#surprise that most of the characters I don't like are the villains haha
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mewnia · 1 year ago
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Who's your favorite and least favorite characters from every tales of game you played
Oh heck, you gonna make me choose? Okay, here it goes--
Symphonia
Fav: it's a tie between Colette and Emil! As for who I like to draw more, that's definitely Colette :P
Least Fav: Yuan. I dunno man, I just don't click with him. I sincerely wish I could love him as much as so many fans do!
Abyss
Fav: call me basic but I love Luke so much
Least Fav: Mohs LOL I don't dislike anyone in the main cast! One of the more solid groups, to me. Mohs can die tho (and did)
Vesperia
Fav: Judith! Don't get me wrong, I love Flynn. But they make him so boring in the definitive version, it's very hard to defend his character there.
Least Fav: Zagi.
Graces
Fav: Sophie!
Least Fav: ngl, it's been a hot minute since I've played Tales of Graces, and a lot of my memories of it are mucked up due to dealing with a toxic relationship at the time. Atm I'd say mix between Cheria and Malik? But I plan to do a new play through of that game some day soon to get a better, fresher feel, I promise. Carry this opinion with a grain of salt.
Xillia
Fav: tie between Milla and Gaius! They're both so awesome, and I LOVE drawing Milla when I get the chance! Gaius especially gets up there after playing Xillia 2.
Least Fav: Presa.
Zestiria
Fav: I LOVE LAILAH I love her so much. But call me basic again, cuz I also really like Sorey and how they characterize him. He's still a basic main character, but there's this small twist to him, y'know?
Least Fav: I had to rewrite this because I legitimately forgot Lunarre existed. Haha! I feel like they just kept him in because they liked his design so much.
Berseria
Fav: why try and put a bunch of bad bitches against each other?
Least Fav: I do, however, have complicated feelings about Kamoana. The role she plays is a good concept, but. That's a child. Put some clothes on her. (also this is a personal thing, but I really can't handle her English voice actor's performance)
Arise
Fav: tie between Law and Shionne!
Least Fav: Vholran.
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smokesandsonatas · 3 months ago
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Twisted Wonderland but make it grounded in dark reality. I drafted this around late 2023 and I just finished this now, haha. As always read at your own discretion and enjoy!
Warnings: Implied cannibalism. Dread.
Characters: Floyd and Jade, Leona, Ruggie, Rook, Idia, Lillia, Malleus, Others.
Not beta read.
Food.
- Any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. A means for survival.
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You’ve always known most of them are peculiar creatures. Sharp teeth, mismatched eyes, monstrous forms, fins that glint with predatory sharpness, and horns that pierce the sky with arrogant pride. They embody the villains from the old fairy tales back in your world, grotesque and terrifying in equal measure. You suppose they function like civilized beings—they’ve learned to blend into human society, after all—but you can’t help but notice just how different, how unnervingly similar, they are to one thing: food.
The dishes at this college are like nothing you've ever tasted. Perhaps it's because many of them are children of royalty, so even the cafeteria food tastes like something out of a king's banquet. The pickiness of their palates is evident in every bite, in every carefully crafted dish. But there are things you find more intriguing than their refined taste; something almost hypnotic about the way they eat, especially when they don't mind you watching.
The scent of something delicious invaded Ramshackle Dorm in the dead of night. You assumed Grim was cooking, as ridiculous as that sounded, but found the little gremlin snoozing soundly beside you. Maybe it was the ghosts? But as you descended the stairs, you found the kitchen empty, devoid of any culinary activity. One glance at the night sky over Sage’s Island told you it was around 3 AM—far too early for breakfast, and far too late for dinner.
You tried to go back to sleep, but the tantalizing scent of roasted meat kept you awake, gnawing at your resolve until you could no longer ignore the hunger pangs twisting your stomach. Leaving Grim behind, you draped the sheets over his body, muttering a promise to return soon. Your curiosity and hunger led you to the cafeteria, which should have been deserted at this hour, but to your surprise…
They were all there. The ones you’ve grown closest to.
They were gathered around a long, elegant table, the atmosphere eerily reminiscent of Mostro Lounge—dim lights casting soft, ominous shadows across their faces. The table was laden with exquisite, expensive cuts of meat, arranged in a feast fit for monsters. And in the center of it all, a massive stack of roasted meat commanded your attention.
It looked…perfect. The tenderloin, you assumed, was butter-soft, with a thick, moist cut that bled a light pink from the center. The outer layer was roasted to a flawless crisp. But something about the presentation unnerved you, a chill creeping up your spine.
The pile of meat looked too much like the carcass of a person. Or a beast, perhaps. It was hard to tell. But you could almost see the outline of a body, as though someone—someone about five or six feet tall—had been subjected to the furnace’s extreme heat, roasted beyond recognition. Was that hair you saw near what should have been the head? Before you could inspect further, a voice called out to you.
"Ah! You're here! Come and join us, Shrimpy!" Floyd’s voice rang out, cheerful and disturbingly eager. His sharp teeth gleamed in the dim light, rows of jagged edges that could tear through flesh with ease. Beside him, Jade chuckled, slicing into a slab of meat with surgical precision, the knife gliding through like it was cutting butter.
Your eyes scanned the gathering. At the head of the table sat Tsunotaro—Malleus, the prince of fae. You frowned, under the impression that he usually is not invited in gatherings like this. But he nodded at you, a small, regal acknowledgment. “I was invited by Lilia,” he explained, his voice low and melodic. You glanced at his plate—a half-eaten steak submerged in a thick, red sauce. The metallic, almost fishy scent wafted up, assaulting your senses.
Before you could react, Lilia appeared beside you, his small hand guiding you to a seat. His right hand held a wine glass filled with a creamy red liquid that clung to the inside of the chalice. You tried to dismiss the fact that it looked too much like blood—thick, viscous blood. Surely, wine wasn’t supposed to look like that, but who were you to judge?
“Bonjour, Trickster! ~” Rook’s voice whispered in your ear, and when you turned, you were met with a sight that made your stomach turn. The smell hit you first—foul, putrid, like a freshly killed animal left to rot. It was too strong, the copper and iron scent so overpowering you had to fight to keep your expression neutral.
You hope your face does not betray the constriction of your throat.
“Rook,” you managed to say, swallowing down the bile that threatened to rise. “What…uhm, what is that?”
Rook laughed, the sound as sharp as the glint in his eyes. “Liver pâté, my dear,” he said, twirling his fork. “If it’s a strong scent, I apologize. It’s from the raw liver I like to eat with the liver pâté.”
Raw…
You tried to ignore the word. Back in your world, people ate raw food—sushi, for instance. So whatever Rook had on his plate was none of your business. At least, that’s what you tried to tell yourself.
“Shishishi, the food is sure delicious, especially when I’m getting it for free!” A voice cackled, startling you. You almost jumped out of your seat at the sight of Ruggie, devouring his meal with a voracious appetite. His sharp teeth ripped through the flesh with ease, tearing the meat from the bone in one swift motion. Red droplets—blood?—splattered across his chin, and you watched in horror as his tongue darted out to lick it clean.
“Oi, Ruggie, have some manners,” Leona growled from beside him, his voice gruff and annoyed. He wasn’t eating, his plate already littered with bones, but he was sipping from a glass filled with a red liquid. You wanted to believe it was wine, but the scent…The scent was as repugnant as the raw liver on Rook’s plate. It was metallic, nauseating
—blood.
A shiver trickled down your spine.
That same scent wafted from Malleus and Lilia’s glasses, clinging to the air like a dark cloud.
“You’re one to talk!” Ruggie retorted, his mouth full of meat. “You’ve never eaten a rat before, Leona-san.”
You blinked. Did you hear him right?
Your train of thought was interrupted by Malleus’s voice from your left.
“Shroud,” the prince of fae said, his tone commanding yet gentle, “drink this and replenish your energy.” You watched as Malleus offered Idia the same drink he was consuming. And to your shock, Idia accepted, his expression one of reluctance.
“I don’t really mind drinking this stuff, but I just don’t like eating much…” The Ignihyde dorm leader mumbled, his voice trailing off. You glanced at his plate—a barely touched piece of ‘steak’ with a small cut in the corner, oozing something you didn’t want to identify.
You could barely breathe as you watched Idia reluctantly take a sip of the viscous liquid from Malleus's chalice. His face remained as pale as ever, though a faint hint of color touched his cheeks. The sight was unsettling, and you couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of dread tightening around your chest.
"Not a fan of solid food?" Jade's voice slithered into your thoughts, pulling you from the trance. His mismatched eyes glinted in the dim light as he calmly sliced through his portion of meat, each movement precise and almost too graceful. "It's an acquired taste," he continued, offering you a smile that somehow did nothing to ease your growing anxiety.
Your gaze shifted to the plate in front of you, untouched and ominously inviting. The stack of meat in the center of the table loomed like a dark specter, its presence a constant reminder of the unease gnawing at your mind. You felt a pressure to partake, to show your acceptance of their world, but every fiber of your being screamed against it.
"Come now," Lilia's playful voice broke through the tension, "you should try it at least once. After all, it's not every day you get to dine with such esteemed company." He winked, the gesture meant to be comforting, but it only made you more wary.
You glanced around the table, noting the expectant gazes directed your way. Floyd’s sharp grin was still fixed on you, his eyes gleaming with mischief, while Ruggie gnawed contentedly on his bone, seemingly oblivious to the tension. Rook, watched you with a keen interest, his fork poised elegantly in his hand.
Leona’s gaze was the most unsettling, though. His amber eyes were half-lidded, seemingly bored, yet there was an intensity in them that made you feel like prey. His fingers drummed lazily on the table, and you couldn’t help but notice the slight curl of his lips, as if he was waiting for you to make a move.
Your gaze drifted across the table, stomach churning with a mix of disgust and dread. The dim light flickered, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance across their faces—no, across their true forms. You blinked, the image wavering as if your mind was trying to shield you from something it wasn’t ready to comprehend.
Floyd’s laughter echoed, a sound that grated against your nerves. For a split second, you saw something else—an elongated, sinuous form, slick with scales, teeth sharper than any blade, rows upon rows of them, stretching endlessly down a gaping maw that promised nothing but pain. You shuddered, the image vanishing as quickly as it appeared, leaving you staring at the harmless, smiling face of the boy who once called you Shrimpy. Jade is no better. You can see the muscles bulging as his back turns, with sharp rows of fins scattered along his spine. If you were behind him right now, you’re certain he would cut you in half.
Your eyes flicked to Ruggie, who was gnawing on the bone of his meal with unabashed relish. But in the periphery of your vision, his form distorted—muscles rippling beneath fur that was too thick, claws that scraped against the table, and a maw that was too wide, too hungry, filled with jagged fangs meant for tearing, ripping, devouring. He glanced up, catching your gaze, and you quickly looked away, the image of the beast-man fading back into the all-too-familiar figure of a mischievous boy. Leona on the other hand, sit still. The image of a lion assessing it's prey. You dare not look at his eyes burning holes through your skull—you feel it.
Idia, who sits apart from the others, his presence a dark shadow at the table. There’s something about him that feels different, even among these monsters. His connection to the underworld is undeniable, a guardian of the boundary between life and death. The flickering blue flames of his hair and the way his eyes pierce through the darkness suggest something far older and more terrifying than any of the others—a being who has seen what lies beyond the veil, and who has perhaps brought a piece of it back with him.
Rook, you cannot even begin to comprehend how a human—like yourself, is able to blend in with them.
But the worst was Malleus. The prince of the fae was calm, serene even, but there was something wrong—horribly wrong. His eyes glowed too brightly, their green hue pulsating with an otherworldly light. And then, for just a moment, you saw what lay beneath that regal facade—a towering figure, wings that stretched endlessly, blotting out the sky, horns that twisted and curled like a crown of dark thorns. His smile was too sharp, too knowing, as if he could see right through you, into the very depths of your soul.
