#something like trish having an identity crisis

[basil-does-arttt]

been thinking about Trish a lot lately, and her connection to Eva

(Big ranty thing with some analysis into her character + my own headcanons about trish below)

She was created to be a carbon copy of Eva, right down to the most unimportant details. So much so that Dante recognized her immediately he didnt even do a double-take, as soon as those glasses were off he saw Eva standing infront of him instead of Trish. (I mean, blonde haired+blue eyed women arent uncommon and its not like Dante has never been into a public space before. Hes probably seen similar women to Eva many times throughout his life, but only Trish was so perfectly like Eva that he couldnt see anything else but his mother in her that first moment they met.)

But thats just physical features. It'd be too easy, too simple for Mundus to just create a look-alike to Eva. And i dont think that alone would've been enough to trick Dante either, Dante isnt an idiot no matter how dumb he acts sometimes. So, how deep into this "recreate Eva" thing did Mundus actually go?

Does Trish experience the same motherly instincts Eva had toward Dante (and Vergil)? Does she feel the need to protect them and cherish them like Eva did? Does she get urges to hold them, kiss and hug them and give them praise as Eva once did in their childhood? If so, does she ignore these feelings, pushing them down untill they're buried so deep within her mind that she's forgotten them entirely, or does she let them be and let them pass on their own, wether she acts on them or not. She's quite sassy with Dante in dmc4 and seems quite aloof in dmc5, so maybe thats how she copes with it instead - acting the total opposite to what Eva ever would.

Going even deeper into that, does Trish have any of Eva's memories? Even just vague snippets or imaginings of Eva's life, considering how well Mundus made Trish then that might not be an impossibility. If so, how much would she have the ability to recall? Could she even recall the fire, maybe? If she can, how would she feel about it. Would she grieve? Feel anger, regret, or nothing at all?

And how would she feel about all of this overall? Being a clone of Eva right down to the gritty details even Dante wouldn't know. Trish is so strongly contrasted to Eva in personality, style and tastes that i'd like to imagine she isnt that much of a fan, put simply. She's her own person, she wants to be her own person and she hates the person she represents. She hates how her existence causes pain to somebody she's wired to care so deeply for - sometimes against her will - and she hates seeing him cry or drink himself to death over that dusty old picture thats been sitting on his desk for decades, knowing that she'll only ever make it worse for him in the end, that his grief extends so far into the core of his being that nothing in existence will ever truly fix it.

She's conflicted.

She's Trish. But is she really? Or is that just who she says she is in an effort to push back and ignore the reality of her existence? Nothing more than a fake, a husk of a person who's time was cut short prematurely then taken advantage of by the very being that killed her in the first place.

She's Trish. Not Eva. She can't be Eva, and she never will be Eva. Nothing will change that. Not a dusty old picture, not an old man's delusions, not some dead demon king who breathed life into her form in the first place.

She's Trish. But who even is Trish? Her entire being has always been about Eva. She doesnt know anything else. So she overcompensates with acting sarcastic and sassy, looking hot and sexy and playing with guns and swords because those are things Eva wouldn't ever do herself. Eva. Again, it all comes back to Eva.

She's Trish. Devil hunter and the most 2000s representation of "hot blonde" one could get. Thats who she is. Or at least, that's who she's trying so desperately to be.

Trish needs more love from the developers, her character is so interesting. I have other analysis' of the other characters too if anybody would be interested in that but for now, ill leave you with my take on the iconic blonde from this wonderful series.<3

[doctorstrangereview]

0138: Defenders #21

Cover Date: March 1975 On-Sale Date: December 17, 1974

Ben Grimm says farewell to the Defenders with a "I won't let the door hit my ass on the way out" attitude. Valkyrie's identity crisis is still happening and Steve Gerber exhumes three Atlas era villains. Even when this was first published 50 years ago, Enter the Headman must have been a terrible choice for a name!

With the battle against Van Nyborg ended, Ben Grimm has had enough and takes off in the Fantasticar. Having gotten rid of the Thing, Doc and Nighthawk go into Val's Dad's house expressing their concerns about Val's downer behavior. They find Val looking at a photo album and now we know how old she is and when she got married.

Nighthawk has a less than enthusiastic reaction to his news. Val just found out this morning her body is married and doesn't know how to feel about it. Val wishes to go find him. Nighthawk bolts. We confirm that Nighthawk has the hots for Val. On a side note, Sal and colorist George Roussos have conspired to make it look like Nighthawk is wearing his underpants on the outside.

