#with her being protag's first ever tutor

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

mmmm thinking about... every element having a variety of expressions. thinking about an aesthetic of handedness, w/ certain expressions of each element being sinister and others being dexter, while the "root" of it can be used with either. this is also me thinking abt the aesthetics of mages having physical signs of their magic use, that grow and deepen as they become more proficient in casting. marks on their hands and arms. this would probably be agnostic to the mage's usual dominant hand, or maybe it's even that a right-handed mage who focuses mostly on sinister magic will become left-handed over time. ambidexterity is almost as rare in magic as it is irl, since it's usually difficult to be truly equally good at both kinds.

this is working backwards from the typical positioning of the twins wrt each other but i think dexter magic tends to be predominantly active, easily weaponized, very direct. conversely sinister magic is gentler, more easily used subtly for healing or manipulation. or possibly it's the other way round! i'm thinking of it as them casting with their 'free' hand since emmet seems to generally stand to ingo's right, but the thing is they do quite a lot, maybe even most? of their gesturing with the hand closest to the other, so it might be the inverse.

i also do really like the "one giant adventuring party" idea i pitched a lil while ago bc i think that's fun. with protag as the sort of nominal party leader, who is in a sort of weird position of being a very powerful mage who has no idea how to do magic. it's immediately visible from looking at them bc both arms are covered in glowing rainbow swirls, suggesting near-perfect ambidexterity in apparently every magical class, but every time they cast a new spell they're just as surprised by it as everyone else. and their giant party of mostly mages and then 1 or 2 physical fighters (someone pls help me balance teamcomp my squad is dying) is also there trying to help them learn how to actually. do magic not by accident.

[merakiui]

bestie if you EVER make a full length fic for the isekai leech twins protag who is engaged to azul you have to do me a solid and tag me! i want it soooo bad please lmk if there are any more crumbs

I think it would be fun to write! I'll be sure to tag you if I ever do! :D although rather than just a oneshot, I'd like to make it a series. Perhaps something small with just a few chapters. Aaaa but the more I think about it, the more exciting the plot can become.

✧ Mr. Leech hires Mama Rosehearts to be your personal tutor, in which you're then introduced to her highly intelligent son Riddle. The two of you become friends; you're just trying to network, but to Riddle you're the best thing ever and one of his first friends. The twins hate this development.

✧ Mama Ashengrotto dotes on you SO MUCH. It embarrasses Azul, but his mother can't help it. She just thinks you're so darling and so kind to her Azul, something she appreciates greatly. Originally Azul had no interest in you, so she was responsible for coordinating meetings for the two of you.

✧ Mama Leech is especially fond of you. You're her only daughter, so of course she's pleased to bond with you more. She likes having mother-daughter days with you, where the two of you can dress up and have breakfast or sit in the gardens and read together. No boys allowed. The twins tried to sneak into the last mother-daughter outing and were promptly sent away. T_T they try to spy and are always caught. While she's happy that her boys want to spend time with you, she also wants to have one-on-one time with you as well! You can come to her if you have any issues; she'll always listen, and sometimes she worries that her boys aren't being nice. She makes sure they treat you with kindness all the time.

✧ Papa Leech has a soft spot for you. He treats you as if you're his own daughter. Anything you want you'll have, whether it's a dress or a necklace or, strangely, brass knuckles???? He's not sure why you want them, but you tell him they look cool (the truth is that you're getting them so you can ultimately prepare for the bad ending should that ever happen LOL). He gets them, but he makes you promise to only ever use them for self-defense purposes. Floyd thinks it's so unfair that his father spoils you so much when you aren't even related by blood. >:/

✧ After your engagement to Azul, the twins have seemed much more invested in your life than they were before. They're also very handsy. You shake them off, but your scowl has yet to deter them. They just seem like you're annoying brothers to you, but the truth is they're trying to keep you from bonding with Azul. Azul didn't really care about this at first, but now he feels oddly annoyed and jealous whenever he sees the way they interact with you.

✧ Floyd acts like he doesn't like you, but he's so bad at hiding his very obvious affections for you. He gets flustered whenever his parents dress you up for nice events. You just look so pretty and sweet in your dress. He prevents anyone from getting too close to you at these social events by constantly hovering by your side. Somehow Azul always manages to steal you away when he's also in attendance at these events.

✧ Jade has a collection of items stowed away in an unlabeled box. They are things he's collected over the years and would like to give to you: a pretty stone, a bracelet, a charm, a hair accessory, dried flowers, etc. Though he's good at seeming indifferent and cool, he gets really flustered over the idea of presenting you these courtship gifts. So he pays attention to your tastes as they change throughout the years he's known you, and he buys or makes a little present for you for every year. <3

[cafiffle]

ok it's time to be cringe on main (like I ever wasn't)

in honor of the new game finally maybe happening, here is a collection of the Dragon Age OCs I've developed over the last decade or so. only two of them were my actual video game protags and have evolved a lot from there, SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHO (or don't, I'm not your dad)

(L to R, top to bottom)

Sina, Keeper's First of Clan Dahlasanor and baby lesbian who had to leave her clan in search of healing for the anime wasting sickness that claimed her life in her early twenties. She was all about that good good Dalish nature magic and thought of it as a sort of healing. A gentle soul with strong convictions, she spent her last months securing the union of her (small, decimated) clan with a larger, thriving one by marrying their male First.

Cade Harimann of Starkhaven, the second son of a noble family who gave him to the Chantry at a young age. He endured Some Bullshit at the monastery, leaving him already somewhat unhinged before he served in Kirkwall prior to the Mage-Templar war. He was kicked out of the Templars "for his own good" due to his massive PTSD-induced emotional problems, and now lives in the woods with his chill elf gf who doms him when he needs it.

Teren von Skraedder*, from a po-dunk town on the border of Nevarra and Orlais, is every bit the Grey Warden stereotype: a liar, a convict, and just generally kind of an asshole. She was recruited in her early 40's as an alternative to being executed for treason against the Nevarran crown, and has settled into Wardening over the last twenty or so years. She loves her younger siblings-in-arms, even if she's mean to them, and she gets a little more deranged every time one of them gets their Calling or dies in combat while she continues to grow older.

Benedict Quintus Artemaeus is an Altus mage from Minrathous who preferred to spend his days getting high and fooling around with other rich boys, shirking his studies and the politics of his Magister mother, nearly into his twenties. He finally had to get serious when his tutor aligned with the Venatori and got them both captured by The Enemy (the canon good guys), leading to a rocky but gradual ascent from hedonistic fuckup to Sort of Competent Guy Who Cares Occasionally. he's been compared to Emperor Kuzco and that's not inaccurate ok

Josephine "Fifi" Mariette* is a regular ol elf from Val Royeaux who, after failing to make it in the city ballet/opera/ye olde whatever, made her way as a cabaret dancer and prostitute until her marriage to a human accountant, Jacques. His family never accepted her, so when he was drafted and killed in the War of the Lions, she left town to briefly join the Freemen of the Dales. Finding that she was as invisible there as anywhere else, she opted to put her status to use and become a spy for (and on) the Good Guys while working as their housekeeper.

Obeisance "Just Barrow Please" Barrow*, a farmer's son from Crestwood, went off to join the Templar Order as a means of finding adventure, leaving home, and making his extremely religious parents happy without having to take over the farm. He served in the Jainen Circle for many years without incident, but very casually deserted when the Mage-Templar war began (hit da bricks, just walk out etc). He spent some time afterward as a mercenary, and his MO is to bop around being helpful where he can while also absolutely never talking about what he used to do. it's none of your business

*if you think you know her/him from somewhere else: you do, I recycle these shitheads constantly

there have been a few more but they didn't Take in the same way, so just these for now. ok byyyeee

[kbondoxxxxav]

Both for Kaito and Shuuji, 11/16/18/20/23 (pick any number you want for either of them!)