You closed your eyes, refusing to look at anyone anymore.
You tried to swallow your saliva, but your throat was dry, your mouth parched. The air was thick with the scent of blood, the tang of iron clinging to your tongue. They were all looking at you now, waiting, expecting you to take a bite, to join them in this feast.
Lilia’s voice broke the silence, light and playful as ever. “Come now, dear. Don’t be shy. You wouldn’t want to insult your hosts, would you?”
The pressure was unbearable, the weight of their gazes pressing down on you, suffocating you. Your hand trembled as you reached for the fork, the silver glinting in the low light. You knew, deep down, that whatever you saw—whatever you thought you saw—a no mere trick of the light.
They were not like you. They were never like you.
"I," you hope your voice does not shake, "I am full." You nodded, convincing them. You let out a nervous laugh, quickly standing up as you find the place too suffocating. Chair scraping the floor. "I'm fine! Really, I—ah, I need to go back, I have to catch some sleep and Grim is alone."
Floyd is quick to be by your side. His smile, wide and filled with sharp teeth, is unsettling. "Eh, Shrimpy, do you not like the food?" He asks, worry in his voice. You know it's fake: he's mocking you.
"I am good," you say with a strained smile. Please let me go, please, please—
"I insist," Malleus interjects, his voice smooth but commanding. "This is a feast meant for sharing. It would be rude to leave before sampling a morsel."
As if on cue, the others start to close in. Rook leans in closer, his eyes glinting with an unsettling mix of curiosity and amusement. "The flavors are truly exquisite, you know. Not something one should miss out on."
Leona’s gaze is heavy and piercing, his voice low and rumbling. "I’ve seen your kind turn down more robust fare than this. Surely you can handle a small bite."
Your attempts to excuse yourself only seem to stoke their interest further. The way they move, their unnervingly smooth motions, reminds you of predators circling their prey.
You might just be one tonight.
Floyd’s grin widens as he leans in closer, his breath hot against your neck. "Come on, Shrimpy. Just a taste. I promise it won’t hurt."
The pressure is mounting. They are pushing you to stay, to partake in their feast, and the atmosphere thickens with their silent insistence. Malleus’s eyes bore into you with a knowing gaze, his hand extending with a glass of the viscous red liquid. "Just a sip, if you please."
Every attempt to excuse yourself only seems to make their eyes narrow further, their smiles widen just a little more. The eerie calm of the feast surrounds you.
It is when you see the meat properly that you made up your mind to escape. It is in someone's plate, you do not know who.
It's in the shape of a finger. A charred fingernail dipped in red.
Floyd let out a yelp as you finally push him off of you, your steps quickening as you trace back where you came from: The path to Ramshackle dorm.
You heard Jade reprimand Floyd, the latter angry when you pushed him: How dare you Shrimpy was all you heard before you were out of their sight and you're running back, panting, to your safe space, Ramshackle.
Only to pause as Crowley stands in the steps of your door. His mask drowning the glint of yellow from holes that was supposed to be his eyes.
What... what the fuck.
Crowley approached you slowly, as if he's reaching out to a wounded prey, this is the first time you've ever seen him serious. You take a step back, should you run in the other direction? Where will you escape, Heartslabyul? Will they take you in there?
The headmaster let out a sigh, "My students here at Night Raven should perhaps know kindness from their teacher," he declared dramatically. Then he gave you pouch, full of madol. Thaumarks.
This is a bribe. Crowley is bribing you.
"Our little secret, alright?"
You blinked. What...?
"A little compensation for your troubles, for I am truly kind."
He then disappear, leaving you stunned.
At exactly 3:33 AM, a realization hit you. You are in the company of creatures far more dangerous than you ever imagined, their monstrous forms hidden just beneath the surface. One wrong step, one mistake, it can all come down. Crumbling to pieces.
It is inside when your knees give out, you slide through the door of the Ramshackle, too weak to stand anymore.
This is the truth: you are in the company of creatures mimicking humans, their monstrous forms hidden just beneath the normal exterior. But what terrifies you most is not the thought of what they are—but the thought that, perhaps, they see you as something less than human too.
The truth of what they were—what they really were—lurked just out of reach, like a shadow at the corner of your vision, waiting to pounce the moment you let your guard down.
But you knew better. Something had changed.
And as you sit there, the only protection you have are rotting woods that make up your dorm. You are just within the circle of monstrous beings in their friendly human skins. You are a magic-less, pathetic alien.
For in a world filled with monsters hiding in plain sight, the only question that remained was this:
What would happen when they decided they were tired of pretending?
Perhaps you will find out soon.
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fsfghgee · 1 month ago
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Bi-Han and Sektor's Relationship in MK1. They are a couple now? Why?
First of all, I give my honest opinion based on analysis here, regardless of what people are repeating out there. I will never say something I don't believe just to please a loud part. That said, I like the expansion, I like the story and I like the couples (more precisely, Sektor/Bi-Han and Rain/Tanya). Tanya and Rain have a certain past and I enjoyed getting a glimpse of what they would be like in a relationship. Bi-Han and Sektor were a couple that surprised me positively, I didn't expect Sektor to be so affectionate with Bi-Han and much less that Bi-Han would reciprocate like a man in love, I enjoyed seeing this softer side of Bi-Han with her…
vimeo
I admit that when I saw this scene I was like " own :3 " And then like "Liu Kang, you killjoy〴⋋⋌〵 !" haha
I thought that him watching over Sektor's body in mk11 would be the most of a soft side of Bi-Han that I would ever see in my life. And although I already knew because of the leaks that Sektor and Bi-Han would have a relationship in mk1, I never imagined that they would do it so explicitly. I was surprised, but positively. Because as I said in some previous analyses, a relationship with Sektor would give more depth to Bi-Han as a character. I knew that a relationship with Sektor would be their way of showing us a softer side of Bi-Han, showing that he has feelings and his actions are not only justified, but validated in the clan. I already expected Sektor to support him. They wouldn't make Bi-Han and Sektor so close since Sub-Zero's ending (where she was mentioned as a genius that he seeks advice from and even shares the leadership of the clan, since he refers to everything as "we", "our" and such) for nothing.
vimeo
 "I had broken the Lin Kuei free of Liu Kang's enslavement. We were now masters of our destiny and could take our place among Earthrealm's greatest nations. But taking and holding territory would require a vast army. I needed more fighters to make our presence felt. Then I recalled Shang Tsung's dragon warriors. An army of them would be unstoppable. But trafficking in such strong magic would surely draw Liu Kang's attention. Sektor advised that we avoid detection by building our army using science, not sorcery. We've invested much time in this endeavor, and we are beginning to see results. Once again proving the depths of Sektor's genius. When we are done, all of Earthrealm will honor our desires and heed our demands. If not, they will face the Lin Kuei's wrath."
And as I've been saying since the day this game was released (and I'll keep saying it even now that he's been turned into Noob Saibot) Bi-Han is not a villain, but an antagonist. He's not good, but he's not purely evil either. He's a morally gray character.
I know a lot of people want one, but I don't care about a redemption arc and I don't see why it would make sense for him to have one. To me, neutral/morally gray characters are much more interesting. I like how they play by their own rules, how they're not easily influenced, how determined they are and all that.
And after Bi-Han saved the timeline, he already redeemed himself and the only thing that really didn't make sense in his story was fixed (which was allying with outsiders just for the promise of receiving power to rule, neglecting the safety of his own clan since their base is in Earthrealm). I've already highlighted intros that prove that even though he didn't participate in the battle against Titan Shang Tsung to free Shao from prison in OutWorld. After he helped Shao in battles in OutWorld and Shao failed to fulfill his side of the agreement, he returned to defending Earthrealm (more precisely, he returned to defending his clan):
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*In MK1, all endings and intros are canonicals (with the exception of guest characters like Homelander, Omni Man etc).
vimeo
"Though I had returned to the temple after Titan Havik's defeat, I remained livid. Livid with Bi-Han's foolishness, Kuai Liang's betrayal, and Cyrax's defection to his Shirai Ryu. So when Quan Chi arrived to parley, offering to eliminate the upstart clan, I listened... For his services, Quan Chi asked that I retrieve an amulet that was locked away in the Temple of the Elements. No small task, given its wards and guardians. Though one worth understanding, if it would finish the Lin Kuei's rivals. But before I could find the amulet, I found Bi-Han. There he was, imprisoned and forgotten, when Liu Kang had promised to restore him! As I rescued Bi-Han, all thought of retrieving Quan Chi's treasure was quickly forgotten. I will never forgive Liu Kang for this betrayal. That he is a god will not stop me from seeking vengeance."
I had hoped that after the expansion, because of what Liu Kang said to Bi-Han, they would come to an agreement about his desires. But they turned out to be just empty words and he refuses to even listen to Bi-Han's vision. Which I find quite ironic. Because it's so reprehensible that Bi-Han wants to rule Earthrealm while Mileena sits on the throne of OutWorld with her family ruling for generations…
Why is it only Bi-Han and his clan that have to settle for just serving as Liu Kang's lackeys? Because at the beginning of the story mode that's all they did....
Why should they settle for this fate of sacrifices without any reward forever? Because Liu Kang said it has to be so? I don't blame Sektor, Bi-Han and others for rebelling against this.
vimeo
 "As I regained consciousness, I regained my memories: My transformation into a creature of chaos, my defeat of Titan Havik, and my failed confrontation of Liu Kang. Sektor was obsessed with finding the means to purge my soul of Titan Havik's corruption. She was shocked when I told her she should do no such thing. Infusing my soul with chaos did not damage me, it enriched me. By embracing randomness and chance, I have unlocked vast new powers. My kombat is less predictable, more formidable, and radically more lethal. Titan Havik gave me these gifts to use in fomenting his chaos. Instead, I will use them to fight for the Lin Kuei. Liu Kang, the Shaolin, my brother, and his clan will yield in terror when confronted by my perfection."
The only things that really disappointed me in the expansion was the lack of dialogue about Bi-Han's mother. I really wanted to know more about her and why Bi-Han reveres her. And the length, of course. There were a lot of things in a short space of time and I think that if it weren't for the amount of cuts they made, we could have had a longer expansion.
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Regardless of what some people wanted or expected to happen, Mortal Kombat 1 was promoted since its release as a New Era that would present major changes made by Liu Kang in the destinies of iconic characters in the hope that everyone would find peace, but as the slogan "It's in our blood" said… It was never meant to last. In other words, although some characters ended up taking similar paths, others also took completely different paths. But the most important thing to know is that the Era of Peace is over.
And although Liu Kang has no control over the choices of those he has created the new destiny for, he has redesigned everyone's destiny and this has resulted in consequences…
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Sektor and Cyrax being born female in this New Era and having a considerably different personality may have been both part of Liu Kang's plan, or just a consequence of his changes in the destinies of these two.
We never knew who Sektor's mother was and only his father was known, Oniro, the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. In the New Era, Sektor is the daughter of Madam Bo (a former Lin Kuei warrior leader) and Longwei (retired master armorer of the Lin Kuei), in addition to having siblings, while og Sektor was an only child.
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Sektor is literally not the same person, but she kept the fighting style and the codename Sektor. While Cyrax was not even born in the same country and unlike the og Cyrax, she did not choose to serve the Lin Kuei, she was born into a Lin Kuei sub-clan and was trained since childhood to defend Earthrealm like all Lin Kuei.
