#jade shadows speculation

[aqg-arts]

I don't think I've shown y'all...

✨️GAY✨️ Shadow Stalker

[chronicler-of-narrative]

If you think about it, the gameplay dynamic between Stalker and Jade is hilariously absurd. On the one hand, we have this mixture of dps and support with entirely newly-minted abilities the likes of which we've never seen before. And then you pan over to her boyfriend who has 3.5 recycled abilities and unlike his wife, who just blows everything up, just dinkily executes enemies one by one.

Actually, now that I think about it...Are Jade and Stalker not representative of Warframe's change in design philosophy over the years? From the fact that Stalker has been around for basically a decade compared to Jade being shiny and new, to how Stalker is more stealth-based like early Warframe was, with Jade just blasting everyting to kingdom come with no remorse while ALSO supporting her team like how most new frames are like. Not to mention how they use literally the same weapon classes, except Jade's all have unique and cool effects, while Stalker's just kinda...kill stuff.

Damn, DE thought this through much more than I thought...Kudos to them!

[upsidedownsmore]

thinking to myself about how stalker is kind of like an anti-warframe warframe, he might have been designed by ballas to oppose the tenno in case of an uprising as he is immune to other warframe powers and he himself doesn't have any truly unique powers

his opposition to the tenno may even be at least partially a pre-programmed thing, which he wouldn't even be able to tell apart from his own genuine feelings. i guess kinda like how ballas apparently rewired natah

idk got my gears turning after looking at his wiki page and putting two and two together about his warframe immunities, idk if this is like a generally accepted understanding of him already or not lol

[brailsthesmolgurl]

APPRENTICESHIP

PREVIEW: Set back in the olden days of China, your attendance was much summoned by Master Li Shen, a renowned Medical Physician that is in need of an apprentice. Known for his stoic personality, your temperance was definitely tested. But, could there be an actual explanation behind his stoicity?

WARNINGS: Angst, slow-burn, surprise surprise another LAD guy is in this mix, this part is lesser of Li Shen's but more of the other dude's past with her, but it addresses the plot as the story goes on. Yes I am dragging out the pain for all of you! :)

previous part

Adjusting the straw hat he wore on top of his head, Li Shen looked ahead, his gaze enveloping the sight of the grand walls surrounding the Imperial City. A stark contrast from where he had came from, bamboos switched out for stone bricks, mud trails are no bricked roads and the hustle ever so bustling that it develops a dull ache for his ears. For she had disappeared for three days now and that is exactly how long it took for Li Shen to get to the Imperial City. There are no facts, no evidences for him to prove that she may be here but he only speculated based on the jade tag that wrench of a man carried. The slow clops of the horse formed a hypnotic rhythm, Li Shen’s mind wandered back to the night when she was taken away by force. By a man whom had taken her innocence, a man whom she may had never known, and a man that Li Shen should have not assigned to her care.

“Put her down!” Li Shen’s voice was raised, a rare spectacle. His eyes blazed, pupils dilated when he assessed the situation. His mind was spinning, throwing up ideas on what he could do to save her from the stranger. This is one of the first times Li Shen had ever panicked, had ever presented his frantic frown upon someone else and Qin Che is eating up every single moment of it. Knowing that there is nothing he could do to stop the man, he changed his approach. “You don’t want to do this.” His eyes narrowed, eyebrows furrowed together for a silent warning. At that moment, Li Shen had a dreaded feeling, he knew that if he did not do anything, he might as well be saying goodbye to her.

Unthreatened, Qin Che's lips tugged upwards, Li Shen's words worth nothing more than bagatelles for him. It is also very unlikely for him to be patient in letting people finish their sentences but something else plays at hand. It was intentional; his actions, his mannerisms towards her, even the kiss that he had laid upon her lips against her will. Qin Che never hurtles, he always plans his next move. "Or else?" His smile revealed his canines, obviously enjoying this one-sided banter of theirs. "What would, or more so, what could you do, Li Shen?" Qin Che's eyes drifted to the female in his arms, how small she looked in his embrace, and utterly fragile. "Take her away from me?" His question although almost self-efficating, Li Shen could hear the snideness of it, nearing the edge of doubting his ability to get y/n back.

Qin Che's back flared an ominous red glow and Li Shen dashed forward only to be met with an aphotic swirl of darkness engulfing Qin Che and y/n. Within the blink of an eye, they had disappeared into thin air and Li Shen could only grasp what's left of the memory of her figure. The moonlight grazed Li Shen's features through the opened window, basking him in the gloomy glow of his own regrets and self-recrimination. His fists tightened, veins bulged and his teeth chattered in anger. There were so many ways he could have chose to say goodbye and yet this was the one way he had managed to lose her, for the second time. The man deliberately pushed himself off of the floor, gaze drifting to the letter that he had left on her small wooden bamboo table. Her shadow lingered and for a moment, Li Shen could see the way she moved across the room, back hunched and teary eyed, before Qin Che invades her personal space. Li Shen is now a man void of inane, reaching out to the royal guards would be too much of a delay as it would take an hour time to reach them so the physician grabbed onto his sword and his best stallion and he rode off into the beyond.

Y/n's head buzzed, a low thump constantly nagged at the back of her head as she slowly woke herself up, eyelashes fluttering rapidly to adjust the amount of light --or the lack of it-- scattered around her surroundings. "Awake already?" Her breath and chest tightened at the raspy voice that she was strangely familiar to. She woke up and shot herself off of the surface of the bed, only to groan at a flared up pain at the side of her ribs. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, sweetie." Qin Che sat a few feet away from her, back straight and silvery hair flowed down to his hips. He eyed the piece of paper laid out ahead of him, right sleeve held back and hands elegantly floating above the paper, dragging the brush with exact precision as he wrote.

"Where am I?" Y/n's eyebrows furrowed, her voice a mere demand given her lack of spirit, frustrated at the state she is in both physically and mentally. The room she is in turns out to be a private chamber, with intricately painted walls paired with open lattice windows to breathe what little air the room holds with the amount of tension inside, wooden beams shaped into the form of dragons and phoenixes and the screen behind Qin Che opened to showcase a courtyard with a pond surrounded by bamboos. "I asked, where am I?"

Seeing how pressed she sounded, Qin Che tilted his head up, his lashes casting a light shadow over his pupils. The way he looked at her already suggested that he is not your ordinary captor, a man that holds such cold intelligence beneath his composed exterior is a menace indeed. "You seem to be in good spirits." His tone held no bits of anger, only amusement. Qin Che is playing his words just like how he plays his Xiangqi --- articulative and measured. "Good, I like myself a challenge."

"Where am I?!" Y/n raised her voice, trying to sit up again only to be defeated by restraints this time, crimson silk tied against her wrists --- not tight enough to cause any pain, but good enough to stop her from getting off of the bed. She was so blinded by frustration that tears had started to crowd around the rim of her eyes. "Why did you kidnapped me?"

The end of Sylus' lip lifted up into the faintest of smirk. Outside, the bamboo leaves danced to the howling of the wind, it was as if time had stopped by itself as Sylus lifted his head up again, this time, staring right through her gaze and she felt a hefty pressure pressed against her. "You are going to help me to ascend my throne." And y/n's lips quivered. The myth himself, the banished crown prince sat in front of her. That explains the lavish private bed chamber, the intricately embroidered jet black and red detailing on his robe and that damn jade tag that stuck out like a sore thumb amongst his already status-informing outfit.

She had heard stories of him, mostly distasteful ones---of him having multiple women in a chamber, of him being a vengeful man who should be damned to hell, of him killing anyone just because he felt like doing so on a bad day. "You..." Her voice trembled more than she had intended to and that led to her internally cringing. "You are the lost crown prince?"

He tilted his head, the smirk widening. "You are finally connecting the dots aren't you sweetie?" He places the calligraphy brush onto the brush holder and stands up, his aura heightened the moment his shadow loomed over her and if she could cower into the size of a microscopic entity, she would have done it without a doubt and within the half-blink of an eye. But too bad, she could not and she is stuck with a bruised rib and teary eyes as Qin Che approaches her.

The moment he lifted his hand she forced her eyes closed and flinched, anticipating a slap, or even any brute force to be thrown against any part of her body but what she got instead, was just a featherlight touch of the back of his hand against her cheek. Opening one eye, she observed. Qin Che's face held an unreadable expression, somewhere between a fine line of hesitation and puzzlement. He seemed to be ruminating about something but it was quick to be dismissed. "Don't you dare touch me again." She warned, seething tone got him retreating his hand, not out of teasing, but out of consent this time around. Yet, y/n does not catch that.

