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incorrectsibunaquotes · 9 months

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Honestly, I think I’ve discovered the actual reason Amber and Alfie don’t work in HOA like they work in the original HHA or DHA. And it’s not entirely due to the actual canon events that are written for this version of the pairing (the dating handbook, Amber’s “no” to Alfie’s attempt at breaking up, forcing Amber into the trial relationship in the first place, etc., etc.), though it certainly doesn’t help. It actually comes down to how their characters were adapted for the English version of the show, and how they are fundamentally different than the OGs.

I’ll start with Alfie first. Alfie in HOA is a goober. He’s doofy, well-meaning, and most importantly childlike. Not even just childish, but childlike. He’s boyish and bubbly, and he certainly makes some weird, sorta sexual comments (especially in S1), but on the whole he’s quite an innocent character. Essentially, he reads as very young. Which he is, especially at the start of the show where he’s probably supposed to be about 15/16, but could even be as young as 14.

Appie, on the other hand, is also a goober. But a different type. He’s honestly way more like Jeroen than Alfie is like Jerome, meaning he’s a something of a womanizer, a bit douchier, and on the whole reads a lot older than Alfie, which I’m almost certain is canonical across all characters (with HHA characters supposedly ending the show at the age of 19, with the timeline across the 4 seasons being only two years— three at most).

The few things character-wise both Appie and Alfie share intrinsically are that they’re besties with Jeroen/Jerome who doesn’t always treat him well, his love for a good practical joke, and (in earlier seasons) his pining for Amber. Of course, Appie also goes through phases of being a bit of a ladies man (see his random interest in Mara), but on the whole these things are constant. But already, the English version of the character is a lot more twinkly eyed and is like “Amber’s really pretty, I hope she notices me” as opposed to the Dutch “Damn she’s hot, lemme tap that”. It’s very subtle, because he’s obviously not a sleazy, bad guy, but it’s though being friend zoned by Amber (for the whole series) that Appie begins to loosen up and be less of a sleaze and more of the silly and whimsical guy we know him as; that’s because of Dutch Amber’s characterization.

I’ll come back to why all that matters, after I discuss the Ambers. (For the sake of keeping track, I’ll refer to them by their last names). Rosenbergh is a rich, pretty, ditzy party girl, but she’s incredibly perceptive. She sniffs out bullshit in an instant, especially with the Mick and Mara situation, but overall she has wicked foot-in-mouth syndrome and just sorta blurts out the first thing that pops into her head even if it’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever heart in your life. She’s extravagant, over-the-top, full of whimsy, and is downright silly. Rosenbergh is simultaneously a ditz and very smart. Simultaneously is the key word here.

Millington is not. She is a much more toned down version of her OG counterpart, and I think that is mostly due to the different actresses takes on the character. This isn’t to say, Millington isn’t any of the those of adjectives I used earlier, but the difference between the English and the Dutch versions of the character is that while Rosenbergh is both smart and ditzy, Millington is simply smart and plays at being ditzy. At least that’s how it reads, and how it reads is incredibly important in this case. Millington would never be caught dead in some of the situations Rosenbergh found herself in, because she’s a fundamentally more uptight version of the character.

So why does all this matter? Because the version of Alfie that we get from the very start is far more like Appie after a good hunk of his subtle character development— far more like Amber Rosenbergh. Amber Millington, on the other hand, is not the type of girl to ever mesh that well with a wild, goofy personality like Alfie’s. She’s just not. Alfie would work super well with Rosenbergh, however, because she’s this whimsical girl with a lot of heart. It’s why Appie works so well with her, too.

This isn’t a diss of HOA!Amber, by the way, because her English characterization is a masterful adaptation of the OG, but there’s a reason why even in S3 of HOA, at the supposed established point of Amfie’s relationship, they still feel so estranged from each other. At the end of the day, Millington has a different outlook on life and an entirely different mindset than Alfie. This isn’t to say they couldn’t work ever, but they’re just not the same pairing that Amber/Appie are.

It also didn’t help that Amfie had no best friends era. Like, sometimes I think we forget that Amber and Appie didn’t get together until the reunion movie. Like they weren’t a canon couple in the series. He liked her, but she didn’t like him back and they were besties. Their chemistry was chaotic and silly, and they had to grow into each other for them to work. Which is why they work. Amber and Alfie never did that, and part of me wonders if that wasn’t entirely because of the plot the English writers put down for them, but rather because the was Ana and Alex played the characters off each other just didn’t allow for it.

Which brings me to my last point: Willow. Arguably, Willow is more like HHA!Amber than HOA!Amber is, and that’s all because of the magic word I’ve been using this whole, poorly-written essay: whimsy. Willow is the glitterbomb to Alfie’s fuse. Their dynamic feels exactly the same as Appie and Amber because Willow is the writers’ second attempt at having Amber Rosenbergh in the picture, and that’s why Walfie works so much more naturally.

Anyway, this got long and I’m sure I missed stuff but yeah. TL;DR: Amfie was unable to replicate Ampie bc they’re just different

#this became an essay but i truly think i cracked the case #this also might be confusing so forgive me if it reads like I’m actively having a stroke while writing it #house of anubis #het huis anubis #amfie #ampie #amber millington #alfie lewis #amber rosenbergh #appie tayibi #all the Appie/Amber stuff also applies for Delia/Felix btw #walfie #willow jenks

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angelbitezzz · 3 months

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Don’t feel bad! You’re not obliged to have anon on! :0

Also, idk if it’ll let you answer this ask, but if so… I’ll take one of each, if that’s ok!!

💕👋⚖️⭐️⚫️❓

(If not then just whichever you’d like to share!)