Cut to Westbury, Connecticut. There really is one. I checked! A couple find the Hulk playing with children on their front lawn. Mr. Couple freaks out and launches himself at the Hulk. Mr. Couple goes flying and Hulk barely felt it. Hulk then gets angry, demolishes Mr. Couple's house and flies off to the relief of neighbor Dr. Arthur Nagan. Dr. Nagan goes to his house where a dude with far too much skin is conducting an experiment. He's produced a formula form them to exact revenge for something or other. They just need the proper head to receive it. Yeah, it sounds that way to me too. Dr. Nagan informs extremely wrinkled skin man that he already has a proper head.

Back to Coobler's Roost, Val has located her "husband's" boarding house and she is received by a very unwelcoming Ms. Lafferty, the houses owner. She accuses Val of terrible things like trying to divorce Jack for the money he inherited from his father. Val runs off begging Doc to take her home. The pair magically pop back to Doc's Sanctum Sanctorum in New York City while we change our focus to Nighthawk.

Nighthawk is think as Kyle, not his hero alter-ego and ponders about all the weird women he's wooed and dated. His mind drifts to someone named Trixie. Entering his fancy penthouse, he finds said Trixie waiting for him. Kyle tells Trixie that the Nighthawk uniform is more than a Halloween costume and asks Trixie if she's got any skeletons in her closet. She says she's got an evil uncle but, in the classic Airplane style, that's not important.

We find Hulk's alter-ego, Dr. Bruce Banner walking up to Doc's Sanctum. Doc and Clea hear Bruce knock on the door and answer it as Wong is busy making dinner and Val is on the couch sulking. Bruce collapses when he gets in the house and Doc puts him in a chair to rest. For a former top neurosurgeon this level of care seems a bit inadequate.

Our mystery men from Connecticut have driven into New York City and await an assignation with a third. After a long-winded explanation on why they can't take their formula, the third appears and it's Chondu the Mystic. He's obviously named after Chandu the Magician from early movie and serial fame. According to official sources, Chandu was an inspiration for Doc!

Chondu lets us know what happened to the two others. Dr. Nagan had his head transplanted onto an ape's body and excessively wrinkled man work with cellular compression but didn't get it quite right. Dr. Nagan injects the formula directly into Chondu's skull and things start to go nutty from there.

Nighthawk is out on his balcony. Trixie, a.k.a. Trish fell asleep mid-sentence and has now come barging out onto the balcony not looking entirely sane.

After slapping her out back into unconsciousness he looks down and see's the rest of city in a similar state. Back at the Sanctum Hulk has started acting like all the other insane residents of the city, rudely breaking one of Doc's windows. Val attempts to subdue the green menace but he's too powerful for her. Doc attempts magical means but some sort of interference prevents him.

Dr. Nagan is robbing a jewelry store and thinking world domination thoughts when he's clobbered by Nighthawk. Dr. Nagan slaps back with his bag of jewels (the one's he robbed, not those) and Nighthawk is stunned for a bit. Dr. Nagan returns to his partners in crime just as the serum in Chondu wears off. They drive off before the police start hunting and the city's residents start returning to normal. Nighthawk returns to his teammates while Doc ponders if it's over or just a prelude for more naughtiness to come.

This issue closes out the previous arc with the Thing and expands on Val's identity crisis. Had I remembered how long her crisis went on I'd have created a tag for it. We also get some insight into Kyle's background. One of his ex-girlfriends has stopped by for a reason yet to be determined and will probably have implications for our non-team. There's no additional insight into Doc or Hulk. Perhaps Steve is leaving that to those character's solos books.

Drawing on unofficial Marvel pre-history (anything before FF #1 during this era) is always a bit of fun. It certainly won't have the explosive popularity of dragging Namor and Captain America into the present. Each of three had a single appearance back when Marvel was sometimes calling itself Atlas. They were short tales with an ironic ending. Dr. Nagan is the only one who is sinister while Shrunken bones is misguided. He must have continued his experiments off-screen because he didn't look like that at the end of his first tale. Chondu was practically a hero, if a ruthless one, sentencing a criminal to spend the rest of his life in limbo.

It's a somewhat promising start. We'll have to see where it goes.

[codenamehazard]

.:Down the Rabbit Hole:.

Chapter 31: Down the Rabbit Hole

Hey guys!

Time to keep following Cole on this rigmarole of a rabbit chase and see what happens next now that he's in the big top that gives Tri-Point its name!

Without further ado, let's jump in!

--------

“Alright, you damned rabbit. This game’s gone on long enough!!”

