and do their best to make sure Bonnie feels included even if they’re not allowed to be actively fighting by letting them be the one to hold all the important items/ potions they find while traversing the house and being the one to help make the snacks so that the party doesn’t go hungry on the journey. Even when they aren’t a primary fighter in the group, unlike the prologue where Bonnie didn’t get to fight at all nor did they hold the potions (it was Odile, for some reason oddly enough lol) Bonnie in ISAT has a random chance of being able to land a hit on any enemy the party encounters / do the finishing blow for an attack and also is the one to throw the bomb if the player decides to craft one during the loops.

A lot of this characterization can be missed on a first playthrough especially if you don’t do things like analyzing the different sadnesses or paying attention to the different bathroom conversations that the party has. You can find the dialogue that I’m presenting currently in this analysis on the official isat wiki:

When the party encounters the two sadnesses Accablement and Abattement you get this very interesting conversation when examining the sadnesses for the first time:

I think it makes the game all the more impactful to see all those little moments where every character, not just Siffrin is allowed to not be perfect or respond in the best way all the time. They feel all the more real and human in how they interact with Siffrin but also how the cast interacts with each other throughout the game even if we aren’t playing in their pov.

isat thoughts: stupid rotten adults isn't talked about enough

y'all can we talk for a minute about stupid rotten adults event because dear god i have thoughts

[tw for talk of death and suicidal ideation]

[woe, spoilers be upon ye!]

it's honestly one of the more tragic party interactions in my opinion, purely because in this case... siffrin was trying to do the right thing, or at least what they thought was right. they tried to use touch to comfort them, something that they had heard would help, and had it rebuked. Which isn't bonnie's fault, really. they're a kid going through something that a kid should never have to go through. we don't acknowledge enough how fucked up it is for bonnie to be with the party on their journey, even if it leads to them bonding with the group. so it's not surprising that it could come out like this at an age when kids may not have the words or emotional intelligence to express how they're feeling (lord knows some adults never learn either)

but then.

they hit you with this:

and i remember just full stop going "holy fuck bonnie" when this happened. because holy shit, in the context of everything that siffirn is going through, especially if you already had the dagger interaction... they have. they have done that. over and over again, they've died. This isn't directed at isabeau, who was the one to bring it up in the first place, or mirabelle and odile who answer, it's directed to Siffrin, who lost their eye trying to save them, and who could have died for bonnie but didn't. Bonnie doesn't want to lose any of them, but they lash out because of the stress, and direct it at the person who they hold guilt over.

But from a Siffrin POV... it's similar to the time travel joke with isa. it's just another reminder of the ways in which they've failed, and another nail in the coffin of their misgivings regarding what the party thinks about them. All of the things bonnie says here- that siffrin should die, that nobody cares what happens to them, that they are hated- these are all things echoed in act 5 by siffrin.

so i just have to wonder... how much of this conversation stuck with Siffrin? they can resolve it by completing the quest and reassuring bonnie that nothing will happen, if you've done the king quest then you know... something already has happened. And maybe in a way siffrin sees bonnie's anger towards them as a sort of confirmation that it was their fault, and that Bonnie trusted them to keep them all safe, and he failed.

anyways im sick and this probably is rambling and disconnected im goin to take a nap

[brianinjapan721]

May 29 - Shibuya/Harajuku and Meiji Shrine

(BTW this picture was from when I went to Takeshita Street with my Dad before the program began. I forgot to take pictures today. Hope that is okay. Just in case, I’ve also included an image taken today from Shibuya Scramble Crossing.)

Our first stop today was Shibuya Scramble Crossing. It was immediately a bit overwhelming, but incredible to see because I have heard so much about this in media. There were tons of people quite literally “scrambling” in all different directions. My group then went to the Starbucks second floor to get a better look at the crossing. There was also a small manga store in the basement floor, which was very interesting to me because I do not know very much about manga. The next stop was Takeshita Street in Harajuku. I was expecting to see more people dressed up in boisterous Japanese fashion trends, but I did not see as much as expected. I went to a delicious curry shop for food and then went around the different vendors to see if I could find something I wanted to buy. To me, the jewelry seemed overpriced for the quality, so I didn’t purchase any jewelry there. Instead, I went to a thrift store and purchased some pants that seem to be of pretty good quality. Our final stop of the day was Meiji Shrine. The decoration of the shrine and the fortune amulets were very fascinating to me. My favorite part of this area was the ornate gold that lined the steps in the innermost part of the shrine. I wished that I could have seen it up close, but it was beautiful regardless.

The first reading was more focused on the youth culture in Japan. It was interesting to hear about Japan’s soft power as it relates to youth culture, specifically from companies like Sanrio. I found it fascinating that this company rose to such great heights without any economic support from the government. Of course, once the company’s primary character, Hello Kitty, and the other Sanrio characters began to rise in popularity, the government began using Hello Kitty’s image as part of how Japan was to be seen in the world. Walking through Harajuku, I naturally spotted a few Sanrio items and felt I had a deeper understanding of the role that Sanrio and Hello Kitty play in Japan’s cultural soft power in the world. I found myself thinking about the extreme dualism of Japan’s cultural image, as was discussed in our group this morning. Some have ideas of Japan as a hyper-feminine, childish nation due to the popularity of Hello Kitty whilst others see Japan as it was seen during the times of the samurai: strong, honorable, and extremely masculine. The Meiji restoration reading was also very informative and helped me understand the significance of the shrine. Before doing this reading, I did not realize that the Meiji Restoration period was a time in which Japan largely westernized. What I found especially interesting about this reading was that, following Japan’s westernization, many Japanese artists actually viewed their own traditional Japanese art as less important. Many artists stopped producing art that had previously been so crucial to Japan’s cultural image.

[caw4brandon]

The Media of Satoshi Kon

Any Anime casual will hear the name Hayao Miyazaki and think very fondly of his works. From the Award winning < Spirited Away > to the beautiful gem that is < Princess Mononoke > To me, Studio Ghibli is considered as a gateway for anyone who “knows nothing about anime to get into anime” Often labeled as The Walt Disney of The Anime Medium. However, Ghibli isn't the only one who made breathtaking films and fun concepts.

If you tune into the anime reviewers and Anime YouTubers. The name Satoshi Kon comes up a lot. He was mentioned in the early episodes of The Trash Taste Podcast and was deemed as one of the most significant Anime directors of our decade. So, with my interest peeked. Its into the darkness I go.

- Satoshi Kon; The Illusionist -

Born on October 12, 1963. Satoshi Kon (今敏) started out as a background designer, key animator and later, a layouts artist for various Anime in the 1990s. Inching his way to the top to become a director of his own films. On 1997, Kon-san with production studio Madhouse debut his first feature film < Perfect Blue > which is based on the novel < Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis > by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. While maintaining three elements of the novel ("idol", "horror", and "stalker"), Kon was unsatisfied with the ending and requested to make changes of his liking.

In his later years on 2001 till 2008, Kon produced three films, < Millennium Actress >, < Tokyo Godfathers > and < Paprika > as well as a 13-episode series, < Paranoia Agent > Its said that right after, Kon was working on a new movie but was tragically diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer on May 2010. Given half a year to live, he chose to spend the remainder of his life at home and on August 24, 2010, Satoshi Kon passed at the age of 46.

Despite his short-lived directorial role, Satoshi Kon’s work praised for being beautiful as it is thought provoking and mind bending. Featuring unique themes of cutting between the lines on fantasy and reality, memories and dreams, truth and lies. Despite them being films from the 1990s to the early 2000s. The themes themselves require a deeper dissection that is relatable to Today. 

- The Internet and The Truth -

Upon first impressions, < Perfect Blue > deals with the dark side of the Idol culture. It tears down the façade of Idols who are expected to be perfect and pure but in reality, its just as human and flawed as other humans are.

The story follows Mima Kirigoe a former member of the mildly-successful J-pop group named "CHAM!" who wishes to leave the Idol industry to become and actress. As Mima leaves her Idol life behind, her fans grew upset at her and the choices she made with her new career. Furious that she has tarnished her perfect image and seeks to, “end the imposter!” with various attempts.

From Mima’s point of view, we see her descend into madness. Fusing and crisscrossing her role in the television detective drama, < Double Bind > and the actual life events she experienced with the super-fan stalker, Me-Mania and the suffocating effects of the inflammatory blog page that is “Mima's Room”

Without going into spoilers. The mind breaking drama of < Perfect Blue > provides a harrowing tale of internet culture, biased opinions and mob mentality towards a celebrity or anyone of influence. Its a thriller that scares us, often credited by reviewers as a "reminder of how much celebrity fandom has evolved in only a decade" noting it as the film that takes "the thriller, media fascination, psychological insight and pop culture and stand them all on their heads" via its "knowing, adult view of what seems to be a young-teenage paradise." 

The film forces us to keep watch and question every moment to ask what is real to the characters and what is an act. As well as asking us, how real that persona is to our actual lives. It also pictured the future at the time. Showcasing the frightening ramifications with information in the palm of our hands. Expressing the dangers of mobs and how they can eat a person up by anonymity. 

Even though its catered towards Idol culture, I think its just as relevant towards the subject of cancel culture and idol obsession towards the likes of Youtubers, Instagram artists, Tik-Tokers and even small time celebrities.

- Stories and Miracles -

Following his first work, the next two movies felt like an odd change of themes but is equally as thought provoking as the first. < Millennium Actress > is set at a time when a prestigious but bankrupt film studio, goes out of business. The enthusiastic Interviewer, Genya Tachibana and cameraman Kyoji Ida prepare and managed to land an interview with the mega star, Chiyoko Fujiwara. Asking her about how she started as an actresses and why she retired so suddenly in her career.

As Chiyoko tells the story, her life and her various roles in the films she’s in fuse together. Jumping between age gaps as a pseudo-documentary and film. The deeper we follow Chiyoko’s life we see her development as an actress while at hopes of finding an artist and political dissident who opposed the Sino-Japanese War whom she rescued when she was very young. 

