#the chaotic trio strike again

[whitecrossgirl]

The Chaotic trio discussing a plan

Emily: Forget this plan. I say we huck a Molotov cocktail and run for it.

Morgan: I think we should go with Rossi’s plan.

Emily: I’m telling you; Molotov cocktails work. Anytime I had a problem and I threw a Molotov cocktail - boom! Right away, I had a different problem.

Reid: She makes a strong case.

[https-kreideprinz]

Someday, I'll be falling without caution !

Percy Jackson x GN! Reader

. . . Now playing: People watching by Conan Gray! . .

A/N: Hey, could you do a Percy Jackson x cabin 13 reader, where they are childhood friends and have feelings for each other? (first one making a request lol)

Notes: Nico kill a bitch. (it's 10:51pm i am so tired send help) I was gonna write more but god I literally can't right now I need a BREAK.

ׂׂૢ Percy Jackson

You had met the infamous 'Percy Jackson' in one of the many schools he had attended before finding his way at camp.

And you quickly grew close with him, a pair of social outcasts sitting in by themselves giggling about who knows what.

But unfortunately, for both of you, Percy was expelled for God knows what.

And then you find yourself in a casino, a strange casino making you forget, making your mind hazy and distracted by the lights and the smell of food.

It feels like a few days that you've stayed here, but when you're finally found and brought to camp, it’s been years.

It’s only the day after the summer solstice and camp is buzzing with excitement.

When you settle into your bed in the Hermes cabin is when you finally make out the name everyone's throwing out.

'Percy Jackson.'

But there’s no way- I mean- it can't be your Percy, right?

It is.

You catch his eye the very next day and decide to strike up a conversation.

Which ends up in a whole day talking about everything. Finding out he was a demigod, to being claimed by Poseidon. His first quest, missing you.

It spills out, finally relieved to have someone to tell.

He is less than amused when you tell him you don't know who your father is, Percy is determined to find him though. Anything to put your mind at ease.

"I promise."

After the battle of Manhattan, you are finally claimed by your dad - Hades, and move into your new Cabin with your half-brother Nico.

You also start dating Percy.

Which your brother is less than happy about.

Shrugging on your coat you smile, and you shoot one last look at the mirror. Nico stares at you, deadpanned as you fix your hair. "You're acting like you're getting married. It's a date!" He grumbles, getting ready to walk you to the cafe Percy wanted to meet with you at. And potentially punch his face in for taking his sibling away from him.

You had only known Nico for a few years, shorter than you've known Percy, but it's like you've known him your whole life, so it only made sense for him to be so overprotective over you. Your half-brother, well ever since what happened with Bianca, you felt more comfortable calling him your brother and you two stuck together. With the addition of Hazel, you were considered one of the most powerful trios most demigods have ever seen.

Nico snapped his fingers at your face, mumbling something in Italian. "Hello. Earth to [Name]. Anyone in there?" He huffs. "Come on. We have to go unless you'll be late."

You snap out of your train of thought and sit up. "Yea... let's go." You nod. Nico grabs your hand, looking annoyed as he drags you out of your shared cabin. “I still don’t get why out of everyone you pick, you go with Percy.” He grumbles and you raise an eyebrow. “I thought you and Percy were cool now?” You frown. Nico huffed. “We were. Until he took my sibling away- listen if he ever breaks your heart-” Nico grabs you by the shoulders, looking into your eyes. “I’ll fucking kill him.”

You sigh. Not this again.

Taglist: @thementallyunwellapollochild, @apollos-coolest-child, @too-queer-for-school, @chaotic-child-of-apollo, @vintage-wanderers

@solicitedfreakiness, @bows-and-olivia-rodrigo, @iam-sherlocked, @zahrawr-likes-red, @crystal-rayn

© Written By https-Kreideprinz. Do not copy, steal or translate without permission.

[magicwhiskers29]

Today on 'Whiskers tells you all to play Wandersong'!

IT'S RAVING ABOUT LEITMOTIFS TIME!!

First, and (not actually the first you hear, but shhh) the Bard's motif! First heard in The Bard, the motif appears across the OST in any track titled 'The Bard and [...}', which usually opens any new act on a familiar note! And then! And then! When it plays in other tracks, such as Even the Tiniest Bugs, or I'm going with you!, it really hits you because you recognise it, and it's so full of hope and optimism, and everything the Bard stands for, even when facing the end of the world

Actually, first of all, the hero motif! It's the joint ideas of the sword seen in the prologue and that concept of wanting to make a difference. It's I Wanna be a Hero and I'm Going With You! just as much as it's The Sword and Lightning Strike, and it's that dichotomy that defines some of the most interesting themes and points of conflict in the game. (Also its use in King of Hearts will never not be my favourite thing)

Okay, and maybe not actually so much a leitmotif as a theme that gets frequently remixed, but... Miriam's motif/theme! First heard in, well... Miriam, there are variations of it starting with She's Mine, and then My Friend Miriam, where the track begins to change tone with the game. It's the contrast to the Bard's theme that remains (usually -- there is, of course, an exception) joyful and optimistic, where you can really feel that Miriam's resolve isn't quite made of the same kinds of things. Miriam matches the game's tone, where the Bard tends to oppose it and keep fighting.

To finish out the trio, Audrey does have her own individual motif as well. (Jeez, Audrey, how come the devs gave you two motifs, huh?) First heard later in Lightning Strike, followed by in Audrey's interlude music of Thunderstorm (Slightly different, actually, but I think it counts), and then again in most of Audrey's music, such as Collapse and Audrey. It's very fanfare-y, which is pretty fitting for how she likes to present herself. It's pretty classically 'cool', and you can just feel her pride and smugness in it. I do think it's interesting how the dragging out of the intro starts to bring it down as the game progresses too. It's not just the Bard and Miriam who are getting worn out (physically and mentally), by the journey.

And then all the minor motifs! There are... a lot. There are many act-specific motifs, or motifs for more minor characters. To list off a few interesting ones:

The Dream King! Starts in The Dream King as sleepy and calm, very Act 1, if you will, but gets progressively darker, sort of matching Miriam's theme, in that regard, with tracks like Out of Order

The Coffee Pirates theme! A classic for Act Three! Very fun, and gets used in a variety of contexts from a slower ship theme in The Lady Arabica, to a group sing-a-long fun time in Sailing with Coffee Pirates, to a sombre farewell in Sail into the Sunset

ALL THREE CHISMEST MOTIFS! So, there's the town theme in... Chismest, which reoccurs for a more mischievous variant in Subterfuge for plotting! Now... This is technically just part of the Order March, but I wanted to talk about it anyway

And then the Happy Kid theme heard in Happy Kid and another track which I'll get to in a moment.

And, of course, the track that the chapter is built around both thematically and literally, the Order March -- showing up again in The Baron, to bring things back to where they started for the end of the main section of the Act (Very Chismest, what with its circular layout, where you always end up back at the Factory), and for a bit of a groove in Please Hold. And possibly my favourite Act opener: ACT 4: March of the Happy Factory. It starts as a sort of strange-sounding start for the first time you hear Happy Kid's theme, before devolving into a chaotic run, very reminiscent of the Factory's ironically chaotic music, and finishing on a sombre note of the Order March once more.