I rip random shit out from their places as I search high and low for this antlered thorn in my side, not really caring what it is or who it might belong to. I don’t know what it’s trying to get at, but it’s only going to make things so much worse for it when I get my hands on it. “How do I see myself?” What kind of mind games is it trying to play; Especially with asking that while I was literally looking in a damn mirror? The answer is literally staring me in the face! I’m me! Always have been.

That damn question though… It circles in my head more than I’d like, fucking vultures riding a rising current of hot air. While yes, it is true that I haven’t physically changed much, but I have. God I hate to admit it, but so much has changed that I’m not even sure who I am anymore. Everything that made me the man I was is gone, torn asunder and ashes in the wind. Zeke’s been dead for what… Two, three years? Trish has been gone longer still. Empire City is crater, courtesy of John. Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s been deemed the US’s own Chernobyl or something.

Any ties I had to that old life is just… Gone. Save for whatever tiny scraps I managed to salvage… The life I had planned for, the life I wanted, will never come to be.

It’s not helped by the fact that I’ve been nothing more than either some kind of errand boy or a puppet on fucking strings ever since I was popped out of my mother. Any choice I made was either deemed incorrect, wrong or the choice was outright taken away! At this point, I’ve stopped trying.

Now I’m starting to understand the question and my answer is: “Does it fucking matter?”

My rampage in the big top continues on, leaving debris of knocked over furniture, confetti and dust in my wake when I think I see a plume of purple in my periphery. I turn my head to look, but see nothing, probably just glitter or some shit like that. However, I do spot another flash, another mirror. What a fucking coincidence.

I try to ignore it and focus on my task of finding that damn rabbit, but every time I see glimpses of my reflection, my curiosity grows… I eventually just say “fuck it” and walk over.

I make note of the mirror now that I’m actually looking at it. It’s one of those full, stand-up mirrors you find in those old as fuck mansions that are definitely not haunted. I know those ghost stories and while those kinds of things were more Zeke’s wheelhouse, with the “Killer Clown” vibes this place has going on? I’m not taking any chances… Especially with a circus full of Conduits.

I walk to the mirror, making sure I’m far enough away that should some fucking “Ringu” or “Grudge” thing be hiding in the mirror tries to grab me or some shit like that I can jump back out of reach, but close enough to see my full body in the reflective glass.

Damn… There’s a lot more change than I thought now that I look at myself fully.

My skin actually looks half-way healthy, slightly tanned from being cooked in the sun and bringing out the freckles that I had as a kid. The only hint of the pale, sickly grey that I’m used to seeing all over my body is focused on the scar that tracked across my chest like spider lightning through the clouds. First time in a long time I get to see that painful reminder.

I look at my clothes and it hammers home just how much I’ve changed, it’s honestly strange. I can see bits and pieces of someone new, yet it’s still my face, still my scars… I can almost feel my mind starting to struggle a bit. Trying to decide who this person in the mirror is even though I know it’s still me.

As I’m having a slight identity crisis, I hear something whisper in my ear. “How do you think others see you?”

A Punch Blast rips from my hands as I whirl around with a start, sending a popcorn machine and some heavy props flying in its wake. I scan the area, ready to fry the bastard that’s been toying with me ever since I stepped into this madhouse. I growl loudly as my frustration grows, seeing nothing. 

“Hey, fuzzy lil’ fucker!” I shout out, my accent starting to slip more than I’d like. “Stop fuckin’ aroun’ with me and face me!” 

All I get is crickets as I sweep the area, looking for hide or hair of the pain in my ass, but of fucking course, the rabbit is nowhere to be seen. I am getting so sick and tired of all of these games.

If I was a less stubborn man, I would have given up at this point and head back to the hospital to take a long-ass nap. Sadly, I am not a less stubborn man and I want that bunny made into a pair of leather gloves for all the grief it’s put me through.

What I didn’t know is that I’m in for one hell of a shock myself when I turn around and face the mirror again.

Staring back at me isn’t myself… It doesn’t even look human, it looks closer to a living storm, not a shred of humanity to be seen in its crimson eyes. It almost frightened me. Yet…. Somehow I knew that it’s still me.

It’s twisted and monstrous, even more so than how I am in my Beast form… Or is that not my Beast form and what I’m looking at is supposed to be what it’s actually supposed to look like? I remember John’s whole shtick was being a giant magma golem of a monster and I could never figure out how to get that.

I growl and shake my head before dismissing the reflection and walking away, remembering the question and guessing that’s what the mirror was showing; how others saw me.That I couldn’t give less of a rat’s ass about. Not surprising in the least that people saw me less as an actual person and more of a monster or a force of nature, something soulless and without care. It’s honestly nothing new to me.

