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thisiswhatwereupagainst · 3 years ago

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Things I love about Eternals (2021) #12: - Everything about how Ajak is drawn, ESPECIALLY her biceps - Makkari touching Ajak soothing and vibrating in something akin to morse code. It’s a really neat idea, kinda sapphic, and also I’m really loving the Makkari/Ajak dynamic in this series in general and how that comes on the heels of Ajak having previously murdered Makkari out of jealous, offended faith because a Celestial chose to speak to Makkari instead of Ajak, who is the one they typically talk to and devoted thousands of years to learning their language. . . - Which leads to the other thing I love here, Ajak’s horrible revelation about the Celestials and the truth of how their cosmology is actually arranged (that the Deviants are the really important ones in the scheme of things, and the Eternals were created by the Celestials just to cull them a bit when they get out of hand so they don’t destroy themselves, rather than the Eternals being the “successful” creation of the Celestials and the Deviants the failure) and her ANGER at it, her ANGER at these gods she spent unfathomable amounts of time devoted to - Sersi being Sersi with Namor, she’s so fabulous. I also really like her speech to the Avengers, not because I agree with it but because I enjoy it when the Eternals really do act like hyper-evolved immortals with a mission and concerns beyond humanity, not like humans with powers. I especially like that this comes from Sersi, a very “human” Eternal, rather than the one of the more obviously detached ones like Ajak, because it remind us that while Sersi definitely has fun just being a socialite in her day to life, but she is still an Eternal and has an according perspective on things. - Druig being Druig. Omfg I love this guy and I REALLY love him in this series, Gillen def writes my favorite Druig. What I don’t like is, of course, that the revelation about the Deviants and WHY they’re actually the important ones and how that connects to mutants---to all biological life native to Earth, it turns out---is directly setting us up for the Eternals turning their attention to mutants and Krakoa, which Druig does at the very end. I also. . . I super duper do love Ajak’s arc as a true believer on a questioning path that culminates when she gets answers she doesn’t like, I really do, I am SO here for that, but also the whole “it turns out the Celestials had different plans/aims than what the Eternals thought and now the Eternals are upset about it” has been done. All the Eternals literally committed MASS SUICIDE a few years ago (they got better) because of a related revelation. I hope this doesn’t become the new “Charles Xavier WASN’T such a saint after all, he had a DARK SECRET!” deal that gets done over and over for increasingly little shock value. There’s also the fact that like. . .understanding why the Eternals get so upset over these revelations is REALLY hard to relate to because they’re not really terrible things? The uber super horrible reveal that made them all kill themselves as a species was that, if I understand it right which I might not because all this lore is REALLY complex and convoluted, but. . .

Before life ever began on Earth, a dying Celestial came here. It was dying because it was infected by The Horde, an insect-like race who are like the Celestials equal-opposites. It perished here, and its sickness seeped into the Earth, along with the rotting flesh and blood of the so-called space god. The entire planet became diseased, and the infected brewed for millions of years, until the first life on Earth emerged from it. According to Loki, this is why Earth is “so uniquely eccentric within the near-infinite planets strewn across the heavens” and “you and all your mutated, gamma-irradiated, web-slinging ilk” exist today—we’re the bacteria bred from the death of a god, and that’s why everything is so bugfuck nuts on this planet. Deep, huh? But what does that have to do with the Eternals, who were deliberately created by other Celestials much later?

Well, for some reason that I don’t understand because I didn’t want to slog through the whole run, the Celestials who came later looked at the genetic makeup of humans after they created us, and saw the potential for us to basically be their antibodies against the Horde. So they created the Eternals to basically cultivate us, to ensure our numbers thrived and grew. I don’t know exactly what using us as medicine would entail, because, again, I just couldn’t bring myself to read everything in this, but for whatever reason, they just. . .never explained this to Eternals. And so when the Eternals suddenly all found out in 2018 that their true purpose had been hidden all along, they committed mass suicide. Yeah. All of them. Thena, Sersi, Ikaris, Makkari, everybody. I don’t totally understand why this was that upsetting to them, maybe the way the Celestials intended to use humanity involved our deaths and I just missed that, but yeah. They just all killed themselves in 2018. Again, maybe I’m missing something, PLEASE tell me, but that seems to be why they all offed themselves. And likewise, finding out “oh actually the Deviants are the ones important to evolving life on this planet, and Eternals are just there to help them by pruning the population so they don’t make themselves extinct, like hunters with deer” is like. . .it is a change to their cosmology/faith/understanding of why the Celestials made them, and I understand it’s meant as a Big Fucking Deal to Ajak, but from a human perspective it’s just really hard to get too invested in the “betrayal” of one’s gods when that betrayal is basically “oh yeah those people you thought you were superior to all this time? actually you are not, you were made for THEM” and that also makes for a REALLY unsympathetic motive for them going into the mutant conflict thing. And I am not looking forward to have fandom reacts to that, given how fandom reacted to the Inhumans vs X-Men deal. Like, if you’re gonna come for mutants, you need the most sympathetic motive possible, and “well we were made to correct excess deviation, mutants qualify because it turns out the Deviants deviation spreads to other life forms and this is a good thing actually but does need to be controlled and that’s where we come in and we’ve decided mutants qualify and Krakoa is an excess deviation” is. . .not gonna cut it for readers, and Eternals will probably become taboo to like in fandom. But: AJAK’S ARMS!! HER ARMS YOU GUYS!! HER ARMS!!!

#eternals #the eternals #marvel's eternals #wednesday spoilers #druig #makkari #ajak #sersi

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maeve-writes · 3 years ago

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Can’t Help Falling in Love

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader

Rating: General

Warnings: Mostly fluff, slight angst.

Summary: Request: Could I request a Dean one-shot, where he finally wants to propose to R, but is starting to doubt himself and Sam has to reassure him and encourage him to finally do that step. Set in somewhere between season 12 and 13. R is Dean's best friend.

a/n: Inspired by Pentatonix’s arrangement of Can’t Help Falling in Love.

Previously posted on @plaided-ani

When he first met you, you were sitting on a park bench reading a book about Sumerian history and cross referencing with a small text on cuneiform, your nose wrinkled in thought and the tip of your tongue set between your teeth. You were the local expert on mythological lore according to the university and often took your lunches in the park when the weather was right and if Dean was lucky, he’d find you there. And he was.

That was several years ago and you had gotten to know the Winchesters very well. You knew what they did and the evils that they faced, luckily you weren’t caught up in the crossfire. Much. They called you often when Sam was too busy to look up something himself or Dean was too tired and annoyed to listen to Sam drone on about this or that. You always got straight to the point, told them what they needed to know and that was that.

You had your own pocket in Kansas, safe and sound from the big and the bad and the boys would stop in from time to time. They often brought you dinner when you were researching for your job and not for a case which meant you would forget about eating and drinking and sleeping to get your work done. Dean more often than not made you put down the pen or the tablet and ‘just hang out like normal people’. “You’re not normal people,” you always told him.

“I am when I’m with you,” he always replied back.

He’d often texted you when he got downtime. He hated emojis and gifs, but you’d send them to him anyway and he’d find one to send back, always with a short, grumpy text to go with it. You’d Facetime him when you stayed late nights at the office when he was sitting up in his bed at the bunker, relaxed and at peace, if only for the moment. You wouldn’t talk much, but he was happy to watch you work in silence.

They invited you to the bunker when things weren’t crazy and you always accepted. Their books were fascinating and they would let you load up boxes of texts that you’d call ‘light reading’ and that always got a chuckle out of Dean. But they’d make you stay for dinner and movie and eventually you got your own room set up for nights when you were too drunk to drive or it was too late to bother.

He wasn’t sure when it happened, but Dean could feel the change in himself when he was with you. Your smile made his heart flutter, your laughter made his belly coil up like a spring, and the mere thought of you had his skin flushed all over. “That’s love,” Sam told him over grocery store meatloaf. “You’re in love.”

And he was, head over heels and weak in the knees. But in Dean’s life, he couldn’t afford to be in love. He couldn’t have the slow burn of a happy-go-lucky relationship, no courtship or honeymoon phase. He shouldn’t want you like he does. No, he shouldn’t need you like he does, but he can’t help him. In his fucked up world of demons and bloodshed and death, you were the one shining beacon in his life that lit his way home.

“I’m going to ask her to marry me,” he decided one day over bacon and coffee. Sam was still sleep drunk and hummed in agreement. Later, his younger brother would question his sanity, tell him that you two weren’t even dating, why jump straight to marriage? But Dean wasn’t listening, he was Googling the closet jewelry shop.

He bought the best ring credit card fraud could buy and started to go over all the reasons why you would say yes. They’ve known you for at least six years and not once had you dated a single person to Dean’s knowledge. Your touches always lingered with him, your smiles always softer, more private. You had to have a thing for him, right?

But there were more reasons to say no. Being part of the Winchester clan meant that your life would be on the line and with the storm that was brewing, he wasn’t sure he could keep you safe along with Sam and their new charge Jack. And, like Sam said, you weren’t even dating, never kissed, never even held hands, why would you jump straight to the ball and chain?

“I’m not gonna do it,” Dean decided once he got back to the bunker with the ring in its box tucked in his pants and his hands full of food and beer. “You’re right, it’s a stupid idea.”

Sam sighed heavily and helped his brother divvy up the evening meal. “No, what I said was stupid. It’s obvious you two are crazy about each other, I choke on the sexual tension whenever I’m in the room with you.” Dean scowled at that, but Sam ignored it. “Y/N is a good egg. She’s stuck with us this long, maybe she’ll stick around longer with a ring on her finger.”

“Don’t call my future wife an egg,” Dean huffed.

“She’s a metaphorical egg,” Sam reassured. “The best kind, brown and organic from free range chickens.”

Dean held up a hand, “Stop. Just stop.”

But he called you three days later and asked if you were free for dinner. You were knee deep in research, but when weren’t you? If he allowed you access to the library when you finished eating, you’d agree and he had no objections with the idea.

You showed up in your best flowy thin cotton tee and yoga pants, hair up in a messy bun to find Dean waiting at the bottom of the stairs with a nervous smile on his face but in his best dress shirt and slacks and you figured he played a fed earlier. When you asked him what’s wrong, he said nothing and ushered you through the bunker to the kitchen. You casually mention Sam and Jack, but he told you they were off to see a movie and you shrugged sat across from him, noting the flowers and the candle and actual dinner plates. “Is this a date?”

“Yeah,” Dean nodded, opening a bottle of wine, or at least trying to.

“You should’ve told me,” you frowned, looking down at your casual attire, “I look like a bum.”

“I think you look beautiful,” he said with a fond smile, working the screw in the cork with some difficulty. When your cheeks flushed and your shoulders drooped, he set the wine aside and reached out for your hand. You took his in yours and he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss on your knuckles. “Beer okay?”

“Sounds great,” you answered, flustered beyond belief.

Dinner carried on like it normally did, the two of you talking about work and the latest show you binge watched. Nothing changed between you other than your feet entwining underneath the table, your hands reaching out for one another. At some point he joined you on your side and your limbs were all tangled, your lips finding solace in his and his tie became a little looser.

“Marry me,” he whispered against your lips when you parted for the hundredth time that night.

“Okay,” you replied, kiss drunk and in love. “When?”

He fished out a box and popped it open, “Sometime before I die?”

“We can leave now and be in Vegas by the morning,” you laughed, taking the ring out to slide on your finger. It was a size too big, but that could always be fixed.

“I’ll pack, you book the hotel?”

You smiled and pulled out your phone. You were going to give Dean a happy-ever-after one of these days and this is where it would start.

#dean winchester x reader #dean winchester x you #dean winchester x y/n

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chdarling · 4 years ago

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Do you have your muggle au version of James and Lily? It doesn’t have to be like written in a sheet of paper or in your pc, just like thoughts that say “my muggle Lily would do this for a living” etc. (also I have the anon because I don’t have tumblr but I am thinking to download the app because I asked you so many questions and I have lots more, I am really curious about your way of thinking and of developing a character)

I love you, dear anon, for sending me such interesting and thought-provoking questions! (also I’m incredibly flattered that you’re interested in my thoughts and if you do make a tumblr please let me know because I’d love to follow you! ❤️)

I have to be honest, before this ask I really hadn’t thought too much about my idea of a Muggle AU at all. But now that you’ve put the bug in my brain, I just spent an entire cup of tea sitting here brainstorming. 😂

Here’s what I came up with... (Heads up: I got carried away. Big surprise, I know.)

Lily is an art student at the University of Hogwarts. It’s a very prestigious, expensive university, and the only reason Lily can attend is because she’s on scholarship (The Horace E.F. Slughorn Memorial Foundation for the Arts).

Her older sister is very resentful of this. The girls were raised by a single mother (their father died when Lily was seven, a heart attack, very sudden, very shocking), and money was always tight. Petunia didn’t even apply to university, but instead got a secretary job straight out of school to help support their mother. (Petunia is now engaged to her boss’s son and is quite pleased with herself over this state of affairs.) Petunia feels that if Lily gets to go university (something she secretly really wanted to do), she should at least pursue a useful subject that would lead to a genuine career, not idly fritter away her days as an art freak.