If she was not anyone special at this point, Qin Che would have easily erased her out of his sight with a snap of his fingers. But, of course, the story of hers does not end merely over a threat towards him. For he has bigger reasons to keep her around other than forcing his way upon the throne. He sighed, a few stray strands of his silver hair falling past his chiselled face, his smirk still wide as ever. "You are free to roam within the walls of this building but you are not allowed to leave. My men patrols these walls so you may as well give up any hope of trying to escape." He gracefully pushes himself off of the floor and started walking --- but with his height and aura, it seemed to be more fitted for him to glide across rooms --- out of the chamber, yet he paused to state his last sentence for the night. "That includes putting off all hopes for Li Shen to come for you."

Qin Che left, leaving y/n alone with the flickering of candle lights prancing across her face as she tried to grasp what had just happened. The crown prince stepped out of her chamber and the doors behind him slid shut with his evol. A small thud to close off the rest of his conversations with her for the night. "My lord." One of his attending guards came to his knees in front of the crowned prince, his head hung low as he spoke, tension drifting in between the both of them. "We had eliminated every single one of the villages as per requested. Nobody would be notified of your attendance here now."

"Good." The piercing eyes of Qin Che's trailed off of the guard in front of him. "Guard these walls tight. Nobody comes in nor our without my permission." He took a slight glance towards the closed door behind him. "Especially my queen."

The story has been foretold that a king shall ascend to the throne from the shadows. Born out of wedlock, a love child that should never be acknowledged because of being the child of a witch. Having powers in this dynasty both grants a blessing and a curse but the general public prefers spiting the latter. A king with powers only brings forth more wars by egoistic nations that would send their men to die just to prove their capabilities of 'command and conquer' and this would only cause more harm than good. Qin Che marks the ascension of his throne to be a grand magnum opus of his. For he holds the evol that could easily eviscerate a whole nation.

Now one may wonder why would Qin Che need a lowly physician's daughter to aid him in the ascension of the throne if he was so mighty with all of his powers? Does one ever wonder why y/n is stuck in a love triangle between two daddies men who only seemed to remember her but not the other way around?

"That child?" The palace garden was in full bloom, peach blossom petals fluttered the air, landing onto the grass and forming a painting by mother nature herself. Contrary to the peaceful nature outside, the maid quarters are bustling, the air thick with gossip and incense smoke as one of the maids whispered into the ears of another.

"I knew she was too pretty to be a servant's child." The receiving maid hissed as she was grinding nuts in the stone mortar. "Did you see her eyes? It holds a striking resemblance to your majesty, Lord Qin's."

Another maid working on peeling tangerines turned around, huddling in on the latest gossip and adding her piece of mind to it. "I heard the timing she was born was too uncanny." The two other maids craned their necks towards her, eager to hear more. "She was taken in not long after His Grace returned from the North, right when the queen was having trouble conceiving an heir. All of it are lining up."

The first maid whom started the conversation quirked her eyebrow up, eyes darting between the maids. "It is also a great cover up to say that her parents are no longer alive hence she was adopted into the walls of the palace to serve the king." She snickered. "When I think the rumors of the king having a child out of wedlock may just be more than a housewife's tale afterall." And they all turned their heads to look at the main character they were gossiping about.

Y/n sat right opposite the talking maids, just reaching the age of seven. She sat on a bench, chewing onto some dragon beard candy that was offered to her by other maids. She had no idea that she was being judged, even when she had no relation whatsoever to the rumor that was circulating. She was just there at the wrong place and wrong time. She wore a plain simple robe, hair tied up with a maroon ribbon and a curios smile that constantly accompany her even she never understood the idea of parental love.

The king had found her during one of his expeditions up north, stranded in a hut, starving and crying as a baby. Beside her laid both of her parents, bled out by slashes across their throats, no longer breathing and eyes as still as the death that had plagued the village by enemy soldiers.

Word travels fast within the walls of the palace and it did not take a day for the Queen to hear of such treacherous rumours. Y/n was taken into the Queen's hall a few hours later by two eunuchs, with dirt still on her cheeks and hands and confusion in her eyes when she was grabbed mid way on her playdate with both of her friends in the courtyard. The Queen sat in her throne, her crimson dragon-embroidered robe shimmered as she leaned forward to study the expressions of the child, the sharp nails of her gilded fingertips tapped against her armrest impatiently. Clink clink clink.

"She is a spitting image of his." The Queen's words were laced with venom, her attendant nodding accordingly. "The timing adds up now that I have heard the rumors. She even has the audacity to carry herself like a royalty within the blend of peasants." Behind the Queen emerged her son, the rightful heir to the throne, the playmate of y/n's. His hazel-green gaze fell upon the girl in front of him, but he said nothing and continued standing behind the silk screens.

"If the magistrates believe that this child --- is the one whom is born out of wedlock --- the throne may be in danger. My son is still too weak to take up the throne, the magistrate may just slot in a puppet for the people to idolize and pull their own strings instead." Her eyes narrowed, teeth gritting at the thought of her own son's throne being robbed by a mere peasant when she had went through all of the troubles just to conceive a child of her own. "I will not let that happen."

The Queen then stood up, raising her bejeweled hands and her voice boomed across the hall like thunder. Behind her serene face painted a storm of fury and jealousy. "I sentence her to death by drowning. May the river wash her into the dirt just like where she belonged. Such scandals shall not be allowed in the vicinity of the palace." Her eyes taunted y/n, her vile smile widening. "As long as I am alive."

"Your majesty!" Y/n finally spoke, her eyes immediately tearing up as she thrashed in the grip of the two eunuchs. The poor girl was filled with terror and wrongness. "Please don't kill me! Lord Qin took me in from my village! I don't have parents!" Her voice trailed off as she was dragged off into the distance.

"Mother." The Queen's offspring finally stood beside her and he spoke, his voice hesitating. "Are you sure y/n is father's child?"

The Queen turned, her gaze immediately softening at the face of her child's, her hand coming up to run it down his cherubic cheek. "Even if she isn't, Mother would not let anyone take away your chance of being the Emperor." Seeing the confusion still plastered onto her son's face, she cooed. "Mother will always put you first, do you understand me, Li Shen?"

Y/n jolted awake from her kang bed, her rib no longer in agony and her wrists were free from any bounds. The candlelight in the far corner of the chamber flickered furiously, close to being snuffed out. Cold sweat clung to the nape of her neck, her breaths sharp and shallow as the remnants of the nightmare lingered in her mind. Her last moments of the nightmare was the echoes of the rushing water, her gasping for air desperately, the weight of her ragged clothes dragging her further beneath the pulsating waters. The dream felt too real for her.

Needing air, she slipped out of her bed and rested her feet against the floor before she started walking. The floor was cold, prickling the soles of her feet. Wincing, she rubbed her feet together in an attempt to warm them and she tiptoed towards the screen doors. Sliding them open, she peeked her head out. Lanterns hung on ceiling beams, the candle lights flickered low and casting a small glow onto the wooden floors.

The moon hung high in the clear night skies, shining pale and coating the cobblestones in the courtyard a shade of silver. Alone, under twisted branches of a plum blossom tree, stood Qin Che with his back facing her, his eyes trained on the fishes swimming freely in the pond. He was dressed in a plain black cotton robe this time, his hair still flowed down his hips like silk threads. Sensing her arrival near his vicinity, he turned towards her, his voice raspy but does not bear any surprise. "Why are you still up at this hour?"

Struck with his presence, she took this opportunity to confront him. "You can't just kidnap me from Li Shen, we are to be wedded." Qin Che's eyes narrowed at her bold statement, his gaze followed her as she walked towards the edge of the koi pond. "He will find you and he will save me." Oh, Qin Che could not wait till the moment she finds out why he is doing this. He could not wait for her eagerness to falter and he surely could not wait for her to see the truth with her own eyes. But, he shall not be the one to break her hopes and dreams, for now.

Tsk. Qin Che tutted, stepping forward slowly till he was close enough to grab her by her elbow to guide her back from the koi pond. "Just like how he tried to save you from the river." Y/n's head snapped towards Qin Che in disbelief, he seemed so sure of what he had spoken. She held no memories of her past after the trauma but hearing him spoke of a river, it got her curious if there was more to that piece of foregone memory. Judging from her perplexed look, Qin Che released his grip from her arm, something flickered in his gaze. "I was there, y/n. That day when you were sentenced to death."

Her rapid blinks had suggested her brain not picking up on any details and Qin Che stepped even closer, close enough that she could nearly feel the material of his robe brushing against her. "You don't remember, do you?" He asked, his eyes searching for hers. "We used to play in the south gardens, the three of us. You, me and that damned bastard of a child. You would always hide amongst the bushes and think you could get away with it because you are small in size."

Bits and pieces of memories started sparking in her mind, but not complete enough for her to paint a full image. "I...I remember laughters, but, I can't tell apart who I was playing with back then. It shows up in my dreams once in a while, but I never end up remembering them once I woke up."