If you couldn't tell, I have an immense appreciation for Act Four's music specifally, haha.

And then! HALA'S MOTIF! This one's more subtle, since you hear the origin of the motif after your first time hearing it in something else (Somewhat similar to the Hero motif, intriguing...), and it's in Hala, and also Mean Spirit where it really brings the emotion into the latter. It matches Mohabumi's soundfont very well, and it's a cool little detail in Mean Spirit!

And finally... It's small, but I'm basically legally obligated to talk about the Heart motif :) First in the very silly Heart Fairy, and repurposed masterfully for the much more dramatic King of Hearts, where the emotional stakes are much higher. It doesn't appear much, but it's usage is very efficient, and very effective

So yeah. This game has very good music and everyone should play it. (I'm not beating the obssessed with leitmotif allegations today whoops)

[mac-lilly]

Ok, so while I'm super grateful to meet this chaotic trio again, the way they striked Julie out really really pisses me off.

[viaphni]

An analysis for the latest Corrupted Colors episode, “An Argument,” because it was AMAZING

To start off with general thoughts, the acting was REALLY good, especially at the very peak of the argument where Blue was having to separate the two of them. The change in vignette colors was great too—red to black, mirroring Diamond’s spikes of anger and frustration. It very much helped with representing the jarring spikes of emotion that we feel during arguments, those little sparks of rage that make us say things we don't mean. The core argument was very telling about all three characters and their motives, how they view the war in their minds.

It begins simply, innocently, with Lapis suggesting that the trio plan their strike against Chaotic. Some ideas are proposed, but Diamond is quick to interject with his own view.

Diamond wants to carry out the fight alone. He wants the seal, to keep everyone safe and away, and to go to Chaotic alone.

It highlights that his entire view on the situation is a trauma response to his experiences during the last infection. The impression that Dark Diamond left on his mind. He lost so many people during that time. In the end, when he was fighting Dark Diamond, he really was alone. He had lost Abe, Bedrock, the Emerald, Lapis, the Kings and their heirs—they had all fallen to the infection. All he had to validate his strength in those moments was The First Pickaxe. A valued relic, sealed away—it chose him. Something chose him and said he was worthy even after all the mistakes he made. I’m sure that was one of the main things that kept him going at all.

Now, the pickaxe rejects him. And Diamond doesn’t know why. He doesn't remember the pain and loss of the second crossover, the way Origin spoke to him.

“You’ve proven yourself to be too weak for the fights ahead, Diamond.”

It’s too strong, even for you.

He was disgraced by a god. And he doesn't even remember.

It must be so frustrating, the weapon’s silence. He’s won now, and he thinks he’ll win again, surely he’ll win again because he’s Diamond! The Diamond who saved them all, look at all he did! Him rejecting the aid of Lapis and Blue makes so much sense, because that’s the way he was accustomed to operating, and now he has to make room for other strengths, other possibilities, chances of injury and infection and death. And to him, that is unacceptable.

When Diamond is shut down by the other two, he gets defensive. He starts to accuse them of thinking they’re more powerful, thinking he’s being put down.

In relation to the pickaxe, I can lead into Lapis’ section of the argument.

When Diamond gets defensive, this is Lapis’ first response.

And he’s right. Diamond always wants to position himself as the shield and the sword at the same time, defending in front of everyone yet taking the whole fight himself—Always rushing in. This seems to come from a place of care and concern, not wanting Diamond to be harmed. They almost lost him when he was impaled by the Guardian. If Chaotic got him in a bad place alone…

Diamond shuts him down. He says that he defeated Dark Diamond, that Lapis was the one who got infected, Lapis is the weaker one, and he is stronger.

Lapis did not take this well. He lashes out;

These are his major lines before storming off. There’s a lot to unpack here.

He accuses Diamond of bragging, sitting on a high horse since his defeat of Dark Diamond. A corpse. The line “he was already dead” adds a lot of depth to the overall situation, I think. Dark Diamond was powerful, but he was always pathetic. A hollow husk of the man he once was. He was already dead. Diamond just put him back in the ground.

And Lapis brings up the pickaxe—how it’s inflated Diamond’s ego.

“You’ve gotten on a damn high horse. ‘Cause of that pickaxe. You think you’re some sort of higher power, DON’T YOU?! THE PICKAXE ISN’T EVEN RESPONDING TO YOU! IT KNOWS YOU’RE NOT WORTHY!”

As I said earlier; “All he had to validate his strength in those moments was The First Pickaxe. A valued relic, sealed away—it chose him. Something chose him and said he was worthy even after all the mistakes he made. I’m sure that was one of the main things that kept him going at all.”

The pickaxe is what let Diamond save everyone. He is still holding onto it through its dormancy. It reminded me a lot of Sabre's shadow sword in Rainbow Quest, the way it was inherently something no longer healthy for him to hold, but he still was attached to it because it gave him strength and an upper hand in a losing battle. He was GLUED to it. It made him feel superior. And there was that moment, where Time and Elemental begged him to step down and give up the sword, to accept help—but Sabre rejected it. He lashed out. He hurt his friends. Diamond seems to be having a similar response to the pickaxe.

Lapis’ accusation towards Diamond could also open an interesting perspective into his own mind, though it is a bit of a stretch.

It’s no secret that Lapis is aware of his “weakness.” His infection, his training under Enchant, it was all enough to let him be aware of his limits. But (and this does branch into theory) I don’t doubt that there’s still insecurity woven into that awareness. That craving for adventure, that need for more. In the Great Library episode, Lapis says:

That he’s been doing the bare minimum to help. So maybe his anger at Diamond could be coming from a place of self-doubt and destruction? Bit of a stretch? Maybe.

And now, for Blue. Seeing his character finally have a serious moment was really good, after 13 episodes of being just… the silly goofy drug addict who references memes and juggles eggs.

At the end of the argument, when Lapis and Diamond were practically screaming at each other, Lapis storming off—Blue held Diamond back from following him, telling him over and over to calm down. There wasn’t any aggressive edge to his voice. Out of the three, he stayed level headed. (A less important thing he says is something he mutters to himself while heading back to the wheel—“Jesus. Am I dealing with kids right here…” Does he not realize… When is he going to learn…😭)

Once Lapis was gone, Diamond was leaving too, but Blue told him to come back to the helm. This was a moment where a different side of him was able to show. While asking him to come back, his tone shifted to something more emotional than usual. “Diamond, Diamond, I need you back here—I need to talk to you, okay? I wanna explain this and I can’t really, I— Can you come back. Please.”