But Lily got her scholarship for painting and its painting she intends to do. With her meager stipend, she’s able to rent out a rather shabby attic flat from an odd, elderly woman named Mrs. Figg. They get on well enough. Lily doesn’t mind the constant company of cats who don’t seem to respect the landlord/tenant boundary (all rooms belong to cats), and Mrs. Figg is deaf enough that she doesn’t mind Lily blasting Taylor Swift at 2 a.m. in the midst of a wild burst of creativity/insomnia.

The flat has very little furniture — just a bed shoved in the corner and an old armchair with the upholstery all shredded (see: cats), but Lily sort of loves it, because it’s the first place she’s ever had that was hers and hers alone. She fills the mini-fridge with takeout Thai food and fills the walls with half-painted canvases and fills herself with gratitude for this opportunity, this freedom. She has at least one painting that is done entirely in sepia tones because she spilled a cup of tea on the canvas and just decided to go with it (she spills tea on everything). She’s the kind of girl who keeps a paintbrush tucked behind her ear and then wonders where it went and why her hair is blue.

She’s also really into plants and herb lore. She has loads of books on the subject (all stacked in tottering piles around the flat because she’d rather spend her limited money on books than bookshelves) Her windows are constantly filled with cuttings she’s trying to propagate, and she lucked into a coveted plot in the local community garden, where you can find her most afternoons, covered in dirt, cultivating veggies and herbs and tall stalks of sunflowers. She’s the girl who is convinced she can cure whatever ails you with just the right brew of herbal tea (and weirdly she’s usually right).

She reads tarot and hoards essential oils and also makes her own candles with wax she steals from the textiles department.

Though she plays the role of the bohemian well, Lily is just a little insecure about her broke, scholarship student status because most of her friends at school are quite wealthy. She hides this vulnerability with a defiant, cheeky persona that wins her plenty of admirers, but leaves her feeling somewhat lonely and isolated from the rest of her peers all the same.

Thus it is a bit of a relief when she meets the brooding Philosophy student Severus Snape at one of those horrible events they make all the scholarship kids go to so they can show you off to the rich donors and make sure you’re appropriately grateful. Severus is also a scholarship kid and even more broke than her. They become fast friends and though he has some weird political ideas and reads some rather concerning philosophical texts (he insists it’s just for school), he’s funny (in a dark way) and really smart and he cares about her, and it’s just wonderful to have someone around whom she doesn’t have to constantly pretend or be on the defense. Rich kids can be brutal.

It takes her just a little too long to recognize how much his care is actually control. When he joins up with an alt-right political group on campus, however, things start to get a little dicey…

James, on the other hand, is one of those rich kids she’s so uncomfortable around. He’s a trust fund baby, and also the star of the university’s football team. He’s your typical popular jock archetype, except that he’s also pre-med and absolutely determined to become a doctor. (You’ll pry Healer James from my cold, dead hands.) This is because one of his closest friends (moody History major Remus Lupin) has a chronic illness and the more James has had to learn about what his friend goes through, the more infuriated he’s become with how the medical community has failed him.

As one of the richest kids in a very rich school, James has stupid amounts of money at his disposal, so he bought a big, beautiful old house near campus that he lets all his friends live in rent free. These friends include:

- Remus Lupin, the aforementioned moody History major.

- Sirius Black, an ex-rich kid whose parents cut him off when he decided to study music instead of political science (his dad is a right-wing politician who wanted him to follow in his footsteps oh nooo). Also his bitchy cousin outing him to his dad might’ve had something to do with it :(

- Peter Pettigrew, still an undecided major three years in, oh dear. Really good at procuring beer for parties though.

Everyone on campus knows who James Potter is, and everyone generally likes him. For one thing, he throws excellent parties in that big old house of his. It is at one of these parties where Lily meets James for the first time. It’s not exactly a meet-cute. James is very rude to Severus, and Lily decides she’s gonna hate that pretentious, snobby, arrogant trust fund baby for the rest of her days, so help her god.

Ahem.

Okay I am totally getting carried away so I’m going to stop here. But this was SUCH a fun exercise and it may or may not one day be the basis of the texting fic I long to write 😂

Thanks so much for such the super fun ask, anon ❤️

#fuck fuck fuck i wanna write it #everyone needs to stop giving me new ideas until I finish TLE2!!!!!#jk jk anon #it's not your fault my brain is Like This #ch answers #jily #muggle AU

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927roses-and-stuff · 4 years ago

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Miracles in Gotham: Chapter 7: A Brewing Storm

A/N: So, with Season 4 of Miraculous Ladybug officially starting, this is a reminder that this fanfic is non-compliant with any events after Season 3, even with the added lore in canon. I know this is also a crossover so that’s to be expected, but because this fic is also dealing with Miraculous lore, I feel the need to put this up. Please don’t comment about canon disproving any of the material here, because I am already fully aware of the fact. I don’t really care for the show anymore, and the only thing keeping me in the fandom are the fanworks. Like many in the Maribat fandom, I discovered the more vast lore of DC through this, so there is a mix-up of canon from different worlds/universes (e.g. Young Justice, New 52, and Prime Earth), I just don’t care enough to discern which wiki I’m getting my info from.

That said, thank you to everyone who is taking the time to read this fic, and I hope that you like it. An extra thank you to everyone who has given this a kudos, bookmarked, and/or commented. I appreciate you all so much.

Also, shout out to jackmand1, Sp8cefluff and BenRG who commented on ways to open the box (getting Bunnyx to get the tablet before Hawkmoth, and asking the box to open), which is all mentioned in Marinette’s diary entry.

If you want to see more, follow: #miraclesingotham or ask to be added to the tag list.

Tag list: : @northernbluetongue @zerotosiki @spicybelladonna @my-name-is-michell @legendaryneckjudgestudent @lokiifriggasonn @iloontjeboontje

First Previous Next Fanfic

Dear Diary,

There’s still no luck with the Miracle Box. After we tried Chat’s idea of dropping it from the Louvre using the chew toy as a pressure point, we tried hitting it with our weapons (didn’t even make a dent!), Chat asked the box to “please open don’t close up on us like my dad did” (we had a talk about that but he didn’t want to delve too much into it, and it didn’t work), the kwami tried phasing through it (thank god kwami don’t get concussions), and we even tried contacting Bunnyx, but goodness knows where she is and after Chat Blanc, I didn’t really want to see her anyway. We gave up sometime in the early morning, and now it’s shoved in one of my luggage carts, ready to bring to Gotham tomorrow. I hope it doesn’t trigger any of the airport security.

In better news, it’s been a few days since Chat and I officially introduced our new Ladybug and Bee to the scene. For the most part, I think they’re doing well- better than I did when I first started, anyway. It took a bit of time for Luka and Kagami to get used to the new set up, but Chat and I were there to help them, so it wasn’t too bad. Luka, or Bleu Acier, took a while to get used to the yoyo (who knew Luka had a fear of heights?), but he’s gotten used to it...after we had to convince him he wasn’t going to splat into the pavement or anything like that. Kagami, who decided on the name Shūyō, had to adjust to short-range fighting and not using Venom too soon, but she managed to navigate the top and cause a lot of damage to the akumas that we dealt with in the last few days. I think Hawkmoth has some idea that Bustier’s class is on the move because we’ve had an akuma attack every day so far. I’m hoping it’s just Hawkmoth becoming more desperate, although hopefully Bleu Acier and Shūyō threw him off a little bit. As of right now, I’m using the Snake Miraculous as Couleuvre, so it’ll be easier to-

One moment, Marinette had been settled comfortably in her chaise, and the next, a large crash through her bedroom walls threw her across the room, her back hitting the wall hard enough that she felt pain upon impact. When the world around her gained focus, she spotted a large woman-like figure in front of the hole in her wall cackling. The woman’s glassy skin that was translucent, yet she could also see a muddled reflection of her own face. Upon her head she wore a heavy silver crown adorned with gems that was reminiscent of her skin and a white, flowy dress that trailed behind her from the waist. In her hand was an open contact mirror that contained no reflection except for her own blue-bell eyes.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng! I am Mistress Mirage! Soon, I will show you the darkest parts of yourself, the secrets you hide behind your so-called truths!” she bellowed, her voice echoing in Marinette’s ears. In the background, she could barely hear her parents’ muffled screams and bangs against her bedroom door.

“Who-” she hissed, trying to balance herself and stand up. “What did I do to you?”

As far as she knew, she hadn’t angered anyone in the last hour she had been home for lunch.

Mistress Mirage zoomed towards her, her face shoved near into hers, her burning cold fingers choked her. Marinette backed into the wall, grabbing onto Mirage’s marble wrists, a pain shooting up her spine. Marinette could only struggle in place, her legs kicking listlessly, as the glassy, bright green emeralds Mistress Mirage had for eyes stared into her very being. The longer she stared into the empty gems, trying .

“Your weaknesses, your darkest secrets will be mine, Dupain-Cheng.”

Her voice, tinkled within Marinette’s mind, and she watched as the woman’s glassy skin shifted and soon she was faced with a kaleidoscope version of herself, blue sapphires glinting harshly, her breaths now ragged and shallow.

“Wha-” Marinette tried taking a deep breath, but Mirage’s fingers tightened their hold. “Why?” she managed to weakly choke out.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Mirage’s voice, no longer bellowing nor echoing, but now a whisper right in her ears, sounding eerily like her own. “That you aren’t enough? That you will never be enough?”

Marinette shook her head, trying to ignore the voice as it taunted her endlessly.

“What are you hiding, Marinette?”

“Why do you hide from the world?”

“How pathetic. You claim to hate liars,” Marinette felt Mirage’s fingers tighten around her. “But aren’t you a liar too?”

Tears stung the corner of her eyes. She didn’t know what was going on- Mistress Mirage wasn’t saying anything incriminating. If it were any other situation, she could brush off these accusations, but as Mirage continued to taunt her in her voice, doubts and fears, both new and old, she usually ignored were brought to the forefront of her mind.

‘I’ll fail as a Guardian- I’m not enough.

I’m abandoning my city to find a man who might not even be alive.

Chat Noir will never trust me again.

My parents want to send me away.

Why doesn’t Alya believe me?

Alya would’ve made a better Ladybug.

If Tikki could see me now she’d be disappointed.

What a failure I turned out to be.

“What a failure you turned out to be.”

Mistress Mirage’s emerald eyes glinted gleefully, a wide smile cracking into the glassy expanse of her skin. Her voice echoed Marinette’s thoughts and Marinette repeated her words as much as she could, her breathing becoming more shallow. Mistress Mirage couldn’t actually read any of Marinette’s secrets, however, she could read her psyche, a doubtful, anxious little thing, and she only said out loud what Marinette had already been telling herself to make her putty into Mirage’s hands. A neon violet butterfly appeared over her face, reminding her of her duty to get the Miraculous.

But for now, she had Marinette in her grasp. Once Marinette was in her trance, shaking slightly and mumbling nonsense as tears streaked down her cheeks, Mirage grabbed her and headed to the Trocadero, when three figures- black, steel blue and honey yellow- surrounded her in the middle of the street. The two new heroes stiffened at the sight of the girl in her arms. Chat snarled at Mistress Mirage.

“Marinette!” Chat yelled, rushing forward with his baton at Mistress Mirage. “What are you doing with her?!”

Mistress Mirage smirked. “If you want her, you’ll have to give me your Miraculous.”

She leapt out of the way only to stumble beside Shūyō who held her yellow top- flatter than Queen Bee’s with a long, black handle- the tip poised to the side of Mirage’s ribcage.

Before Shūyō could enact Venom however, Mirage turned and kicked the bee heroine away from her, holding out her compact mirror, creating a wall of mirrors that trapped Shūyō on the other side. She rearranged Marinette in her arms, ignoring the silent struggles of the bee thumping against the mirrored walls and swearing at her.

Chat Noir extended his baton towards Mistress Mirage. However, she jumped and landed on top of the baton, sending Chat sprawling through the air. Bleu Acier attacked at the same time. Mirage was quick and held out her compact to the two heroes, entrapping them in their own mirror dimension. The butterfly outline appeared again, and Mirage set off. She had special plans for Marinette.

Within the mirror dimension, Bleu and Chat were trying to navigate their way around crystallized walls which reflected everything around them. They had tried to find Shūyō, only to realize she was a reflection, then had almost been driven over by a car that had then disappeared.

“What is all this?” Chat muttered, nudging his surroundings. “It’s like, some of it are just reflections, but some of it is real.”

Bleu Acier nodded. “The reflections have to come from somewhere, so the real objects and people are in here somewhere.” He looked up and pointed a little ways forward. “Look, you can see our reflections.”

“Hope they’re getting my good side,” Chat quipped. “We have to get Shūyō and Marinette soon.”

Bleu Acier blinked, as he caught his yoyo when it hadn’t rebounded against a wall. “Do you know her personally?” He asked. He hadn’t been aware of Marinette’s close relationship with the Parisian heroes.

Chat gave a stiff nod. “She’s worked with Ladybug and I a few times. I met her when we fought Evillustrator.”

“So, do you and Ladybug often have civilians fight for you?” Bleu frowned. He scanned the area, and turned left.

“Only when we really need to,” Chat scoffed. “It’s not ideal, but it’s just me and m’Lady and sometimes we need help.”