Qin Che's eyes softened, a rare sight for a vicious man like him. He stayed put in his spot as he continue to jog memories for her. "When I play as the seeker, I always let you win so you could continue using that special spot whenever we play." He then lifted his hand to remove a stray petal that had fell on top of her head, his touch was barely the gust of a wind but she did not wince this time, she could tell that there were no ill intentions. "That spot became such a habit of yours whenever I am the seeker that I can't see myself calling you out and causing you to lose your special place."

Y/n's gaze shifted, why is he telling her this now? So many questions came to her mind in just a mere moment. Who is he? Why would he want her to help him to ascend the throne? How does he know about her dreams? Where--- Qin Che's grip on her chin brought her back to the plum blossom tree where they both stood. "Y/n." Her name rolled off of his tongue languidly. A name that he had called her for years, yet it tasted bitter to him, especially when the last time he had called for her was watching her at the brink of drowning while he was held back by the other servants. "As much as I would like to tell you more, I am afraid we have an early day tomorrow."

"Where are we going?" She looked away, his touch seared her skin and brought back the moment of him kissing her. Y/n bit her lip, her ears turning red at the thought of his lustful embrace.

Qin Che smirked, clearly catching on to her response. She is still the same as last time, abashed whenever she is teased by him. The crowned prince bends down to her, now at eye-level and he stared right into her eyes, searching for her soul that was still trapped beneath all of her foggy memories. "The palace awaits for us, sweetie."

previous part

Author's note: I know that this may be a little rushed, but it has been a while since I had gotten back into writing hence I am a little wonky on the plot itself, but I still want to try to address as many plot holes as it may have and still take my time in unravelling the storyline! But ofc if any of you readers want moreeee of the details do dm me and I can let you dive into my thoughts!

Taglist: @prettytemis @pinkblusheschuu @xvysarene @uyenlee @sapphic-daze

[yatori-morgana]

(Minimal proofreading)

Was speculating some random mer biology with Mom. First, I mentioned how we're all dying to see if Georgina gets an on-screen merform for obvious reasons — but I also have a question it'd answer.

There are two types of mer I've taken note of: those with human upper halves, and those that are more fishy all over like the octotrio. Do the more fishy mer have breasts similar to us, or don't they? We know the humanoid ones do. Mom and I speculated, if so, they might just have the fat, and it could work for buoyancy. There's a reason we have the phrase "tits up", haha.

We know that male merfolk like the octotrio don't have nipples. Yes, some anime art styles, for some reason, don't draw men with nips, but we've seen that's not the case for TWST in the Stitch event. So that means it was a deliberate choice to draw them without. That's what makes me question if female mer like them would have anything of the sort, even just fat stores or what have you.

If you wanted to speculate a bit more, you could point out that Azul, like tweels, has no nipples, but he's an octomer exactly like Ursula — who is canon and has titties. In that case, it's likely either to:

1. Blend in Elder Scrolls argonian-style

2. Buoyancy specifically

3. Fat stores specifically

4. A combination of the above

It's possible none of that is right, but I can't help but wonder a LOT.

Another thing I brought up is how a lot of us tend to agree that Mer run colder body temperatures. That's when Mom brought up it's possible they run warmer core temperatures because of how cold the sea is. Not their whole bodies — just around their organs, etc. That would mean, if they were injured, they wouldn't bleed a lot very fast because their blood isn't so close to the surface. I then said it would make sense because of how easily that'd attract predators otherwise, so bleeding less would work better. By that logic, they'd still be fairly cool to the touch.

She also mentioned rubbery skin textures because fish.

I then made mention of how, canonically, mer in human forms have healthy, moisturized skin, as it's how their mucus/natural films translated into the new body. That's where Azul got the idea (and resources) for Vil's new toner. I referenced how we all joke about not telling Vil what's in it, but I suddenly remembered something.

Would Vil really be bothered? Think about what goes into many other different beauty products. This might not be too bad in comparison to some things, and he may very well be used to the idea. (Then Mom said, "I mean, you know what's in Botox?" Lmao)

Naturally moisturized skin may also be why Georgina looks rather young in comparison to some. We can still see the shadow of wrinkles, but it isn't very pronounced.

Speaking of Georgina, people keep mentioning her lack of a ring. It's possible she just doesn't like wearing rings over gloves, or it could be different cultures again. Who's to say it's a marital band that bonds her and Mr. Leech? It could even be less complicated than that, even — it could just be a different piece of jewelry altogether. For all we know, it's her earrings. We have no idea because we don't know much about mer culture as a whole, nor do we know the specifics of her relationship with her husband.

AND ANOTHER THING ABOUT MER BIOLOGY.

Have you ever tried taking a bite of plant matter and chewing it with only your sharper teeth? It's not that easy. I can say from experimentation and literal science that flat teeth are better for that sort of thing, yet the tweels never mention struggling with it? They only have sharp teeth, but we know they eat fruits and vegetables, like how Jade ate apples during the Harveston event.

That's when Mom said they might not be grinding it down, but rather cutting it into smaller pieces and swallowing those pieces whole. It could be that they typically don't struggle, as, for instance with an apple, it's the skin that really causes trouble — which could be another reason as to why Jade typically peels his. You know, even though most of the nutrients are IN THE PEEL.

Mom also pointed out that they could have a flatter bit in the back of their mouths behind their teeth they use to grind it down. We wouldn't know because we can't see that far back, haha. That falls into "do they have pharyngeal jaws" territory.

Technically, this is a non-issue, but it bothers me because they pay attention to so many other tiny details, but this, which feels obvious to me, is ignored. I just have weird focuses.

I'd love to hear y'all's thoughts on any of this, if you made it this far. Just some fun speculating and headcanoning.

[violetjedisylveon]

Grinning Shadow AU Fluffy Headcanon:

In this version of the 'Journey to the West', everyone believed that Macaque died and Wukong wanted to revive him, but Wukong accepts that Macaque is dead... (But the truth is Macaque was brainwashed!)

People have made many adaptions and reboot of Wukong's story, and in some of them Macaque is alive or gets revived, with Wukong and Macaque being BFFs...

There's even a story of Macaque being with Wukong, on the Journey to the West...

Some Wukong Fans theorize that Macaque is alive in canon, but he's the Jade Emperor's Prisoner... (They're not wrong!)

Despite everyone believing that Macaque is dead, many Wukong Fans love Macaque...

Macaque is touched by this... when people learn that Macaque is alive... the world goes insane, but in a fun way! 💖

oh that's fun!

In the original/oldest versions of Jttw, Macaque is said to have died in the havoc in heaven and the journey is also one of Wukong's grief as well as enlightenment.

But like with the real Jttw, people started writing what amounts to fanfic of it very soon after, and so later author's changed some things and played around with their relationship and Macaque's ultimate fate.

In modern times, people generally believe that Macaque died in that battle, but theorists, scholars and historians have their speculations of his true fate, since the ending that storyline in the book is odd and vague.

Macaque is a very popular character, he basically functions as second main character in the the first 7 or so chapters until he dies cause he's with Wukong from minute one. It tells of how bother were formed, how they met, the hijinks they got up together. In the book Macaque is constantly warning Wukong of his hubris, but he's the one who pays the ultimate price for it.

Modern adaptations and reimaginings play around a lot with his character, in the book he's the humbler, less brash and more satisfied with his current power level, so it's a fun dynamic to play with as someone who always wants more, and someone who's satisfied but still supportive of the other. Some have their relationship break off before the heaven attack and Macaque lives!

They also play around with their relationship to the point where some adaptations have a similar effect or read on their relationship as Granada Holmes does for Sherlock and Watson. My friend described it(Holmes and Watson) as something that if you're straight or homophobic, you won't pick up on, but if you're gay then you absolutely pick up on it, sort of a if you know you know kind of thing happens with them.

But other adaptions are just all but explicitly saying they're gay because there is a subtext in this version of the book in their interaction with each other.

Some scholars of Jttw do theorize that the real Six Eared Macaque is actually alive somewhere, probably the celestial realm, but there's no way to get proof of that cause Jade Emperor doesn't want people to know about his monkey, it's better if he's believed dead.

Either way Macaque lives on in the hearts and minds of mortals, it's a bittersweet thing for Wukong, he gets to see all these different versions of him have the same ending no matter what, and sometimes he sees better ones, stories where Macaque never dies. Those ones he holds onto tight.

Sometimes he wishes the og Jttw had been able to be more explicit with his relationship to Macaque, then he could have his daughters in the story as his daughters. It would have been painful to see them die again in every adaptation, but there could also have been stories of what never was, a happy tale for his family.

Jttw does have an equivalent to them, a pair of unnamed monkey demon cubs who have an oddly detailed death for being random unnamed characters. Scholars speculate about who they really are and the ones that are speculating "mates" as Wukong and Macaque's relationship speculate the monkey cubs either literally or symbolically represent children Wukong lost. They are painfully close to the truth.