He sat Diamond down, starting off by explaining that he knew what it was like to be weak. How he wasn't always this “strong dude, casually doing everything, no worries im the world—” He used to have a close friend, describing them as having been buddies. (One connection I did make is that while Diamond and Lapis were arguing, Blue had repeated “we’re buddies here, we’re buddies here.” Could add to the fact that he was seeing his own experiences within theirs)

They had their arguments, as every relationship does, sometimes “even more heated than this one.” One day, they had a fight so bad that it caused them to stop talking. But…

“About a week later, I realized it was absolutely stupid. I tried apologizing, and, uh, well.. I couldn't. Wasn’t possible anymore. (“What… happened?”) He’s… I don’t even know what happened, but he’s- he’s gone. That’s all I know. I think he got sent off to the war, but.. Not entirely sure about that.”

Diamond admits that what he said was wrong. That he just wants to protect his friends. He doesn’t want to lose anyone else.

“And that's why I’m telling you this. It’s best to… go apologize. [...] But I don’t want you guys to end up like I did with my friend, I don’t want you guys… to end up in a…well, bad relationship like that, and then not get the chance to apologize.”

Blue had a similar predicament to Diamond, and it cost him a close friendship. We didn’t get any more detail on this lost friend except for the fact that he’s gone. Before Blue mentioned his disappearance, I was tempted to think that this friend was the Professor. But the Professor is still present in the group, so it can’t be him. Then, I considered a Winter Steve, but dismissed that idea too. I assume more than likely he was just another Blue Steve. Who knows, maybe we’ll find out soon. (Crack theory: He turned into sherry) But that was genuinely a really good moment for his character. He was being serious, but there was also something very,, I struggle to find a word for it. Something very old and tired behind it. something very gentle. Like an old wound that never quite closed right. And I envision that’s sort of what this situation feels like overall. Despite them having known each other for a very short time, Blue seems to care a good bit about these two. After everything he had to have lost,,,,,

The point of his friend being sent off to the war was really intriguing as well. It implies that there was a draft, that people were forced to fight. That would make sense with the apparent aggression and violence of The First War. Especially if this friend was of another color.

Overall, Blue’s calmness and control through the whole situation shows that his character has clearly grown from those past experiences. He was able to dismantle the argument and talk with Diamond through his feelings. He’s obviously a lot more mature than he typically lets on, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else he has to offer in future episodes.

Now, for the apology…

Diamond heads down under the deck to speak to Lapis. At first, he is dismissive, telling Diamond to leave—but he listens once Diamond shows that he’s calmed down and willing to talk. “I know I’m weak.” is a crucial thing Lapis says, because it reflects a way in which he probably sees himself. But Diamond says he’s probably the strongest person he knows. And it is true that Lapis is strong. From the very start, he’s endured. He was always able to get back up. (Enchant definitely had a hand in teaching him that, despite his uhh. occasionally unnecessary methods cough cough The Pit).

“We’re supposed to be buddies,” Diamond says. Another repetition of that word. And Lapis comes around, apologizing as well. He says that Diamond needs help too.

Diamond responds with a hesitant “maybe, but…” showing that he isn’t quite ready to let go of that desperation to defend. He’ll probably have issues with that for a while. He says that it’s hard. And I believe it’s going to be that way for a while. After everything he went through, even with what he forgot from the crossovers, so much strain has been put on his mind to continue feeling alone and isolated. To a point where all he knows is desperation. But, with talking through it, an opening to heal is made. They can only move forward by communicating with each other. And Blue made that clear enough with his own story.

But something strange happened after Diamond shut the door, and I think it adds a little more fuel to a recent theory I had (I don’t think I posted the thing I wrote about it).

As he’s leaving, he overhears—

I can’t. He’s my friend.

Lapis seems to be speaking to somebody we can’t see. Whatever it is, it looks like it wants him to do something harmful to Diamond. If I had to make any guess, it’s the Abyss Mage appearing in a sort of Shadow form. It’s apparent enough from earlier hints—

These shots from the trailer,

And this line from episode 16,

They both hint at the presence of the Mage, or something similar, haunting Lapis post-infection. He even has that darker end to his name in chat. If this is the case, then there are still traces of the void infection present in the world. And this would have negative effects on everyone. Lapis, obviously, being reminded of his recklessness and mistakes, and Diamond, finding out that one of his only friends was never truly saved by his efforts. That would be a rough discovery to make.

That’s about all I have to say for now. This episode was GREAT, and definitely my favorite so far! Everyone did an amazing job acting and presenting their characters realistically and properly. It was very good development for all three of them. You see them handling external conflicts, but interpersonal conflict is a little more rare to see. I’m very much excited to see where things will go from here and discover more about them!

btw I need them to be a found family. I love them 🙏 Your honor, they are brothers. 🙏🙏

[shadowfoxsilver]

Secrets untold of light and dark (Part five)

(Part four)

“I’ll show you who the real weakling is!”

The two siblings stared each other down intently, claws poised to strike. Both were clones who had been seen as a failure yet their paths had been very different all the same. Chaotic took a path of chaos just to find his sister, while SFS had grew up at the tree never knowing her true origins until now. She had never used her powers until now, while Chaotic used them all the time when he wanted to. SFS had little training with her abilities, but Chaotic already knew how to use them. They were so much different from each other but came fro the same place and from the same source. And here they were. Fighting. To see who the strongest really was. Was it worth the risk? SFS had no other choice after seeing Light injured and Birdy saving her. Chaotic was just angry at her for hitting him with a stop sign but now he was enraged beyond being able to control his abilities properly and needed the Nega Crystal. SFS had the keys of the trio.

She closed her eyes and held her head up slightly, her hidden markings illuminating as the keys magic began to activate. Memory. Form. Power. Magic that could transform her into a grand form if she desired it. But the memory of her younger appearance gave the keys an idea as she disappeared within the multicolored glow of the auras. When it fades, she opens her eyes and shook off slightly. Chaotic flinched a little when he noticed her form had been changed to resemble an older version of her past self. With quills fashioned in a familiar style, and her faded markings now restored to their former intricate design and dark red color across her arms and legs. Her once burnt wings once more repaired. Her eye scar was healed to show her eye marking, but unfortunately her ear was too damaged though the key magic fixed it somewhat. She noticed him staring and struck a pose with a smirk and a look of determination. She could use her powers and secret abilities without fear.

Chaotic growled and vanished within a swirling mass of chaotic energies as he drew upon the powers of the Nega Crystal that he had created. He knew of his original form a well but had lost it when he rose to power. But now he knew he could use the crystal and make himself normal again or take on a much grander form to outdo his sister. He chose the better option as he transformed. His small wings vanished as golden feathers graced his arms yet again and became much bigger than his sisters. After only a few more seconds, he flapped his wings forcefully and blew away the darkness as if it was dust. SFS didn’t seem too amused, and didn’t seem to react to his new form either. Sure he looked different, but he was just showing off after all. Chaotic flapped his wings again and floated off the ground as he opened his talons and aimed them towards SFS. He would show her the full extent of his own powers.

With a very loud squawk from Chaotic, the two siblings charged into one final duel as their faces crossed their powered up forms. SFS was still considerably smaller than Chaotic up close, but what she lacked in size she made up in being quite fast when she ran by his attempt to swing at her with his talons. Behind them, the blazing inferno obscured any attempt for Light to see what was going on.