Yes my favorite divorced couple 💗

11. What’s the first thing you think about when thinking about the character?

Kaito - his design is super neat, his unbleached roots, his 🚫 eyes, piercing, black shirt, boots, etc—his partner is so cool too like damn that’s a hell of an evolution line, he’s The Cool Guy™ but he’s also the biggest loser lol

Shuuji - He’s overhated and he deserves better and after rewatching the playthrough again, he’s not even that bad like i don’t know i used to get annoyed with him like others too but after knowing more about him, he really is just traumatized kid being thrown to strange situation of course he would lost a lil bit of his sanity

16. A childhood headcanon

Kaito - I like to think he took some martial art lesson, i read a fanfic mentioned he took judo so it would be nice!

Shuuji - He’s the type of the kid their parents forced to go to Kumon even they didn’t want to lol, also i want to think every time he wanted to play with his older brother, their parents always stopped him with some excuse like “Your older brother is busy studying”

18. How do you think they were as a kid? (Like, were they shy, noisy, wild, etc)

Kaito - He’s just loud noisy kid, i just liked to think he used to be friendlier but not social butterfly either, so maybe he had a handful of friends to play with, and he always took care of Miu and fought every kid who mess with her (and also i liked to think Miu used to admire him until—well until that incident)

Shuuji - He seemed to be obedient kid who didn’t cause any trouble, or it’s just how he raised by his parents after all. I just think Shuuji might be a little bit more difficult to be disciplined than his brother at first until his dad started comparing him and he stopped rebelling and just did what his father wanted

20. A weird headcanon

Kaito - he’s quite infamous in school, i just think he’s that type of shonen protag delinquent who always had beef with the school gangsters, and maybe some of those gangs actually were interested to make Kaito join their gang coz he was strong but he was just like “nah i don’t have time for this bullshit i need to pick up my little sister from school bye assholes!!” and then he left

Shuuji - Shuuji once helped tutoring Saki and Minoru and they asked to play some songs, Minoru commented how boring Shuuji’s playlist was and started playing current pop songs on Shuuji’s account. Shuuji ended up listening to those pop songs secretly but he won’t admit to anyone ever he actually enjoyed listening to Doja Cat

23. Future headcanon

Kaito - So i don’t know why that Kaito having a band is pretty popular hc (maybe because he’s yamato expy etc etc) but i do like it and i will go along with it too hehe, i actually headcanon him to move to the city since high school, he started this band he met online so he left to the city to be serious on it, he wasn’t the type to continue college but not because he’s stupid or anything, but even if he continued going to college he would work first taking some part time jobs and performing in some gigs with his band for some years, and it would be funny if he took some major that was unexpected for him to take

Shuuji - i just like to think he worked with Prof Akiharu as his assistant, pupil, etc i don’t know something like that i’m sorry haha, his dad wasn’t really happy with it because yeah when his dad was satisfied anyway? I just think his dad didn’t want to do with him anymore since well, he’s already an adult anyway, he would just think Shuuji as a failure, but Shuuji already made peace with that issue, as long as he’s happy with what he’s doing now, it’s all that matter. Also i wanted to think Shuuji and his brother actually started communicating more and had better relationship

[amazingorangedangantrash]

Excuse me Orange. I have seen the posts of Makoto interacting with class 77 and as much as I would love to hear about it I'm really curious about how a relationship with class 79 and Makoto would be. More specifically Makoto and Kokichi.

Yes this is because I can't get the fic "Rosemary" out of my head. In summary, Makoto loses his memories and becomes a counsellor at a school in Germany after meeting Rantaro and adopts Kokichi. Besties Rantaro and Makoto with the disaster child that is Kokichi.

Hello anon! Thank you ever so much for being so polite and patient with me :). This post has been a long time coming, and people have requested it ever since I made those class 77 headcanons. I put it off partly because I was worried I wouldn't do the V3 characterisation justice. I based a lot of this off the wiki info, so I highly encourage anyone to add their thoughts or counter if they think of something different!

(Also since pre-game personalities are basically non-existent outside of headcanons, this is based off their killing game personas)

Makoto is excited to greet another school year, and some underclassmen along with it! With all the... interesting characters (turned friends) he's encountered in both his own and the above year, he can only wonder what the new students will be like...

Kaede- out of all the protagonists, I'd say Kaede shares the most similarities with Makoto, moreso than his own sister. These two would definitely get along and make a great tag team- watch out Hope's Peak, because these two will have befriended you before you know it! Makoto definitely admires Kaede's straightforwardness and her optimistic nature. They act as great support for each other if tag teaming another person/persons, as Kaede is bolder then Makoto, whilst Makoto acts well as a medium. They're both extremely loyal, arguably to a fault. Both Kaede and Makoto have lied in a class trial to protective their friend (a detective each time too, lmao). Apparently she also lied for his sake in the demo, which is sweet. I feel like they'd connect well over their mutual optimism and kind hearts. I think Makoto would convince Kaede to step out of her comfort zone- socially, she's very bold, but she strays away from activities that could affect her piano playing (by hurting her fingers) and can waste away a lot of time in the practice room. She misses out on a lot of potentially fun activities that way. On an outing with some others, she accidentally cuts her finger, and whilst Makoto apologises and tells her she was right to be cautious, she waves him aside. Despite being unable to play the piano for a few days, she fills her time with other activities and it actually... doesn't bother her so much. As an 'ordinary person', Makoto helps a lot of talented students by opening their eyes to seeing that their identity doesn't revolve around their talents. In return, Kaede offers to teach Makoto whilst he spends time with her in the practice room. Whilst piano is her favourite, she knows how to play other instruments, and teaches Makoto the violin (maybe you think he'd play a different instrument but violins are my favourite so I'm going with that-). They even practice together, and whilst Kaede still practices nearly every day, she finds that it can actually be even more fun with company.

Shuichi- ah yes, yet another detective. Makoto was initially surprised that they'd accepted another Ultimate Detective, since there's normally only one ultimate at a time in the school (aside from Luck, which is decided each year with a raffle or draw or whatever). It's revealed that Shuichi is actually undergoing part of a new tutoring programme, in order to increase the number of people with talents especially useful to society. He's to be tutored by his upperclassman... *drumroll* Kyoko! Being close with Kyoko and with Kaede, Makoto sees a lot of Shuichi and befriends him too. He helps out with Shuichi's lack of confidence and feelings of inadequacy. Unlike Makoto, Shuichi has an obvious role model that he both aspires to and compares himself against. Unlike Kyoko, Shuichi is much more connected to and feels responsible for the people his detective work condemns. Whereas Kyoko is confident in her goal to obtain the truth, in totally neutrality, Shuichi is hesitant about it, unable to feel unbiased and take a neutral stand. Makoto convinces him this is a good thing, that feeling guilt is normal and is a sign of being a passionate and sympathetic soul. Shuichi doesn't have to be the kind of detective Kyoko is- sometimes that kind of compassionate and caring person is exactly the mindset people want. He also reassures Shuichi that as painful as the truth is, uncovering it means being able to eventually move on, and embrace hope. (He also tells Kyoko to maybe be a bit more... /welcoming/ in their lessons, and eventually Kyoko grows quite fond of her student, discovering a fondess for teaching she didn't know she had).

They're both very humble and polite, and whilst Makoto isn't reserved, he can be very passive. I think the two would appreciate having more of a calm relationship, typical of a 'normal' friendship that is often er- 'lacking' at Hope's Peak. With Kaede's help, Shuichi would open up to Makoto and others over time. I personally headcanon Shuichi to have an anxiety disorder and depressive bouts, so I think someone like Makoto would be a great support friend, for him to go to when he needs company and comfort, someone to listen and to understand, and vice versa to an extent. I like to imagine Makoto, Shuichi and Kaede often spend time together (with Hajime too protag gang ftw). Shuichi likes to study in the music room with them. He's already good at research, but the music actually helps him... enjoy it more. (Maybe he takes up an instrument too, to give him a hobby to focus on, hmm).

Kokichi- Kokichi Ouma. Kokichi Ouma... what do I even say? Trying to wrap my head around his character is like trying to clear the death road of despair in your first try. Still, I'll try my best!