Macaque is definitely surprised by how much people like him and just how popular he is, it's flattering after so long of such negative experiences to be perceived so positively.

People loose their minds finding out he was alive, and gay with Wukong, this whole time, so many scholars are finally vindicated.

This was a fun bit of fluff, especially since I am working on chapter 2 and oh boy I am setting Wukong up to get his heart absolutely destroyed, he's so happy and excited at the thought of getting to have his mate back, it's gonna be devastating.

I love it.

Thanks for asking!

Grinning Shadow AU Masterpost

[a-bright-comet]

On a more positive(?) note on Jade Shadows:

It really is so heartwrenching and tragic, Jade loved her kid so damn bad, if she survived the process you know damn well she would've been the best damn parent in the origin system by far. My heart so badly wants the three to be reunited somehow and be cool warframe parents together and be happy with their little bundle,,, :(((

She was clearly loved so damn bad by Sorren (Stalker) he clearly wanted them both to survive but it just.. didn't work out that way. And.. she was okay with that, she knew the risk and trusted him to see it through and to take care of their little one for her :"( And in all likelihood her being turned to a warframe back in the day is what probably doomed the pregnancy cause you know it's the damn infestation strain, the infestation (body) and the void (mind) are unpredictable and incomprehensible.. but that's speculation on my part. (But as per usual it's the orokins fault, looking at you, Ball-of-Ass Ballas)

We didn't get much time with her but I love her so damn bad already, she deserves all the love she can get,,, you best know that when I get her warframe she'll be absolutely pampered, tis what she deserves dammit! 😤

Now excuse me while I go hold DE at gunpoint to revive her in canon somehow

[fyrni]

Swift Iceclaw

Following on from @willooooooow's post I wanted to introduce my oldest Guild Wars 2 OC, my agender elementalist Swift Iceclaw. It feels like a long time since I’ve posted about Swift back on my old blog and she has grown a lot since then.

Name: Swift Iceclaw

Age: ~30

Pronouns: they/she

Gender: Agender

Race: Charr

Profession: Elementalist

Swift Iceclaw, the former Pact Commander, has a well of curiosity as deep as the unending ocean and a talent for being able to talk to anyone she meets. She has a list of acquaintances long enough that, if put to paper, would run the length of the Ascalonian wall. Not all of these acquaintances are friendly, of course, but Swift has always kept her friends close and her enemies even closer.

Behind her bravado and bluster Swift is a quiet, reflective individual. She can often be found napping on old mattresses in corners of the Black Citadel or perusing the stalls of New Kaineng’s night market. Her empathy is boundless to the point of sometimes losing herself. She loves listening to the stories of the people she meets, understanding their problems and, if she has had a big enough meal recently, solving those problems with decisive action. Though getting her to do things when she has not been fed is as hard as dragging an Ox through an oozing, sludge-filled mire.

Her curiosity is not just saved for people. Her interest in magic and the world is rivalled only by her friend Vesta Lorepaw, whose grubby paws are always on one crinkled, dusty scroll or another. In her travels Swift has picked up magical techniques from all corners of Tyria. Not just for combat, but for menial tasks too. More than once she’s been spotted controlling fire for baking cookies or roasting meats, or turning water to ice to cool ice cream. She has worked closely with the Durmand Priory and the new Flame Legion, under Efram’s lead, to further the understanding of the world's magics.

Swift’s favourite magic is one that creates clouds, letting her shape them with the tips of her claws. She is not shy about showing off her magic and sharing her knowledge with others. You know Swift is performing a show when you can hear the gasps and cheers of cubs throughout the Hero’s Canton. At one time she struggled to share such things with people. However, after her travels she finds joy in sharing her love of the world freely. This is after having found people who accept her irrelevant of who she or her dam were.

Despite who she is now Swift had a difficult upbringing. Her sire, Garn, was lost years ago to the Mists where he is still said to wander. Her dam is unknown though speculated to be of Flame. This is because of Swift’s affinity for magic which she combines with her love of battle. Wielding a crackling lightning hammer she thrives when diving into the fray. Her enemies have been quoted as saying that you can smell the sharp tang of ozone before you see that hammer swing towards your skull. Such lust for combat is a peculiar trait for a commander of Pact forces but it has served Swift well.

She was scorned by many in the Ash Legion for her abundant curiosity of magic. It was one Lelia Shadowmane who was her sole friend in the fahrar. At the recommendation of Galera Stormfang, Swift and Lelia’s Primus, she was recognised by the upper ranks of the Ash Legion which led to her and Lelia’s posting at the Black Citadel at the time of Zhaitan’s rising. However, given Swift could not lie even if put at swordpoint, and given she is as stealthy as a raptor in a Jade Tech workshop, she decided to leave the Ash Legion. This was so she could do things her own way without the shadow of the Legions looming over her.

Whilst Swift’s curiosity can make her overbearing to some she has found fast friends in each of the races of Tyria. She often spends time with Vesta, Lelia, when her duties as a Primus give her time, and her old friends in Dragon’s Watch. Particularly Braham, who is her regular drinking buddy. Whenever she meets a fellow mage it is said she always asks one question: “What is your favourite use of magic?”

[hippie-koldun]

Jade Shadows spoilers! And some thoughts

After completing the quest, I had several questions, because at first it seemed to me that this story breaks the plot a little

But my friends and I figured it out a little and tried to explain some of the details that confused us

First question: what is the Stalker’s motivation then?

At first we thought he was just a character with PTSD who saw the massacre where his Overlords died. But now it seems like he doesn't give a damn about it because he has bigger problems to worry about, and that's Jade

At the beginning of the quest we were told that Jade saved him. Could she have been seriously injured by this? Could the Tenno have hurt her? This makes sense since we find her sick and almost dying

So it seems to me that the Stalker is taking revenge on the Tenno for the dying state of his wife, and this is the case

Second question: how did she give birth to the child?

Due to infection, Warframe physiology differs significantly from that of humans. The belly through which we see the baby inside Jade is more likely to be some kind of placenta. Perhaps this is one of the placenta mutations? Since we know she was pregnant before she became a Warframe. It's very strangely shown in the quest, but this temporary organ is always easy to cut, so...

The third question(s): how did the child survive after so many years? How was he not born earlier? How did he not die when infected?

The following is purely my speculation. It seems to me that infection allows to slow down absolutely everything in the physiology of Warframes, and development will be no exception. Jade could be carrying this child, and thereby he was pumping out her vitality...

Very often, the infection of the mother is transmitted to the child if she, for example, smoked, drank or took drugs. Often he mutates inside her, and sometimes dies. Helminth is a very situational thing. It drives crazy and prevents systems from working comfortably

A normal human fetus, even before its birth, became infected with a helminth, became covered with iron in the womb, and I think this is quite logical? In one of the scenarios, he would have died...

In fact, I liked the quest, it reveals the feeling even closer: fatherhood. At first I thought that this quest was about lovers, but the result just killed me (positively)

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

in reference to that ask about other bands staying together - Little Mix and Paramore are good for comparison purposes as well.

other than Jesy, who they still care about but has shown them vitriol and disrespect since leaving, Little Mix all respect and genuinely care about each other as people and continue to support one another in their solo careers (plus they all agreed on taking a break!). i’ve listened to anecdotes from all of them about their break and their time together as a band - and from the beginning there was a collective, intelligent decision to reject ideas like “a lead singer” and to work together to make sure everyone felt supported and no one was receiving unequal treatment.

they’re not shy about how tough it was at many points, but Perrie in particular has talked about turning down solo opportunities that she felt were a slippery slope and respected her bandmates enough to not listen to the executives and label people that were whispering in her ear. Jade believes them being away from each other - for the first time in a long time - during COVID, unable to speak openly one on one and share their fears and insecurities with each other, was what led Jesy to let the irresistible idea of solo success (to the detriment of her bandmates) take root.

with the exception of Jesy, i really believe them when they say they plan to get back together in the future. they speak highly of each other, seem to have a lot of love for one another, and don’t feed fans ideas about “18 months”. there were no sneaky solo recordings leaked. they truly all seem to have started each of their solo ventures on equal footing, which was the goal.

Hayley Williams was always singled out in Paramore and was very vocal about how the rest of the band deserved mention in articles and they were all vital & responsible for their success. when she made music on her own (primarily about the grief she felt after her divorce - which she understandably wanted to make on her own), the rest of the band supported her and Paramore got back together to continue making music as a band like she said that they would.

one direction did not have any of that. not to get too much into gender politics, but they started out with a very boyish idea of friendship - without any regard for obstacles and powerful people lurking in the shadows that would put that friendship to the test. women grow up being pitted against each other and feeling preyed upon, so i believe Little Mix already knew what would happen, but on a larger scale. i think around 2012, when 1D was being asked on a regular basis about how long they planned to stay together and there were various articles speculating about “who the breakout star would be” is when reality began to sink in a bit.