Bleu could sense a resonating low, flat tone emanating from Chat. “That’s horrible. You guys look like you’re still kids.” Chat shrugged in response. As they walked onwards, investigating every inch of the way, Bleu noticed a figure dressed in a black and yellow-patterned fencing uniform, wearing a striped domino mask, thumping against a transparent wall. “Chat, look.”

Cat’s eyes widened at the sight. “Shūyō!” he yelled and rushed forward, only to be trapped in a corner with several reflections of the bug-themed heroine. Chat’s breath quickened. “Shūyō! Can you hear us?!”

Shūyō’ perked up and looked around. “I can! But where are you?” She shouted, her voice vibrating through the air.

“Shit.” Chat stared at his hand, before clenching it and turning towards Bleu. “I think we might need that Lucky Charm now.”

He nodded. “Lucky Charm!”

A bright red object with black spots dropped from the sky followed a series of chimes. Bleu Acier’s eyes widened as he held up the wind chime, eight hollow tubes ringing against the slapper in between, the clear, steady ringing piercing all around them. The wind chime was half the size of his torso, so fortunately, it was lighter than it looked.

It was a curious thing Ladybug had noted, that most of Bleu Acier’s Lucky Charms were sound or music-related.

“Well, this blows. You going to chime a pretty tune there, Bleu?”

He held back a chuckle. In the week he and Shūyō had been working with Chat and Ladybug, he had grown to appreciate Chat’s humour and the jaunty tune he associated with them.

“Maybe,” he said. Raising his voice, he addressed Shūyō. “Can you hear this?!” He asked, shaking the wind chime from its hanger.

They could see Shūyō’s reflection moving around, her eyes closed in concentration. “Sort of!” she answered, echoing slightly. “Are we able to use Chat Noir’s Cataclysm?!”

Bleu stared at Chat who was staring at his hand in deep thought. “Probably! We just need to make sure I’m not using Cataclysm on something real!”

“Maybe it is not my place to say as your junior, but this is not the time for hesitation!” Shūyō yelled back.

A beep echoed in Bleu’s ears. “We should hurry. I only have four minutes.”

Chat nodded. “Alright!” He looked around, scanning nearby walls until he found a reflection of himself- a sure way to make sure he hit the mirror. “Cataclysm!”

The walls around them crumbled in seconds, revealing the world around them. Chat smirked, and they scouted for Shūyō who met them in the middle.

“Why did you not use Cataclysm in the first place?” Shūyō asked, when they reconvened.

“I didn’t want to accidentally use it on the wrong thing,” he said, flexing his fingers. “Come on, we have less than five minutes. Don’t use Venom until you receive my signal.”

Shūyō nodded.

Chat turned to Bleu Acier and pointed to the wind chime. “Keep that on you and look out for opportunities.” He turned around and headed off. “Let’s go!”

In the end, Mistress Mirage was defeated quickly. In their absence, she had grown arrogant, and the three heroes found several clones of Mistress Mirage atop the Palais de Chaillot, a crowd having gathered at the bottom. Each clone had a Marinette bound in front of them, at the edge of the roof, standing listlessly. Despite this, Mistress Mirage was not prepared for the ambush of the three heroes. Bleu’s wind chimes were used as a distraction for the real Mistress Mirage while Chat and Shūyō attacked from behind.

“Shūyō! Use it now!” Chat yelled, as he grabbed Marinette and set her down on the ground below, and allowed the paramedics to deal with her.

“Venom,” Shūyō muttered. She dropped beneath Mirage and her top, stabbing her opponent beneath her ribcage. “Gotcha.”

Mistress Mirage froze mid-air, one leg in the air and both hands outstretched. Chat’s eyes widened when he didn’t see her holding the akumatized object. Chat pounced back onto the roof, ignoring the second beep from his ring. He noticed the satin sash that was wrapped around her waist.

“Shūyō, the akumatized object is the mirror she carries around. It should be in her sash,” he said, his cheeks tinged pink. “Can you- uh-?”

Shūyō nodded. “I do not understand your need for modesty at such a time, but it is commended.”

Chat’s cheeks reddened further. “It’s just polite! I don’t want to be touching anyone without their consent!”

Shūyō took out the compact mirror that had been tucked into the sash just above her left hip. She tossed it to Bleu Acier who quickly broke it and captured the akuma.

“It’s just the principle of it!” Chat squawked as the trail of tiny red ladybugs flowed throughout Parisian skies.

She snorted. “I understand. I was just teasing.” She turned to nod at Bleu then at Chat. “You two are close to de-transforming. I will bring both victims home.” Shūyō then grabbed Lila, who had been the akuma and was now disoriented, and jumped down to retrieve Marinette.

When Marinette had woken up from the akuma attack, she had been escorted home by Shūyō, who had fussed over any injuries she may have gotten before eventually leaving with a pack of honey macarons. Marinette smiled. Chat had made a good choice with Kagami. After, she had endured cuddles and hugs from her parents who were now even more determined to get her out of Paris.

Later that evening, after reassuring her parents and making sure the kwami were okay. She headed off to patrol where she had to answer for her absence, and where Chat had regaled how they did. Marinette smiled, knowing she made the right choice. After the patrol, which had been less of a patrol and more of a small goodbye ceremony, she returned home and recorded the events in her diary, slowly anticipating the trip.

The next day, she had just made it to the airport an hour before boarding. Everyone had gone through the usual airport processes and she was the last to arrive with her passport and airplane tickets in her carry-on shoulder bag. When she arrived to the waiting area where her friends were (with Adrien’s bodyguard nearby playing on his phone), she was met with a lot of mixed reactions.

Alya had rushed over and hugged her, frantically asking if she was okay. Several classmates had joined her, like Rose, Juleka and Mylene. She hugged them back and reassured them that she was alright, and wasn’t going to jump off roofs anytime soon (though she didn’t remember that from yesterday anyway). They then moved on and Alya asked her a question that stopped her in her tracks.

“Why were you arguing with Lila yesterday, anyway?” Alya asked, leading the two of them to sit down.

Marinetter furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. “What are you on about? I’m not talking to Lila at all.”

Alya frowned. “She told us that’s why she was akumatized yesterday. Apparently you called the mirror she got from Bruce Wayne as a birthday gift, fake.”

Marinette forced herself to not roll her eyes. “What? Why would I care about anything like that? She’s lying!”

Alya frowned even more. “Lila said you’d probably say that. Why can’t you two just get along?”

“Alya, you’re the one that believes Lila has a lying illness. Why don’t you believe me when I say she’s lying and that I didn’t even see her at all yesterday outside of class?” Marinette tensed. How petty did Lila think she was? How petty was Lila?

“She did get akumatized yesterday. Her story matches the events,” Alya said. “Marinette, you’re my best friend. That’s why I want to know why you did what you did.”

Marinette snorted. “And I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything. Is this what the whole class believes? That I’m so shallow that I would akumatize Lila over something as trivial as a mirror?”

Alya blanched. “No, of course not. We’re just saying you two had an argument and Lila got upset enough to turn into an akuma. We’re not saying it was intentional on your part or anything.”

She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “Look, my version of events is that I went home for lunch, was in my bedroom, got attacked by the akuma, and was out for it until that Bee hero Shūyō brought me home. Believe what you want, but don’t expect me to apologize to Lila for something I didn’t do.”

Marinette stood up and was about to go before she was stopped by Alya grabbing her wrist. She looked back and watched as Alya looked down at her clenched fist, biting her lip.

“I,” Alya sighed. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but I’m not saying I don’t believe Lila either. Either way, both of you were the victims yesterday. I’m sorry I was asking you stuff like that.”

Marinette frowned and sat back down. She wasn’t sure what was happening between her and Alya. Alya had been spending more time with Lila, even ending up as her seatmate on the plane and her roommate for the hotel. It made Marinette uncomfortable that they were becoming so close, considering who Lila was. But, Alya was a good person- she just wanted her friends to get along, and it’s not like she could force Alya to cut off her other friendships, even if it was to manipulative lying rats like Lila. That had to be on Alya’s terms. All Marinette could do was be there for her and hope she’d return the sentiment.

She forced a smile. “You’re forgiven.” Alya looked up and smiled, reaching out to hug her. “Now, let’s hang out for a bit before we’re stuck in a plane for twelve hours.”

Alya smiled back. “Yeah! By the way, did you hear that Jagged Stone knows Bruce Wayne?”

And just like that, they had spent the rest of the hour waiting to board the place. The plane that would take them to whatever was awaiting them in Gotham City.

A/N: So that's the end to the first arc I guess, if I intentionally have arcs lol. The rest of this fanfic will be in Gotham. Thank you again for joining me this far and I hope you continue to read it!

Other notes: Bleu Acier is based on the Steelblue Ladybird, with Bleu Acier meaning Steel Blue. Shūyō has three meanings in Japanese, but here, it’s used to mean self-discipline (because that’s something I associate with bees and hard workers). Couleuvre is just another way to say snake in French because Marinette sucks at names.

P.S. I don't hate Alya. In fact, I think we often brush over the fact that Alya is fiercely loyal and in the show, doesn't have all the facts so she's not too suspicious of Lila.

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theworldbrewery · 4 years ago

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In recent sessions of our campaign, it’s coming to light that Remmy, the cleric, is affiliated with Cyric, god of lies and one of the prototypical Evil Deities.

Now, in Canon Lore or whatever, Cyric is the “mad god,” literally insane and homicidal all the time, and the god of deceit, trickery, and betrayal.

But as we all know:

If this is going to be an Evil God, why...why is he characterized as insane?

I mean, we know why, but that’s ableism at its finest so obviously that’s the first thing we scrapped.

Plenty of other folks have talked about the Insanity/Madness mechanics in D&D 5e and past editions, so I’m not going to get into that here. But I do want to talk about how to approach an Evil God in your own campaign, whether you’re brewing one up from scratch or revamping an existing Official Lore god like we did.

So obviously, the biggest problem is using insanity as a shorthand for evilness. That...sucks. Full stop. Mental illness done right would make Cyric a sympathetic character--very compelling to imagine a guy with untreated mental illness reaching incredible heights of power and ascending to godhood, only to be flattened into his godly archetype and be stuck embodying the worst qualities of a chronic condition he hates--but then he’s more of a tragic figure doing “evil”/evil-seeming things because even as a god he’s unable to change/grow/treat his own condition. Not actually Capital-E Evil.

But that also requires letting Cyric be enough of a character to like...demonstrate that, which we weren’t planning on, so we decided to just nuke the Mental Illness Is Evil trope from outer space.

Our Cyric is a schemer, a traitor, cold-blooded and calculating. A liar and a gaslighter. But entirely aimless; there’s no endpoint to his work. If Canon Cyric is evil because of his insanity, the Cyric we’ve developed is evil because he is completely lucid.

He embodies the insidious evil of white privilege, of the wealthy, the smiling backstabber, the abuser. He’s profoundly uninterested in World Domination, because he understands that constant expansion only works so long as there is something left to claim--but to have complete control over his own little sphere is enough for him. He always wants the advantage, but he doesn’t really need it--it’s just another way to demonstrate his power.

An “insane” god kind of...goes against the entire premise of being a god of trickery, deceit, and betrayal. Once you stop conceiving of mental illness as this Big Scary Threat to Normal People or whatever, the whole idea really falls apart.

But as an exercise of privilege and societal power, the way that wraps around and burrows under the skin of everyone who lives in it, our so-called Mad God is actually best as the precisely neurotypical archetype of privilege.

In our campaign, Bane is an evil god because he’s the boot of oppression. He’s the cops, not the WASP condemning “looting” while ignoring centuries of racism. Bane is imperialism, is Scientology and evangelist Christianity, he offers a refuge from chaos by promising order--strict, all-consuming security against the Other People, and turns around and brings the Other People to their knees as well; it doesn’t matter if you’re willing or unwilling, Bane would take them all.

So in essence, we’re turning to real-world evil systems of power to figure out what *actual* evil looks like first, and invoking that in how the different evil gods are characterized. Bane’s lieutenant Loviatar is a torturer, an interrogator, the guard of a prison cell, the executioner--she takes pride in carrying out the mandate of Bane and is rewarded for it.

Evil gods in D&D are frequently reduced to stereotypes--marching armies of murderous intent, razing everything in sight. But true evil, evil in the real way, rarely has such bland methods. Go as small-scale an evil as you like, break it into its component pieces, but don’t let Obvious Evil take precedence. Frankly, it’s boring as hell, and usually it falls into some horrendously racist and ableist tropes.

#d&d #dnd #dungeons and dragons #dm tips #worldbuilding #pantheon

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hanmajoerin · 4 years ago

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I’m just gonna say it, y’all, Yashahime isn’t what I expected and there are elements to the series that I would have handled differently but to be honest, if I was at the helm of this all of you guys would be shitting on my version too.

My expectations–my hopes and dreams for the InuYasha cast after the end–it’s all so different from yours. I’ve read your fanfictions, I’ve seen your OC children. I respect them even if they’re not the characters that exist in my head. I respect them even if your ideas of the world after Kagome returns take three different turns than mine. This is exactly why I am urging some of you guys to brew a cup of chamomile tea and wait, at least until we have all 24 episodes of Yashahime at our disposal. I’m not the biggest fan of them, but Sunrise deserves the same respect as all of you do. And before you get all defensive and upset, don’t think for a single second that I have forgotten what InuYasha: A Fedual Fairytale did to the relationships of every InuYasha character. I feel their poor representation of InuYasha and Kagome’s relationship in the very atoms on my fingernails to this day.