Chaotic took to the skies, his markings glowing brightly once again as he flexed his talons and dove down at high speed towards SFS. This was a favorite attack of his that rarely missed its target. He shifted and opened his talons holding them out as he reached her. But SFS had seen him use this attack often enough that it was easily predictable. So just as if on cue, she rolled to the side and he slammed into the ground instead with a snarl. She couldn’t help but laugh at him as he grew agitated and swung at her with his tail. But she jumped over it with a flap of her wings and then teleported somewhere when he swung his claws at her. She re-appeared behind him and waved when he turned to glare at her. Why was she so hard to land an attack against?

SFS twitched her claws a little, then swung a hand and a flurry of ice crystals fired rapidly at Chaotics back before he could move out of the way. The cold hurt quite a lot too, almost like they froze whatever they made contact with. Chaotic hissed loudly and tried to take flight yet again as he flapped his wings. But SFS saw another opening and an opportunity to ensure he wouldn’t be able to strike from the skies since that seemed to be his preferred method of combat. So when he opened his wings fully for one more flap, the claws on one hand grew longer and sharper and she swiped as hard as she could manage as Chaotic screamed.

When she landed back on the ground as the claws returned to normal size, Chaotic plummeted with a shrill shriek as his prideful feathers were trimmed extremely short within seconds and he crashed back into the ground. He struggled to get back on his feet without his wings to move him but with some effort he pushed himself back upright with his hands. The nerve of her to get rid of his feathers! The air started to grow hot again as his anger increased even worse than before. So he decided to use the same destructive aura as she did. As revenge. He opened his trimmed wings, spread his tail spines fully, and the nega crystal glowed an ominous red.

SFS panicked slightly, but then got an idea and took flight herself surrounding herself within a cloak of frost which covered her wings but didn’t seem to slow her down as she went even higher into the sky. She drew upon the powers of the keys the higher she went, her fur going from silver to gold as her dark red markings turned bright red and her green eyes became red. Her wings turned completely blue from the ice, but still worked fine as she slowed down once high enough and looked down. She clenched her claws before diving back down even faster than Chaotic himself.

Chaotic had fully charged his chaotic blast, the surroundings turning red, when suddenly the air turned cold and the surroundings seemed to become purple. Chaotic looked up just as SFS reached him with her claws opened wide and wings folded tightly and then she collided into him head on and grabbed his face to pull him down by force as both hit the ground with intense force and cold aura blasted outwards instead.

The blazing inferno was immediately extinguished in full as the aura filled the surroundings and turned the air chilly as snow began to fall. Light perked up as the wall of flames suddenly disappeared and he could see the clearing. Thanks to his fur he was still nice and warm. He winced as he stood up and ran to the fighting grounds on all fours in panic about his sister and if she was alright. But where was she?

Chaotic opened his eyes and found himself pinned down by SFS’ claws. He was back to his normal form but she was still in her powered up form. A bright golden hedgefox thing who could be mistaken for someone else. He swallowed nervously as she narrowed her eyes, seeming to debate finishing him off. But she just let him go and stood back up and walked away from him shakily as the keys power began to fade and her usual appearance returned. But just as she fell down in unconsciousness, she felt someone with lightly feathered arms rush in and catch her.

When she stirred awake hours later, she was against a sleeping Darkness. But where was Chaotic? She wanted to move, but everything hurt so much.

Chaotic stood silently in front of Birdy’s statue, ears hung low. But…He had brought SFS back once. And this was also his sister who had gave herself to save his other sister from himself. He sighed deeply, and placed a clawed hand on the statue as his fur took on a familiar golden shine and golden energy flowed into it. He then stepped away as golden cracks started to shine from the figure much like the golden wisps that once surrounded his sister so long ago.

But by the time Birdy opened her eyes once more, she saw a very tired and injured Chaotic retreat into his rifts before she could ask him why he had returned to her. But instead she just smiled softly, and shook off the rocks. She had a new scar across her waist now but she knew someone needed her.

SFS had just about dozed off when a scent of lavender filled her nostrils and as her eyes closed again from sleepiness she heard someone enter. But she fell fast asleep as they sat beside Darkness and waited for SFS to awaken once more.

[jetkast]

I picked up rereading MDZS (first time with the official English release) after resisting the urge for hella months. (I both want to and desperately don't want to move on from these series LOL.) I never picked up on the Nie brothers having different mothers?? And I don't think the impact of that is clear on the plot? But I wonder what the story is there and if it explains why (beyond the whole fake incompetence thing) NMJ is how he is with NHS. I wonder if NHS internalizes something about what happened to his mother in a similar way to how LWJ does with his. I want to KNOW.

Also, I think this means that the Lan brothers are the only fully blood related sibling unit? We spend so much time focusing on the chaos of offspring brought about by JGS that I feel the rest of the sibling dynamics are understated. Potentially the Wen siblings as well, though I don't recall if any detail is provided about their parents. I wouldn't be surprised if they were half siblings as well. The Jiang trio has its own dynamics, blood relation between JC & JYL but none with WWX, yet intense care and affection all the same (among other spicier details).

These tiny details of chaos and instability do so much to set up this world that has been at war for over a hundred years (this story being the conclusion of it... or one part of it, or a hopeful continuation of temporary peace). A generation of parents lost or disconnected (or just shitty). A generation of youth parentified and sent to war too young. Terrified elders fearing the ways the world could get worse or established power could be threatened.

MDZS from Lan Wangji's perspective is a disillusionment. A interrogation of the status quo created out of survival, firm and unquestioning, but simultaneously lifeless. Wei Wuxian comes in representing pure resilient joy in the face of tragedy, a wine stain on pristine white fabric an artifact of the revelry the night before in the face of darkness. Wei Wuxian the bonfire during the long night, promising life and warmth and chaotic joy and a future that is worth living and fighting for. Lan Xichen's disillusionment strikes also through relationship, but much differently.

(Of course I start this post just pondering family relationships and end up waxing romantic yet again about Wangxian because I HAVE THE BRAINROT SO DEEPLY.)

A generation of orphans raising a new crop of hope, rambunctious and resilient and curious. It's not the blood relation that matters, but who cares for your future, who fans your flames with love and wisdom. Who strokes your hair and makes you soup or fits you to sect colors regardless of how you were found sick in a tree trunk.

Who protects you from whatever Nie Mingjue was protecting Nie Huaisang from, the sturdy older sibling shielding their baby brother while also grumbling about their need to toughen up. A protection and expression of care that drove NHS to devise a plan so extensive it involved bringing someone back from the dead for justice.

The tiny details, ugh. They drive me insane.

[sparklywatercolors]

ZORI. THIS IS A HOLD UP. TELL ME HOW YOU MET IVAN.

Fun fact I'm actually writing a story on that too but here's some little bits and pieces of said fic explained in the dumbest way possible. Enjoy 😏✨

Blame Alfred (/America)

Literally blame him right now, don't even think about it, just do it.

He decided to host a huge party during the week Zorya had to present their senior thesis.

