#that the false memories cannot mimic

[lets-try-some-writing]

For artificial prime: Optimus becomes a sparkeater during the unicron arc.

Heck yeah, an excuse to ruin my boy more.

Most relevant post here.

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

The perfect machine. Optimus Prime was expertly designed to mimic a living Cybertronian and possess all the cognitive abilities of one. He had no spark, but the false Matrix served as both his power regulator and strategic aid. He believed he lived, and that was all that mattered. Ratchet wallowed in his guilt and his creation marched ever onward following the calls of war.

Then Unicron woke, and everything went to slag.

Optimus was not a true Prime, he couldn't be. However he most certainly had the visions of one. Ratchet created a false key to Vector Sigma as a failsafe for his use. If Optimus's false Matrix ever fell apart, Ratchet could use the data stored on the key to restore its databanks. That was the whole point. But Optimus believed the key to be real, and so his plan almost entirely revolved around throwing himself into danger to try and use the false Matrix to force Unicron back into stasis. Ratchet only managed to drag the plan out of his creation through the use of some of his well hidden coded commands, but once he had it, he knew he could not let it be. Optimus was going to use the Matrix and there was no getting around that. But Ratchet could alter it, he could make Optimus's plan work through subtle uses of technology.

A quick jab of sedatives in the dead of night, a quiet dissection of the faux Matrix, and a swift integration of an EMP field generator was all that was needed. Just like back on Cybertron, not a spark was suspicious. Optimus's memory was carefully altered to show that he'd come by for recharge inducers before heading to his berth, hence his helm ache and sluggishness. Then, just to be safe, Ratchet copied his creation's AI onto a drive he specifically designed for such a scenario. He would not be caught unprepared, especially considering the likelihood of his creation not coming back was quite high.

Optimus marched toward what Ratchet could only guess was certain death. While it hurt the medic's spark to see the only remnant of his oldest friend throw himself into what was likely to be his doom, he did nothing to stop his creation from going on. He had his failsafe, and while it would certainly be a trial to create another frame, he could do it... he had the knowledge needed to make it work... and yet, Optimus had long proven to be able to feel, if only because Ratchet made it so. The part of Ratchet that saw the being before him as his progeny in a twisted sense could not bear to let Optimus go without a farewell. As such, before the false Prime left, Ratchet held Optimus's servos in his with a gentle smile and offered what words he could.

"Come back to us alive, Optimus. We... I cannot go on without you."

Optimus was surprised, but he took Ratchet's emotional response with grace. Ratchet for his part grit his denta and stood firmly as his creation, with Megatron by his side, went through the groundbridge. Ratchet did not waver, he did not allow himself to as he kept dutiful tabs on the vital signs of the team until he could no longer trace them. He remained with the children, praying to Primus for the first time in his life since he created Optimus that all would be well. When the ground shook, he gathered the children around him while continuing to hope and shielded the small humans in the event that the worst come to worst.

Then it all stopped.

The ground no longer shook. The tides returned to normal. Tornados dissipated and volcanoes fell dormant. Optimus had succeeded, and Ratchet could not have been more relieved when his creation's vitals came back online. However that relief was short lived when the team returned without the machine Ratchet had spent so long cultivating. Megatron had dragged Optimus off and the team had been unable to stop it. According to the reports, Optimus's memory seemed to be largely shot, leaving him with only recollections of his time as Orion. For Ratchet, that translated to one horrible horrible situation.

Optimus's AI was shot, and considering he went with Megatron, his faux Matrix likely was as well. There was only one way forward, and Ratchet already hated it. The false key would fix the faux Matrix without issue. But restoring Optimus's AI? It was likely an impossible task. He would need to be captured, then Ratchet would need to see if his mind was salvageable. If not, he would need to be purged and the copy implanted. The issue with that plan? The upload of an AI copy would be a highly delicate procedure. One wrong move and the AI could be corrupted. There was no room for failure as Ratchet issued orders to begin retrieving the missing Prime.

Thankfully, they did not have to do much to get Optimus back.

Not even a week after he went with Megatron, Optimus Prime came flying out of a ground bridge in the middle of nowhere. He was covered in energon, cuts, and wounds, but he was alive. The team, Bumblebee especially, were relived beyond words when they dragged Optimus back and plopped him onto Ratchet's medical berth. However that was when things went wrong all over again.

Up until that point, Optimus had been unconscious, his AI likely overwhelmed from whatever he had gone through. However as Bumblebee came near to try and check on his Sire in all but bond, Ratchet's creation shot up, and Bumblebee dropped to the ground totally immobilized. The team could hardly comprehend what was going on until Optimus's entire frame seemed to warp and cables whipped out from somewhere beneath his plating. An unholy shriek echoed from his vocalizer before he leap and his jaw unhinged, his gaze firmly on Bumblebee who remained prone on the floor. The team prepared to open fire in pure terror, but Ratchet stepped forward first.

"OPTIMUS! EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN! CODE ORION.P.2229!"

Just before Optimus could lock in on Bumblebee or cause any damage, he froze and dropped like a bag of bolts. The team fell still, Bumblebee scurried to his pedes, and the Prime lay on the ground without so much as venting. His gaze was lifeless and Ratchet could only groan as he dragged Optimus onto the berth yet again. Scans were run as the team watched, and it was not hard to figure our that the creature of legend was now what made up the husk of their leader. Optimus's AI was totally corrupted without a trace of any sentience left. His very CNA had been altered to match that of the notorious spark eater. The only salvageable part of him was the faux Matrix, but even that was nearly impossible to even attempt to remove with how much Optimus's frame had warped.

There was no saving him. Unicron's taint had permanently devastated the frame Ratchet had so perfectly crafted. He did not have the means or the materials to make another, much less fix the faux Matrix. He had Optimus's uncorrupted AI, but it would do him little good with Optimus's nature still a secret. Waking the AI on a computer would be traumatizing for Optimus and would reveal everything all at once. There was no winning. Either Ratchet would need to somehow pull something out of his aft and fix the feral sparkeater enough to be usable, or he would need to snag a protoform from the Nemesis, alter it, get a new power source, wake Optimus's AI and get him up to speed, and THEN put him in it with the correct codes.

An impossible battle.

Ratchet warded off the team with assurances that he would fix things, all the while he strapped the spark eater down and watched it flail once the shutdown wore off. He held the datastick with Optimus's AI in his servos as he watched, contemplating. The team needed their leader. Ratchet couldn't just produce one out of thin air as he had on Cybertron. Deals with Megatron were out of the question and the team needed the wisdom of Ratchet's dutiful creation. The secret would need to come out, preferably before Optimus's AI was activated. Then hopefully, if they didn't kill him on the spot, they could find a way to get Optimus up and moving.

Surely they would see reason? Surely... they would understand... right?

Ratchet could only pray as he gathered around with the team, showed them the datastick, and began one long explanation.

[legoarsonist]

here's a funny lil talbert files rant lmaooo, compressed into a keep reading for yall's convenience. as a warning I do use both he and she pronouns for entom, and I am HEAVILY biased against her

oh and also ik that my opinion's near worthless on this topic and what's been said of importance has already happened, but i think the talbert files are completely bs and i'm glad that it's been proven as such, i've disliked entom since he first proposed that mimic burntrap theory and I genuinely think most of the shit she's done has harmed the fanbase more than anything else. I was really looking forward to the ending book for tales until entom just fuckin leaked the most important portions to it. hell, his mimic=burntrap theory has harmed fnaf theorizing irreparably, ignores multiple game's worth of precedence and enables cherrypicking through books.

kinda going on a tangent here, but I legit had a debate with someone who believed in the whole glitchmimic thing and they said that "only certain stories from the books are canon to the games" and like what??? what's the point then of the other books???? you mean to tell me that these specific books take precedence over UCN? and how glitchtrap appears in the game directly after it? bitch what?

and not to mention with how HW2 explicitly mentions how those plushies you collect are memories, and how the cut content mentions how "only a small piece of his code remains" both imply that afton IS glitchtrap (on top of ofc how the PQ sprite shows him as a big fucking purple monster, in a setting where afton shows up in the books also as a big fucking purple monster of parts, OH and on top of that the afton and vanessa relationship in the movie directly paralleling glitchtrap, and ness and the therapy tapes which mentions vanessa's father, a guy literally called bill) there is next to no actual reason to think of glitchtrap being the mimic.

oh and then there's the talbert files, which entom has said both that it's real and fake, and pretended it didn't exist? and the shit surrounding it had gotten to a point where scott had to step in and say it's fake? my god i'm so glad that her downfall's happened like this, no matter how he responds it won't look good, either she's lying about it being real and thus purposefully spreading misinformation to further his own headcanons, or she believed a source that was completely false info, and thus cannot be trustworthy when it comes to future leaks.

either way I cannot wait to see how entom's video on the talbert files pans out, because this entire situation could've been resolved with a picture of the book and they've not shown anything whatsoever so :33333333333, wonder how he'll attempt to dispute the words of the scott fucking cawthon

[literalliterature]

I'm oblivious to DND so I'm very curious about Kenku's conceptually, but Yonder sounds like the Most Character ever. Corvids are so much fun/it tracks. Which of the asks did you want to get for them? Keet 🌂 Onyx ❤️✂️ Aisling: why does she feel trapped?

I love kenku and am so glad to finally play one. They are literally just little guys, to me. In the official lore, they are flightless and can only speak by parroting what other people say, but I found the second bit to be a bit too limiting for a player character. Instead, Yonder can speak more or less normally, but they are an uncanny mimic of others' voices and, when they're not paying attention, sometimes slip into the voices of others, including those who are no longer alive.

Anyway, in terms of the meme, the question of whether I would ever kill them off is interesting because uh. The short answer is yeah, maybe, lmao. They are actually quite afraid of dying and the associated rot and decay. However, they are currently trying to resurrect their dead family members (their older sister in particular), and since they are a character in a horror campaign, there's a good chance that will all end with them either dying (perhaps in order to take their sister's place) or becoming something that transcends life and death, in which case it's arguable whether they would be "Yonder" anymore.

🌂 What genre do they belong in?

I think Keet is pretty well suited to the adventure genre that she's in, but I have also said before that she kind of behaves as though she were a shounen anime protagonist lmao. Very power-of-friendship (and violence) kind of girl. Perhaps paradoxically, she also wouldn't be entirely out of place in some kind of horror/dark fiction, as we know now that her memory loss is due to her having died before and, long story short, she now sees dead people and has unlocked wacky psychopomp abilities that she doesn't know what to do with yet.

❤️ What is one of your OC’s best memories?

They have a lot of remaining good memories of the princess whom they loved and protected as a knight. While she had several lovers, including among her knights, she had various little ways of indicating in front of everyone that Onyx was particularly favored, and they remember all of those.

✂️ What is one of your OC’s worst memories?

In the first game that I played with them, there was a moment when an enemy hit them with a psychic attack of sorts that made them relive their single worst moment. As I told my GM at the time, what they saw was not discovering the princess dead, not being sentenced to death in the tar pits, but falsely confessing to the dead under torture.

I'm going to answer the question about Aisling under the cut due to spoilers. IRL people who play with me do not look please and thank you ckjdvbdvabg

When they were still a teenager, Aisling was imprisoned for killing a guard during a botched heist. Without going into detail, they spent a couple of years there (prior to breaking out and fleeing the city-state) being almost constantly dehumanized and abused in ways physical and psychological. Also, before all this happened, they had some pretty impressive fire powers, but as a prisoner, they underwent a ritual that prevented them from ever being able to channel that magic properly again. The magic still exists, though, and without a way to escape, it can do (and has done) a lot of internal damage to their body that is sort of reminiscent of certain autoimmune conditions. All of this combined means that, obviously, her life has been permanently changed in ways that she had no control over, and she simply cannot do a lot of things that used to come easily for her previously. (On top of the chronic pain, she struggles a lot with social phobia and borderline agoraphobia, for example.) Basically, no longer physically confined but constantly reminded of the limitations imposed on her by her experience, etc. etc.

[gsasustainability]

Wenyi Pan MFA

Wenyi Pan’s artworks focus on sculptures and installations. Her current practice is concerned with narratives of individual stories, especially regarding female dilemmas, which allude to a more complex collective memory. Wenyi researches and practices a restrained approach to alienating these social dilemmas, mixing reality with fiction in space. She aims to let the silence and the restrained re-presentation of artworks become a medium for the viewer to perceive metaphor and acquire knowledge.