Cyrax's change of country and the fact that she was destined to be a Lin Kuei and did not become one by choice is hard to understand. But Sektor not having the same parents or the same position is completely justified. First, because it was not og Sektor who had the idea of ​​Cyber ​​Initiative, it was og Sektor's father, the grandmaster. Sektor just obeyed the grandmaster by voluntarily undergoing the transformation into a cyborg. And the way Liu Kang tells them not to doubt Sektor's zeal for Bi-Han and tries to manipulate her love for him in favor of his plans to restore Bi-Han…
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May indicate that Sektor was destined to be by Bi-Han's side. And knowing that nothing in the previous timelines points to Bi-Han or Sektor as homosexuals and that both were extremely individualistic men in the past who only joined forces for pragmatic reasons…
And the fact that the Lin Kuei are a real clan in this New Era (a group of close-knit and interrelated families. They literally grow the clan by having children among themselves, not by kidnapping children from the streets as in previous timelines) and an ancient clan of warriors with a long lineage whose roles in the clan are passed down from generation to generation (almost like a caste system). Sektor being born a woman makes total sense. And since she does not actually have the same parents as the og Sektor, it is entirely possible that she was born a woman who, although cold, is able to develop feelings and feel love for someone without Liu Kang's interference (especially for someone like Bi-Han, a kindred spirit). In the same way that Bi-Han developed a great attachment to his mother and began to trust in the abilities of the women in his clan because he had a warrior mother this time.
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In addition to not being a random and meaningless couple (since Bi-Han and Sektor have always been Lin Kuei and the most loyal ones), they made an effort to present a background for this couple and give it a foundation. Since the end of Sub-Zero (where he praises her a lot, always referring to everything as "our" and "us". And although I was one of those people who thought that the random Lin Kuei there was Sektor, as soon as these speculations started it was confirmed that that guy was not Sektor and I should have guessed, since Sektor has always had red as his characteristic color in the games), then in the expansion it really shows that there are no secrets between them, that thing about Sektor bowing was all just part of their act to deceive Cyrax (a very funny performance in my opinion, because not even pretending to treat Sektor as just another subordinate he could keep his hands off her or stop sucking up to her lol), throughout the expansion it becomes clear that they have a very deep and strong connection as mentioned in Sektor's bio….
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A relationship that goes far beyond that of a simple subordinate and boss...
I like their succinct personality differences, where Sektor, despite using fire in combat, is much colder and more rational than Bi-Han, while Bi-Han is reckless and explosive. They are a dangerous couple and likely to cause problems for the good guys. But they are not evil for the sake of being evil, they are doing everything they can to make the Lin Kuei rule. They fight for it. And the way they support each other unconditionally, share beliefs, goals and dreams. Their relationship is anything but simply pragmatic. There's love between them
Cyrax: Love for Bi-Han has made you blind. Sektor: It is you who can't see the Lin Kuei's future.
Geras: If you love Bi-Han, return him to Liu Kang. Sektor: It's because I do that I cannot.
Quan Chi: You were supposed to retrieve the amulet. Sektor: Saving Bi-Han was all that matttered.
Sektor: I won't let you near Bi-Han. Ermac: You are one. One cannot stop Us.
Liu Kang: You should have trusted me, Sektor. Sektor: Why?! You left Bi-Han to rot.
Sektor: I couldn't leave you locked away in the Temple. Noob Saibot: You were right to be impatient.
Noob Saibot: Your mother concerns me, Sektor. Sektor: She knows nothing which can hurt us.
Ashrah: Your ardor for Bi-Han is -- Sektor: I don't need a demon's advice.
Sindel: Your 'beloved' should never have crossed me. Sektor: He doesn't fear you. And neither do I.
Shang Tsung: Bi-Han will pay a steep ransom for your return. Sektor: Just how are *you* planning to abduct *me*?
Shang Tsung: This hostility is unwarranted, Bi-Han. Noob Saibot: You tried to abduct Sektor!
Noob Saibot: It is time you answer for Sektor. Shang Tsung: For what, exactly? She escaped me unharmed.
Noob Saibot: You tried enlisting Sektor against me?! Quan Chi: Not against you. To help you see reason.
Noob Saibot: Leave. Before this gets ugly. Quan Chi: I am here to haggle but if we must fight, so be it.
Quan Chi: Sektor refuses to abide our agreement. Noob Saibot: I won't force her hand, sorcerer.
Liu Kang: Sektor should have trusted me to heal you. Noob Saibot: You should not have made her wait.
Noob Saibot: If Liu Kang seeks to punish Sektor -- Geras: It would be his right to do so.
Kenshi: So you and Sektor, eh? Hm. That tracks. Noob Saibot: If that is mockery, you are a dead man.
Sub-Zero: Together we will make the Lin Kuei immortal. Sektor: I am honored to fight by your side.
Sektor: You've been purged of Havik's magic?! Sub-Zero: Not exactly, Sektor.
General Shao: Sub-Zero sends his woman after me? Sektor: He sends his most skilled warrior.
Sektor: I couldn't leave you locked away in the Temple. Noob Saibot: You were right to be impatient.
Sektor: If Liu Kang continues to stand -- Noob Saibot: We will neutralize him.
Sektor: Is it best for you to remain this way? Noob Saibot: It is best for the Lin Kuei.
Kitana: I have to question your taste in men. Sektor: Please, Princess. Share your thoughts.
Reiko: Do you share Bi-Han's power? Or just his bed? Sektor: Careful, Reiko. Disrespect can be fatal.
Kenshi: You and Bi-Han deserve each other. Sektor: I couldn't agree more.
I particularly like how she imposes limits too…
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Even though, everything indicates that she loves bold and dominant men…
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Or more specifically a bold and dominant cryomancer who has won her heart and tested its strength several times with his foolishness and stubbornness. And despite this and the mockery of some, she and Bi-Han lead the clan together in perfect harmony and won't stop until the Lin Kuei rule Earthrealm.
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I like a powerful couple. I like this couple. I like Sekhan.
tks @kermitthegod ^~
.....
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pikahlua · 7 months ago
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"A deuteragonist has a very different role in the MHA and that is a whole other post ."Can you please write this article? I am tired of Bakugo being constantly downplayed. There are very few people who understand his character and role in the story as well as you do.
Haha I mean hehe it's just hoho I never said fufu that Katsuki is the deuteragonist guffaw shucks haha I mean come on snort why are you putting words in my-
Katsuki Bakugou is the deuteragonist.
Katsuki Bakugou is the deuteragonist
Katsuki Bakugou is the deuteragonist
"Of course you would say that. You're a Katsuki Bakugou stan! You are invested in inflating his importance in the story because you love him." - some people, probably
No. If that were true, I would be arguing Katsuki Bakugou is the protagonist. But I'm not.
Because Katsuki Bakugou is the deuteragonist.
It's not that I love him and therefore assert that he's the deuteragonist. I love him because he's the deuteragonist (plus many other reasons). He is an archetypal familiar shounen hero made interesting in part by the fact that he is NOT the protagonist and deliberately written in the deuteragonist role/function, and I will go into visceral detail about this momentarily.
I promise you I don't go around in other fandoms arguing my favorite non-main character is the deuteragonist. I fully embrace whatever role it is they play in the story. YOU WILL SEE THE EVIDENCE OF THIS VERY SOON, FOR EVERY CHARACTER IN MHA.
What is a deuteragonist?
A deuteragonist is a story archetype. They are the second-most important character in a story (which is a vague as hell definition). They are often known as the "secondary main character."
That's it. Everything else one might say about a deuteragonist is just a sub-archetype.
A deuteragonist can be a sidekick, a love interest, a rival, an antagonist, or even a neutral party. They are often, not always, written as foil characters to the protagonist. They often, not always, provide a different and yet similar outlook to the protagonist's. Their utility in a story can be quite varied. Sometimes they support the protagonist, and sometimes they oppose the protagonist. Often, they are used to help the protagonist complete their character arc.
Sometimes, there can be more than one deuteragonist.
What the hell is a deuteragonist?
The problem is, the function of a deuteragonist can change just depending on the type of story we're talking about. A deuteragonist in an ancient Greek tragedy (theatre), where the term originally came from, won't necessarily function the same way as a deuteragonist in a 2-hour contemporary movie. Things get even more complicated when we're talking about a TV series, a book series, or a comic book series in which the cast becomes so large we're likely to see MULTIPLE deuteragonists.
My Hero Academia, like many long-running shounen manga, has an ensemble cast. Would you be surprised if I told you My Hero Academia not only has multiple deuteragonists, not only has multiple antagonists, but also has multiple protagonists? Because it does!
Sometimes people wanna divide MHA into three or four acts and make the claim that the deuteragonist changes from act to act. I say they aren't going far enough. MHA is divided into arcs, and each arc has its own protagonist and antagonist and sometimes even deuteragonist. This is a STAPLE of ensemble cast shounen manga, where often there will be so many characters they get grouped off into trios (or more) and one among them will be the group's designated protagonist.
Sure, in most MHA arcs, Izuku is the protagonist. But he's not always. Who is the protagonist of the Pro Hero (Endeavor vs Hood) arc? Who is the deuteragonist? It's not Izuku and Katsuki; it's Endeavor and Hawks! What about the protagonist in the My Villain Academia arc? Tomura. The Hero License Supplementary Course arc? Katsuki and Shouto (who can't seem to decide if they're co-protagonists or protagonist and deuteragonist and who is which). The Overhaul arc? Izuku is the protagonist and Mirio is the deuteragonist. Some arcs really play with these roles or make it unclear who is playing which role or if the role even exists.
What is a deuteragonist in My Hero Academia?
So if we have a bunch of protagonists, does that mean the most important one is the series' overarching protagonist and the one second in importance is the deuteragonist? It COULD be, but it's not necessarily true.
There aren't that many arcs where Izuku is not the protagonist. If we look at the number of arcs where someone else is the protagonist, following the above logic, we could end up with All Might or Endeavor as the deuteragonist. Maybe some people would earnestly make the argument Endeavor is the deuteragonist--I don't know, I haven't met those people I guess. The problem with this approach in my eyes is that it entirely discounts the deuteragonists of each arc. Would it not follow that the overarching deuteragonist is the character who has played the deuteragonist in the largest number of arcs? What if that character is different from the character who has played protagonist the second-most number of times? And this is to say nothing about if the protagonist or deuteragonist are the same as the antagonist in a given arc! It's difficult to weight any one character in this fashion particularly when you have an ensemble cast.
This is getting into the question of focus and screentime. How much should we weight this metric? Admittedly this one can also be complicated, especially when it comes to long stories with ensemble casts. The question is how much does screentime actually convey how much a character is the focus of a story, and does that necessarily translate to protagonist and deuteragonist? Because for many the question is: could the deuteragonist be an antagonist in MHA?
It just gets a little harder to argue someone besides Katuski Bakugou is the main deuteragonist the more Katsuki's screentime allocation looks something like this:
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Okay, perhaps that exact size of gap is hyperbole. But there is a clear, measurable gap between Katsuki Bakugou and everyone else and I don't think anyone has ever disputed that. Please check out this post by @dekusheroacademia that has compiled some of these statistics (they also make some excellent points about evaluating the elements of a deuteragonist and how various characters fit or don't fit those characteristics).
Still, this is merely supporting evidence, not conclusive. I am well aware of the concept of a false protagonist, where someone appears to be the protagonist until later someone else is revealed to be the story's true protagonist. And while I've never seen a false deuteragonist where someone SEEMS to be the deuteragonist and is later revealed in a twist not to be (as opposed to the deuteragonist just merely changing NOT as a deliberate twist where expectations were set to be otherwise), that doesn't mean it can't happen.