And no the party wasn't for them it was a hell yeah it's summer time party

What a goof I love Alfred so much ☹️ (fun fact him and Lovino are Zorya's best pals)

Of course Zorya and Lovino and all their friends get dragged along. Zorya's (outside of the trio) friends rejected bc they were like are you insane it's thesis and finals weeks absolutely not 🗿

Zorya would say no but they share an apartment with their best friends and they don't want to be a jerk alright

Anyways party time. Zorya is literally stuck to Lovino like glue. Like holy shit I don't know anyone let me join u and ur other friends

Alfred is being too social for Zorya, he introduced them to like 40 new people in the span of 5 minutes so Zorya went fuck that and found Lovino and went okay YOU ARE STUCK W ME NOW

Zorya would much rather be sleeping but it's fine Lovino's friends are rly nice, and they don't get to meet up with these people that often so it's nice to see some sorta fresh faces but not awkward meeting for the first time conversations

But holy shit there are so many people here

So stressful

Zorya doesn't do parties (I also don't rly do parties unless it's like my closest friends or if I'm at a family party, I have a friend with me or I can sneak out and go draw 🫡)

Zorya decides to excuse themself from the fun banter they've gotten involved in and they go take a walk around and maybe fight off random strangers for some apple juice

Yes Alfred got them to be on board bc he bought them fancy apple juice. Zorya likes striking a deal when they can

Juice

They drink the juice life is great

But NOW THEY CAN'T FIND LOVINO OR ANTONIO OR ANYONE THEY ACTUALLY KNOW OH GOD IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!

Poor Zorya *sad kazoo noises*

Zorya tries to look like they fit in just smiling at strangers, but it looks more like 😬😬😬😬😬 LMAOOOO they're trying okay don't judge them

Again blame Alfred (just in case you forgot)

But the juice is so worth it

Anyways Zorya is sipping their apple juice, and ready to sneak into their bedroom (that they locked up-yes this is happening at their apartment BTW Alfred is..... I don't even know anymore), and climb out to the fire escape and go get bubble tea 🧋(mmm bubble tea mmm) and just stay away

But they can't get PAST THIS TALL ASS RUSSIAN DUDE

yes it's Ivan but they don't know that

He's talking to some people, some look comfortable some look afraid that he will snap them in half if they don't laugh at his jokes

Zorya is afraid to ask him to move

So Zorya is just awkwardly there gawking at him and these people that he probably already knew cause of course Alfred is so popular that he can get strangers to bring their friends to this chaotic shit

Zorya is over thinking everything as usual ™

Alfred can be heard screaming the cha cha slide in the distance now BTW

Anyways Zorya feels a hand on their shoulder, it's this girl asking if they're alright

They zoned out and was staring at tall Russian man while in the process of zoning out

Good job Zorya we're proud of u

Zorya is like oh no he's hot AND I WAS STARING AT HIM OH GOOD GOD 🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍

Zorya awkwardly waves it off and goes oopsies sorry ah I was looking for my friends there's so many people here ah shit I'm sorry 😅... 🫠

And Russian dude that Zorya doesn't know the name of (it's Ivan) is like I'm pretty tall I can help you look

Zorya is like *NEARLY CHOKES AND DIES * SURE?????

So they go on a fucking hunt to find Lovino and gang

Zorya notices some of Russian guy's friends look low key relieved, Zorya wants to ask but is like nah I don't wanna know I just want to find Lovino

So they're walking around and talking

They exchange names

Hi Ivan

Hello Zoryana (fun fact it takes him months even when they start dating,, to just call them Zorya)

Zorya is genuinely having a great time talking to Ivan

And it seems the same way for Ivan!! 🥺

They're talking for a good hour that's how fucking crowded this party is and they're rly distracted just talking to each other about random shit and making jokes about stupid things happening

Alfred and Lovino are low key watching this btw, Alfred is like Zorya is gonna be simping and Lovino is like oh dear God no not again

Eventually they find Lovino and his gang

Zorya introduces Ivan to them

Seems like everyone knows everyone, Zorya is basically the new guy here 🧍🫡 good job Zorya

Before Zorya could thank Ivan he's getting dragged off

Zorya is BLUSHING BTW and was like damn he was rly cute I'd love to talk to him again.... Maybe ask him to coffee or something

Lovino notices and goes oh here we go again 🧍

Alfred overhears and WINGMAN MODE ACTIVATES

ALFRED IS SO EXCITED TO BE A WINGMAN PLS

HE'S BEEN WANTING THIS HIS WHOLE LIFE TO BE A WINGMAN

Zorya is like no don't 🗿

Fuck you this is America I'll do what I want biatch Alfred yells and disappears into the crowd

Bye Alfred

Zorya and Lovino are face palming 🤦🤦

Anyways

Party goes on until like the last stragglers leave at like 3 am

This party started at noon the previous day btw

Zorya is EXHAUSTED AND LAYING ON THE FLOOR

Lovino is like go the fuck to bed

Zorya is like no I miss my calmer apartment pls 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

The trio goes to sleep will clean when they wake up bc fuck that

How many fucking people were over anyway holy shit??? 😭

In the afternoon Zorya wakes up and Alfred is swiveling around the barstool and cackling

Lovino is on his 5th cup of coffee and telling Zorya go back to bed

...

So you remember Alfred wanting to be the wingman

Well he

He set up a little date to the zoo for Zorya and Ivan next weekend

Zorya goes back to their room

Closes the door

SCREAMS

... Zorya is both happy and terrified BC HOMIE WHAT WHY

The end 😌

That's basically the whole story but in condensed (...some would beg to differ) notes form!! I hope i have pleased you with this lore 👀

Tldr: blame Alfred.

[twistedtummies2]

Quick note: this idea just popped into my head and I’m purely sharing it because I thought you would appreciate it. If this idea strikes you With the motivation to write something then by all means, do as you will, with it. Again, purely just an idea.

I know you have mentioned, wanting to write stories for some of your OCs from twisted wonderland, I myself am not familiar with all of them, so what are four of them cast a spell on the prefect? Made them act a little unusual. Like, instead of willing to help for Friend sake, they want something out of it, like most of the students at night Raven college. Of course, the chaotic trio has to make sure something is wrong with the prefix so they test the prefect with something they normally couldn’t resist and they fail, obviously, to which the trio or more go to find the culprit.

That’s all I’ve got, hope you enjoyed!

I'm not sure if there's any OC of mine that would do that, to be honest. At least not intentionally. Although the idea of the Prefect acting that way and the others having to figure out the problem IS a unique idea...now I'm kind of imagining they actually swap out personalities with somebody at the college, like Azul or Leona, and everybody has to figure out why, and how to get both back to normal. Could be interesting. I cannot guarantee I will ever write this, but I do like the concept I spoke of just now. Thank you for the suggestion, Anon! :)

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

Un ballo in maschera (Met, 1980): Reactions, Part I

society has progressed past the need for Ballo productions set in Boston, including ones set in Revolutionary-era Boston, but in all fairness a) this was forty-three years ago and b) Pavarotti and Ricciarelli, that is all

also: “savannah what happened to you watching all 26 verdi operas in chronological order this one is like number 21” a) i changed my mind and b) let’s do it a little different this time around!

verdi just captures the mood so perfectly in the music

also: my mood is whoever gave one very short, high cheer at the end of the prelude cause that thing fuckin SLAPS

trouble brewing like tea in a harbor… (also love how this setting makes it inherently like “hey! americans! y’all are the bad guys!” especially just four years after the bicentennial lmaoooooo)

THE MAESTRO THE PAV HIMSELF

it’s oscar!!! my favorite little ball of sunshine!!!

man oh man this man can SING (of course. always such a delight to listen to him.)