In the degree show, Wenyi exhibited her installation work, April (2023), which addresses the menstruation anxiety that easily being ignored or misunderstood among female population.

April is a space - a continuous and an overlapping one. It consists of a film, fictional archival texts, and sculptures that mimic relics. The space is divided into three parts regarding the different components: ‘Documentary’, ‘Archives’, and ‘Discoveries’, which are interconnected to each other. April can be seen as a museum’s thematic gallery, where rumours, objects and stories that represent women’s anxiety on menstruation are stored. In a pedagogical and archaeological way, it leads the viewer to reflect on the complex relationship between official knowledge, false knowledge, and individual experience on female bodies.

Official knowledge and personal experience closely related to the body are not in opposition, nor in perfect harmony. The fear experienced by the body can often be alleviated by unrealistic talk, while familiar knowledge cannot help. That is why things that seem hilarious are believed, and why simple common sense is ignored. Such is the case with these stories about menstruation - they don’t need to be modified or criticized, they need to be recognised and accepted. It helps people find neglected traumas in the conflict between laughing about what they just saw and realising what they always did, and practice free and open life in recognising and accepting them.

[sundarika]

headcanon in two parts, sorry. Ask does not miss it. 1.1 Oh, you know the insecticons from the tfp? Can I have a headcanon where a S/O person is on friendly terms with insecticons?

[TF PRIME] S/O Is Friends With The Insecticons

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* [S/O] meets them by accident quite a bit before the events of the Energon Eaters. Arachnid is still “leader” of the Insecticons by technicality as the only available ‘Queen’ for the hive-mind, however she never really patrols the area or takes care of the hive as she should, rather choosing to wander as a free mind, disobeying orders from everybody.

* You had stumbled upon the hive while taking a short walk along the side of the Jasper highway, leading out of town and to an old coal mine you liked to inhabit on your days off work. A home-away-from-home of sorts, it brought you peace of mind to have a quiet place.

* At least you thought it was a quiet, desolate area until you broke through a thinning in the rock floor of the entry shaft and ended up crashing an Insecticon tea-party.

*It was a rather awkward fall, and it had injured your hip joint on the way down, leaving you temporarily paralyzed in throbbing pains and nerve damage.

* The giant bug-like robots and their shiny, metal wingspans immediately armed themselves and aimed at the shifting dust and rockfall, growling and chittering in a language of some sort, unknown to you.

* “Is it one of those ugly-faced Decepticons ploys again?”

* “It’s too small and squishy, much sooner to be a predacons’ chew toy than any weapon.”

* You looked super confused, absolutely stupefied, completely duped, utterly incomprehensible, awkwardly awed, amazingly idiotic, a-

* Their manner of speech and vocal patterns was practically lost on you. You could pick up remnants of a language similar to broken [language], but really nothing else. In an attempt to make contact with the metallic giants to gain help, you enabled your parroting capabilities.

* Humans have the stunning ability to mimic sounds and specific noise frequencies, at levels other earthen animals, especially mammals, cannot. Using this ability, you managed to copycat the grinding and chattering noises coming from the vocal mass of bug-bots.

* [S/O]: “¿Krrt-grrut vvurrr chechch?”

* Hardshell: “¿Buzzzz vert-tet-brrrz, Erreech?”

* [S/O]: “¿Erreech?”

* Hardshell: “¡VRREE BUZZZ-EECH CLICKLICKIK!”

* The contact went well, unbeknownst to you, and the successful communication meant that you might actually have a chance at escape, or finding a hospital!

* Congrats! You are now [Tiny Bug Child]! You have no idea what they were speaking about, unaware that they were contemplating how to execute you, but you successfully managed to evade death by being cute and cuddly! People say curiosity killed the cat, but it evidently saves the naive human-who-fell-into-an-insect-cult-meeting!

* Hardshell, the Insecticon you nearly landed on top of, begins to lift you out of the rubble, and place you down upon a makeshift stone table, partially destroyed by the collapse. The others—including Wingflap, Bombshell, Shrapnel, Blockhead, and Kickback—gather closely around you, cooing and chirping in their weird language again.

* This was, evidently, how you became the new Queen of the hive, though you didn’t know it, and managed to befriend your way through the entire enclosed community and worm into the spark of every Insecticon, though they were very few in number.

* You made easy friends with Bombshell, and remained close with him up until his untimely death by Bulkheads hammer fist. He would often lay atop the Jasper cliffside with you, and make out shapes in the clouds, constellations in the stars—regaling to you tales of the Old Cybertron, when his own kind weren’t so despised, and were respected as viable assets and allies amongst those with forms like and unlike their own—until the Autobot Elitists ensured they were seen as ugly and malformed, made to hide away in the shadows and step away from society for ‘the greater good’.

* It’s how you came to hate the Autobots—and Decepticons—for all they had done, to their planet and yours, and to your friends as well.

* Your mimicry slowly turned into actual speech patterns and recognition. Repetitive sound signals were a key portion of Archaic Insecticon speech, which made it easy to recognize simple words or phrases, each indicated by a set of whirs, clicks, or beeps.

* Now that you could actively communicate with most of the hive, it was far easier to make friends with even the hardiest of bots.

* Hardshell, of course, was tough to crack. At your constant insistance, he spoke with you once or twice, and made sure to acknowledge your presence when in the room, as well as save you a seat at the underground pub every other weekend. It wasn’t actually a pub per-say, rather a dugout chamber with smooth walls and some stone slabs insert for seating, where the cons enjoyed engex they could sneak off the Nemesis from time-to-time.

* After awhile, he warms up to you, welcoming you back to the hive every day after work, standing alongside his multiple siblings, and pushing others aside to get to hold you first.

* Meanwhile this all happens, they still don’t know what a human is. Their simple understanding of earth comes only from what they’ve seen on the highway from the cliffside, or from video footage of the Autobot pests on the Nemesis. Due to their bulky size and noisiness, they’re banned from most human-inhabited areas.

* Don’t doubt that some of them have attempted to follow their [S/O] home. They have. And some of them won’t stop trying. It’s been more than one awkward encounter between you and some teens to get them to realize they could get you in trouble.

* You all eat [dessert] together sometimes, made with energon supplements for ‘The Boys™️’, with some good ol’ 25-something-kg of sugar mixed in.

* The boys were worried when you didn’t show up for a week due to hospitalization via severe food poisoning medical coma.

* When Arachnid finally returned to Earth, and her fight against Arcee had proceeded about as well as expected, she located the hive and proceeded to force them to engage in business with Megatron. She believed that by implementing her own soldiers amongst the ranks, she’d be better equipped to backstab Megatron when the time came.

* She was undoubtably surprised when Hardshell and some others adamantly refused to take part in her plans at first, until she enforced their compliance through the hive-mind.

*When she learned of your existence, and the very gauge of your importance to her former hive, she came at you with full force.

*The Insecticons were fully unprepared to deal with a fight between their small [S/O] and an extremely angry ex-Queen. In refute, they returned you to the surface without so much as a goodbye, and begged you to escape before Arachnid scented you out.

* It was soon after these events that you learned of Breakdown’s death, Bulkhead’s coma, and Bombshell’s demise due to the combined effects of a substance called Tox-En and injuries sustained during his battle with Bulkhead. It broke you inside to learn there was nothing you could have done to help, but you refused to disobey their pleas to stay away for awhile.

* At the hive, Arachnid rules supreme. Being able to control the hive-mind was a feat a human was incapable of achieving, only Cybertronians able to easily access the imbedded chain of command.

* Hardshell mourned the loss of a true friend—a small, squishy human—but a friend nonetheless.

* Wingflap and Kickback went through a collection of memories you’d left behind with them. Pictures and small objects gifted over the years, a small treasure trove of important parts of their lives, now without you in them.

* Shrapnel stims a lot more now, and has nervous tics that he believes are the result of the loss of his dear friend. He knows you aren’t dead, least not yet, but he knows that you’ll likely never come back.

* Blockhead, as dumb as everybody thinks he is, is actually very emotionally intelligent. He has a way with words he barely understands, and [S/O] acted as a big support for someone like him. Without them now, he can no longer function like normal, and now has nobody left to talk to.

* Arachnid could care less. She absolutely despises [S/O], and would smite them for all she cares. You matter little to her, and only worry her for the loyalty and capacity of her troops.

* It isn’t until the Energon Eaters appear that everything turns completely south.

* [S/O] finally builds up enough courage to march themselves back down to the mine, and demand to meet Arachnid face-to-faceplate.

* The desert is hot, Nevada is hotter, and the trek down the highway seems endless and tedious. You pass by 5 interstate signs on your way to the hive, and count the steps it takes to reach the entrance, parched by the time you make it there.

* In all your sweaty glory, you, [S/O], make your way down the carved pathway into the mineshaft, dark and cramped—just as you left it.

* But everything is exactly as it was left, not an item out of place. The entire hive was empty, including of those you cared about. Their rooms are full of memories, and their energon cubes still lie in a corner, collecting dust and grime.

* The search seems profitable, yet it leaves you with nothing, and the emptiness of the hive echoes around you, and in all the chambers, through the cavern walls of every room.

* You know they’re gone, that they have left without you, and without so much as a simple passing note.

* Perhaps someday you’d find them, hiding away in another Jasper mine, but you never would.

* In their haze of a hive mind, they barely even remember the face of the human they left behind. A long line across the moon—stretching on for miles—and a vampire on a false throne, draining the lifeblood from their veins, and the image of [S/O] from their minds.

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✨ Hope you enjoyed ✨

[sholangagaga]

Glamstar AU Synthetic Info/HCs

I'm still working on chapter 5 and 6 so those are a bit delayed, but I've also been working on some information about my synthetics! Partly for me to organize my thoughts, but also for you guys in case you were confused about anything mentioned in my chapters!

Synthetics are actually still fairly close to their animatronic counterparts, parts wise. They're an Endoskeleton covered in a "casing", but made to look human

Synthetic skin is stretchy, but in a plastic sense rather than like normal skin.

The endoskeleton is covered in semi-firm muscles, which is really just bundles of wires made to mimic human muscle tissue. This is what prevents a synthetic from being too "solid". (aka, it makes them huggable/pleasant for children to touch)

Synthetics don't have brains per say, it's more like a special type of computer. Where the base of the skull would be, there's slots where Chips can be inserted

There are three types of chips that make up ONE fully functioning synthetic. The Mother Chip, the Personality Chip, and the Functionality Chip

The Mother Chip is the same as a brain. It stores all of the memories and information, and is what shapes how a synthetic acts and reacts to different things. If this chip is damaged or lost, it's the same as permanent amnesia or even brain-death. This Chip cannot be removed through conventional means. Because it is the "brain", intrusive surgery and high clearance is needed to remove one

The Personality Chip stores exactly that, the personality. This Chip allows each Synthetic to be unique, giving them depth and character. While this chip can be put into new endos, without the Mother Chip it wouldn't be the exact same Synthetic. This chip isn't as deeply imbedded as the Mother Chip, but it's still hard to remove. You'll need high clearance to take this Chip out

The Functionality Chip is the big boy, it stores the AI and all possible functions of the Synthetic. While this could also be unique, each related group of Functionality Chips usually start off the same way (ex. Glamrock FC are always built with the same base. Constant upgrades is what makes each one unique) This Chip is the one that's usually removed during maintenance. There is no clearance needed to remove these chips

Synthetics have three plugs on their backs for charging. One at the base of the neck and two on the trapezius.

Down their spines are small lights color coded to each Synthetic (Freddy's is blue, Bonnie's is yellow, etc)

On their lower back is a battery display. This show how much charge a Synthetic has. However, because they're all usually clothed, you won't typically see them. Roxy and Monty's are the only ones that could be visible, however they wear an extra layer of false skin on their backs to hide it.

Charging stations only make use of the plug at the base of the neck, which takes the longest to get full charge. All three plugs are typically used in Parts and Service, either during long maintenance or just every so often for a quick recharge.

[spookyserpent]

Hi I'm really curious if you have a masterlist for the characters,powers and who they are actually in irl due to the fact I actually don't recognize a few of them in your spider versus web series? Also keep up the good work I really love this series!

Hi!