I’ve been a reject of society ever since I knew what that was. Always casted aside: mocked, shunned and scapegoated in some way, shape or form. So how is this any different? Always a fuck-up, so fucking what? It’s a non-issue at this point. They can think however they want, as long as those dumb shits stay the hell out of my way, then there will be no issues.

My search for Bugs Bunny’s horned cousin continues when I think I see something else furry, a fluffy looking tabby cat sitting on a chest. Not what I’m looking for, but okay.

Though as I look at it, I can’t tell if it’s the color of my lightning or what, but I swear this cat was an odd color… Almost blending in with the hue my sparks bathed the area in, but it was definitely an unnatural color for a cat, pink? Purple? I couldn’t tell, nor did I care.

I try to get close so I can get a better look at the feline, but as I did, the cat turns to purple smoke and flits away. Are you fucking kidding me?!? First a white rabbit who can teleport, now a purple-y cat that can turn to smoke, what’s next? Am I gonna stumble across a giant ass caterpillar smoking from a hookah or something?!? I watch the wisp dart around, the sight feeling familiar for some odd reason.

I don’t have much time to ponder that before it dashes off, prompting me to go after it.

“Maybe this fucker will lead me its little bunny friend.” I think to myself before following it through the big top and find it went through a door. I narrow my eyes in suspicion, this reeks of a trap, yet something keeps telling me to push forward. Is it my curiosity? My stubbornness? Or is it me thinking that I’ve made it this far in, might as well how deep this goes?

Doesn’t matter which it is as I follow the smoke inside.

Through the door, I am damn near blinded by the amount of light my dark-adjusted eyes were subjected to, forcing me to cover them until they had readjusted. I remove my hands and my jaw falls open at the sight I see.

That cat lead me into a fucking mirror maze.

“What’s with all the goddamn mirrors?!” I growl out loud as I look around, seeing myself at damn near every conceivable angle. The scowl on my face deepens the more I see my reflections, I already don’t like seeing myself, let alone being stuck in a room that’s nothing but myself. It infuriates me to no end. It’s almost dizzying and disorienting with everything reflecting everything else. I start to step back, I’m getting in over my head. I need to get out so I can regroup and…

A voice stops my thoughts dead in its tracks as an all too familiar voice hisses in my ear, full of venom and cruelty.

“Do you want to see who you really are?”

The door behind me slams shut with a deafening “BANG” as I try to get out. There was nothing to grab hold of and no way to force it open, it’s flushed with the wall. I’m stuck in here and that damned voice laughs at my struggle and plight. I fire off an Alpha Blast to blow the door open, but it bounces off the reflection and damn near hits me in the process. I can feel my heart start to race as the fact sinks in more and more. I’m trapped in this damned maze.

I slowly turn around, knowing what I have to do, but what I see behind me… My eyes widen as I can feel the color drain from my face, my blood runs cold as I face what is my worst fear made manifest.

“No…”

[peaky-shelby]

omg, hi bub! after this chapter I just knew I had to send a message. This was most definitely one of the best chapters I've EVER read in all of the fandoms that I've been in.

The way you have built the angst not only with kyks and taylor but also slowly with the other players, i truly cannot imagine how they are gonna react when they find out, i wonder if marquinhos is gonna be able to still defend her even when all of the others are against her.

But kylian fucking mbappe really pushes your fucking limits, what he said in the interview trying to tease her but then wanting to be given another chance once he saw she wasn't playing around was so fucking funny. He really has no middle ground, it's like he either hates her or wants to protect her. I can't get enough of it (tho, he'd be fucked if he said that to me XDDD) I really want to know why he feels so mad about her having been a football player before? idk if it was something that I missed?

The last part at the bar was so ehnfqewufnqbrwhjnd, like it's hot but at the same time so fucking infuriating, like I wanted tay to shut him up so bad, but i can't wait to see how it's going to go down since it was marquinhos that separated them both. i just know kylian is gonna be so fcking jealous and I love ittttttttttt.

i hope trish can help tay once the truth comes out because I feel like she's really gonna need someone to support her :((((((((((((((((((

Aaaaaaah i love this message!!!

Alright just so i can answer your question right away.

Kylian had been feeling shit after the world cup. Everyone had these big expectations of him and now they are all expecting to fail basically in ever game he plays in. When Taylor comes along with her knowledge and her history and the influence she has on Galtier he is terrified and knows that there's something more going on.

So when he finds out that she really isn't just a journalist and she has a GOOD history in playing he is intimated. She already got him benched somehow for the first half of the game and he doesn't even understand how that's possible. If she's been hiding this about her identity then what else is she hiding?