From the creator’s point of view, it is considered as a love letter to Japanese history, including the Edo period and Manchukuo as well as offering snips of the various genres found in old films, from jidaigeki (period drama) to kaiju. 

Meanwhile, < Tokyo Godfathers > follows three homeless individuals. The Alcoholic; Gin, a Transgender woman; Hana, and a teenage runaway; Miyuki. Fighting through the cold of Christmas Eve. While rummaging through garbage, the trio managed to find an abandoned baby and named her; Kiyoko doing their best to keep the baby alive while searching for the parents who left her.

In my opinion, < Tokyo Godfathers > is a rather clumsy story. It displays themes of coincidences. How one awkward run in with certain people leads to another awkward situation that oddly ties it all together. It peals the layers with this form of interaction, explaining how the trio became homeless and the demons they carry with them in their past lives.

It also features a band of unlikely nobodies with unique takes on the construct of a "pseudo-family" Hana, despite being trans desires to be a mother, Gin learns to confront his past mistakes as a failure and Miyuki, learns the value of family, love and above all, forgiveness.

- Sweet Dreams and Nightmares -

To be very honest, I didn’t fully appreciate the past three movies that well. While it was exciting to finally watch something that was highly praised for being one of the greatest anime directors of our time. I watched it because of the reputation it made within the community. Nothing excited me much about Satoshi Kon’s work until I watched < Paprika >

To loosely summarize, < Paprika > follows Doctor Atsuko Chiba, who is a team member for a device called the "DC Mini" A headset device that allows the user to view people's dreams. Doctor Chiba used the machine illegally to help psychiatric patients by assuming her dream world alter-ego, Paprika. One of Paprika’s many patients is Detective Toshimi Konakawa, who is plagued by a recurring dream and seeks to find answers with the DC Mini.

After the session. Doctor Chiba runs into Doctor Kōsaku Tokita, inventor of the DC Mini who regretfully informs her that the DC Mini was stolen and that is when the movie unfolds. I really love this movie! Mainly because of the psychedelic scenes, the iconic moments that inspired scenes for < Inception >, its main character being extremely fun watch as well as its unique looking designs for side characters and background assets.

The movie expresses the stark differences between dreams and reality. The various forms the characters took as dream characters reflects who they are, how they see themselves and what they desire. Its a powerful movie that uses the theories of film making to show what is considered as a dream and what is reality and the blurred lines to the creators and users of the DC Mini.

While the past movies; < Perfect Blue > and < Millennium Actress > uses films, on-stage personas and real-life events to cross between barriers. This movie takes it a step further. It uses the dream system to express concepts and ideas of the impossible to be “real” to the maker. It breaks the rules we once knew and takes us deeper into the metaphorical rabbit hole with whimsical displays while maintaining the ethos of the people in reality.

In another angle, < Paprika > is an exploration into the Mind of The Creator himself. It fuses films, dreams and reality together so seamlessly and the way how the scenes just happen in the middle of it all really makes you wonder...

- Was it all just a dream? -

I mentioned earlier that shortly before his passing. Kon-san was in the midst of working on a new movie titled; < Dream Machine > According to what I found, its said to be a fantasy-adventure featuring robot-like characters that, based on what I have seen reminds me of old Mechas like < Mazinger Z > or < Astro Boy > but still posses that Satoshi Kon style.

[Source Image Here]

Due to his legacy and his untimely death, no other director dared to take the  project and complete the movie because it is, after all. Satoshi Kon’s movie. According to Madhouse head; Masao Maruyama About 600 shots out of 1500 had been animated, certain tracks have been chosen but the end product is said to never be completed which kind of feels like irony.

Regardless, I think its safe to say that Kon has made his impact in the Anime sphere bigger than he himself. A legend who has made a style of his own with not just art style but with editing and transitioning between scenes. The works of Satoshi Kon is the works of a dreamer for worlds that is both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. That, is The Media of Satoshi Kon. The unnerving and uncanny sensation, the seamless transitions, and above all, it is;

The Dream that will NEVER end.

Thanks for Reading

- Caw4B -

[wordsnstuff]

Guide to Creating Magic Systems

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Decide What is “Good” and “Evil”

This is a big decision, because it’s going to impact the way your characters use magic, and the overall theme/tone of the story. You must decide where the moral limitations of magic stand, in addition to the practical limitations. You must also decide who can/does overstep those moral or societal boundaries. This is a great place where you can find conflict and establish the themes of your story.

Establish Clear Limits

All quality magic systems have clear limits in their reality. Sometimes time travel is possible, sometimes it isn’t. More “powerful” spells, or spells with greater physical implications, will require greater sacrifices, like death, loss, or pain.  Deciding these limits are a key task you must accomplish early in the process of designing a magic system, because it can impact the conflict, plot points, character motivations, and more.

Establish Consequences

Arguably, magic systems aren’t interesting or engaging unless the reader is aware that any use of magic will have some consequence. Not always an epic consequence, because some magic systems are designed to be fun and full of wonder, and therefore some magic should be available to serve that purpose without being overshadowed by impending consequence. However, if magic plays a major part in your conflict or conflict resolution, it would benefit your story to establish a system of consequences or effects that come as a result of using various amounts or levels or types of magic that exist in your universe.

Diversity in Magic (Powers & Users)

One of the more contemporary grievances about magic systems is that it’s very one-size-fits-all, or bland in terms of who can/does use magic and how they do so. It’s worth your time to explore the idea of including multiple groups or species who can use magic and determining how the way they use it can differ. Regional characteristics of magic users and habits/idiosyncrasies that differ depending on class/race/social status/location. It can also be an interesting point of contention in your story/world to think about how different groups or individuals influence the methodology or views on magic. Do some view it as a sacred gift that is only to be used according to ancient tradition? Does this conflict with more modern views of younger users who view it as a tool that should be used whenever to make life easier?

Establish a Source & Theory

On a lot of occasions, this development is mostly for your own sake as the writer. However, it’s immensely helpful to know where magic came from or how it came to be available/wielded, and how that affects its value or role in your world. This is typically the kind of information authors put a lot of thought into and then end up stuffing as much of it into the preliminary drafts as possible, only to cut 90% of it out later, but even if it’s never explicitly stated in the text, writing the story with that context in mind can considerably enrich the story.

Common Struggles

~ How do I establish magic is a thematic element as well as a world building one?... Make your magic mean something. Using magic systems as a decoration is a staple of the fantasy genre, so you must establish the intrigue of your magic system through who uses it, and how they choose to do so. Use magic as a tool to explore the themes of the story. It doesn’t have to be a metaphor itself, but it can do wonders in delivering subtle nudges toward the overall point of the story. Think of it as a thematic tool, instead of a plot ornament.

~ How do I depict the use of magic in an engaging way?... Big magic and small magic. Sure, there will probably be some epic battles or intense displays of incredible power, but if this ability is widespread and considered typical, show the little things as well. Characters usually have “stage business”, or mundane actions they accomplish to break up dialogue or make scenes more dynamic, and this stage business is a great opportunity to show everyday magic. Doing laundry, getting coffee, catching a bus, sorting paperwork, etc. are all tasks that would be more convenient with magic, so show it. Use these little moments to periodically inform/remind the reader of the breadth/limitations of magic and the diversity in who uses it and how.

~ How do I convey the intricacies of the magic system without info-dumping periodically throughout my story?... Find places in scenes that you wouldn’t necessarily assume magic would be a necessary part of and ask yourself how a character who has magic (and perhaps always has) would live that moment differently from you (a person who does not and never has had that ability). If they’re doing the dishes in this scene, would they be doing it manually or directing the objects to move with magic because they don’t like getting their hands wet? A lot of the charm in magical stories is the escapism; the idea that life could be so different, and probably more convenient, if one had magic. So, lean into this, use opportunities you find to inject some context or information about the rules/limitations/history/etc., and the magic will naturally integrate itself.

~ How do I achieve a magic system that adds to a reader’s enjoyment, rather than simply acting as a story garnish?... A lot of writers try to recapture the fascination readers have with magic systems in stories like Harry Potter, and it’s important to denote that what sets that magic system apart from the others is that it was built using various source materials that weren’t inherently magical. If you try to build a magic system based on one in another story, it’s unlikely you’ll come up with any original ideas. The magic in Harry Potter was constructed using Latin roots, global mythology, and various references to popular tropes in literature about witches, wizards, fictional creatures, etc. Additionally, a lot of the conflict regarding magic was derived from real world issues, such as prejudice. Magic for the sake of magic does little to interest a reader who is well versed in the genre, but magic created from scratch to serve a unique purpose will intrigue and entertain them. 

–

Masterlist | WIP Blog

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[thirstkanaphan]

@karmacharmeleon18 thank you for adding your thoughts! Everything you wrote is so interesting to me as someone who only got into Ateez last year and wasn't around to witness the shifting dynamics within the group. I want to nibble on some your notes here, mostly just to "yes, and..." the conversation!

I think you are spot-on about Yunho being an internal regulator of the fanservice (not sure I'd go so far as to say he polices fanservice). I know we joke about him always being at the scene of the crime, but recently I am fascinated by how much he's been the primary orchestrator of fanservice moments within the group. Especially on the Europe tour, nearly every viral moment happened because of Yunho. Yungi aside, he was gong on dates with Yeosang; posting multiple flirty/cute/suggestive reels with Seonghwa; holding hands with San every night on stage; and instigating some VERY shippy moments with Wooyoung during their performance.

I agree with you that Yunho is keenly aware of how far the team can push fanservice; I also think control-freak/dance-leader Yunho needs to choreograph it (see what I did there?) so he can manage it. You are right to point out that Yunho's first reaction to seeing the WooSan moment is panic and then he is able to get himself under control and laugh it off.