Here you go:

Dsmp:

Tommy - post-mortem power absorption (avian wings = red wings like flames, etc) and power neutralisation (directed at himself)

Dream - elemental manipulation, earth related

George - never misses a shot, weapons proficiency

Sapnap - accelerated healing, fire generation/manipulation

Wilbur - compelling voice (kinda mind manipulation) + ability to see memories/drag up darkest secrets (want to tell him your deepest desires), immortal

Techno - blood manipulation, accelerated healing, super senses, immortal

Phil - reap souls, sense death, can make people into reapers (like Wil and Tech), avian = big black wings, immortal

Niki - water manipulation, can breath under water and can siren sing

Tubbo - bee-like qualities, can sting and fly

Ranboo - can teleport, a sixth sense, photographic reflexes

Ponk/Purpled/Punz/Quackity - powerless

Charlie - intangibility (can be seen as a slime if you wish, goopy boy my beloved)

Puffy - reality warping of probabilities

Sam - explosion generation/ manipulation

Foolish - sky and sea manipulation like storms

Drista - reality warping in the sense of spawning things in (she has creative mode)

Bad - darkness manipulation

Skeppy - get in and out of everywhere

Ant - mimic powers

Fundy - shapeshifter/silver tongue inherited from Wil

Eret - bond manipulation, makes you attached so can’t harm

Alyssa - sees the future

Callahan - knows where everyone is at all times

Jack - revenant

The Warden - technology manipulation

Among us Yt:

Minx - telekinesis

Corpse - possession and mind manipulation through touch

Rae - energy manipulation

Toast - sense a person’s memories through touch, low levels of telepathy (just the thoughts you have in that moment)

Sykkuno - fire and ice manipulation

Jack - can’t be killed and weapon proficiency (like Deadpool)

Tina - metal manipulation

Brooke - luck

Leslie - forcefields and portal generation

Og Mcyts:

Dan - creates clones

Stampy - powerless

Sqaishey - mind manipulation where they make you see and experience your greatest desire/dream

Shadow Lady - shadow manipulation

Cap. Sparklez - light manipulation

Sky - air manipulation

Squid - giant squid shapeshifter, can breathe underwater

Hermitcraft:

Grian - avian, parrot wings

Rendog - wolf shapeshifter

False - precognitive abilities

Beef - Minotaur body

Cleo - Revenant: cannot be killed unless their mission is complete

Iskall/Xisuma/Mumbo/ Doc/ Scar/ Gemini - powerless

Mr Beast Yt:

Mr Beast/Chandler/Chris - powerless

Origins SMP:

Scott Smajor - powerless

Tales of the SMP:

Sir Billiam - powerless

I think this is it? There might be more (I have OCs too but they only have a small part to play) and I think some of their powers change but this is the original document I wrote for these characters!

I’m glad you’re enjoying it! Thank you!

[mpanighetti]

Halloween Zero-to-Thirty Challenge Rating Challenge

October 5th Prompt: Parasite

Art by Haru!

Cuckoo Mimic (Challenge 4)

Lore

The adventurers cannot remember a time when Reginald was not among them, though they are hard-pressed to recall when they first met. He's just seemingly always been there, fighting alongside them in difficult encounters, sharing drinks at the local tavern, taking turns keeping vigilant watch over their sleeping innocent forms in the dark wilderness at night. Reggie is their comrade, their friend, their protector, their lover, and they would all readily sacrifice themselves to protect him, as they assume he would for them. That's just the special connection they share, as they definitely always have.

This party has been tricked by an insidious variety of parasitic mimic, which leaves its egg with traveling groups as they sleep. The egg emits a psychic aura that creates false memories of a tight familial bond between each slumbering group member and the unborn creature. Once the connection is established, the egg hatches, and the mimic takes a form comfortable to its hosts, who then wake up none the wiser of the intrusion. To them, this "person" has been a constant companion, and they feel a deep-seated compulsion to protect it at all costs.

Specific connections and memories are created based on the predilections of each individual; some might think of the mimic as a blood relation, others as a romantic interest.

The cuckoo mimic's longterm goals are to develop and thrive long enough to reproduce with one of its hosts and seed its offspring in another traveling party, continuing its cycle of brood parasitism. If it detects that one of its hosts questions its presence among the party, it will plot to either kill or defame the would-be accuser to remove them from the group. Sometimes this effort is so successful that it can even convince its other hosts to carry out the deed.

Affable Form. When the cuckoo mimic first joins a group, it chooses a humanoid form based on different attributes of all its hosts. For any attributes of the mimic's stat block based on a random host, a different host is picked at random for each selection. These selections are permanent as long as the mimic remains with its hosts, and potentially change as a host's features change. For example, if the mimic's speed is based on a monk host, it will increase as the monk gains speed from its Unarmored Movement feature. These changes have the same requirements as they have for the host; in the previous example, if the mimic is wearing armor, it does not gain the additional speed.

Attributes

Medium monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral

Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 102 (12d8 + 48)

Speed: 15 ft.; gains the speeds of a random host in its humanoid form

STR: 18 (+4)

DEX: 12 (+1)

CON: 19 (+4)

INT: 7 (-2)

WIS: 16 (+3)

CHA: 12 (+1)

Skills: Persuasion +5, Stealth +5; gains proficiency in two other skills from random hosts in its humanoid form

Damage Immunities: acid

Condition Immunities: prone

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages: none in true form; speaks all the languages of its hosts in humanoid form

Challenge: 4 (1,100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus: +2

Special Traits

Adhesive. The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Huge or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 14). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage. The mimic can choose to suppress this trait at any time.

Brood Parasitism. When the cuckoo mimic is about to hatch from its egg, all humanoids within 60 feet of it must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw; the saving throw DC increases to 18 and is made with disadvantage if the humanoid is unconscious. On a failed save, the humanoid is charmed by the mimic.

While charmed in this manner, a host believes the mimic is someone close to them, their memories are altered to indicate that the mimic has been a part of their lives for an extended time period, and they are compelled to protect the mimic at all costs, including self-sacrifice. The host justifies any inconsistencies found in its altered memories in order to maintain the delusion. The mimic has a persistent psychic connection with all of its hosts, which allows it to know each host's altered memories and surface-level emotions.

This charm effect lasts until the mimic dies. If the mimic deals damage to the host, they can repeat their Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect on a successful save.

Grappler. The mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by its Adhesive trait.

Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The mimic’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: mind sliver

3/day: mind spike

Actions

Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic so chooses, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait if hit by this attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage.

Change Shape. The mimic polymorphs into a humanoid of the same race of a random host, or back into its true form, which is amorphous but vaguely humanoid in shape. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

[id: monster stat block for cuckoo mimic, depicting a human woman in a green dress with her back to a mirror, which reflects a room including a chandelier, candelabra, and a fireplace, but the woman's reflection doesn't match her exactly; it has the same shape and dress, but the skin is a purple-black and there are eyes and mouths in random places throughout the creature's body]

[Original prompt]

[hazzabeeforlou]

Fine Line Masterpost:

A breakdown, musically and lyrically 

In Fine Line, ‘raw honesty’ doesn’t really mean delving into the details of who Harry Styles is sleeping with, but rather it’s a glimpse into the world of a 25-year-old who is both deeply in love and who fucks up a lot; he’s given to sugary supplications, is plagued by jealousy, pouts at consequences, and struggles with understanding an inner self that keeps prodding him towards exploration of his identity.  

The album is constructed to be consumed by various factions of the fandom. There’s no getting away from the surface dedication of HS2 as an ode to a blonde supermodel with a delicious French accent whose new boyfriend’s father owns a gallery, a girl who has golden hair and blue eyes. I won’t be arguing that away, because it’s intentional, it’s meant to be the surface layer. 

The mantle is not the crust, though. Taken individually, each song can be seen as speaking to the queer experience in varied and complex ways, and I’ve seen some truly beautiful explorations of this angle. Especially with TPWK and FL, the anthemic solidarity with queer experience is astounding and gorgeous. I think it’s no accident that this broad take holds true as we zoom in and look at the complex details; Harry has written songs that speak both to this meaning and also hold incredibly personal and intimate significance between him and a partner (in this post we’ll call them Subject). 

I will be focusing on the album as a cohesive narrative in the context of it’s chronological, linear progression. Fine Line details an incredibly personal struggle; it’s a love letter, an at times embarrassing, self-loathing reflection on a love gone wrong, a love struggling, an emerging self, and a hope redeemed. 

Please feel free to ask questions if any of the technical stuff is confusing, but please also remember that these are my opinions, coupled with my analysis as a professional musician (meaning, hopefully I’m remembering those torturous years of theory dictation correctly!) 

Side A 

All four songs share an off-kilter-ness, a restless, unsettled, frantic feeling, as if Harry is balancing, undecided between throwing himself at the feet of the one he loves or pulling away. This is no illusion; the tonic base is missing from each song save WS (but even here the tonic is sabotaged in our ear, as we’ll discuss). We’re on a journey to side B; we start with a hope that sweet memories and lust can salvage love, and we end with Harry going his own way.

Golden: There are only two chords in this song, DM and CM7, the V and IV7 of the implied tonic, G Major. We never get to tonic though. We never touch that home base. The songs “da da da’s” give it a happier, peppier illusion than the text reveals. 

Harry is already broken, already reflecting and hopeless as the song begins. His intended listener, Subject - the sun, the golden one - waits for him in the sky, and is all he’s ever known. Subject has always browned his skin just right, but now, Harry reflects, perhaps has been too bright for him. (Is some aspect of Harry buried in the brilliance of Subject’s light?) This golden Subject is scared, though, scared Harry is so open. Harry doesn’t want to be alone, but he also needs to peel back edges of himself previously unexplored. Stepping into and away from light is a major theme for Harry, and this opening song sets that precedent. Subject is scared because “hearts get broken,” but Harry’s heart is already broken, so perhaps this refers not to interpersonal heartbreak, but situational. Harry recognizes he’s “out of his head...” BUT, he counters, “Loving you’s the antidote!” He naively gushes out poetry while Subject remains unconvinced. We establish an impasse. 

Watermelon Sugar: The Dm - Cm - Am6 - GM chord progression is an odd one; my best guess is that the song is in D minor, so the progression is: 

i, VII, v, IV

 That’s not typical in a minor key. Usually the leading tone note (in this case a C) is raised (so C#) making the five chord Major (V) not minor (v) and the seven chord diminished (viio) not Major (VII). also the Major IV ignores the B flat in the key signature of D minor and instead uses B natural. So all this to say that the tonic base STILL doesn’t feel like a tonic home, because the normalcy around the key signature is erased. Everything still feels unsettled, unresolved. 

Much has been made of the oral sex interpretation, so, ya. This is a song about remembering the best of times, a prayer to Subject, a plea for summertime and bellies and strawberries, and a feeling Harry is desperate to get back. 

Adore You: The three chords in this song, Cm - BbM - AbM, imply an E flat Major key, so vi, V, IV, respectively. The tonic, Eb (I), is (once again) never used, and instead vi, V, IV circle without ever coming to rest. 

Subject, “Honey,” creates a rainbow paradise. This is another love letter to Subject, let me adore you, I’ll walk through fire for you, you don’t have to say anything just listen to me, you don’t have to say you love me too, just please, please... you’ve been on my mind. Let me adore you like it’s the only thing I’ll ever do. By this wording, Harry admits that adoring Subject is not the only thing he ever does, yet he wishes Subject to remember, or imagine, this false reality. 

Lights Up: We’re in C Major here, with the chords Am - GM - FM, creating the same exact chord progression as Adore You, vi, V, IV. We (yet again!) never reach the tonic of C Major. It’s a constant tease of resolution, but there’s no solid home base. We’re suspended in limbo. 

Subject is “sorry, btw.” What does that mean, Harry asks? Sorry we’re here in this place, that this is happing? This song is Harry’s declaration: he’s not staying, he’s not coming back down. It would be sweet if things stayed the same, but no, I’m stepping into the light. “All the lights couldn’t put out the dark”... even all the golden sun of Subject couldn’t heal the void in Harry’s soul?  Harry asks subject, do you know who you are? implying that he’s determined to answer this for himself. I’m reminded of the crab in Moana, singing “Shiny.” There’s a certain bravado here, a reckless glittery happiness, a flaunting, an exuberance in discovery. 

Side B 

Tonics are all over the place. Harry is certainly certain about heartbreak. No ambiguity here. 

Cherry: GM - Em - CM, or  I, vi, IV. We’re in G Major and we know it. Repetitive “cou-cos’s” pepper the track like hanging fruit (let’s imagine from cherry trees). 

The song is a simple one, simple in its jealousy. Harry has let Subject go, and now Subject is at their best... and Harry hates it. He doesn't want his former pet term of endearment used on another, even though he has no claim on Subject’s actions anymore. Harry keeps finding bits of Subject in how he dresses. They’re not talking lately, and Harry perhaps is most upset that this separation isn’t going how he planned... Subject is at their best without him. 