Still, I have 193 animated TV episodes and four feature films to point at and criticize. And believe me when I tell you that the amount of college papers I could compose regarding the disservice that was done not just to my favorite couple, but to all of the characters that I’ve spent the past fourteen going on fifteen years of my life growing up alongside is kind of crazy. Yashahime has four episodes. F O U R E P I S O D E S.

For some crazy reason, Rumiko Takahashi loves the cast and staff that worked on InuYasha: A Feudal Fairytale–they take annual vacations together for Christ’s sake. It sounds like Sunrise has a plan for this sequel and just because the four released episodes include elements that I didn’t anticipate doesn’t make it fair to rule out the possibility of the series’ potential as a whole. Takahashi claimed to like it and that woman is coo-coo banana crazy, but if she believes in it, I have faith too.

But something that I wanted to remind you guys about is the fact that sequels don’t happen in the Rumic World. That’s why Yashahime existing is so fucking insane to me in general. Takahashi wanted to make a new story instead of “InuYasha Two” and as a writer who tends to not be a fan of sequels myself, I know where she’s coming from. I also wanted to remind you that we are not watching “InuYasha Two” either. We have Hanyo no Yashahime. This is a series about the daughters of some characters we love carving a path sprinkled with a little bit of familiar stuff and a little bit of new stuff. The whereabouts of our favorite characters from the past (unless you’re a Sesshomaru fan, we found that guy today LOL) is the series’ greatest mystery. Sunrise is dragging us along without an ounce of remorse as the new generation uncovers it. And it’s painful, but that doesn’t make it fair to disregard the potential of an entire work so early on in its run. If you decide that the story is simply not for you and you’d like jump ship? Totally different. It’s absolutely fine. It’s expected! But if you’re discrediting any kind of potential? No way.

What’s been confirmed so far is that Moroha has little to no memories of her parents even though she knows who they are. Today we saw her grandmother ask for regards to be sent to her mom. Instead of having an emotional breakdown like we (with our 559 chapter history with Kagome) wanted, Moroha showed the largest amount of discomfort yet. She faltered, she admitted that she didn’t really “know” her mother, and scratched the back of her head uncomfortably. Nonetheless, she agreed to send the regards. This was Moroha acting in-character. Seriously, this quarter-demon is a fucking spitfire like twenty-six hours a day; she may have bared her butt to the family, but she hasn’t shown them any signs of emotional vulnerability. Two different things.

Speaking of two, I’ll fight anyone who says Towa didn’t deserve that scene with Sota. In Yashahime, Sota raised Towa for a decade. Towa was his first baby. Towa is so much more than just the daughter of Sesshomaru, she is Sota’s daughter. His baby girl. And he sees so much of his big sister in her, especially now that Towa’s departing on an epic journey to gather her twin’s memories like the shards of the Sacred Jewel. It felt nostalgic to Sota. It felt right for him to share this moment with his daughter instead of his tiny gremlin niece who jacked his credit card and came into his life a few days ago 😉. And it was positively monumental that for the first time, Towa called Sota “Papa” instead of “Sota Papa.” It was in-character for the lore of the show. Maybe not our hearts, but in the reality of the show and therein lies the difference.

Please don’t take this post as a declaration stating that you cannot be upset. Sunrise can’t make us all happy, that’s preposterous! We just need to be fair. It’s been a test for me too, in some ways, but I’m genuinely enjoying Yashahime for what it is. My blog is always going to be here for fun stupid posts, sentiments fics, and anything InuYasha. I want to continue participating in the journey that is Yashahime with my followers which is precisely why I’m encouraging you to watch the series with a calming cup of chamomile tea at your side. I’m encouraging you to remember that the main cast and main supporting cast of this sequel simply do not share the same history that we do with InuYasha and his friends. We need to acknowledge the characters for where they stand–their history with the world we’ve been shown–not where we stand.

I know it’s hard, my dudes, we miss our family. I want their safety and happiness just as much as you. But, I promise you, it’s going to be okay in the end. Kagome already told us so.

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theredherb · 4 years ago

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The Red Herb’s Top 10 Games of 2020

Hey, fuck 2020. You might notice that many of the “Best Of” lists you read this year and last can’t help but mention how terrible 2020 was. That’s because every day was like hitting a new, splinter riddled branch on our 365 day plummet off a shit-coated tree. The year brought with it a viral pandemic that served as a pressure cooker for the societal and systemic issues boiling beneath the surface of our every day life. And we’re not out of it.

At least one positive holds true of 2020: the games were pretty darn good. One has to wonder, though, if 2020 was the last year of what can be called “normalcy” for the video game industry. Now that the remainder of titles brewed in pre-Covid times are out in the wild, what will the future of gaming look like as studios shift to work-from-home and distribution models migrate to digital as the primary bread winner? What will games look like going forward?

I have no fucking clue. We’ll get there when we get there. But looking back, I’m glad to have had such solid distractions from the stress and strife. If 2020 is any indicator for the industry going forward, then my takeaway is that games will continue to grow in prominence because of their ability to help us cope and, more importantly, stay connected.

Anyway, here’s video games:

10. MARVEL’S AVENGERS

Oh, Marvel’s Avengers. I know you expected to be on more prestigious Top 10 lists than mine. Truthfully, I debated whether or not you should be here. But I had to search my soul (stone) on this one. Really assemble my feelings. Tony Stark my thoughts (?). Here’s the short of it: Marvel’s Avengers has a great story campaign with a surprising amount of emotional weight thanks largely to Kamala Khan’s quest to reassemble the heroes of her youth. Once the final cutscene ends, though, players were expected to take their play box of Marvel heroes, jump online, and duke it out against hordes of villains for the privilege of precious loot and level gains. It would be impossible to get bored because Crystal Dynamics was going to continually Bifrost in new quests, cosmetics, and heroes -- for free!

Except, after fans blasted through the campaign (took me a solid weekend), they found a multiplayer mode filled with repetitive fights against non-descript A.I.M Bots, a handful of dull, un-Marvelous environments (the PNW?! In a video game?! Wowwee!), and a grind for gear that became useless minutes after it was equipped. Oh, and bugs. Tons of bugs. It must be hard for A.I.M. to take earth’s mightiest heroes seriously when they’re falling through the fucking earth every other mission.

So why the Kevin Accolade™? Of all the mistakes and underbaked ideas, Crystal Dynamics got the most important thing right: they made me feel like I was a part of the Avengers. Cutting through the sky as Iron Man; dive bombing, fists-first as the Hulk; firing gadgets at cronies as Black Widow; cracking a row of skulls with Cap’s shield… Avengers is a brawler on super soldier serum.

The combat is crunchy and addictive, and surprisingly deep once you unlock your character’s full suite of skills and buffs. The gear matters little. But choosing a loadout that works for you -- like ensuring enemy takedowns grant you a health orb every time or turning area clearing attacks to focused beams of hurt -- does matter. When it comes to games with disastrous launches, Avengers is the most deserving of a triumphant comeback story because, if you clear the wreckage, I think there’s a solid game here. If I was able to spend hours playing it in its roughshod state, I can see myself digging in for the long-term once it’s polished up and given a healthy dose of content. You know...if Square Enix doesn’t outright abandon it.

9. STREETS OF RAGE 4

Here’s a fact about me: I love beat ‘em ups. From Final Fight to X-Men to The Simpsons, I prioritized my quarters for the beat ‘em up machines (and House of the Dead simply because House of the Dead fuckin’ owns). Unfortunately, Streets of Rage wasn’t in arcades, and I didn’t own a Genesis growing up, so I didn’t get around to the series until Sega re-released as part of a collection. Though my history with the 29 year old brawler is shorter than some, the basics stand out out right away: it’s an awesome side-scrolling brawler filled with zany character designs and high octane boss fights.

SoR4 nails that simple spirit while adding an electric soundtrack, buttery smooth animations, and an art style that looks like a comic book in motion. You can button-mash your way through the game or master your timing to combo stun the shit out of bad guys. Same screen co-op is a requisite for the beat ‘em up genre but I have to call it out nonetheless given that it's next to obsolete these days. The story campaign is, of course, finite but a stream of unlockables and a Boss Rush Mode pad out the package nicely.

I really don’t have to go on and on. I’m on board with any game that captures the arcadey high of classic beat ‘em ups, and Streets of Rage 4 does it with flare.

8. RESIDENT EVIL 3 REMAKE

Resident Evil 2’s remake was my game of the year in 2019. It’s a pitch perfect revision that captures the pulse-pounding fear of the original while beautifully updating its graphics and gameplay for modern audiences. The most striking aspect of RE2’s remake is how it expands and reconfigures the classic game’s environments and set pieces. Capcom managed to recontextualize, and even improve on, the original’s design while staying faithful to its tone and atmosphere.

Resident Evil 3’s remake is less successful in modifying and improving on its source material. If the game feels like it was handled by a different team than RE2R, your gamer hands have good eyes (roll with it). It was developed by a separate internal team (three different teams, in fact), but that’s actually one of many choices mirroring its 1999 forebear. Just like the original, RE3R is a tighter (i.e. shorter) experience that launched less than a year after its predecessor. And just like the original, the game skirts away from survival horror in favor of action horror.

Unlike last year’s remake, however, RE3R paints in broad strokes with the original material much in the same way that 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake shared a vague resemblance with Romero’s ‘79 classic. Capcom at least nails down what matters: you play as Jill Valentine, beaten and discredited after the Arklay Mountains incident, during her last escape from the zombie besieged Raccoon City. Her exit is complicated by Nemesis, a humanoid missile that relentlessly pursues her from minute two of the game. Her only chance of making it out alive is by teaming up with a gaggle of Umbrella dispatched mercenaries, including an overly handsome fellow named Carlos Oliveras that you control for a spell. But fans struggled to get over what Capcom didn’t remake. Several enemies, boss fights, and a “divergent path” mechanic that had you choose how best to escape the Nemesis in a pinch were omitted from the remake. Even an entire section set in a clock tower was cut. But, let’s be honest, the biggest omission is a secret ending where Barry Burton saves the day using only his beard. For real, YouTube that shit.

If you look at what the remake does instead of what it doesn’t, you’ll find a lightning paced action game highlighted by tense, one-on-one fights against the constantly mutating Nemesis. The tyrant’s grotesque transformations evoke the mind-rending, gut turning creature designs found in John Carpenter's The Thing. It’s sad that Nemesis doesn’t pursue you through the levels as diligently as he did in the original, or as Mr. X had in last year’s remake, but these “arena fights” end up being harrowing and fun, culminating in a memorable final encounter. The remake also treats us to the best incarnation of Jill to date. She’s a cynical badass, exasperated at how Umbrella upended her life, and can take a plunge off of a building yet still muster enough energy to call Nemesis a bitch. RE3R also shines thanks to its snappy combat, including a contextual dodge that feels rewarding to pull off, less bullet-sponge enemies than RE2, and an assortment of weapons to get you through Jill’s Very Bad Night(s). It makes for a necessary, though shorter, companion to last year’s stellar remake.

7. HADES

I’m experiencing a new type of shame including a title that I haven’t beaten on my Top 10 list, but I can assure you that I’ve dumped hours into its addictive death loop. It’s probably because of my resistance to looking up any tips, but given the skill-check nature of the difficult boss fights, I’m almost afraid the top shelf advice will amount to “die less, idiot.”

My failings aside, Hades is brilliant. It’s the perfect merger of gameplay and storytelling. You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, and your entire goal is to escape your father’s underworld domain. You pick from a selection of weapons, like a huge broadsword or spear, and attempt your “run,” seeing how far you can make it before an undead denizen cuts you down. It’s familiar roguelike territory, but where Supergiant separates their game from the pack is in the unique feeling of constant progression, even as you fail. With each run, not only is Zagreus earning a currency (gems or keys) that unlock new skills that make the next go a little easier, you’re also consistently treated to new lore. The fallen gods and heroes that line your father’s hall greet you after each death and provide a new insight into their world. The writing is bouncy and hilarious, the voice acting ethereal and alluring, and the character designs could make a lake thirsty.

Supergiant’s stylistic leanings are at their peak here. They’ve managed the impossible feat of making failure feel like advancement. Sure, it totally fucks up other roguelikes for me, but that’s okay. None of those games have Meg.

6. DEMON’S SOULS

Whereas Capcom takes liberties with their remakes, Bluepoint took the Gus Van Sant approach and made a 1:1 recreation of the 2009 title that launched the “Soulslike” genre. The dividing difference is a 2020 facelift brought to us by way of the PlayStation 5’s next-gen horsepower. There’s been online arguments (surprise) regarding the loss of Fromsoftware’s visual aesthetic in translating the PS3 original in order to achieve a newfound photorealism. It’s true, some beasties lose their surreal weirdness -- a consequence of revisiting designs without the worry of graphical or time constraints -- but the game’s world is still engrossing, morbid, and bleakly gorgeous.