(@storkmuffin is developing a dark!yunho thesis that will undoubtedly cause irrevocable damage to my psyche, so I'm tagging them in case they have additional thoughts later on)

I am sure there are multiple factors for why WooSan distanced themselves/were distanced after Bouncy-era (cue Oprah voice "were you silent? or were you silenced?"), and I do think some of that has to do with the meteoric rise of Ateez after Bouncy. I think all of them were savvy enough to realize that they could promote the group on more than just being yaoiteez, and San's skyrocketing fame contributed to that shift too, along with Wooyoung's own self-described internal character arc away from being the "sexy" member towards someone with more mystery and maturity.

I do really like your meta read of the different unit songs for FIN!

The Yeosang of it all is so interesting to me! I feel terrible for how he's treated by certain factions within the fandom. I have multiple, overlapping, and somewhat conflicting thoughts about the role Yeosang plays in the group with regard to fan-service, which I'll briefly sketch out below:

Not sure I completely accept the claim that San pivoted to Yeosang in the wake of the WooSan ship "sinking." I think that when WooSan was at their peak, they so completely dominated our attention that we perhaps failed to notice existing and deep bonds between SanSang/MinSang/JongSang (all of them are very handsy with Yeosang). My hypothesis is not that these interactions started happening recently, it's just that the fandom recently became more aware of them because WooSan wasn't there to steal the oxygen in the room.

I do think that San's performative favoritism towards Yeosang can come off to some as unwelcome and aggressive, but I also think that San is a very physically demonstrative person and he may prefer to have a target of affection when he is in public as a means of controlling and redirecting attention. This is also the same man who brought his stuffed animal to an amusement park and makes felt dolls. I think he is drawn to cute things and Yeosang is the cutest.

Yeosang has addressed his own instinctive response (trauma-informed?!) to physical affection from any of the members, but San in particular. Here's a transcription from their Off The Record interview:

San: There's something I want to ask you. Did anything I did upset you?

Yeosang: Actually, for me, instead of being upset, I feel more like I owe you an apology. Because for example, when you say things like "I love you", you show your love and affection, for me it's not easy to reciprocate, so I feel like I owe you an apology. Sometimes, when you try to kiss me... how can I say it... my body's reaction to avoid it is automatic.

And when San replies that Yeosang has done nothing to upset him, Yeosang continues, unprompted:

Yeosang: Nothing upsets you... Thinking about it another way, this feeling of being upset, I don't think it's entirely negative. I feel like the closer the person is, It's easier to get upset about something. I often wonder if I'm not doing enough (also about taking care of San). It's a bit of a stretch to say something like "I'm going to do something to upset you," but I'm going to do my best to do it.

I think a more cynical person could read this exchange as Yeosang apologizes for not giving back enough to their fanservice, but as with the unusually candid and frankly upsetting conversation with Jongho and Wooyoung, I think Yeosang admitted more than he intended to about his real feelings: he wants to be an active participant in his relationship with San. He wants to be able to genuinely upset San, which he sees as a marker of close friendship. While there is still a part of him that remains uneasy with San's excessive physical affection, he wants to be more to San than just a pretty doll to play with. (Interestingly, this is how Jongho described his relationship with Wooyoung earlier in the ep “am I an accessory to you?”) I don't think for one second that San feels anything less for Yeosang than intense care and adoration.

With MinSang, I was also there when they were unusually handsy and the fandom was having a blast with their interactions. I am less inclined to think that Yunho had a hand in distancing them, mostly because I think it's in Mingi's personality to have periods where he gets intensely into other members and then cools off. I recall Jongho making this observation about Mingi when the members were discussing Transit Love:

*Jongho clocking the tea*

I will admit it's INTERESTING that Jongho attributes Mingi’s bouts of closeness to the current status of his relationship with Yunho (maybe I'm proving your point lol)

Not sure what people are referring to by Yunho's "disgusted" face when San was getting sappy about Yeosang. Perhaps they're talking about this exchange?

I read this moment as Yunho not being prepared for San to launch into an elaborate bit and reacting to San the way he seems to always react to San when San acts weird. Remember this is how he reacted to San's story about his bald spot?

My final observation is that there is a Yeosang that we almost never see and that we glimpsed once in a cute exchange between him and Mingi that was being filmed by the members. It's implied that Mingi and Yeosang forgot they were being filmed and Yeosang spoke differently than he normally does on camera.

He sounds extra sweet and soft and if that's how he is at home, no wonder he inspires so much cuteness aggression in the members.

Anyway, thanks for responding! This got off topic but the best tumblr conversations usually do. Feel free to keep going!

I've never seen this clip in its entirety; only the kiss/not kiss and San backing away in shock. It's REALLY something. And the aftermath! Wooyoung wiggling from the audacity of what he just pulled off on stage at a fanmeeting; San buffering; Yunho the Yaoi God holding back a smile.

I want to study this like an ancient text because THIS is the moment many WooSan shippers point to as the turning point...apparently Bouncy-era WooSan flew too close to the fan-service sun and haven't been paired up as a unit since (unless you count an OT3 with Yeosang for It's You).

[arrantsnowdrop]

Informalities - Éomer x reader

Request:  “Eomer x reader fic where the reader is from our world and Eomer listens to the stories the reader says of our world and he thinks that it is a grand place and so when they are finally getting together, Eomer feels kind of insecure cuz he feels he'll never live up to the reader's "standards" and the reader says that they are insecure because he is a prince and she has nothing"

Tags: @thewhiteladyofrohan

Warnings: mention of battles and death, about 2,200 words

A/N: Hoppy Easter lads and lasses, we are back from a many month writing hiatus. Hope y’all enjoy, I’m glad to be here :)

You genuinely had no idea how you’d ended up in Middle Earth.

It was one of those fever dream situations - one moment you were falling asleep in your own bed, and the next you were waking up at the bottom of a tree, surrounded by many bearded and concerned looking men.

Of course you’d been startled and so, so confused, but it had only taken you a few moments to recognize the characters from one of your favorite stories, and then you’d fully accepted your new reality.

By the time you first encountered the fellowship, they had already lost Gandalf at Moria and passed through the realm of Lothlorien. They were traveling in their fancy elvish boats when they’d spotted you from the river. You were extremely grateful for that - who knows what would’ve happened if the Uruk-hai tracking them had found you first.

Boromir and Gimli were quite intimidated by your presence, having been brought up in traditions that designated men for warrior roles. Aragorn and Legolas were much more accepting (female elves were just as badass as any male elf or man, and both of them knew that). The hobbits had all taken an immediate liking to you, and you’d been devastated to lose them during the Uruk ambush. Of course, this only gave you a stronger drive to track them into Rohan with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

It was there that you met Éomer for the first time, after his riders surrounded your small group of assumed invaders.

He was handsome, there was no denying that, and you found his decision to protect Rohan even in exile extremely brave. He’d been startled by your presence (a group including a dwarf, an elf, AND a woman must’ve been an oddity for him), and thus had talked primarily with Aragorn, but you could not shake the way his eyes locked with yours as he offered you his condolences about Merry and Pippin.

You figured you’d never see the handsome blonde again, glumly complaining to Gimli about it several times throughout Rohan.

Thus, you’d been overjoyed when he arrived at the Battle of Helm’s Deep - half because he was saving your asses from almost certain death, and half because you’d get to see his face and hear his voice again.

You followed Aragorn after the battle, searching for Gandalf in the celebrating crowd. It did not take long, with his bright white robes being quite easy to pick out.

“Gandalf!” you screamed gleefully, weaving between the people around you to get to the smiling wizard.

“It is good to see you, (Y/n),” he said as you embraced him.

“Oh, it’s even better to see you,” you said.

“I have to agree with (Y/n),” Aragorn said from behind you. You pulled back, allowing Gandalf time to greet your friend, and quickly caught sight of a familiar face.

He had been laughing with some other men when his gaze fell on you, eyes locking with yours for the second time. You smiled a bit and offered an awkward wave, face flushing as he flashed you a smile.

“Ah, (Y/n), this is Lord Éomer, current heir to the throne of Rohan,” Gandalf said, noticing the two of you staring at each other.

“We’ve met before,” he said, walking towards you

“Indeed we have,” you replied as he stopped just in front of you. “It is a pleasure to meet you, oh-future-king,” you said, bowing a bit.

You could hear Aragorn slap his forehead from behind you and grinned.

“She’s not from around here, so do forgive her manners,” Aragorn said.

“Or lack thereof,” you added, straightening yourself once more and looking at Éomer’s amused face.

“I appreciate the informality,” Éomer grinned. You spun around and pointed at Aragorn.

“See? Someone appreciates me,” you accused.

You were extremely happy to meet Éomer. It’s not that you didn’t adore Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli, but they were also the only people you’d been around for quite a while. It was exciting to make a new friend, especially one so handsome and charismatic.

The two of you spent the entire ride to Isengard delving into each other’s lives, from childhoods to secret fears to favorite foods. Obviously, the two of you had led quite different lives, and he was fascinated by the world you had come from.

“These cars you speak of, are they like horses?” he asked.

“No, they’re much faster,” you replied. “They’re more like a carriage, since they have space for several people inside.”

“But it moves without a horse?”

“Yup!”

“Who steers in then?”

You were grinning ear to ear at the look of bewilderment on his face.

“One of the people inside,” you answered. “There’s a wheel to control which direction you go and pedals on the floor to control the speed.”

“That sounds terribly complicated,” Éomer said, brows furrowing.

“It’s not too bad,” you said, “I was even pretty good at it.”

Éomer shot you an alarmed look.

“You used to steer these...these things?” he asked incredulously. You laughed and nodded. “You have to be taught how to do it,” you explained. “It’s not like they throw you into it without any preparation.”

“It still sounds extremely dangerous,” he decided.

“I did break my arm in a crash once,” you said thoughtfully. He gasped.

“You can crash them?”

Éomer had quickly become one of your favorite people, which only made the continuous battles over the fate of Middle Earth even more stressful. You were terrified he would ride into a fight and never return, and even more terrified of what that meant.

You’d searched for him for hours after the Battle for Minas Tirith, heart growing more and more heavy as you continued. Every person you asked had no idea where he was, and by the time you returned to the White City, your hands were shaking with anxiety. Finding him outside of the makeshift infirmary that had been set up was the most relieving moment of your entire life.