I've seen a headcanon before (i dont remember by who, if you know lmk and I'll credit them) that Makoto via his unpredictable luck would be immune to Kokichi's pranks, and I think that'd set up a pretty good basis for their introduction. I think if Kokichi and Makoto had to describe the other in one word, it would be... "frustrating". At first glance, they're practically opposites- someone like Kokichi, who seems to breathe lies instead of air, and a person like Makoto, who's so honest and open it's almost stupid. Makoto doesn't like how Kokichi lies so much, even if it means people hating him. He almost seems to WANT people to hate him (I think he said once that honest people scare him more than strangers). Makoto has a tendency to break down even the most difficult characters (coughcoguuh class 78 coughcofuh), and that both scares but intrigues Kokichi. Makoto couldn't hate him if he tried (literally the only person he ever even /disliked/ was Junko. Not /hate/, but just /dislike/? Really???), and it frustrates Kokichi that Makoto is so willing to trust him and put faith in him. Makoto isn't blindly optimistic either, he genuinely believes in people, and I think Kokichi would feel envious towards being able to trust so... freely. Part of Kokichi's childish and carefee personality and his perchance for lies is the manifestation of his desire for freedom. If no-one knows what he's thinking, if no one can guess his moves, if no one can use emotions or weaknesses against him, and he can do whatever he wants, isn't that freedom? Except it isn't. By not letting his guard down and being honest with people, in a way, Kokichi's lies have left him trapped, unable to open up out of a fear of vulnerability. Whilst Kokichi would be initially suspicious of Makoto, maybe even distrustful of or uncomfortable around his personality, I think having such a grounded, honest individual whom he can /rely/ on would be... comforting. Kokichi would warm up to him, and see that with Makoto, what you see is what you get. He's above all else, a /genuine/ person, though certainly not an ordinary one, and Kokichi learns to respect and even admire that. Kokichi intentionally pushes people away to avoid expressing vulnerability, by being intentionally unlikeable, but even so I think he's lonely. Pushing away others isn't out of a true desire to be alone (it never is), but a defense mechanism. That tactic wouldn't work on Makoto, and so Makoto could become someone who Kokichi not only considers a friend, but who wholeheartedly returns the sentiment.

Makoto isn't sure what to think of Kokichi at first. He's heard so much about this terrifying new student, an overlord of a secret underground organisation with roots all over the globe... and yet the first time they meet Kokichi is trying to drop a bucket of custard on him. I don't think Makoto would like how Kokichi lies so much- especially about things like killing people or sending them away to never be seen again. It upsets him how Kokichi can joke about it, and how he seems to enjoy toying with people's feelings. When Makoto has a goal, he'll follow it through to the end, so when he's determined to break through Kokichi's walls... well, it's not easy at first. He's also willing to keep Kokichi company and give him attention and hear him out, which Kokichi admittedly likes. Whilst Makoto isn't a pushover, he's also not going to threaten Kokichi or retaliate with mean words, he genuinely listens and entertains Kokichi even though he knows Kokichi is messing with him, which is.. really nice, actually. Even if he tries he can't really shake Makoto that much (pls after all the other -weirdos- people he's met?). Like oh-? They have to duel to the death with yu-gi-oh cards? It's lucky Makoto brought his stack with him! Kokichi orders him to play tea party with him? He loved playing it with Komaru when she was younger and was sad when she stopped! Kokichi tricks him into eating a really gross weird food? How did you know that was a family favourite! Kokichi is fond of Makoto, and is desperate to keep Makoto's attention on him, whilst at the same time not wanting to reveal his true feelings, leading to plenty of complicated situations. Eventually they reach a breaking point (i love drama ok) and whilst Makoto doesn't lash out at him, exactly, he admits that maybe it's best he leaves Kokichi alone, believing that maybe Kokichi truly is content to be the way he is. It's this event that causes Kokichi to realise that Makoto really is someone he'd rather not hurt- that he doesn't just 'like' him but truly cares for him. From then on he tries to dial it down a bit, and Makoto comes to understand how Kokichi's lying and 'cruelty' stems from a place of insecurity and fear of trust. He promises to be a person Kokichi can trust, to show him that vulnerability doesn't have to mean gettint hurt. Whenever the two are around each other all kind of wacky hijinks are bound to ensure, really. Kokichi loves having someone around to not only give him attention, but want to as well, and Makoto enjoys how Kokichi is willing to spend time with and entertain him, pushing him and supporting him in ways that he didn't realise initially. They both find the other extremely interesting, and their encounters usually lead to significant changes in their relationship and mindsets.

I like to imagine they'd spend time playing games and fanboying together- Kokichi adores video games, and it always poses a challenge going against Makoto's luck, which is great for someone competitive as he is. Kokichi also seems a fan of the shounen genre, and 'basic' Makoto is the only other person in the school aside from Hifumi and Tsumugi to even watch anime so you know those two nerds geek out constantly. Kokichi likes to play other kinds of games with Makoto too- and they really like word games- especially two truths one lie. Makoto is... suprisingly good at it. He's pretty poetic, and his genuineness makes it hard to disbelieve him. Which makes it all the more fun when going against Kokichi!

Rantaro- how would these two describe each other in 5 words? "A breath of fresh air". They're both some of the "normal-est" in the school tbh. It's really great for both of them to have someone to do normal teen stuff with. They love going shopping together, hanging out at cafes and arcades. They actually meet when looking for a birthday present for their sister(s). They both reach for the same one before apologising and insisting the other have it. Rantaro insists Makoto take it, since, well, it's not like /his/ sister would get it anytime soon... confused, Makoto asks why and somehow Rantaro ends up confessing the whole thing about his sisters' disappearances, and how he always buys a present for each of their birthdays, waiting for the day when he can give them to them in person. (Pls why does this always end up with makoto counselling the students akdhsjsj-). Makoto could definitely sympathise, having a younger sister of his own. I think they'd bond over that "older brother" role they share, and Makoto would definitely help alleviate some of Rantaro's guilt. I like to imagine that Makoto, whilst being a 'typical teenage boy', also has a lot of feminine interests that he might be a bit insecure about. I love the idea of Rantaro encouraging him to embrace that (guy has like 12 sisters, he gave up feeling shy about makeup, nail polish, jewellery and dressing up in tiaras years ago). Rantaro is the first person to paint Makoto's nails and he loves it so much-!!! They go out for boba together and wear matching green nail polish pls its awesome. Rantaro also tells Makoto stories from when he was travelling and its also amazing- Makoto loves hearing all about it, and Rantaro is actually an incredible storyteller. Though Rantaro initially adventured to find his sister(s), he remembers why he loved travelling in the first place, and he's able to look back fondly on those memories that used to be clouded with the despair of his sisters' disappearance. They even go on vacation together to a tropical island at some point (maybe with friends). I'd like to say Makoto's luck might even lead to them finding one of the sisters, but maybe that's a bit too coincidental ahaha.

Miu- hmm. I think Makoto would be a little put off at first by her vulgarity and very openly sexual and crude behaviour. It's not that he dislikes her, he just isn't really sure... how to react around her? Her and Kaede don't get along, and Makoto often finds himself playing peacemaker when he stumbles upon their arguments. To his surprise, though, she seems to actually... like it when they fight? In fact- she seems to like it when people give her the time of day at all, really. Maybe she's just... lonely? And well, she can be a bit... um- /obnoxious/, but she can't be that bad! Making him go to see her weird (weird) inventions, that must be her way of reaching out and trying to spend time with him, right?

And then she starts calling him "Ma-crap-to", "Naegidiot", "Makusoto", and "Na-unchi"

nevermind she sucks

Makoto, with his saintly patience, would probably end up getting closer to her similar how Shuichi does in his FTEs. (I'll be honest there's not much difference I can think of akdjsjjssksj-)

Kaito- Kaito! Who doesn't love Kaito. It's no secret Kaito thinks himself the centre of the Universe (insert space joke here haha)- he's the protagonist of his own life, and luckily for him, Makoto fits quite nicely into the sidekick role. Both of them are passionate, with big hearts and strong spirits. Kaito is really good at seeing through people too- (idk how accurate this is but apparently in the wiki it says he sees that Nagito isn't interested in his talent or him as a person so much as him as a symbol). Whilst Makoto obviously has a lot of respect and admiration for all the talented students, I feel like it's a lot more... genuine? In a way that he can appreciate the person behind the talent, more than the talent itself. Kaito is someone who likes to inspire people and I think this would resonate with him. I think the two could seriously get along! They're both hopeless (haha) romantics and stupidly optimistic lmao. Kaito can be a little hotheaded at times, so I also like the idea that Makoto could calm him down, or at least reel him in a bit. He's stubborn when it comes to... um.. certain types of people (kokichi) so maybe Makoto could open his mind a bit.

