#warriors arc 9 speculation

[lander64]

The next Warriors arc is good be, interesting, to say the least. We don’t really know anything about it, but the only info the Erins have given us thus far is that it will focus on a cat from tPB (the first arc). Which is a confusing choice.

Gonna be putting my thoughts into bullet points to help me convey my opinions.

- ‘Cat from The Prophecies Begin’ is an incredibly broad category. This, potentially, ranges from book 1 elders (One-eye, Patchpelt etc) to cats who were kittens in the last book (Sorrelkit and her brothers).

- But also if the arc takes place after the current arc, well that’s uh, strange? The only cats who are still around since tPB is an elder, or at least getting there. I believe Brambleclaw and Tawnypelt are the youngest cats still alive who come from the first arc, and even those two are getting old. WC is targeted towards kids, so having an elder mc in the main series would be such a weird choice for the arc.

- Some people have been suggesting Princess and Smudge and other non clan cats. While there are stories you could tell with them, few of those are stories you could tell that demands 6 books to tell it. Most likely a whole arc would be full of filler and have a snails speed of a pacing, which wouldn’t be ideal. They’d also run into issue of being too old, but they’d have the excuse to have the arc take place Po3-OotS era. I highly doubt the Erins would stay away from the Clans, for a super edition sure, but for a whole damn arc? For characters that aren’t that popular in the fandom at large?

- This leaves our options limited.

- First option, prequel arc. Self explanatory, an arc that takes place before tPB. This feels unnecessary. We already have a stand alone book for basically all the important first arc cats. Therefore, there’s nothing that a whole arc could tell us that we don’t already know. Hell, a consistent criticism of the new standalone books, like Leppordstar’s Honor and Onestar’s confession, is that they add unnecessary, contradictory, and, well bad, information.

If we do get a prequel arc, it’ll most likely be a sequel arc to DotC. Which was the worst selling arc so I doubt it will happen.

- Second option, Starclan arc. Our PoV/s is a Starclan cat and we have an arc take place directly in the clans afterlife. This is actually my favourite suggestion out of all of them. We’re long past the days of Starclan being a mysterious and unknown entity, so getting to know more about how it works, the politics of it all, and get very interesting character interactions, would be a welcome breath of fresh air. You could do a lot with it and expand upon previously undeveloped cats. You could even have something Dark Forest related. This would be an incredibly unique arc, I do highly doubt this is the direction the Erins would take though. But if they do then I’d welcome it.

- Third option, legacy kits. Next arcs Pov isn’t actually the first arc cat, but a relative. This is ether gonna be another Nightheart situation or we get Scourge’s edgy op daughter who’s here to destroy the clans as revenge!!! Or something boring. This one really depends, and would more likely than not be retreading old ground.

And that’s all The ones I can think of that make somewhat sense. Of course we could always get an elders pov or a whole arc outside of the clans despite my severe doubts and issues with those ideas. Honestly, we just don’t know enough to be confident about anything of the next arc. We don’t even have the title for the last book in the current arc yet. But speculation and conversations about it are always a fun time imo.

Feel free to share your ideas of what the next Warriors arc could look like if you’re interested.

[mamayura]

Official episode names of season 6 + my speculations based on their names:

Climatiqueen: seems self-explanatory. Hopefully Aurore gets to finally matter again. Would be fitting that the akuma that started it all gets to ring in the new story arc

Dessinatriste: Dessinateur means designer or illustrator, and Dessinatrice is the female form. So I think it's more likely a female character.

Sublimation: is the process of anything solid turning into gas without first becoming liquid. I've got no clue in this one. Btw, I checked, and no, Sublimation is not the name of one of the season 5 episodes.

Daddycop: Maybe a reference to Robocop? Possibly a Sabrina episode.

Papys Garous: loups-garous are werewolves in French. So probably a continuation of season 3's Papa Garou (Weredad) with Ronald instead because Papi is French for Grandpa (and Papa is Dad)

Princesse Syren: First instinct is going with a continuation of season 2's Syren, so an Odine and Kim episode.

El Toro De Piedra: El Toro is Spanish for "The Bull" and Piedra is "Stone", so The Bull of Stone / The Stone Bull. Definitely a Spanish character.

Vampigami: Im pretty sure there is no other French word "Vampi" could be referring to besides vampires. But I wouldn't necessarily say it refers to Kagami. We thought the same about Optigami, too, and the it referred to origami. Who knows, maybe it's also the word "Pig" and "ami" (French for friend) we were supposed to pick up on? Maybe something with Rose? Her French hero name is Pigella too?

Monsieur Agreste: probably a continuation from "Gabriel Agreste" and lively further backstory.

Le Château Noir: considering that Monsieur Agreste and Le Château Noir are episodes 9 and 10, and therefore an episode pair, it's possible that the Noir part is referring to Adrichat. But in French Darkblade was named Le Chevalier Noir and Dark Owl is named Le Hibou Noir. So the new episode being names The black/dark Castle doesn't need to necessarily refer to Adrichat.

Revelator: im gonna go with continuation of Cerise's season 5 episode "Revelation"

Psyconductrice: Psyco likely has the same meaning as it had with Psycomedian. Conductrice seems to be some kind of female driver of a transportation machine.

Yaksi Gozen: Definitely a Tomoe episode. Her first form was Ikari Gozen and then Ikari Dozen. Though I'm not sure what exactly Yaksi is supposed to refer to. Gozen means Lady as far as I know. Tomoe's name is a reference to a Japanese legend of a female warrior named Tomoe Gozen (Lady Tomoe). Ikari means rage. But all I kind find for Yaksi is a Buddhist goddess. Not unlikely since the Miraculous are supposed to be from China, but maybe I'm just missing something here?

Couchorak: not gonna lie, I'm lost on this one.

La Redresseuse: hmmm. Le redresseur is "rectifier" in French. So something with electricity and its definitely a female character.

Noe: I've got no idea.

La Fée De Beaux Rêves: The fairy of beautiful dreams. Maybe we get some backstory on Marinette's Knitting Fairy childhood dream? Or something else connecting to the childhood dream theme going on?

Les Cassetastrophes: Cassettes now mostly are connected to video tapes, right? And the name uses plural for whoever those catastrophes are. Maybe backstory on André's movie with Emilie and Tomoe? Cause in season 4, we saw that Tomoe was apparently of it too when she was younger and she looked exactly like Kagami

Riginarazione: hmm. I think another episode diving into Cerise's character. Razione is a (food) portion, and Rigi is a famous mountain in Switzerland that's called the Queen of mountains. In Italien, Queen in regina. Combining Rigi and Regina you get Rigina and then you add razione. Cause Lila was Cerise's Italien identity and I'm pretty sure that in the story board version of the season 5 Cerise in the end applied for school in an identity from Switzerland.

Renverse-cœurs: I think here renverse (NOT reverse) means something like fallen? So fallen hearts? Love square, you good?

Les Titans Chaînes: the titan chains? That sounds ominous

Lady Chaos: let's prey we'll finally get a fucking Ladybug akuma. Still think they wasted the name Miracle Queen, but Lady Chaos would fit well too.

Tristanansi: probably Alya's big sister being reakumatized into Anansi, and of course the Triste part meaning sad. So Alya episode.

La Reine de Frayeurville: The Queen of + ville means town/ city and frayeur means fright (and similar words). So the Queen of Frighttown? A Halloween episode?

Protocole Secret: im pretty sure that's self-explanatory.

And, Nemesis: not just a word for someone's arch-enemy, but also the name of the Greek Goddess of Retribution.

[spiritmander13]

So I was scrolling through the Warrior Cats tag and apparently you're all joking about how inbred Moonpaw is and even using the r-slur against her?

...

Y'know what's bad? I don't even think her potential ADHD and autism comes from being inbred. That's just a sick joke you all keep saying, and if the Erins decide that's why she has ADHD and autism I WILL RIOT.

So y'know what? Welcome to-

My Rant On Cabby's Disability 2; Electric Boogaloo + Completely Different Fandom And Character, wahoo.

WARNING BEFORE WE BEGIN! I do not support ableism. Mental issues do exist, things like autism do not come from vaccines, people can have both mental and physical disabilities, and FINALLY and MOST IMPORTANTLY people with disabilities are people just like you, not anything lower, not anything higher.

Also, just to add a bit of an edit- we don't actually know if Moonpaw has these things yet, but when I wrote the post I assumed she did, so berate me on the misinfo all you like.

That being said:

SEEING YOU ALL USE THE R-SLUR AGAINST MOONPAW AND THINKING CALLING HER THE PRODUCT OF INBREEDING IS FUNNY? GO GET A LIFE.

Context for some of my followers who are not into Warrior Cats: Moonpaw is a new character introduced in a blurb relating to a new Warrior Cats arc, called Changing Skies. There have been many speculations on what she'll look and act like, but recently controversy has spread and now people are joking about her inbred family tree and even using the r-slur in extreme cases.

And for you all in the Warrior Cats tag looking at this post and wondering why the title of this post is that, it's because I have defended my stance against a character with both physical and mental disabilities before; Cabby (II). Not exactly defend her, but defended my stance on when I said that I don't understand the reason behind her files (that being there wasn't too much content of her struggling with her memory for me to appreciate it, which WE ARE GETTING MORE CONTENT OF IN THE FUTURE, AMAZING).

Of course, this is Warrior Cats, not Inanimate Insanity. So I fully expect that if Moonpaw has autism and/or ADHD, she'll be forced into medicine cat duties just like Cinderpelt and Jayfeather were. It'll also probably be just a quirky, relatable thing that could potentially define her personality. II does have a bit of a problem with this, but I will not bring up examples because most of the people reading this will potentially be Warrior Cats fans who have zero idea on what Inanimate Insanity is.

Now I am aware that ADHD and autism are hereditary things. There's the most common hereditary neurodevelopmental disabilities a child can have. But if Moonpaw has ADHD and autism, then DON'T BLAME IT ON INBREEDING. BLAME IT ON SOMEONE IN THE FAMILY TREE.

Okay, that's not a good approach either, but hear me out. We all should stop joking on inbreeding in the series. Yes, the Erins have lost track on these cats time and time again and that has led to a lot of inbreeding. But maybe it's because there's over 1,000 NAMED CATS IN THE WHOLE SERIES? And even more off-screen potentially? Did you ever think about that? 20 cats I can get, 100 is a bit ambitious, but OVER 1,000? Yeah, impossible to track without the tree's branches getting all tangled up.

Yes, Moonpaw's potential father (if her father is Nightheart) has a fucked up family tree full of inbreeding. However, I'd say the line Nightheart comes from (the BrambleSquirrel line) is very sleek, narrow, and not really that conflicting. Brambleclaw and Squirrelstar had Sparkpelt and Alderheart (as well as Dandelionkit and Juniperkit but they're dead), Sparkpelt and Larksong had Nightheart and Finchlight, Nightheart and Sunbeam have Moonpaw. I'd say I blame it on Leafpool for the fuckery that is the Firestar family tree.

And Sunbeam? She's a descendant of fucking Snowbird, the cat that has had the most kits in the series at 9, including Berryheart. Sure, Larksong is a descendant of Cloudtail and that is also a fucked up family tree, but Nightheart's part of the tree is fairly narrow.

Even if you blame someone in the family tree for Moonpaw's potential disabilities, you really shouldn't. Sure, my ADHD is hereditary, but for ASD, autism-causing mutations are spontaneous. Even if your parents don't have autism, you can still have a genetic mutation that can give you or your descendants ASD.

So what's the moral of the story about this fucked up post about how the family tree is something you shouldn't blame for Moonpaw's potential disability? Simple.

Never call anything or anyone with a potential disability the r-slur and blame it on their family tree, no matter how fictional or real they are. Or simply, Never use the r-slur, especially against someone with a potential disability that could've caused their actions.

Now I except this post to be countered way more often than the Cabby post because Warriors Cats is bigger than Inanimate Insanity and this is a relatively new topic still, but I patiently await your responses and counters.

[the-au-collector]

I've got to ask, what is the unusual/unique (in a good way) au you've come across (or cooked up yourself)?

Thanks for the ask!

I realize now you asked for one fic but uh--I kinda compiled a list of some of my favorite AUs instead. I've read a lot of fics, but to save your sanity I'll stick with my 3 main fandoms: Linked Universe, Kingdom Hearts, and Tales of the Abyss. I'll tag authors where I can, but some I just couldn't find anywhere 😭

This definitely isn't all of them but if I tried to compile every single AU I've loved, we'll be here all day.

Kingdom Hearts:

Familiars by @kutikue @letoasai- all the characters are witches and/or familiars. I've just started reading it but it seems good so far! Definitely one of a kind!

Runaway Wind by Pred1059 - Ven wakes up early. It gets very off the rails very quickly.

Vulpes to Dandelions by YumeTakato (deviantart profile)- An Ava is Sora's Mom AU as well as a Master of Master's Arc speculation series. This one also goes into alternate universes and other things that make it unique.

Linked Universe:

Links Assemble by @vicmillen (Victor_Millen on AO3)- Marvel fusion AU featuring Warriors as Captain America. It's in-the-works so seriously, go over to Vic's blog and check it out!

Townhouse AU by st0rmy - a really fun AU where all the Links end up living in the same townhouse together. Chaos ensues. Time is tired.

Tales of Courage from Across the Galaxy by @wizard-finix (CubanCracker62 on AO3) - Star Wars fusion. I'm currently reading it, but it's good so far! There's also some art for it too!

Linked Nexus AU by @zarvasace- Space AU. I've just started reading it but I can't wait to see where it goes.