Louis is really the only one who had the right idea from the beginning, responding with a firm ‘no’ when asked about going solo. he had the respect and love for his bandmates (and band) required to uphold the same boundaries as Little Mix, but i think the problem was that some of that refusal stemmed from insecurity and lack of belief in his own capabilities. i don’t believe Liam or Niall had the spine or loyalty necessary to back him and stand together as a collective (and i also think that Liam had a simultaneous psychological fear & codependency connected with the band that threw a wrench in the works).

Zayn had Louis’ back as a friend, but was far too competitive and perceptive to jeopardize his own chances and uphold an idea of a band that equally supported & respected each other while it was slowly falling apart. Harry’s people pleasing, narcissism, and manufactured overconfidence was never going to allow a peaceful, mutually agreed upon break where they all began on equal footing. his decision to allow himself to be singled out and focused on was the end of the beginning - and his selfishness & disloyalty really are at the root of all the dissension & resentment that was sown.

but in summary, it’s exactly like you said. the individual qualities, merits, and shortcomings of each member are what’s truly indicative of their ability to stay together. Louis’ loyalty could not compensate for the independent motivations & characteristics of four other members.

Well said. x

In short, I think One Direction met Irving Azoff, Irving happened to be looking for a breakout star to start his son’s career, and Azoff was a force that easily battered the fragile wall of 1D solidarity.

Maybe Harry could have been tempted by another manager, but Irving’s power over the music industry (media, venue, Ticketmaster and Live Nation), along with Fulwell’s promise of access to Hollywood (Winston-Corden et al., + Cindy Crawford’s and Anna Wintour’s access to fashion, the Kardashians’ fame by association, Rob Stringer’s grip on the label), and especially the offer to own a percentage of everything he touches— not simply a pawn but a player— the offer was one that Harry could not resist.

The thing that every Harry Styles defender gets wrong is misrepresenting Harry’s agency in his own life. He wasn’t a young pawn, and he hasn’t become an adult puppet. Harry is where he is precisely because he took the offer to betray his band and control an empire.

Harry’s fans all know this and they love him for his ruthless ambition. They all proudly imitate him online when mocking the rest of One Direction.

In the end, one can say that Harry did what 99% of people would have done, knowing that music is a Darwinian game and sometimes you do have to let your friends perish. Literally. That’s just how the game goes. Harry became Harry Thee Styles (as Jeremy O. Harris called him) at the expense of his old bandmates. Maybe Harry did lay a finger on the scale, who cares really. Music is a rigged game. If the rigging goes in your favor and hurts others, it seems less rigged and more fair and accurate.

So a tribute to Liam at the Brits would smooth out all the yucky competitiveness and form a united front, which makes the past ten years of isolation and ugly PR tactics okay. I’m sure words said after Liam’s death mean just as much now as they would have meant before his death… to Harry Styles and Irving Azoff. After all, grief is an opportunity. PR over substance, that’s the Styles mantra.

And it will work. Fans will love him more than ever.

Back to your analogy with Little Mix, anon. Maybe seeing One Direction as a cautionary tale, Little Mix approached their solo careers realizing that there is no limit to betrayal. Like pregnancy, you can’t betray your friends a little bit. Once in, you’re all in. The friendships simply can’t stay the same, and life decisions will change irrevocably with career decisions.

Even if fans pretend it’s 2013, it’s not 2013. One Direction are not blind to their own history, even if some fans lie to other fans about it.

This is the way it always goes. Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, No Doubt, many bands. As Harry wrote in Something Great:

But Harry didn’t rip it all to shreds. He sang about angst, longing, temptation, and love, but when it came to real life, there was no angst. Only business. “The script” was an old business playbook, used successfully many times. Harry followed it.

Since Liam’s passing, there are so many 1D lyrics that take on a deeper and sadder meaning. I think of Louis’ lyrics, “All the lonely shadow dances from the cradle to the grave/ It's a solo song and it's only for the brave,” reflecting on the feelings of abandonment and loneliness. And these lyrics from One Direction’s Story Of My Life, which seemed nonsensical once upon a time:

[aqg-arts]

DE PLEASE DON'T HURT MY BEAUTIFUL EDGE LORD!

[upsidedownsmore]

Jade Shadows spoilers, just some lore thoughts and theorizing

I wonder if Jade was used for most high-order jade light executions and was the soul source of it, or if she was just an extension of an already existing technology. Before, I used to think the jade light was from some kind of device, but if it's been Jade this whole time at the source that has implications.

Of course, even if she was the source of jade light, it must have been harnessed in devices to allow for remote executions and portability, like on the Zariman and with the Myrmidon. So she wouldn't have had to perform all executions herself in person when even just her residual power is enough to power Parvos' jade eximus units.

But Parvos referring to Jade as an executioner might imply that she was used to perform at least some executions personally, and I imagine those would have been the executions performed in front of the Seven.

Like Margulis.

And if they needed a Tenno operator to control Jade, that would effectively have been using a Zariman kid to kill their adoptive mother using Jade, a victim of Ballas' warframe project during pregnancy.

holy fuck

Edit: Though there's also reason to believe that Jade wouldn't have been the one to execute Margulis because it may have required the use of a Tenno operator, which I can't imagine would go well. But there's still a bit of vagueness around whether Jade needed an operator, similar to how there's vagueness around whether Stalker needs one.

Edit 2 (July 2024): go behind teshin there's new jade lore go go go

[twistmusings]

MOD AZUL LMAO HOW ARE WE FEELING ABOUT TWST GOJO?✨️✨️✨️

LMFAO Iove that you guys have just taken to asking me about every update as they come out because of my low activity due to canon events right now. I genuinely fond out when stuff drops in TWST JPN pretty much as soon as you tell me. /srs

Some card spoilers below the cut!

Honestly, I know you made the comparison to Gojo but I look at him and I see beside from a goth Beatles cover band. 💀 Definitely excited to see what the event entails though! Fun facts about Mod Azul, the first Disney movie I watched as a child WAS Nightmare before Christmas, so this actually has me very excited for obvious reasons. I do love the design, but my man looks like an absolute SHITHEAD - I fully expect this event is going to be meddling. I know people are speculating he may be twisted from the Mayor, because of his pupils, and that wouldn't surprise me at all. To be honest, I almost wonder if he is twisted from the general concept more so than any one character. I see more indicators that he was twisted from Jack than anyone else in his design because it's very skeletal - though I do wonder if Oogie Boogie will be making an appearance in some way.

The new cards look super cool - I feel like the costume and hair designs lean even further into Yana's previous work on Black Butler than pretty much everything we've seen so far! I also think it's pretty cool that the Halloween even is actually using a notably different color palette and style than past Halloween events.

TWST has always had a very saturated color palette, even in the Halloween events, so it's super cool to see them play with the actual color language itself. I've pulled Jade's halloween cards to compare them for you to illustrate the differences:

Particularly in the hair - you can see how Jade's hair has been desaturated and sort of greyed out, which I think is a super cool way of incorporating the Tim Burton style into the game. ALSO

LEONA'S REGULAR CARD IS HANDLED WELL. I'm trying not to get my hopes too high, but even with the desaturate palette so far, he is still able to maintain some depth to his skin while still looking paler to match with the style. Now I am certainly hoping I don't eat crow - I know how things went with the Kings Garb card, but I'm going to hold out hope that we will get a really cool Leona SSR. Aside from the Fairy Gala, we haven't really had a "formal wear" Leona card, and I'm really hoping that the SSR looks good!

To give some clarification what I mean - when you are desaturating a color palette, specifically for darker skin tones, you want to mute the saturation of the color without losing the depth of the color. When we are speaking about skin tones, human skin is made up of a mix of colors - primarily yellows and reds, though we also get some blue as well. When you're working with a dark skin tone. In that sense, you don't want to add grey, you want to neutralize some of the warmth with blue tones and even fully dip into blue tones in shadow, which this artist has done. I have actually color picked this palette and put it against a white background to show what I mean and wow this is a gorgeous color palette!!

It definitely depends on the monitor and the brightness settings, but on the monitor I have calibrated to do illustration on - those colors are Navy Blue, A dark lipstick Mauve, a soft violet, and then some brighter orange brown and yellow brown where the moonlight is hitting. Even in the shadows, those cooler colors (the purples) are warmer shades of those colors that make sense with his skin tone. It's a beautiful palette using a ton of gem tones and cool colors and I'm holding out hope that the groovies keep with this trend, especially considering we have both Leona and Jamil getting much needed SSRs this go around.