Okay warning, this is way longer than I thought it would be! So I'm putting my answers under the cut here

For the 💕, I think this one [It Takes Two] works (ik in the source material its a song between sisters, but i read it differently for crossbones and starstruck. It's definitely a bit more high-energy and peppy than either of them actually are, but I see it more like the romantic dynamic between their heroic personas. It's all geared up to eleven--both of them have to act differently in costume.

For 👋, I like Hummingbird. The song is mostly just vibes but there's definitely lyrical significance for some aspects of their relationship, y'know? Plus, the whole scene that the song is from in Across the Spiderverse is two superheros taking time away just to spend it with eachother. Kinda perfect?

For ⚖️, Sunlight by Hozier definitely feels right. It's a sweet song, and there's significance in someone who's never known the sun ascribing it to someone in their life. Just saying :3

It is. SO HARD to find a good song for ⭐️. Maybe I should make a playlist...what do you guys think?

Anyways, Tarantula by Gorillaz. It's one of their sweeter songs, and it's about like...well, not settling for someone? More like choosing eachother even with the shit in either of their lives? Thats how i see it

Oof, I already posted a rather angsty one with another ask. For ⚫️, I think This December by Ricky Montgomery is a good one--though I almost considered another song from the same album, Snow. There's conflict, y'know, if internal--how do you separate someone you care for from someone who's sacrifice would mean so much to everyone you know? Morally, Sans is an interesting character (I'm talking largely of his Undertale iteration, but since ts underswap tries to keep things relatively unchanged in regards to personality, he also counts) because while he is someone who I'd consider a good person, he's the same guy who more than likely would've attacked frisk on sight if he wasn't such a loyal character. There's love here. There's also the persistent, nagging knowledge of what needs to be done.

And finally, ❓. For the miscellanious song, we have Stars In the Sky by Kid Cudi for the second Sonic thr Hedgehog movie. I know it's a little silly, but lyrically I consider it a fantastic song for Crossbones and Starstruck! Angel is no stranger to the villain that is being mentally ill, and being separated from everyone she knew and essentially becoming the local semi-homeless human in a place that, while very silly and kind, is still hostile to her sucks. Doing the superhero gig--or rather, participating in the saturday morning cartoon gimmicks as either Starstruck or Koffin K's Spooky Servant is a good distraction. She likes it, and she likes getting to spend time with Sans like that. In a way the Starlight Isles are something of an escape for her, a dream-like forest suspended in eternal twilight where she gets to play the hero or the villain on a whim, with no real consequences. For now.

AAAAND that's it! I actually...did not expect to write so much. For your trouble, here is a drawing of the goobers.

#rb #art #my art #digital art #doodle #undertale #sans undertale #sans #ts underswap #ask game #ts underswap sans #underswap #self ship #self insert #ts underswap self insert #Crossbones and Starstruck #WOW i put more thought into this stuff than i thought

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poltergeistsoup · 6 months

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Who's your favorite member of Gorillaz and why? :°

Girl (gender neutral) this is the Murdoc Enjoyer blog. He’s my favorite for the same reasons as everyone else: because I have a normal and uncomplicated relationship to my dad he’s a silly little guy :)

Fine here’s an actual answer:

Him being goofy is such a core element of his character that is frustrating when people don’t include it in their characterization. It’s what makes him so enjoyable rather than just being an asshole. It makes him more non-threatening— whether it’s because he’s full of shit, playing the fool on purpose, or him just naturally being a little goober. He’s a clown first and a musician second. In phase 1 Noodle says she likes that he makes her laugh and it could partially be her not taking him seriously, but also we see him trying to make people laugh all the time (you especially see it when Phil Cornwell is just improving and doesn’t have a strict script).

It makes it fully believable people would like him. Funny guys win. It makes people let their guard down, and it makes it easy to control how people see you.

He’s also motivated by a desperate need for control— keeping 2D close, spinning lie after lie to maintain attention and keep his true self nebulous, his fear of his bandmates leaving him behind. And it drives him whether he wants to be loved or feared. His ego crumbles any time that control is threatened and it makes him willing to change tactics to maintain it— so he’ll start yelling and throwing things *or* cry at your feet if one of those will get him what he wants.

What also sets him apart from other “asshole man” characters is that he’s not really behooved to prove his masculinity. Like obviously him wearing thongs and wanting to be strung up by a dominatrix and doing drag (him doing queer shit, essentially) is meant to be funny but also. I just like that he’s not ashamed of those things. He’s not in the closet, not out of the closet, but a secret third thing: “what’s it to ya.”

TLDR he’s everything to me. He’s a short king, he’s bisexual, he’s a clown, he’s utterly tragic, it’s entirely his fault, he’s a butch lesbian, he’s wet and pathetic, he’s babygirl, he’s a beast, he’s a catboy, he’s a deadbeat dad, he’s Mommie Dearest, he’s a drag king, he’s a whore, he’s the worst, he’s so deep, his story is mostly stupid, he’s mediocre, he’s exceptional, etc.

#gorillaz #murdoc niccals #asks #anonymous

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peaterookie · 4 months

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Elongated Emperor's Pokemon Infopost

hi!!! everyone!! This is a bit different from what i usually do A year ago, I've had these paradox pokemon designs sitting in the gutter, getting extremely dusty, so now I'm giving them a fresh new redesign and additional info about them!!

These pokemons are based off of @diamondpastry's OC, Longkii !!

here's what he looks like. but this post isn't about him, it's about my thing. so shoo longkii

paradox pokemons are essentially variants of existing pokemon but reimagined into what they would look like in the past or in the future. it's much more complicated than that but i think i would be here all day if i have to explain everything throughly.