Wing Bois AU by @breannasfluff - probbaly one of the most unique AUs in the fandom. The Links have wings and bird traits. It's also very fluffy!

Hero's Aspect AU by @tashacee - Wild gets stuck in the Hero's Aspect outfit. I'm currently trying to catch up on all 45 parts, but it's definitely one of the biggest AUs for Linked Universe.

Opera House AU by @bokettochild (FlamingIdiot on AO3) - modern AU but all the Links work in an opera house. It a very different and interesting setting for a modern AU. I also can't reccomend Ketto's fics enough to be honest.

Fierce Hero 9 by @crazylittlejester (Can_Opener on AO3)- Big Hero 6 but it's Linked Universe. It loosely follows the plot of the movie, but there are some huge, interesting differences between this and the movie.

Tales of the Abyss:

Bladework by @starcrossed-sky - probably the best "Asch joins the group" series out there. Lots of political intrigue. The characters are so well-written and the 2nd person POV is so unique! Definitely made me obsessed with 2nd person POV lol. Follows the plot of the game initially

Reflections by @darkangelmya - an AU where Asch decides to return to the manor instead of running away with Van. Asch is an overprotective brother and it's awesome! Also follows the plot of the game, probably the most religiously of all my other fic recs for this game

Troth by @daily-rayless (Rayless_Night on AO3) - A post-game Asch comes back too AU focused on Asch and Natalia's relationship. Very beautiful, Rayless is an amazing author!

As for stuff I've written... I have to say the more unique ones boil down to [obscure media I read when I was 13] fused with either Linked Universe or Kingdom Hearts 😅 So like, my Lockwood and Co Fusion or the Stravaganza fusion I'm thinking of making lol. I also have a lot of unfinished Kingdom Hearts fics from years ago, like a "Eraqus gets brought back to life but he's 16 again and has amnesia" fic and a "Brain ends up in the time of Days and changes things" fic.

As for serious fics... I can't not plug my passion projects, the Reconnect the Chain AU and Relinked AU. They're both Linked Universe fics where the Links reunite (though I'm planning Relinked to be a comic). They're AUs of each other, with Reconnect the Chain being an AU that boils down to "what if Relinked happend 10 years earlier minus all the kidnapping?" (AKA, it's my fluff outlet lol).

I yet again managed to write an essay but uh--enjoy the fic recs!

[misculenica]

Dreadwolf Speculations - Protagonist + Companions (Part 2 - loong post)

This is part 2 of my Protagonist + Companions speculation for Dragon Age Dreadwolf. You probably will have to read Part 1 to understand the things I discuss in this part.

Some of the pictures I use here will be snips from the BTS trailer from 2020, so apologies for the cropping/inferior quality of some of them.

Much of this (or all of it, really) is speculation, based around teasers, trailers, concept art and leaks. None of it is confirmed, I just wanted to share my personal take on what our companions will beTake that as you will, going forward.

And so;

Part 2: The Companions

So, as of right now we have 3 confirmed named characters:

Rook (most probably the protagonist)

Bellara (female... something)

Davrin (male... probably a grey warden)

Bellara and Davrin may or may not be companions, but I feel it's important to note they're the only named characters whose voices we've heard (from the BTS teaser back in 2020).

There will be 8 companions, at least for the base game (without dlc companions, which I believe Bioware will not do again)

Origins had 8 (+1 secret companion to replace another who leaves late game) - 2 mages, 2 rogues, 3 warriors + a dog)

DA2 had 7 (with a switch of the siblings, based on pc class) - 2 mages (3 if brother died), 2 rogues, 2 warriors (3 if sister died) (+ technically a dog?)

Inquisition had 9 - 3 mages, 3 rogues, 3 warriors.

Let's go from left to right from the image above!

Female mage (probably elven)

I don't think a warrior or a rogue would wear a dress for obvious reasons (restrictive movement, impractical battle equipment). And flowing robe-like attire strikes me as a mage thing. I'm also getting an elven vibe from her, but not dalish - her outfit feels elven (legs for days, flowy, the front part that dips between the legs) and it looks to me like she's barefoot (elves like their toesies out)

Here is some examples of elven armour so you see what I mean;

Make sense?

I also like to believe that she is the woman on the far left of this concept art;

Literally just because she has similar hair and both characters look overtly feminine (and attractive, I must admit)

As for personality/background; I believe she will be rather confident, perhaps flirtatious, she'll probably give you a shock, and will hide some dark secret (I'm calling it, she's going to betray us). As for her background... It depends where we pick her up, really. But I'm positive she's not a dalish elf... If she is an elf at all, but I'm 70-80% sure that she is. Her ears are covered/hidden, so.

2. Female Qunari Rogue

Very obviously a female qunari (long hair on a female qunari!!). I say rogue, because, we've had 2 warriors, and all of the concept art with this same female qunari is of her wielding daggers.

She's going to be stubborn, no nonsense, and will probably question your every move. She'll also probably be romanceable, given how much she appears in the concept art/teasers (compared to others). I would like her to be a tal-vashoth- though I think it would be interesting to see the perspective of a woman who lived under the qun, and possibly left because being a woman within the qun is very different from being a man (and we've only seen men, so far). So perhaps she's a runaway from the qun? Perhaps she disagreed with the order of things? She looks closed off/no nonsense. Perhaps her character arc will be her learning to relax/express herself/trust, like we get to see a softer and more feminine side if we get her approval up?

3. Male.... Human.

I want to say rogue, but when I asked my partner, he said he doesn't look like a rogue or a warrior. So... Possibly mage? The satchels and light-ish armour make me think rogue.... Unless Dreadwolf introduces multiclassing? (I'd fucking love that, not going to lie). This could be Davrin? I doubt it, but... Maybe? I'll settle on a hard maybe - mainly because the other characters in this lineup just don't hit me with that voice. This is a man of triumph, perhaps also of loss. He has something to prove, for himself and for others - he will be... Clever but also valorous, I don't think he's the type to skulk or hide, he'll want to be up at the front and will want you to see (but not in a pompous way?).

Not much else to say on him, unfortunately.

4. Human-male Mortalitasi-mage

The armour, especially the bracers, look like bones - and I'm 100% sure there's going to be a mortalitasi mage as a companion, they've been hyping them up ever since Inquisition and Tevinter Nights was a thing - and no other character looks like a death mage.

I have nothing else on him, honestly. I'm not getting any vibes. I think he'll be interesting to talk to and will provide a great deal of information, and I suspect he'll be very interesting in stopping/killing Fen'Harel - perhaps he'll have a personal grudge?

5. Female rogue... dwarf.

The character looks female, and that looks like a gun - though I feel inclined to say it's a crossbow, just at an odd angle (perhaps one similar to Bianca?). I also say dwarf, because I KNOW there's a dwarf companion, and no other character fits in the lineup. She just gives me dwarf vibes.

This is either Scout Lace Harding, or Bianca - perhaps a completely new character (perhaps Bellara? "The good kind of rumble!" gives me dwarf vibes).

She'll be cocky, and quirky, and fun. Looks entirely like the person to does the whole *pumps shotgun* "it's Morbin' time".

Also;

If it's a female rogue dwarf, I'm 99% sure it's Scout Lace Harding, I mean- look at those freckles, that ginger hair. Maybe not. But they all look like rogues, and 2 images have crossbows... Is the original lineup picture.... Bianca-the crossbow? It looks a lot like Bianca. If so.... Is Varric going to die in Dreadwolf, and this character is going to get Bianca??

OKAY NO. QUICK THEORY TIME. BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BOTHER ME IF I DON'T GET IT OUT THERE NOW THAT I'VE CONSIDERED IT.

So we know there's a dwarf character in the next game, who looks a bit like Harding, who wield a crossbow.

It's difficult to get the pictures of Bianca-the crossbow when it's not in active mode, so trust me, it looks a lot like the silhouette's weapon. So- in this wild scenario.... Harding somehow gets Varric's famed crossbow, the crossbow he loves and doesn't let anyone touch? He dies. Varric's going to die, and he's going to either give Bianca to Harding to prevent an enemy from taking it, or Bianca is going to take it off his dead/dying body.

And you ask; what kind of scenario permits this happening? They barely talked in Inquisition.

Well.

Varric and Harding are travelling together in the deep roads, looking for Solas (and hot on his tail), in this comic.

And what does Harding look like in this most recent rendition of her?

Now, go back up and look at the concept art images.

The scariest thing is; I could be SO FUCKING RIGHT. Varric may very well die soon (either in these comics, or in Dreadwolf - I'm guessing Dreadwolf). And Harding is going to get Bianca.

She's going to have a serious, and personal vendetta against Solas.

Okay, dwarf companion complete. Next, before I explode.

6. Antivan Crow? Fellow Rook? Rogue (probably female)

I mentioned before (in Part 1) how I believed since the protagonist is Rook, that in chess, there are 2 Rooks; and in this image;

There are 2 similar looking corvid-themed characters (left ready to grab the guy, right holding the palanquin). I guessed that the right is the protagonist Rook, and the left, is either an Antivan Crow, or a 2nd Rook (agents of the Inquisition).

Tin foil hats, galore. But it would be cool though, to go through the game with a constant companion from the beginning, like Alistair in Origins, or Carver/Bethany in DA2.

I think this is also the Crow/2nd Rook, similar design + weapon. Or, this is the main character.

I believe they're a female character, but that's purely a hunch based on the palanquin piece. Plus, they look like a crow. It'd be weird to have another male crow (I very much doubt it's Zevran).

They seem sarcastic, capable, and probably very likeable (the kind of person it's hard not to like). Probably romanceable to males and females.

7. Male.... Mage??

At this point, I'm just taking wild guesses. He looks human. But I was super hoping for a tranquil, or ancient elf companion. 1 million points if it's Felassan or Abelas. But... I really don't know what to make of this character, but I'm getting mage vibes. Hoping for a tranquil companion. So that's all I'll say for this guy.

8. I Don't Even Know - Abomination?

Looks like a sailor? Possibly pirate? From the concept art, it looks like a lot of the scenery is tropical/seaside/ocean - to that makes a bit of sense.

They look dead, their face looks like a skull, almost. So... A spirit possessing the dead?

Or... I just considered another thing, kind of.

Where have we seen a blue face glow before?

Now, I'm not saying it's Solas, or Mythal. I'm merely... suggesting that it could be... Something to do with this scene where Solas kills Flemeth, on some level. I find it interesting how I remembered this when looking at this pirate-looking character, especially when the colours and imagery are so similar.

We'd have to consider why Solas' face lights and waves around, but part of me always assumed this was like... his spirit-self? (If we're to go with the idea that Solas was originally a spirit who took physical form, like Cole).

So... It's a spirit. Is my best guess XD One that hasn't quite gotten the physical form thing right, perhaps it doesn't look human (or elven, dwarven, etc), and looks how... Hold the fuck up.

It's a spirit, at best guess, who takes OUR side... And doesn't look like a physical being. It's body is completely covered, except it's face, that you can't quite see right because of the glow. And how do spirits look in the physical world?

It's... Not a corporeal spirit, or one that took physical form. It's a spirit existing as a spirit in the physical world. Or.... The veil has come down, and spirits walk freely in Thedas.

It doesn't look like it's really wearing clothes, it looks like it's just covering itself- a mismatch of items its found or conjured by it's own guess at what people should wear, because it thinks it should be wearing things. I don't think it has a physical body, is what I'm saying, or it's not quite a body (or similar to a demon, it doesn't look right).

But if it's a spirit, what is it a spirit of?

We could guess by colour. I couldn't say; but I'd love for it to be Hope, or something else we've never seen before!

And... That concludes it I think, if I've forgotten something I'll just deal with it.

also;

[duck-era-lexi]

warrior cats 20 questions (up to oots!!)

i will re-answer this when i finish tbc and update some of my answers. up to dovewing’s silence chrono

ALSO - all mentions of tbc and avos and like, stuff after the last hope is speculation on my end and just vague stuff i’ve heard from other people. 

1. How did you get into Warriors?

i reference ‘when i was in 6th grade’ a lot but i actually read these for the first time in 3rd or 4th grade, my memory’s fuzzy. i also don’t remember how i heard of these books. my classmates were probably obsessed with them and i must have picked one up. it’s too long ago for me to remember. what i do remember is my 6th grade self was like the 3rd or 4th re-read, definitely not the first. 

2. Favorite Arc

oots??? possibllyyyyyyyy ???>..... i would say tnp.. i really like tnp

oots i like it because everyone’s alive at that point, like leafpool’s in that series but it’s not like jayfeather was in tnp. does that make any sense? no main characters really die post-tpb so they’re all just like.. coexisting in oots. 

3. Favorite Book (excluding mangas, super editions, novellas)

twilight, and twilight’s always been my favorite book bcuz leafpool in love is so cute!! night whispers is kinda like this but w/ more drama & also jayfeather exists so yeah i love night whispers as well.

4. Favorite Super Edition, Novella, or Manga

BLUESTAR’S PROPHECY no doubt in my mind. i dont even like super editions but that’s my favorite. i have only read like one other as well and it’s crowfeather’s trial but bluestar’s prophecy is like my favorite piece of literature ever written so i doubt anything could ever surpass it in any context honesty

that book is written so beautifully, like every scene is important. it makes me cry so so much. 