The gallery line is inserted as a bridge, a unique line of music rather separate from the rest, an intentional narrative. But what’s most fascinating is the end of the song. The previous repetitive chord progression changes. Now we have 

GM - AM7 (an added C#) - Am7 (4/2 inversion) - GM

or I, II7, ii7, I

The “cou-cou” lands during the AM7 (the II7) and it lands EXACTLY on the note of B, extending the 7th chord to a ninth chord, before, on its second syllable, dropping to the A and holding there (a kind of suspension) while the chord progression resolves to the Am7 (ii7), making the A a chord tone. This is deliberate. Unless the whole piece was harmonically built around Camille’s random use of a B to A in a voicemail (also randomly in the perfect key for Harry’s voice) this was purposely recorded for aesthetic effect. I for one really love it, I could listen to breathy french girls mutter about beaches endlessly...

Falling: A straightforward progression. In the key of E Major,

 EM - C#m - BM - AM or I, vi, V, IV

With Falling, the only ballade on the album, we see Harry shift from jealousy to self destructive behavior. I don’t believe the ‘wandering hands’ line is about cheating (he and Subject were already apart) but rather, Harry seeking to wound Subject by turning to others. Communication is back open, because Subject says they care, they miss him too, but now Harry’s gone and fucked it all up. What have I become? What if Subject never needs me again? I can’t unpack the baggage they left. I just want Subject AROUND! Harry isn’t even begging for a romantic connection, he’s simply begging for Subject’s presence. He was so sure he could discover himself in LU, and now he keeps asking, what am I now? Who has he become on his own? He’s falling, and there’s no one to catch him. 

To Be So Lonely: This song waffles between two keys, just as Harry waffles between defending himself to Subject and finally, finally admitting (in just one small line) that he is, in fact, sorry. The song seems to start out in C Major, with CM and Am chords (I, iv) but then at the chorus the Am chord elides from a iv to a i, revealing the key is really A minor. The chorus goes on to be:

Am - GM - Em - FM 

or i, VII (lowered leading tone in minor), v (lowered leading tone in minor), VI

A fluttering mandolin mimics a fluttering heartbeat, and a folk music lilt gives the song a certain feel of heartbreak. 

Harry asks for Subject to not blame the drunk caller, likely himself. Harry was away. He missed Subject. He was just a little boy when he fell, and presumably Subject caught him that time. Subject is trying to be friends, they mean well, perhaps have taken pity on him, but Harry cannot stand to be called baby now, not when that name doesn’t mean what it used to, not when it’s a hollow word. Harry’s ‘home’ is suddenly a lonely place, but Subject has his reasons for how he’s acted, presumably good ones, and finally Harry gives his mea culpa, “this is it, so I’m sorry.” 

Interestingly, only after admitting that he’s made mistakes too, that he’s not perfect, that he shares the blame, does Harry confront and open himself to the realization contained in the next song, the heart of the album and the crux of what Harry’s been dancing around up until this point. 

She: In E minor, both verse and chorus use the same progression:

Em - DM - CM - Am - (Bm, a quick lead-in to) - Em 

 or i, II, VI, iv, v (no raised leading tone), i 

This Bowie-esc sounding song is the first to have characters. In addition to the Subject (perennially addressed as ‘You’) there is The Man and She. I would argue The Man and She are both Harry, a duality. The man drops his kids off at school, the man is thinking of You, like all of us do (everyone thinks of their SO perhaps). The Man goes through mundane daily tasks, but is he faking it? Does he really know what to do? He’s playing pretend, so pretend. 

Now Harry introduces She. (When speaking of She, Harry sings in a high falsetto.) She lives in daydreams, she is the first one he sees, and Harry doesn’t know who She is. A Woman just in his head, who sleeps in his (a jump up to the falsetto for just this one word in the verse) bed while he plays pretend. Much has been said about the gender/fluidity discovery in this song, and by better than me. It’s clear what Harry is saying, it’s clear what he’s going through and wrestling with. He’s thinking of Subject, but also haunted by She, in his head, in his mind’s eye, in his daydreams. She is a part of Harry, and Harry wants to know who She is. 

Side C

Uncomplicated tonics! All Major! A shift into happiness perhaps? 

Sunflower: F Major. BbM - FM - CM, or IV, I, V.  The bridge is fancy:

iii, IV, V, vi, I, V vi, V (vi?) V 

Some trippie hippie song from the 60s! Two lines of thought are apparent from the get go; Harry says he wants to get to know Subject, but then says “before I got to know you.” It’s as if this is a new beginning, like he and Subject are starting over. Much is made of the ‘seed’ thing, a metaphor for new life and rebirth, “plant new seeds in the melody.” Harry is trying hard not to talk to Subject, to not seem eager, not act a fool. He was just tongue tied, then he’s still tongue tied, implying he’s done this whole dance before. He implores Subject to hold their sweet memories: domestic times, kitchens, kids. In Golden, Subject was the sun. Now Subject is a sunflower, hung up high in the gallery, out of the shade, in the light a sunflower needs to thrive, into the light, step into the light. Little gasps from Harry interject throughout; is he surfacing from water (LU music video?), is he breathing between kisses, is he suddenly gifted new life like Gandalf atop Isengard? The end of the piece devolves into calls of unbridled, nonsensical joy, like birds song, like mating calls amongst brilliant plumage. 

Canyon Moon: D Major. DM - GM - AM - DM (I, IV, V, I)

 Bridge DM - (Em transit?) - AM - DM (I, (ii), V, I) 

Chorus DM - AM - DM - GM (I, V6, I6, IV) 

Perhaps the most straightforward tonic bound song of the album. Harry is missing Subject, but it’s a happy nostalgia now, a hopeful one, a “two weeks and I’ll be home.” Home is no longer a lonely place, like in TBSL. The world is happy waiting (there’s no rush? No need to have everything figured out?). “Doors yellow, broken, blue.” You can’t bribe the door on the way to the sky a sky where Harry’s Golden sun awaits him, and now the sky door is broken, busted through, that blue door to a blue sky that never looked so blue. 

We get another glimpse of She here; Subject remains You, Harry remains Harry, but there’s also a She who plays old hippies’ love songs and pretends to know the words; perhaps this is another Camille reference for narrative purposes, but I lean more towards this being another reference to She as Harry, exploring odd new music he’s never heard, trying not to be so pretentious about it but failing. (He’s such an Aquarius.) Most charmingly of all, the single whistler becomes two by the end of the song. 

Treat People With Kindness: F Major. This is the most interesting piece in terms of text painting. 

We start with CM6 - FM, then FM6/4 - BbM, then back to CM6 - FM, then we hold on the Am chord, and then repeat the whole thing. So analyzed in F Major this would be V6, I, I6/4, IV, V6, I, iii. 

But. By using the I6 to IV, Harry plays with the idea of a V of IV, where you take the IV chord of the key and pretend it has its own dominant (V) and use the V of IV not as the I chord normally is used, but as a Leading Tone chord to IV. 

ALL THAT TO SAY. He’s illustrating the lyrics. During “Maybe we can find a place” the chords are playing with dual resolutions. Where is the actual tonic? Is it F Major or B Flat Major? It’s ambiguous! We don’t know! We haven’t found our place yet! 

But then! The bridge. “And if we’re here long enough” and look where we land, on a CM chord, then BbM, then FM, a solid V, IV, I progression. And THEN (bless this boy) on the word belong we get the same A minor chord (the iii) but we get a 7th added to the chord, a G, and Harry holds this G in the melody (plant new seeds in the melody), a note that VERY MUCH DOES NOT BELONG because in no universe does a iii chord in Major have a 7th added! And Harry not only ADDS but draws attention to this note, this note that doesn’t belong!!! Then this iii7 chord resolves to C Major (V), making the G note a chord tone, making it BELONG, making it fit perfectly. 

GOD. Weep with me. 

This is Over the Rainbow. This is Hair, this is Age of Aquarius. Somewhere there’s a place we can belong and feel good and people will celebrate and rejoice in us, someday a new age will dawn. 

Harry is plunging into the deep end, dreaming, caught up in his good feelings and his euphoria in being “given second chances.” He’s tentative about admitting reckless hope to Subject; instead he says, “Maybe we can find a place to feel good?” Harry says he doesn’t need all the answers. He said in LU “do you know who you are” then in Falling “What am I now?” then in She “I don't know who she is” and now he’s at peace. He feels good in his skin, and he will keep on dancing. 

Most personally, I think the sudden somber turn of the line “If our friends all pass away” is in reference to grief. He’s speaking to Subject, but also to himself. It will be okay, okay, okay. Harry can’t control his life, he doesn’t have everything figured out, but he’s come to accept that. 

Side D

Fine Line: D Major. We come full circle, returning to the use of only three chords like at the start of the album. This time, though, Harry resolves to tonic in a repetitive pattern used for both the verses and chorus: 

Bm, GM7, DM6/4, or vi, IV7, I

FL is the summation of the album, the thesis statement, the conclusion of the journey. Harry has endured tests of patience, and accepted that there are things he’ll never know. He’s trying to shake off trepidation (of plunging in the deep end? Of hoping?). He says “My hand’s at risk, I fold.” The poker analogy is an interesting one; Subject (presumably) has gotten past Harry’s poker face, has sussed out his fronts and acts and strategies, and Harry is left bare and exposed, vulnerable before them. He’s been brought to this point, but willingly he folds. He laments that “spreading you open is the only way of knowing you.” We should open up before it’s all too much. Harry is done fighting. He’s also done sleeping in the dirt. For the first time he’s not sugar-coating his words, avoiding their problems via sex and pretense and flowery language. He’s matured enough to admit, “Man, I hate you sometimes.”

Again we have the reappearance of She. Harry says to Subject, “We’ll get the drinks in, so I’ll get to thinking of her.” This She is something between them, within them now, another facet of his and Subject’s relationship. Harry is going to spend time thinking of Her. She, I believe, is a part of him. 

A fine line is a balancing act, a tightrope, a suspension between extremes. But Harry calls out into the echo of the music, “We’ll be alright.” A declaration, a hope, a promise. Brass, strings, and a building crescendo, a cacophony of movie-credit-worthy emotion, sweeps us towards closure. Ethereal voices fade out, moving from dominant to tonic, but then a solitary piano plinks on a V chord, twice, hanging in the air, a question, an invitation, a hope. 

[mossy-man]

Mossy man, ever so often I dream of teeth filling my lungs. In my waking moments I can still feel them there, and I sometimes I can taste them when I eat, white powdery bits caught in my mouth as if one slipped up into my mouth. Am I awake? Am I still asleep? Is there something that I need to do to be rid of these teeth?

where is the cashier? you’ve been standing at the counter for 10 minutes now. where are they?

your whisper reaches the ears of something.

[ dreams. curious and strange things. they may mimic our waking world. or they may be a twisted amalgamation of memories. thoughts that scare us. things that make us feel safe. true and false. we often cannot make heads or tails of them. but reoccurring dreams are the most frightening. you think of them regularly. and thus they will haunt you. anxiety and dreams are partners, in most cases. breathe, dear friend. do not worry.

your presence is very much welcome at the crossroads. ]

the lurcher sees you

the mossy man hears you

the field stalker is not within range

the church grim is not within range

you feel uncertain.

[rebuiltbionicle]

Kraata Powers

The Kraata, and by extension the Rahkshi and Makuta, have access to at least one of 42 different powers. These powers came about as an unintended byproduct of the Makuta’s antidermis based chemistry. The Kraata and Rahkshi have different hues based on their power. All these and the summaries of the powers are listed below.

Eight superfluous powers are absent from the Rebuiltverse, replaced with eight new powers that inherit the same Kraata and Rahkshi colours.

Rahkshi colour is listed armour colour first and muscle colour second. Kraata colour is listed head first and tail second. This list uses “Kraata” to refer to Kraata, Rahkshi, and Makuta as a whole. If there is a distinction between the three it will be pointed out.

Accuracy

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and purple

Kraata Colour: Red and blue

Summary: Enhances the Kraata’s hand-eye coordination, muscle control, and ability to lead a target.

Note: The Rahkshi like to throw their spears using this power.

Acid

Rahkshi Colour: Pink

Kraata Colour: Red and olive

Summary: A potent corrosive agent that can burn through nearly everything. The strongest it can dissolve is protosteel but it does so very slowly.

Note: A subpower of elemental Salt.