This post is for the past variant I have created, which is named Elongated Emperor. If you want to see the infopost for the future variant, Iron Launcher, then go here! >> [Iron Launcher's Infopost]

i will explain all the things about this big guy and go into his game info if he were to be in the gen 9 pokemon games, so let's get started on his design!!!

silly goober!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The main design inspiration for EE is that of the caterpillar and the man-eating worm. i can easily imagine a dangerous, giant, fat bug like this living in the past, and Longkii's very long body can easily be described as a worm. why would a bug have feathers and horns though? this is because paradox pokemon usually have very ridiculous features!

take the paradox version of Volcarona and Suicune for example. Slither Wing(left), despite being a bug pokemon, is covered with fur and has a rather out-of-place dinosaur tail. Walking Wake(right) on the other hand, changed from a leopard to a raptor and has two tails!! its kinda sick ngl

these design philosophy are stuff i tried to incorporate in Elongated Emperor. I also tried to make it as colorful as possible and cover it with markings, much like a primitive animal.

The crown Longkii sports in the og design gets changed into red feathers, much like a peacock's feather that it uses to attract a female peacock. Instead of attracting a mate however, EE uses its feathers to attract its next meal. the red circles around the arms also for the same use, it isn't there just for show!

these two things have psychic, hypnotizing properties, which explains the secondary Psychic type.

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I also want to explain the general personality and vibe i wanted to show through EE's design. The giant and tall stature shows a bit an imposing vibe, and its plump body is a sign of wealth and royalty, much like how fat people were seen in ancient civilizations. EE clearly does not need to do a lot to get a full meal everyday.

The colorful feathers and the markings on its face and fingers is there to show that it dresses to impress! To be a king, you have to look like one- no speck of dirt, no unkempt feathers. It wants to look as beautiful as possible, so no one would suspect that it hides a filthy and monsterous side to them....

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Game Data

this is the spread i made for EE's base stats! together it totals up to 570. i also want to preface that this is the first time that i've made up base stats for a pokemon so sorry if this is a really bad spread!! i would love to learn and improve for future project.

when making this, i wanted EE to basically be a bulky physical attacker with very slow speed to make up for it's bulk.

its super high health is also supported by its unique ability, Prosperity! it essentially functions as a Big Root, where it heals an additional 30% HP when EE uses a move that heals itself. this will be made much more relevant when i get to its moveset.

here are the pokedex entries! and no, i'm not telling you where the mouth is located, its more fun to see you figure it out for yourself !

i also wanted to write a lot more, here were some of my other ideas:

facts about it lounging around in caves

when a meal is too malnourishes, it hypnotizes the pokemon to stuff itself until it grows fat, then it will be eaten

facts on how it has the capacity to swallow an entire arbok whole

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Learnsets

lastly, here are the moves EE will learn throughout leveing! i have also made tm learnsets, but it's too long so i will be putting the sheet link for everyone to look at at the end of this post.

obviously, most of their attacking moves will deal physical damage as they have a higher attack than special attack. most paradox pokemon usually start out with pretty strong moves already so i also copied that as well. i also added a lot of healing moves at the beginning, and then a big power up in the form of Leech Life and other draining moves to match with its ability.

You can also notice that there's some moves that involves biting, this is in purpose to show that it has teeth :) The rest of the attacking moves involve them thrashing their body around. Given their shape, they shouldn't learn any high-precision moves.

I should also mention the highlighted move, Fast Food. this is a signature move of EE made by a friend in Dia's server, Gold! so tysm for this idea.

Fast Food - Elongated Emperor rushes to take a ferocious bite of the target that can last 3-6 turns. If the target is holding a Berry, there's heightened chance of it biting longer. Restores 5% of health per hit. (+1 priority)

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ngl, i think this pokemon may be a teensy bit overpowered.

i think if i were to have this guy in my team, i would give it these moves (i am not a comp person so please dont bully me for these choices 🥺)

Item: Leftovers Leech Life | Zen Headbutt | Drain Punch | Belly Drum

Anyways, that's all I got for Elongated Emperor! I hope you found the silly gluttonous worm cool to read about. Stay tuned for a post about Iron Launcher and goooodbye

#pokemon #fakemon #waddle dee #kirby #i guess?#peaterookie art #peater rambles #crown waddle dee

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cookieblobber · 9 months

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The Strength of Knuckles in Sonic Frontiers

After seeing how so much better the writing and characterization has been through Amy, it only leads one to wonder:

What are they gonna do with Tails and Knuckles?

By now you’ve probably already gotten the idea of what’s the issue with Knuckles. Once a fascinating, unique character who was the only one left in his species and isn’t very familiar or accustomed to the rest of the world due to the burden he has to carry of protecting the Master Emerald/Angel Island full of his ancestors’ history, to a big goober who talks about how much he is so strong and can do anything, yet gets easily shoved aside for comic relief (ala Gens and Lost World; also I don’t wanna really bring up Boom Knuckles since it is a whole different interpretation of the character and as we all know, he can be pretty funny).

Imo he was probably at his worst in Forces. Sure the idea of him leading the resistance makes sense since you know, ancestors being warriors and all, but…the motherfucker KILLED 80% of his troops doing “Operation Big Wave” …and it’s just kinda brushed aside too??? Like this isn’t even brought up as like a devastating emotional scene where Knuckles realizes he fucked up and nearly wiped out a whole army, or shows the whole resistance is losing hope or anything, it’s just a random text box told by Amy during a level…but we can’t focus on that as we have an Infinite fight with the Avatar coming up!

Ok ok I’m straying off topic; Frontiers Knuckles is beautifully written and the story takes his shit with the severity it needs

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Knuckles

was surprisingly given his own little animated short before the game came out, acting as a prologue (there was also a little comic featuring what the rest of the cast was doing before the events of the game but, it’s nothing noteworthy. Just kinda shows how they got interested into heading to Starfall Islands). After watching the little cartoon….

That was some of the best animated Sonic content I’ve ever seen.