You had gasped the moment you caught sight of his all too familiar golden hair, letting out a desperate sob as his eyes met yours, him rushing over to you and wrapping you in his arms. Your embrace was filled with all the emotions both of you were too terrified to say aloud.

“I thought you were dead,” you murmured into his chest, eyes wet and lips trembling.

“It will take far more than a few Oliphaunts to kill me,” he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of your head.

You wanted nothing more than to tell him in that moment how much you loved him, but decided against it. You knew the fighting was not over, the last thing you needed was for him to be distracted by you during battle and find himself impaled with some pointy object. If you both lived to the end of this, you would tell him then.

But then you were too scared to do it.

Of course you had won - the ring had been destroyed, Aragorn had led the crusade against the forces of Mordor, and Gondor was preparing to crown its long lost king. Everyone was staying in Minas Tirith until the coronation, but then everyone was leaving. All your friends would be heading home, but you did not have one of those here in Middle Earth.

Aragorn had already offered you a place in Gondor’s leadership, and thus a permanent residence with him, and the hobbits were more than happy to escort you back to the Shire with them, but you knew both of these options would separate you from the one person you wanted to be with.

All you wanted was to follow Éomer back to Edoras, but you were unsure if that would be best for him. He was about to be crowned king of Rohan, and probably had many ladies of Rohan’s nobility lined up to rule with him. It was selfish for you to think you had any right to his heart, especially when his duties and responsibilities were so much more important than an outspoken, title-less woman.

So you distanced yourself from him. You avoided him whenever possible, taking the longest routes you could to dinners and meetings. You tried not to be affected by his desperate gaze, or the way he called for you as you rushed out of a room. It hurt you more than anything, but you knew it would be better for him in the long run. You succeeded with your plan until the night before Aragorn’s coronation.

You’d been walking home from dinner (a huge, pre-celebration feast that qualified as a celebration itself) through an old, twisty corridor. You opened the door to your room only to see Eomer sitting on your bed, a worried look on his face.

You jumped slightly, startled by his presence.

“What are you doing in here?” you said breathlessly. “This is totally an invasion of my privacy and absolutely uncalled for at such a late hour, you almost gave me a heart attack-”

“Forgive me,” he interrupted, standing up from the bed, eyes fixated on you. You both stood there in silence for some time, the closest you’d been to each other for the first time in days.

“I missed you,” he murmured finally. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

You looked down at your feet and nodded. You did not want to see the look of betrayal that he was undoubtedly wearing.

“Why?” he whispered. You winced at the sound of hurt in his voice.

“You would not understand Éomer, but I promise it was in your best interest,” you replied.

“You are my best friend, (Y/n), how could ignoring me benefit me?” he asked incredulously. You looked up at him, trying to ignore the tears beginning to form in your eyes.

“Éomer-”

“Please,” he cut you off desperately, slowly walking towards you. “I have missed you more than you could possibly imagine.” “That is the issue,” you whispered, closing your eyes to avoid looking at him.

“How is that an issue?” he begged.

“Because you are about to be a king,” you shouted, eyes still closed. “And you will leave after tomorrow with everyone else, back to Edoras, where new responsibilities will be awaiting you and demanding your attention.”

“How does that have anything to do with you?” he asked, voice sounding a lot closer than before. You gulped, sensing him right in front of you.

“I would be a distraction,” you replied meekly. Éomer did not reply, but instead reached to grab your hands with his own, you gasping as he pulled you into his chest.

“(Y/n), you are not a distraction, how could you-”

“I do not want you to leave me here,” you interrupted, resting your forehead against him. “I am so scared I’ll never see you again, but your life is about to be so much more important than me.”

“I do not want to leave you here,” he said, wrapping his arms around your back. “I want you to come with me. You’re my best friend, how could I abandon you?”

“That’s exactly the problem,” you whispered, “even if I were physically with you, that would not stop me from...from…”

You stopped and bit your lip, terrified of the confession about to pour out of you. Éomer moved his hand below your chin, tilting your head up to face him.

“Stop you from what?” he whispered intensely, eyes searching your face desperately. You exhaled breathily.

“I love you, Éomer,” you said softly, watching as his expression softened. “So, so much.”

He blinked once, twice, registering what you had just said, and smiled, leaning down to rest his forehead against yours.

“I love you more than anyone, (Y/n),” he murmured.

“But, surely there are women back in Rohan who are far more suitable for-”

“(Y/n),” Éomer said seriously, pulling away to look you in the eyes once more. “I have the power to be with whomever I choose.”

“But why would you choose me?” you asked meekly. Éomer chuckled, brushing a stray bit of hair out of your face and tucking it behind your ear tenderly. You leaned into his hand slightly, relishing in the way he cupped your face.

“I was more nervous that you wouldn’t choose me,” he admitted. You look at him in confusion.

“How could I not choose you?” you asked.

“You’re much more interesting than I am,” he shrugged. “You come from a world that is so much more exciting than mine, and the last thing I want is for you to settle for me.”

“Éomer, you stab people with swords and ride horses all day. And live in a castle. That is insanely cool,” you grinned, wrapping your arms around his midsection. “Of course I choose you.”

“And I choose you,” he murmured, pulling you closer to him. “Please come home with me.”

“Yes,” you whispered, nodding fervently. “Yes, please.”

Éomer grinned, tilting your face up to his once more and leaning down to kiss you. Your heart leaped, hand reaching up to grab the back of his head to intensify the kiss. He moaned softly, bending down to pick you up and twirling you around. You giggled and pressed your nose against his.

“I’m thinking we make my coronation far less formal than Aragorn’s,” Éomer said, “as much as I’ve been loving these dinners, I don’t think I could stand hosting them.”

“You know I’m fantastic at informalities,” you replied.

[genshin-djinn]

my assorted thoughts on Historia Antiqua Act 1

The Plot

I’m a sap for dark and introspective character stories and Zhongli’s, as expected from the former oldest archon of Teyvat, did not disappoint. I loved watching the story of the salt god unfold (juxtaposed with Zhongli’s own identity as a former archon and as one of the two winners of the Archon war still alive today).

Wanyan and Climate (I don’t like the guy so I gave him a nickname early on into the quest) were interesting participants in the quest to find relics/ learn more about Liyue’s history/ get rich. I’m pretty sure that Climate learned about Zhongli from Childe. Wanyan’s perspective is quite fascinating because while she’s proven wrong in the end of this story, Rex Lapis was indeed a merciless warlord who likely did kill less than demonic gods during the Archon War.

I enjoyed beating up Climate. some of the English lines during that part of the quest are strangely hilarious (‘the wrath of the rock’, ‘punish climate’).

I also kind of liked how even though Zhongli’s story quest was focused around a domain, it wasn’t really combat- heavy. Did I almost die to the five million level 80 hydro mimics? Yes. But the domain itself wasn’t really super big on combat, it was just enough to be a really solid showcase of Zhongli’s abilities and a lot of plot. And I kind of like that, especially as someone who just hit WL 6 and would’ve died in a heartbeat if the domain had beefier monsters.

I also really liked the unfinished feeling of Wanyan’s story.

The Domain

Prior to Zhongli’s character stories my two favorite dungeons in Genshin were the Toy Factory from Childe’s story and the Cryo Regisvine Jungle from Xiangling’s story. And this dungeon?? It just took the two of them and mashed them together and added an extra scoop of angst and an extra scoop of plot.

This domain was visually fantastic and was intertwined with the plot and the story of the quest really well.

Walking past salt corpses, all in various phases of terror and prayer, was absolutely excellent. The progression of the corpses from praying to desperately running as the player moves through the domain heightens the intensity. It’s pretty obvious who killed all the people who once lived in the domain, but sort of seeing it play out in slow motion while you move towards the final room of the dungeon is very nice.

Zhongli (the combat)

I don’t know what it was. The ridiculously high HP? The max ascension level? The weapon? The constellations? But I absolutely loved using Zhongli during this story quest.

While playing Genshin I have a tendency to ignore everything except offense and just run around, screaming at my various support characters to gain energy faster while just spamming Diluc’s E. And that makes me take a hell of a lot of damage at WL6. I come out of basically every fight involving more than one decently powerful mob with my team half- dead. But in this domain, Zhongli’s shield made it all better.

Zhongli’s shield is fecking nice. I got hit by nearly every one of that Pyro abyss mage’s attacks and took maybe 40 points of damage because Zhongli accidentally walked over a campfire.

Here are my feelings on the rest of Zhongli’s kit: his basic attacks hit like a wet noodle, I didn’t even try his charged attack (but it looks so fecking cool), his pillar is probably mainly for dive attacks and I don’t care about it too much yet but its CD is so fecking low it’s astonishing, I only tried his petrify meteor once but I got rid of the effect about a second in with Diluc and didn’t get a chance to see it properly.

Zhongli (the character)

this man really is just a vending machine full of history and trivia about Liyue.

We already knew a decent bit about Zhongli’s personality from Chapter 1 of the archon quests, but Zhongli’s story quest really hit home his devotion to contracts— more specifically, what happens when you break one and a solid bit about how Zhongli uses contracts to manipulate people.

Firstly, when you break a verbal contract you either get beat up. Or you get told information you don’t want to hear. Or something else. Zhongli doesn’t seem to harbor any resentment towards those who break contracts, but sees punishing those who do as his own contractual duty.

Secondly, Zhongli isn’t above using contracts to force people into doing certain things. He knows that Wanyan and Climate are entering the domain for their own purposes (justice for/ knowledge about the God of Salt and money, respectively) and creates a contract to force their hands in certain situations.

Climate is greedy, and won’t pass up a chance for more treasure— so Zhongli uses this breach of their previous contract to abandon his role as Climate’s guide/ consultant and get the man to leave. Wanyan is only interested in information about the salt god, and her breach of the contract lets Zhongli tell her the full truth.

Zhongli is excellent at understanding people and what they want, and uses this knowledge to further his own goals— it’s what he did in the Archon quest, and it’s what he did going into Sal Terrae.