Adaptation

Rahkshi Colour: Black and purple

Kraata Colour: Yellow and gold

Summary: Adapts the Kraata to any environment it encounters, including the previous powers of fire and ice resistance for fiery or cold environments. They will gain associated weaknesses though. This is the only Kraata that can breathe underwater. They can adapt to a vacuum but can’t permanently survive it.

Note: Unrelated to adapting to enemy attacks.

Anger

Rahkshi Colour: White

Kraata Colour: Silver and white

Summary: Overrides target’s minds with a rage that they will unleash on whatever vexes them next. Can sometimes backfire on the Kraata when they become a outlet.

Note: An emotion power, and therefore a subpower of elemental Psionics.

Chain Lightning

Rahkshi Colour: Silver

Kraata Colour: Sand blue and olive

Summary: Throws arcs of lightning at targets. Can have a single bolt arc between multiple targets if powerful enough.

Note: A subpower of elemental Lightning.

Chameleon

Rahkshi Colour: Red and gold

Kraata Colour: Olive and yellow

Summary: Able to change the colour and texture of Kraata’s skin or the Rahkshi’s casing to blend in with the environment. Higher leveled Kraata and Makuta can become completely invisible.

Note: The illusion power can be used to accomplish the same thing, but the powers are distinct.

Confusion

Rahkshi Colour: Grey and Green

Kraata Colour: Black and gold

Summary: Robs the targets of higher mental functions, causing among other things: memory loss, aphasia, and a disconnect between the brain and the sensory organs. The severity depends on the power and intent of the Kraata; they could just make a target forget they saw the Kraata, or reduce a village into gibbering wretches. Aside from erasing memories, no permanent damage can be done with Confusion.

Note: A subpower of elemental Psionics.

Cyclone

Rahkshi Colour: Black and white

Kraata Colour: Sand blue and silver

Summary: Able to create whirlwinds of varying power, from tiny dust devils to F5 tornadoes, but no actual cyclones by human terms.

Note: A subpower of elemental Air. Also includes the ability to remain rooted to the ground, a subpower of elemental Magnetism.

Density Control

Rahkshi Colour: Black and green

Kraata Colour: Green and olive

Summary: Can change how much mass their own body is composed of, without affecting their life functions. The access mass is stored in a self-contained pocket dimension, as well three times their original mass to become heavier. Can also change where in their body their mass is located, and how tightly.

Note: Works great when coupled with shapeshifting.

Desiccation

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and yellow

Kraata Colour: Silver and sand blue

Summary: The Kraata absorbs all moisture in the area. Large bodies of water take hours to dry up, but within minutes soil will be barren and organic components will be severely dehydrated.

Note: A subpower of elemental Water.

Disintergration

Rahkshi Colour: Blue

Kraata Colour: Grey and light blue

Summary: Reduces objects to a mist of particles.

Note: Is a completely different power to fragmentation.

Dodge

Rahkshi Colour: Red and silver

Kraata Colour: Yellow and olive

Summary: Enhanced reflexes and speed that allows the Kraata to dodge even the fastest and most sudden of strikes. At the highest of levels, this power operates without the Kraata’s will, but Makuta always control it.

Note: A subpower of elemental Kinetics.

Elasticity

Rahkshi Colour: Tan

Kraata Colour: Lime and yellow

Summary: Ability to stretch and bend the body without damaging internal organs.

Note: Does not effect tools, except for Rahkshi staffs.

Fear

Rahkshi Colour: Red

Kraata Colour: Gold and red

Summary: Triggers panic responses in targets. At full strength can cause lesser strength beings to drop dead. The fear is felt towards the Kraata; there are no hallucinated phobias or anything.

Note: An emotion power, and therefore a subpower of elemental Psionics.

Fire Resistance

Rahkshi Colour: Aquamarine

Kraata Colour: Black and red

Summary: Able to withstand intense heat stresses, and is nonflammable. It takes plasma-levels of heat to harm them.

Note: Kraata are weak towards cold temperatures, but Makuta are not. Unrelated to elemental Fire.

Fragmentation

Rahkshi Colour: Brown

Kraata Colour: Bronze and tan

Summary: Pumps objects full of energy until they explode.

Note: A subpower of elemental Kinetics.

Frost

Rahkshi Colour: Light blue

Kraata Colour: Olive and gold

Summary: Takes the ambient temperature down wherever they go, able to freeze over bodies of water and cause snow.

Note: A subpower of elemental Ice.

Gravity

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and silver

Kraata Colour: Grey and olive

Summary: Can change the effect of gravity on a given object, including the Kraata itself.

Note: A narrow application of elemental Gravity.

Heat Vision

Rahkshi Colour: Yellow

Kraata Colour: Black and orange

Summary: Ability to fire beams of heat energy from the eyes. Kraata fire just the two lines ranging from parallel to converging, while the Makuta can use their shapeshifting to fire as many in whatever direction they like.

Note: Heat is a subpower of elemental Fire, but most Fire users fire heat from their tools rather than their eyes.

Hunger

Rahkshi Colour: Black

Kraata Colour: Dark grey and silver

Summary: Drains victims of their energy. The Kraata gains that energy as strength. This effects operating energy, elemental energy, or Kanohi power.

Note: Works on machines and biomechanicals. Organics are immune. Toa Power is also immune.

Ice Resistance

Rahkshi Colour: Red and yellow

Kraata Colour: Yellow and green

Summary: Able to withstand intense cold stresses, and internal fluids resist freezing. It takes “its raining oxygen” levels of cold to harm them.

Note: Kraata are weak towards warm temperatures, but Makuta are not. Unrelated to elemental Ice.

Illusion

Rahkshi Colour: Tan and blue

Kraata Colour: Green and yellow

Summary: Ability to conjure false images that, depending on power level, have the capacity to fool all the senses.

Note: A subpower of elemental Psionics.

Invulnerability

Rahkshi Colour: Grey

Kraata Colour: Black and olive

Summary: Quite literally resistant to most forms of damage. Not totally invulnerable; strong enough force can still harm them. As a downside they also resist external healing.

Note: Kraata have a specific weakness to elemental Light that Invulnerability does not protect them from. This wouldn’t be the case if they weren’t Shadow elementals.

Magnetism

Rahkshi Colour: Black and gold

Kraata Colour: Orange and black

Summary: Can adjust the ferromagnetic properties of a given object, including the Kraata itself.

Note: A narrow application of elemental Magnetism.

Plant Control

Rahkshi Colour: Green and brown

Kraata Colour: Gold and black

Summary: Able to control all the plants within a given area. Can accelerate growth or wilting, but cannot completely summon a plant from nothing.

Note: A narrow application of elemental Plantlife.

Plasma

Rahkshi Colour: Tan and red

Kraata Colour: Grey and blue-grey

Summary: Creating short-range streams of superheated gas.

Note: Distinct from heat vision but has similar applications. A narrow application of elemental Plasma.

Poison

Rahkshi Colour: Green

Kraata Colour: Green and lime

Summary: A slimy toxin that causes debilitating sickness or even death.

Note: The poison breaks down enzymes vital to the organic components of biomechanicals. Antidermis based life is immune. Fully organic life is not.

Power Mimicry

Rahkshi Colour: Maroon

Kraata Colour: Gold and olive

Summary: Upon witnessing a power, the Kraata is capable of using it themselves. They can only go as powerful as they witnessed, but are fully capable of innovating with its applications. They can only mimic one power at a time.

Note:

Power Scream

Rahkshi Colour: Purple

Kraata Colour: Red and black

Summary: Can unleash a wave of sonic energy from their lungs. Usually destructive, but can be used for relatively harmless long-range communication or to reach high-notes in choirs.

Note: A subpower of elemental Sonics.

Quick Healing

Rahkshi Colour: Black and brown

Kraata Colour: Olive and sand blue

Summary: Injuries regenerate fairy rapidly, depending on power level. The most powerful can extend the power to others.

Note:

Rahi Control

Rahkshi Colour: Magenta

Kraata Colour: Olive and grey

Summary: Able to override the will of any Rahi within the area, or just implant them with new instincts and beaviours. Changes to Rahi behaviour wear off once out of the Kraata’s field of influence.

Note: A narrow application of elemental Rahi.

Seismicity

Rahkshi Colour: Orange

Kraata Colour: Yellow and black

Summary: Channels energy into the earth, which is released as seismic waves. The earth shakes and can cause severe structural damage and cave-ins.

Note: A subpower of elemental Earth.

Shapeshifting

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and gold

Kraata Colour: Grey and lime

Summary: Control over the Kraata’s shape, into any feasible form. They cannot take the form of a plasma and risk dispersing if they take the form of liquid or gas.

Note: Kraata’s mass cannot change, but a Makuta has access to density control powers.

Shielding

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and white

Kraata Colour: Blue and red

Summary: Ability to summon defensive forcefields. These are two way and resist most forms of energy, but will pop under enough strain.

Note: Similar to the Kanohi Hau; weaker but with more applications

Silence

Rahkshi Colour: Grey and black

Kraata Colour: Lime and grey

Summary: Creates a field wherever they go that prevents sounds from permeating. This effectively both mutes and deafens everyone in range.

Note: A subpower of elemental Sonics.

Speed

Rahkshi Colour: Red and orange

Kraata Colour: Olive and green

Summary: Ability to move at heightened speeds without worrying about muscle fatigue.

Note: Subpower of elemental Kinetics.

Stasis Field

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and black

Kraata Colour: Sand blue and grey

Summary: Able to project fields that freeze objects in stasis, where no energy can interact with them and their processes are frozen at zero. Duration of the fields vary with power, but cannot be permanent.

Note: A subpower of elemental Kinetics.

Telekinesis

Rahkshi Colour: Black and red

Kraata Colour: Gold and yellow

Summary: Able to move and manipulate objects using nothing but psionic power.

Note: A subpower of elemental Psionics.

Teleportation

Rahkshi Colour: Blue and green

Kraata Colour: Olive and red

Summary: Can disappear and reappear a given distance away at will.

Note:

Tracking

Rahkshi Colour: Yellow and green

Kraata Colour: Black and yellow

Summary: Ability to “mark” a target, after which the Kraata can sense their presence for a given distance depending on power.

Note:

Vacuum

Rahkshi Colour: Orange and black

Kraata Colour: Yellow and lime

Summary: Rapid suction of the given medium, both inwards or outwards, or perhaps both at once.

Note: Traditionally a subpower of elemental Air, but Kraata can do it to water and other fluid as well.

Weather Control

Rahkshi Colour: Gold

Kraata Colour: Olive and black

Summary: Able to create and move particulate matter through the air.

Note: A subpower of elemental Water.

[nadziejastar]

What are your thoughts on the various types of lesser Nobodies?

The members of the Organization each had their own distinctive weapons that didn’t exactly cooperate if someone else tried to use them, but Keyblades were even more particular. If someone else so much as tried to pick it up, a Keyblade would simply return to its wielder’s hand. Or so Xion had heard.

We should have gotten to learn how the members of the organization got their weapons.

Nobodies derived their personalities and abilities from memories of their human lives. But what exactly were those abilities? What gave rise to them? The answer that came to mind was the presence of memory itself. They were chained by their memory, and in those bonds was power. So it was probably fair to say that Roxas and Xion were bound by the same memory.

And we should have learned how they got their “personalities” and abilities, too. The Nobodies they control are one of those abilities, no doubt. They should be based off of specific memories from when they were human. Which means that the organization members should have gotten a MUCH more flesh out backstory than they got. I’m really disappointed that most of them remained so flat, even including the popular ones like Axel. He may have been very likable, but his backstory in KH3 left him very flat.

Sorcerer

A sorcerer, magician, or “witch” attempts to influence the surrounding world through occult (i.e., hidden, as opposed to open and observable) means.

There should have been a story/lore based reason for each of their fighting styles. There are no lesser Nobodies based on Vexen/Zexion. It probably means that those two did not have any fighting abilities as humans, which makes sense. But the rest of the organization probably did fight as humans, thus they can control Nobodies based off of that fighting style.

Sniper

A sniper is a marksman who operates to shoot people from a concealed position. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision rifles and high-magnification optics, and often feed information back to their units or command headquarters.

Braig was a sniper when he was a castle guard.

Dragoon

Dragoon, in late 16th-century Europe, a mounted soldier who fought as a light cavalryman on attack and as a dismounted infantryman on defense. The terms derived from his weapon, a species of carbine or short musket called the dragoon.

Dilan was a dragoon.