_

leafpool’s wish is my favorite novella & i haven’t read any of the mangas

5. Favorite Clan

thunderclan bc like 4/5 of my favorite characters are there. shadowclan always falling apart every other arc and the other two are kinda irrelevant post-tnp

6. Favorite Character

i have a lot but there’s a lot of wc characters so can you really blame me?

in order: crowfeather, jayfeather, leafpool, dovewing, briarlight

im not gonna explain my thoughts because i dont have a perfectly rational reason for liking certain characters. it’s usually just “they’re interesting & cute.”

:: oakheart is definitely definitely one of my all time favorites- i just feel weird saying it because it’s only in the context of like one book... it’s not like tigerheartstar where he is a pos in some books and the highlight of others; oakheart just only appears extensively in bluestar’s prophecy lol

7. Least Favorite Character

sol. idc i dont care 

tbh i like most of the characters, there’s not many characters who just ruin a scene by existing. i like good characters and i like evil characters; i rly like hawkfrost (or at least my hc version of hawkfrost). but i don’t like characters that change completely like onestar. and i also just don’t like characters that do morally incorrect things in the name of the warrior code.

8. Most Aesthetically Pleasing Cat

leafpool or feathertail. nah bc crowfeather was onto something; i’m judging based off of polish covers. 

based off of the reprint covers, ashfur on long shadows or jayfeather on sign of the moon... idk i just like blue eyes. my favorite cover of all time is probably dark river though because it’s so so pretty. owen richardson’s take on wc isn’t really accurate to the descriptions, i prefer satzzz’s drawings. out of those, jayfeather, leafpool, & squirrelflight

9. Favorite Leader

firestar bc he’s the only mf that didn’t do a 180 on his personality after becoming leader *cough* tigerheartstar *cough* everyone in avos *cough*

10. Favorite Villain

not sol lmfao

i like my headcanon version of hawkfrost. like the manipulative one. bc hawkfrost is. pretty (w/ his ice blue eyes and dark fur like-) and i like the idea of him using that to recruit trainees. 

my favorite villain canonically may just be ashfur because the “upset? i’m not upset. you have no idea how much pain i’m in” monologue is just so funny to me. oh & that long shadows reprint cover is so so pretty

11. Favorite Medicine Cat

jayfeather bc while i like leafpool better, homegirl should have just gtfo out of the clans. so many times i when i read the books, i’m like, “crowf&her should’ve just left. being a loner is better than this.” they treated her like shit. additionally, she did become a warrior? for a series, so that every time she appears jayfeather or lionblaze can shit on her some more for being a bad warrior. (i’m just saying this because she wouldn’t really fully count for this question ig)

tbh i just like that jayfeather’s an asshole but he’s geniunely really good at curing people and he’s really smart. mixed with his superpower, he’s defo the most powerful of the three. 

12. Overrated Character

uhh i like most of the wc characters. like there’s no one who when i see them in a scene i’m like, mad. a character that i dislike but the majority doesn’t is hollyleaf. sorry but how she treated leafpool in sunrise was so unacceptable and unjust. it makes SENSE but i still hate it. 

yeah she’s gr8 in the forgotten warrior but i can’t stand her in po3

13. Underrated Character

what does this mean. like favorite minor character? 

14. Favorite Minor Character

i have a lot

cloudtail post tpb. mans always getting stuck in shit and its so funny for no reason

thornclaw patrol memes are funny but thornclaw as a character is kind of a bitch honestly. like the kittypet xenophobia is.. nahh

birchkit/paw in tnp is rly cute. and while whitewing’s a more involved parent to dove+ivy he still. did something. yk? we wouldnt argue about dovewing’s eye color if it werent for birchfall

poppyfrost is a popular minor character but i really liked honeyfern, maybe just because i really like the aesthetic of the name honeyfern. oh and their drama w/ berrynose is so entertaining and also fucked up i love it

15. Favorite Pairing

leafcrow dont even

my favorite ship that is healthy is cloudtail x brightheart. they’re cute and i really like cloudtail after he becomes a warrior. cloudtail training brightheart after the dog attack?? yes. also they have some spice and conflict w/ daisy in tnp, which makes them better than like... brackenfur & sorreltail or some shit. conflict creates stronger relationships. and they’re dovewing’s grandparents?? imagine lil dovekit & ivykit pouncing on grandpa cloudtail’s tail and he like pretends to die or something. missed opportunity. IMAGINE bristlefrost visiting her great-grandparents in the elders den & brightheart is the sweetest... does that actually happen in tbc because i haven’t read it yet- i hope so.

honorable mentions:

- tigerdove, love that shit. the old era ends with them apart and dovewing with bumblestripe but i really liked them in night whispers. 

- jayfeather & briarlight BUT i think that briarlight likes him but he doesn’t like her back, not because there’s something wrong with her, but just because jayfeather doesn’t really feel affection in that way.

16. Least Favorite Pairing

again do not care bc i am an optimistic person

i cant even say nightcloud/crowfeather bc that pairing has a purpose and it fufilled that purpose perfectly. 

nvm breezepelt/heathertail!! i’m sure they get development in crowfeather’s trial but they are probably my least favorite. 

17. Favorite Friendship

graystripe, firestar, and sandstorm. i don’t like tpb but you can see traces of their friendship even in the later arcs. so sweet. honestly. them being on patrols together is the cutest thing, just like a lil friend group. unproblematic too

18. Favorite Moment

i dont really know, but a scene i always go back and re-read is leafpool’s kits being born in leafpool’s wish. leafpool has so much love for the little ones and it’s all before they grow up to resent and hate her (for no reason????.....😐😐😐😐) 

a concept i really like is bramblekit/paw being a tigerstar clone in tpb. i think it’s clever and bramblepaw’s reaction to the news, as well as the fact that he is not the one who leaves. 

19. Most Tragic Death

ferncloud+ sorreltail in dovewing’s silence/the last hope. more or less dustpelt & brackenfur’s reactions to them, i’ve always liked those guys because they’re just like. dads, who love their wives yk? and then the she-cats both die. 

omg and the kits reaction to ferncloud’s death

20. Favorite Battle / Fight Scene

i hate battle scenes im not even gonna i guess i like the df one in the last hope but that’s it. 

[galadrieljones]

Wait...wait... Jacob wrestled with an angel alone in the wilderness away from his family, yeah? And Daryl leaves that time jump missing a wing. (That Judith doesn’t give him back until later.)

Probably nothing, but...

OMG. Anon. I’m having flashbacks. I need to rewatch season 10!! Yes. Jacob wrestles the angel while on the way back to his homeland of Canaan with his family. After they all cross the river, he stays behind to sleep alone on the river bank. The story goes (Genesis 32:22-32): 

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[a] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

More JACOB/DARYL Parallels, pertaining specifically to the story of Jacob wresting the angel of God near a river:

In the season 2 episode “Chupacabra” (also a Jacob’s Ladder parallel), Daryl falls down a steep ravine and lands in a RIVER with AN ARROW IN HIS SIDE. He battles hallucinations of Merle (his “god” figure at the time) and must climb the steep ravine back up to the light. He then LIMPS back to camp, where he is *almost* shot by Andrea, who thinks he is a walker. The bullet merely grazes him, however, and he lives. That night, Carol BLESSES him for his efforts, by kissing him on the forehead and telling him that he is “every bit as good” as camp leaders Rick and Shane. 

Daryl LEADS HIS PEOPLE ACROSS A FROZEN RIVER and through enemy territory in the season 9 finale, “The Storm.” While crossing, Daryl goes first, and must wrestle with several walkers emerging from the snow. That night at Hilltop marks the infamous moment in which Daryl, fraught, looks up at the paintings of Glenn, Hershel, and Beth on the wall, all smiling down upon him. The next morning, in a moment of redemption and reintegration into the family he had previously left behind, he participates in a snowball fight with the many loved ones and children he saved.

FURTHER, and this is my fave: in the season 10 episode “Stalker,” Daryl is searching for another entrance to the cave where Connie and Magna are lost, when he sees Alpha while CROSSING A RIVER. Daryl and Alpha then fight hand to hand ON THE RIVER BANK. While she’s on her back, she throws a knife into DARYL’S LEFT THIGH, so that he must LIMP away. Alpha follows him into an auto-shop where, after Daryl contends with several more walkers (whilst mortally wounded), she removes her mask and asks him if can “see beyond the darkness, into the light.” He says, “No.” In this, we can see the fight is not yet over. As Alpha limps toward Daryl to, presumably, kill him, Lydia appears in the bright-lit doorway, carrying Daryl’s crossbow. She rescues Daryl, saving his life, and leaves Alpha behind.

In all of these examples, Daryl takes on a brutal, god-like enemy near a river, and once he overcomes, he receives some sort of blessing or reward for his bravery. We must remember that Daryl is always fighting. He is always clawing his way up to the top. He is a contender, and a warrior, but he is also an underdog. Jacob means “heeled,” or “at the heels of” others, beginning with his older brother. He is always chasing. He must always fight.

👏 Daryl 👏 is 👏 Jacob 

I feel that Daryl’s lost wing is a testament to his larger arc, in which the god he must wrestle and contend with is *gasp* HIMSELF. The lost wing is his injury. When Judith repairs his vest with a new wing, she anoints him as both family and a leader of his people, ready to ride into battle on their behalf. Her gift to him is his symbolic reward for overcoming his own worst enemy. He may now continue to lead his family home. It’s worth noting that, after Jacob returns from fighting the angel, and leads his family back to Canaan, he leads Leah and their ten children BEFORE Rachel and their one son Joseph, who he hides in the back. It is speculated that he places Leah and their children first as a SHIELD to protect Rachel, his first love and his favorite wife, and Joseph, his favorite son, from harm.

*Edited to add LINKS to my previous Daryl/Jacob posts: 1, 2

( @twdmusicboxmystery per your interest? )

[yeonchi]

Kisekae Insights #11: Sea Princesses Part 1 (Introduction and Rider List)

(Art by Rainbow’s Network, formerly Princess Rainbow Channel, source here)

You thought five months of Sea Princesses content wasn’t enough? Why don’t we make it six then? Oh, I’m sorry, you thought this was going to be one part like the other shows we’ve gone through so far? Oh no, the Sea Princesses series has so much significance in my project for a niche (and almost forgotten) series that it’s going to take three instalments to cover everything I want to cover.

I was planning to cover my versions of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger and Kamen Rider Decade first, but I’ve been so busy with other stuff that I haven’t had time to prepare those instalments ahead of time. Also, I thought it would be better to cover Sea Princesses while it’s still fresh in my mind. In case you didn’t know, Sea Princesses content has taken up the majority of my Tumblr posts in the last six months under the coronavirus lockdown; from April to June, I reposted my reviews of the cartoon series that I wrote in 2019, then from July to September, I fulfilled an item in my bucket list by translating and reviewing the books that inspired the cartoon series. You can check them out here.

In the next three instalments, I’m going to take a look at the involvement of Sea Princesses in my personal project, as well as share some theories about the series that I’ve implemented in my project and teased in my reviews.

A brief introduction

The first mention of Sea Princesses in my personal project was in 2010, when I assigned them warrior names like I did with the Flowertots. Unlike Lucky Star, however, whose characters were divided into five different clans, the characters of Sea Princesses form only one clan, namely the Uesugi clan. In the Moushouden Series, the Uesugi clan would also be known as the Salacian Army.

After being inspired by the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XI segment Night of the Dolphin, I drafted up some mock battle fixtures for a storyline named Salacia Rebellion. The storyline wouldn’t get made into actual stories until 2017 with Three Kingdoms Series 3.

Sure enough, the Sea Princesses made it into Doctor Who as well, crossing over with two sea-related animes. They had appearances in Series 7 Part 1 (the Salacian Time War arc) and the Next Gen Series (a two-parter in Series 8 and then a minor appearance in the Series 9 finale two-parter). In the Moushouden Series, they became Kamen Riders, which I’ll elaborate on later.

Regarding timelines

Most of this series’ involvement in my project is based on the timeline of the animated series. When I bought the books, I was hoping that I could implement them into the series as well, but I decided to stick to adapting the animated series because the timelines for them and the books are very different.

So what is the series’ timeframe in terms of this project? Officially, I decided that the events of the series would be set in 2004, the release year of the first book, assuming that everything in the series takes place in one year as there is no indication anywhere in the series that the class has moved up a grade. This means that the characters would have been born around 1996-1998. You can calculate for yourself how old they would be during the years my stories are set in.

Original characters

What would any adapted series be without any original element to them? There are four original characters that I’ve made, but one of them isn’t as “original” as you may think.

The Squid Princess: Squid Girl

You thought I couldn’t make an original character for this series with a character from another series? Haha Rider machine go brrrr.

Yes, that’s right, Squid Girl is, in fact, a Salacian. Her father, the Squid King, was killed by Maurice Mouseling at the fourth Battle of Kawanakajima in 2006. He was the first king to suggest an invasion of Dryland to prevent Drylanders from coming into Salacia. Initially, the other kings were not willing to join him, but they eventually warmed to his cause, given the damage the Drylanders were doing to the ocean. Following the Squid King’s death, his daughter went onto Dryland to take revenge, but she ended up in the wrong place and well, you know the rest if you know about her series.

Squid Girl was one of the two who worked behind the scenes with the Master to bring about the Salacian Rebellion of 2010. She is seen fighting Maurice during the final battle as she attempts to take revenge for her dead father. She also served at the catalyst for the group’s backup plan when the Salacians were defeated by the Dryland armies, eventually starting another conflict amongst the Drylanders before returning to her home at the Lemon Beach House.