Another interesting thing about Zhongli that was sort of shown previously (but that was made a lot clearer in this quest) is his strict adherence to unwritten/ unverbalized contracts. He absolutely never lies to Aether or any other characters— he’ll omit the truth easily, and will either say nothing or change the subject if he doesn’t want to answer a question, but Zhongli doesn’t actually speak any lies. Zhongli also obeys all the contracts, written and unwritten, that come with his job as a consultant and doesn’t actually attack Climate or reject him from the group until the guy breaks a contract.

To sum it all up,

Historia Antiqua Act 1 was a lot of fun. The domain was very well made, the plot was nice, and I can’t wait to roll Zhongli. This story quest seems to hint towards an Act 2 in the future. I’m looking forward to it.

[cto10121]

Top R&J Adaptation Pet Peeves

Adaptation is hard. Really, really hard. Shakespeare especially knew it; he was one of the best adapters for theater ever, and he himself adapted R&J from Arthur Brooke’s Tragedie of Romeus and Juliet. Since then Shakespeare’s play itself has been given the adaptation treatment and hooo boy, are there doozies, misses, and fascinating failures. Most are published fanfic flops, like the ones I reviewed for my blog, but others tend to be more complicated than that. So without further ado, let’s dive into the Top Adaptation Pet Peeves I’ve personally encountered, or simply tropes and patterns I find annoying.

The two families/groups not being alike in dignity. Yes, I’m looking at all the productions and adaptations that decide to switch the whole rival houses dynamic for a race or class one. The ones who pit a marginalized group against another marginalized group, like Romiette and Julio (Black/Hispanic respectively) are fine-ish. West Side Story also does this, but unfortunately the whole “white ethnic” gang is no longer a thing now, as most non-WASP ethnic white groups are considered functionally white nowadays, so it does become a problem re: the Puerto Ricans being the underdogs to the white ethnics. Some have done a poor/rich, privileged/marginalized dynamic, but you just can’t do it with R&J; it breaks the equality of the pairing. By far the worst of these is the anime Romeo X Juliet, which had the evil Montagues be the corrupt ruling power who usurped the throne from the Capulets (????). Look, the whole point is that the two groups’ differences are superficial and stupid, and that they are more alike than different. This doesn’t work if one group is favored/discriminated against over another. It also leads to disturbing implications—namely, justifying a dangerous and destructive feud and intergroup violence and hatred in general. Another side effect is that it ruins the mutuality of the lovers by bringing in unequal power dynamics where it isn’t needed.

Juliet as a #girlboss/badass/“strong female protagonist”. Many adaptations do some measure of this by having Juliet resist even the first mention of Paris, talk back to her parents and the Nurse, and, for Gong’s These Violent Delights (Juliette Cai as the dagger-wielding daughter of a gang) and the anime Romeo X Juliet, (Juliet crossdressing as the vigilante the Red Whirlwind) actually kick ass and generally “strong female protagonist”-it up. I think this is largely a reaction to Juliet’s canonically marginalized position as a sheltered 16th century maid, mistaking the passivity and lack of agency of her status as a character trait. As a result, we get CrouchingTigerHiddenDragon!Juliet. Just no. The original Juliet, as everyone should know like their own name, was no shrinking violet, but neither was she a YA/anime shonen dominatrix either, and I feel she wouldn’t be even in an AU. Also, by this point it’s so cliché. Juliet is so well-written as she is; why stuff her into this Katniss Everdeen peg?

Juliet as an immature ~bby. Not so much adaptation!dumb, thank goodness, but I’ve seen this small trend in play productions that take the “Juliet-is-thirteen” thing waaaaaay too seriously and either have a tween-looking actress or make the actress play Juliet a facsimile of what a thirteen-year-old is supposed to be like. I especially will never forget the Orlando Bloom production that had poor Juliet deliver her “Gallop apace” on a swing. Awful.

Mercutio being turned into either 1) wacky, comic relief gay or 2) a mystical/sad tragic gay. Mercutio occasionally gets done dirty in either of those two ways and it’s sad. That French Canadian film Roméo et Juliette is by far the most damning offender of the latter take. I don’t like either trope, and I certainly don’t like it for Mercutio, for whom it doesn’t really fit. Also, I feel it’s important to note that as the Prince’s kinsman Mercutio is the most higher ranked and privileged of the three, his being forced into a “sad, tragic gay” mold feels ludicrous. Even his death comes about because he wanted to avenge Romeo’s honor (or, well, more like he really wanted a fight), not because he was Bury Your Gay’ed. Cocciante’s Giulietta e Romeo musical does something unique and has him as an omnipotent narrator, which works a little better than it should, but overall it’s also a miss. Mercutio is Romeo’s foil and a fun side character; outside of that, it’s hard to make him work without changing his character entirely.

Romeo being turned into 1) an immature woobie/“cinnamon roll,” 2) bumbling hero, 3) a himbo/idiot, or 4) evil (!!). My poor boi has been done the dirtiest in so many different ways, it’s hard to quantify or even name them. They range from flattening his character a little to “romantic idiot” to full-on Ron the Death Eater-ing him (yes, that’s a thing, twice!! See Juliet Immortal et al. Or rather not). The last two are mostly in the realms of salty fanfic, thankfully, but the himbo idiot and woobie still inform some actors’ performances. Needless to say, I hate all of this. Romeo is no idiot, himbo or not, and he is as mature as the rest of the youths (he is at least praised by Capulet as a “portly gentleman”). Canonically he is shown to best Mercutio in a game of wits and explicitly restrains himself from revealing himself at Juliet’s balcony. Act 5 shows him coldly but effectively convincing an apothecary in less than a dozen lines to break the law and sell him poison. I don’t exactly know from what stems this woobification of Romeo. Actually, no, I do. Romeo may be climb high orchard walls, playfully roast his friends, talk about how chastity vows are stupid and hope Juliet would cast off that pesky virginity of hers, and kill two characters all he likes, but as soon as he weeps immoderately over being banished/separated from Juliet and the possibility of her not loving him anymore, he renounces his Man(tm) card. Hello, gender roles-based sexism! God, I hate you so much. Please die.

“It’s a dark, ~crazy world!!! Verona is a violent, crass, tacky, dangerous hellhole!!!” Okay, so this is mostly shade thrown at Baz Lurhmann and the Hungarian version of Presgurvic’s RetJ, (the latter more fondly than the former) but it still disappoints me. The whole “fair Verona” thing aside, I think it’s clear that Shakespeare’s Verona is supposed to be a violent, steamy clusterfuck, but with the veneer of wealth and prosperity and genteel good taste that papers over the cracks. It’s the whole appearance vs. reality thing. I still think French RetJ does Verona best, and fortunately most productions and versions get it as a “quaint pretty small town is actually a hellhole” thing (hell, I think even that Gnomeo and Juliet movie made the suburban lawns nice). I just like the contrast, what can I say?

“Benvolio, Mercutio, Tybalt are more interesting than R&J, let’s make it all about them instead!!!1” This is the weirdest thing, but I think there were some web series (at least one, and no, not Jules and Monty) that literally did this, a weird modern Tycutio AU. But in general, adaptations that overdevelop the feud and the whole Benvolio-Mercutio-Tybalt thing at the expense of R&J are a no-go for me. I like the three and they all have their little crannies of character nuance, but they are less developed and the feud drama less interesting overall than R&J. I also don’t like the ships with any of the three, Bencutio and Tycutio being the most popular set-up. Canonically Mercutio and Benvolio spend most of their time either searching for Romeo or talking about him and how much he’s changed. As for Tycutio, Mercutio disdains Tybalt’s dueling skills and overall they don’t seem to know each other well personally. Both ships have no chemistry with each other and are firmly into fanon territory.

“R&J’s love was like a cinnamon roll, too good, too pure for this world…” Some adaptations, uncomfortable with some of the high-scale eroticism of the lovers, tend towards this. They’re teen sweethearts, high school, if you will, so let’s make them as cute and chaste and ~uwu as possible. Romeo X Juliet tends sickeningly towards this, but that just might be the demure Japanese culture informing the text. But I don’t know. R&J are not exactly horndogs, but they’re not dead either (horny bird metaphor, anyone? Also Juliet’s whole famous I-wanna-bang monologue). It’s secretly condescending too, in that it tries to put down and dismiss R&J as puppy love…puppy love that leads them to an uncompromising position and a double suicide, but okay. Sounds fake, but okay.

“R&J was just lust and it’s kinda their fault, actually—” Nothing will make me loathe your adaptation quicker than this. Fortunately most adaptations know enough not to go that far, but Baz Luhrmann’s version definitely has some of this vibe, along with some forced comedy. Kill it with fire.

[askgundamwingfans]

This concludes the answers so far for the first set of AskGWFan Questions. If you have anything you wanna ask the group, use the ask function on tumblr or send me a dm!

What's a character/ship you've learned to appreciate? What made you change your mind?

Relena x Dorothy. Both as characters and as a ship. Part of this is that I hadn't seen all of the series at the time I first did fandom, but I had seen Endless Waltz, and that was the extent to which I had known Dorothy. She doesn't even interact with Relena in EW!! I had no impression of her (besides whomst??), and I honestly don't even remember if Relena ever appeared in fics I read since a lot of them were AUs anyway. However, after seeing the series and MISS RELENA and all of Dorothy's... Dorothy, I think she's got some great cult appeal!! And my mind really changed on both when I saw the whole series properly. I'm not sure I would have been on board with them at the time since I was less discerning about how female characters often get developed poorly, but I don't regret that I experienced Relena and Dorothy fully at a time where I could appreciate them.

I eventually started to appreciate Relena more, she grows up a lot by the end, even if she definitely should not be handling the responsibility she has...

Honestly breaking outside of the typical ships by reading more fics broadened my horizons. Writers I loved ventured into non-typical and I found myself enjoying the exploration. I think over time it had less to do with the ship and more to do with the characters as the fandom aged.