Maki: MAKI ROLLLL. Ok I'm sure she'd probably have to hide her talent until it all came out at some point. I think Makoto is someone who's very against killing (even Junko he believed there was a better way for), so whilst he wouldn't agree with her talent, I think he wouldn't hold it against Maki, especially because he's very good at separating person from talent. Makoto is very understanding, and I think that like with Kaito, he would try to befriend her and open her up. He'd probably feel bad for her, not knowing what a "normal" life was like, so he'd try his best to do that. I think Maki in turn would appreciate that, and slowly get to know him like she did with Kaito and Shuichi. (She also likes complaining to him about Kaito lmao).

(he also takes her out for sushi so she can see for herself what a harumaki is LOL)

I'm sorry anon, this is as far as I could go aksnjjssj. When I feel up to it I'll try and make a part 2 to this, but I hope this is good for now?

(Also that fic sounds awesome and I'll definitely have to read it at some point)

[ryttu3k]

First Bloodlines run - here’s how it worked out!

Didn’t get to actually finish - thanks, cutscene glitch - but I got to the last scene and I at least watched the Anarch ending on Youtube XD;; While I really do want to do at least two more runs, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to; either way, I mostly enjoyed my first run a ton!

More detail below the cut - how Sierra turned out as protag, and her views on other characters. I’ll write a separate ‘thoughts on Bloodlines as a game and its characters’ later on, this is just for Sierra’s run specifically.

So, Sierra as a character! Usually super high humanity - most drops were due to glitches or completely accidental (glitch - had to kill Hospital Guy because it flat-out wouldn’t let him escape, danced it back. Accidental - shot one of the hostages at Hollowbrook, felt horrible for it). One non-accidental one was convincing Ash to switch clothes with a guy at the club; she hadn’t expected the hunters to kill first and ask questions later. Yeah, also felt guilty about it. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy to put her at 9 for Humanity - she tried to help everyone she could, aside from those actively trying to kill her.

Ended up a much brainier character than I was expecting, which, uh, is usually what happens with my characters tbh. Still fits her character! She’s not scholarly (was a college drop-out) and prefers actually doing things than sitting still, but she’s clever and curious. Combat was usually almost always melee, because vampires with katanas are cool. High persuasion, she’s good at defusing a situation when fighting isn’t warranted.

Most-used discipline ended up being Animalism. Never did max out Protean :( Did use it a ton in dark areas, but mostly for night vision.

Sidequests - got a lot done. Failed three - Spiritual Release (sorry, ghosts :( ), You Only Die Once A Night (actually, I started this then died with 30 seconds to go, reset, and refused to start it again XD), and Dirty Dishes.

Missed or outright avoided Drug Trip, Trick or Treatment (Heather - the whole storyline with her bugs me), Daydream Believer (Copper is sweet, dammit, don't be mean!!), Replanting a Lily (never went back to the clinic after saving Lily), Traffik, And Her Name Was Venus/Venucide, Pimpin' for Romero, A Dish Best Served Cold (alas, you can’t convince the reviewer to give it a ragingly good review just to piss off SparklingWater XD), Model Citizen/Cover Girl, Poster Session, and all the Chinatown ones (I would have done Gone Fishin' if I had found it, refused Eye Gouge Hell, didn't encounter the others).

Character interactions - ended up ride-or-die Anarch. Part of that was that her literal first impressions were of Nines saving her life and Jack guiding her through how to survive a terrifying, bewildering situation, a lot of it was that she did start out as an activist in the first place, so falling in with the Anarchs was a natural continuation of that. Adores and looks up to Nines, felt horrifically guilty at the blood hunt, and was devastated when she thought he had died at Griffith Park. She was a mess after that (also a good part to do with rotschreck and spending a good five minutes or so trying really hard not to frenzy in terror), and it was only because of Jack that she didn’t fall apart completely. Jack is like the favourite weird uncle - she doesn’t know his involvement in the whole plot and I think wouldn’t quite understand why he set it in motion, but she really likes the impression he shows. Adores Damsel, and she’s not sure what to do with Skelter’s belief in the more religious aspects of stuff but likes him a lot too.

Aside from Nines, the other character she adores the most is Beckett! Her first words to him were literally, “Holy shit how did you do that that’s so cool can you teach me to do that?!”, she finds his adventures and knowledge absolutely fascinating, and she definitely started looking up archeological and anthropological stuff both for her own curiosity and to impress him XD

Other positive relationships - Jeanette is a bit complicated because of the whole Slashterpiece and pendant thing, but damn, at least she didn’t try to kill her like Therese did; while she wanted to reconcile the sisters, she was kind of relieved when Jeanette was the one who survived. Just found her more approachable and welcoming. Also definitely got drawn in by VV. She’s weak for pretty girls XD Got on great with Merc (despite the whole... Cammy thing), Knox, the Thinblood kids (who she hung out with a bunch while still in Santa Monica), Trip, Mitnick, and Ash (who she will fight people to protect). Chunk is a precious being who must be protected at all costs; at the Tower, she advised him that LaCroix was no good and he deserved better.

Complicated situations - initially did think Strauss was okay but her views on him soured fast when she learned about gargoyles. Isaac is mostly fine but they don’t have a lot of common ground, given her preferred genre is ‘loud action movies’ XD She can see why VV looks up to him, though, and felt quite sad about everything with Ash in general. Pisha scared her but she tried really hard not to judge, basically? I mean, predators gotta eat too... The cab driver bothers her for reasons she can’t articulate. Very odd man, that one. When she learned why the Southland Slasher was doing what he was doing, she felt sorry for him, and encouraged him to join the Anarchs for direction and a more positive outlet for his emotions.

Antagonists - mostly didn’t take pleasure in killing them, but she definitely felt pretty satisfied stabbing LaCroix >.> Will have nightmares for the rest of her unlife about Andrei’s house and the sanctum at Hollowbrook, the Mandarin’s tests, and the expression on Ash’s face when he talked about how much the Society of Leopold enjoyed torturing him. Gimble freaked her the hell out. And if she ever catches Vandal Cleaver alone, she’s going to flat-out kill him if she gets the opportunity.

For the future, I’ve been trying to work out how she and Lettow supposedly know each other (he mentions the fledgling as ‘a friend of mine’), given their opposing political views. I’m thinking their common ground would be that they’re both Gangrel; I can see them meeting by chance at some point, and Sierra requesting tutoring in Protean forms, which Lettow is pretty damn good at (she might be higher generation, 8th to his 9th, but he’s a lot older and more experienced).

Beyond that, info on her and her coterie can be found here! Yes, she fully appreciates the irony of dating a Garou, haha.

[destinycaught]

post - usum info ; gladion

Gladion after the events of the games was given access to all of Aether’s records, which placed him face to face with the sheer extent of the horrors that his mother had been enacting in order to attempt to get to Ultra Space. There was also the research on Type: Null, which was . . . very bad in its own rights. At first, Gladion had considered fully giving the reigns over to Wicke, but given they had both been traumatized by the whole experience ( him, a child && her constantly at the risk of losing her job && contact with her surrogate children ), he felt it would be unfair to leave her to fix the mess that his mother had wrought alone. Metaphorically, there of course were Aether employees && Faba, so not entirely alone. 

Although as a child he had began to be educated in the scientific fields, he felt it would only be proper if he had some training in the field of his new work. Therefore, he started being tutored by Wicke && slowly learning the workings of both Ultra Space ( or as much as was known, anyways- so much more was found after the whole protag can jump freely bit ), && Pokemon preservation. 

Currently, he’s 17 && hoping to help foot a traditional school for aspiring professor in cojoined help with Professor Kukui && Burnet. His hope is that given Lillie also has gotten interested in Pokemon preservation that she will want to attend && join him in Aether, but he would also get if she wanted to like. . . never see Aether Paradise ever again for obvious reasons.