Basically he is having a self crisis, doubting everything he does and Taylor is a constant reminder of that. The more he allows her to see, the more she reflects the broken pieces of him. And what if one day he ends up like her as well? A great player with a very short lived career.

The reason why the previous chapter was 10k was because i wanted them to reach the limit both of them. Kylian is turning into the lowest of the low, while Taylor is losing her brutal and badass ways because she is attached to all the players now and she has to find a balance. It's basically a reset for both of them to get their shit together.

He doesn't hate her, he hates what she represents which to him is all his failures and his possible downfall. When he realizes she is the key to the exact opposite he'll turn around. When i said this was enemies to lovers i meant it.

Thank you for reading!!! It means the world to me! If anyone are you has any more questions like that I'd love to answer them.

[kidmachinate]

Future Plans?

So many thoughts and reflection on here good or bad. We're shifting back to a positive note. We've got two characters here I identify with. Maybe they aren't exact MBTI matches but I enjoy the characters within the games and what they stand for. If I ever did a cosplay, the choice has always been Cloud from Final Fantasy VII or Dante from Devil May Cry. Let's get into it.

For Cloud, he represents a version of me that shifts between confident but perhaps with a bit of identity crisis and vulnerability. He can be really caring but also be kinda apathetic and standoffish, which is something I find myself doing when a forced agenda, opinion, or nonsense statement gets made. Cloud's very simple "not interested" line in Advent Children describes a lot of how I feel with tasks that aren't fulfilling but may have to do anyway. Cloud has a real heart for doing the right thing, even if it takes him a while to figure things out. You stubborn silly man.

For Dante, the man oozes confidence. I've gotta really be at my best to feel anywhere close to his level of confidence but it is how I try to approach life, even if I don't feel that way. Guns blazing, huge smile, and a determination to win against all odds. Willing to both face his demons but also understand that he can tap into one as well. Dante takes demon slaying seriously but has a heart and cares for people like Trish and Lady, even if he gives them a hard time sometimes.

It has always been between these two. Just what feels right to actually dress as in a cosplay. There's plenty of gaming icons out there but these are the two that I think I can identify with and pull off in style.

[vitavitale]

Because my portrayal sets V completely apart from Sparda’s descendants to give him unique origins and an identity, this affects canon events and greatly alters relationships and other canon details. Therefore, I’ve listed below all the points that have been changed or disregarded to fit my portrayal of V. These are important to keep in mind, especially for Vergil, Dante, and Nero muses. If you play any of these characters and would like to discuss these points with me for future ic interactions, please feel free to IM me.

These are lengthy and detailed, and bursting with spoilers---but I imagine the majority of readers will have already become familiar with the game’s events. Do not proceed if you’re still avoiding spoilers! 

V has no prior relationship with Vergil, Dante or Nero before the events of DMC5.

V has heard about Dante through what little information Griffon has learned during his time in the underworld (more or less regarding the events at Mallet Island); and later, partly, through reputation. 

V doesn’t know anything about Nero pre-DMC5 aside from very little learned from Griffon. He does later (some little time after hiring Dante) contact Nero through astral projection to persuade him (in a dream) into traveling to Red Grave to help with the crisis. If you play Nero, we can sort this out together.

V doesn’t know that Nero’s arm was taken by Vergil/Urizen for a fact, but Vergil’s humanity sharing space with V’s subconscious will strongly suggest that Nero’s arm has been violently sundered and there is some strange phantom guilt V will be impressed with over this.

V doesn’t know (at least for a fact) that Urizen/Vergil is Dante’s “reason,” but he will nonetheless have this vague inkling that the name “Vergil” will mean something to Dante. Because he has no real knowledge or evidence, Dante will doubt in him at the start.

V is influenced by Vergil’s humanity to attempt waking Dante by threatening his life with the Sparda. More of Vergil bleeds through V at this moment, influencing his actions and even his dialogue. V otherwise knows nothing of Dante’s character.

The attack on the twins’ childhood home is not something that V has any personal memory of. He wasn’t alive when that happened. Thus, the scene in which he is with Nero and reflects on the house will instead have V note that he’s learned about a previous attack on the city/the area years after it’s happened. Vergil’s humanity might have a little to add there, to V’s perceptions.

V reflecting upon “mommy dearest” has nothing to do with the house, Eva, or the dregs occupying his mind. Rather, it’s prompted by his surroundings—a graveyard, appropriately—and the fact that he will occasionally think about his own mother’s death, a thing he harbors immense guilt over. He will be horrified to discover that his mother’s remains were put to rest at that same graveyard. Vergil will have no input.