In 2012, Squid Girl met the Fourth Doctor in an episode of his spinoff series before she became a companion of the Fifth Doctor, alongside Tsukasa Hiiragi in Series 6 Part 2 and Series 7 Part 1, and alongside Clara Oswald and Takeru Aizawa in the 50th Anniversary Series.

In 2018, Squid Girl was part of a faction of princesses who became Amazon Riders thanks to Narutaki and Nozama Pharmaceuticals. She gained the Neo Amazons Driver and fought as Kamen Rider Amazon Neo.

The Squid Girl anime also featured a girl named Kozue Tanabe, who is implied to be an octopus. She is only mentioned once in Three Kingdoms, but I stated that she was related to the Octopus Royal Family.

The Mermaid Prince: Zhuge Shu (and son, Zhuge Sōta)

Originally, I created this character in 2012 out of nowhere and it wasn’t until 2018 that I actually gave him a backstory. Believe it or not, this was going to be my answer to the Barracuda Kingdom saga until I thought better of it and kept it separate by making him the Mermaid Prince. He was also one of Hiroki’s echoes created when he split himself all over his timeline.

A long time ago, the Mermaid Kingdom was notorious for frequently breaking the First Law of Salacia, which stipulates that Salacians are not to be seen by Drylanders. This resulted in the other kingdoms turning on them, forcing the royal family onto Dryland. The Mermaid King transformed into Agito and fought with all his might, but was killed in battle. His daughter, the Mermaid Princess, was saved by a Drylander before they could hunt her down. They eventually got married and had a child named Seretao. When Seretao was still a baby, the Shark King invited the Mermaid Princess and her husband to discuss a treaty, but his real intention was to kill them.

Luckily, Seretao was left in the care of the Wolonggang Academy, the same academy where Parker trained when he was very little. Upon graduating, Seretao became a mercenary for hire and changed his name to Zhuge Shu (courtesy name Hutiao, made from separating the characters in his name – 虎 and 儵, the latter is made up of the characters 條 and 黑).

Sometime in 2005, one of his jobs led him to the city of Hiroki’s primary school army, where he overheard two girls plotting to kill him. He eventually managed to find Hiroki and tell him to escape to Honnōji, which only served to delay the inevitable.

Over the next few years, he became acquainted with Salacia and worked odd jobs both there and on Dryland. At one stage, he took on the name Magoichi Saika and fought for the Date Army, led by Doctor Eggman. He was the other person who worked with the Master to facilitate the Salacian Rebellion and he was also the Shark King’s strategist, supplying him with weapons and strategies.

Later on, after Squid Girl executed the backup plan, Zhuge Shu, now the leader of the Saika Renegades, defected to Parker’s army. Not much was seen of him, even after they disbanded, until the Salacian Time War in November 2012. Zhuge Shu meets Parker again and helps him set up a delta wave generator, which is actually a trigger that would fire the Harmony Signal once it was charged. Following the battle, Zhuge Shu was entrusted with Akeno Shiranui, a woman who Parker accidentally married following events that led him to see her true form as a mermaid. The two got married and had a baby boy named Zhuge Sōta, who was born in October 2013.

Salacian General: Lorah

Lorah is a Salacian general who fights as Kamen Rider TheBee, with his underlings, Hugo and Tata, fighting as Drake and Sasword. He isn’t known to be a part of any royal family (that never came to mind when I created this character), but given who his underlings are, you could argue that he is affiliated with the Turtle Royal Family.

At the end of his debut episode, Lorah would be revealed to be a Roidmude alongside Hugo, Tata and the goddess Salacia; Narutaki had kidnapped their templates and had some Roidmudes copy them so she could trigger the Global Freeze. After Narutaki’s plan was foiled, Lorah and the others were rescued and they continued fighting as Kamen Riders.

Characters and Riders

When I first implemented this series in 2010, I wasn’t able to include all the characters because I was unable to find or keep records of them at the time. All I had was the characters that had descriptions on the official website at the time, including Agostinha and Dinho, even though the former had no lines and the latter had no appearances (I thought he did at one point, but after watching both series, I was proven wrong). Naimo was also added as I did remember watching The Babysitters back then.

Jaune, Goldina, Flourison, Matilda, Veto, Caton and Caramelo, the “forgotten characters” (who had no descriptions), were implemented in 2017. The speculations I had for them weren’t added onto the wiki until 2019 for the sake of completeness.

The great thing about Sea Princesses having so many characters is that I can make armies of Riders out of them. The characters’ Rider designations are derived from Ryuki, Hibiki, Kabuto, Agito and Amazons. Most of the Riders were featured in Kamen Rider Decade, while some additional Riders were added in Soulbound Series 3 and 4 because god, I can’t stop thinking about Rider War storylines with them. The Salacian Riders are split up into factions typically consisting of Riders from one series.

Ryuki Riders (led by the Shark King):

Kamen Rider Ryuki – Daniel Camielez

Kamen Rider Knight – Kelvin Galvarro

Kamen Rider Scissors – Sirilo

Kamen Rider Zolda – Elektra

Kamen Rider Raia – Soraia

Kamen Rider Gai – Marcello

Kamen Rider Ouja – Tubarina

Kamen Rider Odin – Shark King

Kamen Rider Tiger – Ester

Kamen Rider Imperer – Leia

Kamen Rider Femme – Polvina

Kamen Rider Verde – Vivi

Kamen Rider Abyss – Bia

Daniel and Kelvin are Drylanders; additionally, Daniel is the Dryland boy from The Boy and The Secret Admirer. He will be elaborated on in Part 3. Kamen Rider Ryuga has not been implemented into Decade or Soulbound, but he will be implemented in Zi-O.

Hibiki Riders – Ibuki Faction (led by Marli):

Kamen Rider Ibuki – Marli

Kamen Rider Todoroki – Caramelo

Kamen Rider Zanki – Delfi

Kamen Rider Danki – Naimo

Kamen Rider Sabaki – Matilda

Kamen Rider Eiki – Dinho

Kamen Rider Shuki – Socita

Hibiki Riders – Kabuki Faction (led by Maurico):

Kamen Rider Kabuki – Maurico

Kamen Rider Tohki – Isa

Kamen Rider Nishiki – Lia

Kamen Rider Habataki – Camarina

Kamen Rider Kirameki – Angelica

Kamen Rider Amaki – Jaune

Kamen Rider Kyoki – Goldina

Kabuto Riders – TheBee Faction (led by Lorah):

Kamen Rider TheBee – Lorah

Kamen Rider Drake – Hugo

Kamen Rider Sasword – Tata

Amazon Riders (no leader):

Kamen Rider Amazon Omega – Juli

Kamen Rider Amazon Alpha – Jessi

Kamen Rider Amazon Sigma – Agostinha

Kamen Rider Amazon Neo – Squid Girl

Unaffiliated Riders:

Kamen Rider Agito – Zhuge Sōta

Kamen Rider Gills → Chalice – Zhuge Shu

Kamen Rider Hibiki – Marcela

Kamen Rider Saga – Salacia

Soulbound Series 3 additions (2019):

Kamen Rider Amazon New Omega – Akeno Shiranui

Kamen Rider Amazon New Alpha – Miss Marla

Kamen Rider Gouki – Caton

Kamen Rider Touki – Veto

Kamen Rider Shouki – Flourison

Kamen Rider Banki – Serena

Soulbound Series 4 additions (2021):

Kamen Rider Aqua – Duante

Kamen Rider Poseidon – Windy Adams

Duante is the mysterious boy featured in The Healer while Windy is the name of the Drylander girl in The New Princess, not to mention that she is named after the Drylander girl featured in the third Sea Princesses main series book, The Windy Letters.

I’ll start covering the history of Sea Princesses’ involvement in the project from the next instalment.

[echo--positivity]

Echo Appreciation Week 2019!

December 9 - December 15

Echo--positivity was started as a way to try to get as much positive content about our favourite Azgeda warrior turned Spacekru sweetie into one place. Part of that effort was us organising Echo Appreciation Week last year, to get you guys excited about our girl, and get some fun new content! Because it was such a success last time, we thought it was time to give it another go! Starting on December 9, our girl will get another week of positive appreciation, just like she deserves! 

Each day will have two prompts, one that is more general, geared towards gif makers, mood board creators, and fan art/graphic makers, and the other that is more geared towards fanfic writing, but use either prompt (or maybe both) in whatever you want to create! 

Prompts!

December 9: Badass moment! / Canon Divergent (”Fix it fic!”)”! December 10: Most underrated scene! / Rare pair!  December 11: Favourite look/outfit! / AU**! December 12: Favourite episode or season! / Canon Speculation*! December 13: Echo + Friendship! /  Platonic fic! December 14: Favourite arc or storyline! / Magical AU***! December 15: Free day!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated last time, and to everyone who continues to make beautiful content about Echo that we not only get to share with our followers, but enjoy ourselves. Being an Echo fan often means weeding through a lot of negative content to find positive content about her, and we hope we can make that a little easier by sharing Echo content, and putting together events like this to help encourage Echo fans to create more content. Good luck, and we hope to see all the great content you come up with during Echo Appreciation Week, and in the future! 

If you have any questions, our ask box is always open, as are our DM’s, so don’t hesitate to reach out to use here, or on our personal blogs, @dylanobrienisbatman @raven-reyes-of-sunshine. 

A collection on AO3 will be open for all fics written for Echo Appreciation Week to be added. The collection can be found here , or at ‘Echo Appreciation Week Fic Collection’ (Echo_Appreciation_Week_2019) on AO3! 

Also, as any fyi for the future, if you ever create any Echo content, we would love to be tagged in it so we can put it on our blog! you can tag us @echo--positivity or put ‘echopositivity’ in your tags! 

* - Canon Divergent: the fic prompt for canon divergent has been explained here and here by the Chopped blog.  ** - AU: any non canon universe! modern, coffeeshop, college, historical, based on a tv show or movie, etc.  *** - Magical AU: any magical/mythological AU. mythical creatures, mythology based, any magic setting, etc. 

Huge thank you to @nightbleeder for making that wonderful gif up there for us <3 

[beautifulterriblequeen]

The Dragon Prince and writing in threes(and what it means for Season 3)

The Dragon Prince formats its seasons in groups of 3 episodes. The first episode establishes the characters, setting, and general plot, with the second episode expanding on it, and then the third episode being the end to the small arc.

In Echoes of Thunder, the first episode of Season 1, the setting is Castle Katolis and its outskirts, and we’re introduced to all the characters(Callum, Ezran, Harrow, Viren, Runaan, Rayla, Claudia, and Soren) in the first episode, and in the third episode, the assassination takes place, Harrow is killed, and the princes flee into the wilderness with Rayla.

The second set of 3 episodes(episodes 4-6) take place in the Katolis wilderness as the princes travel, and back in Castle Katolis as Viren deals with the aftermath of Harrow’s death. Amaya and Gren are introduced in episode 4, and the egg falls into the frozen lake and Viren orders Soren to track down and kill the princes in episode 6.

The final 3 episodes of season 1 take place in the mountain town and surrounding areas. Ellis, Soren and Claudia’s departures, the mountain town, and the mission to find the “healer” are established in episode 7, and in episode 9, they meet Lujanne, the egg is saved via hatching, and Soren and Claudia complete the spell to track the princes.

An establishing episode, an episode of development and advancement, and then a conclusion, a good example of the Three Act structure. The last episode also ends with a small hook to the next part, fleeing into the wild for the first trifecta of episodes, the egg falling into the ice for the second trifecta, and Lujanne appearing for the third trifecta.

Season 2 continues this structure:

The first 3 episodes being in the Lunar Nexus as Soren, Claudia, Callum, Rayla, and Ezran have a high tension parley, culminating in the princes and Rayla escaping in episode 3(and Ellis and Lujanne being left behind). Meanwhile in Katolis, Viren tries and fails to summon the Pentarchy and investigates the mirror, before first seeing Aaravos in episode 3.

The second 3 episodes of season 2 are Callum’s squad travelling with Villads across the sea, along with Viren summoning the Pentarchy and discusding the war, intercut with flashbacks about Duren and Katolis’ pasts, culminating in the death of Sarai, the 2 Queens of Duren, and the Magma Titan in episode 3, along with Callum reading the letter and learning of the Key of Aaravos.

The final 3 episodes are of the border town, with Soren and Claudia fighting the dragon, Callum’s squad getting close to the border, and Viren falling in with Aaravos. Episode 9 ends with Callum and Rayla crossing the border, Claudia healing Soren using dark magic, Ezran returning to Katolis, Viren being arrested, and Callum connecting to the Sky Arcanum.

What might this mean for Season 3? Well, we had the fortune of getting the 9 episode names “revealed” to us, so let’s try to formulate what will happen.

SEASON 3 LEAKED TITLES AND SPECULATION AHEAD

Episodes 1-3 We already have the hints from the end of Season 2, Callum and Rayla seeing Sol Regem and Ezran returning to Katolis to become king. Fittingly, the first two episodes are titled Sol Regem and The Crown. We have the prerelease teaser footage of Sol Regem and the first Dark Mage, Ziard, so it would make sense it would go either in episode 1 or 3(if they wanted to make it a climactic reveal, possibly a catalyst for Callum and Rayla’s relationship growth if she sees how brutal the dragons who caused humans to use dark magic were). Episode 3 is titled Ghost, which could possibly be Harrow’s ghost haunting Castle Katolis Hamlet style, or maybe Avizandum, tying in to the next 3 episodes. It could also be the attacks by the ghostly warriors Viren summoned(especially if The Crown focuses on the Pentarchy royals, remember Aanya’s line about a crown without an adult and an adult without a crown).