The animated short establishes Knuckles’ character and background so fucking marvelously. A lot of past animated shorts from the official Sonic YouTube channel/Powerhouse Studios usually went for more slice of life, silly and cartoony stuff (which is fine and dandy, I like them too), so it was surprising how they went for a more serious and quiet route with this short.

We see Knuckles finally back guarding the Emerald again. He ponders once again about his ancestors, monologues about preferring to do things on his own while doing his job guarding the Master Emerald. He begins though to question about where did the emeralds even come from, why is it so important for him to guard what is essentially a burden to him? Tikal’s light shows up and guides him to somewhere through Sky Sanctuary, and along the way we see such beautiful animation of him gliding around (pretty sure this is the first time in 2D animation he’s shown to glide) and helping out Chao that inhabit the area.

After some exploring, Knuckles finds a Chao trying to retrieve a stone mask (eerily appearing to be the face of a Koco) buried under a pile of rocks. He smashes the pile, gives the mask, but notices a teal green gear on the ground obviously ripping off Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and a whole newly opened ruin…older than anything on Angel Island. At the end of it is presumably a Cyber Space structure, with a gear slot that he puts the gear in, transporting him to what, honestly seemed like Chaos Island; enemies show up, and a massive beatdown happens, showing just how fucking amazing Powerhouse Animation Studios’ can be and only blue balling every fan watching from the idea of a 2D animated Sonic tv show to happen one day.

Sage though shows up with Asura and defeats Knuckles. We then see Knuckles contained in Ares Island, no way to come out on his own. He begins to monologue again

“I don’t need anyone to get by…

“but sometimes…”

———————

In just 6 minutes, Knuckles has been redeemed. Yes he’s a bit clumsy, he can be hotheaded, but it’s clear he has his reasons for his flaws than just being the silly character who is that way for the sake of jokes. The red echidna is capable of having more serious thoughts, thinking about his family and his current position, how unfortunate things are. And regardless, it’s shown he really can do things on his own, he’s able to run the island by himself and be a strong presence any creature that lives on the island can rely on. He’s shown to be capable of putting up a good fight and taking out a whole group of enemies, he’s finally showing to be more than just all talk no game; out of all of the friends in Sonic’s group, he’s the one we’ve wanted to see again for so damn long considering his first ever introduction was being Sonic’s main rival who runs this floating mysterious land. Sonic works best with his legs, Knuckles works best with his fists.

I mean the motherfucker PUNCHED the Super out of Sonic, I think it’s reasonable people would have their expectations of the character to be somewhat high.

And coupled with the stellar animation and choreography, it’s some of the best 6 minutes for any Sonic fan to enjoy and revive their appreciation for the franchise, reminding them why they’re invested in it all these years later with all of it’s ups and downs.

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Sonic crash lands into the desert-y Ares Island, and see he has to hunt down the emeralds once again

Unrelated, but something I’ve noticed is that mostly each island in this game kinda acts like…it’s own Sonic game? If that makes sense???

Like, you look back on the classic games, specifically Sonic 3, right. You find a character and get a gist of their personality, throughout the new island you’ve landed on however, you go through levels and obstacles, entering special stages to retrieve emeralds, collect all 7 to take down the final massive boss in this epic Super Sonic showdown.

What do you do in an island in Sonic Frontiers: You find a character, get a gist of their personality, throughout the new island you’ve landed on however, you go through random separated obstacles, enter special stages Cyber Space portals to retrieve keys to unvault emeralds, collect all 7 to take down what many consider to be on par to a final massive boss in this epic Super Sonic showdown.

Specifically in Ares Island, you’re shooting back the missiles the boss is firing to be able to weaken and attack them…hmmmmmmmmm

Fascinating parallels if I do say so myself.

Sonic immediately starts investigating and to his surprise, Knuckles is trapped here. Freeing him starts some dialogue, and once again Ian Flynn showing off his skills and giving us quite possibly some of the best interactions between the two characters the franchise has ever seen. Sonic usually keeps teasing Knuckles and making jokes at him to of course get a reaction out of him; both are at bit of playful odds with each other, like genuine bros just handing out teasing each other and having a good time and bantering, and it’s just so wholesome to watch. Admittedly, probably cliche to say at this point but, some moments lead to slight homo energy, especially with how Sonic keeps looking at him 💀

Sega isn’t making things any less subtle 🫢🫢🫢

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What I like the most about Knuckles’ writing here is that he barely boasts about how strong he is an all akin to Generations and Lost World. In Gens and LW, it’s usually really played up where he says, “I could’ve done better, you know!” but then something overly comical happens to him that might make you think he’s just talking to look good and make you eye roll, that he’s a bit of a fraud overhyping himself up. Here in Frontiers: he definitely still tries to keep up a tough demeanor, but it’s not immediately met with him looking weak and powerless. Around the end of the boss fight, he claims about Super Knuckles could’ve done better, but it’s obviously just bantering with Sonic like how they’ve been doing throughout the whole story. And even then, it’s already been shown he really is capable of putting up a fight, shown in the prologue video and a scene in this game where he was about to fight Sage for attacking Sonic. There’s a level of respect still done to the character instead of being there for the sake of comic relief.

Like Amy, he’s helping his own Koco, that being soldiers of some sort of army. It turns out through a sort of interactive flashback, the Ancients that inhabited the islands had created massive walls of defenses of some kind. Unfortunately, some random powerful being immediately wiped it all out in an instant. This leads to Knuckles approaching the Koco that brought him to these defenses and noticed it’s still, signifying that the Ancients were killed in that sudden attack (since the ancients’ souls seem to be related to the Koco). A moment of silence is given for the fallen Koco, who’s soul has been now laid to rest.