V does not share the story of “his birth” with Trish. He will instead talk about how he knows what he knows, how it feels like another person is within him and gradually gaining prominence.

V has no involvement in the separation of Vergil’s human and demon halves outside of being a bystander and I will not change this. A Vergil player will have to talk about this with me so that we may figure out how best to approach these particular points.

V’s deterioration is attributed to a reflection of Vergil’s condition at the moment he split man from devil. Because Vergil’s humanity was dying and V unwittingly absorbs that spirit into his, he becomes a vessel for all that was cast aside, including crumbling flesh. V is the one physically dying for as long as Vergil remains separated from Urizen. 

V receives glimpses of Vergil’s thoughts, memories, even feelings through this link, and they intensify and grow in frequency as time progresses. V may refer to these as premonitions or visions, and it’s how he learns more about the individual sharing mental space with him (also how he seems to know certain things about Urizen). Unfortunately, the line between them blurs to a point that V starts questioning his identity and his sanity.

V’s affliction is lifted when he reunites Vergil with Urizen. His overwhelmingly human blood touches Urizen’s core, returning Vergil’s human residue to the demon via the conductive metal of his cane. A surge of energy results from the impact, blowing V backward a good distance and knocking him unconscious. He doesn't know what happens next until after Vergil and Dante enter the underworld, when he later gains consciousness and is told by Nero or Nico, or anyone else involved about what he’s missed. 

V knows nothing of Vergil, has not even seen him when he first emerges. Memories of Vergil’s memories will have largely faded upon separating, but V will be left with whatever vague knowledge he’s gained as a result of their former attachment. Further, V likely won’t find out the truth about Vergil unless Nero or another interested party explains.

V’s familiars never leave him, therefore Dante has no need to fight them. This almost completely nullifies mission 18, but the mission itself (in my view) does little to impact the story to begin with.

That being said, his familiars have no connection or attachment to Nelo Angelo whatsoever. Nightmare may have its own memories of him, but even their past “partnership” (if we should call it that) does not in any way bind Nightmare to any form of Vergil at any point.

Vergil does not recover V’s book as it isn’t his; therefore, he has nothing to leave Nero at the end of the game.

[devilrev]

this post is tagged, however, be aware, this post DOES contain SPOILERS for the story of d.mc 5. 

—— the guilt nero carries from being unable to save credo haunts him still, as he himself stated, but this reaches to a point of obsession. until the very point at which he repeatedly mentions being ‘ dead weight ‘ after dante claimed him to be. it’s near impossible to accept for him, failing again, and remains a driving point. i’m going to develop this more, but nero definitely has symptoms of a form of ptsd ( obsession, guilt, overly vigilant ), and relies on his personality of being brash, wild, and confident ( all true ) as compensation for excusing portions of his behaviors. 

—— another identity crisis spurred on by the announcement of his father. having to look at him, look at what he did, what he has done, and what he still planned to do. in those moments, processing, having to recall and think if he would perhaps turn into something akin to that. forever seeking power. forever seeking something to compensate for his past. if he would succumb to something darker within him. if all those around him had been wrong, and he yet remained the demon accused from the time in fortuna. 

—— to end the cycle, something that’d come of his own choice. he couldn’t become either, & perhaps it took a perspective that belonged to a realm besides the others. not yet turned, hurt, and lost among their own spirit to recognize. ultimately, seeing both fall to their choice of entering hell, a final sacrifice, it is difficult to discern if that was the best course for it. if he truly accomplished it then. protecting family. protecting the world. 

—— earnestly still curious to have vergil answer if he has ‘ recognized his existence ? or recognized his strength ? ‘ he’ll keep the book given for as long as his father does not return, maybe pick up a thing or two from there. he has infinite questions, though, firstly, as with anything it would begin with why. to know of his birth. of his consequence. of what his father believed him to be. and, far more than likely, to fight again. to argue. to let out that desperation of being alone for so long, lost and without someone to guide. 

—— calling on kyrie, the one person that’d deemed him far more human than those he’d known to be of it by nature. to have someone he knows can be trusted. someone he has relied on, and, in truth, feels pangs of guilt for leaning on so heavily and hopes to repay in time. he knew the answer, yes, like i’ve said in my dossier page that he’s decided on becoming a defense against the dark. however having her speak it, help him better understand. also, absolutely, he has called kyrie for simple decisions as much as complicated ones.