So far as other thoughts - in Japan the event has been called "Lost in the book with Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas", which leads me to believe this will be similar to the Stitch event where the boys end up in a book in an entirely alternate world and will likely wake up not knowing what happened. I'm also guessing given the track record with the Halloween events and the fact that Nightmare before Christmas is a musical that we're likely going to get more Twistunes with this Halloween event. I don't know if we're going Masquerade levels with it, but I certainly hope we get to hear Leona and Sebek sing, and we know that Jamil can!

Also this event includes Vil, Leona, AND Malleus, so I fully expect at some point these three are going to beef because you can't put these three drama queens in a room and have them NOT devolve into arguing. I eagerly await that.

Also I don't know if they are keeping any of the Christmas theme of nightmare before Christmas, but if they do I cannot wait for the boys to ILLEGALLY DETAIN SANTA CLAUS.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

A2-4....this chapter. I knew this chapter was coming and I'm still shocked you ranked it so high as given how much you despise Nikei as a character, I expected this to be way, way lower for you.

Ironically enough this Chapter was the reason yesterday's review of 1-6 came out late as I was hyper analysing a Fangan which had a enomorus impact on this Chapter and that is The After Chapter 2. Which if you don't know, that Fangan casts a massive shadow over this chapter as had LINUJ not watched it, we could have had a very different A2-4.

An A2-4, might I add, if my deductions on what the original plans for it were, would have probably made you stop playing the game from how pissed off you would have been over it.

You speculate that something must have happened to LINUJ between Another 1 and Another 2 to jaded him to reality and make him believe humanity cannot change their core nature and character development doesn't exist. I'm not a mind reader so I wouldn't know but what I do know is between that tranistional period, LINUJ had to do national service (If you don't know, South Korea is one of the few countries where all men have to do mantorary national service so they can be ready when the country comes under attack, most likely from North Korea) and thus I can only imagine this was what made him think humans suck. But its just a guess as I do know LINUJ talked about him being in the army while he was thinking ideas for Another 2.

So let's get the pretext out of the way regarding the man of the hour; Nikei Yomiuri. My opinion on him when compared to yours might as well be on the other side of galaxy by how much of a contrast it is. However I also understand why you think he's a piece of shit that deserves to die, because he does do very heinious acts throughout Chapter 4, and the way he not only tricks the cast but also the player and I think that is the crux of where a lot of hatred to Nikei comes from. I personally see him as the best example of a liar character even more so then Celestia and Kokichi, as those two lie yes, and the cast fell for them, but you the player were never fooled. Nikei however casts wool not only over Sora and co but also the player, and thus when he's revealed to be self-serving and only out for himself, the player will react nuclear due to being personally betrayed. You placed faith in Nikei and he broke and that's where most haters come from.

Besides The After Chapter 2 contains Ryohei Seki, a character that I hate as much as you loathe Nikei, and when I was getting so mad at his actions, I then realised this must have been what you and all the other Nikei haters felt in A2-4. Ironically enough given how he's the reason Nikei even dies at all in this chapter you might love Ryohei. But there is one thing I do have disagree massively with you.

The idea that Nikei was always meant to be a shallow arsehole and he's nothing more then that. Because let me ask you this, if Nikei is as shallow and only cares about himself like you said he does; then why did LINUJ consider making him the main protagonist in Onmake Mode before his laptop bricked?

Because let me tell you, yes you can have unlikable and jerkish protagonists, but the player is still meant to sympathise with them. And if Nikei was this shallow selfish dick the whole way through the game, it would be very unfun and would turn a lot of people away from the game as generally you are meant to put yourself in the protagonist's shoes. And I know the next rebuttal is that maybe this is why the game got ditched. No the reason it got ditched was because LINUJ suffered hard drive failure which wiped out all his progress on Onmake Mode which coupled with irl factors was too demoralising for him to carry on. It had nothing to do with the realisation playing a a jerk wouldn't be fun.

I do know Nikei does have a least one Onmake story tied to him around the corner, which should explain his backstory at long fucking last and also some more insight into the character. Now yes the Onmake Mode Short Story with Nikei could have been a 100% jackarse in it and it is by far my biggest fear with it, but with all the confusing messaging LINUJ has said with Nikei on his character bio, I don't think it would be the case. So no I don't agree LINUJ written him to just be a arsehole for the sake of a arsehole, and heck a lot of Nikei's A2-4 more evil actions can be blamed on something else.

And that something else is Danganronpa The After Chapter 2. For those who don't know what Danganronpa The After is, its a webseries developed by Kunoe Pencil and is to my knowledge one of the few Japanese Fanganronpas out there, the other being Danganronpa Re:Birth. Currently its on Chapter 3 and in my opinion its a really underated gem of a series. But what's important is when LINUJ was making A2-4, Chapter 2 of the After came out and LINUJ watched and he realised the ideas of Chapter 2 were too similar to his vision of A2-4 and so made some very radical last minute changes, which I must also add; he also ends up regretting.

Yeah you heard me right A2-4 is LINUJ's least favourite Another chapter he's written and the one he wishes he could have changed the most in terms of how he written it. Now I don't know what part of A2-4 he doesn't like since he's never explained it and it can only be guesswork what he reversations over but my best guess, is the realisation that his rewrite of A2-4 to avoid "copying" The After Chapter 2 is stupid in hindsight and ends up hurting the story overall and he should have stuck to his original draft.

Or it could also be how he changes Sora at the last minute. You see originally Sora was never meant to be an AI, she was meant to be Akane Taira but with no memory, but when LINUJ was writing Chapter 4, this was a popular fan theory at the time, and he didn't like how everyone guessed his big twist. So he does the number 1 thing a writer should never do and that is change the plot to subvert and say "gotcha" to the audience by making her an AI. I'm not sure if this was good or bad since well I like Akane but I also like Sora and this would have made Sora be more or less like Ryoko which reduces her overall as an character.

Point is, I don't know what parts of A2-4 LINUJ thinks suck now, all I know that he doesn't like this chapter AT ALL. And while SDRA2 has witstood the test of time in terms of how it looks, I could imagine if it ever gets remade this chapter will change the most in terms of story.

This also explains why A2-4 is so weak, because it has had a massivly mangled history behind it where it was meant to go one way, but LINUJ watched Chapter 2 of the After went "Nu-uh" and changed things to prevent accusations of plagirism. Which given how A2-3 is a 1:1 of 3-3 is MASSIVE hypocrisy.

The Tower of Babel is indeed the least interesting of the locked areas in the Canon and Another series and also a very unsubtle nod from Nikei what he plans to do if you know the history behind the Tower of Babel. While a cool idea, we have been locked in areas before and the Ballrooms and the Funhouses are more fun. Especially since unlike those two there's no "get out or you starve to death" so what incentive do the others have to getting out? Its not like they are gonna die. It was just such a waste of a idea.

I do not like how Teruya behaves in this as while I understand the emotional heartbreak he suffered in A-4 and something we will discuss when we get to it, there's also the fact why he even listened to Nikei in the first place. He knows he's a Void and Void are group of liars and decievers and since Teruya's memories were coming back at that point, he would know anything Nikei was saying is BS so why does he go along with it? Its a bit of a plot and not forgetting I don't like how Teruya decides to be Tsurugi which is such a disservice to the character.

Again how Teruya was handled could be another thing LINUJ regrets in hindsight about this chapter as maybe this might have made people dislike the character so his death in A2-5 isn't as impactful.

Nikei's Void reveal was something I predicted as soon as Mikado announced there were hidden Void members due to how he behaves and the fact when you meet him in the Prologue he's in the same area as Mikado is which is a massive red flag. But again, while its obvious, the way its revealed is brilliant as he openly ousts himself, tells Mikado to fuck off in mulitiple angles and decides to intially throw himself in with Sora and co seems like things are looking up as Shinji's main philosophy is that the Voids are good but they fear Mikado so if they are nice to the Voids, they might switch sides, and so with Nikei seemly seeing the light, its proof that his ideas are working so all is left is the other Void member and then they can all unite against Mikado.

And then let's get into Nikei's plan because I will be real with you; its very similar to what Ryohei Seki from Danganronpa The After was trying to do. Both were making plans to kill someone who is the deuantagonist of the story, and have them become the blackened while a innocent person dies, a person who also fully trusted them. Someone else then sees the crime being committed and decides to meddle to save the original target and the schemer goes through a breakdown.

This similarity between the plans is also why I suspected that Nikei died when he did because having watched The After Chapter 2, I have two big deductions on how A2-4 was meant to go and when I said you would hate how it would go I am not even remotely kidding.

My first is that Nikei was meant to LIVE past Chapter 4, this is mainly because his backstory was never revealed, his execution has muitiple animation errors and problems in it which is proof LINUJ did this at the last second and Nikei wasn't his original target, especially since A-4 also faced a similar problem when the culpirt had to change due to problems with animating the execution and how the rule change at the last minute feels very BS and left-field, because it literally was done at the 11th hour to make sure Nikei dies. As such my deduction was he was meant to survive to Chapter 5 and then become the victim there instead of Teruya.