“oh heaven! her husband!” WAY TO BURY THE LEDE, VERDI AND SOMMA (i mean, obvs i know lmao)

this exchange is always so funny to me. like “idc that you have intel on an assassination attempt, just as long as you don’t find out i’m in love with your wife” lol

“hate strikes its victims more quickly than love” TOTALLY not foreshadowing

casual racism from the judge!

(unrelated but it’s always nice to see charles anthony around)

oscar i love you but saying that ulrica is in league with satan is not exactly helping her or your case

still: ULTRA precious child

“bestie with all the chaotic energy in the world and bestie who is a hapless accessory to said chaos” is a great pairing and the EXACT energy of these two

(at this point i realized i had accidentally zoomed in on the youtube video, so sorry if some of the images look weird. also the app keeps doing this for some reason so maybe it’ll keep happening. sorry.)

THE WAY HE RUFFLES OSCAR’S HAIR IT’S SO CUTE

i want whatever verdi was on whenever he wrote this BOPTASTIC SCENE ENDING

even the onstage folk can’t help but applaud

these chords and this prelude right here: SO. DAMN. ICONIC.

“i saw goody ulrica consorting with the devil” (also. thank fuck that from the looks of it there’s no blackface.)

even the pav doesn’t get to cut in line

okay but fr. ulrica has gotta be one of the funnest mezzo/contralto roles to play. she’s definitely one of the funnest to WATCH

not silvano spitting in his hand to wipe it off lol

to paraphrase that one humorous ballo summary: “and the theme of self-fulfilling prophecies is waved around like a flaming cliff notes”

“i must consult with satan privately” surely one of the best opera lines ever

tfw you’re in love with your husband’s bestie, also i want that dress

verdi lavishes such wonderful melodies even on such simple moments as this, and that’s one of the reasons i love him

maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe following amelia around is not the best way to solve this, riccardo. just a thought.

what a MARVELOUS trio, just the first of a serious of MARVELOUS small ensembles in this opera

just an afternoon out with the boys!

we have come across yet another bop

“this is the right hand of a great man…” a great TENOR alright!

AND THERE IT IS

i’m sorry but this gives me the EXACT energy of the photo jonas kaufmann put out with his statement about the invasion of ukraine 😭

(sorry it’s so big. but anyway. carry on.)

riccardo: uh yeah surely it’s a joke!

oscar: riccardo, with all due respect, what the fuck

again: the small ensemble writing in this opera is just *chef’s kiss*

Handshake Of Doom TM

ah yes, boston massachusetts in the period leading up to the american revolution, a time and place where the people were just DRIPPING with pro-british sentiment *facepalm*

then again this director was from australia so.

still, this scene slaps! thank you verdi and thank you somma for capturing just-a-little-actually-probably-a-lot-overblown patriotism perfectly and making a great first act finale <3

[godsgamefreak]

FFXIVWrite 2023 - #10 - #2 Bark

OC's: Logan Holden, Cherise Holden, Jennifer Holden, Vincent Lalande NPC's: Kan-E-Senna

This is the #2 prompt written and submitted for the "free day" of #10's prompt!

Spoilers for the Tank Role Quests in 6.0.

Read on Ao3

An ancient presence of the Twelveswood watches a comforting light do its best to help.

Pain was not new, but this had become pain on a scale they had not seen before. It was loud and chaotic and widespread. It was confusing, hard to tell what was happening, they just wanted it to stop. So much stamping and crushing and burning. At its worst, it felt like their very energy was draining away, but then, finally, a moment of peace. A brilliant light that ceased the drain, that began to batter at the pain and confusion. A presence that became comforting, though not permanent. They began to await the presence of the light, watching as it came and went. They did not know what happened to it as it left the domain, but simply that it always returned, and always to provide some measure of ease to the pain being caused. Then, not that long at all after the light had appeared, a pain greater than any it had known thus far tore through them. It was too much, they could not bear it, they could no longer acknowledge even the domain around them. It was time to slumber, to wait, the light would return and help them.

***

“Do you ever get the feeling the trees are watching you?” Logan asked, his eyes drifting through the forest around him.

“Sure, all the time,” Jennifer replied with a shrug. “Usually something among the trees is keeping an eye on you. Could be a nutkin, could be an opo, could be the elementals themselves. But I guess it’s off-putting to someone who’s never been in the Twelveswood.”

“I guess…” Logan muttered, before tearing his attention away and following his older cousin out from Bentbranch Meadows.

“You’re probably just paranoid,” Cherise chided as she followed. “Finally starting to lose it. Soon you’ll see fish floating through the air.”

Logan rolled his eyes and pushed at his sister as the trio headed deeper into the Twelveswood.

***

It was difficult to see, it had been for so long, but finally, the light had returned. They did not know why it had taken so long, for the pain had been left to fester for all this time. Dulled but not gone. Please, they begged, please help as you did before. Then it was gone again, and they were left to slumber again.

***

Logan could barely stand against the onslaught of attacks from Gleipnir. His breathing was heavy, but he refused to bend or bow, not when Kan-E-Senna was so close. The beast charged again, and Logan met its fangs with his shield. The impact and scraping echoed through the forest. He shouted in defiance against the beast and pushed it aside, giving way to an opening for the Serpent’s spearman to land a critical blow. Vincent came in alongside and whipped his axe through its flank. Logan channeled all his aether into a single strike, summoning forth a gigantic blade that pierced the beast through its head top to bottom. With one final defiant roar as the aetheric blade dissipated, Gleipnir fell to its side, silent.

Looking towards the great one, Logan saw Kan-E-Senna finishing her ritual. With a flourish of her staff, radiating aether, she spoke the final words. “Through sacred soil and azure skies may your compassion flow and swell to banish the darkness…”

***

The light returned once more, it had been coming and going again, just as before, once again freeing it from sources of pain and suffering. This time it didn’t just stem the tide, it truly healed that which was broken. They could see again, feel again, and came to realize this was not truly the original light that had come before, but another, bearing its same power and goal. It was still here to help, and help it did. They could hear the other elementals reaching out, and rushed to add their voice to the chorus.

Receding terror... Blissful quiet... Blessing...covenant preserved. Now and always...child of child... Honor and gratitude unending…

***

Approaching the aetheryte crystal at the center of Bentbranch Meadows, Logan couldn’t help but think back to that first day he’d walked through the woods with his sister and cousin. Jen had been right, he had gotten used to that feeling of being watched. But today it felt stronger than ever. It drew him away from the plaza and towards a tree by the river. There was nothing particularly interesting about this tree compared to the others, but he could swear he felt something from it. He placed a hand on its bark, and felt… peace. Not just peaceful, but something like the very presence and appreciation of peace itself, after a long turmoil.