Episodes 4-6 The next 3 episodes are The Midnight Desert, Heroes and Masterminds, and Thunderfall. The Midnight Desert was where Viren got the serpent from season 1 in the past, and Thunderfall likely is the battle that killed Avizandum(which we still haven’t seen yet), and we have the prerelease poster of 2 people(Viren and Harrow likely) riding on a horse. Much like the middle part of season 2 was full of flashbacks, I think this section will be all flashbacks of Viren and Harrow going to Xadia to slay Avizandum, with Thunderfall being the climactic end where they do so. Heroes and Masterminds sounds like a pretty good fit for Harrow, a straight forward and noble hero, and Viren, a callous strategist and planner. Outside the flashbacks, this could be when Callum and Rayla reach the Dragon Queen(and learn about Avizandum), and maybe also Claudia and Soren confronting a jailed Viren(Viren or Aaravos also being a mastermind in this situation).

Episodes 7-9 The final 3 episodes are Hearts of Cinder, Dragonguard, and The Final Battle. Hearts of Cinder screams being an episode about Janai and her sister(and Amaya by extension). Dragonguard is almost certainly the episode where we get Rayla’s tragic happening that’s been talked about by the team on twitter(her parents were the Dragonguard), along with Rayla and Callum now also being the Dragonguard. And The Final Battle, which is the last conflict before the (presumably peaceful)timeskip between arcs, as Seasons 4-5 will be their own separate arcs compared to Season 1-3, so the conflict will have to be quickly resolvable here. The Dragon Prince hasn’t pulled punches with deaths before, and in the Book 1 finale of Avatar TLA we had 2 character deaths, so it’s rather possible we might get a character death here(especially if the bit of Seasons 4-5 being arcs centered around “Foregiveness” is true). I think Viren might be the antagonist of the final battle, either being led to fight by Aaravos or some other attack on Katolis or the Dragon Queen. The first mission established by the show was to get Zym back to the Dragon Queen to stop the war, which is likely how peace will be made, but there must be some big fight with likely tragic outcomes here.

This season is where they’ll tie up most of the plot threads into a good conclusion, so I’m hyped for the next season.

(thank you so much for this, @pokeblader3, what a great speculation/analysis! How did it never occur to me that Rayla is literally a Dragonguard now? I do hope they bring that up. I love it!)

[bustin-a-hazelnut]

So basically @neopoliitan‘s last post has made me feel very strongly about the Amaranth family (the kids especially), so I now need my own post to sort out all the new information.

Let me begin by saying, I used to believe based off this post, that the Amaranth family only boasts five children; today’s comic proved me wrong. I went on to get some clarifications, and well...

Two times more kids - two times more fun, am I right?..

Needless to say, I did some further searching, and this post basically turned into my personal masterlist of Amaranth children. Those are mostly personal opinions and/or speculations, but again, my feelings in regards to them are strong & plentiful. Without further ado, naturally, the list opens with our beloved girl:

1. Akane Amaranth, 19

The oldest of the brood & really needs no introduction from me. A well-deserved favorite of Rain’s fanbase, among other things working on gradually rescuing her sister’s from their toxic household. As of late, her character arc has been (much to my joy) associated with William Lincoln’s, whom I assume will play a part in this encounter. The type of person he is, I wouldn’t put it past him to voice some unsavory truths to the face of Akane’s parents, with unpredictable consequences. With her own emotions & experiences in the mix, as well as the actual purpose of the visit, Akane’s got quite some development ahead of her. Not great for her - but a treat for us as viewers.

Her name in Japanese means “deep red, dye from the rubia plant”.

2. Miyako Amaranth, 18

Having been neither introduced nor mentioned in the actual comic, still a personal favorite Amaranth of mine. She’s gotten a great characterization from another Rain’s fan ( @infinitree )  here, which was approved by Neopoliitan. I don’t loose hope for her to make an appearance & shine somewhere in the future posts.

Even though she may not be too relevant for the plot right now, I see great potential for an inner, personal character arc with her. The idea for her character, from what I can tell, is that she’s always coped with her parents’ harshness & constant demands by becoming more withdrawn, apathetic, to the point of neglecting her own needs. Having gone so far down that path has damaged her in more subtle ways, than outright abuse - she’s basically traded it for neglect, and internalized it to the point of not caring enough to defend her needs & individuality, & eventually sorta loosing herself. This is actually rather dark, when you think about it, but I do believe there’s hope for Miyako. Her connection to her sisters, especially Ayano, whom she’s got a deep bond with, is a sliver of her identity that hasn’t been taken from her. It can also become the reason for her to find herself again & start caring more. She is in a strange place right now, and not in a good way, but I have faith in her.

Her name in Japanese means “beautiful” & “night”.

3. Nanako Amaranth, 17

Much like Akane, needs no introduction, having been a part of the plot for quite a while. Just as her elder sisters, this girl has all of my love, especially for her friendship with Tobin, even though the “wicked poo” line did play a part as well (which I Refuse to treat as anything other, than a reference to TTGOT S2 AU & Alanna Snow). It would be hard to guess by her upbeat personality, that she had to withstand more of her mother’s abuse, than possibly any of her siblings. This encounter is going to be a challenge for her, but I believe, that over the course of her life outside home, she’s gained the means to hold her own. She’s part of a team, a valued & great friend, a warrior, a huntressd & living proof, that neither what you’ve suffered, nor the people who’ve hurt you define you. She is going to overcome this, I have no doubt.

Her name in Japanese means "vegetables or greens".

4. Kasumi Amaranth, 16

A bit of a mystery at our hands, this one. No appearance or mention in the comic, no wiki page & the search through @neopoliitan came up dry. Her mention at Akane’s wiki page is the only indication of this girl’s very existence. There is little more to do than wait for further information on her, but as far as theories go - I wonder if she could exhibit a less positive personality, than her siblings? So far, all the Amaranth children we know of, that got somewhat characterized have exhibited different traits, yet, despite their home situation, I would describe all of them as well-meaning gals, even with their share of quirks & struggles. It’s not unreasonable to assume, that at least one of them would be affected more severely by their toxic parents - and have it shape them into a somewhat troubled person.

Her name in Japanese means “mist”.

5. Akiko Amaranth, 15

Her arrogant demeanor & the status of her father’s protege could lead to mistaking Akiko as someone who’s “sided with the abuser” in their family (a parallel to Whitley Schnee, someone who copes with abuse by submitting to his father). Another characterization post, however, suggests that she is actually far more than meets the eye. There’s this duality in her - outward brightness, determination & desire for leadership, wich is exactly what her parents expected; & hidden intent to use her future position for good, refusal to reject her sisters, who’ve been cast aside by her mother. This kind of characterization is an honest to god breath of fresh air - ambition & confidence, that is treated as a positive thing, not a sign of corruption. By Neo’s own words, she’s like a “good Whitley”, which is a fantastic character concept. I’m looking forward for anything she could have up her sleeve.

Her name in Japanese means “bright, sparkle” & “autumn”.

6. Sakura Amaranth, 14

Another kid we know virtually nothing about - and so far there isn’t much to theorize from. Sakura’s placed near her mother & appears relaxed, suggesting she isn’t in Yukiko’s bad graces. My two main guesses of why could that be are - either she’s just naturally inclined to obey & accept her parents’ way of seeing things; or she’s learned how to bypass them in her own ways. I find the second guess to be more interesting - while she can’t run away like Akane & Nanako, but can’t be up to her parent’s standards the way Akiko is or detach herself like Miyako, she could’ve developed a great ability to lie & manipulate, perhaps even in malicious ways, like shifting the blame onto her sisters in case of a screw up. I know this is really far-fetched, and I’m honestly just having fun coming up with those ideas at this point. One more option is her being a fave of Yukiko for some personal reason & therefore spared from mistreatment. 

I also find it interesting, that other than Nanako, who is shown gradually dyeing her hair throughout the comic, Sakura is the only one not to share the natural Amaranth hair color so far. Who knows if it’s just a reference to her name’s meaning, or some symbolism, like her not sharing the family values deep inside, but not letting it show in her demeanor... Idek, I honestly meant for this to be shorter.

Her name in Japanese means “cherry blossom”.

7. Natsuki Amaranth, 12 

She displays a strong, blunt personality from her first seconds on screen & strikes me as kind of a tomboy. I can’t imagine Yukiko being tolerant of such demeanor - and I can easily see Natsuki fighting back relentlessly against her reign. She probably took Nanako’s place as a punching bag not long after the latter left, and now her relationship with Akane parallels the one latter had with Nan. By the way Natsuki immediately gets to the subject of leaving, it’s clear how much this life affects her. It probably greatly exacerbates her naturally blunt personality - she’s got no time for affection or chatter, getting away is priority number one. I’m not sure how much of it is Natsuki’s “normal” character & how much - emotional damage from her parents, but at this point, it is hard not to assume the worst.

Her name in Japanse can mean “vegetables or greens” & “moon” or “summer” & “hope”. Interestingly, the name is considered unisex, though more commonly used by women.

8. Ayano Amaranth, 9

Getting close to the end here, and moving on to the actually small children of the fam, Ayano is a welcome change as an example of an Amaranth daughter, who’s actually getting to be a kid more (again, according to a previously established characterization). I particularly love the idea of her & Miyako being mutually close - it’s hard to tell which one of them needs it more. It’s also good to know, that Miyako’s efforts to shelter her haven’t been in vain & she actually seems to be okay around her mother, despite having a personality, that would naturally grate on her. Then again, kids can be rather perceptive, so maybe Ayano instinctively holds back her more unruly side in Yukiko’s presence & reserves poking & prodding for her sisters. She may know something isn’t right deep inside, and adjust her behavior, so as not to become another target for her mother.

Her name in Japanese means “of color; from love”.

9. Hana Amaranth, 6

Another mentioned-only character, with no face attached yet; at the age of six, I’d be glad to know that she is kept away from the family’s shenanigans & simply enjoys being a kid. Not much to theorize from here - will have to wait & see if she’ll make an appearance, and what her place in the family hierarchy is going to be. 

Her very existence to me raises a question of why Yukiko would choose to have another child, when there is no need for a specifically male heir, as Akiko has been selected for that role. We get to know, that she has no actual love for her children - so what could drive her to have more? Family’s reputation, desire for more control, or perhaps Aka Amaranth comes into play at last? He’s been barely mentioned here due to my lack of knowledge about him, but judging by his appearance on the poster, he is about to play a big role in this arc. Gonna have to wait and see. 

Her name in Japanese means “flower”.

10. Baby Amaranth, ~1

A literal baby, basically raising the same questions as Hana did a paragraph ago. I’m going to spare this one from my dark theories & let her chill for now, observing the reunion from a safe distance. Being a 10th child is no piece of cake even in most benevolent of families, so let’s all just give her a break for now. She’s still got all the time in the world to grow up & eventually develop her personal brand of the Amaranth Badassery. 

[leapingtitan]

Thoughts on Chapter 114

I have to say that I’ve been looking forward to this chapter for almost 3 years. Zeke being my favorite character, his past is something I’ve been wanting to see all this time. And Isayama delivered just on time.

There are a few points to point out in regards to this, but this may very well be my favorite snk chapter, at least for the time being. It has basically all of the things that make me love snk as a whole. Main lore revelations, displays of how fucked up the world is and of course, Zeke Jaeger as a character and the revelation of what he has been trying to do all along.

Zeke’s past is, to say the least, screwed up. Grisha and Dina’s behavior towards him was very much what we expected it to be. It was hinted, but seeing it from Zeke’s eyes was just drenching. Those two didn’t really care about Zeke as a child and used him for their purposes in acquiring the Founding Titan. All in the process, they forgot that he is just a child and placed enormous stress on him. As Xaver stated, it didn’t even look like he wanted to become a warrior himself, at least not until much later.

Tom Xaver is the “Mysterious Man” from the character guidebook who was briefly mentioned at the end of last chapter. Although it was speculated to be the case because of his armband, getting the confirmation that he the source of both the Beast Titan’s powers that Zeke ended up acquiring later on and the glasses with Zeke seem to have personal value to Zeke for the obvious reason that is him and Xaver’s relationship.

Xaver, in any case, was an interesting character on his own. His manifestation of the Beast Titan’s powers was apparently deemed unfitting for Marley’s typical usage of their power, that is invading other countries and making use of the sheer force that is the Titan shifting ability. Although I’m curious to know how exactly Xaver’s Beast Titan was “useless” in that regard. Remember when Magath was analyzing each of the Titans in the first half of the Marley arc? It seems that the thing that Beast Titans have in common is being slightly taller than the others that are not the Colossal Titan.

Since Xaver was already a baseball player who seemingly had quite a bit of free time to practice the sport, my guess is his Beast Titan did not have the physical features that Zeke’s does. In this case, the abnormally long arms which would provide massive momentum and throwing strength.

But regardless, Tom Xaver chooses to dedicate the remainder of his life to being a Titan Researcher. This was personally an enjoyable aspect of his character to me, as the Titan Chemistry Research Society that has been mentioned since the Basement reveal hasn’t really gotten any direct exposition, so seeing a direct member of it was nice.

Anyway, Zeke isn’t doing that well as a warrior and Tom Xaver is not fit for combat, so the two naturally spend a lot of time together. It ultimately leads to Xaver being the one to suggest Zeke betraying his parents after he overhears that Marley is on their trail. In a way, this ultimately sheds light to Zeke’s further developments.