—— nero feels the weight of dante’s burden, and, to some extent, from vergil as well. being something of both, in one capacity or another. to carry the title of devil hunter, working and planning to expand devil may cry to separate branches in some time. working with trish, lady, and nico. likely seeking capable hunters alongside the three, ensuring the earth never falls to demonic possession again. all until the time dante and vergil return, all until he can show that he has done right by them. 

aside: nero particularly pushes for the orphanage shared with kyrie to see if they can find individuals that are victims of demonic attacks or other acts and ensuring they can recover safely, well, and be given a guide.

[mandibierly]

‘Broadchurch’ Final Season: David Tennant Previews Hardy and Miller’s Slight Role Reversal

Olivia Colman as DS Ellie Miller and David Tennant as DI Alec Hardy in BBC America’s Broadchurch (Photo: Colin Hutton)

“I know that there’s been an impatience from some of our American friends,” David Tennant says, explaining why he, too, is happy that our wait for the third season of Broadchurch is finally over. Two months after the British import finished its eight-week run in the UK, the final season premieres on BBC America this Wednesday.

The story picks up three years after the events of the Season 2 finale, with DI Alec Hardy (Tennant) back working side-by-side with DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) as a new case rocks the seaside community. As we learn straight away, a local woman named Trish Winterman (Happy Valley‘s Julie Hesmondhalgh) has been raped and is unable to identity her attacker.

“To get to come back and tell one final story was an honor, really. And to be telling a story like this, which is about a very difficult subject, and a subject that is often mistreated by television drama, and to do it in a way that [Broadchurch creator/writer] Chris Chibnall approached it, with real dignity and clarity of purpose and a delicacy that I think treats the subject and, indeed, the victims of these terrible crimes with a dignity and a clear-sightedness — yes, it’s a real privilege to be part of that,” Tennant says. “And it’s a show that people wanted to see. What a treat to be part of something that there’s an appetite for, and that people are waiting for. It’s a responsibility — you’ve got to get it right. But it’s lovely to be in the midst of something that is so enjoyed. … You make stories to connect with people, and that’s clearly what Broadchurch has managed to do.”

It’ll also be clear from the get-go that Chibnall, who had the counsel of Dorset’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre and Dorset Rape Crisis throughout his writing process, wanted to show a sort of “best practices” for how women should be treated when they come forward and evidence is collected. “You want to show people that there are these systems in place, and that victims are believed. That victims are looked after. And although it’s awful perhaps to have to relive some of those events, that it’s worth doing because there is something that can be done and that it’s not something to be ashamed of,” Tennant says. “As an actor, of course, you take pains to get that right. We talked to officers. We talked to sexual assault workers. We didn’t want to treat it like play; we wanted to make sure we were giving it the attention and the truthfulness that that subject deserved. We’re, of course, set on our way by Chris, who spent months and months researching every aspect of the world of what happens to a sexual assault victim — what support is given and what support is lacking. I think he did that beautifully. He told that story with a real levelheadedness and clear-eyedness, which was wonderful to then retell.”

That doesn’t mean that the investigation runs smoothly, however. As is hinted at in the promo for the season, Hardy and Miller have slightly different approaches when it comes to obtaining Trish’s full, official statement about the night she was assaulted. Hardy pushes for her to do it asap, because he feels a responsibility to find the rapist before another woman is attacked; Miller would prefer to let Trish decide when she’s ready.

“Dramatically, you want the two characters to behave in slightly different ways, but I think the research we did indicated that that’s often the case. Obviously, this is not across the board, but there’s lots of evidence that male officers often find themselves struggling with their own guilt for their own gender, a disgust in their own maleness, whereas female officers are often a bit more clearheaded about it, a bit more methodical, a bit easier to look past the emotion — which was interesting and hadn’t really occurred to me, but I suppose makes sense when you start thinking about it,” Tennant says. “What it came to is that so many of the people that work in that field have such compassion, such delicacy, and that was something that we wanted to reflect. I think both Hardy and Miller have that, although they come at it from slightly different angles. But then those characters have always done that in the show up to this point. They’ve had a very different approach to policing, and Hardy has always felt the one in control and Miller’s been a slightly more emotional one. Those roles slightly reverse here. Hardy feels a little more helpless, a little more infuriated. He says, ‘I can understand a murder, but this. I just don’t get it.’ He can’t get his mind into the mind of a perpetrator, and that infuriates him in itself.”

The final season of Broadchurch premieres June 28 at 10 p.m. on BBC America.