XaldinHe has the image of a medieval Chinese military commander. He is excellent at strategizing, and a powerful soldier. I’m sure the players all know that he is a contender for the first or second strongest in the Organisation. I’m satisfied that I was able to depict that strength in his personality, too. I personally really like this character.–Nomura

But he was also based on a Chinese military commander. We didn’t get to learn much about Dilan. What was his motivation? Why did he side with Xehanort? 

Watching that foolish beast flail about only deepens my disdain for humans and their incessant need to be pinned down by feelings. We became Nobodies precisely to avoid the shackles of emotion. It was only later that we realized the scale of that loss: that some things simply cannot be done without a heart. Nonetheless, I see nary a pleasant thing about it.

Why did he want to get rid of his emotions and why did he consider them a weakness? What was his opinion of Ansem the Wise, and how did he feel when he was banished? Did he want to take over Radiant Garden?

Samurai

The ideal samurai was supposed to be a stoic warrior who followed an unwritten code of conduct, later formalized as Bushidō, which held bravery, honour, and personal loyalty above life itself; ritual suicide by disembowelment (seppuku) was institutionalized as a respected alternative to dishonour or defeat.

Aeleus was a samurai.

LexaeusHe’s a character with strength to rival Xaldin. While Xaldin has power plus technique, I’d say to Lexaeus is more of a samurai, or that he has bushido-style strength. If you listen to his very last line in Re:COM, I think you’ll be able to see his spirit. I wanted to do more with this character.–Nomura

Nomura said his final words showed his spirit.

Lexaeus: You are the Superior’s—Forgive me, Zexion. This was a fight I should not have started.

In Re:CoM, these are his last words. He seems to have some honor and was loyal to Zexion.

Lexaeus gave him a cruel smile. “Hmph…so I must accept my defeat here. But do not make the mistake of underestimating the darkness in me! As I am destroyed, it will leave this ruined vessel and drown you!” 

Then there was a terrible shock wave far greater than what Riku had felt from the darkness that Lexaeus radiated before the battle. 

“Wh…what’s happening?!” A relentless swirl of darkness surrounded him, swallowing him up until he disappeared into it. 

Lexaeus laughed madly. “This is my strength… I, number five in the organization… I who was once his favorite pupil!” Those were Lexaeus’s final words before he vanished into the darkness.

In the novel, there’s an extended final scene with his final words where he apparently commits seppuku and says he was “his” favorite pupil. Who’s favorite pupil? Ansem? Xehanort? We’ll probably never know.

Berserker

Berserker, Norwegian berserk, Old Norse berserkr (“bearskin”), in premedieval and medieval Norse and Germanic history and folklore, a member of unruly warrior gangs that worshipped Odin, the supreme Norse deity, and attached themselves to royal and noble courts as bodyguards and shock troops. The berserkers’ savagery in battle and their animal-skin attire contributed to the development of the werewolf legend in Europe. These Viking berserkers were infamous for fighting in a violent rage, recklessly charging at their enemies without armor or any other protection, and seemingly without concern for their own health.

Saïx is a strange case. Unlike the apprentices, we never saw Isa fighting as a human. He was just a kid. So how did he become a berserker of all things?

Prayers are uttered to Odin, as the object of contemplation. Why Odin and not the wolf, bear, or whatever? The berserk trance is brought about by Odin, he is the inspirer, that which brings something outside the self within the self. This is ond, inspiration, or vital breath. This triggers the wod, or fury and possession, which is where the wolf, bear, or whatever comes in. As a god, Odin is a “larger” concept than the animal, and so the effect he has upon the mind during the ritual will be the greater.

Berserkers worshiped Odin. To go berserk, they needed to meditate on him and receive divine inspiration. In other words, they couldn’t just go berserk at will. The needed to meditate upon a divine purpose to go berserk.

Do you know what happens to those who lose their true purpose? Inevitably, they destroy themselves.

I think Saïx was the same.

It infuriated me how you just exited our lives. I lost…all sense of purpose.

He needed a purpose to go berserk. 

Yes, I thought you didn’t need me anymore. If you didn’t need me, then I no longer held meaning.

For him, it was Lea. 

Saïx hesitated for a second, and Roxas ran at him.

He blocked the Keyblade.

Long ago—I remember, I didn’t hate fighting. Saïx flung his claymore at Roxas.

And so, Saïx remembered things from a long, long time ago.

My theory is that Saïx would need to meditate on his purpose before he could go berserk. Before he went berserk fighting Roxas, he thought back to a time before he hated fighting. Back when he had someone to protect and fighting actually had meaning.

Assassin

A murderer of an important person in a surprise attack for political or religious reasons.

One of the things I disliked about KH3 was its characterization of Axel/Lea and seemingly retconning his role as an assassin. On the clock tower, Axel and Saïx revealed their shared goal of finding Subject X. Saïx wanted to work his way to the top of the organization hierarchy so he could find out what happened to her. Axel said that he couldn’t keep up with Saïx and his willingness to do the icky jobs Xemnas wanted them to do to achieve that rank.

This flies in the face of ALL the hints from the previous games about their shared objective:

In order for Sora—no, for Roxas to live, and also for us to accomplish our own goal, Zexion is in the way. And, if it’s for the sake of our own goal, we already decided what to do, that time.

In the novel, Axel references their shared goal and how they decided to do whatever it took. Zexion was in the way and Axel killed him.

Given the right memories, the Replica could mimic the powers of the original. Which meant that if he were implanted with somebody else’s memories, he would, hypothetically, gain other powers. Somebody’s—or maybe even a Nobody’s. He had one particular Nobody in mind. All the members of the Organization were still influenced by the memories of their human lives.

Here, it references Axel’s memories of his human life as a reason he wants to use the Riku Replica to defeat someone and absorb their powers. Sounds like Axel was, at least partially, motivated by revenge.

Axel let out a breath. “Look, I knew Vexen and Zexion would cause trouble for you. That’s why they’re not around anymore.”

That sounded more like he was justifying it to himself, Axel thought. Their lack of hearts didn’t render their actions meaningless. It wasn’t as if they never thought carefully or acted without objectives in mind. Humans and Nobodies alike would pursue their own purposes.

“The dirty work doesn’t bother me,” Axel went on. “You just make for the top.” There was nothing false in that, and he looked Saïx in the eye as he said it. Saïx stared hard back at him. Right. We have our own agenda.

Again, it demonstrates how Axel was always the one willing to do the dirty work to achieve their goal.

“Everything is back to normal. Of course this is for the best, isn’t it?”

The reason I’m unable to answer Saïx is probably because I depend on him, thought Axel.

“Xemnas has also been irritated at the recent changes in plan. Everything has to go back to normal, for the sake of our goal too… Lea.”

Axel finally looked over at the sound of that nostalgic name. Saïx was looking at him. It made him think of his time as a human, and the memories came surging back.

Here, Saïx is trying to coerce Axel into killing Xion for the sake of their goal. He never even considers doing it himself. It sounds like Axel was always the one who handled the icky jobs like killing, not Saïx. Because, obviously, that was Axel’s job. He was the assassin.

I just did what I thought was the best thing at the time. For Roxas, for Xion, for the Organization—and for Isa. But most of all for me.

Axel was at first willing to kill Xion. And who was he doing it for? Isa. And for himself. Because he needed Isa. He emotionally depended on him. Saïx knew Axel needed him and manipulated him by calling him “Lea”.

Axel didn’t care anymore about what the Organization needed, what Xion or Roxas wanted, or even what was supposed to be good for the worlds. He had been using the Organization for his own ends from the start. The only thing that had changed in the meantime was who it was all for. Maybe Saïx would call that a betrayal. But his world had changed.

It doesn’t sound like Axel’s willingness to kill had anything to do with Subject X or finding information about her. It sounds like Axel was wiling to kill for Saïx. He and Saïx wanted to take over the organization for Saïx’s sake.

What were you really after, Lea? We joined the Organization at the same time, and formulated our plan. At this point, it’s just an idle fantasy. Everything changed. You, and me.

When Axel refused to do what Saïx wanted and left the organization, he apparently didn’t need him anymore. And Saïx couldn’t handle that.

Yes, I thought you didn’t need me anymore. If you didn’t need me, then I no longer held meaning.

Of course, Axel’s motivation was retconned in KH3. Instead of Isa being his reason for staying in the organization, it became Subject X/Skuld. And along with that change, Axel’s role as an assassin was whitewashed. Maybe the idea of the fan-favorite Axel being happily willing to ruthlessly murder people didn’t seem appropriate anymore. Especially if it was no longer not for his best friend, but for a girl who is basically a stranger to him. I dunno. But I think it’s BS.

Dancer

A warrior who dances across the battlefield, garbed in colorful raiments. Tends to have low stats and specializes in support magic.

Demyx was a dancer.

DemyxFrom the beginning he was created as a light-hearted character, but his voice actor really made him stand on his own as a character despite the short appearances he had. He is by no means strong, so I think it’s funny how you don’t see it coming when his abilities make him a formidable opponent. His line before exiting was something I thought of on the spot and had them add in.–Nomura

He is described as not very strong. We never got to see him as a human, but he was probably a performer.

Gambler

(Bakuto, 博徒) were itinerant gamblers in Japan from the 18th century to the mid-20th century. They were one of the forerunners of the modern Japanese crime gangs known as yakuza. Bakuto plied their trade in feudal Japan, playing traditional games such as hanafuda and dice. They were mostly social outcasts who lived outside the laws and norms of society.

Luxord has still not received a backstory. I think we can tell a lot about him with this, though.

LuxordIn all honesty he is my absolute favourite Organisation member. I like how he treats everything as a gamble, like Setzer from FFVI of old. I actually wanted to make him stand out more. At least I got him to say some things during the meeting scene added to KH2 FM+… but Luxord should have been able to do so much more…–Nomura

Nomura wanted to do more with him.

The nation of Lucis was said to have worked akin to a mafia crime family since the nation’s ancient beginnings, and despite its peace was said to have engaged in strict rule, including a ban on firearms and a lockdown in the capitol city. Noctis was the crown prince, and Regis the current king. Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto—Noctis’s team members—acted as his entourage akin to a Yakuza kyodai-shatei structure.

Maybe his gambler/bakuto job is the reason why he’s apparently going to have a connection to the Verum Rex world. In Re:Mind, Yozora’s driver sounded like Luxord. And Luxord’s wild card is apparently going to be what helps Sora return.

Reaper

Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper causes the victim’s death by coming to collect that person’s soul. Other beliefs hold that the Spectre of Death is only a psychopomp, serving to sever the last ties between the soul and the body, and to guide the deceased to the afterlife, without having any control over when or how the victim dies.

The Reaper and Ninja Nobodies were introduced in KH3. I think Marluxia’s intentions were supposed to be known by the time KH3 started. He wanted to bring his sister back. That’s why he wanted to control Sora and the Keyblade and take over Castle Oblivion. That’s something that should have been explored in the Dark Seeker Saga, explaining how Marluxia became a vessel. Maybe Xehanort convinced him that if he helped open Kingdom Hearts, he could reunite with his sister.

Ninja

A ninja (忍者) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included espionage, deception, and surprise attacks. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed dishonorable and beneath the honor of the samurai.

Larxene’s backstory is a Keyblade wielder from the age of fairy tales. But why was she a knife wielding ninja archetype character? What was her life like before she became a Nobody and tried to take over Castle Oblivion? How did she get so twisted and when did her hatred of men develop? What is the nature of her feelings for Marluxia? That’s what I wanna know.

[flourchildwrites]

Witch, Please!  Fictober 2019  (30/30)

A multi-fandom Fictober prompt compilation.  Your wish is my command, but be careful what you ask for.  You just might get it.

Prompt:  “All Hallows Eve” from Writetober 2019 Prompt List

Fandom:  Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia

Relationship/Pairing:  Todoroki Shouto/Yaoyorozu Momo

Genre:  Trick or Treating

Rating:  Teen And Up Audiences

Word Count:  804 words

Read on AO3

“Trick or Treat!”

Halloween doesn’t make sense to Shouto; however, it isn’t the idea of pretending to be someone else that he can’t comprehend.  Though he isn’t as exuberant as Midoria, Shouto idolized All Might. In fact, he still does. It’s natural for kids to have such dreams.

Shouto can picture himself as a child, turning the corners of a happy home in loose socks and a towel tied his neck like a cape.  His mother would have laughed, and his father would have smirked, peering thoughtfully over the top of his morning paper. Of course, this false memory is nothing more than a poor imitation of normality, strung together from odd ends of pop culture and sitcom reruns.