He betrayed his parents to save his own life plus that of his grandparents, and it wasn’t until later when he found the resolve as an Eldian Restorationist on his own. Thus, I truly believe in what he told Kiyomi. His parents being cruel and inconsiderate of him aside, Zeke may or may not have come to his own conclusion that they would only bring Eldia down.

It isn’t until Zeke’s later years that we find out about a certain reveal which I quite appreciated. Eldians, “Subjects of Ymir” are biological extensions of the Founding Titan’s biology itself. That’s just the way of saying that they’re all connected to the Coordinate in the middle, where the Founding Titan is. As Zeke’s Beast Titan can trasnform those marked to his own Coordinate, his Titan via spinal fluid, we can assume that, should the Founding Titan decide to do so, can mass-transform Eldians in the same fashion as the it’s connected to all of them by default. On top of that, Xaver theorizes that it possesses the ability to alter their biological structure to the point of completely eradicating an epidemic.

This theory is what brings us to the main reveal this chapter, Zeke’s plan which we have been theorizing about for a long time now. To use the Founding Titan’s powers to sterilize every Eldian and wait for the last generation to die either by natural or non-natural means. With that, even if one of the 9 Titans remains, once they reach the 13 year point, the power wouldn’t have anyone to transfer to. Thus, ending the “cursed history” just like he said he would.

Before I elaborate on that, Tom reveals to Zeke that he himself wishes he never would have been born due to the stuff that happened with his wife. Truly cruel, and you can see that until the end they remain on the same page. The father/son moment they had as well was quite touching but very tragic, just like the rest of the chapter for the most part.

We come to the current point in time where Zeke detonates the thunderspear in his abdomen in hopes to escape his confinement and get rid of Levi. Both of them have been opposing forces since the Return to Shiganshina arc but they both ended up making the same mistake over and over again: Underestimating each other. Levi didn’t think Zeke would do anything under his watch in the forest and didn’t think he would actually detonate himself either. Meanwhile, Zeke has underestimated Levi an equal number of times as well.

But regardless, he did it. I don’t believe that Zeke is dead because let’s be real here, he has quite a lot of plot armor and killing him after revealing his goal to euthanize the Eldian race would be anti-climatic and would render the entire chapter pointless. Levi, on the other hand, has to die sooner or later. I’m not saying I’m “happy” though I personally never hold personal bias and attachment with characters outside of ironic and meme reasons. If a character dies, they die. That’s it. I’ve been reading snk for almost 5 years and I’ve gotten used to it at this point.

With that said Levi could potentially come back later depending on how fast he heals but my prediction is, someone will find him and he’s going to have his last words. When the big boom happens, it seems to be raining. Atmospherically that seems an appropriate end for him, whenever someone finds him. As for Zeke, seems like Levi was lying. He did close his limbs from the explosion from what we can see though it’s nothing he can’t regenerate. His neck seems in tact and it looks like he’s gotten used to physical pain at this point. Honestly, it’s tragic.

Lastly we come to what I believe is the most important lead we have this chapter. Folks,

Zeke and Eren are not on the same side.

Although we can question Eren’s mental state and motives for the past 20 chapters, let’s just keep in kind that this is Eren who has ALWAYS fought for freedom. The one who possesses the Attack Titan, at that. Now, do you really believe that his idea of “Freedom” is for his own race to go extinct?

Personally, I think he may have tricked Zeke, but at the end, I believe the two to have entirely different motives and are not going to be the dynamic duo of this final arc.

The biggest reason why I think that is an interview that Isayama held a few years ago when he was asked about Zeke. This is not a direct quote, but Isayama says something along the lines of

“When coming up with Zeke’s character, I wanted to follow a main common trope that the main character, in this case Eren, needs an opposite. In this case, Zeke is the type of brotherly existence to Eren but is ultimately the kind of character the protagonist strives not to become.”

In other words, Eren and Zeke both wish for Eldia’s salvation. However, they have different ideas. Zeke wishes for the extinction of the Eldian race, while Eren likely wishes for Eldia to overcome its oppression even if it means absolute genocide against the rest of the world.

This is why I believe that the “Final Battle” will involve the infiltrating Marleyan warriors, the fleet fighting off against the remainder of the Survey Corps, while Eren deals with Zeke.

Logically speaking, Zeke has no reason to activate the rumbling, but what needs to be elaborated on is that Eren is the one who decides what the outcome of the usage of the Founding Titan’s powers are, not Zeke. I definitely believe the two will duke it out, but before that we are going to get the next thing I’ve been waiting for which is their long-awaited reunion. And no, the airship doesn’t count.

Overall, like I said this may very well be my favorite snk chapter for now. Don’t have much else to say except it’s very solid and I look forward to seeing the rest, as usual.

[kinetic-elaboration]

The 100 Ask Game

Tagged by @thelittlefanpire --thank you! This looks like fun.

Soooo okay, first, full disclosure: I haven’t watched S5. I stopped watching toward the end of S4 for Reasons. So there might be a little bit of salt and/or confusion in some of my answers. But only a little; this blog is still a positive space and it is, of course, Show Night: a big fandom night regardless of my personal participation.

1. What Station on the Ark would you be from?

Hmm. Well I have farmers and factory workers in my family but I don't know which end of a wrench is up myself. I guess I'd probably be from one of the stations we know nothing about like Hydro or Tesla. It would be cool to be from Mecha but I'm not a mechanical person in the slightest lol.

2. What would you get arrested for on the Ark?

Probably theft. I'm not a thief in real life but I do like eating and comfort and I'm p. sure the only way to get anything above subsistence-level rations on the Ark is to do some law-breaking.

3. Would you take off your wristband when you landed on the ground?

I'm too much of a rule-follower to do it on my own but I would definitely be a sucker for Bellamy's "take off your wrist band as payment for some delicious puma meat" plan. To heck with this silly piece of metal, I want to eat.

4. What would the necklace Finn would make for you look like? (Clarke: deer/Raven: a raven duh..)

Some sort of large cat. Or small cat, not picky.

5. If you could resurrect any MINOR character who would it be?

If Wells counts as a minor character, then Wells. Otherwise...perhaps M'Benge. He looked like a promising delinquent.

6. Create a squad of 5 characters to go on missions with. Who are they?

Bellamy, Clarke, Raven, Jasper, and Monty. This is partly practical--I do think they're the smartest/most capable members of the group--but also partly about the Narrative. They're my favorites.

7. What Grounder Clan would you belong to you?

I guess Trikru based on where I live? Or again, some clan we know nothing about. I don't know anything about Trikru's non-warriors so perhaps I could be one of them.

8. What would your name be in Trigedasleng? (example: Octavia=Okteivia…just make it up!)

Skipping this one because I don't give my real name or any variants online, sorry.

9. Thoughts on Finn? Some people hate him, and others love him, so I’m curious

Okay. My general thought on Finn is that he had an appropriately sized role in the narrative--which is more than I can say about a lot of other characters, many of whom, imo, were either killed too early, or too late/not at all when they should have been, or who take up way too much screen time, or are given way too little for their worth. But Finn contributed decently well to the first season--sometimes oddly, in that, once he outlived his usefulness as a love interest, he was shoe-horned into a Peacemaker role that probably should have been Wells's. But at least he was contributing a needed and consistent POV. And while I go back and forth a bit on how realistic I find his season 2 breakdown... I think it is more realistic than not, at least narratively. He seems like the sort who would have a breakdown after a battle, and the short timespan of 2A makes it more likely, not less, to me, that he would spiral quickly into something so atrocious: no time to cool down, to get perspective, to heal. Also, he had a completely unique story, which is also pretty rare on a show that likes to reuse its plot points. (Sorry! It does though.) I can also honestly say that Finn's death and funeral still ranks as one of the most resonant and heartbreaking moments of the series, for me. I have a hard time with any sort of capital punishment story line usually but I really felt for this one and I think it was very well done.

So basically what I'm saying is that I think Finn was decently well used as a character--like B+ narrative role, docked for the random interest in peace and the occasionally annoying nature of his personality. Because he could be annoying. He and Clarke didn't have much chemistry and he and Raven had surprisingly little, too, given how important they allegedly were to each other. And one of the good aspects of his death was that, not only was the event itself well-constructed and moving, but he wasn't exactly missed, by me or by the story, after he was gone. He served his purpose. I'm glad he wasn't on the show longer. (Except for that post speculating on a Finn/Murphy redemption arc/love story, which I would have watched and cheered on for sure.)

I don't hate him, though, and it does annoy me a little that he almost always shows up in fic as the 2d villain, the shitty ex/boyfriend, the annoyance. I mean, I get the appeal of having a readily available character like that (ngl I've used him that way at least once myself) but like.... it's not my fave trope, let's put it that way.

10. Be honest. How willing would you have been to take the chip without knowing all the horrible things it does?

I've thought about this some, not so much as it pertains to me, but in comparison to some other Failed Utopia plots in other fiction, and because my sleeping beauty au involves Clarke taking the chip, and it was very hard for me to bring her to a place where I felt like she could realistically, and in an in-character way, make that choice. But it's also been a while since I watched S3 and it's difficult for me to remember at what point different aspects of the CoL became obvious to the characters. Certainly, I can see the appeal. I think anyone can. It's an interesting concept and one I actually wished had gotten more time in the show... I think anything that obviously perfect (live forever in a wonderful city, away from pain and death and hardship!) should immediately cause warning bells: what's the catch here? Taking the chip without knowing the answer to that question is an assumption of the risk sort of situation, except you can't predict what the risk is, and the stakes are enormously high. Not exactly smart, and I like to think I am smart. I also have a great fear of AI and VR, which would make me wary.

On the other hand, I'd do poorly in the impoverished landscape of the post-apocalypse, which might make the chip more tempting. Also, if ALIE and friends tortured me or someone I loved, I would take the chip like that. No question, I am weak.

11. What character do you relate to most?

I relate to the intensity of Jasper's feelings, and to Monty's method of shutting down emotionally as a survival mechanism.

Generally I wouldn't say I have much in common with any of the characters, though, and I don't really watch because I 'relate' to anyone, personally.

12. What character do you like the least?

My first instinct is to say I dislike a lot of the characters, which is true but... I also spend almost no time thinking about the ones I dislike. My fandom experience at this point is very much about retreating into the aspects of the show/canon/fanon I like, and ignoring everything else. That said... probably M/di and J/rdan because the whole concept of a Next Generation down from the delinquents offends me, and also because they're both so universally loved that it's quite hard to avoid them. Also b/c J's name corresponding to that of my fave character makes blacklisting really obnoxious lol.

13. Describe your delinquent outfit. (Would you wear something like Murphy’s jacket with the spikey red shoulder patch or have a trademark like Jasper’s goggles? Be creative, yet practical)

Mmm, something comfortable. A nice jacket, like Clarke or Bellamy's S1 jackets, or Jasper's pilot jacket. Nothing with weird patches like Murphy's S1 or Jasper's S3 jackets. A shirt with something interesting written on it like Jasper's Earth Day shirt. Big boots. A nice heirloom necklace. Multiple layers. Knitted wristlets like Clarke has in early S1. A sweater with thumb holes like Monty has in S4.

14. Favorite type of mutant animal?

All the mutants! I really feel like the show missed some good opportunities in the irradiated-animal department. Take some $$$ from the explosion budget, or the Boring Side Character payroll, and invest in some more two-headed beasts. But if I had to pick one, I'd say Lincoln's two-faced horse, because the image of him saving Clarke and Finn in late S1 is so underrated but so iconic.

15. What would your job be on the Ark?

I don't think I have many useful Ark skills. Archivist, perhaps? Member of their proto-justice system? Probably that, though I don't know what sort of jobs, specifically, make up that unit. Though I have some ideas; see: a fic I haven't yet actually written.

16. Would you have willingly pumped Ontari’s heart if Abby asked?

Gross. But probably if I had to, I'd force myself to.

17. If Lexa wasn’t Heda, but she was still alive then who would have made the best commander?

I gotta tell you, I literally do not care, nor have I have ever cared, about the commander or Grounder leadership in the slightest. They all seem pretty incompetent. They should cede their power to the Sky People, who are marginally less terrible at running things.

18. How would you act if you ate the hallucinogenic nuts like Jasper and Monty?

You'd never know from my obsession with alternate states but I have never been high, nor intoxicated in any way, so I really can't say. Hopefully calm and happy like M'Benge in the broom closet. But probably miserable and confused and afraid of my inability to corral my thoughts.

19. How would you have dealt with Charlotte’s crime? A more John Murphy approach or Bellamy Blake approach?

Interesting question. I actually think the Charlotte story line was one of the best of S1, probably the show as a whole, and I kind of wish it had played out more long term, instead of just being, in retrospect, more of an excuse for some drama. I mean that is one of the central dilemmas of a new society, as the dropship camp was starting to be at that time: what do you do with people who break the rules and/or are dangerous? They had roughly three options: execute the wrongdoer (which eliminates the problem pretty efficiently, if brutally); ignore the issue entirely through immediate forgiveness; or apply some punishment in between, like imprisonment. This situation in particular was more complicated because, first, technically, they had 'no rules' at the time (killing is just, uh, obviously wrong), second, the actual perpetrator was a child, and third, she was so obviously unstable as to seem a likely continued threat. And in addition to all THAT, Bellamy and Clarke were such tenuous leaders (Clarke wasn't really a leader at all, so really I should say Bellamy was a tenuous leader) that any option that didn't go along with the will of the majority could cause a complete break in legitimacy. So it's really a delicate scenario. One I can't say I have an answer to.