Later, we see Knuckles trying to round up an army of Koco soldiers, cowering in fear of what happened to one of then, to head to their bunkers to protect themselves. Essentially it’s just Knuckles playing along to help the souls of the ancients within the Kocos be laid to rest as well. Sonic helps out, and in the middle of it, Knuckles notices the ruins around them seem similar to the ones on Angel Island, theorizing if the Ancients that have survived whatever attack on Starfall Islands have once inhabited Angel Island. It clearly resonates with him as it shows there could be a more noticeable connection between his people and the Ancients than he thinks (after all the ancients seem to look a lot like Chaos, the water god who protected the Master Emerald).

Suddenly, giant towers launch an attack on the ruins, and in this case, Knuckles is unable to fight due to his cyber form (he could only do so with Sage as she was able to interact with whatever happens in Cyber Space and Starfall Islands). He starts to worry about another sudden attack ruining the Ancients home, so it’s up to Sonic to stop it.

This helps put the rest of the Koco army finally to rest as whatever unfinished business they had has finally been settled.

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After everything is settled, Knuckles is seen sitting down, pondering again. The scene is silent, gloomy, and gentle. Sonic approaches him, attempts to say something but, realizes he’d just ruin his little moment thinking alone.

With him being alone with Sonic, he shows a rare moment of vulnerability: a fear of being alone. Knuckles starts to monologue about his ancestors and what they’ve done, and the consequences of their actions; being the last of his species. Seeing in the flashback how the Ancients were wiped out by an unknown powerful force, and seeing them be attacked at random by another unknown force, it reminded him of his own generational trauma.

Sonic, as optimistic and cheerful as always, reminds him he may be the only echidna, but it doesn’t mean he’s the only living person, as he got other people. Knuckles admits he’s into Sonic’s freedom lifestyle, which Sonic encourages him to pursue as well, of course once things are back to normal.

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As mentioned in my essay on Amy Rose, it’s gentle, quiet moments like these that sell the unique tone of Frontiers. Moments like these showcase why even after all these years later, no matter how these characters are made out to be in all these stories, there’s a good reason to be in love with them and invested with their personalities and goals. This franchise may be all about running around and going fast, but it doesn’t hurt to take a step back and sit down; these moments we haven’t seen since I guess, Sonic Unleashed, and moments that could’ve benefited games like Sonic Forces.

It’s so nice to just have characters taking a moment to talk things out and show appreciation for one another. It’s such a breath of fresh air to see them show to be more than just background characters that tag along Sonic; they have their own goals and wants in life. And at the time of me writing all of this, it makes me more excited to see what Update 3 does to these characters.

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Knuckles is a very special character, where the fact he has this very specific burden he has to put up with that no one he knows might ever be able to relate to or fully understand…oddly makes him relatable. We all have some problem in our lives that may feel like no one else will ever get: certain trauma, mental issues, just things that we just have to accept will be a part of us for the rest of our lives whether we like it or not. Said problem may never have a proper solution or a way out, it’s the unfortunate truth.

But, like Sonic, there will always be people around to keep you on your feet and show you why you should always put up with said issues and do what’s right. They may not fully know what’s going on, but they will always try to help you find a work around to your problems and other ways to enjoy life regardless of the issues that may hold you back.

You may be the only one who may go through a certain dilemma, but you’re not the only one in the world who can help you deal with it. There’s always people out in the world to turn to when times get tough.

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic #sonic frontiers #Knuckles #knuckles the echidna

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flipperdipper10 · 2 months

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Magia Record is a funny game and Scene Zero is even funnier.

I've already talked about how Shigure's story is kinda ironic since she made her wish and then did the exact thing her wish was meant to prevent.

The funny part is that she isn't the only one who does this, Scene Zero does this too with Mabayu. Also, spoilers for Scene Zero film 12 below.

I love this girl so, so much. She's such a goober. Why is so silly. I hope she goes to therapy.

But essentially since I'm mostly watching Scene Zero via the translations 29udon is doing on youtube (seriously go subscribe to them they're doing gods work) right now we're at 12-20. And this is where the finale of Mabayu's backstory as a magical girl just finished playing out and we learn of how Mabayu reacted to this.

We learned that Mabayu worked with Mami to help girls contract by seeing the future and knowing what the girls would wish for and as a result would tell Mami just what to say in order to get the girls to contract. And eventually these girls would go on and become witches, and once Mabayu realized what she had been doing she erased her own memory of ever being a magical girl, thus why she had amnesia for the solid part of Scene Zero.

Homura also knew about this because in one of the films after Mabayu died she went and asked Mami "hey whose this green bitch" and Mami told her but Homura never told Mabayu out of respect for Mabayu's decision.

So how does Mabayu react to learning The Truth? Uhhhhhhh not well but like who can blame her that's not something you'd want to remind yourself of. So she does the exact same thing her mom did. She saw her own future. And just like her mom fell into despair over that fact, so did Mabayu.

What Mabayu's future saw was that Mabayu turned into a witch with Mami (a fairly dangerous witch due to how high Mabayu's karmic destiny is at this point) and Homura has to kill her. As the time loop resets again, Mabayu witches the second she comes back to life in despair of Homura failing to kill Walpurgis, and the time loop doesn't reset after that (Implying Homura either died or, more likely, became a witch). And reasonably as you can react when you see futures that can't be changed, Mabayu is panicking and spiraling hard.

And then Kyubey got Madoka involved. The person Mabayu's been doing this to help with Homura. Kyubey told Madoka everything he's managed to reason out about what Homura and Mabayu are doing, and Madoka, in true Madoka fashion (we love her so much she's so nice), decides to use her wish to save Mabayu.

It comes full circle- Mabayu used her wish to save her mom from the despair of seeing her own future, and now Madoka used hers to save Mabayu from the despair of seeing her own future.