That’s not to say all Bluepoint did was overhaul the graphics and shove this remake out the door. No, their improvements are nuanced, under-the-hood changes that gently push the genre into the next-generation. For one, the loading times are incredible. You could hop between all five archstones in under a minute if you wanted. And this game is a best DualSense controller showcase outside of Astro’s Playroom. You can feel a demonstrable difference between hitting your sword against a wall compared to connecting it with an attacking creature. Likewise, the controller rumbles menacingly as to let you know enemies are stomping across a catwalk above you. “Better rumbles” was not on my wish list of next-gen features, but the tactile feedback goes great lengths to make you feel like you’re there.

Granted, sticking so closely to the original means its pratfalls are also carried over to the next-gen. The trek between bonfire checkpoints is an eternity compared to the game’s successors, and Fromsoftware hadn’t quite mastered the sword ballet of boss fights prevalent in Dark Souls. Instead, a handful of bosses feel more like set pieces where you’re searching for the “trick” to end it versus having to learn attack patterns and counters. Still, it’s easy to see the design blueprint that bore a whole new genre. From having to memorize enemy placements to hunting down the world’s arcane secrets in the hopes of finding a new item that pushes the odds in your favor. Bluepoint’s quality of life improvements only make it kinder (not easier) to plunge into the game, obsess over its idiosyncrasies, and begin to master every inch of it. That is until you roll into New Game+ and the game shoves a Moonlight Greatsword up your ass.

5. YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON

Here’s a fact about me I’m sure you don’t know: I love beat ‘em ups. Streets of Rage 4 had an easy time making it on this list because it can be classified as both a “beat ‘em up” and “good.” Here’s another fact about me: I’m not the biggest fan of JRPGs. I’m told this is not because of any personal preferences I harbor, but rather due to a distinct lack of culture. I’ve made peace with that. At least my uncultured ways are distinctive.

But my disinterest in JRPGs is notable here because it illustrates how very good Like A Dragon is. Transitioning the Yakuza series from a reactive brawler (entrenched in an open-world SIM) to a full-blown turned-based RPG was risky -- especially 8 entries into the mainline series -- but it pays off explosively for Like A Dragon. Not only does the goofiness, melodrama, and kinetic energy translate to an RPG -- it’s improved by it. Beyond a new protagonist -- the instantly likable and infinitely affable Ichiban Kasuga -- we’re finally treated to an ensemble cast that travels with you, interacts with you, and grows with you. Their independent stories weave into Ichi’s wonderfully and end up mattering just as much as his.

The combat doesn’t lose any of its punch now that you’re taking turns. In fact, it feels wilder than ever and still demands situational awareness as your enemies shift around the environment, forcing you to quickly pick which move will do the most damage and turn the fight in your favor. RGG purposefully made Ichi obsessed with Dragon Quest (yes, specifically Dragon Quest) as an excuse to go ham and morph enemies into outlandish fiends that would populate Ichi’s favorite series. It’s a fun meta that never loses its charm.

This is the best first step into a new genre I’ve ever seen an established franchise make and I hope like hell they keep with it for future outings -- and that Ichi returns to keep playing hero. There’s plenty of callbacks and treats for longtime fans, but RGG did a masterful job rolling out the virtual carpet for a whole new generation of Yakuza fanatics.

4. GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

Sucker Punch’s dive into 13th century Japan doesn’t redefine the open-world genre. But like Horizon: Zero Dawn before it, Ghost of Tsushima takes familiar components of the genre and uses them exceptionally well, creating an airtight experience that can’t help but stand out. I can tell Sucker Punch mused on games like Assassin’s Creed and Breath of the Wild, tried to figure out what makes those games tick, and then brought their own spin to those concepts. You can feel it in their obsession to make traversal through the environment as unobtrusive as possible, letting the wind literally guide you to your destinations instead of forcing the player to glue their eyes to a mini-map. You can feel it in how seamless it is to scale a rooftop before silently dropping on a patrol, blade first. You can feel it in the smoothness behind the combat as your sword clashes against the enemy’s. Every discrete part is fine-tuned yet perfectly complements the whole. The game is silk in your hands.

The mainline story can be humdrum, though. It mirrors the beats of a superhero origin story, which isn’t surprising when you account for the three Infamous titles and satellite spinoffs under Sucker Punch’s belt. But Jin Sakai’s personal journey outshines the cookie-cutter plot. His gradual turn from the strict samurai code to a morally ambiguous vigilante lifestyle (to becoming, eventually, a myth) is a fascinating exploration in shifting worldviews. This is bolstered by the well-written side-missions dotting your quest, some of which play out in chains. It’s these diversions about melancholy warriors and villagers adjusting to life under invasion that end up being the essential storytelling within the game. Whatever you do, don’t skip a single one.

Before GoT can overstay its welcome with collectible hunting and stat-tree building, the ride is over. If you find exhaustive open-world titles, well, exhausting, Sucker Punch coded enough of a campaign to sticking the landing and not more. But if you were looking for more, the game’s co-op Legends mode is the surprise encore of the year. It strikes its own tone, with vibrant, trippy designs, and a progression system that embarrasses other AAA titles in the space (I mean Avengers. I’m talking about Avengers).

3. THE LAST OF US PART II

The Last of Us is widely regarded as a masterpiece. It’s a melancholic trek through a realistic post-apocalypse, driven by the budding bond between a world-weary survivor and a would-be teenage savior. The fungal zombies and violent shootouts with scavengers were scary and exciting, but ultimately just window-dressing compared to the level of complicated, and honest, human emotion on display throughout the tale. While a segment of detractors helpfully pointed out that The Last of Us’ story isn’t unique when compared to years of post-apocalyptic books, comics, and movies, that argument seems to forget that a narrative more concerned with the human protagonists’ connections to one another instead of saving the world or feeding into a hero complex is pretty unique for games -- especially a high profile, AAA budgeted game.

Still, fans made heroes out of Joel and Ellie because of their own connection to their journey. And that connection is almost instantly challenged in the opening hours of The Last of Us Part II to heartbreaking effect. But I’m here to tell you that any other sequel would have been dishonest to the legacy of the original game. To be given a hero’s quest as a continuation, an imagined sequel where Joel and Ellie do battle against the viral infection that’s swept the earth, would have been a despicable cash-in. It would have been a mistake to follow-up the original’s careful examination of human nature just to placate an audience that seems to have missed the point Naughty Dog made. The Last of Us Part II hurts. But it has to or else it wouldn’t have been worth making. It’s a slow-burn meditation on the harmful ripples revenge creates, how suffering begets suffering, and how, if we don’t break the cycles of violence we commit to, suffering will come for us.

To drive this point, we’re given two distinct perspectives during the meaty (and somewhat overlong) campaign, split between Ellie Williams, the wronged party seeking revenge, and Abby Anderson, an ex-Firefly whose actions set the sequel into motion. The greatest trick Naughty Dog pulls off isn’t forcing us to play as a character we hate, it’s giving us reasons to emphasize with them. It was gradual, and despite some heavy-handed moments meant to squeeze sympathy out of the player (how many times do I have to see that fuckin’ aquarium?!), I eventually came to love Abby’s side of the story. The obvious irony being that she unwittingly walks the same path Joel did in the original.

My love for the narrative shouldn’t distract from how well designed the world is. Being a King County local, the vision of a ruined Seattle strikes an uncomfortable note -- it was eerie seeing recognizable buildings overgrown with vegetation but otherwise devoid of life. Maybe the heart-wrenching story also distracts from the fact this game is, by definition, survival horror. Exploring toppled buildings in the dark, hearing the animalistic chittering of the infected, defending yourself with limited resources… It manages to be a scarier entry into the genre in 2020 than even RE3R. There’s a particular fight in a fungus covered hospital basement that easily goes down as my Boss Fight of the Year. Human enemies make for clench-worthy encounters, too, with incredibly adept AI that forces you to keep moving around the environment and set traps to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Admittedly, the subject matter -- or more to the point, the grim tone -- was tough to stomach during an actual pandemic which has happily treated us to the worst of human nature. Still, The Last of Us Part II is absolutely worth playing for its balance of mature themes and expertly crafted world, and the way it juxtaposes beauty and awfulness in the same breath.

2. SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES

The most impressive thing about Miles Morales is that, despite being a truncated midquel rather than a full-blown sequel, it’s a better game than 2018’s Spider-Man. It’s not because of the instantaneous loading times or the fancy ray-tracing techniques used on the PS5 version of the game. Rather, it’s how it takes the joyride of the original game and hones it into a laser focused experience filled to the brim exclusively with highs. Like Batman: Arkham Asylum going into Arkham City, Miles starts the game off with his mentor’s best abilities and tools. From there, he discovers his own powers, his bioelectric venom strike, which ends up feeling like the missing ingredient from the first game’s combat.

Your open-world playground -- a locale in the Marvel universe called “New York City” -- is exactly the same size as the previous installment, which helps avoid making the game feel “lesser.” But Insomniac wisely consolidated the random crimes Peter faced into a phone app that Miles can check and choose which activity to help out with. Choices like this really trim the fat from the main game and help alleviate “the open-world problem” where the story’s pacing suffers because players are spending hours on end collecting feathers. This is great because Miles’ story is also great. The narrative kicks Peter out pretty early on, focusing on how Miles assumes the role of city protector, primarily focused on his new home in Harlem. Insomniac avoids retreading the same path paved by Into the Spider-Verse by telling a relatable tale where Miles defines his identity as Spider-Man. With a strong cast led by Nadji Jeter as Miles, the game lands an impactful story that weaves its own new additions to Miles’ mythos (light spoiler: I loved their take on The Prowler).

Miles Morales was pure virtualized joy from start to finish. A requirement of the platinum trophy is to replay the entirety of the game on New Game+. I didn’t hesitate to restart my adventure the minute the credits were over. Everything I loved about 2018’s Spider-Man is here: the swinging, the fighting, the gadgets, the bevy of costumes. But it gave me a new element I adore and can’t see Insomniac’s franchise proceeding without: being Miles Morales.

1. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

I love subversive media, I do. And Square Enix’s “remake” of one the most beloved video games ever made subverts expectations by openly acknowledging that, yes, the original story you love exists and is consistently referenced in this game. But this is not that story. This is something..else. Because the truth is, SE could never have recreated FFVII and delivered a title that matched the Sacred Game fans created in their heads. That impossible standard is like an imagined deity, given power by feeding on raw nostalgia reinforced by years of word-of-mouth and appearances on Top 100 lists. I’m not saying FFVII is a bad game or that fans give it too much credit. Not at all. There’s a reason it’s so influential -- it’s good! But memory works in a funny way over time. We have a tendency to codify our perception of a thing over the reality of it. The connection we make to certain media, especially when introduced at a young age as FFVII had been to a whole generation of fans so long ago, creates a legend in our heads. Unfortunately, it’s a legend no developer could achieve when tasked with remaking it.

So Square...didn’t. Final Fantasy VII Remake has the same characters, setting, and plot beats as the first third of the original game but it’s not the same game, nor is it a remake of it in the traditional sense. It’s something new. And I fucking love that about it.

Everything is reconfigured, including the combat. After years of trying to merge RPG mechanics with more approachable (and marketable) real-time action (see FFXV and the Kingdom Hearts games for examples), Square Enix finally landed on the perfect balance. You fully control Cloud on the battlefield, from swinging your impossibly huge buster sword to dodging attacks. The ATB gauge (no one knows what the acronym stands for -- that information has been lost to time) gradually fills up, letting unleash powerful moves. But best of all, you fight in a party, and you can switch who to control on the fly.

That may not sound revolutionary, let alone for a Final Fantasy, but each character has a completely unique feel and suite of moves. At times, it feels like playing a Devil May Cry game where you can switch between Dante, Vergil, and Nero on the fly (that’s a free idea, Capcom. Hire me, you cowards). You can soften up an enemy with Cloud’s buster to increase their stagger meter, switch to Barret for a quick gatling barrage, and finally switch to Tifa to crush them with her Omnistrike. You can accomplish this in real-time or slow down the action to plan this out. It’s a great mix of tactics and action that prevents the game from feeling like a mindless hack n’ slash.

What really, really works here is the character work. Each lead walks in tropes first, but the longer you spend with the members of your party, the more their motivations and fears are laid out. You end up having touching interactions with just about the whole main cast. There’s a small segment, after Cloud saves Aerith from invading Shinra guards, that the two make an escape via rooftop.They make light conversation -- small talk really -- but it’s exchanges like this that feel genuine, perfectly framing their characters (stoic versus heartfelt), and grounding an otherwise larger-than-life adventure.

Many bemoaned the fact that FFVIIR only revisits a small portion of the original game, but I think it was a brilliant choice -- to massively expand on areas we only got to see a little of in the original. I honestly didn’t want to leave Midgar. It’s a world rife with conflict and corporate oppression, sure, but Midgar is beautifully realized, from the slums below the plates, populated with normal people trying to make the best of life, to the crime controlled Wall Market, adorned with gaudy lights and echoing honky tonk tunes. It very well may be years before FFVII’s remake saga comes to a close, but if each entry is paved with as much love and consideration and, yes, storytelling subversion as this introductory chapter… It’ll be worth the wait.

#gaming

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mrssarablack · 3 years ago

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1. What’s your sexual orientation?