[dlamp-dictator]

Allen Rambles about Assassins Pride

Originally, I was going to talk about Assassins Pride along with  High School Prodigies have it Easy Even in Another World as a sort of update/mini-essay post. However... the Assassins Pride portion got a lot bigger than I expected, I was over 500 words into it, and by that point, like so many other of my Ramblings, I just threw up and hands and decided to go all in. So, here we are... talking about an anime with only 2 episodes out and yet I’ve still managed to write over 1,300 words about in the rough draft of this “mini” essay. 

But first, a quick synopsis by Wikipedia, who does a much better job of summarizing this show than my first two drafts did:

Humanity has been brought to the edge of extinction and now exists solely in the last remaining city state of Flandore, where individual city blocks are housed in separate glass domes. Travel between the domes is possible only via train lines running through glass tunnels. The world outside the domes has become one of eternal darkness and is completely infested with savage lycanthropes.

Within the domes humanity is divided into the nobility and the commoner classes. Through their blood members of noble families are able to manifest mana which grants them powerful superhuman abilities enabling them to fight and kill lycanthropes. Melida Angel was born to a noble father and a commoner mother but has never manifested mana and attends an elite academy to hone her skills with mana.

On orders from Melida's noble grandfather, Lord Mordrew, the assassin Kufa Vampir is ordered to become Melida's tutor and discover if Melida is a true member of the noble Angel family. If Kufa discovers Melida is the product of her mothers affair with another commoner and not blood related to Lord Mordrew he is ordered to assassinate her. Kufa confirms Melida is likely not a noble but decides he cannot ignore her strong spirit and offers her a way to manifest her mana.

With Melida able to use mana for the first time Kufa must keep his actions a secret from Melida's family and from his guild, White Knight, or both he and Melida will be executed.

So here we have a Combat School anime mixed in with political intrigue and assassins. Nothing too out of the ordinary. Though my interest in this anime didn’t come from the mere announcement. Rather, it came from the manga that I read online almost a year ago that has slowly (extremely slowly) been updating.

And as of me posting this essay, this anime is gone through 10 chapters of that manga in 2 episodes. 

That’s... insanely fast pacing, and skipping quite a lot of important context. However, despite this I think the anime’s team might be in the right to do this, or at least I can see a bit of their logic behind this choice. 

But... before I go into that, I want to talk a bit about that manga in question and the things that made me gravitate toward. Mostly so I can have a Rambling this is more about the positives than the negative, as my last few have been... less than kind toward any series I talk about.

Ah, but I’ve rambled a little too long, let’s get to the first part this manga that I like, which is...

The Intrigue

If there’s one thing I enjoy about the manga it’s the way it shows how the nobility is. Like the synopsis said, the noble class usually inherits the ability to use mana, and specifically families can even inherit unique and powerful classes like Paladin, Dragon Knight, and Magic Knight. These are people raised to be warriors to fight demons, as well as represent their families and schools in tournaments and competition. So being in the noble class creates quite a lot of pressure to achieve and perform at a level that’s acceptable, if not extraordinary. The pressure is on these kids to do their best and live up to their family names, and the fact that Melida can’t even use mana leaves her ostracized and bullied. And the manga makes sure you know this. She’s taunted and mocked by her classmates at every turn. You see the impossible gap that a normal human without mana is would have to cross. You Melida get knocked down both physically and emotionally by those around her save for her maids. And you see just how little her father cares for her because of it. Not through his direct action, but the fact that Melida’s maids are the youngest, least experienced attendants throughout the family. That Melida herself is forced to live alone in the family’s spare manor instead of directly with her father. And boy did chapter 10 show just how much of a jackass her father is with only a few words and cold glare. This is a nobleman alright. 

And seeing all this just makes me want Kufa to succeed in making Melida into a great noble and fighter. Even if he has to cheat and break from his original mission to do it, just seeing Melida throw all that bile back into the faces of those who spat on her will be well worth it. To quote the man himself:

“That right there is the warrior you all called useless!”

Ah, but speaking of her teacher...

Kufa

This might be a little weird to mention now, but Kufa reminds me a lot of Zeabolos from Trillion: God of Destruction. I talk a little about that game here when discussing Idea Factory games last year, saying that Zeabolos was a good main character for having an actual personality and goals that didn’t just reveal around the main cast. Kufa is very similar in that regard. Both are older males past 20 with relations and interactions around a namely young female cast. Both have those relations played more realistically than pandering. In Zeabolos’s case, his female cast consisted of his nieces, cousins, sisters, and close friends. People he treated as family and not like awkward crushes, making those interactions heartfelt and fun to see, even the more pandering things, as Zeabolos rightfully doesn’t blush and get flustered around his own family save for Ashmedia who purposefully always tries to throw him off his game. 

In the same vein, Kufa treats Melida as his student first and foremost.He trains her in combat, scolds her when she falters too far, praises her when she succeeds, and basically acts as a better father figure than Melida’s real father could ever be. It’s a cute relationship, and it doesn’t end their. He teases and mocks fellow tutor Rosetti, not only keep her and her student at arm’s length but also because she’s enough of a ditz to fall for his taunts. He treats those that bullied and teased Melida... rather... harshly for understandable reasons. Point being, the author understood that Kufa was a person first, and character second, something a lot of other writers in the medium usually fail at. 

Plus, the dude actually has some pretty wicked fight scenes. He’s about as over-powered as most male protags in this kind of story, but since the story made sure to show the audience he’s an instructor and assassin by trade, we expect him to be strong from the get-go and can safely continue the story knowing the tension comes less from a powerful enemy, but rather the power system of government and oppression that a kamehameha can’t just blast away. 

Ah, but I’ve spoken a bit too long about the teacher and failed to mention much about the student. So let’s talk about the girl herself.

Melida

Boy… it’s no wonder Kufa would rather risk his life than kill this girl for someone’s political gain. Like I said when discussing the intrigue, she’s constantly put down for her lack of mana despite her hardworking nature. Even though she can use mana she’s still an accomplished swordsman and exemplary student. She trains her body everyday, she studies as hard as she can, and for all her effort... she just gets kicked down by everyone else. Her friends, her family, and up until Kufa came into her life and helped her gain mana all she had were her inexperienced maids.Until Kufa showed up she had to take every bit of venom thrown at her with a smile and laugh. She suffers a lot in those first few chapters, and you really want someone to save, to help her accomplish her dream of being a great noble and fighter. No only for herself, but to honor her late mother who everyone claimed was a part of an affair and that Melida herself isn’t even a true woman of the Angel.

And Kufa does, at the risk of both his own and her life.

And after that, we truly get to see Melida shine as the brave soul she is, now that she has the power and is slowly gain the skill to back up that bravery. It’s a nice foil to her cousin Elisa, a fellow student who does possess Angel blood, has gain the esteemed and rare class of Paladin, is rather powerful in her own right... but is an expressionless, cowardly girl that’s almost too frightened to face the demons. I’d go on to discuss Elise and her tutor Rosetti, but... this Rambling is getting long enough, so... more on.

Other Small Things Allen Likes

Just going to put this in list form for the sake of my sanity as well as the sake of moving on to my final point quickly. That said, here are some other small things I enjoy about the Assassins Pride manga: 

The world-building is surprisingly engaging to me. A world trapped in perpetual night with warriors of light being the only thing keeping away further darkness, along with the last bastion of humanity being a literal chandelier city in case you missed the symbolism is... surprisingly effective.

There have been some good fight scenes throughout the manga so far. Not many within the 20 chapters mind you, but all of which had some good build-up to them and rewarding conclusions.

Kufa not only succeeds as a serious character, but is the source of a lot of the comedy as well. The manga takes good advantage of throwing this cold, serious assassin off his game enough to be funny at times.

The expressions in this manga are done very well. Half the reason Kufa is so effective are the moments with the artist finally decided to give him a really dark or comedic expression.

Okay... now that I’ve gotten everything off my chest about the manga, it’s about time I finally discussed...

The Anime

Since only two episodes of the anime have came out as of the time of this essay I’ll try keep this short, but… no promises.

Now, in two episodes we’re already at chapter 11 of the manga. That’s… very quick. And chapters 1-11 did a lot of that build-up I was talking about in the last few sections of this essay. To skip all of that really does give this anime a mediocre feel to it, like it just wants to get to the big action shots and give more of a “best scenes” montage than a story.