Tangentially related, we could also potentially look at marketing as another piece of supporting evidence. It's not conclusive that just because Katsuki Bakugou is one of the most merchandised characters in the franchise that he is more important to the story than those who aren't, but it's still notable supporting evidence. After all, based on Horikoshi's marketing of his own story i.e. who he draws in which orientations on chapter and tankoban covers, or how he lists characters on character intro pages, we could easily come to the conclusion as casual readers that Izuku is the protagonist. There are many cases where one could conclude Katsuki is the deuteragonist based on such presentations alone. But again, I concede this is not conclusive.
So, if we set aside individual story arc roles, screentime, and marketing, what does that leave us with?
What is THE deuteragonist in My Hero Academia?
Even if we can determine Izuku Midoriya is THE protagonist of MHA based on things like the number of times he's protagonist in story arcs, his screentime, and marketing, I'll set those aside for the deuteragonist and see if there's something else that can help us here.
What element are we missing? The overall story.
Sure, we can break down the story into arcs and assign deuteragonists that way, but that's not getting us to THE deuteragonist. So let's start with the protagonist. How do we know Izuku Midoriya is the protagonist of MHA without considering the previous metrics? The way the story focuses on him. It is easy enough for anyone to recognize the characteristics of a protagonist in him from a functional perspective. He is a POV character. We hear his thoughts. He narrates the story. We see the story over the timeline of his character growth. His character arc coincides with the overall story themes.
I've talked many times about how My Hero Academia at its core is a story that explores the question: what is a hero? MANY characters explore this question, but the character who compiles these answers together and rounds them all out and grows and has his perspective change and exemplifies the moral is: Izuku Midoriya.
So let's go back to the functional elements of a deuteragonist. Remember those sub-archetypes? Well, in a shorter story with no ensemble cast, what do a sidekick, a love interest, a rival, an antagonist, and even a neutral party all have in common? They are defined by their relationship to the protagonist.
You see, in a story where all the characters interact with each other and converge on the major theme of the story, ALL characters are defined by their relationship to the protagonist. But in particular, the function of a deuteragonist is to supplement the story with what the protagonist needs FUNCTIONALLY. When is a sidekick the deuteragonist of a story? When the story focuses on the adventures of the protagonist and their sidekick. When is a love interest the deuteragonist of the story? When the story focuses on the developing relationship between the protagonist and the love interest (i.e. the romance genre). CAN a story with a love interest deuteragonist focus on their adventures and individual character development too? Yes, but sometimes the result is that the love interest is ALSO the sidekick...or the rival. When is the rival the deuteragonist? When the story focuses on the clash and growth between the rivals. When is the antagonist the deuteragonist? When the story focuses on the battle between them. NOTE that when I write this, I don't mean it focuses on the protagonist's adventure that culminates in them meeting the antagonist at the end for a battle. I am talking about when the BATTLE ITSELF is the main focus of the story. See stories like Silence of the Lambs or Death Note for a clearer example of what I mean, where the focus of each is on the psychological games the protagonist and antagonist play with each other. The point is, the story on a structural level, on a meta level, has to focus on these sorts of interactions to determine its deuteragonist.
Obviously this gets more complicated with a large story and an ensemble cast because you could have bits of the story where the structure changes and seems to focus on new things. That's why I pointed out that the more immediate protagonist and deuteragonist and antagonist often change in MHA depending on the story arc.
When I try to determine who is THE deuteragonist of the entire story, I have to look at the entire story. I have to ask myself what the story is about. So what is the story about? What is MHA about?
If you said MHA is about Izuku falling in love with Ochako, I'm sorry but you're wrong.
If you said MHA is about Izuku taking on All Might's mantle, I'm sorry but you're wrong.
If you said MHA is about Izuku defeating/saving Tomura, I'm sorry but you're wrong.
If you said MHA is about Izuku rekindling his friendship with Katsuki, I'm sorry but you're wrong.
MHA is about Izuku Midoriya (and most everyone else) learning what it means to be a hero.
It's in the fucking title. MY HERO ACADEMIA. The story is about Izuku's education (as it takes many forms) to learn what it means to be a hero.
So who is the deuteragonist in the story about Izuku Midoriya learning what it means to be a hero? The character who is second-most important in how Izuku Midoriya learns what it means to be a hero.
A lot of characters do teach Izuku Midoriya what it means to be a hero or at least some piece. But who is MOST IMPORTANT?
See, My Hero Academia is LONG. If we just focus on the parts of the story in which Izuku tries to learn from All Might or take on his mantle, we lose ARCS of the story. The same is true if we focus on his love life, or his rivalry with Katsuki, OR EVEN HIS BATTLE WITH TOMURA AND ALL FOR ONE. In the case of the latter, we're basically excluding HALF the story: the school arcs!
MHA is structured such that it alternates between what we colloquially refer to as "school arcs" and "villain arcs." And while exploring the question of "what is a villain?" is an important subset of the main theme, it is not the entire story. You can't just label all the school arcs as "filler" (because they're not) and chuck them out. Each story arc contributes to the lessons Izuku learns and the theme of the main story.
I can think of something every character teaches Izuku with respect to this theme. I can think of a lesson Izuku has taken away from every encounter and every story arc. But who ELSE is present in nearly every story arc? Who represents the foil to Izuku who allows us, the audience, to learn alongside them what it means to be a hero? Who learns the bits Izuku does not need to learn because he already exemplifies those answers in spades? Who represents the other half of the hero equation that Izuku is missing? Who has his own blanks filled in by Izuku himself? Who has played all the sub-archetypes of a deuteragonist for Izuku Midoriya, including antagonist, rival, sidekick, and even arguably love interest (replace with platonic interest for the rekindling friendship angle if you want so we don't have to go into that whole thing here please, I'm talking about the generic structural elements within a story more than anything)?
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Izuku Midoriya cannot possibly have learned the fundamental lessons of what it means to be a hero without Katsuki Bakugou's character arc to supplement him. Katsuki Bakugou is an irremovable, integral player in demonstrating the theme of collectivism that informs the main story, not just for Izuku to learn it but for THE AUDIENCE to see it too. He is one half of "win to save, save to win." He is the standard shounen manga archetype who has to learn the value of teamwork/collectivism so that he can teach it to Izuku Midoriya and save him from himself. The story is structured in such a way that it resembles LESSONS for the characters to learn, and Katsuki's "education" in this respect is VITAL to the story, second in importance only to Izuku Midoriya's.
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P.S. Is it actually taking away from Katsuki to call someone else THE deuteragonist?
Yes. I know some people don't want to have to say it that way, but it is. Based on a number of metrics, Katsuki Bakugou is most widely recognized as the deuteragonist. If there's a default answer to the question of who is the deuteragonist but you think the deuteragonist is someone else, then in order to be persuasive you must not only argue why you think your chosen character is the deuteragonist but why Katsuki Bakugou is NOT the deuteragonist. If you want to argue someone else is the deuteragonist, you are taking on that onus, that burden of proof. You have to disprove Katsuki Bakugou is the deuteragonist.
Are there other characters who fit the deuteragonist function at times? Yes! There are multiple deuteragonists! But if in spite of the multiple protagonists we're still able to call Izuku Midoriya THE protagonist of My Hero Academia, then we are absolutely able to call Katsuki Bakugou THE deuteragonist as well.
tl;dr MHA is about learning what it means to be a hero and Katsuki Bakugou's story is second-most important to that theme, which makes him the deuteragonist
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smytherines · 8 months ago
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The wild thing about SAF is that it's a comedy spy parody musical from eight years ago, but people (including me) really have the most elaborate headcanons for these characters and are so invested in them, because they're not Good Representation for Fine Upstanding LGBTQ+ Youths, it's compelling representation for weird messy queer people.
Like I don't know if I'm expressing this well, but we're only able to have this kind of weird deep conversation about the meanings behind the gay comedy spy parody musical because these aren't sanitized characters.
One of them does absolutely nothing wrong to deserve the massively horrible thing that happens to him, gets hurt by the man he loves, gets abandoned. But he also tortures and kills people. He's canonically the villain, but he's sympathetic.
The other one is kind of an asshole- cocky, careless, jealous, petty. He fucks up big time, but he's also an ADHD himbo who is lovable in ways you can't describe. He's canonically the hero, but there's very much an "Oh, sweetie" vibe to him
And SAF succeeds at having such interesting representation because while the Big Reveal is meant to be a surprise at the end of the show, they layered it in from the opening minutes of the show.
It isn't BUT THEY'RE GAY HAHA, it's relying on our understanding of the rules of the spy genre to tell a surprisingly meaningful story. Mary Kate sings it right at the beginning- it's time to get the girl again. The reveal works because it plays against what you know, what you expect from this genre, so wonderfully.
And it also isn't Here Are Two Flawless Gays Please Do You Like Them?? It isn't PR. It isn't representation for the sake of representation. Being gay is not the only thing we know about them. And because the reveal doesn't happen until the end, it's arguably not even the most important thing we know about them.
It's just two kinda fucked up guys who might have been great together, but who lived in an era and especially worked in a profession where they had little realistic prospect of making anything work in the long term.
Who probably had a lot of shit on their shoulders from having to hide who they are their entire lives, growing up in wartime, and maybe even being neurodivergent. There's so much room to use our knowledge of the real world during this time period to flesh out these characters in a way the musical just doesn't have time to do.
And once you rewatch the show with the context of the Big Gay Reveal, it actually colors in a lot of those traits and interactions in subtle and interesting ways.
And especially knowing that this came out eight years ago, and was created by a tiny little independent theatre company, it's just... thanks, Tin Can Bros. I like your messy gays
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nyerus · 1 year ago
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Hi! I would love to hear your thoughts about classism in TGCF, but specifically regarding XL. It surprised me to see people hating on XL for not knowing or doing better during his teenage years of luxury as the crown prince and making XL a complete villain because he didn't take down classism and restructure society despite still being a kid himself. It struck me as odd that the fandom is well aware of his 800 years in poverty but also not really addressing the fact that XL, too, is a victim of classism albeit a little different from someone like MQ.
Hi there! So sorry it's taken me this long to get to this ask, I've just been in sort of a funk for a few days haha.
But yeah, this is definitely a topic that comes up from time to time, with lots of discussion about. It surprises me that despite that, there are still people (maybe just newer fans? idk) who still hate on Xie Lian for his naive views as a 17yo. Especially since, despite being a naive 17yo, he still really wanted to help people less fortunate than himself. He didn't quite understand how to do this in the most effective ways (because he was a teenager), so it came off as somewhat patronizing as he was a person in a position of power compared to everyone else. Yet his desire to help people was genuine, and he didn't personally think of "common folk" as being any lesser than "royalty" -- even though in this case, there kind of literally was a difference. (E.g. when Lang Ying goes from being a commoner to a king, he gets a "kingly aura" that protects him!) So it's honestly kind of incredible that Xie Lian is willing to say things like "I think people are equal, even gods and humans, and if the Heavens disagree with me, then it's the Heavens that are wrong" with his entire heart.
I imagine a large part of the hate Xie Lian gets from certain fans is jealousy or resentment, due to the fact that Xie Lian was "born privileged." But on it's own, "privilege" is not "the great enemy" -- it's what said privilege means in the context of society, and what someone does/doesn't do with it that merits judgement. Xie Lian doesn't fully understand the privilege he had until he loses it (again: because he was 17!), but he still understood it enough to use it to protect and help people. That's more than many other characters can say. Him starting out as a prince doesn't automatically disqualify him from class struggles or the horrors of poverty. It's nonsensical to think so, when this is a character who literally spent almost 800 years busking for scraps, while sleeping in dirt outside and eating garbage….