Heterosexual.

2. What are you obsessed with right now?

Hmm, I really don't know. I have my usual things that would qualify but my "obsessions" but they don't often consume me to a high degree, so I have a hard time dubbing anything I like a full blown obsession.

That being said, it's probably tiktok. The obsession of the moment, I find myself on the app entirely too much because it's just a fun party and oh the things that lead to little research dives are fascinating. Mostly it's the musicians that get me. I love creativity and am forever amazed by the collaborations and straight magic people make in the time allotted... but it takes up way too much of my time when it really shouldn't. I have better things I could be doing.

3. Ever done any drugs?

Yup.

4. What piercings do you want?

None. My ears are pierced to the degree I like and I don't really desire anything else to be pierced.

5. How many people have you kissed?

Enough.

6. Describe your dream home.

The house I live in outdoes anything I could possibly come up with. I'm very happy with my home, but I'd be happy most anywhere. If I'm honest, I'm a bit Aladdin-like when it comes to living arrangements. My dream home list, if I only considered myself, is the very low bar of a roof over my head that has a beautiful view. Bonus it has a pool but it's not a requirement.

Clearly, where I live outdoes that by a longshot and I'm very lucky to have the things I have. I'm not unaware of that fact.

7. Who are you jealous of?

There is no way for this not to sound like a humble brag in my head, but no one. I've never been the jealous type. There's so much unnecessary energy in wanting what someone else has and jealousy is a negative you just don't need in your life. It's much better to focus on your own joy and not worry about what others are doing.

8. What’s your favorite show to binge?

Schitt's Creek

9. Do you watch porn?

I have.

10. Do you have a secret sideblog?

No, I don't.

11. If you could teleport anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

I don't know, I'm good, but somewhere warm and with a beach, I guess?

12. What’s one of your fantasies?

I really only have one and that's of my mother apologizing for what she did.

13. Do you have/would you get your nipples pierced?

Nope.

14. How would you spend a million dollars?

I probably wouldn't.

15. Are you in a relationship?

Yes

16. Do you follow porn blogs?

No, but I'm pretty sure some have followed me...🙄

17. Are you angry with anyone right now?

My mother. It ebbs and flows between anger and indifference. Depends on the thoughts I'm having surrounding the why of it.

18. What tattoos do you want?

I don't want any.

19. If you could change your name, would you? What would you change it to?

Maybe? But probably not. I don't particularly like my name. It's kind of dull, if I'm honest, but at the same time it's my name and I don't have a replacement in my head for it. So, I'm Sara and I'll forever be Sara. It's alright.

20. What is something you’re obsessed with?

I already answered this, but I suppose my general obsession is pokemon. I like the games and the lore. The whole thing is fun and I enjoy it a lot.

21. Describe your best friend.

She's like sunshine. She's bubbly and sweet. Anna has optimism for days. She can be a little naive but people also see naivety in what is actually her stubbornness. She won't give up on people even if she should. She sees good in almost everything but she isn't unaware that bad exists.

And because of this her kindness shines. She'd help a stranger without hesitation or a need for anything back. She very much is a person who would stick her neck out to save a life. She brings out the best in people and makes it look effortless. She is kind and caring but has a determination that can tackle damn near anything that becomes an obstacle. Anna's a force to reckon with and not many people realize this truth.

22. Tag someone you think is hot.

@nikolascblack

Did you really think I'd pick someone else?

23. Who are five of your favorite bands/musical artists?

This list alternates with moods. I love so many bands and artists. But right now the top five are:

Nikolas Black

AJR

The Beatles

Ok One Rock

P!nk

24. What are three places you want to travel?

I really am that person if given the chance to just pick a plane and go I'd probably take it. I just want to experience all the places so here are the first regions that came to mind...

Italy (like all of it)

Spain/ Barcelona

South of France

25. Describe your perfect Friday night.

It's getting warmer so, right now, it's an evening with Nikolas on our back patio. Fire up the grill and enjoy a meal outdoors. Maybe spend some time in the pool. End the evening with a warm blanket and a cuddle.

26. What’s your favorite season?

Summer. My skin may take issue with the sun but I like it best when it's warm and sunny and being outside.

27. What’s your pet peeve?

When I am listening to music… I probably don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone. I do not like when I'm interrupted when my music is on.

Also, if I'm doing art or sewing … be aware I might get snippy if you choose to interrupt my flow. I like reaching stopping points before I'm asked to change gears.

28. Who is the funniest person you know?

Probably Jakub. He's the king of one liners and his sass gets me.

29. What’s the most overrated movie?

I'd say Avatar, was not impressed by space Pocahontas….

30. Tag someone you want to talk to but have been too shy to message.

... um... I'm not really the shy type. If I wanna get to know someone.... I'm going to be friendly to them and start a conversation.

31. Do you like paper books or ebooks better?

Paper books but I do register I read more electronic ones. The library system is nice in that format… when I actually finish a book. I don't read that fast so I have like 3 waitlisted at any given time three or four times over just so I can finish it … 😅

32. If you could live in a fictional world, what world would you pick?

Pokemon?

33. If money was no object, what would your wardrobe be like?

I dislike questions that make me feel like I'm bragging. Or that could be seen as such but my wardrobe wouldn't really change because my boyfriend allows me to use his funds from time to time to have the nicer clothing items I like. Which sit right alongside my jeans I got from TJ Maxx. Legitimately, it probably wouldn't change at all.

34. What’s your coffee order?

Cold brew or if it's cold I typically, latte it's usually a hazelnut

35. Do you have a crush on anyone?

No.

36. Do you still have feelings for any of your exes?

I don't. Most of them were pretty shit people. So, yeah… nope, I don't think much on them at all really.

37. Have any tattoos?

38. Do you drink?

Occasionally

39. Are you a virgin?

Heh… no.

40. Do you have a crush on any of your mutuals?

Nope

41. How many followers do you have?

Um… I have no idea. Not many that's for sure.

42. Describe the hottest person you know.

I did this once. I'm not going to objectify him again. So instead:

43. What’s your guilty pleasure?

True crime documentaries or horror movies. I do not watch them often. Nikolas isn't into it and I'm not going to be the ass that takes the tv and makes him watch something he doesn't like. So, I save it for when I am alone.

44. Do you read erotica?

I have but I don't seek it out. Typically the erotica I have read has been tucked away in a romance novel and was far more than I expected it to go from the synopsis or anything before that point.

45. What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?

I have to go with the one where it was clear he asked me out as some sort of revenge date. His ex-girlfriend was at the location with friends and he kept looking over at her trying to see her reaction. It was bad and I dismissed myself as quickly as I could.

46. How many people do you follow?

Again, I don't know. I know it's mostly friends and artists or designers but I'm too lazy to look up the number because I don't care.

47. If you could marry any celebrity, who would you pick?

This guy right here:

48. Describe your ideal partner.

There's a theme here...

49. Who do you text the most?

Anna? Our friend text line is usually an all day back and forth.

50. What’s your favorite kind of weather?

Sunny and warm. Weather that screams "beach day"

#sara reynolds #random questions #bored #been a while since ive done this #oc #roleplay

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robobrainmurdermysterytheatre · 6 years ago

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RE: This post (sort of) because I feel like I derailed the OPs post and I literally don’t know them and I feel awkward posting on it more lol

BTW if y’all are sick of talking to me about this no worries, nobody owes me a reply, I just like talking about the game and I have learned a lot from what other people have to say so here we are.

Fuck this got really long so I’m cutting it but it’s about Elder Maxson. Again. Sort of. And Synths. And I want to preface by saying I’m all about love what characters you want, you do you. I’m not trying to hate on anyone for liking or disliking fictional characters or organizations. But I have a lot of feelings.

So I’ve been thinking about a few things and a few things have been brought to my attention that I haven’t seen brought up before. So the quest for Teagan, with the crops and stuff, I know this is a sticking point and possibly could be disregarded because it’s an optional quest, but if Teagan knew Maxson wouldn’t approve of strong arming settlers for crops, why would he tell *you* to do it? I know you can complete the quest other ways, but looking at his voice lines he’s pretty gung-ho on the strong-arming part. He has zero reason to think you wouldn’t march on up to Maxson and tell him Teagan’s trying to put you up to strong-arming settlers, which would lead me to believe he doesn’t have a problem with Teagan putting you up to strong-arming settlers at all.

Also I just... I don’t know if I can believe that Maxson feels bad for killing or trying to kill Danse (depending on how you choose to do it). Like I *want* to believe he does, but Jesus, he’s just so cruel about the whole thing, even if you convince him to spare Danse. And afterward, when you get promoted to Paladin if you clapback at him when he says all of Danse’s stuff is yours now he says “To the victor go the spoils. Being a part of the Brotherhood, you should learn to appreciate that sentiment.” and he is sinister about it, it literally says in the dialogue direction ‘sinister smile’ I feel like there is A LOT loaded into that sentence, knowing that real, actual armies IRL historically and even now operate like this, especially armies who are allowed to operate at will without or with very little government oversight, their whole agenda is to win, take shit and expand and be more formidable. Maxson and the BoS won’t outright say it ever in the game, but looking at their actions and their sentiment, it seems, to me, like that is kind of part of their agenda. Which, I mean, you could argue is fine because they’d be keeping order and killing super mutants but they’d be running things their way, uncontested. Eventually they’d weed out all the synths and kill them - so bye Danse, bye Curie, bye Nick, don’t forget Magnolia and Sturges also - of course they would kill Strong so bye Strong too. They probably wouldn’t let me keep my cool robot workbench or my badass enormous sentrybots with skull faces and minigun hands because that kind of technology isn’t fit for civilians so I’d guess I have to say bye to Ragnarok and Lilith and Lucifer and Azrael (please do not judge my precious children by their sinister names) and Jezebel and Ada too. Oh, and Synth Shaun. They would definitely kill Synth Shaun too.

The thing I learned today which is part of the reason I’m back on this bullshit besides that thread ☝ is after Blind Betrayal Maxson has Danse’s records in the BoS stripped. I just got done in Fallout 3 doing the beginning of the Brotherhood stuff there and I have to go talk to that wizard-looking scribe lady (god I love their stupid outfits in 3, but I digress) and she makes A REALLY BIG DEAL about how their records are so important, every member has a record of the stuff they’ve done and how they’ve died and that’s their legacy. It’s mean, like vindictive. Like, synth or not, he did all of whatever he did. Aside from that, Maxson has literally altered the historical truth - there’s not even record that says “we accidentally a synth, this is what he did and we killed him because synths are bad” Again, like, thinking about real-world historical examples of people intentionally altering pieces of history to erase people or groups of people or what people have done - the reason behind actions like that have never been good.

And I’ve been thinking a lot about the whole, the people of the Commonwealth are bigots thing a lot. Yes, they are scared of synths because of the wrath The Institute has brought down on the people. They’re also scared of Raiders and Gunners. They’re scared of anything that stands between them and being safe and fed. Like, listen, they understand the difference between a human dude walking up into their settlement and a Raider, I feel like if someone bothered to take a second to explain to them Not All Synths(tm) work for The Institute and a lot of them are actually really nice and might brew you a stimpack or help you solve a noir mystery or take care of your feral infestation down the road they would be receptive to it. They would be especially receptive of it if the person telling them that was the head of the organization keeping them safe and fed >.> Would they be perfectly accepting? Probably not, but they would probably let them live for two seconds without throwing a fit. They would probably not shoot-to-kill on sight. Even the people in Diamond City who talk shit about Nick aren’t out there trying to murder him.

Kind of in that same vein, let’s talk about Desdemona and the Minutemen for a second. Because I feel like, and maybe I’m wrong about the intention, my girl got slandered into making it look like she doesn’t support The Minutemen. If you fail your covert op any number of ways, she literally says you can use them to forcibly liberate the Synths. Hell, if you haven’t met Preston yet, she’ll tell you where he is and to go find him because she thinks The Minutemen can help. She’ll only go off on you if you don’t sound the evacuation alarm. If you destroy The Institute with The Minutemen and you sound the alarm, like Preston tells you on no uncertain terms to do, she’ll call you “The destroyer of the Institute. Liberator of the synths.” and say “My only regret is we couldn't have been there when you did it.“ When you talk with her about the people trying to hurt the Synths that made it out of the destruction of The Institute and she says “ They're vigilantes and bigots. They don't recognize anyone's laws. Not even yours.” I don’t think she’s talking about ALL the people, she’s talking about people who are vigilantes and bigots which, if you do the quests to go rescue the Synths, usually bring you to Raider dens, who aren’t your people and you’re working against anyway. The gangs that hunt Synths that she has you clear out after The Institute is destroyed are Raider gangs. John the Farmer in buttfuck egypt out by the glowing sea isn’t slaughtering Synths, he’s busy with his farm and his water purifier that doesn’t work and Gunners attacking him weekly. When it comes down to it, how many people like John the Farmer are going to bite the hand that feeds them and fixes his water purifier and fucks up the Gunners if that hand is The Minutemen and they say Synths are OK (because they are, generally)?

and RE: danger synths and Acadia and stuff... so I’m trying to unpack the whole, weird Acadia lore that magically allows for DiMA to insert memories that he didn’t have in the first place into synth replacements (e.g. you kill Tektus, stuff his body in a wall, but DiMA can make a “perfect replica” of him with nothing to go on?) I’m assuming when it was said that synths pose a unique danger that humans don’t, this is what was being referenced - that Synths can be messed around with to replace humans in order to manipulate whatever. Putting Acadia aside for juuuuuuust a second - because of the weird magic lore contradiction - there’s a couple of points about this. We see very few people in the game who have the resources, the technology and the know how to actually mess with a Synth’s brain. Even the people supposedly the best at replacing people with “perfect copies”, The Institute, are still kind of shit at it. Every single infiltrator that we see in the game knows what they are and gets called out by someone who figures out what they are. The “perfect copy” idea is hysteria - possibly even propaganda from The Institute itself. The only contradiction to that is what DiMA did in Acadia and honestly, I have no idea how to explain that. That’s all aside from the fact that, technically, in this universe humans have the ability to do the same thing. We know humans can be face changed. Deacon says he was both a girl and a ghoul (the ghoul incident is legit and backed up by terminal entries in the Railroad) and to be either of those from being human dude Deacon, you would have to get a voice change so that has to be a thing, right? Take a human who knows enough about another human, physically turn that human into the other human, and you have someone replaced, no Synths needed. And even Far Harbor, who will, with certain choices, go destroy Acadia don’t destroy them just because they’re synths, they destroy Acadia because Acadia murdered and replaced Avery.