I will say I think banishment is literally the worst thing they could have done, for either Murphy or Charlotte, if she had lived, and I think the narrative bears this out. It looks like a good compromise but it's cruel and it's dangerous. Cruel because they have to assume the banished person would die in the wilderness, and if you believe he deserves death, shouldn't you just execute him? Have the courage of your convictions? Take on the full moral weight of your decisions? A hanging death is probably less awful than slow starvation or being eaten by a wild animal. And dangerous because if he doesn't die, he's an obvious target for...who's that? Your enemies in the woods? Which is exactly what happened? They brought that whole bio-weapon story line on themselves, tbh. I think it was an in-character decision for a couple of dumbass kids, but that's not the same thing as saying it was smart.

I like to think I would have sided with Bellamy early on, in being careful about what information goes out to the camp as a whole. I mean, it's not perhaps the most moral decision, but it's practical--and certainly inciting a riot, as Clarke ended up doing, is neither practical nor moral, so there's that. If the actual perpetrator had been found before Murphy was caught up in the mess... I guess some sort of middle-ground punishment is the best you can do. Imprisonment, shitty work shifts. Showing consequences for bad actions and trying to keep the group safe. Hopefully if there was enough tact in the beginning of the process, the crowd could be convinced to go along with it. I don't know, though. It's tough.

20. Who should have been the Chancellor, if anyone?

Bellamy.

Bellamy, Bellamy, Bellamy.

Honestly, watch the first season, or even, arguably, the first three, and tell me that ultimately becoming Chancellor wouldn't be a neat, logical, and emotionally satisfying conclusion for Bellamy's arc.

Obviously, it would take him some time to get there. Before then... I don't know. If I had to pick among one of the former Chancellors, I'd go with Abby I suppose.

21. Would you have been on Pike’s side like Bellamy or on Kane’s side? Or Clarke in Polis?

Oh gosh they're all terrible lol. I guess I'd pick Kane as the least of the three evils. He certainly was in the right once Pike's anti-Grounder agenda went into play, but I don't exactly think he had the ear of the people prior to the election, which is why I'm not enthusiastic. But, still. You gotta get through the Dark Times to get to Chancellor Bellamy, I guess.

22. Mount Weather had a lot of modern commodities. (example: Maya’s Ipod) What is the one thing you would snatch while there?

I'd grab up some interesting books. Possibly a stuffed animal because I like soft things. A nice piece of art.

23. What would your Grounder tattoos look like? Hairstyle? War paint?

Lol I don't care what universe we're in, I'm never getting a tattoo. Hair: probably something simple and loose. War paint: pass, as I wouldn't be a warrior.

24. Favorite quote?

I suppose Jasper's quote about wounds needing to heal before they become scars.

25. If all of the characters were in the Hunger Games, who would have the best shot at winning?

I've never read or watched the Hunger Games but I'm nevertheless going to say Raven. She's just been the deus ex machina too many times.

26. Least favorite ship? Favorite canon ship? Favorite non canon ship? NOT INCLUDING CL OR BC OR BE

Least favorite: M/rper

Favorite canon: ummmmm idk not excited by most canon ships tbh. Probably Jasper/Maya, maybe Mackson or Briller.

Favorite non-canon: Jonty

27. A song that should be included in the next season? If there had to be another guest star like Shawn Mendes on the show, who would you want to make a cameo?

HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF DURAN DURAN

Lol, Idk. Something poppy and 80s would amuse me, though. In part because the show needs to take itself at least 75% less seriously.

I don't have any opinions on cameos.

28. What would you do if you were stuck in the bunker with Murphy for all that time?

Hopefully make friends with Murphy.

29. You're an extra that gets killed off. How do you die?

Something painless and quick?? I don't know. Poison?? Nice dramatic non-bloody death?

30. A character you’d like to learn more about and get flashbacks of?

JASPER. OBVIOUSLY.

...Lol I think this question is really about plausible character flashbacks and if so.... well first off ANY flashback about the Ark is 100% my thing, and flashbacks about almost any delinquent would be great. We're still not in the realm of the plausible, though, imo.

Raven, perhaps? Always want more Raven.

31. A character you’d bang?

Raven. Even though she'd intimidate me a lot.

Monty (as an adult, ofc).

A lot of the characters are bangable tbh. Might be faster to name those I wouldn't...

32. Would you stay in the Bunker? Go up to Space? Or live on your own in Eden?

Uhhhh none of the above??

I suppose the bunker. (This answer is based on the concepts of bunker/space/alone on Earth, not what actually happened in S5.)

33. In the Bunker, would you follow Octavia? What would you do to pass the time underground?

Read a lot and make friends. Idk if I'd follow Octavia since I just don't have enough data on the season... but from my understanding of her recent arc, probably not.

34. What crime would you commit in the Bunker that lands you in the fighting pits?

???

35. Up in Space, who would you bond with first? Who would be the most difficult for you to get along with?

I wouldn't last a year in space with such a small group of people but hopefully Raven and I would hook up before I spontaneously expired.

36. How long do you think you would last on Earth by yourself?

Definitely less than a year.

37. When the Eligius ship lands what do you do?

Eligius ship? I don't know her.

38. Favorite Eligius character? Least favorite?

???

39. Would you Spacewalk?

No. But actually. Probably yes. I'd totally freak out about the idea, swear a million times I'd never do it, then get cajoled into trying by my beautiful girlfriend Raven, and I'd love it so much I'd immediately want to do it again.

40. Would you prefer to eat Windshield Bugs, Space Algae, or Bunker Meat?

Algae?

41. Would you start a war for the last spot of green on earth? What would your solution be to avoid it?

There's no way I'd make it this far in the narrative in real life. I didn't even get there in fictional life.

42. Would you rather dig out flesh-eating worms or stick thumb drives into bullet holes?

I guess the thumb drive thing sounds less disgusting.

43. Are you willing to poison your sister for the Traitor Who You Love? What would you do to stop Octavia?

I don't have any siblings (well, no siblings with whom I have a real sibling relationship) so, yeah, sure, why not lol?

44. Would you go to sleep in cryo or stay awake like M/rper?

Leave my body behind on Earth, please, where it belongs.

45. Who are you waking up first to explore the new planet?

New planet? I dunno what that means lol.

[aion-rsa]

Could Durge’s Star Wars Return Lead to a Role in The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett?

https://ift.tt/3eQ8pnL

One of Star Wars’ most revered villains from its pre-Disney days of prequel-era stories is poised for a comeback. Durge, the fearsome bounty hunter best known from Genndy Tartakovsky’s 2003-2005 Star Wars: Clone Wars microseries, is set to make his Disney canon debut in the pages of Marvel’s Doctor Aphra #11. And with the upcoming arrival of Tartakovsky’s non-canon Clone Wars series on Disney+, it’s enough to make one speculate that bigger—live-action—plans might be in store for the character.

Durge was indeed immensely popular in the defunct Legends continuity of Star Wars in the early 2000s to the point that Matthew Stover’s 2005 novelization of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith makes direct reference to the character among other notable shout-outs to the events of Tartakovsky’s series. He was one of the most visible characters during Lucasfilm’s onslaught of merchandising during the mid-prequel era, and even inspired multiple action figures made in Hasbro’s sacred 3 ¾” action figure line. Indeed, Durge was kind of a big deal, which makes him the perfect character to manifest in glorious live-action form on either The Mandalorian or The Book of Boba Fett.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

But first, check him out in all his classic splendor, thanks to a cover by artist Sara Pichelli, just below…

Marvel Comics

It may seem surreal to see Durge back in action after the post-Disney deluge of live-action and animated Star Wars offerings, but he was a crucial Expanded Universe villain during the brief era between the release of 2002 Prequel Trilogy middle act Attack of the Clones and 2005 closer Revenge of the Sith. Besides episodes showcasing the superlative abilities of the various Jedi we saw in the films, season 1 of the microseries also popularized Durge and fellow villain Asajj Ventress. However, while the latter—Count Dooku’s apprentice—became a prominent presence in the subsequent canonical The Clone Wars series, Durge got left behind.

Interestingly, Durge first entered the Expanded Universe when he—along with Ventress—graced the cover of Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Republic #52, which was published on April 9, 2003, seven whole months before his debut in the fourth episode of Clone Wars aired on Cartoon Network. The guns-and-gadgets-toting, jet-pack-carrying bounty hunter character may look like a humanoid when covered head-to-toe in his intimidating grey armor, but he’s actually a 2000-year-old Gen’Dai, an invertebrate alien species that resembles exposed muscular and vascular tissue. He’s notably blessed with the formidable ability to manipulate his body to do just about anything, and can regenerate from any form of physical injury (even being blown to bits), save for being vaporized, which was a fate delivered to him in now-non-canon comic Obsession by Anakin, who had to force-push him into a star to get the job done.

Durge’s appearances on Star Wars: Clone Wars.

Durge’s motivation in the initial lore was a deep hatred—fueled over a millennium—for the Mandalorian race, attributed to (as we’d later learn) his capture during the New Sith Wars, a galactic conflict from over a thousand years ago that saw the Jedi and Mandalorians fight against the Sith. Serving as a warrior for the Sith, he was captured and tortured by the Mandalorians, an ordeal that left the Gen’Dai so ravaged it took nearly a century to reconstitute his body, leaving him permanently insane. However, with the population of the Mandalorians having been practically wiped out by the time of the Clone Wars, Durge became drawn to the idea of taking his bitterness out on the closest available thing: the Republic’s Grand Army, which, of course, consisted of clones of Mandalorian Jango Fett. Thus, he took up a contract with Separatist leader and Sith Lord Count Dooku to do just that, and, as famously seen in his Clone Wars episodes, led the Separatist forces in the Battle of Muunilinst, notably in an assault on speeder bikes, after which his odd arsenal and regenerative abilities gave Jedi general Obi-Wan Kenobi an infamously frustrating fight.

So, where would a forgotten early-2000s Legends lore relic like Durge fit in the modern era? After all, A LOT has happened since he last manifested, with the subsequent The Clone Wars series trampling over everything that happened in Tartakovsky’s series. However, with Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars poised for streaming consumption for an entirely new generation of fans on Disney+, the series—and the undeniable badassery of Durge—might not be left forgotten for much longer. Thus, the answer to the initial question is actually quite obvious: Durge can fit anywhere he chooses.

Read more

TV

How Star Wars: The Clone Wars Forgot About Durge

By Ryan Britt

TV

How Star Wars: The Clone Wars Retconned the 2000s Clone Wars Series

By Ryan Britt

Durge’s canon debut in Doctor Aphra #11 is rife with unknown variables, including whether this version of the character even fought in the Clone Wars, but that is not to say that the crucial elements of his classic backstory won’t still manifest in some way—he still has to be a bounty hunter, he still has to be a freaky regenerative alien hermit crab, and he most definitely still has to hate Mandalorians. There lies the potential crucial link for Durge in the Disney+ live-action world, which, of course, is rife with Mandalorians. While the task of translating all the weird abilities Durge displayed on the Tartakovsky series would be intimidatingly exorbitant, it could nevertheless become intriguing fodder for a phenomenal climactic onscreen battle—be it against Din Djarin or Boba Fett.

A Durge appearance on The Mandalorian would certainly represent a radical departure from the show’s initial arc, which seemingly came to an end in season 2 when Luke Skywalker arrived to take custody of Baby Yoda. While Din will inevitably reunite with the Force-powered green tyke at some point, the teased arc for season 3 seems to center on his accidental ascension to Mandalorian leadership after wresting the sacred Darksaber from Moff Gideon. While that scenario presents potential problems, since Bo-Katan Kryze initially coveted the Darksaber (and can only legally attain it by taking it from Din in combat), one would think that Din being leader (even temporarily) of a resurgent Mandalorian people would also make him a prime target for a mind-warped, vengeance-seeking Durge.

On another note, Boba Fett’s teased new status as de facto king of the Outer Rim criminal underworld could also attract Durge’s attention, facilitating a similarly-motivated conflict with the eponymous cloned Mandalorian on The Book of Boba Fett. However, this scenario is far more speculative since we still don’t have official details on the show’s plot. Moreover, if that show ends up focusing on the galaxy’s seedier, “scum and villainy” side (which was how The Mandalorian started), then a villain as fantastical as Durge might not be the right thematic fit, at least initially.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

For now, fans (who don’t want to track down the DVDs) can get their fill of Durge’s classic exploits when Star Wars: Clone Wars—along with classic series Star Wars: Ewoks and Star Wars: Droids—joins the Disney+ streaming library on April 2. Meanwhile, Doctor Aphra #11 arrives June 30.

The post Could Durge’s Star Wars Return Lead to a Role in The Mandalorian or Book of Boba Fett? appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3bYVbmZ

[furederiko]

Countdown Counter: 10. Kyuranger 39 is calling for a Hero, in order to save a 'Princess' in need! It's my first post for December 2017 too...