But it’s a nice thought nonetheless.

No, it isn’t the costumes and pretend play that baffles Shouto.  It isn’t even the flash mobs, zombie runs or themed pub crawls. If U.A. had not kept him so busy, he might have joined in.

It’s the child, a little boy of maybe five or six, who stands in front of him dressed in a navy blue jumpsuit with burgundy wrist guards that causes him unease.  Brown eyes bright with awe, he rocks back and forth, teeming with excitement in his snow-white boots. The child’s movements strain the gray neckpiece connecting the high collar of his costume, and lower down, a brown utility belt jingles with every subtle movement.

Impressed, Shouto scans the child’s heart-shaped face, noting the wig as well as the makeup applied over his left eye to mimic Shouto’s infamous scar. It’s hard to fault the child or his proud mother for their fastidious attention to detail.  Yet, Shouto cannot help but wonder if they’d feel the same if they knew the story behind his mark.

He keeps his silence and forces a small smile, dropping a piece of candy into the kid’s plastic pumpkin along with a pre-autographed card.  Both treats hit the bottom of the container with a hollow thump. It’s only his twentieth visitor, but Shouto has already grown tired of tricks, treats and the children who’ve swarmed the decorated auditorium.

In true U.A. style, the event is ridiculously “Plus Ultra,” from Tokoyami’s Haunted House to the three-legged race officiated by Iida.  Even Bakugo has a part to play, though he has no lines. Ground Zero merely stands by Midnight’s side as she welcomes the crowds, and perhaps it is progress enough that he isn’t yelling obscenities over the sound of Earphone Jack’s festive music.

Shouto’s directive is to be more personable, and to this end, he is paired with Creati, handing out candy on a mock front porch.  So disarming is she that sometimes Shouto forgets that the Yaoyorozu family is old, old money. So kind, that from time to time, villains underestimate her S-class intelligence.

He’s realized recently that she takes advantage of their ignorance.  But not tonight.

Tonight, her smile is as open and unguarded as ever.  Bright eyes blaze in midnight shades of gray offset by the crimson cape of her hero’s costume and the gold belt glinting beneath it.  Flashes of skin capture Shouto’s unbidden attention, but moreover, he finds himself enthralled by the way she connects with both the students and parents.  They might put Shouto on a pedestal as a potential successor to All Might, but the public feels like they know Momo Yaoyorozu.

And sometimes Shouto is jealous.  Of what, he isn’t sure.

“Has the hero Shouto come to help me eat all this candy?” she asks the small boy.

Delight spreads across the child’s face when he realizes she’s talking to him and not the semi-pro handing out candy alongside her.  He happily thrusts his hand inside the plastic jack-o’-lantern and offers Momo an orange KitKat, which she politely declines. Instead, she produces a box of pocky and offers mini-Shouto a slender stick.  They laugh and share their sweets. Momo’s tongue darts out to greet the rich chocolate, and Shouto finds himself watching and wondering.

In the space of a second, the young man’s mind flits back to his earlier reverie.  But now, he is no longer the child; Shouto is the father, sipping a cup of tea, legs tucked under the kotatsu.  A little girl with split black and white hair sprints outdoors. She catches snowflakes in her gloved hands and spins as the flurries continue to fall.  Momo is seated next to him, watching their daughter.

It’s pleasant and disarming -- the precise qualities Momo exudes despite the danger lurking just out of sight and mind. He shakes the pesky thought off and continues to attend to the never-ending line of lookalikes. If it is jealousy Shouto feels, he hopes it will not show.  Not for the first time, he wonders if these wishful daydreams are truly tricks or treats.

A/N:  And that's a wrap, folks! Here's some light Todomomo to round out my Fictober 2019 challenge. Perhaps this is a couple of days late, but I'm calling this project a win. 30/31 is pretty good! A million thanks to everyone who followed this collection and encouraged me along the long, long road. As always, your kudos, bookmarks, subscriptions, comments, likes and reblogs give me life. Also, don't be a stranger and check out my tumblr. Send me questions, comments or whatever else may be on your mind.

[obliviouskind]

A False Messiah x2

---

(An extention of ideas previously presented here; x )

---

Galactic, at its core, was birthed out of the ashes that was Rocket. A stolen idea refashioned into something divine, rather than greed and violence (though he came to mimic these aspirations nonetheless) and built up to become something more. A family mafia, it was not, but he never intended it to be either.

The fact that Rocked had managed to fester as deep as it had in Kanto was a tell to young Cyrus that something like it could be born out of his own home region… An inspiration that was settled in reality, rather than biblical scriptures and stories of which had been his only research point up until then. By this new knowledge he slowly, but surely, started to mend together the road to his own eventual grace. Cyrus begun researching Rocket while still under the label of his father’s company and, as he rose in ranks – so did his means. --Rather quickly he learned of their partnership to a firm stationed in Kanto – and it didn’t take a genius to realize exactly who they truly were, and what they needed their aid for.

Power was their trade, be it by power plants in foreign lands better utilizing the world around them compared to outdated, faulty models, or simply the materials sourced from Sinnoh’s rich mines; it all played into aiding Rocket’s advancements in its technology and craft.

But this, at the start, was not what Cyrus learned. Once he had a name for the ‘company’ in question, he had a point of interest; one that quickly got used and abused for intel of any kind. An insider contact was born, then another – and so forth. Greed ran in the blood of every Rocket like nothing else, no matter if they sat upon the throne at the top, or mocked about in the trenches down below. An exchange of money was often motivation enough, and he learned that though those that served under this family name were loyal to the core… Outliers were easy to find, and easy to bribe. --Of course, many of his contacts ended up being faulty. Bastards whom didn’t keep their end of the exchange, and left him behind with nothing but less weight in his pockets. Others gave him nothing other than names and points of interests, of which he – after reflecting upon them in the present time – came to learn was a hit list of sorts.

Names of which carried no rhyme or reason to them, that he later found to be code names of higher ranked officials.

(If these grunts had hoped for a takedown of their leaders, then he was very sorry to have disappointed them.)

However, in a mine of coal… One would eventually strike upon diamond. What he learned his father’s company’s resources were used for within this team was, admittedly, an otherworldly dream of sorts. Fictitious and morally broken, but no less curious and intriguing because of it. Cyrus did enjoy the divine as much as the next person… Sought to steal them as his own, even.

But to create a false God?

How foul.

Mewtwo was a name he gathered in passing, a name for the operation as far as he could tell; the name of a being, as he much later would learn. What Cyrus had thought them to make, he never could remember – for what do you imagine a God to be like, if created by man? An abomination, certainly, for the clumsy, delicate fingers of men cannot sculpt and mold a being in the image of something of which they cannot see. One might even call it a false messiah, a statue of gold to worship for its worth, rather than its meaning; and Mewtwo seemed to be exactly that.

It was misguided, misused upon its success… But it was daring. So very, very daring.

And entirely appalling.

Far be it for him to be a hypocrite in his own name, for Cyrus was a false messiah himself; following the words spoken to him as a son of the church, to believe his fate to be divine in its calling – and so what Rocket came to create wasn’t as far away from himself as he perhaps thought. --What do you imagine a God to be like, if created by man?

Was he tall, proud and all knowing?

Was he sculpted into their own image, or into that of the beasts around them?

Mewtwo, in the now, was but a fickle memory of his past of which he dared only reflect upon when no one was there to hear his thoughts; a faulty attempt at creating something beyond humanity, for the bettering – or the destruction – of the world as they knew it.

Was he the manifestation of all the sins of which man carried within himself?

What came to create Mewtwo, born out of the aid of which his father helped build, created Cyrus Akagi and left behind Damian Nechayev. --And so Damian couldn’t help but wonder, whatever became of that creature…

What made a false messiah what he was?

[syriul]

A Time Traveler in Viking Court - part 12/?

How are we going to get out of this one now? You asked yourself as Ivar led you and Kyle to the center of a small crowd made up of displaced Viking men, women, and children. The size of the crowd was surprising-- Kattegat was home to at least a few thousand people, so why were there only a hundred people here?

“What do you think happened to everyone else?” Kyle voiced your thoughts as he leaned in, making sure no one else heard him. 

“I don’t know. Maybe they're over there,” you motioned towards the woods that surrounded the sizable clearing where multiple tents stood with a nod of your head.

Kyle’s gaze searched the shadowy, tree-covered landscape in an attempt to find unseen faces.

“Actually,” Ivar spoke, “they are still in Kattegat.”

“What?” You asked, startled at Ivar’s sudden intervention. 

“The rest of my people were unable to escape King Harold’s army,” Ivar answered. “They are caged in like animals and Kattegat, my Kattegat is their cage.” 

There was nothing you could say. You weren’t a king or held the future of thousands of people in your hands-- you simply didn’t know what to say.

An uncomfortable silence fell over you and Kyle as you continued making your way amongst the scattered crowd; your palms became clammy the closer you got to its center.

Your own eyes roamed over the weathered and tired faces that made up the crowd. For a brief second, you imagined the horror of being woken up in the middle of the night by an invasion. 

But I was woken up in the middle of the night by a sudden invasion too, you reminded yourself.  Images of the of the fighting in the thrown roam, dead bodies, and pools of blood flooded your mind-- you silently prayed that with time you would be able to shake away those awful memories. 

“Tonight has been a trying time,” Ivar’s voice boomed through the still, night air, effectively startling you for the second time in mere seconds, “but tonight we have been given a sign that the Gods are on our side.”

A collective gasp ran through the sea of people that surrounded you. 

“We,” he continued to speak with kingly authority that demanded he be heard, “have Gods among us!”

Another gasp, this time mixed with murmurs, ran through the crowd. Your stomach dropped as Ivar motioned toward where you an Kyle stood, side by side.  You felt the heat rise in your face as hundreds of pairs of eyes turned their attention towards you and your best friend. 

Ivar’s stone-like features, illuminated by both moonlight and torch fire, stared you down. It was clear he wanted you to do something, but you didn’t know what.  It was only after a few seconds of shifting your eyes between Ivar and the crowd that you realized what he wanted. He thinks you’re a Goddess. They think you’re a Goddess. They all want you to confirm it.

You took a deep breath, wiped your clammy hands on the skirt of your dress, and shot Kyle a look that seemed to ask for luck before taking a step forward, chin raised in false confidence, and began to speak. 

“It is true,” you bellowed out, the edge in your voice successfully hidden, “the Gods have not forsaken you.” You raised your hands above your head, becoming a living Y. “We walk among you, we feel your plights and have come to help.” You did your best to mimic the enthusiasm of the televangelists you often came across while flipping through channels back home, back in your own time. “We,” you signaled from yourself to Kyle, “are here to win back Kattegat for you.”

A silence fell over the surroundings before the people of Kattegat, who’d been chased out of their own homes, broke out into a cheer that shook the ground.  For a brief second, you wondered if their loud, hope-filled chants would attract the attention of the invaders, this King Harald, and his warriors, then you felt energized by the sheer vigor radiating from every single person present. Guilt at your finally began to knaw at you. 

You turned to look at Kyle from over your shoulder. A look of guilt that mirrored your own rested over his features. 

This isn’t going to work. I can feel it.

“Why did the Gods send you two?” Hvitserk asked from his perch on an unusually large tree stump a few feet in front of you. 

It was early morning and everyone in what you’d decided resembled a refugee camp was still asleep. Last night you’d boldly lied to everyone here, told them you and Kyle were Gods, now you were sitting among tents, trying to answer questions you hadn’t even though up answers for. 

What would be a good enough reason? Why would two Gods be here?

You raked your brain for an appropriate answer. 

“Brother,” Ivar’s voice suddenly filled the silence you’d allowed to grow, “you are bold to question the  dealings of Gods.” You couldn’t take your eyes off of him as he dragged himself towards where his brother sat. His entire disposition had changed when he learned you and Kyle were otherworldly-- his mannerism had gone from slightly condescending to utterly respectful. 

Of course, he’s being respectful. He thinks you can make anything happen with a snap of your fingers.

“May I ask, where is your companion?” Ivar asked you once he’d pulled himself up beside Hvitserk.

Your eyebrows knitted together. “My companion?” 

“He means Kyle,” Hvitserk replied for his brother. 

Ivar side eyed him in return. “I would never  be so disrespectful to a God.” He spoke as if warning his brother, daring him to say another word without reverence. 

“He’s asleep,” you said, studying Ivar’s features, “and please, don’t be so formal.” 