Which brings me to the final thought I had because holy crap I just wrote for like two hours and I’m tired and out of steam now. I keep really, really wanting to like the BoS and Maxson because they have the neat stuff and a lot of their people are cool and my friends like them but I just, like, can’t as long as they’re a faction that advocates for the genocide of Synths. That’s the one sticking point I have. I could maybe even tolerate them hanging around the Commonwealth where they maybe shouldn’t be, I could maybe see them through a nefarious lens than I do if I knew they wouldn’t come to Sanctuary and wipe out a third of my population because of how they were made - if they weren’t trying to kill my friends and my synth son. Honestly, I love a lot of fanon stuff about Maxson and the BoS because it changes that but canon, in the game, that’s what they would do.

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a-k-a-loser · 5 years ago

Note

1-69

1. are you religious?

nope! i was raised catholic tho and i still hold on to some of the weird catholic habits. i’d call myself aesthetically catholic

2. what animal do you think you’re most like?

hmmmmmmmm a cat?? or some weird bird maybe??????

3. how do you take your coffee?

too much sugar and some milk, i also like flavored coffees and cold brew!!

4. how old were you when you had your first kiss?

still haven’t had my first kiss yet actually!

5. museum date or aquarium date?

i work at a museum that has an aquarium, so neither! but aquarium definitely

6. do you have any tattoos or piercings? do you want more?

my ears are pierced and i have one tattoo! i want to get my nose pierced and i commissioned my friend to draw a new tattoo for me a while ago and i haven’t got it yet, i have a short list of some others i want too!!

7. favorite fruits?

raspberries! i’m actually not really a fruit person, i prefer vegetables

8. favorite vegetables?

zucchini!! squash, celery, asparagus, snap peas, it’s a very long list tbh!!

9. i’ll only date you if _____. (fill in the blank)

you’re taller than me lol idk actually??? the bar is so low

10. do you cry a lot?

yes, always, just assume i’m crying right now

11. who are your closest friends?

i don’t have a ton of friends, so i’m pretty close with all the ones i have, because there’s like 4 of them, but i think my closest friend might be my friend mckenzi, i’ve known her since the 4th grade and she’s the best

12. have you ever been a part of a protest or a march?

i haven’t! there aren’t a lot of protests or marches locally, so it’s not really easy for me to attend any, also my parents are p against the idea of protesting and i live with/am financially dependent on them rn sooooooo

13. do you play any video games?

YES!!!!! i am a HUGE dragon age fan, dragon age 2 is my favorite! rn i’m playing a lot of rdr2 and i love it so much!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

14. did you ever have an emo or scene phase?

i wanted to!!! really badly!!!! but my mom would never let me cut or dye my hair, and i didn’t get to wear any of the ~super cool scene/emo clothes~ and i’m a little thankful because no embarrassing scene phase pics but also :(

15. what color is most of your wardrobe?

it’s mostly dark colors, but i think other than black it’s a pretty even split between blue and green right now

16. what do you like to do for fun?

aaaaaaaaaa mostly video games, sometimes drawing, i like to go outside or go to the park on kinda cloudy days, when it’s cool and there are no bugs out!

17. what is your biggest fear?

geese probably, or dying alone, it’s a tossup really

18. name a subject you know a lot about.

i know a lot of useless video game lore stuff!! and some other weird random topics because i go on internet deep dives when i get really curious about stuff

19. favorite fictional characters?

AAAAAAAAAAAAA i have too many tbh, atm arthur morgan owns my ass

20. do you read a lot? what are your favorite books?

i don’t read as much as i used to, so i’m including comics/manga in this, i really like junji ito’s work. i have tomie, gyo, and uzumaki, i also really love les miserables! and i was really into warrior cats as a kid

21. how would you describe your style?

a mess, and not even a hot mess

22. did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were little? do you still own it?

yes!! i have a stuffed animal of the three headed dog from harry potter (don’t know his name because idgaf about harry potter tbh) and i love him and i still sleep with him in my bed!

23. what’s something most people love that you hate?

ummmmmm idk brussels sprouts i guess????

24. do you think you’re a good singer?

no, horrible, as anyone who has ever ridden in a car with me

25. who do you live with?

my mom, my little brother, and our pets!!

26. favorite desserts?

CHEESECAKE

27. what is the best decision you’ve made in your life so far?

idk, yesterday i ate a bunch of honeysuckles i found in my yard and that was p good

28. favorite makeup brands?

not sure, i use drugstore makeup and i don’t really pay attention to the brand???? just like??? the cheapest matte full coverage makeup available at the store

29. favorite clothing stores/brands?

again not really, most of my favorite clothes come from goodwill, and when i buy clothes not from goodwill i’m looking mostly for stuff that’s comfortable and fits

30. what was your first job?

i still have my first job! i work at a children’s museum, i do kids parties, summer camps, and i tell people not to touch things!

31. do you take a lot of naps?

not really, but when i do sleep i can sleep for like 10+ hours sometimes

32. what is your favorite part about your body?

hmmmmmmmmmmmm??????? like maybe my nose??? or my shoulders?

33. are you more dominant or more submissive?

i stop typing when i see that the person i’m texting is typing, so i’m gonna day submissive

34. are you more outgoing or more shy?

it depends on like my mood and where i am, i can be very outgoing but i’m actually pretty shy in general

35. how tall are you?

5’5” ish

36. what is your body type?

lil chubby i guess

37. favorite flower?

hyacinth!

38. favorite planet?

venus!

39. what do you want to dress up as for halloween this year?

A WEREWOLF! or my finished taako cosplay!

40. do you prefer to date people the same age as you, younger, or older?

my age or older! anyone who is younger than me is a baby as far as i’m concerned!

41. describe the person you’re in love with/have a crush on in great detail.

i’d rather not

42. who is your biggest inspiration?

not really sure??

43. do you have any kinks?

nope

44. do you own any pets?

i have 2 dogs and 2 cats!

45. which celebrity do people say you look the most like?

none of them, this one time a guy who was cutting my hair said that short hair made me look like natalie portman but that is a lie

46. do you like sports?

sorta? i want to get into hockey and i used to play volleyball! when i was kid i liked to go to baseball games

47. have you ever seen a broadway musical?

no :(((((((( but i have seen some local plays!

48. what is your favorite kind of food?

vegetals

49. would you rather be a fairy or a mermaid?

fairy

50. what is your instagram?

a_k_a_loser

51. glossy lips or matte lips?

i don’t wear lipstick, but i like the look of matte lipstick!

52. do you like cherry, grape, blue raspberry, watermelon, or green apple jolly ranchers the best?

green apple!!!!!!!!!!

53. what are your best personality traits?

i can be very patient and i think i’m pretty loyal!

54. what is your ethnicity?

i am very white, but i’m also 1/4 puerto rican

55. what different hair colors have you had?

red, blonde, grey, pink, orange, silver, and right now it’s blue/green on one side!

56. favorite disney princess?

moana!

57. favorite album of 2017?

going grey!

58. have you ever had braces?

yes! and then i didn’t wear my retainer and now my teeth are fucked again!!

59. favorite holiday?

HALLOWEEEN!!!!!!!

60. post a selfie.

61. are you a good swimmer?

not at all!

62. do you wear jewelry?

sometimes, i don’t really wear earrings or necklaces very often because they make me feel too feminine, but i like rings and bracelets!

63. can you play any instruments?

no :((

64. do you have any siblings?

yes! i have two brothers! i’m the middle child

65. are your grandparents still alive? how old are they?

both of my grandfathers have passed away, but both of my grandmas are alive and in their 80s!

66. who knows the most about you?

uhhhh idk, probably my cousin @olds-paper

67. are you a more quiet person or do you talk a lot?

little of both?? it really depends on who i’m with!

68. what advice would you give to your 13 year old self?

DONT CUT YOUR HAIR TO LOOK LIKE ALICE FROM TWILIGHT, YOU WILL LOOK BAD

69. how many pillows do you sleep on?

#ask loser #me #mine #my face #this took way too long #but also thank you???#like???????#i love talking about me??????

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faespiritscribe · 6 years ago

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OH DUDE also for both Avianna and Andy: 2, 4, 5, 7, 21, 25, 30, 31, 38, A, H

2) How easy is it for your character to laugh?Avianna: Don’t even try.Andy: Pretty easy, but he’s not going to tell you if he’s doing it to make you feel good or if he actually found it funny.

4)How easy is it to earn their trust?Both: Very hard. Neither of them trust anybody without good reason. Avianna is a little bit more willing to work with people she doesn’t trust that much though, but that’s because she trusts her abilities enough to compensate.Andy is a face and a fake, but he’s not great under pressure, so he tries to avoid people that he can’t control or swindle.

5)How easy is it to earn their mistrust?Both: If you exist, you’re not trusted. Both Avianna and Andy automatically don’t trust people unless they’ve earned it.

7)What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?Avianna: Whenever she plays her bass. Avianna’s in a band called Wytch’s Brew and she’s the bassist. Her band is on a bit of a hiatus at the current point in the party, but she always gets together with them during downtime and such. Whenever the MotW crew is travelling to or from their next hunt, Avianna plugs in her headphones, turns on her bass, and plays to pass the time. It reminds her of simpler days of teenage drama instead of world-ending calamity.Andy: Probably standing on a streetcorner having a smoke. Andy spent a long time running away from his responsibilities, and sometimes having a smoke was the only time he could relax. In a way, standing at the corner, lighting one up gave him some time to think. Sometimes what he wanted to do that day, sometimes something more long-term, but either way, he always enjoyed (and still does) those few minutes of being able to just stand in one place for a while.

21)Why do they get up in the morning? Right now, because they’d rather not have the world destroyed. They a little attached to it.Before, Andy would get up because he needed to. He was a man on the run and couldn’t stay in one place for too long.Before, honestly, Avianna would get up because of Charlotte (her girlfriend, played by @nyessagaming). Although their relationship has been pretty rocky at times, Charlotte has been a constant source of encouragement for Avianna. She’d be in a much darker place without her.

25)What are their thoughts on marriage?Avianna: Maybe one day. It’s important, kinda. The ceremony of it all and stuff.Andy: Why would you want to be tied down like that?

30)Who do they most regret meeting? Avianna: Mr. Wood, because it really hurt Charlotte finding out what he had done.Andy: Either Jelmer or Robert. They’re both creepy, and he sees them both as liabilities in one way or another.

31)Who are they the most glad to have met?Avianna: Charlotte. Avianna’s pretty impersonal sometimes, but she can’t deny how great Charlotte’s been in her life.Andy: I think Andy, at one point while he was running from the agency, met a woman that he almost wanted to marry. Maria. Andy was probably caught by the agency because he couldn’t give up Maria. If he ever ran from the agency again, or was let go, he’d want to go back to Maria and try to pick things back up again.Something I’ll have to delve a little more into. I haven’t thought of it before.

38)What memory do they revisit the most often? Avianna: When Wytch’s Brew opened for Nightwish in Denver in 2012 (AU is fun). It was the biggest audience they ever played for. Charlotte was there, they got to enjoy a Nightwish concert. It was the best day in Avianna’s life. Things were simpler then.Andy: Andy probably thinks a lot about the nights he spent with Maria. From there, he thinks about all the other people he’s met while he was running, and misses the freedom.

A)Why are you excited about this character?Avianna: I’m really excited to see how she fits into the final chapters of our campaign. Because of the story our Divine has, there’s a little bit of a prophecy about how each of the characters fit into the final moments of our game, but Avianna was never included. Avianna is the Wild Card, and I’m excited to see what our GM has in mind.Andy: I really want to know if Andy gets let go by the agency after all this is over. I also want to know if Andy’s suspicions of the agency are correct or not. Lately I’ve been getting really in character and starting to believe Andy’s crazy ideas.