Why do I think this? Because Ryohei who schemed similarly to Nikei, lived to get to Chapter 3, and LINUJ didn't want people comparing the two so he killed Nikei off when he did just to stop that stone dead.

But that's not even the end of it. Because now comes the question of if Nikei wasn't meant to be executed, who was? Well after seeing how the murder plan in The After Chapter 2 was meddled with, I also believe I have the OG culpirt and this would piss you off even more.

It's Sora. I think Sora was meant to be the A2-4 culpirt.

ESPECIALLY when you put into the ideas she was meant to be Akane without her memories as this could have brought them back. The fact you lose control of Sora to have control over Syobai temporarly is a big factor into this, and it also explains why Sora is so out of it in A2-5, since she would have "died" in her execution as Divine Luck would have kept her alive. How LINUJ sees writing and Sora is also key as he thinks of Chapters 1-3 and 4-6 as two halfs so as far as he's concerned Chapter 4 is similar to Chapter 1. He also thinks Sora as a decoy protagonist as the true protagonist in his eyes is Yuki Maeda. Now this would come off as fridging but to be perfectly frank, LINUJ fridges a lot so this what I see as the most likely explanation based on watching The After Chapter 2 and knowing it scared LINUJ into changing A2-4.

Remember when I said you would HATE the OG A2-4 if my ideas are right? This is why because the fact your most hated character of all time lives to fight another day, laughs at the heroes while doing so, while Sora gets to be on the chopping block? I would highly suspect you would have quite playing the game then and there.

And here's the thing, I don't even know if Nikei being this self-serving was so that LINUJ could justify killing him so quickly in A2-4 or if he wasn't meant to be like that but then Ryohei was like "Stop right there criminal scum" Like the changes to avoid being compared to The After were so eleventh hour that a lot of what happens in the Class Trial and afterwards is LINUJ trying to avoid The After comparisons.

Yes everyone besides Yoruko is an arsehole and this is when the writing flaws of SDRA2 really comes out. It IS interesting to see Sora go this direction as this is not protagonist material here and something nobody saw coming. Its also quite highly emotional and the mystery itself is interesting.

If you can't already tell I do not like A2-4 one bit, and its so much lower on my rankings but that's mainly because I know how much of a shitshow was going on in the background and how this chapter got destroyed due to LINUJ fearing he's ripping of The After Chapter 2 which I find is bullshit and reeks of insercuity from him.

Ftr I'm not blaming The After for why A2-4 is the way it is, because its a underrated gem and its Chapter 2 is a compelling and emotional rollercoaster I highly recommend watching. Its all on LINUJ for feeling the need to change so much due to fears people think he's unoriginal.

Shinji is also such a obvious character to kill off and really I just feel can't we go one Fangan when Chapter 4 doesn't kill the big guy? Please? Is it harder then not having double deaths in Chapter 3? And yeah he was the last good guy left as Yoruko was the only person who looks good in A2-4 and then afterwards she goes crazy. And remember that LINUJ actually wanted Yoruko to be more deranged and crazy.

I haven't. I do not know if any of LINUJ's ideas would better or worse for the game if they were in, though I think I know what your answer would have been; worse.

Kinda ironic that this chapter Nikei hijacks the virtual world from Mikado and makes it all glitchy and that's' also a metaphor for how this Chapter is like from a writing perspective.

I know I've talked WAY more about behind the scenes stuff and what could haves for this but that's due to how much its had a impact on this Chapter as a whole. A2-3 is basically "Okay 3-3 is copied" and that's that. This had a original idea but then LINUJ watched another fanseries, felt people would accuse him of ripping off that series, and then decided to destroy this chapter at the literal last second, and the scars show.

I also think Sora doesn't even find out its Iroha who tried to kill her. Its not brought up and while we the fans can guess due to the CG, Sora never once gets mad at Iroha for trying to kill her, unless that happened in the information overload that was A2-6 and since too much happens there, its extremely easy to forget stuff. Ironically enough I think Iroha is the reason Nikei's plan fails since with Mikado singing praises in Iroha's room in A2-5, it implies he doesn't have Divine Luck and was relying on Iroha's to defeat Nikei's and since Iroha is too scared to oppose him, she does so.

Point is, the knowledge that this chapter is such a clusterfuck due to LINUJ not wanting to be compared to a completely different Fangan that I don't even though many Another fans were even aware of has completely killed any enjoyment I have for it. Is The After more popular in South Korea then it is in Japan? I don't know, but even if it wasn't, it doesn't warrant ruining your story beats because you want to be seen as "original" bro Another 1 copies a lot of the canon series and the previous fucking chapter was a literal copy of 3-3. Yet A2-4 was the expection to this?

Its very hard for me to enjoy this chapter when I know it could be so much more. Would my deductions be right? I don't know. Would it made the story better or worse? I don't know, some might be better and some might be worse. But what I do know is that this chapter is a mess and a mess LINUJ has regretted making.

Again apologises I didn't talk much about the actual story, but there was so much behind the scenes fuckery going on with this Chapter its beyond imaginable. And unlike with say A-3 or 3-5 you can sympathise with the creators since it was events out of their control, A2-4's messes were all on LINUJ. And plus I just feel very dull about the chapter as a whole. And this is why A2-4 scores so low for me due to how garbed the chapter is.

The good news is that this is also the most behind the scenes messed up chapter as the others I can talk more about the actual story.

//I think people kind of misunderstand how I generally feel about Nikei, but if I can compare it to anything, I feel the same way about Nikei Yomiuri as Mod Bubbles feels towards David Chiem.

//I do not like who he is as a person, how he treats people, or the shit that he has done. For me, he is one of the most irredeemable bastards in Fangan history, and I loathe the fact that he has such a substantial fanbase.

//However, I will relent and admit that I do think he is a well-written villain, and handled expertly in this part of the story in particular. I do not have to like a character for me to admit that they are written well in the context of their game.

//Another example that I used in the analysis as well is Towa. I despise Towa as a person and I hate the fact that he exists, but he does exist, and I am forced to admit that he serves his purpose well within Ultra Despair Girls narrative. Sure, he's on your side, but the game never truly frames him to be a character you could hope to get along with.

//I'm aware of how national service works as well, and in some regard, I do think that it's a pretty reasonable concept. I feel like being put through the ringer like that could really humble a person, but at the same time, I sympathize with LINUJ for what he might have had to go through during that time.

//As a Briton, I can't speak for Korea, nor do I want to. And I need to preface that despite how much I seem to shit-talk him, I don't dislike LINUJ as a writer or a person. The impact he's had on the Danganronpa fanbase is unquestionably large, and generally, I think we're better off for it. If he hadn't made Another and Another 2, several other brilliant Fangans wouldn't exist, so the man deserves some appreciation.

//As for the stuff about the Omake...I'm sorry, but I simply don't think that would matter.

//Ideally, if we ever do find out what happens in the Omake, and we learn more about why Nikei is the way he is (because as far as I'm aware, Nikei is the only member of VOID, including Mikado, who doesn't have a known backstory) but if the Omake with Syobai and Iroha is anything to go by, I'm genuinely not holding my breath.

//I think the Queen of Despair Omake with them was interesting, but it also really solidifies the fact that Syobai and Iroha haven't really learned anything from the killing game. They're both still kind of cheating, selfish shirtbags. And Iroha had far more catalysts to be humbled than the other VOID's did.

//And of the four of them sans Mikado, Nikei was the one who felt like he had his head so far up his own ass that he only ever wanted everybody else around him under his thumb. Sure, maybe the abundance of notes that LINUJ has on him signify something, but do any of them give any real indication why he is the way he is or what he hopes to achieve with Ultimate Luck? I don't think they do.

//And yeah, the stuff with Teruya is a big oof, but when it comes to trusting Nikei, you could say the same thing about the rest of the cast as well. He immediately outs Shinji is a potential traitor, and that causes unrest despite the fact that Nikei is a VOID, and Shinji is just an outstanding guy who literally hasn't done anything wrong this whole game.

//Sure, not everyone believes Nikei, but no one outright argues against him here.

//Also, all of that stuff is fairly interesting, but I need to note two things:

//First of all, I don't know if I actually said this in the analysis itself, but I think I would have PREFERRED that Nikei be a Survivor despite how much I hate him. Regardless of whether he developed, or if he got the same treatment he did here, he would have made the final chapters a lot more tense than fucking Iroha did.

//And second, hey, I already had to go through losing Kaede. I'm not gonna say losing Sora and having to play the rest of the game as Syobai would have made me happy, but I would have stuck through to see if LINUJ managed to make it work in the end.