Something behind Ivar’s deep blue eyes seemed to spark to life as you finished speaking; admiration and gratitude towards you radiated off of him. “That you would allow me to speak to you as an equal  is an honor.”

Taken aback, you gave him a small smile. Honor. It’s an honor. It wouldn’t be an honor if you knew I’m faking it. 

“Should we wait for Kyle to wake up?” Ivar asked, a proud smile spreading over his lips as he said Kyle’s names.  

“What for?”  You asked.

Hvitserk let out a small, excited laugh. “For battle preparations.”

Battle preparations..? Oh, of course! Fuck. 

Your eyes ran over the battle plans that rested before you. You weren’t sure how long it’d been since Ivar had started talking, relaying his plans for taking back Kattegat, but you were looking forward to its end. 

“You,” Ivar looked at Ubbe while pointing to what looked like a mountain range on the old, hole-riddled map sprawled out on the small wooden table, “will bring your warriors through here and wait for the signal.”

Ubbe, who stood with his arms crossed over his chest, focused solely on the map you all huddled around. “And what will the signal be?” He asked, eyes never looking up. 

“My warriors will swarm the gates,” Hvitserk chimed in, “once we distract the guards in the towers you’ll make your way down the hills, storming the unguarded left side.” 

Ubbe and Hvitserk nodded in understanding. 

I can’t take this anymore. 

Without warning, you walked away from the map, turning your back towards everyone. You could feel everyone’s eyes on you. 

“(Y/n), are you okay?” Kyle was the first to ask. 

You threw your hands up in the air in exasperation and turned to face Kyle and the Ragnarssons. “This isn’t going to work,” you practically yelled. 

Ivar inched forward, a look of worry evident in his features. “And why not?”

As quickly as possible, you racked your brain for a possible answer. “Becuase,” you started, unsure of where you were heading with your remark, “because--”

“Becuase you are planning on using brute force,” Kyle finished for you. You silently thanked him for it. “I was going to bring it up,” he continued, “but I wanted to see just how good your plan would be.” Your eyebrows knitted at the air os self-importance he’d suddenly obtained I think he might be enjoying being a God a little too much. 

Ivar eyed the crude map. “Brute force,” he quietly repeated to himself as he thought over his battle plans.

Ubbe crossed his arms and looked from you to Kyle, then back to you. “What would you suggest we do then?”  

You lifted your chin up in the air, mirroring Kyle’s demeanor. “That is for you to tell us. We,” you motioned towards Kyle, “would like to see if you are worthy of our help.”

“Of course we are worthy,” Hvitserk intervened, “we are son’s of Ragnar Lothbrok, the direct descendant of the All-Father.” 

“Even so,” you continued, “you cannot expect to ride on the tails of glory your father held before you.”

Ivar looked up from the map, directly at you. “Of course not,” he agreed, “we will prove to you that the Gods are right for choosing us.” You could see an idea forming behind his eyes. “And I have the perfect way to show you just how worthy we are of your help,” he bowed his head and turned towards a man dressed in rags that stood by the tent’s only opening. “Gather as many slaves as possible,” he commanded, “tonight we will prove out worth with a great sacrifice.”

Your heart dropped to your stomach. I think I’m about to throw up. This is going too far.

It’s been a super long time since I last posted, so just let me know if you don’t want to be tagged in this anymore :)

@eating-pie-in-the-tardis @titty-teetee @doklausoneverysurfacepossible @iamwarrenspeace @thehunterofthelord @justacrush @thefangirlsoul @florenceivy @marauderette130 @tis-itheapplepie @vaisabu @ketepara 

[honeylikewords]

Gimme your thoughts about Us, I’m still dumb af - You know who it be

I’m putting off an essay to write this but let’s ROCK and ROLL, BABY!

So, spoilers below the cut, just as a warning for anyone who still wants to see Us (2019), dir. Jordan Peele. If you’re unable to see the movie for whatever reason, you can feel free to read this and garner some ideas from it, but I still suggest seeing the film, in the end. A lot of this won’t make sense unless you’ve seen Us!

I normally don’t go out for too much horror, but I do think the Jordan Peele movies are legitimately great works of art, and very culturally relevant, so if you want to be supportive of black artists, black art, and the vocalization of the black experience, I highly suggest going to see these movies or watching them at home. 

They’re not actually overly violent or exploitative, and understanding that the violence in the films is meant to be metaphorical for the systemic violence perpetrated against oppressed groups helps to contextualize the stuff you do end up seeing. So, without further ado, let’s get into some Thoughts about some Cinema.

So, first of all, I have to say that I haven’t stopped thinking about this movie since I saw it at, like, 5:30 pm on Sunday. It’s been on my mind non-stop, and I’ve been fixated on the soundtrack, particularly “Anthem” and “Pas de Deux”, along with the “Tethered Remix” of “I Got Five On It”. I love the intentionally jarring combination of sounds, and how “Anthem” is directly reflective of the idea of the “U.S. Anthem”. “Us Anthem”. 

Jordan himself has been very open about the fact that the title Us is meant to also represent “U.S.”, and when Red is asked “what she is” and she rasps out “We’re Americans” it just... stuck with me. 

The nonsense-singing of “Anthem”, too, fixates me, since the scorer for the film has talked about how it’s the “voices of the Tethered”, and how they’re “angry” and “ready to get free”. We know that the Tethered cannot speak, which is a major and interesting facet of their life, to me, since they’re never given “a voice” beyond this kind of animal screaming and groaning. 

It’s what makes a lot of viewers see them as “sub-human”, but always gets to my heart and makes me think about the fact that they are so very keenly human. It makes me think about the repression of “lesser” languages, native languages, “non-verbal” languages. The Tethered DO have a means of communication-- clicks and rasps, cries and screams-- which definitely do pull at the human fear of “unnatural” noises, but also remind me of native languages that utilize clicks or throat sounds often not found in English. 

The Tethered are deeply, intimately human. While it is mentioned by Red that two bodies cannot share the one soul, that doesn’t mean to me that the other is soulless. I really don’t think that about the Tethered. I think that they are their own people, and that their rising proves that. They’re not hollow machines that just mimic their “original” on the surface, but are just people with their own souls, people who have been wrongly oppressed and mistreated.

Us is openly a discussion about the way we, as people and as Americans, treat “others”. Whether that means the racial other, the cultural other, the class other, the gendered other, or anything other system we try to dichotomize, binarize, or diametrically oppose to something else, it’s very definitely about the ways we abuse and mistreat people in order to systemically oppress them and gain from that.

Adelaide represents this interesting kind of class-traitor, in a way, because she rises “above the others”, both literally and figuratively, and instead of making an effort to free those around her, she just rises to the top and forgets where she came from. Whether that’s about assimilating into white culture and “rejecting” the culture one came from (joining in the oppression of your own people by claiming to ‘not be one of those kinds’) or about rising to a wealthy position and oppressing the poor, forgetting what it was like to be poor one’s self, or about any number of other things, that’s up for interpretation. But the issue is still there.

Jordan intentionally left the specific meaning of the film open so that every viewer would be forced to engage with it personally. Who do you, personally, help to betray? Who do you, personally, help to oppress? Whose suffering do you, personally, benefit from? You’re forced to grapple with that, and forced to acknowledge the reality that every single one of us is part of the issue. You only climb higher by putting someone below you, and this movie forces you to recognize that. 

I’ve heard people complaining that Us isn’t as good as Get Out specifically because it’s more open-ended, but I think that’s what makes both films fantastic and beautiful. Get Out brazenly exposes the direct experience of everyday black horror, and is completely open about it. It’s a one-to-one analogy. But Us is for everyone, making you wrestle with yourself. You are your own Tethered. You are the good and the bad of yourself. And neither one is fully good and neither one is fully bad. Get Out was a master-class in analogy, but Us is more of a metaphor; it doesn’t need to have everything laid out. Its horror and its beauty lay inside of its intentional cloudiness.

I’m really obsessed with the rabbit imagery, too. I love bunnies, and seeing them become symbolic of this horror really was an interesting take. Jordan himself has expressed being uncomfortable with and scared of rabbits, specifically because he can see that they’re “soulless” inside; he says that if you took the brain of a rabbit and put it in a person, you’d get Michael Myers. Totally void, just ready to hurt. And I think that’s an interesting take on them. He also points out that the image of rabbit ears, the shape of their head, mirrors the shape of the scissors that the Tethereds use.

I also love the way that rabbits are largely docile little creatures, but can bite pretty hard if provoked, and I feel that’s a good way to look at the Tethered. I don’t see them as inherently evil or violent, just pushed beyond their own limitations. They did what we all did as Americans: they led a violent uprising against their oppressors, then ‘peacefully’ took their place, all the way across America. They are us, for better, for worse. 

The choice to use the 80′s references really often also caught my attention; Jordan talks about how the 80′s nostalgia is this double-edged sword, since everyone is longing to go back, but not realizing the costs and weights of that, the evil lurking under the placidity and “wholesome American image” that the 80′s sought to project.

The all-American, apple pie, small-town fun and games of the 80′s also came with the Reagan administration, the AIDs crisis, the war on drugs, a massive rift between the rich and the poor (with a steadily more wealthy middle class expanding from just middle class into rich, upper middle class individuals and extremely poor lower middle class), and “sublimated racism”. We pretended, as a nation, that we were now post-racial, but that was such, such, such a huge lie.

So setting the memory scenes in the 80′s, using 80′s film references, 80′s imagery, 80′s sound-a-likes, the Michael Jackson stuff: it all points to the duality of what we love, what we are nostalgic for. Michael was a hero of the 80′s, but now... 

Speaking of Michael Jackson, notice carefully the costuming of the Tethereds. Red jumpsuit, single glove, ‘the monster is not what it seems’, the “Thriller” t-shirt... why, Jordan, one might think that you made the Tethereds look like Michael in “Thriller”!

Which he obviously did, guh-doy.

I mean, the glove/sharp symbol also is an homage to good ol’ shithead Freddy Krueger, too, but it’s definitely a potent nod to Michael Jackson. We know that Adelaide (now Red) had seen the “Thriller” video as a child, and that she wanted the shirt with him on it, so the image of the Tethered is this combination between the Hands Across America symbols and the Michael Jackson look in “Thriller”. Adelaide (now Red) never forgot. 

Also, god, Hands Across America? Talk about 80′s false optimism! It’s incredible how potent that image is for the issue being discussed. For those of you who don’t know, Hands Across America was an initiative in the 80′s to help end hunger and homelessness in America. The idea was that every person in America would join hands and form a line “from sea to shining sea” across the entire lower 48 continental states, and for each person in line, $10 dollars would be donated to the cause.

The event, of course, failed in many ways. First, there’s no POSSIBLE way for people to join hands across the whole continent; the terrain of the US makes it entirely impossible. Plus, the time necessary to conduct that would be incredibly exhausting for people standing in line! But what’s worse? The project did successfully raise ~$34 million, but nearly $20 million of that disappeared into “event costs”: paying the celebrities that endorsed it, paying the event organizers, et cetera. Only around $15 millions made it to the homeless and hungry. While $15 mil. is no small number, that’s.... less than half of what was raised. So where did all that go? Into the pockets of the already rich. It’s such powerful symbolism, especially within the context of the film.

Oh, also, while still on the 80′s talk, the opening shot of the film features a VHS copy of the movie C.H.U.D., a movie about “sub-human underground sewer dwellers” who rose up to eat the surface humans. These “CHUDs” were one-to-one analogies for the homeless and impoverished.

I cannot get over how strong the storytelling is in Us, I just can’t. I’m obsessed with it. I cannot help but wanna talk about it all the time! It’s so GOOD and I’m so FRUSTRATED that I’m gonna cut myself off here to stop from ranting about every teeny tiny thing and every big major thing because no one will know what I’m on about, but, seriously, do yourselves a favor and go see Us. 

This movie will make you have to sit down and think about whose suffering you’ve benefited from, and what you need to do within yourself to change this.

Also, before I go, I just gotta say I love, love, love the decision Jordan made about having the 1980s version of the hall of mirrors be “Native American” themed, only to have that “politically corrected” in the 2010s to be “Merlin’s Hall Of Mirrors”, which is just a facade thrown up over a still-racist, exactly the same hall of mirrors. The problem lurks within, never gone, just covered.

Also, that ties to the Kubrick connection (The Shining is a major inspiration for Jordan) and the genocide connection, so, uh, it’s deep out here, lads.

Anyway, I have opinions about movies.