It's so interesting when Madoka or Magia Record does this, where they use the wish the character made as a backbone for the characters arc where the options are either: realize the irony and change your ways, double down and have the irony be something the readers can point at, or the third option, go full circle and have the girl end up back where they were when they made the wish.

I'm so, so excited for how Scene Zero eventually ends up, and Mabayu is up there as one of my favorite magical girls right now I love her so much. I really should make a tierlist of my favorite girls Mabayu is up there in top tier.

#magia record #mabayu aki #scene zero #homura akemi #madoka kaname #god i love magical girl irony its so tasty #chomp chomp chomp these magical girls are so fun to think about #also the green haired girls keep drawing my attention for some reason #shoutout to green haired magical girls fr love those guys

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pyropsychiccollector · 2 months

Text

Yuma Harem: Down Came the Rain 1/7

Time to begin the third series~... I wanted to make sure to do all of the poll winners first, so that's the initial reason for spreading the love between series. :3 And now it's Rain Code's turn~...

As always, this will be an AU. Rain Code killed off... a good half of this harem. And Guillaume might as well be dead for all that she drops off the map after Chapter 3... XD So Fubuki and Kurumi are the only canon survivors. And the game ends on a pretty somber note with Yuma just leaving after regaining his memories, moving onto the next adventure. Very typical in shounen series, honestly. It's not "bad", just...

I want to fix things. (人◕ω◕) Too much death. Too much hurting the Kokohead. The Kokomelon, as some fans might affectionately call him. (人◕ω◕) And moreover, the "Yuma" we come to know "dies" as he regains his memories. Sure, it's strongly hinted that his feelings and experiences are just integrated into his original self... But we don't know the former #1 of the WDO. We know "Yuma", the amnesiac. Maybe Yuma had principles before he gave up his memories, maybe he did have morals... But if Makoto showed us anything, he was frankly a ruthlessly cunning individual that crossed any line in order to reach the truth. You can see this in how he assigned a great many detectives to Kanai Ward, and most of them died.

... I know I'm rambling, but the point I wanted to make is that I'll be focusing on the Yuma that we know. Not that the former #1 isn't interesting to think about... But Yuma has heart, you know? I wish to reward that. Reward the nice guys. Reward the goobers. (人◕ω◕) It does mean Shinigami will be sticking around, and you could count her as an unofficial member of the harem (... I mean, c'mon. What? You want Shinigami to bonk her Master silly in the Mystery Labyrinth? Perverts. (人◕ω◕) Not that I'm much better.)... But as you'll see, I've tweaked the idea of Mystery Labyrinths. If Kodaka's going to have a game just short of Persona, I'm gonna go "all the way" with those ideas. Put my own spin on the concepts. (人◕ω◕) I regret nothing.

The Beginning

To absolutely no one's surprise... Kurumi won the poll. lol I don't mind, she's essentially "Detective Chiaki". Finally, a series where "Chiaki" lives... For those who played Danganronpa, they were just brutal with her, tearing out and stomping on our hearts. Again and again. XD As a consequence, though, Kodaka killed off just about everyone else. ... He just can't let us be happy, can he? (人◕ω◕)***

But this lets me get Kurumi-chan outta the way. Again, not that she's bad... She's honestly a really sweet girl, and I won't pretend otherwise. It's just that we know Kurumi's story, know her dynamic with Yuma. And I personally like saving my dessert - that is, the girls that I most strongly support with the protagonist - for last. ... Didn't completely work out for Fate, but aw well. (人◕ω◕)

... I'm rambling again. There's stuff I gotta elaborate on. The first thing to note in this AU is that through a miracle, the train gang - the detectives that Yuma first got to know before reaching Kanai Ward - are all spared, save for Zilch. What ended up happening is that Yuma passed out in front of the detectives, fell over and bumped his head. This allowed the detectives to figure out that he was drugged - likely by the coffee he drank - and the fake Zilch was left to improvise and have Swank and the Peacekeepers deal with the detectives after faking his death to pin on the detectives.

Yuma still goes to the Mystery Labyrinth and Shinigami executes fake Zilch at the end of it. Yakou still arrives to help get the Peacekeepers off Yuma and friends' backs, and they all successfully make it to the Nocturnal Detective Agency. I bring up this background information just so there's not any confusion about Pucci's survival, later on... And why I'll be bringing up the train detectives in subsequent Chapters. XD

Chapter 1 still goes the same way. So we'll skip right to the relevant bits: the Aetheria Academy arc. Chapter 2. (人◕ω◕)

Chapter 2 is... more changes. Due to a few more detectives moving around in Kanai Ward (Pucci, Aphex, Zange, Melami), the NDA is a little more known. Which is why one of the "Aetheria trio" (Yoshiko, Waruna, Kurane) approaches Yuma first, as opposed to Kurumi. Kurane-chan wanted to desperately explore one last non-violent option to expose Karen, and avoid blackening Waruna and Yoshiko's souls. (人◕ω◕)

... I won't go into full details just yet, save that for the appropriate posts. However, I will say that Kurane's actions do wind up saving herself, Waruna, and Yoshiko from becoming killers. It doesn't all go to plan, and they do throw Yuma under the bus when crap hits the fan... But they live, and are able to atone for screwing Yuma over. The Aetheria trio still has futures. (人◕ω◕)

With all this background explained... Let's talk about Kurumi~ Because Kurane was the first to approach Yuma, Kurumi is initially unaware of who "Yumi", one of the new girls at the academy, is. She doesn't know he's a detective looking into Aiko's death (Kurane is testing him, which is why she didn't give him all the details), just that "Yumi" cares enough to ask about Aiko and what happened to her. ... And "Yumi" is rather cute. Kurumi-chan totally fangirls over Yuma's female disguise that he got from Desuhiko. Fooled into thinking he is a girl, and just another student at the academy. (人◕ω◕)

Kurumi and Yuma hit it off pretty well. For the week or so leading up to the fateful rehearsal, Yuma pokes around, trying to pinpoint the truth behind Aiko's death, whether it was a suicide or if someone killed her. Initially, Kurumi tries putting the brakes on his investigation because Yuma's a "civilian", and she doesn't want him getting in trouble with the Peacekeepers... But after Yuma half-lies and says he has connections with the new detective agency in town, promising to get them involved if Kurumi lets him investigate... Kurumi allows it, and gives her all in supporting "Yumi".