On the flip side, as you mentioned Mu Qing -- yes, he was a victim of classism. But he's a very strange figure to use as the poster boy for that, though he often is by people who are critical of Xie Lian. This may be a controversial take, despite it being something I think that makes the character of Mu Qing really interesting: but he's a very "typical" guy within the concept of classism. He's someone who started off with a bad lot, but then ended up ascending to the highest point you pretty much can in that world/society. Which is great! He did that through hard work, and it paid off! But now, since he got his "happy ending," that's kind of it for him. He doesn't do anything to materially improve the lives of those less fortunate, especially those he has no personal connection with. This doesn't make him a bad person -- it's not really his job to that, even as a god. He's a martial god, so he's there to subdue threats and all that. Yet you can clearly see, that's exactly the type of person society values because such "rags to riches" stories give legitimacy to the whole system, and because they don't rock the boat once they're on top.
So then it's odd to be angry at Xie Lian but not Mu Qing (or others) for the lack of some "grand revolution" that some readers seem to want.
Ironically, Xie Lian used what power he had to try and help people -- and he was worse off for it. If he had done nothing, he would have been able to live a happy and carefree life. He would have lived and died as a rich prince/king with no troubles. Like, that's the point! The societies we live in punish those who want to broadly help others or make meaningful change, while rewarding those who quietly play the game for themselves -- because it helps keep the wheels turning. It doesn't matter at "what end" of the spectrum you start out on, the rules apply the same way. If you go against the establishment, there's a price to be paid.
Throughout Xie Lian's long journey, he learns this lesson the hard way. And the fact that in order to change it, he would somehow have to change the hearts and minds of pretty much everyone -- which is an impossible ask. How is he even supposed to that, or restructure society as a whole, without vast amounts of collateral damage? In the end, Xie Lian discovers that he was not wrong in his desire to help people, even if he cannot help everyone. He can still help people he meets in whatever ways he can, and that is still important. To show kindness, mercy, and empathy towards your fellow man is worth it. Helping your neighbors or complete strangers you meet once and then never again -- all that is still worth it.
I wish I had the time to sit down and really talk about this in a more organized way, but these disjointed thoughts are all I can manage at the moment! I hope it was still valuable to you in some way, and thank you for sending in the ask!
(Also, I recently reblogged a post that talked about something similar if you wanna check it out, Anon. It's right under the manhua highlights I think!)
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kimberlyannharts · 2 months ago
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So Darkest Hour is over, the MMPR main series has wrapped, so what do we do now? We......check out the adventures of this team led by a giant polar bear? Sure!
It's Power Rangers Infinity!
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= For those who haven't seen the previews: our main character, Lola! She's cute, I like her a lot; even if admittedly BOOM has really been dishing out the Green Ranger girls one after another lately. (As for her last name being Navarro.....put in a pin in that for a second. Unfortunately it doesn't go where you might think it goes.)
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= Obviously there's no way to prove it but moments like this kiiiiiind of feel like this was written back when BOOM figured they were finished with the PR license. It's a little too on the nose
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= GIRL YOU LOOK SO GOOD
= Though I am a little annoyed because her lines here about looking for Lola for a long time made me think my theory that she was targeting her because she was related to Tyler/Shelby (or Poisandra just THOUGHT she was) was real. Unfortunately Lola's last name being Navarro isn't at all relevant (she targets Lola because she overhears that she writes PR fanfiction, so she wants Lola to make a weak team she can beat, it's a whole thing) so I guess in the end it was just an Easter Egg. I guess it's not too much of a surprise as this is set in "our" world rather than the Dino Charge world, but still, if you were going out of your way to pit a Dino Charge villain against a main character with the same last name as a Dino Charge character, you'd think that was leading up to something
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= Group shot of the team! Along with the names, since I kind of skimmed my first reading and didn't retain them kjkdjf
= Also I just noticed Braylee's visor is shaped like a megaphone. That's cute
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= Unfortunately the Poisandra Stan Society skipped out on PMC 2024. I totally would have gotten a picture with them otherwise
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= Obviously as this is a one-shot book making gags out of the concept of "unlikely character archetypes as Power Rangers" the Infinity team members don't have the most complex personalities, but it's vital for you to know that the Pink Ranger, Penelope Prescott, is a lesbian. Anyway hot bear time
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= I literally went into this book thinking the polar bear (Coach Kumo) would end up being a joke one-note "haha is that an ANIMAL as a ranger??" a la Yale but he actually ended up being my favorite character so uh. Yeah. Power Rangers Infinity did the whole "animal ranger" thing better than the main series. Make of that what you will
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= And a look at the other teams. And okay, I'm just going to come out and say it; we did canonically have a pirate team in the show. I KNOW THEY DIDN'T DO PIRATE STUFF BUT I DON'T CARE, THEY STILL EXISTED, IT'S NOT AS OUTLANDISH AS THE HOCKEY BEAR UNIVERSE
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= I do have to admit, for as much as this book tries to joke about how Poisandra isn't a threat and can't find a team weak enough for her to defeat, they're pretty casually talking about how she's basically committing mass genocide. Like their teams/universes are literally dead. I think that counts as beating them
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= Proud of the book for not calling them "Paisley Force"
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= your uber is here
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= Anyway actual worst part of this book is it implies Poisandra took out Curio too which SHE WOULD NEVER DO!!!!!!! THAT IS HER BESTIE!!!!!!! Sledge getting her this ship is 100% in-character though
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= Poisandra has committed mass murder and kidnapping but nothing compares to the evil of committing Lola to the path of customer service
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= Still a better Green Ranger reveal than M/tt
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= This silly one-shot parody comic sure has a lot of death in it
= speaking of death:
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= MORE ONSCREEN DEATH THAN DARKEST HOUR IN THE ONE-SHOT GOOFY PARODY COMIC I'M GOING INSANE
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= This is sweet and everything, but it kinda takes me back to how members of this fandom would uhhhh kinda harass the writers and BOOM about including their own ideas in the comic. (And the actors too. Firsthand witness to that at PMC 2024!) So to all up and coming writers and artists: please keep your submissions and pitches to professional settings
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= see you, space cowboy...................
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sukunasweetheart · 1 year ago
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NO BECAUSE SUKU IS GENUINELY A VERY INTERESTING CHARACTER
A lot of people say that he's evil for the sake of being evil but I don't necessarily agree. I think that description fits Mahito so much more, considering the fact that he went out of his way to be a menace and curse to others. He actively chose to do evil deeds to cause pain. Evil for the sake of being evil.
Sukuna doesn't care enough about others to actively cause them pain. He, quite literally, does whatever he pleases because he sees himself as the most important. And a lot of his actions just happen to be evil. But it's much different than in Mahito's case. If he wants to traumatise Yuji, he will. If he wants to praise someone for being strong, he will. If he wants to be a goofy silly kitty, he will. Just cause he can.
I think it's an important distinction
THIS THIS THIS THIS THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
oh my goodness :( u read my mind so good, likee literally... sukuna DOES NOT CARE enough to tamper with someone's emotions (the exception being yuuji! i wonder what the two's connection is...) i may be a fan of bully!sukuna in au fics BUT i really dont depict canon sukuna to be fond of picking on the weakest people, in fact, he hates them so much that he doesnt even bat an eye towards such individuals. he truly thinks that they are boring and not even worth that kind of time.
that is not to say he doesnt like bullying those weaker than him (see with jogo, and megumi in s1) but he really does not give a fuck abt those that cannot even put up a decent fight against him!!! he just offs them quite painlessly if they dont act accordingly around him haha
that, and the way even his horrendously evil actions ooze so much charisma... sukuna is DRENCHED in natural charm and swagger, there is no one that comes close to the presence he holds (in my personal opinion). the tiny mannerisms he does, like the hands in his pockets, his natural and relaxed stances, he always just has that sense of composure around him.
and yet also... i see that sukuna isnt afraid to show his expressions of surprise/shock/goofiness, which i think gives him a lot of that flavourrr,,, like he isnt a boring villain, always having the same smirk or neutral face. i liked seeing him get thrashed around too and struggle against gojo!!! AWOO my sadist heart was jumping for joy.. he is not afraid to TANK hits and eat those punches up... (something throbs in me whenever i see sukuna get punched or bloodied)
he literally just does what he wants, when he wants. he fr cares abt nothing other than himself... the WELL BACKED UP confidence... the way he's just a man acting on his whims and whatever he's in the mood for. lawd have mercy, i could talk about him forever but i will stop here LMFAO
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ominous-feychild · 4 months ago
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I have a Problem in that I love to over-explain things even when I don't need to.
Especially when I don't need to. 😭
On that note! I'm working on my introduction post again (take a guess how many times I've gone to work on it and then stopped) and I went too in-depth when I should really be focusing on making it shorter, haha.
Except... I don't want to get rid of what I've written, and still want to share it.
SOLUTION!
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My Obsessions:
✦ Fantasy, horror, mystery, action, and exploration of realistic characters' reactions to the things they go through.
What I write tends to be a reflection of this. My main works are high fantasies placed in what I feel is a more realistic setting--not as in grimdark "realistic", but places that are very used to the existence of magic. Someone who's grown up in a place with magical basically-electricity shouldn't spend five pages fawning over the existence of teleporters. Maybe they'll be surprised. Maybe they'll even be impressed. But unless they have some kind of a special interest in the subject, they'll probably spend more time thinking about how convenient it'll be for them rather than how it works, what it means, and the long, long history of magic... which has been around them for their whole life.
✦ Fairy tales, mythology, and folklore
I called myself "ominous-feychild" for a reason, haha. I like horror, I love fantasy, I adore faeries, and dear god--am I in LOVE with putting them all together! In folklore, faeries weren't cute little pixies that helped everyone around them... or even tiny little pixies that annoyed everyone around them (most of the time). They were the things that went "bump" in the night, that you huddled in close with your loved ones when you thought you might've caught their attention... Or, they made you question if your sister's eyes were always that far apart. Wait, was your bedroom there before? Did... did you even have a sister??? Well, you do now. And you might want to start running.
✦ "Ye Olde History" and language
"Ye Olde" meaning "the further away from modern day, the better." I can appreciate steampunk and actually often implement it into my own writing, but I do not consider Victorian England to be old. Civilization has been tracked back to as early as 4000 BCE, and it's way too easy to google that to think history actually started when Jesus was put on the cross. (Note: I am a merciless agnostic and hate what Christianity did to our world's history. So much was erased just because some bigots thought "stupid people don't think and act exactly like me, they're clearly barbaric! Time to erase their entire culture, massacre their people, and/or destroy their creations! Empathy be damned!!!" Fuck Christianity. To any Christians reading this, I don't mean you--just your religion. But you have to admit, it really sucks.)
✦ DIVERSITY!!!
As I just alluded to, I love learning about things that are unlike me. And, even more than that, I love people feeling like they have a place they belong. I've gone most of my life feeling ostracized, I'm not just going to perpetrate that cycle myself. Besides! It gets exhausting being in echo chambers with the same-old white cishet stories all the time.
✦ Explorations of "evil-coded" characters and abilities--aka, not just showing them as evil. Show them as people (for characters) and tools (for abilities)!
This is actually kind of personal to me. Autism and other disabilities have historically most often been relegated to villains because we're somehow "worse" than everyone else. Even I fell into that trap in the past, accidentally making a villain autistic-coded before I got my diagnosis. Now, I love putting people with questionable traits, powers, and backstories on the good side while the typically "good" things end up as villains. Something something, humans want freedom and freedom is chaos, something something, order is forcing things into boxes they might not particularly fit in because "otherwise, where else would they go???"
✦ Learning!!!
This might be weird, but I have a genuine love for just learning! (Not school, just learning.) I go down rabbit holes researching things all the time--and not just for writing! Obviously two of my favorite subjects are history and language, but I also love earth science and the ways our planet regulates itself to try to maintain balance! (And then we humans screw it up but.) Even in general, I love learning about random things, so if you ever have a weird infodump you really want to share, feel free to tag me in it and I'll check it out!!!