Logan smiled and patted the tree. “You’re welcome.”

[jester-r0t]

mmmm yay the chaotic trio (Alzirr, Rouge, Wizard) strike again. This time they all ate devil's pastry. Rouge now has a 6th level one time use (we are lvl 4 rn), Wizard is now visually an elf, and Alzirr....

bug tw

Bit into a cupcake he thought he'd berries. He was horrified to find out it was BUGS. now he has summon insects BUT he has to barf the centipedes. Lovely mental image of the druid upchucking bugs.

Like I got a huge trigger with bugs, especially with food, so I genuinely almost lost my dinner. 👍🏻 in pain man

[dark1k]

markus: listen north i think i accidentally developed a crush on connor

north: wait you mean our connor? approximately 6' ft. tall? wears the same outfit? obsessed with dogs and plants? keeps his emotions bottled up? THIS connor?

markus: yes this connor. thoughts?

north: and prayers

[shadowfoxsilver]

October at the tree - Chaotic cats

“Nega Lightning!” Jess had been rudely awoken by the stat-icy laughter coming from the ominous cat of the shadows. Evil Jess had appeared as well, a little annoyed too. Dark Jess had landed on Jess’ back in puffball form to see what the ruckus had been. No surprise it was just Nega Lightning up to her usual chaotic antics. Just enough noise to get Jess and her other versions to show up and investigate. Unbeknownst to them, though, this was all to the plan Nega Lightning had set.

“What are you wanting now? Usually you don’t get us all here.” Evil Jess scoffed in dragon form, eyes narrowed a little. “Why are you even here.” Dark Jess grumbled to Evil Jess. Usually the evil one didn’t show up unless she’s causing some terror but she’s just there casually acting like she had nothing better to do. “Well, you see…” Nega Lightning started to explain.”

“I want to cause some Halloween fun! But I knew the best way to do it was get three Jess’ here first. The true one, the dark one, and then the evil one! All three of you could easily take me down, unless..” Nega Lightning grinned ominously, her crystals starting to crackle with chaotic energy. “Unless what?” Jess had stood up now in dragon form, and poised to strike the ominous feline if she had to as her claws glowed with her magic power. Not enough to hurt the cat, of course! Just enough to nullify the dark magic her crystals had.

“Unless..This!” Nega Lightning suddenly leapt at the trio as a massive shadowy feline, engulfing them within her chaotic energy, before disappearing from sight and cackling. When the shadow fades from the trio, something has happened! Nega Lightning re-appears in front of them, smiling wide. “Now you’ll have to find your gems again to stop me!” She laughed.

The three CE’s stared blankly, then Jess immediately grew angered. “Nega Lightning!” She hissed. “Where did you hide our crystals?!” She added. Nega Lightning cackled. “Not my problem! Byyyyyeee~” She remarked as she disappeared to cause some chaos elsewhere.

Jess glared, then turned and face the other two CE’s. Evil Jess was just floating ominously with one eye closed and covered by a scar. Dark Jess didn’t seem to mind, she was cleaning her claws until she saw Jess staring at her then she immediately stopped and stared back like nothing happened. Three CE’s. Three crystals.

Will they find them all in time?

[tentimesthecourage]

Time: And what have we learned?

Sky, Rinku, Wild: Not to jump of the isle without warning.

Time: Good. -and he leaves to make sure Legend isn’t strangling Warriors-

Four: ...What have we really learned?

Sky, Rinku, Wild: Not to let Time see us jump off the isle without warning.

Four: That’s what I thought.

[themattress]

Reblogging due to my recent, tragically induced Dragon Ball fixation.

I ultimately think that the Buu Saga is good, it even has a lot of downright fantastic stuff in it that I wouldn't trade for anything. It is absolutely a thing that needed to happen and I'm glad for its existence. But the problems holding it back can ultimately be summed up as a trio of three strikes: three on the story, three on the characters, and three on the saga itself.

First Strikes: This post mentions the second strike, but all three are as follows.

1. Piccolo traps himself, Gotenks and Buu in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Having written himself into a corner, Toriyama resolves it by having Buu scream loud enough to rip a hole through dimensions, after which he goes and needlessly kills / eats everyone on Kami's Lookout (which is especially bad in the manga, where it happens totally off panel!)

2. Buu absorbs Gotenks and Piccolo, becoming "Buutenks" who is capable of kicking Mystic Gohan's ass. At this point, both the Potara Earings and Vegeta's return from the dead are set up, making it depressingly clear where things are headed (read: not in Gohan's favor).

3. There's a time-skip epilogue where Kid Buu is reincarnated as a human named Uub, and Goku just abandons everyone to go train him, ending the saga and series on a limp note.

Second Strikes: The characters who really drag this saga down are...

1. Goten and Trunks / Gotenks. Now, Goten and Trunks in of themselves are just fine, but the moment they reveal that they can go Super Saiyan, they break all suspension of disbelief. And then of course there's the Gotenks nonsense, where the saga suffers a bad case of tonal confusion when the plot is going so heavy and so reliant on Gotenks as a means of saving the world, and yet Gotenks himself is an utter clown whom it is impossible to take seriously. And to bring things full circle, the way he and Piccolo get out of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber after Buu's Diablos Ex Machina scream? Gotenks goes Super Saiyan 3, the form freshly introduced in this saga that Goku achieved through training with history's greatest fighters in the afterlife. And Gotenks, who only just recently even existed, achieves it just...because.

2. Goku and Vegeta / Vegito. I disagree with OP about Goku's presence, as I thought it was fine at the start, and kind of ingenious since Baba has been established to be able to bring someone dead back to the world of the living for a day; she did so with Grandpa Gohan in the original Dragon Ball. Meanwhile, I agree with OP about Vegeta's atoning death being the best place his character could have ended. And I feel like Goku being the one to fight Vegeta beforehand is important; with Gohan the emotional weight just wouldn't be there. The problems all come afterward. Goku going Super Saiyan 3 may be more sensible than Gotenks, but Super Saiyan 3 being a thing at all feels like a stretch, plus it gives Goku such a cool main character-worthy showing that it creates expectations of him being the one to save the day again. And then of course Gohan is absorbed by Buu and Vegeta comes back and we have him and Goku becoming Vegito and later on defeating Buu together; and it all serves to start the trend we only just recently with the Super Hero movie have started to shake off, the trend of Goku and Vegeta being the only heroes to truly matter in the franchise.