... Then the rehearsal happens, and "Yumi" stands accused of Karen's murder. Kurumi is still kept out of the loop as Yuma, Desuhiko, and Melami give the Peacekeepers the runaround while investigating the new murder case. She does what she can for "Yumi" by asking the theater club members and comforting them, but unfortunately Kurumi's not able to do too much with all the Peacekeepers locking the theater hall down.

It's not until after everything blows over that Kurumi finds out the truth about "Yumi". ... I mean, she saw him exposed as a man when Martina cornered the detectives on stage, but she wouldn't get the full story until the case's bumpy resolution. Kurumi didn't take it very hard she was kept in the dark for so long; Yuma had his reasons, and while he couldn't keep a new murder from happening he did help expose the truth and bring closure to Aiko's death. And it was a relief that her doubts about Yoshiko, Waruna, and Kurane could be put to rest. All four of them were close friends of Aiko, and it hurt that Aiko is gone... But they're able to move forward now, even if the trio has regrets and feel they need to atone in their own ways.

Kurumi helps Yuma with his investigation into Kanai Ward, filling him in on the information her grandfather uncovered before he disappeared. That Amaterasu was dabbling in homunculus research. Kanai Ward is still a broken city in dire need of hope, but Kurumi feels more optimistic now that detectives have finally arrived. The perpetual rain feels a little less oppressing~

The Middle Act

Kurumi bonds with Yuma and the other detectives in the coming weeks. (人◕ω◕) Kurane does, too, clinging to Yuma pretty hard... And Waruna and Yoshiko come around at their own paces. The bottom line is, Yuma becomes a good friend to the Aetheria girls. (人◕ω◕) He can never replace Aiko... But he fills the role she left behind. Yuma's an earnest, kindhearted young man that won't stand for injustice. Yet he won't give into despair, won't stoop to murder or similar extreme methods. The ends don't justify the means. In his unwavering beliefs and how he slowly gains confidence the more time he spends in Kanai Ward, Yuma helps the Aetheria girls to remain grounded. He helps them to have hope once more. (人◕ω◕)

Of course Yuma's got a giant target painted on his back because of the Peacekeepers running everything, but Kurumi stands by Yuma. Not just because she's the city's only informant, but because Yuma is her friend. And he helped her connect with Yoshiko, Waruna, and Kurane.

... So when Yomi still nukes the sub, a couple of weeks after the Aetheria case... Kurumi is swept up into urgency by Kurane, who's the most worried about Yuma, especially after he gets spirited away by the Resistance... It's not like there's much they can do. Needless to say, Chapter 3 is pretty rough for the Aetheria girls. While Waruna and Yoshiko are still in the middle of reflecting and bonding with the detectives at their own respective paces, and while they have varying doubts about how much the detectives can really impact Kanai Ward's situation with Amaterasu... They still didn't wish harm on the detectives. Not after being given a new lease on life. Kurumi and Kurane are the closest with the detectives, and it hurts to see the sub blown up, to not know if the other detectives are alive... To know that someone kidnapped Yuma...

And later, events go further downhill. Yuma and the detectives get pinned as bombers, as terrorists... The Aetheria girls have to be careful with the Peacekeepers suffocating Kanai Ward more than usual in their hunt for the detectives, but they can't just stand by and not help Yuma find the truth behind the new case. Marunomon District doesn't get flooded this time around, but bombs going off and killing people is still... pretty bad... Kurumi does everything she can as an informant to glean as much evidence and testimony as possible. And Kurane looks to her, emulating Kurumi in her own way. Kurane's greatest strength is that people rarely notice her, even the bumbling Peacekeepers that are so dead-set on tracking down Yuma. It's an awesome investigative power, and Kurumi's grateful to have Kurane's help in gathering clues. Waruna and Yoshiko help in their own ways; Waruna's the fiery, overprotective girl, the "muscle"; and Yoshiko has... connections. Mostly schoolmates, but she's on good terms with people outside the academy, too.

Regardless of Kurumi and the Aetheria trio's help, Yuma, Aphex, and Fubuki still end up cornered. ... And then through some miracle, all the detectives come out of the woodwork, and they're saved and the Peacekeepers grudgingly stand down when Amaterasu's CEO shows up. Kurumi's not sure what to make of Makoto, he seems like a pretty laidback guy, but there are undertones of... something more, beneath the surface. He saved the detectives, saved Yuma, but Kurumi can't help wondering what Makoto's angle is. And she's even more baffled when the CEO gives the detectives their sub back, with everything inside pretty much the same as it was before it got destroyed.

About a month flies by before they all know it, after that debacle. The detectives are all reunited, Kurumi and the Aetheria trio can still hang around them, and even the Resistance leaders are coming around now... Kurumi was a bit intimidated by the Resistance before the detectives came to the city, only really having rumors to go off of. But really, the Resistance leaders are pretty goofy, even if they're capable in their own right. They're not as extreme as the rumors would have you believe.