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Yeah, by the way, this is linked to my actual intro post!
Divider by @cafekitsune
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writingquestionsanswered · 1 year ago
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Hey, thanks so much again for being an invaluable resource!!
So I’m rewriting my fic from scratch again (OTL) and the plot is going to be rather complex. After some major on-foot travel (with appropriate timeskips), three different types of climax will happen around the same time, all caused by two well-meaning villains and their ‘gangs’ as it were. The 3 main OCs will have 2 canon side characters be a lot of help, each group hopefully with about 50/50 importance.
With this, what are certain factors in general writing I can be more lax about versus those I should tackle more carefully?
(Hopefully I asked this well haha, hopefully not too specific.)
Fan-Fiction: Things to Keep in Mind While Rewriting
1 - What Type of Story You're Writing - Just as with original fiction, there are all different types of fan-fiction stories. As with original fiction, fan-fiction can be character-driven (centered around internal conflict), plot-driven (centered around external conflict), or a combination of both. The story you're describing is likely a combination of character-driven and plot-driven, so you may want to keep Basic Story Structure in mind while re-writing.
2 - Canon Format - While you certainly don't have to follow canon format when structuring your story, it may be worth considering. If the canon source is a TV show, you may want to structure your story like an episode, season arc, or mini-arc within a season. If the canon source is a movie, you may want to structure your story like a movie. And, if the canon source is a book, you may want to structure your story like a novel.
3 - Avoid Over Complication - You have a lot going on in your story... three main characters, two villains with their own gangs, and three separate climaxes. It's not that this can't work, it's just that it's going to take some effort (and maybe a little trial and error) to make it work well. Most stories have only one climax, though sometimes the "dark night of the soul" plot point is thought of as a pre-climax or false climax. But three different climaxes happening at the same time is a lot. The one way this might work is if they're all related/stemming from the same event. Otherwise, you're dividing the reader's attention so much that none of the climaxes can have much impact. You may want to consider combining two of the climaxes into the main climax and use the other one as the pre-climax/dark night of the soul beforehand.
4 - Consider Reader Expectation - If you're going to post this story and care about people reading it, you may want to think about what readers will expect from this story based on things like canon, popular fan-fiction, and stories you've written in the past. While you definitely want to surprise and wow the reader, it's also a good idea to do so while not straying too far from their expectations.
5 - Just Do Your Best - When you ask what factors in general writing you can be more lax about versus those I should tackle more carefully, my best answer is if you want this story to be good, you should tackle all aspects of writing carefully. Things like story structure, plot, character development, description, pacing, balance of dialogue/action/exposition, world building, etc. aren't things you pick and choose. They're all critical pieces of a well-told story. However, it's also important not to overthink any of it, because when you let yourself get too bogged down in worrying about plot, story structure, world building, etc., all it does is hinder your ability to write, which isn't helpful either. So, all can do is be aware of all these things and how they work, then do your best to deliver on them based on your current ability as a writer, the needs of the story, and the expectations of the reader. :)
Have fun with your story!
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!
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marshallpupfan · 3 months ago
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Hopefully this isn't too weird or invasive a question, but I'm curious what draws you to Paw Patrol as an older fan, and also what your experience has been like in the fandom and as a collector? (I'm assuming you're an older fan and probably close to my age from the non-Paw Patrol media you share haha).
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I am indeed one of its older fans, and I can think up a few reasons that keeps drawing me to it.
One I can say right away is the fact I have a big love for canines, thus I tend to gravitate towards anything with dogs (and wolves, depending on if they're heroes or villains). They make up plenty of my favorites characters, as some of you seen in one of my previous Asks, and I generally tend to enjoy things more when they're involved (a friend recently recommended an older game to me, which I enjoyed all the more because you got to travel around with your trusty dog).
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Funnily enough, not too long ago, I took an interest in the Asterix and Obelix franchise because of its dog character, Dogmatix... and I was quite thrilled when I heard he was getting his own spinoff cartoon! Of course, it was only available in French at the time, but much to my luck, the first half of season one got dubbed in English and [officially] posted on Youtube, free to watch! I gave it a go, and I thought it was pretty good! If anyone's curious, click this link to check it out. And yes, this might've been a thinly-veiled attempt to talk about this cartoon somewhere, since there aren't many English-speaking fans. lol
Arquebus/Musketix is the best character.
But yeah, the pups are one of my biggest draws to PAW Patrol, and unlike some fans, I rather like it when other pups get added to the cast. Boomer and Claw both certainly helped renew some of my interest in the franchise, particularly during a time in which I felt things were going downhill. Hey, I just love dogs!
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Obviously, Marshall's easily my biggest draw to PAW Patrol. I'll admit, I tend to take a far bigger interest in an episode when he actually gets some good attention... and it's why my interests start to wane when he doesn't. The dude's legit my #1 favorite animated character, so I suppose it's no surprise to hear I often tune in specifically for him. That's not to say I don't get enjoyment from the other pups, but I'm just so crazy about that spotted pup!
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Another aspect that draws me to PAW Patrol is just how fun it tends to be (or used to be, but the modern seasons still have their moments). I don't want to go too deep into this because I don't want things to get too serious, but let's just say... life can be quite rough anymore, and it never seems to get much better. I often look for something that can help me escape that for a while, even if it's just for a half hour at a time. I found that PAW Patrol does that for me. It's cute, colorful, fun, doesn't try to be complex, and by the end, everything turns out okay. And if I need cheering up after a bad day, a certainly clumsy, spotted pup often always puts a smile on my face. Some days, I need that.
----
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As for my experiences with the fandom, I'd say it's been largely positive. I do tend to meet a lot of friendly people, many of which tend to be supportive and/or cheerful when I need it, and I generally enjoy interacting with most of them right back! I certainly don't regret being a part of it for the last five years or so.
With that said, I've had encounters that certainly weren't pleasant. I think everyone knows about my copycat by this point, so no need to retread that old ground. There's one infamous user out there who just seems to hate everything (unless it involves Everest), and he often turns hostile if you don't agree with his opinions. The same dude even tried arguing and verbally attacking those who work on PAW Patrol... including their families, too! Crazy guy. I've also encountered some fans who seem to make stuff up, believe their headcanon to be fact, and then become angry when people don't agree with them. I once had someone tell me Ryder is "gaslighting" Rubble, and... I don't even want to know what that means or why they believe that.
And in-regards to being a collector, the reception I often encounter has been quite positive, too. Most fans really seem to enjoy seeing my collection, even if it's just out of curiosity to see just how much merchandise they made of one single pup. I still get compliments on it all the time, from both fans and non-fans of Marshall, and I've even seen other folks who just think it's legit cool.
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Surprisingly, I've only had one negative encounter so far, and it was, believe it or not, from someone who used to be a fan of PAW Patrol. She became one of those folks who encountered bad users, got tired of them, and then decided every fan must be awful... and of course, she tore into me because I "talk too much" about Marshall and deemed me a "freak" for collecting so much merchandise. Most of what she said was largely laced with swears and insults, and I'm sure she believes she put me in my place or something... though in truth, I was laughing at most of her replies. Why she felt the need to throw such a temper tantrum on me, I'll never know, but she didn't succeed in even the slightest to discourage me or anything. lol
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shv2 · 4 months ago
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Long post, any commentary welcome
Okay confession time: I disliked Wander for years and now I'm realising that the only problem I have with him is that he is not called out on his bullshit/mistakes when it's really important.
I just feel like he is only shown as being in the wrong about small things. "He wants to help too much, even if people don't want it! He ignores his health to help others!"
But these are laughably small. Remindes me of when a person makes a character but they don't want to gives them any actual flaws so it's just "They are too kind/smart/etc".
Main problem (for me) is that Wander actually has big, intresting flaws with his character. But they are not explored. I cannot treat the episode about him trying to help people that are fine when. Everything else. I'm going to give 2 main examples that give me the most discomfort. You can skip if you understand.
1. Constant invasion of boundaries, to the point where "when he is a villain he deserves it" doesn't personally work for me. The entire fremergency episode.. Also the one where he and hater sang on stage. Why is he so weird about unconsious/not fully there Hater. He immediately makes him do/say things (in public or even on camera) that he would not say usually. Imagine someone you know is drunk so you take them in a public place to act like you are close while your buddy is filming that. I get Hater is a villain but damn... I'm not asking for a big callout or anything, can we at least not do the "it's so sad that he has to return :(" thing in the end.. Wander overstepping everyone's boundaries is so consistent it's a character trait, but it's mostly played for laughs/ignored/endorsed. It's not only villains... I remember this one animatic (scrapped/after credit scene, don't remember) where he pets Sylvia and his hand goes down to her tail so she has to physically stop him. Also a lot of other minor stuff, but.. I feel like this is more glaring than "oh he's just too sweet and kind".
2. The entire dominator.. Thing. Wander sees a trolley problem with the entire galaxy vs dominator (+hater stops being a villain), and decides he wants to save everyone. No matter how right you think he was, he did not achieve what he wanted. Dominator did not change. Hater did, but not complitely. But innocent people died. We can't just ignore that Hater has the power to stop Dominator, and one of the main reasons he didn't was because Wander was helping him out with Dominator. Look at Hater's face when Dominator laughs at his confession. He's not even surprised. He would 100% give up sooner if Wander wasn't hyping him up so much. Wander actually made sure that the only person capable of defeating Dominator was peaceful towards her for as long as he could. How many people lost their homes/died while him and Hater were busy with their crap? Again, I know this is a children's show. And yes, Wander is presented as being wrong, but un a really weird way. It's more about Dominator than her victims. It's more "Not everyone wants to change/be your friend/some people are just enemies" etc. The show shows (haha) that Wander was wrong, but the consequences are not in the picture. There are 2 elements to what happened: "Wander made the wrong call and many wrong decisions, AND many people died/lost their homes because of his decisions". The show only talks about the first part. It almost makes it look like if Dominator actually agreed to become friends, everything else would become okay.
Every time I rewatched the show I was thinking "Oh, yeah, this guy let countless people die because he wanted to solve the situation 100% ethically and gets away with it. Oh, he is very touchy without consent. Oh, he doesn't listen to his best friend and almost gets her killed. Oh, oh. Fuck this guy".
Now I think that it would be fine if it was adressed. There is no need to reduce/ignore his mistakes. Half of the main cast are villains (I personally consider (Wander, Sylvia, Hater and Peepers the main 4, people still love them. I love them! Not only that, we have Brad Starlight that satirises traditional heroes. Why doesn't the show apply at least some critical thinking towards Wander? Also, Sylvia is a hero too! She was a bounty hunter, she has anger management problems (where she is implied to hurt people in the way that a family friendly show can show (ep about the race)), she often "learns her lesson" if Wander is right.
Another thing.
Episodes where Wander is wrong are weirdly disconnected from the rest of the show in my opinion. At least it feels like it. It feels like tonal whiplash. One episode, Wander does something wrong - it's fine/haha funny. Other episode, Wander is W R O N G and needs to learn his lesson, also everything is extremely more on the nose. Try watching "The Fremergency Fronfract" right after "The Helper". Throughout 8 years I saw several people that had an opinion that these episodes felt really out of character for Wander, and I can understand where they are coming from. In my opinion, it's not Wander as a character, it's the lens through which we see him. Swapping from uncritical acceptance to critique feels unnatural to me.
Thinking of alternative scenarios/fanfiction makes me like Wander so much more. I think I can actually appreciate the guy so much more now. Everything I wrote was prompted by RWBY (+rewritten), because main team has the same problems Wander has times 1000.
I do hope that in season 3 they planned to explore Wander more (I remember seeing some tweets about it being the case), but I think that there is no way to adress this in season 3 without making it disconnect in many ways in some way from season 1 and 2.