H)What trait do you admire most?Avianna: She’s quiet and very goth, but she doesn’t really have that stereotypical “I’m a horrible human being” attitude. She’s actually very confident in herself and her abilities, which I admire. Lore-wise, she wasn’t always like that, but now, through the way I play her, she’s a very confident woman. It feels refreshing to have a goth character that doesn’t really have that teenage depression that most goths in media are portrayed with.Andy: I don’t really admire it necessarily, but I find it funny how much of a compulsive liar he is. He avoids telling the truth as much as possible, even when the truth is sometimes the exact thing he needs to say to get out of a situation. He hides every secret he can, and often deflects things away from him and onto somebody else so that he can run away unnoticed. It’s just a funny quality that’s gotten him into trouble a couple times in-game.

#MotW #Avianna #asks #andy

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kcrabb88 · 7 years ago

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Just a fan question!XD The "Combeferre's Dad" made me wonder--as you're turning your pirate AU into a Different Story, do those characters still feel like the fic characters? Do they feel distinct and different? At what point does, say, Arthur stop feeling like "Combeferre's dad" and feel like the other character? Does it make re-reading the original fic weird, like seeing your OCs in a mirror? I'd love to hear any of your thoughts about this!

Ah this is a cool question to get! I actually think about this a lot! I think the thing with the characters is less that they’re very different and just more expanded? Once I wasn’t working in the confines of a canon, I could add things I might not have, especially with the OCs, because when I was working with them in the fic version I didn’t want to get too too deep because obviously people would want to see the canon characters! It’s what they came for. With Arthur in particular I’ve done a lot of additions of him actively and visibly fighting with and disliking Governor Travers, and I’ve added more mentions of his relationship with Chantal, as well as the probable crush he once harbored on Michel, and all of that started to make him feel as a bit more than Combeferre’s awesome, tragic dad, and a character that has his own fears and his own kind of arc, really even after he’s gone. I see Arthur very sharply in my head now, more than I did before.

With Michel it was similar. In the original I didn’t have quite as much space to explore why he was doing what he was doing, and so in the new version I did a lot with showing his fear of his father-in-law, and the idea that he is being emotionally manipulated by the old man too. Not to the level of his son, but it is more obvious that the governor kind of abuses everyone around him, really. It’s not an excuse for the things he allows at all, but it is an explanation of where his mind is. And his struggle with his feelings for Arthur are frontloaded as opposed to realized later. And I changed things with Astra to where she writes Imogen once a year as opposed to never talking to her, and amped up her love of pirates and her struggle with whether or not she made the right choice in letting the boys go. So rather than being terribly different they’re just…more expanded? So it’s not weird for me to read the original fic, because I can see where my launch point was.

Working outside the Les Mis canon (though I do still want it to have that feeling of Les Mis, those deep political and moral questions, that idea of pulling on a thread of untold history even if I’m operating outside the bounds) also made me expand a bit on some of the LM canon characters. Javert (now Nicholas Jerome) is a bit softer and more awkward at the beginning so I could build to him turning cruel out of his own fear rather than starting off as strict as he does in the fic. He’s still stern but he does things like let Rene and Frantz read stories to him, he sketches, he teases a touch more, so that as he slowly gains more power and gains his place in society, he becomes so afraid of losing that that he ends up being awful to this little kid who looked up to him. I’ve had more room to work with Valjean’s (now Ajani Danso) and Fantine’s (now Abeni) backgrounds too, because I learned a lot more about native people in the Caribbean, as well as Maroon communities. Enjolras (now Rene Delacroix) struggles more with the mental taxation of his grandfather’s abuse (he gets stress headaches, he jumps more when people touch him, etc) and he definitely starts looking up to pirates earlier and more thoroughly. There’s things like that for a lot of characters. I kept everyone, aside from Marius and Eponine, who got cut.

I’m rambling A LOT but I think the story would still seem very familiar to people who read the fic, it’s just expanded and has spots filled in that weren’t there before, and the themes are threaded through more thoroughly. There’s more mentions of sea lore and historical odds and ends and all that kind of thing. I feel now like I’ve created a world? To the point where I actually have some solid ideas for continuing into another couple of books with a sort of alternate history idea I’ve got brewing, because I end it the same way I do the fic, which is fairly open ended. And I think that’s what makes it feel different and like something that might appeal to a wider audience (or…at least that is the hope!) Actually, one of the many things that contributed to me undertaking this process was people who read the fic’s investment in my OCs? I was so excited everyone liked them!

#Thank you Pilf!#I love being asked about this process #Asks #KCrabb rambles #Sailing By Orion's Star #pilferingapples

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popwasabi · 7 years ago

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“The Last Jedi” Review: Well, this shouldn’t be controversial...(Part I)

Directed by Rian Johnson

Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fischer, John Boyega, Kelly Marie Tran

It seems fitting in a year as controversial and divisive as 2017 that the year’s biggest blockbuster would also plunge the debts of fandom into utter chaos and civil war.

Rian Johnson’s “The Last Jedi” is either the greatest Star Wars film ever made or the worst depending on which super fan you ask and its pretty nuts how much controversy can be generated by a film about essentially space samurai and x-shaped starships.

(”Rian Johnson’s a fucking genius!” “Fuck you! He raped my childhood!” “No fuck you! “Fuck YOU!” *Enraged neckbeard screaming*)

But that’s what Johnson’s film is whether we like it or not, and I think fans all around could stand to calm the fuck down a little as in this reviewers opinion it’s neither a masterpiece or a cancer on the franchise.

The film’s strong moments are very strong but its short-comings are downright baffling as well and the result is a movie I can neither love nor hate and I’m sure this will please no one in the fandom reading this review.

I actually contemplated not writing this at all because honestly discussing this film online has become needlessly exhausting because of the strong opinions on both sides but alas I have a duty to perform and I’ll try to convey my meaning in this long-winded write-up.

Picking up directly after the events of “The Force Awakens,” “The Last Jedi” follows the story of The Resistance as they make their escape from The First Order as they attempt to squash the remainder of their forces after the Star Killer base laid waste to The Republic. Poe Dameron attempts a foolhardy mission to destroy a First Order Dreadnought that ends up destroying a significant portion of The Resistance fighter ships that leads to his demotion as they make their escape. Meanwhile, Rey is trying to snap Luke Skywalker from his doldrums as she believes he could be the catalyst to help turn the tide of the war but Luke believes he has already meddled enough due to his past with Ben Solo and believes the Jedi should end with him.

Since there’s a lot to get into here I’m going to break this down in the same way I did “The Force Awakens” a couple years ago and talk about what I liked and disliked in two different parts.

Also, before we go any further, this is again a case of a film being impossible to review without getting into SPOILERS (I mean, it’s been two weeks too) so proceed forward from here with caution.

You’ve been warned…

(Whiners will be served 10 gallons of green milk from the tit of this creature...)

“Let the past die. Kill it if you have to…”

There’s a fair amount of fourth wall breaking going on in Rian Johnson’s “Last Jedi” script particularly in this line uttered by the film’s primary villain Kylo Ren aka Ben Solo who makes a big leap from “The Force Awakens” here in this movie. Through lines like these Johnson is trying to convey that the world of Star Wars is changing and what we knew before doesn’t apply as much here.

Going into this movie my biggest hope was that this film would turn the lore of this series on its head a little, after all this is the ninth movie in this franchise now and it’s been long overdue for a bit of a shakeup in what we know about the Jedi and the Force. For me at least, this film does this part of the story well.

The force becomes a little more complicated that simply wielding the light and the dark sides of it to pursue one end of dominance over the other. In this we see Luke convey this idea that the Jedi, even as users of the Light Side of the Force, weren’t necessarily as altruistic or as wise as they seemed and as bad as the prequels were they do confirm this belief. The Jedi council were fools who allowed themselves to be clouded in their judgment and a sith lord essentially ended them because they weren’t wise enough to see it coming.

(Clearly.)

Rey meanwhile is trying to find her place in all this and wants to harness her abilities so that she may become a Jedi too but Luke is having none of it. Rey soon realizes though there’s more to Luke’s past with Ben than he’s letting on, as she discovers in Force connections with Ben. It is revealed in these sequences that Luke couldn’t let the past die, that he grew arrogant with his power, like the Jedi before him and essentially tried to end another era of darkness before it could start by killing it with his “laser sword” as he puts it and in that moment of weakness he inadvertently triggers the next empire of evil through Ben.

As Rey storms off to turn Ben herself, Luke goes to the old Jedi temple where he is greeted by Yoda in ghost form who essentially tells him the same thing that past is the past and that “failure” is the best teacher in all of this. What we knew about the Force before isn’t supposed to be set in stone with the past movies, or the ancient Jedi texts as shown in the movie, how the characters of the previous films fought back against evil isn’t supposed to be the only way to achieve lasting victory. Luke thought he could do it all himself and save the galaxy like he did before and got burned for it and like his previous masters Obi Wan and Yoda, he mopes around instead of actively trying to change what happened.

There are a decent percentage of the fans who chalk this all up to a betrayal of Luke’s character. They’ll say “how can he do such a thing? How can he be so foolish?” but for me this seemed right in line with Luke’s bloodline, which has been responsible for 90 percent of the carnage in the Star Wars universe, the Jedi order being full of problems to begin with and a first time master starting this all again on his own seemed inevitable to me that he would make at least a few mistakes. Like how many times in history have new societies been built from scratch after war perfectly? It made sense to me at least that Luke would screw up a bit and much like how I enjoyed Han Solo being worn down and paternalistic in “The Force Awakens” I liked seeing Luke go through a similar pessimistic world view.

These were welcome changes to the Force, Luke and the franchise’s history that for me at least were enjoyable and one of the film’s stronger points.

Rey-levance vs Ir-Rey-levance

A lot of fan theories were started across the internet in the aftermath of “The Force Awakens” two years ago and most of them revolved around who the hell Rey’s parents were.

The last movie seemed to lean pretty heavily on this at times and emphasized that there was perhaps something important or a big huge twist that would blow fans’ minds but in the end Rian Johnson gave a big middle finger to that and declared Rey’s parents were actually nobodies.

(The average fan looking over two year’s worth of Reddit fan theory blogs after seeing the movie.)

With their theories essentially tossed to side like bantha fodder fans whipped out their torches and lightsabers protesting “How could this be?! We waited two years to be told it was all meaningless?!”

All I have to say is “yup” and honestly I dug this twist probably the most in the movie and I have partly to thank “Blade Runner 2049” for this.

In that movie the character K spends most of the movie trying to find meaning to his life, believing himself to be the child of a human and replicant, destined for some greater purpose only to discover that he was still just a normal replicant in the end.

A nobody from nowhere.

Devastated by suddenly becoming a meaningless statistic again, K all but gives up on the revolution brewing between the synthetics and humans but after remembering the loss of his girlfriend Joi he sets out anyways to save Deckard and turn the tide of the conflict.

(I mean, who isn’t motivated to do great things by tall, naked purple women?)

The essential theme of all this, at least my interpretation, is that you don’t need to be relevant to make a difference in the world and people should stop looking for meaning and start simply taking action instead. Rey goes through this same transformation in “The Last Jedi” and it’s for the most part well executed. Her heritage doesn’t determine whether or not she’s a hero, the fact that she already is gifted in the Force is all she needs to help fight in this war. She can create her own story instead of, again, the past dictating what she can and cannot do.

I had no theories going into this but this was a welcome surprise for me that Rey’s importance to the story didn’t hinge on being a Skywalker, Kenobi or a Palpatine; she was relevant by being herself.

Of course, Kylo could’ve been just fucking with her during this exchange of dialogue and the truth may yet still come out when JJ Abrams resumes the helm of the trilogy in a couple years but I would be very happy if they kept this part of the story the way it is because truly this is a great theme for a story like this and I look forward to watching Rey continue down her own path in the final film.

Kylo “Fucking” Ren

Out of all the characters the one that made the biggest leap for me between films was Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren. I was not terribly fond of the character in the first film and found him completely unintimidating and even whiney like Anakin Skywalker from the prequels.

But Kylo grows on me a lot in this one and this has a lot to do with the great chemistry Adam Driver and Daisy Ridely have together on screen in this film. The two play off each other well, almost like an abusive boyfriend dynamic and it works well during the movie.

He’s less whiney and more angry this time, barely in control of his own rage and manipulative in his exchanges with Rey through their Force speak. Kylo has a great arc though in itself here with again a nod to letting the past die by symbolically destroying the helmet he wears to honor his sith grandfather and forging his own path by killing Snoke (who I will talk about in the second part of this write up…). He’s more assertive here in his feelings and his rage and credit to Driver for really pumping out the charisma in each scene he’s in.

(Also thank you, internet. #BenSwolo)

He’s also mercifully less involved with the slapstick humor of this film than he was in “The Force Awakens” which helps up the frightening level of his power rather than detract from it like before. I would say Driver is far and away the MVP of this film largely because the writing around his character, at least, is much better this time and makes him all the more enjoyable because of it.

There’s other minor things that were decent about the film too, namely the soundtrack, the cinematography (lots of red), a pretty dope sword fight sequence and the greatest Kamekaze sequence in film history (Albeit extremely ludicrous though) but this pretty much concludes what I enjoyed about the film and now unfortunately it’s time to talk about what really didn’t work and this is what keeps this film from being anywhere near a masterpiece for me….

To be continued…

Don’t be afraid, fan boys...

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