//And yeah, of course I wouldn't be happy if Yoruko had turned out to be more deranged. I'm very happy that by the end of the game, she's the only one who comes out the other side as kind of a decent person, but I did honestly think for the longest time that she was going to end up being the secret sixth VOID, and the REAL Mastermind behind the game.

//It's easy to see how that could have been a setup, because it mirrors Yuki's relationship with Akane T. in the first game. Akane was his closest friend, partner, and potential love interest, just as Yoruko was kind of the same for Sora. So it's also a way of giving Taira a taste of her own medicine, albeit indirectly.

//I can't ultimately hold any of this against LINUJ entirely, even though I do think it's no one else's fault here. It does suck that happened, but what I think A2-4 ended up being was okay at the end of the day. It's still better than the two chapters that came before it.

//Also, I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm choking on his dick right now, but let me explain how this is from the perspective of another Fangan creator.

//When creating fan-made works, it’s generally expected and accepted that they will draw heavily from the source material. This is because fan creators pay homage to the original by reimagining its characters, settings, or themes, which is pretty prevelant and evident with Another 1.

//Obviously, with A2-3 and V3-3 being so strikingly similar, I'm not making excuses for that trial ending up like a collosal dumpster fire, but mimicking aspects of the canon work aligns with the essence of fan fiction.

//In contrast, borrowing ideas from another fan-made work can feel more like crossing into someone else’s unique creative territory. Fan creators often strive to bring something personal to their projects, making even unintentional similarities with another fan-made work a sensitive matter.

//Drawing inspiration from canon is natural and inevitable because everyone engaging with the fandom uses the same foundational material. But if a chapter of LINUJ’s work closely resembles another fan-made work, regardless of whether he intended for it to or not, it might appear as though there was deliberate replication, even if there wasn’t. This perception could lead to criticism or misunderstandings about LINUJ’s originality and intent, making him more apprehensive about such parallels.

//Which is also failing to mention that, most of the time, fan creators often feel a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect within the community. Even if they don't know each other personally, it's kind of like working in the same department as somebody in an office, albeit unofficially.

//LINUJ may worry that similarities to another fan work, even accidental, could be interpreted as dismissive of the original creator’s efforts. This concern could be compounded if the other work is especially beloved or if its creator is someone LINUJ admires or interacts with within the community. And as you've said, despite its slow progress, TheAfter is one of the more popular fangans to arise in the early era.

//Also, to make a long story short, it's much more likely for LINUJ to get a set of strong words from Kunoe Pencil and/or their fanbase than they would Kodaka and the fans of the main series.

//And I know this because its happened to me, although I didn't exactly feel too badly affected by it. When I was writing for Danganronpa ReProgrammed, the scene in Chapter 2 where Chihiro reveals his gender is basically the same as how Ayumu did it in Chapter 2 of RebirthVoices. And I wasn't shy about it, nor did I try to hide the direct inspiration, but some people still got on my ass about it, and I don't blame them.

//I was a much more inexperienced writer back then, and if I had the chance to redo it today, I might at least rephrase it differently.

//In fandoms, canon works tend to be vast and widely shared, making overlaps in inspiration or themes with canon feel inconspicuous or unremarkable. On the other hand, the fan community is often much smaller, with prominent fan creators being well-known within it. A resemblance to another fan’s work might stand out more sharply, leading to a greater likelihood of scrutiny or direct comparisons.

//And of course, unlike professional works of canon, fan-made works often aim to carve out a niche within the fandom by offering a fresh perspective or unique twists on the source material.

//LINUJ might feel a strong desire to uphold his reputation for originality and creativity, and I don't blame him, considering what he does do originally are the best parts of the Another series.

//Any resemblance to another fan-made work could feel like a threat to this image, even if such fears are unfounded. This might make him overly cautious and insecure about accidental parallels with other fan creations.

//So in short, I do not approve of LINUJ's actions. But I understand them.

-Mod

[read-alert]

April TBR!

The Fifty Year Mission: The First 25 Years: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized History of Star Trek by Edward Gross and Mark A Altman

Thyme Travelers: An Anthology of Palestinian Speculative Fiction ed by Sonia Sulaiman

The Skin and Its Girl by Sarah Cypher

Death's Country by RM Romero

Theif of Time by Terry Pratchett

So Odd a Mixture: Along the Autistic Spectrum in Pride and Prejudice by Phyllis Ferguson Bottomer

The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White

Fierce Like a Firestorm by Lana Popović

Green Fuse Burning by Tiffany Morris

House of Elephants by Claribel A Ortega

Jade City by Fonda Lee

Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi

Girl at War by Sara Nović

Shadow Speaker by Nnedi Okorafor

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire

Shake Things Up by Skye Kilaen

Star Hunt by David Gerrold

Afrotistic by Kala Allen Omeiza

The Drifting Classroom by Kazuo Umezu

The Power of Shazam by Jerry Ordway et al

No. 6 Volume 5 by Atsuko Asano and Hinoki Kino

No. 6 Volume 6 by Atsuko Asano and Hinoki Kino

Star Trek Volume 2 by Mike Johnson et al

Doctor Who The Twelfth Doctor Volume 1: Terrorformer by Robbie Morrison et al

Kindred Spirits: Shilombish by Leslie Stall Widener

Teen Titans vol 4 The Future is Now by Geoff Johns et al

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All vol 2 by Sumiko Arai

[vilevileposting]

I am reading Homestuck for the first time (Week 4)

As we approach the thousand page mark, I think I have the picture of why homestuck was able to blow out the walls of its niche sensibilities into mainstream appeal. I assume I'd get this answer when the trolls showed up, but no, the answer is that Homestuck is actually good! Going into this, I can't honestly say I expected it to be good. This whole thing was supposed to be a bit, where I power through Homestuck in a year (with the babes) and then cosplay a troll at Dashcon 2. This leads me to reflect on what a bit really is, because when I imagine something done as a bit, I imagine the bit acting as its own motive. You do the bit for the bit. Can you do as a bit something you have more than that one reason for doing? Is this still a bit? It's still funny to get into homestuck in 2024, I think, but can I rightfully still call it a bit when I eagerly await every book club? Much to think about.

These are my notes for week 4:

759: Floored as I am, I’m glad Nanna is a willing agent in all this. That said, the amount of people running around who seem to Know Something is making my neurons fire.

760: The freaking pumpking?

766: This one goes out to all the trans girls named Jade Harley (and the trans guys named Dave Strider whom I forgot to shout out last time)

789: What is Jade’s fursona, why won’t it tell me

790: Jade’s connection to everything is clearly important but it seems like it might be a while before I’m told why. Here’s someone who sees the future, or at least intuits it, who’s the grandaughter of someone with a whole lot of sburbish technology. I feel like I’m missing the same piece to both puzzles.

793: Y-yeah I noticed before this panel!!

797: I’m gonna kill the guy who put this command in. HOWEVER now we know Jade’s sona is a wolf. (Mine is a dragon, and the other bookclubbers are a possum and tiger)

801: VOLCANO!!! MOUNTAIN HERMIT!!!!!!!!!

802: Cowardice.

822: It was pointed out to me that the crossing out of “but not many” in the act 2 flash implies that that sburb meteor hit a long-ass time ago, and this confirms it! Very wacky. I might think they’re not really sburb meteors if not for the established time shenanigans. This seems to imply there’s more than one potential trigger for a meteor.

826: Jade has WAY more friends than her friends do.

829: Permanently unlocked coquettish as a word for Corah to throw at twinks. Need to find a word to pair it with, like how I use “svelte motherfucker” or “coiffed bitch.” Also I like the grand tradition of internet icons from this era casually using slurs. Look up the first appearance of Megalovania RIGHT NOW

835: How could I forget goofy modus foreshadowing………

836: Dave’s brother is so badass he beat up his armed little brother while piloting a puppet. I think in terms of power scaling this could put him above John’s dad.

839: How did I not notice that Rose’s mom opened that secret passage while Rose was in the back fighting a burning tree? Your poking holes in my they-actually-love-each-other theory, Rose’s mom.

844: Chess piece sword that looks SICK

845: During the book club last week, one of us speculated that the lesser items will be removed from the jetpack to make it functional. The thought of doing that – albeit to the code of the object and not the object itself – is vindicated here!

859: CG has GOTTA be one of those wandering vagrant guys.

*Book club note: Someone mentioned the TROLLSLUM, and I only just made the connection that CG is grey. Reading this 5,000 years in the future as I am, that stands out to me………

874: Looks like my house is okay for now….. But damn they GOT Montreal’s ass

893: John’s Dad name reveal???

896: Andrew Hussie predicted Death Stranding.

911: Aint no way this is a shot of John’s Dad’s room.

918: He’s DEAD!?

948: I was right!!!!!!

962: Carapace confirmed! More wondering what the Wandering Vagrant is. I wonder if someone tried to appearify a shadow demon from the past and a machine made him from the goo, mutant kitten style.