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grapecaseschoices · 5 months ago
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Beloved Grapes 🍇some questions from the fanfic hype ask!
(Also also before the questions: I adore your writing very much!! Even in your tags. There was a recent set of tags where you also wrote something like "I don't know how to word it/I'm not making sense because I'm tired" or something but you had worded it so perfectly beautifully. Anyway. I feel like you also use these really fun turns of phrase which are both unique and always perfectly suited. I still think about the "eye crinkle to eye twinkle ratio" which you wrote in a post about Nat and Kai! Anyway mwah I am eating your writing and your thoughts.)
Terrible OC (In terms of, like, villains. We're being positive today!)
Fic(s) you would/have forced someone else to read
A fun writer quirk you've noticed (Specific word(s) they repeat, detailed setting description, a lot of adjectives, trope they write really well, etc.)
hello pumpkin!
(haha i actually forgot what i wrote that so i am so flattered that you did! like that is really ... i guess touching? i mean i've made no bones that my memory is shit, so i forget even my own stuff. BUT THAT SOMEONE ELSE HOLDS LINES I'VE WRITTEN IN THEIR MINDS. i might tear up?? anyway ima stop before i embarrass myself. but ty <3 :-D)
1] Terrible OC (In terms of, like, villains. We're being positive today!)
okay, so i'm really shit about remembering to read shit on tumblr and i havent read ao3 fanfic in some time. so my answer here might not be satisfactory.
most of my time the past couple have been on rp, you know? but yall dont know my rp buds. [BUT I ENCOURAGE YALL TO GET INTO RP. IT IS SO FUN WHEN YOU'RE PLAYING AGAINST SOMEONE ELSE!!! I feel it challenges your view of your character - an your own writing - in a way writing fic/an original story solo or playing IF doesn't. the collaborative aspect is fun and i love the planning, but there is so much you cannot plan. you will surprise yourself with what you write and what your characters will do. but that's another post]
BUT! i will say for fanfic oc, @ava-du-mortain Cecilia du Mortain. it's been a while since I've read Ceci so my memory is fuzzy -- or LIA, rather. And I wouldn't call her a villain ... but I wouldn't say she's just ~misunderstood~. There is a darkness to her I find intriguing that I feel echoes her sibling's, and Pap has linger without making her cartoonish but intense instead ... coming to my mind was a snippet she showed me between Nairuz and Lia.
2] Fic(s) you would/have forced someone else to read
again, i am so bad with this fandom! and i havent been on ao3 a minute my brain is tired.
but, off the top of my mind, not to be egotistical but @lalizah's gift to me for the .... i forgot what it's called. but yall can read it HERE!!
And here is my ao3 bookmarks. Don't at me. I know. What is it I know? I just. Know. lol.
3] A fun writer quirk you've noticed (Specific word(s) they repeat, detailed setting description, a lot of adjectives, trope they write really well, etc.)
I really wanna add rp peeps! But hrm. My first thought was @evilbunnyking So, I'll go with that! Love the way with words, the way characters and characters actions are stated/described. I'm such a sucker for that when it isn't just adjectives but essence? does that make sense? no.
i'm tired. lmao
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eventinelysplayground · 6 months ago
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Enveloped In Darkness
This fic was inspired by a part near the end that's like 100 words long the rest of it is just what I needed to get there. Again not much about Victor is out on English so time will tell just how in character this story is but I tried to use what little they've given us especially his wrapped in wickedness story which I kind of reference but as always don't need to have read it to enjoy the fic. This fic is NSFW so minors do not interact. After a ball Victor poses a question to you that leads you down a blissful path. WC approx 2290, spacer done by @natimiles.
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The night had been magical. Your navy blue dress mimicked the night sky, its skirts unfurling like petals as you twirled across the dance floor. The citrine jewels encased in silver sparkled like stars while seeming to cast a magic spell to enchant. As the night was coming to an end you found yourself thinking how it had all been like a fairy tale and could help but smile at how appropriate that was given what had happened over the last few weeks. However instead of dancing with a prince like in most fairy tales you found yourself dancing with a villain.
“What are you thinking about that would make you smile so beautifully?”
You look up into Victor's curious gaze and familiar smile, his long black hair tied back with a ribbon.
“I was just thinking how this night has been like something out of a fairy tale, that's all.”
Victor's smile widened and he let out a short laugh.
“Haha how fitting! Though in fairy tales the fair lady always dances with the dashing prince not the villain. The ball's not quite over so there's still time to find your prince.”
“No I'm fine, plus I don't think any prince would be as fun or dashing as you are.”
Your tongue had moved before your brain caught up to it and your eyes widen in shock and horror at the realization of what you just said as you look away. Sure over the weeks you had been with Crown you'd grown close to all of them, especially Victor. You found him mysterious and alluring as well as kind and devoted and it wasn't long before he had stolen your heart and your thoughts began to go where they shouldn't.
“Umm what I mean is…”
Your words trailed off as your brain desperately searched for anything that would make what you let slip anything other than what it truly was. Just then you felt Victor's hand tighten around your waist as he pulled you closer.
“I warned you before little robin, when you make that face I want to take this further. So I suggest you stop, unless that's what you want?”
You turn your head back to look at Victor and for a fleeting moment you could swear his bewitching eyes were filled with an intense heat.
“I…”
Your tongue feels like lead in your mouth and you swallow hard. The rest of the dance is spent in silence while Victor’s gaze seems to hold you under a spell. You're grateful when he suggests leaving, it's only slightly early and the last thing he wants is for you to exert yourself too much. You leave the glittering ballroom behind and as he offers you his hand to help you into the carriage you could swear you saw that same flash of heat as you did on the ballroom floor.
It was late when you returned to the castle. You and Victor walked side by side when he came to a stop at the bottom of the staircase.
“Victor?”
“This is where I asked you to accompany me tonight.”
You remembered, it was only four days ago after all. Admittedly you were surprised when Victor asked you but he said it would be better if he had a companion for this particular ball as he flashed you a dazzling smile and you couldn't help but agree.
“I remember.”
“Perhaps I can pose another question here then, since the first worked out so well.”
Victor gave you that same dazzling smile and you nodded. He reached out and touched your cheek before trailing his fingers down your neck leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
“You have the freedom to do anything or go anywhere you like but…”
Victor leaned in his voice low as he whispered in your ear.
“Would you give into the darkness tonight?”
Victor kissed your earlobe and your breath hitched while your heart beat at a frantic rate. Was he truly asking what you thought he was? He stepped back from you and when you gazed into his eyes this time the heat in them wasn't fleeting.
“I have something minor I need to take care of first but if you agree…”
Victor took your hand in his and placed a kiss upon it.
“Wait for me in my room, little robin.”
It happened so fast but Victor's lips brushed softly against your own for the briefest of moments before they pulled away, an all too short but oh so sweet first kiss.
“As I said you have the freedom to do as you want, but I hope to see you shortly.”
Watching Victor's back as he walked toward his office you brought a hand to your lips running your fingers along them, the lingering heat from Victor's kiss causing desire to spark and grow inside you. Climbing the stairs you came to the landing and peered down the familiar hallway. You walked slowly down it passing several doors until you reached your own, hand resting on the handle.
You have the freedom to do anything…
You turned your head and looked down the hallway to the very end, to Victor's door. What did you want to do, did you want to give fully into the darkness or just stay dancing in between the light and shadows? Slowly your hand comes away from the handle and you turn away and walk towards Victor's door. You pause only long enough to take a deep breath before entering his room, shutting the heavy door with a quiet thud.
As your eyes adjust to the minimal light let in from the moon you begin taking in your surroundings. Victor's room feels warm yet mysterious like him, a desk covered in paperwork, a sofa and table, a neatly organized bookcase, a not so neatly organized open trunk that seems to hold various props for his magic tricks. As you step further into the room you run your fingers along the side edge of the huge four poster bed that's covered in black silk sheets with an intricately embroidered comforter spread along the bottom edge. Of everything though your eyes are most drawn to the massive windows along the far wall, not just because it's where the light is emanating from but because the view is breathtaking.
Standing there lost in the beautiful view of the gardens submerged in the moonlight, a familiar scent reaches you and warm arms wrap around your waist before you've even realized you're no longer alone.
“You always look lovely, but even more so in the moonlight.”
A gentle kiss lands upon your ear followed by more down your neck and out along your exposed shoulder. You shudder from the sensation of his kiss and your stomach starts to flutter along with a faint throbbing between your legs.
“Victor.”
Your voice is breathy and he lets you go as you turn around to face him.
“Are you ready to freely give into the darkness?”
His voice is like you've never heard before, deep and seductive and something inside of you lit in response to it.
“Yes.”
A mischievous smile lit up Victor's face and he offered you his hand.
“Then take my hand and entrust yourself to the Grim Reaper completely.”
You don't hesitate to place your hand in Victor's and he pulls you towards him, encircling your waist with his free hand as he captures your lips for a kiss. Unlike your first kiss not even an hour before this kiss is neither brief nor gentle but fierce and hungry.
Your lips move together as his tongue slips between them and begins to explore your mouth. His hand that held your waist now slowly makes its way up your back, his dexterous fingers undoing the lacing on your dress along the way. With each kiss, each touch to your bare skin the heat inside you grows.
“Mmm Victor.”
Your kiss may now be broken but Victor's lips don't stop. They travel over your jawline and down your neck sucking and nipping while leaving faint red blooms behind them. Your knees feel weak and your arms instinctively wrap around his neck to help steady you. The laces now all undone Victor slowly removes your dress while continuing to rain kisses upon your bare flushed skin. Everywhere he touches you he leaves a burning fire in his wake and you let out soft moans of pleasure.
“It feels that good already little robin?”
Victor's lips clamp onto the swell of your breast sucking hard.
“Ahhh…yes it…does.”
Your body arches into him as your arms tighten around his neck and fingers weave their way into his still pulled back hair. Before long the rest of your clothes are laying on the floor and quickly joined by Victor's jacket and shirt. Another hungry kiss and then he pulls away from you, his jewel-like eyes roaming lustfully up and down your naked body.
“You're practically glowing. The flush upon your cheeks and that wanton look in your eyes, the darkness becomes you.”
“You really think so?”
Victor reaches out his hand for you and you dutifully comply pressing your body up against his.
“Absolutely.”
You smile up at him then stand on the tips of your toes to plant a kiss on his lips. He groans into your kiss and you can feel his bulge pressing against you. Suddenly your feet leave the ground as Victor lifts you into his arms and carries you over to his bed. He places you gently on the edge before his lips leave yours.
“This is your last chance, you can still go back to the light if you desire right now but any further…”
You reach for him, wrapping your arms around his waist and pulling him closer.
“I desire you Victor.”
Warm lips crash against yours hard and hungry. The way his lips move against yours, his tongue pushing it's way further in and claiming every part of your mouth leaves you breathless. He pulls away quickly and you look up at him to pout. His eyes are dark, consumed with heat and desire for you and they draw you in. His hands begin removing the rest of his clothes and you shuffle backwards on the bed.
“Trying to run away now?”
Victor's smile lets you know he's teasing you but even still you shake your head.
“Never.”
You return his smile as he climbs onto the bed and makes his way towards you, his firm body leaning over yours as he claims a kiss before pushing you down onto the sheets.
“Wonderful.”
He begins exploring your body in earnest now, his hands mapping every line and curve of you as his mouth and tongue follow their own path. Your own hands follow his example as you wrap them around his back then lightly rake your fingernails across it. At first he's gentle with you but he grows bolder and hungrier by the moment. The differing sensations make your head spin and your body arches under his talented touch as the throbbing between your legs only grows.