[doctorstrangereview]

0141: Defenders #22

Cover Date: April 1975 On-Sale Date: January 21, 1975

Valkyrie is still in the throes of her identity crisis. Looks like this will go on for awhile. Marvel attempts some social relevance a la DC's Street-Fairing Heroes, Green Lantern and Green Arrow with none of the charm or effectiveness. This leads into a horde of funny-dressed racists. Read on!

Val has been wandering around thinking deep thoughts like "I know who I am, but I ain't got none of this Barbara person's memories." She accidently kicks an empty whiskey bottle on the street. This breaks her concentration and she looks around. This is not the nicest of neighborhoods. "I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore," the Asgardian goddess/college dropout/cultist thinks.

She sees two men in a fight and this snaps her completely out of her brooding mood. She may not know exactly who she is, but whoever that is, she doesn't want to watch people die. Val stops one of the dudes from knifing the other dude and he ain't happy.

Our attacked has a number of problems with this new stranger. She's white and she's blond and he thinks she's rich. His perceived impingement on his masculinity doesn't help matters either. While the first dude is criticizing Val, the other dude leaps to attack the pair. Val draws Dragonfang from its sheath and suddenly her clothes look much less Saks Fifth Avenue. The sword blocks the attackers blade, shattering it. Val continues to question the their masculinity.

The two dudes run off and Val hears a woman scream from inside one of the nearby tenements. Entering the building, Val finds the woman and she tells her that someone is going to kill her baby. Val finds a crib with a baby and a rat the size of a cat. Val dispatched the rodent with her usual style.

Val asks the woman how she can live under these circumstances and she unloads about rent, welfare, dog food, milk and a few other things and gets angry with the woman who just saved her kid because she thinks Val is "one of them." Val says she will fend them some shelter and perhaps a solution to her situation. The woman and child come along.

Kyle Richmond is at a party. He's recovered nicely, physically. He's still in a bad mood about Trish losing her arm. Another party goer, Ginny, drags Kyle back into the party and he is accosted by a real estate developer. Kyle brushes him off by giving him Pennysworth's number and leaves the party. Ginny wants him to stay, but Kyle says he'll make it up to her. Perhaps he's more over Trish than he lets on. Kyle leaves and heads over to Doc's Sanctum Sanctorum.

The Defenders are having quite a time with the woman, now named Elena and her child. Clea has donned a fetching green outfit and apparently dyed her hair blond. Perhaps she was getting jealous of Val. She did keep the adorable little "horns" in the front of her do.

Doc explains about poverty and that it's not something they can really change, but the conditions in Elena's building are illegal and they'll investigate it in the morning. Outside, someone is looking in. How mysterious! We'll find out more about this mystery dude in the near future.

Kyle arrives in his taxi and shoos off the mystery peeper. Kyle doesn't find the situation friendly as he left one party only to apparently stumble into another. Val takes him aside and gets him up to date on what's going on.

Back in the slum, a group of funny dressed racists attack one of the tenements "so shall we drive from this land the unfit... the foreign born... the inferior!" They launch a fireball into an blind old black man's apartment.

Amos and other tenants begin to burn alive as the cowardly racists run away. Doc offers Elena and her child shelter for the night. She says she needs some things for the baby. Wanting to see the conditions she's forced to live under, the Defenders all go to the apartment. It's too late, the entire building has burned and all that's left is a shell. A fancy car pulls up and out steps the building's owner, Harold Holliman. This is the dude that tried to talk up Kyle at the party earlier. He immediately attempts to blame the resident's for the fire. Something tells me he and Kyle won't be doing business.

The confrontation doesn't get any better as Mr. Holliman reveals how racist he actually is.

Doc manages to save the day by levitating the landlord from hell out of the reach of the terribly treated residents. The cowardly racists then return and start throwing more firebombs while shouting racist things.

They say lots of "white" things and Hulk gets offended.

Hulk punches the street, causes a shockwave and sends the funny-dressed flying all over. The residents take advantage of the situation to attack the racists along with the Defenders. Doc tries to calm the situation but nobody can hear him. He uses some nearby firehouses to beat the hell out of the racists.

The racist Sons of the Serpent retreat, vowing to return.

Re-reading these stories after a long time makes me wish that the creative team dedicated an issue or two just to Val's identity crisis instead of dragging it out over many months. The mystery is intriguing I'm losing interest over the amount of time it's taking to resolve. Val is continually distracted from her goal and allows herself to be constantly dragged away from her mission.

Other than that, this definitely has the flavor of the old Green Lantern/Green Arrow team ups from just a few years earlier. Marvel's version of social awareness is more in-your-face and feels more forced. And I don't think the Green pair faced a group of super-racists.

It could be interesting...