That said, this isn’t a bad thing. As another anime did something similar...

Yes folks, Allen X is going to compare the action-drama combat school Assassins Pride to the bombastic sports parody Keijo!!!!!!!! 

If that disturbs you’re free to leave now, I’m going to continue.

Now, if you’ll mind the comparison, Keijo!!!!!!!! skipped its entire first arc in its anime adaption, over 20 chapters of manga, and the end result was honestly better for it. When you understood the context and plot of "Butt Battle Anime” you didn’t need much else. At that point, you can jump straight into the second arc that focused on developing techniques and had diverse battles for each main character. The exposition and characterization could be explain later, or even skipped if your suspension of disbelief could accept Keijo for what it was, an action-packed sports parody. 

At the same time, for all the good build-up the manga does, I can also admit that if you understand that context and plot of “Combat School with Assassin Teacher and Aristocratic Intrigue” you can probably follow the rest of the series just fine. You don’t need to know how classes work to the letter if you can see them in action in the tournaments and battles. You don’t need to know all the trauma and suffer Melida has been through if you got the point after episode one, as it’d be needless suffer-porn. You don’t need to know how deep in trouble Kufa is for going against his guild’s orders if... well, spoiler events happen in the next few episodes that will very much show how determined Kufa’s guild is to get rid of Melida. I’d also like to add that even with online fan-translations the manga only has 20 chapters available. 

And twenty chapters of manga isn’t enough to cover a 12-episode anime. 

I’m willing to be something that happens around the 30s will be conclusive enough, but the anime has to skip a lot to get to the meat of the plot. Actually, I know this is the case. Here is a link to the Assassins Pride anime’s english website. If you go to the character selection it’ll give you a list of the main cast. This cast consists of Kufa and Melida, the main character. Elise and Rosetti, the main characters’ foils. Nerva, the antagonist of these first 2 episodes. And... 3 characters we aren’t familiar with yet. These 3 in particular are revealed and explained in the latest arc, but as they just got revealed in chapters 19 and 20 and the manga has once again slowed down its updates as fan translations tend to do... we can only speculate what their purpose is. This tells me the latest arc will be not only meaty, but also intense with a main cast this small. 

I’ve got hopes for this anime despite my nervous feelings. And I hope the show exceeds my expectations. 

At the very least, Share the Light is a stellar song for an OP, and the OP itself is done well too. If this song is the only good part about this adaption… then I think at least something good came out of it. 

...

...

...

Usually, this would be the part where I once again lament the lost of the line break feature on Tumblr and awkwardly move on to my conclusion. However... there’s some things I have to get off my chest. Nothing related to Assassins Pride, but to the manga community in general that tends to scream and moan about the book being better than the movie one too many times for liking. So...

Allen’s Grievance

Again, this has nothing to do with Assassins Pride, so feel free to move on to the conclusion if your done reading my mad ramblings. However, there are a few things I have to get off my chest when it comes to comparing manga panels to animation frames:

First, let me say this: Anyone saying the manga is source material to the anime just became irrelevant. Assassins Pride was originally a light novel published in 2016 with 11 novels out as of this essay. To mention the manga as the main source is not only ignorance, but also arrogance, which is an almost unforgivable sin in my book toward anyone acting as a critic.

As someone who’s trying to write his own story I’ll also say there’s a huge difference between serialized writing and writing for a show. I’m not in the animation or show-writing business, so I can’t speak on that end, but in terms of serialization the focus is more on quantity than quality. It’s not just about writing a good story, it’s about writing a continuous story with frequent/timely updates at a consistent rate of quality. I can’t speak for the writer of Assassins Pride, but most places I’ve went to for advice in this regard focus on consistency of writing more than quality of writing. This type of environment creates a lot of downsides, but having this understanding also means that Assassins Pride, being a serialized story, likely has a focus on a long story to keep selling rather than focusing on overall quality. 

To that point, by the way the manga explains it, this story is suppose to cover at least 3 years of Melida’s life. Now timeskips will likely happen, but that’s a huge amount of content if they pace it right, and impossible for a 12-episode show to adapt well without cutting some corners in its own pacing, hence the reason they’re skipping this first arc’s details to get into the meat of the second arc.

And need I remind everyone that read the manga that you are likely pirating it for free. I’ve yet to hear of any overseas translation or sells of the light novel yet, so most people complaining about this point likely didn’t read this manga legally. I’ll fully admit I didn’t either, but I also believe most people should put their money where their mouth is. Literally. The main reason the manga translations are so slow is likely because the fan translators aren’t doing this as an actual job, but either for fun or for patreon money. And translators... you can honestly get better money translating hentai. Believe you me, there’s a big market for it and you’d be surprised how many people want context for their Japanese/Korean/Chinese porn.

As I mentioned before, you can understand a lot of details by simply seeing them in motion rather than having them explained to you. The Samurai class is speedy, the Gladiator class is a good attack, the Paladin class is an advance combat/support class, the Maiden/Dancer class is good a mid-range. These things can be shown through the animations and fight scenes rather than having a character explain it. The anime can easily show more than tell, and people need to realize a lot of manga, comics, and novels are guilty of overdoing exposition.

I could go on with my annoyance, I really could, but I’m going to stop their before this thing gets to over 4,000 words. 

So...

Conclusion

In short, I’m cautious, but I’m not disappoint… yet.

I’ll keep an eye on this anime. If anything, it definitely looks pretty, the fight scenes have been down well so far, and seeing Melida be cute in full color is great. If I just get a decent action series out of this anime, I’ll be happy. And hey, maybe the light novel and manga will be translated and sent to the west too. Here’s hoping.

Anyway, that’ll do for me. I’m gonna’ try and post something weekly again. Not so much a weekly update, but just essays in general.

[gizkasparadise]

Z. Ramble, on!

im gonna talk about how much i love luke skywalker–which is very very much–and why tlj is not only an IC character arc for him but one that makes him 100% more important to me

y’all of course, will likely have your own interpretations of him and that’s a-okay. but i’ve got about 20 years invested in mine and i am incredibly stubborn so any THAT’S NOT HIS CHARACTER!!! comments or reblogs might not be engaged with. that in mind, let’s roll.

to tosche station!

a lot of feelings about luke skywalker, as told by gizka

here’s some things i understand about luke from the original trilogy:

he doesn’t think things through. he’s curious and impulsive. his curiosity is one of my favorite things about him. since he’s the entrypoint character for the audience, we learn things with luke. we get excited with luke, we get angry with luke. luke’s curiosity does some meta work in letting the audience get immersed in the universe. he bugs owen. he bugs ben. he bugs han and chewie and is a walking bioware protag wanting fetch quests. what’s this laser sword? can i look down its handle?

his curiosity & impulsiveness are what save the Jedi. put on a visor and wave a laser around? sounds fun. go to a swamp planet in the middle of a war? okay. whatever this blue ghost-man has to say. the jedi, i think, lost curiosity– they lost the ability to critically reflect, to want to learn. they haven’t grown, even as the galaxy has grown around them (alluded quite a bit in EU content like KOTOR and also in canon with RotS). in the OT, we get two jedi: old ben kenobi, an exile who is referred to as a great general but is one of the most static characters in the series. throughout the series, he is moved into action by his surroundings or circumstances. he doesn’t seek luke out for training– the kid passes out on his yard. he straight up phased out of the adventure by ep 4. & then we get luke, this scrappy desert farm kid, and through his POV the jedi get to go from relics to something incredibly cool to be discovered– luke’s not the last of the old, but the first of the new. he’s dynamic and a catalyst and he charges through the story like a drunk bull

luke always wants to learn, but is frustrated by learning. we see how he’s quick to get angry or to quit, especially in ESB when dealing with yoda, that little hobgoblin. part of that is the impulsiveness & overeagerness– he wants to jump in and do things but doesn’t have the patience. this fits that “gifted child, struggling adult” trope. it’s Important that he doesn’t complete Jedi training his first try, that it doesn’t come easily to him. 