I've been reading a lot more yaoi since interacting with the larger fandom. I've always loved non-traditional gender roles in romance stories, and I don't know why it took me so long to try yaoi? I've read some yuri but never in Gundam Wing. Interacting with the yaoi community has opened up a lot more characterization of the pilots for me, which have always played the role of "tough, emotionless boys" in my headcanons.

Howard. He’s amazing and hilarious and as I get older I’m more and more like, is this the only sane character? I used to just be like “who is this weird guy?” and now I’m like “why isn’t there more Howard?”

What characters/ships do you think got some negative flack? How has the GW fandom's attitudes towards those characters/ships changed?

The scientists hahahahahaahah. I think for the most part unless you are in a niche group, the scientists are generally seen as child abusers to varying degrees. Tsubarov? Everyone still hates him but acknowledge he has a flair for the dramatique. Camp villain appreciation I guess. Relena was definitely shat on, being at the unfortunate intersection of romantic rival and 'annoying' female lead. Again, as someone whose canon experience was informed by Endless Waltz more than the anime, I don't remember if I had any opinions on her at all. However, I think people have admitted where they were wrong (whether owning up to bashing, or speaking up about fandom broadly).

Well besides the obvious Relena, one character that got so much hate and bashing in 1xR circles was Sylvia. I remember one of the first things I checked when I got back into fandom was Sylvia's role in the show and was surprised to see how little she actually does?? She's literally in one episode but was constantly dragged into 1xR stories to be a romantic rival for Relena. Pretty much the same role Relena took on in a lot of 1x2 stories. I guess we just got away with it because she was a minor character. It was just interesting to me that 1xR fans gave some girl the same treatment that 1x2 fans did to Relena. I think that realization helped me put aside the Relena bashing and move on from it. If I don't see Sylvia as an evil character anymore, why would Relena bashers? And I was really happy to find that I was right. As the fandom moved away from romance-centric plots to look at self growth and politics, less characters became target for fandom hate/bashing, and we moved on.

Well, back in the olden days Relena and Wufei were probably the ones who got it worst. Dorothy. Hilde. Zechs. Treize. Heck, even reasonably popular characters like Duo and Quatre had their own "defense" societies against some of the fanon surrounding them. But fans have grown up over the years and portrayals of the characters and various ships have too. (2x5 for instance has gone from a total rare pair to one of the top GW ships on AO3 which I find a fascinating trajectory.) Have we evolved into a perfect utopia? No, and there will probably always be complaints about how a given character or ship is popularly portrayed. I certainly have my bugbears, just like anyone else might. But it's a long time since I've opened up a fic and seen character bashing of the sort that was common c. 2001. People might not be shy about sharing their opinions on their own blogs, but picking fights on other people's content? Flame wars? Not so much these days. The GW fandom might be smaller, but we're also closer-knit. Fandom is about having fun; finding the pockets that bring you enjoyment and finding ways to filter out the rest, and I think we mostly get that (or we're just too old and tired to have much fight left in in us lol).

Well, very early Relena and Duo battles made me nervous of the fandom back in the day, but I think those mainly came from places within ourselves that we can see now don’t need to be at odds. I love them both and I am glad to see the fandom embrace them both on their own merits. I think it’s easy to be anti- when you are younger and appreciative when you are older (and I totally understand how people could be anti! No judgements. I just love everyone and want everyone to be happy. Except Zechs. He has some SERIOUS explaining to do.)

Oh, Relena *definitely* had a lot of negative flack. I'm glad most of us seem to have mellowed out about the poor girl. It's hard to hate a kid when one is in their 30's, lol

Relena of course, but also 3x4 was seen as the “lesser” ship back in my day and there wasn’t much depth or enthusiasm by many other fans.

[sableeira]

Ahhhhh, I’m so happy you like it!! It’s really such a binge-able series!!

Yesss, I also love how the magic system has such a unique feel to it in the way it can be used but also what it means to different characters 🫶

When Coco realized that she got more used to magic that it lost a bit of that novelty, that one felt so personal 😭 (And the fact that Agott was the one to help Coco rediscover that spark for magic when the situation grew more and more dire 🫠) It’s just so wonderful how the girls always manage to solve problems in their own unique ways while always staying really compassionate towards their surroundings. And like you said the fact that their frustration towards injustice and their fascination are allowed to coexist makes me so excited to see how they continue to navigate all of injustices and conflicts.

While reading I got astonished over and over again how seamlessly diverse narratives are woven into the story. E.g. how navigating the society with disabilities is an integral part of a lot of characters’ stories. Even the smaller details, like the prince showing Richeh’s brother the signal for help hand gesture after he opened up about his anxiety. You can really feel how much care the mangaka puts into those details. And it warms my heart every time.

One aspect that’s been incredibly intriguing to me even before chapter 40 has always been these parallels between Iguin and Qifrey as figures that are guiding Coco in different directions. But with Qifrey’s backstory revealed there are also so many parallels between Coco and him. So how come Qifrey’s role is so different from Coco’s role. He is probably just as likely to use forbidden magic as Coco is due to their similar circumstances (I guess that memory wipe spell already counts as a forbidden spell since only the Knights Moralis are allowed to use it, I think?). So why was he never considered for the role that Coco was thrown into??? (<- question that keeps me up at night)

Something that was very surprising to me while reading. When the brim hats were introduced I always thought of them of as an organized group. I guess that’s just something I’m very used to in manga, an antagonist organization that follows the same plan to reach a goal with a set hierarchy. I feel like this assumption definitely was supported by the narrative (it’s always witches vs brim hats, and “their plan”/“their goal” that makes them sound much more organized than they actually are) but with the introduction of other brim hats in the current arc that expectation was suddenly subverted. None of them seem to have knowledge of Coco and Iguin’s plan for her. Which brings me back to the similarities between Qifrey and Coco. Since the brim hats don’t seem to follow a common plan might mean that Qifrey’s past and the role that Coco plays in Iguin’s plan are unrelated but with all of the Qifrey/Iguin parallels (and the overwhelming amount of eye imagery) I really doubt it lol I really can’t wait for some more information about all of this.

Yeah that was my big take away from chapter 40 as well. Poor Olly… Especially since he started to embrace his role as co-parent teacher and got so involved in teaching the girls especially in this current arc. Once Olruggios finds out about the memory wipe, the consequences are going to be devastating. (And I’m SO here for that. And SO scared already) Chapter 40 really casually dropping that tassel switch with those wonderful panel switches between their past and present and finishing the chapter with the memory wipe really made my head spin 😵‍💫 I’m super excited to see where all of this is going especially since Qifrey becomes more and more of an enigma the further the story moves along.

I’m very excited to hear some more of your thoughts :3c It also took me a bit to process everything because there is just so much interesting stuff in there! And I still feel like I missed a bit and I would love to reread it some time (or check out different translations thanks to ✨translation differences✨). So take your time but I’m excited for some Story wha thoughts!

based on your reblogs I assume you have experienced /that/ wha chapter (40) 👀 how are you holding up?

Sina, you'll never believe it but I'm actually all caught up. I freaking binge read this series.

It's soooo good. I think all my thoughts are a jumbled mess right now, so I can't really verbalize things at the moment, but I love how alive the world is, and the magic itself. The magic is just as much a "character" to me as the actual people. It makes sense, it's creative and versatile, and it approaches it with such wonder, just like Coco. It's been awhile since I've read/seen anything that manages to make societal critiques while being perfectly genuine about the magic at the same time. The children are frustrated at the injustice, but their love and awe for magic is still alive - and that's allowed to coexist, not treated as something they need to "grow up" from. In fact, that wouldn't help them come up with any new and creative solutions at all, now would it? It's refreshing.

Ah yes, Chapter 40. The chapter of what the hell, Qifrey??? Ugh. I have many thoughts about this, but nothing coherent right now. The only thing I will say is I love the subtle information we're given about the depth of their bond right here, with the panel of them clasping hands when younger having their original tassels, then having switched them by the time we see the flashback outside the Tower of Books. It implies that they fully trusted and confided in one another, and that the turning point really was the information Qifrey received there (given that it was apparently their "last adventure" when they were kids too). It also firmly establishes how close they are, and have been since they were young... which makes the ensuing memory wipe that much more shocking. Just. Many things. I think there is a lot more to what Qifrey remembered beyond even what he said to Olruggio in that scene, and the "you'd try to save me" bit has me a bit worried...

I think the big takeaway from that chapter though is. Poor Olruggio. Guy did not deserve that... he was only trying to help... :(

I'm very happy to discuss this series in more depth once I've really had a chance to wrap my head around it all! What are your thoughts on the infamous Chapter 40? hahaha

[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, HINA! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF VIKTORIA.

Admin Cas: Hina, I cannot express how delighted we are that you’ve brought us our visionary, our architect, our Viktoria — at long last! You captured them perfectly: from their innate dissatisfaction, to their restless desire, to the inevitability shared between God’s four apocalyptic creations. I think your para sample was a real stand-out for me; you slotted Famine so effortlessly amongst the other Horsemen and you grasped the nature of the relationship between them all so perfectly that it really feels like you’ve been here with us from the start. Your application was such a treat to read, and I’m beyond excited to see what restlessness the two of you’ll unleash upon us! Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Hina

Age | 24

Personal Pronouns | She/her

Activity Level |  6/10 - full-time student so activity level will fluctuate.

Timezone | GMT

Triggers | REMOVED.

How did you find the group?  | through the lsrpg tags

Current/Past RP Accounts | REMOVED.

IN CHARACTER

Character | Viktoria/Famine

What drew you to this character?

So, I have this personal rule where I don’t apply to roleplays that have already started because I get this intense feeling of FOMO, but I kept coming back to Viktoria and was genuinely so surprised that they hadn’t been taken yet. I feel like she was waiting for me to take them up haha.