- Can't believe it's December already! As in, there are only 2 months left for us to enjoy a rollercoaster ride with Kyuranger. Aaaaawww... -_-. This recap-view was initially planned to be the final post of November, but evidently so, that's not the case. Well, things tend to run off track every now and then, and delaying this one eventually became a conscious decision. I DID watch the episode when it aired last week on November 26th, but I've decided to wait for the fansub in order to get a more accurate view. And I have only been able to catch the subbed version this morning, due to health and internet. - Last we saw the Space Rebellion, the team was divided into two. Tsurugi/Xiao led one half to clear out the wacky Cepheus trials, while Lucky's unit went to Planet Ghem to locate the Perseus Kyu Globe. In case the name and shape of the planet (with joystick and directional pads) aren't obvious enough, it's clearly a pun for the word 'GAME'. - Madako has been converted into Mecha-Madako, and become the Menaster of Perseus System. She wastes no time to trigger Champ's berserk. Worse, she and a Bovine All Purpose Weapon Unit-00 deactivate Champ and snatch him away. How can she accomplish all of these? With the help of one not-that-surprising figure: Professor Anton. Yes, as has been speculated by many and later rumored and reported, Champ's creator is NOT dead. The creepy mad scientist is still very much at large, and has been the brain behind the Vice-Shoguns 'revivals' and continuous modifications. Fun fact: In the mythology, the tale of Perseus is famously connected to the Greek monster Medusa. Madako might be an octopus, but her head design does resemble a woman with snakey hair, am I right? So her being the Perseus Menaster sort of fits the bill. - The world around the team is then altered, and Lucky, Stinger, Spada, and Kotarou suddenly find themselves turned into... RPG characters. Well, duh? Planet GAME, anyone? Kotarou gets to be the 'Hero', Spada gets to be this unit's fan-service master as the shirtless 'Warrior' (he's skinny, but IMO in better shape than Tsurugi LOL), Lucky is entrusted to be the episode's crossdressing master... a magical gir- I mean female 'Mage', while Stinger also uncharacteristically becomes the 'Jester'. Of course, we also know how melancholic Stinger could have been. Prof. Anton created this alternate space with the Alternate World Projection Machine so he can trap them for good. - With the Kyu Globes being rendered powerless, their personalities are also slowly altered to fit their new... ugh 'Jobs'. Wait... WHAT?! Yep, this is... as Hammy notes it perfectly, HILARIOUS. Singing and dancing Musical-Stinger totally steals every attention with his performance outbursts (seriously TOEI, make a Kyuranger Musical already!!!). Macho-Spada allows his actor to play a dumb brute jock (those blank expressions! LOL), while Brave-Kotarou gets to be the COOL leader. And surely I'm not the only one who thinks Feminine-Lucky actually looks pretty convincing as a girl, right? His inner-Eris, perhaps? *wink-wink* - Their mission, should they choose to accept it or else, is to rescue... beautiful Black Cow Princess, from the evil clutches of Demon King. Ouch, so Champ's the 'Damsel in Distress' in this situation, huh? LOL. Demon King is obviously Prof. Anton. He used to be gentle and kind in Champ's memory, so this time his actor gains the chance to ham up his performance into a twisted maniac intent on turning the fighting robot into a weapon of destruction. Sure, it looks campy and exaggerated, but unlike that other show this level of weirdness feels natural and makes sense. And surprise, surprise! Prof. Anton... isn't really 'alive' in the flesh. Great goodness, creepy Anton is CREEPY. He has become the Super Sentai version of Marvel's Arnim Zola!!! That scene with the TV head is a great proof of this homage. Just like Zola, he had uploaded his consciousness to a machine to gain immortality. - But it gets better! The professor was NEVER good, and has been Jark Matter's devotee for hundreds of years. Good-Anton was merely the undesirable benevolent 'residue' left behind in his mortal body when the real one decided to go full-pledged machine. Problem is, Good-Anton acted selflessly by taking Champ away, turning him into a robot of justice. That means the one Champ knew was indeed good, eventhough that was merely a 'defect version'. That's the reason why Scorpio was sent to eliminate Good-Anton. How I love this twist! Did you see this coming? I sure DON'T. Again, Kyuranger keeps on surprising us. - Champ has always been a weapon of destruction, and the 'Berserker Circuit' located next to his heart is the key to all this. Dang it, the Rebellion technicians must have done a FINE job rebuilding him to NOT have noticed this utter crucial thing. This chip explains why Champ occasionally gets out of control. Anton has unlocked its function now, reverting Champ back to his natural purpose. So the team needs to destroy it if they ever want to bring their friend back. But can they do it without blowing away his heart in the process? Do they need to sacrifice one of their own to protect the universe? - That's where Musical-Stinger plays a vital part. Unable to transform, he is defeated very easily by Champ. But following Feminine-Lucky's advice, Musical-Stinger uses the thing he does best to revert Champ's missing heart: SING! And goodness grace, what a tearjerking moment it becomes. Sure, the silly flamenco dance bit at the start made me rolled my eyes, but halfway through the performance turns into very melancholic and deeply emotional. Don't be surprised if out of the blue, smoke gets in your eyes! Fun fact: The song Stinger is singing is none other than his image song that could be heard during Scorpio's death, and was also featured prominently in his V-Cinema. But he deliberately alters the lyric to Champ's condition, that it's no longer about the loneliness of the Scorpius System warrior. This one is about his bromanc... I mean, partnership with the Taurus System hero. Similar to the Dark-Naga conclusion, we get to see glimpses of Stinger and Champ's moment together. A perfect touch for an already strong scene. - Champ partially wakes up from his berserk, and asks Stinger to do whatever it takes. There's a faint glimpse of Good-Anton in a neat metaphor of 'Angel vs Devil', as Stinger succeeds in liberating Champ's heart. Gotta love how the partners play it cool afterwards, with Champ teasing how 'bad' the song sounds. Just hug it out already! We all know you both want it. LOL. - Stinger's strike also short-circuits the lab, causing Digital-Anton to lose his hold. Alternate World no more (which is sad, because I want to see more role-playing... -_-), it's time to duke it out in battle. We get really cool action sequence too! Leo Red Orion, Dorado Yellow, and UrsaMinor SkyBlue take on Mecha-Madako, while the duo of Scorpius Orange and Taurus Black deals with a pair of Unit-00s. Scorpius Orange utilizes his special power up using the #27 Monoceros Kyu Globe, and Taurus Black can send his fist flying now! Being freed from the Berserker trigger seems to have granted him some kind of power up. Meanwhile, Leo Red Orion uses his 'Gate of Babylon' attack to summon projectile weapons for him and the other two. Neat move! - In the end, Mecha-Madako retreats alongside Digital-Anton (along with his mechanical brain, of course). She had sacrificed her regenerative ability so her days is pretty much numbered, while the mad scientist must have forgotten that becoming a machine isn't any better than having a mortal body. Looks like these two will play important roles ahead. Could it be, Digital-Anton is behind Don Armage's secret of long lasting life? Highly likely. But that's the story for the final arc in the remaining 9 episodes. For now, the other Kyuranger's unit arrive just in time during the mecha battle, reuniting the team to goof off locate the prize in the 'palace'. Naturally, it's the BN Thieves who discover one... in a treasure chest: the #36 Perseus Kyu Globe. Only one more left! Next stop, Cassiopeia System...

Overall: This episode was another solid example of how brilliant Kyuranger handles the tone shift. What started out as humorous and ridiculous comical-fest, eventually evolved into a dark emotional turn, while still able to slip in exciting action sequences. Eventhough many including yours truly expected this would be a Kotarou's focus episode, it ended up becoming an excellent conclusion to Champ's story arc instead. In that case, it confirmed that both "Episode of Stinger" and its coupling web-series "High School Wars" took place after episode 34 and before 35. Admittedly, those separate features were rather inconsistent with this fact (the V-Cinema's ending, among others), but I guess we'll just have to take it as is. It's the only plausible and logical placement anyway... *sigh* Nevertheless, the show continues to pull off all kinds of sci-fi plots in general. And that is nothing short of impressive! The Mecha-Anton twist might not be original, but it was also unexpected. And those RPG-nods, they instantly reminded me of the crazy fun "Yuusha Yoshihiko", to the point that I was disappointed we didn't get to see more. And I'm not kidding. Two episodes in a row, and the show has left me wanting more. So just the thought that the series is going to conclude pretty soon, is giving me all kinds of mixed feeling... Next week: Aim for the Big League! Baseball Spada strikes!!!

Episode 39 Score: 8,1 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: December 2nd, 2017 - Version 3.07. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[renofmanyalts]

Ren Alts: Mundane to Fantastic

Tagged by: both @aisbraena and @bride-and-bride (via shotgun-tag) Tagging: @moonhartsffxiv, @ex-atomos, @cliffroseffxiv, @diregate, @ever-searching, @gridanianroegadyn, @great-grey-raven, @lectra-xiv, @pastry-fish, @ylaziel, @purple-eel and you, if you want to!

So, apparently I can’t just do things the easy way -- so I ended up breaking down the mundane/fantastic spectrum into three different domains: 

Magicalness: To what extent does this character have the ability to wield magic? How strong is their magic? How easily do they pick up new techniques? How inherent to their personality is their magical ability?

Protagonist-y-ness: If this character were in a fantasy novel, how obvious would it be that they are the main character? Are they undertaking a hero’s journey, or are they more part of the supporting cast -- or a side character? Bonus points for convoluted, improbable, or especially emotional backstories. 

Lore stretchiness: How neatly does the character fit into what we know of the lore and what “regular people” in the world are like/what they are permitted to do? How much does their story require in terms of extra headcanoning, speculation, or selectively ignoring parts of the existing lore?

Each domain is (very subjectively) rated out of ten. The Warrior of Light would be rated 30 out of 30.

(And if you choose to do this, don’t feel like you have to use my weird overcomplicated system -- feel free to keep it simple!)

Without further ado...

Strammund Grehmerlsyn: 5/30 

Magicalness: 0/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 3/10 •  Lore stretchiness: 2/10

Given that Strammund is literally based on a nameless NPC, I guess this isn’t really a surprise, haha. He is a Lominsan sailor who ended up out of work after he contracted a chronic respiratory disease from a shipment of bat guano and was told in no uncertain terms that he must stay in areas with dry air to prevent it from getting worse. He is currently trying to get his feet back under him and adjust to life in Thanalan.

Rhetzedyr Guldarensyn: 7/30

Magicalness: 0/10 •  Protagonist-y-ness: 2/10 • Lore stretchiness: 5/10

Zedyr is definitely on the mundane side of things -- other than his profession as an artisan specializing in custom-made adult toys, at least. Although he has his own arc to go through and some trauma in his backstory, he tends to be more of a supporting character, as his friends and acquaintances are often fairly fantastic.

Maayan Delafontaine: 7/30

Magicalness: 5/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 1/10 • Lore stretchiness: 1/10

Maayan has much more magical aptitude than Zedyr and is a fairly proficient alchemist and academic as well as a savvy businesswoman. However, she functions much more like a supporting character and has a relatively mundane backstory, leaving the two business partners about on par. 

Amande Desrochers: 8/30

Magicalness: 0/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 6/10 • Lore stretchiness: 2/10

The exiled servant of a minor Ishgardian house, Amande has a backstory fit for a period drama, complete with a star-crossed love affair and accusations of heresy. Even so, he barely nudges the sides of the lore box and has no magical aptitude whatsoever (or combat ability more generally, for that matter).

Seselahi Rerelahi: 9/30

Magicalness: 3/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 2/10 • Lore stretchiness: 4/10

Selah quite firmly occupies the “supporting character” role, despite having some unrealized capacity for arcanistry. Instead, he plies his trade as a scribe, calligrapher, and secretary. I have had to elbow out a little corner in lalafellin lore for him, however, as he is a trans man.

Rhenbraen Helbsyn: 12/30

Magicalness: 5/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 3/10 • Lore stretchiness: 4/10

Rhenbraen’s story so far isn’t much to speak of: they are a miner living in Thanalan, worn down into rough-edged bitterness. However, they seem to be just on the cusp of a journey, making them a nascent protagonist -- and they also have quite strong aetheric potential. The lore-stretchiness comes in because they are nonbinary and have taken on a name of their own choosing in the Old Tongue.

Silver Sage: 12/30

Magicalness: 6/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 2/10 • Lore stretchiness: 4/10

Silver Sage is a quiet Hellsguard elder, come to Eorzea from Abalathia’s Spine on an errand which he has yet to disclose. Although he is a skilled healer and counselor, his story is not especially dramatic -- as far as he has shared, anyway. I have had to fill in the quite sparse Hellsguard lore with headcanons in order to give him a measure of context. 

Zhah’ra Savaptha : 15

Magicalness: 5/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 5/10 • Lore stretchiness: 5/10

This surprised me a little bit -- but Zhah’ra has slowly developed to where he has every indication of being, if not a main character, then at least part of the main traveling party. He has a slightly exceptional backstory, and has just recently been given his first big push onto an arc which will hopefully explore the implications of his innate ability in conjury. 

Mamaati Maati: 19

Magicalness: 4/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 7/10 • Lore stretchiness: 8/10

Although Maati has a fairly plain backstory as the bookish daughter of a nouveau riche Dunesfolk family, she is poised to go on a journey of spiritual discovery with a definitely lore-stretching magical component. It involves Nymeia and fireflies.

Renan Avnei’shoham: 24

Magicalness: 8/10 • Protagonist-y-ness: 5/10 • Lore stretchiness: 11/10

Where do I even start with Renan? They’re practically off the charts -- maybe not as far off the charts as the Warrior of Light, but getting there. 

They are a chronologically-displaced chimera: a lalafellin Nymian Scholar and his roegadyn Nymian Marine bodyguard/companion were sent on a mission to investigate the Void Ark at the tail end of the War of the Magi, and a magical mishap jammed them together inside a stasis coffin. A millennium or two later, they were discovered by Negevs Ha’Dov, who gave the new entity their present name. (Yeah. It’s weird! Lore, what lore?) Although they have a great deal of magical knowledge and combat experience, their magical and physical abilities have been significantly compromised. As a result, between trying to figure out their new body and dealing with the information overload that comes from being so far from their home culture, Renan tends to be more of a sidekick type character.