One of his hands grabs onto your hips, his fingers digging into you as his mouth latches onto your nipple and lightly bites. Your head falls back in pleasure and you moan out his name. His tongue swirls around your nipple before lapping over his bite. He kisses and nips his way across your chest stopping at your other nipple and doing the same to it. Your panting and your body feels like it's on fire, kept in check only by the coolness of the sheets.
Victor's lips begin moving down your stomach and you shiver in anticipation. His pace slows as he kisses across the top of your thigh and his hand leaves your hip to slowly glide across your most sensitive spot. Your hips jerk towards him and you can feel his lips curve into a smile.
“It seems dancing isn't the only time your body just naturally follows my lead.”
He punctuates his words with a kiss to your inner thigh as he slides his fingers into your wet core. Your head snaps back against the pillow as your hips buck.
“Victor!”
Soon his lips have made their way over to your sensitive nub, his tongue lapping at it hungrily as his fingers slowly move in and out of you. The different places make you feel as if you'll go mad and you place a hand on his head, fingers gripping at his hair as you cry out. As your pleasure is coming close to its peak Victor removes his fingers and draws his tongue along your slit before sitting back and you whine at the absence of him. You manage to gather yourself enough to look at him just as he removed the ribbon holding back his hair. He slowly moves over you planting kisses over your skin along the way. He cages you in between his arms and stares into your eyes. His long black hair falls around you blocking out what little light the moon had offered and enveloping you darkness.
“I told you before that I'm a very greedy man, little robin.”
You feel Victor's heat plunge into you in one swift motion, filling you up and stretching you out. Victor waits what seems like an eternity, but in truth is only a moment, for you to adjust to him before the hard and quick thrusts begin.
“And now that you're mine I will take every part of you, forever.”
Victor's lips meet yours in a passionate kiss and you moan into it from sheer ecstasy. You've never been so blissfully happy as you are right now, in the arms of a villain and enveloped in the darkness.
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lurksunderthebed · 1 year ago
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Hi, I saw that you had a discussion about the queerness of our beloved characters. I really hope you’re not tired of that topic, because I wanted to add another point.
First of all I don’t really care. I really like the dynamic between most of the characters, especially Ghost and Soap, but I don’t care if it’s interpreted as besties or lovers. I think both is fun.
I just wanted to add that maybe all of the MW story feels so fucking gay, because we lack cool women? We have Farah and Laswell, but let’s be real Farah is basically married to Alex (I thought they were a couple at first) and Laswell is married to a woman. Now people go great lengths to ship the male characters with female villains, who only appear in a small fraction of the story and have no real chemistry. I mean they can do whatever floats their boat, but I don’t really see the point here.
Which leaves us with a bunch of man ‘flirting’ with each other vor comedic value. I think given this and the points you already said on your account, I think it’s even a bit intended that most of our characters might not be the straightest.
Sure, a bunch of straight men can exist without women and still be straight and the military still might not be the most women friendly institution, but I think having more girlpower would have been an easy way to make everyone appear more straight and the devs didn’t go that route sooooo… (I still would love to have more cool women, but that’s another topic)
Anyways, I hope you have a good day and I wanted to add that I really enjoyed your character analysis posts <3
Ahh thanks for enjoying my analysis posts. 💞🥹 Honestly, I'm still surprised people are reading them lol. (And asking me about it haha)
But yes, I don't think I'll ever be tired of the ol' queerness discussion. It's a fun topic to debate especially with these characters in this particular game.
Controversial take, but I actually don't think adding any extra female characters would've been helpful in making the 'gay' go away.
(gonna be a long discussion here, settle in if you want to read it haha 😅)
What we have to put in mind, is that this game wasn't made for the female audience. The vast majority of the people buying and playing it are going to be male. That's the facts. It's going to cater to men.
A game made for men is going to have a majority of those characters be male. Adding new female characters in a REBOOT series is a delicate task when a good chunk of the population playing have played the OG and want to see legacy characters back (which are all male—the OG was all men).
That means that when we look at why certain things are framed and why there aren't many female characters, and especially why there isn't much of any confirmed (het) canon romantic ships between any characters, it's because the game itself isn't focused on it.
That same vast majority of men don't actually care about ships in general and with people trying to be more progressive, any female characters introduced are painstakingly written to omit any overt possibility of romance. In one sense, it's a welcome change from the action movie style plot line where man + woman = relationship with the women being just side characters/window dressing to the MC.
Women here are shown to be tough, that they don't need a man at all. They have their own agency. It's pretty nice actually that they did that. None of the female characters are infantilised nor is there a sense of them being there to "check boxes" in the minority bag. They make sense in the framing the game has placed them in.
But we do have this interesting dynamic whereby removing the romance factor, but having female characters in a setting that most are conditioned to read as man + woman = relationship, it de-emphasizes heteronormality and actually emphasises the relationships between the core characters.
And with a game full of men, that means the relationships between men are going to be the focal point.
Adding extra female characters, wouldn't have changed any of this, because the writers have gone out of their way to not make romance a plot of any sort. (There's a whole other discussion on the flaws of trying to give women agency/proving strength of character, but by doing so, taking away their sexualities by removing any sort of romance, but that's beside the point)
I think there's also an argument to be had that meaningful relationships with others don't have to necessarily imply romance between characters. It's totally fair to be sick of always having romance injected in to these sorts of relationships. That's an extremely valid take.
But there most definitely is a double standard that everyone is operating on. And we see that when we compare Alex/Farah's relationship with Ghost/Soap's.
Alex's most meaningful relationship is with Farah. He sacrifices himself for her cause and loses a leg for it. He comes back and stays by her side. Most people assume to take it as Alex is in love with Farah. We never see any type of flirting between the two. In fact it's mostly Farah testing Alex and looking at their dialogue you can tell there's respect between the two, but anything more is undefined/up for interpretation.
Yet it's just assumed by virtue of Alex and Farah being man + woman, that they must be together because of how much Alex had sacrificed. Completely ignoring the possibility of Alex doing so because he believes in Farah's cause and was sick of being jerked around with no choice by higher ups who largely didn't care about the suffering of Farah's people. Suffering that the man had personally witnessed. But no, he must be in love with her. (If Farah was a man, their whole relationship would be read as platonic with Alex's beliefs as a focus, not him being potentially in love)
Ghost's most meaningful relationship is with Soap. Soap has changed Ghost's whole MO as a lone wolf, and has challenged his very notion of trust. Ghost tests Soap and is proven wrong when Soap survives despite the odds. We even see them have plausible deniability flirting/snark. They are framed as a unit and on the off times (off of missions in cutscenes), they are always physically together. There's definitely respect between the two, but anything more is undefined/up for interpretation.
By itself, their relationship seems innocuous, but looking at the context we see a very different picture. Context matters heavily in seeing how this relationship has changed Ghost/the importance of it to him. It's assumed that Soap is the first person in god knows how long, that Ghost is emotionally attached to. What constitutes a normal, albeit flirty and snarky, friendly relationship for most, is amplified for Ghost in the glaring fact that he really doesn't do this for anyone else ever. As far as we can tell for a man that appears to live his job, Soap is Ghost's most important person.
We can even arguably say that Ghost and Soap had a flirtier, friendlier, more emotional relationship than Alex and Farah ever had, yet it's assumed (by the male audience) to be completely platonic by virtue of them both being men.
For all those people who argue to stop shipping characters, those same people turn around and are completely implicit in the notion of Alex and Farah being a thing.
It's a really annoying take, because you and I know that it's not the romance they're bothered by. It's the idea of having a character that exemplifies the silent male loner badass archetype as anything but the pinnacle of masculinity. IE, totally and utterly straight.
I feel I could go on about all the ways Ghost surprisingly subverts his archetype, but I'll leave it there. This is prob already too long 😅
But yes, having new cool female characters is always good, but it still wouldn't settle any sexuality debate since they would most likely be written without any hint of romance between the core 141 group and that potential new character. Just like how Farah and Laswell, as you said, have been both removed completely from the romance/sexuality debate, any new female character would also be put under similar framework.
I suppose it would just make them appear more straight (and get rid of all the speculation) if they had a new female character added into 141, but I don't see the point of adding a new character for that sole purpose. And tbh, it would come across as insulting to women if they did for that one reason.
Given how little character development we had in the latest game, I heavily doubt they would introduce new characters at all when they barely showed anything of the current ones we have already. We need more development of the characters we have, adding someone new would arguably take away from building proper relationships/dynamics between the characters we do have currently.
But yeah, heh. I'll stop for real now. If you got this far in my latest Ted Talk™, kudos to you good sir 🫡, you have all my love ☺️
Hope you have a great day too nonny, and I hope this helps with the discussion. Feels like I went off on too many side tangents. 🤔🤔🤔
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maplebean2003 · 7 months ago
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I went into wish by Disney with an open mind even while knowing people seem to have hated it and we all wish (haha) that the concept ideas were what they stayed with but alas here we are,anyways -
I found this movie genuinely beautiful with the mix of 3d art and 2d art it's the ONLY time I've seen it done so well as if it were concept art painted upon a canvas! It felt very much like classic Disney however it was very unmemorable and I can't see myself rewatching this
There was one song out of the whole movie that I could say I would've enjoyed hearing as a kid but now it's kinda meh
Another song slapped but not hard enough for me to want to sing it
The villain was just...super relatable and frankly I don't understand why he was seen as so bad when he had very valid reasons to be upset - did he take it too far? Absolutely
It almost feels like they forgot half way their plan with his character as I was expecting him to be MUCH worse when in reality he deserved a redemption arc
An apology even from the kingdom for abusing his powers so much and only seeing him for that alone
His song was not a villain song either it was nothing sinister or evil even so that was disappointing
The side kick goat seemed very annoying to me where they tried too hard to make him funny or even likable when he probably could've just not existed and the movie wouldn't have been changed in any way shape or form
The star was cute and I enjoyed how it was a different media form than she was but I found myself not caring if he was captured or not really as I felt I didn't get to bond with it at all in time for the ending to have any impact on me
Though that may be because I am 20 lol but I think even as a child I wouldn't have been bothered by it much
Id rate it a 3/5 but really the three only goes to the art because that's the only thing that saved this movie for me unfortunately
I wanted to like it but at least it wasn't AS bad as people made it out to be
Id say watch it once at least but I watched it in 2x speed sooo...idk lol the plot felt very simple honestly in a bad way
The characters felt human enough but just...very flat at the same time where I just couldn't connect or relate to anyone except the villain
I don't see why he got such a bad wrap when Elsa did pretty much the same thing and she got a redemption
Why's it okay for her but not this man?? Idk it was odd to me
Also Bambi was in it with John from Robin Hood in the background which I actually thought was super cute :)) Bambi is all grown now!
Anyways I'd watch for the art but nothing else
My hopes weren't high to begin with so I wasn't really let down by it
It surprised me twice at least with certain twists and one instance of actually evil action being taken where the king shatters a wish of a woman....but my shock was quickly taken away unfortunately when the wish was immediately brought back like 5 minutes later somehow which didn't make any sense to me at all :// it seemed like they just didnt want anyone to complain but I think it would've been better to depict the woman either repairing her wish with help or having a new one instead of just... immediately having it back just perfectly fine
The other scene that had my jaw drop was a surprise betrayal that I won't tell cause it genuinely surprised me as it was not hinted at in the slightest beforehand
I understand why the betrayal happened though at least so it wasn't half baked like most of the movie seemed to be
But yeah Id say 3 outta 5 or 2.5 out of 5 somewhere between those and no higher as the art was the only thing that REALLY saved it for me
Now being stingy I would've LOVED watching the original plot they had for this movie as a lil star twink guy would've been goals /gender envy to the max but alas I get why
They wanted merch to sell easily most likely so they dumbed it down and made him more marketable ;-; twink death pipeline for sure
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