But on a more serious note, the Horsemen fascinate me like no other faction in this roleplay. There’s something about the bond that they have that surpasses ties of family, love or even just emotion in general. They are bound by their own inevitability as a singular entity and together as a four. Yet, while the Four Horsemen are similar in a lot of ways, with their once shared purpose and existence, Viktoria’s innate dissatisfaction with everything aside from their own creations struck me as something unique that sets them apart from their brethren. If anything their ability to feed on that appetite that she craves has given them the ability to construct and build on a level that is almost, quite literally, God-like. It’s this and the fact that she was created first - not distinct from the other Horsemen because of this reason, they all were formed from a part of God Himself - but Viktoria’s presence, their sheer essence was present and mulling in souls for eons before God created Viktoria and then the rest followed in an instance. While the Horsemen are linked together and will follow each other for the rest of time, I want to explore these two aspects especially in this New World and how Famine’s very nature creates either a fracture between them all or binds them ever closer together.

What also really interests me is the path she taken in this plain, not just as a Mercenary of sorts, but the almost unconscious path she has taken in moulding those that possess that same aching hunger as them. I think for Viktoria this has filled the hole in them ever so slightly after leaving everything she created in Purgatory. But for Viktoria, as I touched on a little before, it’s this dissatisfaction that consistently comes into play which she also projects onto other people. I think if she sees potential in someone, especially if she sees something that matches their level that same restless desperation rises in them of seeking, finding and almost taming them to their own very high standards.

What future plots do you have in mind for the character?

I imagine Viktoria’s future plot lines to be largely based around several other characters in the roleplay, especially that of the other Horsemen, but there are several directions I can see Viktoria going in:

i. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth - the Horsemen’s Purpose

What is really interesting is that one of things that bound the Four Horsemen together is their shared purpose in bringing about the Apocalypse. While their paths may have drifted while in Purgatory, I feel that Viktoria, and potentially the others too, would have relished in there not being a fracture of planes, but an even greater expanse which fulfilled all of their aspirations, an Apocalypse which changed the very fabric of Life itself.

But with that purpose being robbed from them and having been thrust into the mortal plane, not only does this reduce the power that they hold, but I would argue this weakens the bond that they have together. The occupation that they all currently hold, being killers for hire, is a much more solitary occupation than what they were first created for. I think that despite the fact that their planning and preparation is done together, there is a chance that as their personal desires and aims grow through connections with other characters in the roleplay (Viktoria’s specific circumstance I will touch on next), I can see a rift forming between the four of them if that is at all possible. Viktoria’s particular desire for power to create the world in their own image doesn’t trump the bond that she shares with the other Horsemen though. I can imagine that there is a tipping point where Viktoria has a number of paths that she can take for their own benefit, but ever the tactician she is, she would recognise that the power they have together can achieve so much more than splitting off on her own.

Building on the prior point, I also think with the way that the New Order was created, Viktoria imagines there to be another Apocalypse, she can feel the hunger, the aching starvation and the loss of control and I think its only a matter of time before the Horsemen capitalise on it if they don’t get sidetracked.

ii. I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown - Viktoria + Michael

The connection between Viktoria and Michael is something that I can see going further and absolutely shaking the New World in its entirety.

Viktoria from all of their time manipulating people’s emotions is very much aware of the need and desire that is clawing away at Michael, the fascination that Michael has when he looks upon her. Famine is unable to feel emotion in the same way, but I do think she is able to replicate and even imitate them based on eons of feeling and experiencing those of others around them. I think depending on how their relationship forms in the future, I could see an alliance struck between the two.

However, I think the above depends on other factors:

If the relationship between Michael and the other Arkangels dissolves completely, it could serve as an in for the Horsemen as a collective through Viktoria to go about fulfilling their preordained purpose (or a new one)

Alternatively, if the relationship between Michael and the other Arkangels dissolves completely AND the relationship between Viktoria and the other Horsemen dissolves as well, I can imagine Viktoria’s allegiances and desires turn towards the throne that Michael sits upon for the power it holds in order for her to form what she wants

iii) You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment - killer for hire

Something I want to explore as a plot point is Viktoria’s role as an assassin. As this is something that they and the other Horsemen do as a collective I can imagine them having devised a very clear dichotomy between the roles that each of them play when carrying out a job. Because of Viktoria’s role as a tactician, a creator, a diplomat, I can imagine them not wanting to sully their own hands with the act of taking someone else’s life, but I think also she sees it as beneath them so she somewhat relies on the expertise of the others to carry out the actually act of the job successfully.

As a result of this, I really want there to be an instance where Viktoria is forced or compelled to kill as I think this juxtaposes quite heavily with who she is and would be really interesting to see how it plays out.

iv) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance - emotions

Throughout this app I’ve mentioned emotions, specifically how Viktoria does not have in. To expand and clarify this, I want to say that Famine doesn’t have any. Famine wasn’t created with the intention of feeling anything but an aching sense of hunger for the Apocalypse. I would even say the dissatisfied, restless emotion she experiences is something that has developed in them. I would like to think thought that since the New Order has been created causing Purgatory to fracture, the price in a way of taking up a mortal name, Viktoria, and almost reducing themselves to the level of a mortal woman has led to Viktoria experiencing their own emotions as well as manipulating other people’s. I think this would really complicate future events or perhaps Viktoria and the other Horsemen would recognise this and attempt to come up with a plan to speed up their agenda depending on the way these emotions were affecting them as a group.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character?

My short answer is yes I would be comfortable with killing off Viktoria.

Long answer that I think warrants some thought before she is killed off:

The death of one of the Horsemen is actually really interesting because in theory they should be dying/dead because they are an embodiment of God in some form. I think this is down to their inevitability and the inevitability of their purpose. So while I believe Viktoria or Ryuk or Nerissa or Dmitri can die I don’t think it’s possible to kill off Famine or Death or War or Conquest.

I think this is the reason why I would want there to be more consideration on the whys and hows if Viktoria is to die. Famine will remain, in the hunger, the starvation and the dissatisfaction that will take hold in others, or with Viktoria’s death something else to replace them will form and be Famine or even take its place.

The death of Viktoria will also change the dynamic of the Horsemen, of which their purpose of bringing about the Apocalypse will be lost, which would be interesting depending on the direction the roleplay goes in.

IN DEPTH

Driving Character Motivation

Right now I think Viktoria’s ultimate desire which also serves as a motivator is to vanquish this restless hunger that’s consuming them once and for all. I think since God created Viktoria and the rest of the Horsemen without a real motivator in mind, she’s found in the eons that she’s been living, the power of creation abates it the most because its only through Viktoria’s own work that she can truly feel the satisfaction that she craves. I think this dissatisfaction spills over in her view of other people which is she wants to mould those, especially those with potential to fit around their standards so she can feed off of it.

Ultimately, its because of the Horsemen’s collective lack of purpose that makes Viktoria motivated to seek out power not only to help their own agenda with potentially bringing about an Apocalypse this time round, but to seek out opportunities in which she can go further than she ever did with their creations in Purgatory with their brethren by their side. I think this will also define Viktoria as less of a person with a mortal’s name but as where she rightfully thinks she should be; Famine, the ever present hunger, starvation and ache that claws through those lesser.

Character Traits

+ Calm: One of the reasons why Viktoria makes a good diplomat and is the one that represents the Horsemen on the political stage is their ability to remain calm and collected and convey the Horsemen’s position and aspirations in a favourable light. She is someone that is easily admirable just as she is formidable. I would say it is because of their calm nature that sets her apart as a leader over the aggressive and war-hungry Nerissa. Viktoria is someone who also never angers easily, preferring to state a few words that have meaning or else say nothing at all and let her plans and actions do the talking.

+ Cunning: Viktoria’s ability to create and map out what she wants and where she wants it makes them impressive in itself, but coupled with their ability to formulate to their and their brethren’s advantage is a skill that is valued highly when plotting to their own agenda and also when carrying out their kills. Viktoria is a long-term strategist preferring to wait and consider their options before striking out with the best one.

+ Instinctive: Viktoria has eons to not only study the emotions of others, but actually feel them through the abilities she possesses. It’s because of this that she has become extremely emotionally aware and is able to more or less tell what sort of emotions are being drawn up in the other person. This has been insightful when it comes to plotting their next marks.

Restless: Viktoria is someone who wants results and she wants them immediately to the highest of standards. Any task that she feels she can do better themselves she’ll do it, but the idea of delegating to someone that isn’t of the same calibre as them irritates them. She has little, if any patience for incompetence. One of the few people she trusts is their fellow Horsemen. I think this restless, easily irritable nature, however, doesn’t win them any points amongst the other factions and especially not the other Horsemen who have to be the literal embodiment of perfection before a good word is uttered by Viktoria.

Manipulative: Every move Viktoria makes and every action that she takes isn’t without an ulterior motive that is there to benefit them or the Horsemen. Its because of this that most people know that Viktoria isn’t one to be trusted no matter how convincing their silver tongue can be.

Unemotional: While Viktoria is able to replicate or even mimic emotion, Viktoria possesses no emotion of their own. Perhaps its because of the way the God created them, with raw starvation and savageness in His mind, or spending many a century deep in the depths of Purgatory, she is unable to express may of the core emotions that others seem to have. Even with the other Horsemen, there’s something innate, almost a primal bond that binds Viktoria with them, perhaps the closest semblance to love she’ll ever be able to feel. Although this is something that I see changing with the length of time she is spending in the Mortal Realm.

In-Character Para Sample

i.

Famine turned to the sharp, jagged opening, their eyes steely and focused on their destination ahead. Their brethren beside them, with the same look of determination frozen onto their faces. Famine newly formed, newly arrived knew almost intrinsically that these three were instrumental to their success. Their joint success of bringing about the destruction of the Worlds that He had created, for where there was creation, there would be a a slow degradation that the Four were feeding off of long before their conception.