luke is often isolated from what’s actually happening. after a new hope, he’s the Hero of Another Story in his own trilogy. his role, tactically speaking, on endor isn’t necessary (remember that he didn’t go in with the intention to stop the emperor). it’s personal. it’s family matters. it’s impulsive as hell despite his newfound Jedi Chill. luke’s arc is purposefully set up to be a sidestep away from the grand battle of good vs. evil during RotJ–that’s leia’s arena (& i could talk a lot about leia, too. another day, another post there). after ben’s death, all of his journeys are solo journeys: he’s a student without a teacher

so he is, in a lot of ways, alone even when surrounded by his friends. he’s the only one trying to understand the Force. he’s the only one trying to understand Darth Vader. he’s the only one who actively confronts the Dark Side (and the only one who sees the Dark Side in himself). he hosts his father’s funeral by himself. and, at the end of the trilogy, he’s the only one that sees the ghosts

here’s what i understand about luke between the OT and ST:

he wasn’t a good teacher. how could he be? historically in GFFA, heroes don’t make great teachers– obi wan certainly wasn’t. or qui gon. or yoda or mace. remember how yoda made himself straight up die to get out of answering luke’s questions? i do. luke’s 0 for 2 in dissolving mentors.

in fact, i’ll wait for someone to mention a jedi master who was a responsible, positive mentor for their student without things going to hell in a handbasket. the skywalker mentorship program is a domino line of dudebro fuckery

so we have someone who didn’t get good training, didn’t have a consistent teacher of his own, but has an intense curiosity about the force and an inherited legacy he’s decided to run with. he doesn’t have children of his own & leia’s too busy being the Big Good and having a full-time job with benefits to sign up for jedi daycamp (& coming back to that leia post i might write one day, why the fuck would she want to do jedi training. jedi training has super fucked up her life!). but his nephew, ben’s namesake, shows force sensitivity. for the first time, luke’s not the only person who can carry on the traditions he never really got to learn in the first place. potentially, he has someone who can share his curiosity with

but luke’s not a good teacher. his curiosity comes with impulsiveness. and so he fails his first try at it, in a way that mirrors his first try at being a jedi. only this time he’s not just hurting himself in the cave – he hurts ben. and leia. and han. he knows it, too.

so he leaves. because he doesn’t know what to do. because, for the first time he’s experienced it, the force is frightening and no one’s prepared him for this side of it. he exiles himself, because his journey has been one of exile ever since dagobah. he’s on his own, because who can he talk to? where is the handbook for So You Scared Your Apprentice To the DarkSide? it’s in a fucking tree somewhere a billion light years away that yoda lights on fucking fire, thanks yoda

luke is the first of the new, but being new means not having experience to draw on. it’s Telling that, in his exile, he is looking for answers from the ancient order. because luke’s still a student, still learning, too

so, let’s talk TLJ:

let’s say you really fucked up an exam. it was the most important exam of your life. and you straight up fucked it. F-. suspension. your photo’s hanging up on a wall of shame somewhere

now imagine some kid shows up to your depression den, uninvited, and demands that you tutor them in the exact same material you fucked up in previously. by the way, she’s sent by the sister you irreversibly hurt, apparently galactic freedom depends on it, and she’s learning Force Shit from that nephew you almost killed in a Panic. 

it’s pretty understandable that you’d want to do one of two things: A. tell her no don’t do it, and/or B. maybe see what you can figure out from some old textbooks

except the textbooks suck because they were written by even more shitty teachers. this is the book your professor wrote and made you buy with no resale value. it hasn’t been revised or updated. this is first edition knowledge in a thirteenth edition galaxy. you, and this kid, and your nephew, are all on your own. you have no idea how to fix this shit. people have possibly died because of it. more people might die if you keep trying without knowing all there is to know about the force– what it can do, how it can manifest in people. the very thing that has been your strength your whole life (curiosity, a sense of adventure!, raw talent) is getting people killed

also yoda set the fucking books on fire

all three of the candidates for the title of the last jedi (luke, ben, rey) expect a legacy to inherit, a place in a more meaningful universe. they’re all, ultimately, disappointed. how they react to this disappointment is important: ben wants to burn it down. rey wants to fight for something new. 

luke faces it. he apologizes to ben and leia. he fights for the Big Good in what is once again, a solo fight. that is personal. that is about family.

luke, unlike the jedi before him, learns how to be a teacher. he dies alone for it. 

fuck anyone who says this version of luke is inferior, weaker, or OOC. i don’t want my heroes to get everything right on the first try– because no one does.

[aotoreiki]

Knife emoji for Ice!

Character Danger Level

RAW POWER:  ★★★★

Although he’s supposed to be doing physical training as part of developing his aura abilities, he’s not very motivated about it. Tomomi and Espeon get on his ass about this pretty often. But as far as actual aura use goes?

He has a lot of potential. More than he realises. I fully intend for this man to be able to do some kickass things once he gets his act together.

Currently, his defensive skills are stronger, and he will always prefer using a trick to redirect a threat, deflecting with barriers or just avoiding combat altogether, versus smacking someone with a shockwave. That said, he’s very much capable of smacking someone with a shockwave and ko’ing them with it. His control is good and his understanding of how aura moves is strong, even though his power output is only above average right now.

FORMAL TRAINING:  ★★★

Years ago he did some self-defence training, as it was demanded by his dad for practical reasons, but dropped it while working at Altru Inc. He is now being tutored by Tomomi, who due to where and how she developed her abilities, is adamant that he learn actual physical techniques.

Tomomi is a good teacher regarding aura. She’s been practising for 30+ years, so she knows what she’s doing. She likes to follow her own structure rather than a traditionally established one, and her teaching method can be a little like Toph from ATLA, but Ice has always been a fast learner. He picks up what he’s given quickly and he also figures things out for himself.

COMBAT EXPERIENCE:  ★★

He’s gotten into a few situations. Usually these have involved defending himself with his Pokémon. He knows how to not get his ass kicked.

The worst instances were probably any time he came up against Svern, which almost resulted in getting himself killed the first time, and the second time as well, though that wasn’t as bad as the first time since a) he knew he was walking into it and b) he’d trained with aura at this point, which Svern didn’t know about yet. He also had a lot more help from others.

I don’t really count his encounters with Rangers as combat except for maybe the very last time before he quit Team Dim Sun altogether, because the way I see the confrontations with him in-game is very... not threatening. His dialogue gives a huge vibe of it just being a game to him. I don’t think he was ever trying to outright harm the protag or anyone else (as opposed to Lavana and Kincaid), just bust their Styler so they couldn’t do anything.

WILLINGNESS TO KILL:  ★

Ice does not like violence. For one thing, he’s an empath, so he’s sensitive to others’ pain. For another, he just finds it distasteful. He’s never liked it.

So taking a life? The most likely way this would happen is by accident, and he would feel guilty about it afterwards. Ice is the kind of person where even in a situation that someone posed an active threat to his own life, he would want to find a way to neutralise them rather than eliminate them.

PREVIOUS VICTIMS:  ★★★

He has knocked people out and gotten them injured before, frozen them in ice so they can’t move, and at his point of greatest strain when he was most lost in trying to attain an objective, came very close to dealing fatal injury. This WAS under influence of the Shadow Crystal, and he was desperate and felt like total crap afterwards, but it still happened.

[kagero-assassin]

Thanks for the tags! @elillierose and @markofthemoros I am going to be so conflicted and second guess myself on this,,, OTL

Rules: Choose any three fandoms (in any order), answer the questions and tag people you want to get to know better.

My chosen 3 fandoms:

FFXV

One Piece

BNHA

The first character you loved:

Noctis

Zoro

Todoroki

The character you never expected to love so much:

Prompto. My sunshine child. My first thought of him was that he was going to be this generic blond, happy-go-lucky best friend to our raven haired protag but damn. He was anything but generic. His backstory and overall characterization were fantastic and I love him...enough said

For One Piece...So many?!? Like I didn’t expect to love Nico Robin as much as I do. In the beginning she was just sorta there for me but then I just grew to love her character and always wanted her to get some super awesome fight scenes. LUFFY? Ok confession time...I’m usually not too attached to main characters. Its just a thing but I absolutely love Luffy. Especially when he does a 180 and goes super serious....thats just terrifying. also depending on how you read this question...FRIGGIN TRAFALGAR LAW MY MAN~ *ahem* I knew OF him and had seen some screenshots but the more I learned the more obsessed I became with this man and hot damn I feel like I’m betraying my childhood faves of Zoro and Sanji...sorry guys

And for BNHA I would have to go with Aizawa and Tsuyu. Ok so with Aizawa I did already love him from the beginning BUT once I saw the end of season 1 my respect and love for this man went through the roof. This man is a total badass and I love him...have I mentioned? He is the best. And Tsuyu just an adorable badass in her own way. Again in the beginning she was just sorta there but then she grew on me immensely. 