3. Majin Buu himself. I have no problems with innocent Mr. Buu, he and his character's development alongside Hercule is fantastic. I also have no problems with Kid Buu, he's a great depiction of primal, destructive, chaotic evil incarnate. My problem is with the Buu in the middle. Super Buu needed a way stronger motivation and should have had the "Buutenks" and "Mystic Buu" forms axed altogether, because what we got comes off as a cheap rip-off of the far better Cell. By that same token, he should not have lasted nearly as long as he did. Kid Buu's defeat doesn't feel as satisfying as it should because we barely spent time with him compared to Super Buu, and per the latter's own admission the two of them are wholly separate characters. Super Buu having less time to build up less investment would fix that.

Third Strikes: Finally, the saga's structural problems.

1. How it started. And I don't mean the story, I mean in what form it started - as either a continuation of the Dragon Ball manga or of the Dragon Ball Z / Kai anime series. This just doesn't feel right, and it feels even worse by the third strike. The Cell Saga felt like a culmination of what the Dragon Ball manga with Goku as its protagonist had been up to that point, and it also felt like the logical conclusion of the Z anime: the third in a trilogy of intertwined sagas (Vegeta, Freeza, Cell). Tellingly, Z used "Cha La Head Cha La" as the OP theme for its whole run until the Buu Saga. Kai took it a step further, not only using "Dragon Soul" as the OP theme until the Buu Saga, but not even having the Buu Saga as part of it initially; it was released three years later under a special Kai: The Final Chapters title.

2. How it progressed. What I said about all of those other strikes applies here. All of the writing problems, contrivances, inconsistencies and goofs just kept piling up as it went on.

3. How it concluded. Not just in the sense of what I said in the first set of strikes, although that certainly wasn't good, but also the way in which its conclusion unfolded. In the manga, after Buu split into good and evil sides, there are just 35 chapters left, almost all of it collected in the last two volumes. It feels as incredibly rushed through as it sounds. 1995, the final year of the manga's serialization, literally began with Strike 2 of the first set (the "Buutenks" event) and ended with the announcement that Dragon Ball was over in the same issue as the final chapter, hitting fans completely out of nowhere. And evidently, it ending in the crappy way it did was solely so that Toei could continue the story from that point on in anime form with Dragon Ball GT, thus allowing Toriyama to finally be free of the series. That's why he sped through the arc; he was burned out on Dragon Ball and just wanted to be done with it.

The Z and Kai anime have the opposite problem, with the former having about the same amount of episodes and the latter about ten less than that, but obviously a 22 minute episode of animation is a lot different from a 14 page chapter of manga, with the result being that it feels like things are dragging on forever rather than feeling too rushed. By the time Kid Buu appears, you're about ready to scream "Oh my Kami, END already!" (I guess now we know how Toriyama felt, eh? XD) So either way, the ending phase's pacing is out of whack.

Finally, it must be repeated: this is how Dragon Ball the manga and Dragon Ball Z the anime series ends. No matter which you're going by, the quality had only been getting better and better as it went on, and then this saga totally reversed that trend, and that's the saga the Powers That Be choose to end the whole thing on!? Sure, it's not quite as bad now that we have a canonical continuation taking place before the epilogue (and even better, one that renders GT impossible), but it still stings. The Buu Saga feels like either the beginning of something new or yet another installment in an ongoing series, but it absolutely does not feel like an ending. The 23rd Budokai Saga felt like an ending. The Cell Saga felt like an ending. The Buu Saga does not, which is what makes it baffling that it wound up being an ending. In an ideal world, Toriyama would have been allowed to end Dragon Ball with the Cell Saga, and then hire an assistant artist/writer ala Toyotarou to do the heavy lifting for the sequel series that begins with the Buu Saga while he moves on to something new, thus avoiding burnout. But alas, we don't live in that world, so we're stuck with a wildly flawed Buu Saga.

Build A Better Buu Saga

Oh, the Buu Saga…from initially getting passed over in Kai to almost getting passed over by TeamFourStar, it’s almost as if the collective understanding of all corners of the Dragon Ball community is that this is a saga that just…didn’t. It didn’t give a proper cap to the overall series, it didn’t stick the landing even on its own terms, it didn’t have the best fights or villains or character moments…it just didn’t.

For myself, the Buu Saga actually has my favorite beginning of any storyline in Dragon Ball. Gohan being my favorite character in the series, I was happy to see him take up the mantle of Series Lead (a fact that the manga pointed out in asides multiple times), and the huge shake-up in the status quo made for some exciting possibilities. Videl and Goten were wonderful additions to the cast, the current timeline’s Trunks was quite the contrast with his future self, I think the Great Saiyaman was amusing, and the lead-up to the World Tournament is some of the best material out of the entire series. The middle section of the saga, while uneven, is a fun and wild ride too, with Majin Buu being a very distinct villain from his immediate predecessors and concepts like the fusion dance giving a jolt of new energy (no pun intended) to battles. Gohan’s development as he tries to regain the power he’s lost since the Cell Games during this part of the story doesn’t get enough credit either.

Yep - the Buu Saga, in my books anyway, is a solid arc full of fantastic characters and moments…in its first two thirds. The moment Super Buu becomes Buutenks, the story rapidly deteriorates, as Akira Toriyama decides to arbitrarily reject or ignore every bit of set-up and development he’d laid down up to that point and goes on auto-pilot, ending the conflict with tired retreads of old ideas while using characters whose story this has not been. It’s not even that anything in the ending of the saga is all that bad; it’s just such an about-face, such a divorce from everything in the story up to that point - material that I really liked - that it feels more disappointing (to me, anyway) than if it had been more poorly produced.

I’m not the first, or the last, to think about how the Buu Saga might have had a stronger ending, and more coherence overall. Over on the Kanzenshuu forums a few years ago, I even wrote up some my thoughts on what I would’ve liked to see. Thanks to TeamFourStar’s release of their “Day of Fate” remix, though, I’ve been thinking about this more lately, and my ideas have changed quite a bit from the last time I wrote them down. With that, I figured I’d lay out my outline for an alternate Buu Saga, one that I think would’ve given the series a stronger cap and paid off its initial set-up.

Before we get started, I’ll make three caveats plain:

- Goku isn’t here. This isn’t out of any dislike of the character. I’m actually quite happy with Goku serving as a supporting figure, and a mentor to Goten and Trunks, in the middle third of the Buu Saga. But I think it’s ultimately detrimental to a story that purportedly follows the successor protagonist to have the original hero pop up as early, and for as long, as Goku ultimately was in the saga as-is. To see what Gohan and the others would make of a world totally devoid of Goku is a more interesting idea to me anyway.

- No Old Kai. He may be fun, he may have unique abilities, but Old Kai and his powers offer too many cop-outs. Which is not to say that there isn’t a place for a mentor figure like Old Kai in the saga, but…well, keep reading.

- I don’t care about post-manga interviews. Yes, I am aware that Toriyama retconned Buu’s origin, among other things, in interviews he gave after finishing the manga. I am ignoring these, and I’m ignoring anything from Super. What was in the manga, and the anime, back in the 90s is all the material I’m drawing from.

- You know the story, right? For brevity’s sake, I’m just going to point out where I would’ve made changes, not writing up the full series of events. I assume anyone crazy enough to read this knows at least the gist of the Buu Saga anyway.

All that said - here we go:

Keep reading