Famine looked upon the jagged piece of cut air, the friction lined with a sliver of gold a beacon that did not serve as their waiting room before they were unleashed upon God’s Earth. They stepped in together, a cold rage burning in the pit of their hollow stomach, as they stared at the bleak expanse of space full of the lingering tortured souls that had not managed to reach Heaven or Hell. It wasn’t as if Famine would have rather been amongst their Creator’s other subjects in either of the other two realms. The mere glimpse of Heaven and its blinding light was just as dull to them as its inhabitants. Famine could sense their brethren’s pursuit for other tasks as she moved forward with their own. What would she make of the expanse in front of them? What purpose did it serve if they were meant to lay here in wait for the downfall of everything that was holy, everything that was impure and everything in between? And what was she supposed to do here? Famine was no mere mortal and the place they were in was not Eden. She could not and would not pluck the metaphorical apple from the tree and take a bite to give them free will. No. Famine had a purpose, they all did. And so she would stay in the deepest of recesses of hunger, laying in want with a need to be fed and a desire of more from their very existence.

And so she wandered the realm’s depths, Famine, who was created from a starved piece of flesh, who was ordered to carry out the end of all of His creations and cast away along with their brothers and sister until the time was right did what she was told. Until she didn’t. With God’s gaze above, managing His unruly subjects, Famine chose to set themselves on their own path. Manifesting their dissatisfaction into something tangible into something that she could taste, something that she could feel. Famine had to barely reach out from the depths of their mind to weave together an image of their own design. She wondered as she crafted and composed the dilapidated pillars of their glass fortress one day whether it was the divinity in them that allowed them to formulate and construct the way that she did. But Famine need only have taken a step back and gazed upon their crooked kingdom to see that the power that she possessed was entirely their own.

ii.

Viktoria descended from, Albtraum, their gaunt skeletal steed, just outside of the building in which they knew their brethren sat waiting for their arrival. She caressed the curve of his starved face in what can only be described as affectionate if it was at all possible for them to feel such an emotion. Viktoria had taken to travelling to The Holy Hall on their creature, it was purely political after all. It was essential that the factions remembered the Horsemen’s status amongst them all, the last thing she wanted for them was their own place in the house of cards to topple, like Creator, like Created.

She walked up the steps to the dimly lit hall they were sat in, their gaze took them in, each a handful of chaos and each far too complacent with the New Order than she had liked. It was one thing following them out of their vision of Purgatory to the opaque opulence of this plain to then be reduced as a collective, as mere remnants of God’s corporeality. No. Viktoria wouldn’t let their descent go any further. She would feed Ryuk with as many decimations as he desired, she would work in Nerissa’s bloodlust and settle Dmitri’s whims in their plans if it meant that they would follow in their ascent. They only needed time and patience and resilience so she could work to mould and manipulate the upper echelons of government. They all knew better, as Viktoria did with them, to go against their unrivalled ability to formulate.

Viktoria nodded at each, in respect, before taking a seat at the table, waiting for one to speak with the burning questions that she knew they possessed.

“Michael, again?” Nerissa spoke an ever-present impatience permeating their voice.

Viktoria looked at them their eyes resigned at the picture that had been created almost involuntary, without their permission. She hated not having a choice. “Yes, it would seem we have landed on a treasure trove.”

“But it is a matter that solely concerns you, sister, not us.” Ryuk interjected, for the first time addressing the unspoken tensions that threw a spotlight on the friction between them all since they stepped out of the middling realm.

Dmitri, with as much solidarity as they possessed reached over, clasping their hand in their own. Viktoria smiled coldly at Ryuk, not before squeezing Dmitri’s hand in reassurance. She was calm; she was controlled.

“Surely, Death,” she emphasised, wanting to remind them all of their position that had been clouded by mortal names and mortal feelings. “You value the hold of your status than of a few mortal souls?”

There was silence. Viktoria knew they hesitated, they had been stripped of their purpose, they knew of nothing else.

“We must continue to play their game,” Dmitri spoke.

Viktoria nodded, a wave of satisfaction washing over the itch that she knew was pent up in them as well as in the others. “Until the time is right.” Because when time was right, Viktoria knew she would be Famine once again, the three Horsemen by their side looking over an endless sea of destruction and doom.

Extras

Not that great at graphics etc so will be thinking of headcanons as I write and develop Viktoria more!

[aion-rsa]

Marvel’s Midnight Suns: Lilith and the Midnight Sons Explained

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While we’ve heard rumors about a Marvel game being developed by the XCOM team at Firaxis, nothing could have quite prepared us for the official reveal of Midnight Suns at Gamescom 2021.

The fact that Midnight Suns isn’t really an XCOM-style game may be the talking point that ends up defining the early conversation about this project, but the first thing that will probably jump out at you about this game is its name. Who or what are the Midnight Suns? Why are they seemingly so concerned about a character named Lilith? Who is the mysterious hero that is so prominently featured in the game’s debut trailer?

While many elements of this game might remain a mystery until the project’s currently scheduled March 2022 release date, here are a few of the answers to the burning questions you probably have about Midnight Suns‘ lore and Marvel ties.

Who are the Midnight Sons?

The Midnight Sons is a somewhat odd group of Marvel superheroes who first appeared in 1992’s Ghost Rider (Vol. 2) Issue #28. They went on to star in a few big events (most notably the “Rise of the Midnight Sons” arc) and would occasionally appear in crossover titles featuring members of the group and associated characters. The original version of the group was essentially disbanded during the mid-90s, but a different version of the Midnight Sons later appeared in the Marvel Zombies series.

The Midnight Sons were formed by Ghost Riders Danny Ketch and Johnny Blaze after they learned that Lilith (more on her in a bit) was being resurrected and intended to use her incredible demonic abilities to (you guessed it) take over the Earth. It’s honestly a relatively obscure storyline by Marvel standards (especially if we’re talking about storylines that have or are about to receive a pretty significant adaptation), but the story has developed a cult following over the years largely due to its somewhat strange collection of heroes as well as its supernatural style and dark tones.

Actually, Midnight Sons’ supernatural elements may be the group/story’s defining trait. It really seems like the entire Midnight Sons concept was Marvel’s most concentrated attempt at emphasizing the supernatural elements of their universe. While the group and their adventures didn’t last long, it’s hard to deny that the idea of focusing on that sometimes overlooked supernatural side of the Marvel multiverse is fascinating.

Why is the Game Called Midnight Suns and not Midnight Sons?

This really seems to be one of the biggest non-gameplay questions about Midnight Suns that people have at the moment, which makes it that much more frustrating that we don’t currently have a definitive answer to it. While the Midnight Suns team is starting to share details about the upcoming game (and more information is on the way), this is one of the elements of the project that they’re clearly keeping under wraps.

However, it is very much worth noting that Midnight Suns‘ creative director Jake Solomon has said that Marvel approached developer Firaxis with the vague idea of partnering up and Solomon chose the Midnight Sons group/storyline due to his fondness for that series and his desire to focus on some of Marvel’s supernatural characters.

So far, it certainly seems like Marvel has given Firaxis permission to essentially create their own universe (as well as a new character to star in it) much like Insomniac did with Marvel’s Spider-Man and Square Enix is currently doing with Marvel’s Avengers. That tends to suggest that the Midnight Suns name is a reflection of the ways that this game will differ from the original Midnight Sons stories, but we’ll likely have to wait until closer to the game’s release date for a more definitive explanation of the difference between the names.

Which Superheroes Are On the Midnight Suns Roster?

It sounds like Midnight Suns will eventually feature 12-13 playable heroes, but these are the members of the game’s roster that have been confirmed so far:

Ghost Rider

Dr. Strange

Iron Man

Wolverine

Captain America

Magik

Nico

Captain Marvel

Blade

The Hunter

If the name “The Hunter” doesn’t ring any bells, that’s because they’re the player character that Firaxis created specifically for the purposes of this game (with Marvel’s approval). Otherwise, you’ll likely be at least vaguely familiar with most of the other names on this roster.

Interestingly, though, few of those heroes ever officially joined or assisted the Midnight Sons in the comics. While Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, and Blade were all key members of the group at one point, it seems like Firaxis decided to bring in Captain Marvel, Wolverine, Captain America, and Iron Man to give the group a little more star power.

Actually, it sounds like one of the main internal conflicts in the game will be the tension between some of the bigger stars on the Midnight Suns roster and a few of the less famous members of the group. They’ll all interact in a shared hub world called The Abbey that players will be able to explore as The Hunter. It even sounds like you’ll be able to give characters gifts and learn more about them, which kind of reminds me of a similar system featured in Hades.

Who is Lilith?

There are actually two major characters named Lilith in the Marvel Comics multiverse: one who is Dracula’s daughter and one is known as the “Mother of All Demons.” The Lilith featured in Midnight Suns is the latter (though the former would have also made sense given the name and supernatural vibes).

Here’s how Firaxis describes Lilith’s role in the game:

“Through a twisted marriage of magic and science, the nefarious force known as Hydra has revived Lilith, Mother of Demons, after centuries of slumber. Lilith will stop at nothing to complete an ancient prophecy and summon her evil master, Chthon. Pushed to the brink, the Avengers desperately look to fight fire with Hellfire by enlisting the help of the Midnight Suns – Nico Minoru, Blade, Magik, and Ghost Rider – young heroes with powers deeply rooted in the supernatural, formed to prevent the very prophecy Lilith aims to fulfill. Together, they resurrect an ancient warrior – the Hunter, Lilith’s forsaken child and the only hero known to have ever defeated her.”

It certainly sounds like Lilith’s role in Midnight Suns will be relatively similar to her role in Midnight Sons (she’s still an incredibly powerful figure whose resurrection threatens the world), but the small differences in the details are fascinating. For instance, Hydra wasn’t really a major player in the original Midnight Sons comics, and that description makes a clear distinction between the new Midnight Suns group and The Avengers (The Runaways will also apparently be featured in the game). That seems to help explain the lore behind the game’s initially odd roster and might even help explain why this game isn’t simply using the Midnight Sons name.

It’s also certainly interesting to see the name Chthon mentioned in the game’s official plot. The ancient entity seems to be the game’s true “biggest bad,” though it should be said that it sounds like Lilith will still be the star of the show and the more than capable foe that you’ll spend most of your time opposing.

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