The character you relate to most:

Definitely Prompto. I have a lot of self esteem issues from the way I look to the way I act that I try to cover up with ‘fake’ confidence and bravado that usually ends up with me being an odd duck to speak...I constantly fret over people possibly disliking me for something I say/do

Ace for OP I guess? I am very close to my family, especially my one sibling. I am very protective of those close to me. Also I am extremely stubborn and can pretty much sleep anywhere XD

Momo. not to sound arrogant or anything...but I was quite good at most subjects in school and most things came naturally to me. I also enjoyed helping and tutoring others in areas they had been struggling. I did have some confidence problems when it came to other matters that I still work on.

The character you’d slap:

Gladio? I love you dude, but sometimes *clenches*

Ohh boi this list would go on and on for OP but I would have to say Spandam for being the biggest douchebag to have ever lived and BLACKBEARD FOR OBVIOUS REASONS

MINETA-I DON’T NEED TO EXPLAIN THIS ONE

Three favourite characters (in order of preference): Oh please no

Prompto, Noctis, Ignis

Law, Zoro, Ace (HOW DOES ONE JUST PICK THREE FOR OP WHAT!?)

 Todoroki, Aizawa, Deku

A character you liked at first but don’t anymore:

Don’t think there is any for any of the three fandoms...I stay pretty attached~

A character you did not like at first but do now:

Ravus-I definitely feel like this is a common one...but yeah I figured we were going to get TM white haired angsty pretty boy..and we did? But not exactly how I was expecting. Especially after all of the DLC and realizing now the whole picture I like Ravus a lot more than when I started. I feel for him...

I would have to go with Franky and Brook. I think now that I’ve gotten back into the fandom and started rewatching OP (never got to Franky and Brook the first time) I just had this negative feel about them? I knew of people complaining that Brook didn’t have any time to ‘grow’ as a character and I just did not like Franky off the bat. However both of them in their respective arcs really grew on me, especially Brook and his backstory...gods I cried like a baby.

Definitely Bakugo. To me he was just this giant asshole of a character I really wanted to get punched in the face. But then it became almost...comedic? and more receptive from his fellow classmates vs just Deku and also Deku was able to stand up to him. Bakugo has really had an interesting character development I admit~

Three OTPs:

Promptis, Gladnis, NoctLuna

Zosan, Lawlu, Marace

EraserMic, Tododeku (honestly don’t have a third...)

Thanks for the tags again! I don’t really have anyone I want to tag? So anyone that sees this can go right ahead!

[hideyoshineki]

friend ball, love ball, Premier Ball, Timer Ball, Luxury Ball, Cherish Ball!!

Thank you so much Alyssa I love talking about Pokemon!!!

Ultimate Pokemon Questionairre!

Friend Ball: Favouriterival/companion

Omg at first I was like “this is an easy question of courseI have a favourite!” but now I’m like wait shit because there are so many ILOVE!!!! Blue is a favourite of mine, Silver has such a good character arc,Barry was my first rival so I have a soft spot for him, Hau is MY SON, I love Gladion(he’s a rival yeah?) and making myself angsty by thinking about how he escapedand built trust with Type: Null, and does N count as a rival because holy shithe’s like one of my absolute favourite pokemon characters EVER?!

Hmmmm I’m actually going to answer this with N because Ilove him so much. He’s really a good person at heart! He cares so much aboutPokemon especially since they were his closest and only friends and he has the ability to communicate withthem? He only really had Pokemon all throughout his rough times with hisshithead of an adoptive father and he truly believed that he was out toliberate Pokemon from being used as tools he really thought he was fighting forthe right cause?? Only for it to all come crashing down once he found out hewas being absolutely manipulated and used by Ghetsis and then Ghetsis treatshim like a freak and oh god N didn’t deserve that? And N felt like he and theB/W protag have a special connection and honestly they did like I love how theplot involved the protag with one legendary and N having the other that was sogood?? And then in the sequel N saves the B2/W2 protag and you find out he issearching for the B/W protag and he’s just *clutches heart* I love him so so somuch he’s such a good character!

Love Ball: FavouritePokemon

Weavile is my current favourite! Closely followed by Luxray,and then Hydreigon!

Weavile is just… so cool…. Its design, its KICKASS speed andphysical attack. Awesome (yes defensively weak but AWESOME) typing and ahhhhhit’s so cool!!!

Luxray and Hydreigon are also super super cool like Luxrayis so beautiful and amazing and strong like it’s an electric lion with x-rayvision that is amazing??? And Hydreigon is like, a combination of my twofavourite Pokemon types AND is a three headed dragon AND it’s a pseudo-legendaryAND it’s a strong special attacker!!!!

Premier Ball: Favouriteshiny Pokemon

I had to actually go here to know for sure, but it’s Luxray! It’s a black and gold lion that’s so cool! OnceI get the shiny charm in Sun I’m gonna Masuda method breed for one! My nextfavourite shinies are Tapu Lele (all the Tapus actually the black looks socool), Clampearl, Cresselia, Rimombee and Whimsicott!

Out of the shiny Pokemon I actually have myself though, it’seither Lilligant (I got it on the GTS in Pokemon Black and based off her allover the place stats/level/moves and the Pokeball she was caught in, I’m prettysure she’s legit) or the Sneasel line (I went looking for another shiny Sneaselbecause I transferred my first one to Sun before I tutored it moves it needed. Sonow I can have both a shiny Sneasel and a shiny Weavile!)

Timer Ball: Pokemonthat’s taken you the longest to catch

I have this horrible memory of throwing over 40 Ultra Ballsto catch a Metang in Black and White even though it was on red hp HONESTLY whoseidea was it to give the Beldum line the hardest catch rate the same catch rateas legendaries?????

Also when I replayed D/P/P, I vowed to catch Mesprit without using the Master Ball this time,which resulted in me spending so long looking for Mesprit, putting it to sleepwith my Gengar and getting its HP down, and of course that took a long timebecause as soon as Mesprit wakes up it flees and you have to look for it again.Once I finally got it into red hp I would turn my DS time to the middle of thenight so I could use dusk balls, and then I would encounter it, put it tosleep, spend a couple of turns throwing dusk balls, look for it again once thatfails and it wakes up and flees…. I did it eventually!

Luxury Ball: If Pokemonwere real, would you travel alone or with friends?

Ohhhhh at first I’m like YES with friends! but then I’mthinking what if my friends and I want different things and/or travel at adifferent pace so maybe we might be better off keeping in touch and catching upoften but maybe each accomplishing our goal individually? Plus, it’s not like I’dbe alone since I’d definitely keep a Pokemon out of its pokeball to walk withme!

Cherish Ball: BestPokemon memory

Ooooooohhh this is tricky. I can think of many occasionswhere I’d have amazing and super lucky wins against friends in battles (like thattime my Vivillon swept my best friend’s entire team that was hilarious! To befair, my Vivillon had used Quiver Dance), and so much of primary school like,years 3 to 6 was spent playing with other friends who loved Pokemon like we’dcollect and trade the cards (even when they were banned from school) and when Iwas like 9 or 10 my friends and I had a little “club” where we looked forthings to “prove” Pokemon were real, and when I was 11/12 I had a small groupof friends (actually we were a tight trio for quite a while and then morepeople joined later) where we would play out pretend Pokemon battles duringrecess and lunch. Heck even when I got to high school, it was thanks to Pokemonthat me and my now best friend became friends in the first place! (I made areference to Pokemon and she was like “…Where is that from?” and I was like “oh…Pokemon….”and she was like “WAIT you like Pokemon too?!” and that was how our firstconversation together began). Also there are the Mystery Dungeon games which Iam still so emotionally attached to because of the impact they had on me as achild and even now. Pokemon is such a key part of my childhood and my lifehonestly I love it so much bless its very existence!