With all of them coming together, it really feels like they can effect change in Kanai Ward. The Peacekeepers are still wary of the detectives, still want to arrest them... Or at least some of them do. Kurumi begins noticing that some Peacekeepers are, however grudgingly, allowing the detectives to look into cases. At least the small-time stuff. ... If Amaterasu is linked at all in incidents, they're still pretty defensive and ornery. But there's a lot of crime in Kanai Ward, and Amaterasu isn't tied in everything... Just the most serious stuff.

And with Vivia's latest intel, they've been trying to locate a secret lab where the homunculus research is being conducted. To no avail, but it's the best lead they have to go on. And so a month after that last debacle... Kurumi is anxious when the detectives go straight to Amaterasu and get wrapped up in another incident. She, her friends, and the Resistance can't do much but wait for the detectives to come back, and it's an agonizing wait...

Thankfully, the detectives do make it out of Amaterasu's HQ in one piece. And they bring good news: Yomi's been arrested, and it truly seems like Kanai Ward will change for the better after this. Kurumi's glad. The detectives still have their mission of discovering Kanai Ward's Ultimate Secret... But for the first time in years, Kanai Ward seems to have a bright future ahead of them.

... To Kurumi and everyone else's dismay, however, the tragedies aren't over yet. Apparently, after they see the news of the World Detective Organization getting bombed, everyone in the sub at the time is knocked out. And when they wake back up... Yuma is gone. Nothing else was taken, no threatening note was left behind... Yuma's just disappeared.

They all have a bad feeling about this. The detectives are determined to settle this themselves, to keep the "civilians" out of harm's way... But Kurumi, the Aetheria trio, and the Resistance absolutely refuse to sit this one out. While the detectives go straight to Amaterasu HQ to confront them about Yuma's abduction, the Aetheria girls and the Resistance scour Kanai Ward, just on the off chance that Yuma was taken by someone else...

To their great horror and discomfort, however... Yuma is nowhere to be found. They investigate hard over the next two days... The detectives return with their conclusion Yuma isn't in Amaterasu, they were even allowed free roam of the Amaterasu premises by Peacekeepers and researchers alike. And... he wasn't there. The Aetheria girls and the Resistance didn't have any luck, either - no one had seen or heard from Yuma. It's like he disappeared from the world completely...

And that's around the time that the detectives decided it was time to confront the one area they'd left untouched: The Restricted Area. If Yuma was nowhere in the Kanai Ward that they knew... Then he had to be there. Determined to save Yuma, everyone bands together to bust into the Restricted Area, rules and laws be damned. (人◕ω◕) They take one of the Resistance's vans and use it like a battering ram to plow through the electric fence around the perimeter of the Restricted Area. Then they take another van and drive on through the opening, not trusting at all what might be on the other side...

The Restricted Area is unlike anything they'd seen in Kanai Ward. It was rundown, and it seemed like an older area of the city, nowhere near as bright and illuminating as the rest of the city. It was like... darkness lurked in the Restricted Area. A deep darkness that made Kurumi feel anxious and worried, but they needed to take the plunge and find Yuma at all costs... He... He had to be there. There was nowhere left. No other possibilities. Kurumi and everyone else were unable to accept the possibility that it was too late to save Yuma... that he was already gone.

After finding that the Restricted Area was not an easy place to navigate by car, and that the people roaming about it seemed... strange somehow... the "Yuma Rescue Squad" got out to explore the area on foot. Servan and Aphex would stay with the van, driving around where they could and keeping an eye out. But the detectives, Kurumi, the Aetheria trio, and Shachi, and Iruka all split up to cover the most ground. They weren't dumb enough to search on their own, not in such unfamiliar territory; they formed pairs or groups. Kurumi stuck with her friends, and bravely forged on ahead.

... It was such a spooky, spine-tingling place. The locals were gruff and unresponsive to them, and not a single teenager was keen on approaching them more closely. They vaguely knew that this area was rumored to have had a gas leak in the nearby mines, and that Amaterasu labeled this town as uninhabitable... So maybe the locals were so strange because of that gas leak. Amaterasu might not have been able to do anything for the people here.

All Kurumi could do was keep searching for Yuma... He had to be okay. He had to be. Seeing this place so desolate and brought to utter ruination... A heavy weight was in Kurumi's chest and refused to go away. If Yuma was here, there was a good chance that he hadn't eaten or slept well... But they would save him. They wouldn't leave a single stone unturned.

To their immense relief, Kurane was able to find Yuma after what must have been an hour... He was holed up in a random house, after barricading the door and windows. Yuma... Yuma was bleeding. It looked like someone or something had tried gnawing his shoulder and neck, and his clothes were all roughed up. Kurumi and Yoshiko did what they could, scrounging around for any First Aid supplies in the home, bandaging Yuma up and sterilizing his wounds. He was horrified at seeing them in the abandoned village, fearfully asking if they'd encountered anyone... If everyone else had come here.

Yuma was not that relieved to hear that was the case. When asked what had happened to him, why he was holed up here, all Yuma could say was that the people in this village were wrong... They weren't normal. Weren't sane. He even went so far as to call them zombies... Yuma wasn't sure how or why he was brought here, but they needed to round up everyone and leave. He didn't want to endanger his friends...

He didn't feel that he was worth the effort to come here. Yuma had been prepared to just die trapped in this abandoned house. But now all he wants is to just get everyone safely out of the village... go back where they came. If they have to leave him behind, so be it.

Yoshiko and Waruna gave Yuma an earful about his self-sacrificial attitude, and Kurumi and Kurane just did their best to comfort him. They'd make it out... But Kurumi came to the realization that they should investigate this place. Yes, safety was paramount... But if they just left, Yuma could get dragged back here by whoever kidnapped him. Hell, the Peacekeepers might punish them for breaking in here, or they'd just seal off the Restricted Area again... This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to find out what this place was, what happened here, and why Yuma was brought here.

... Kurane doesn't like the thought of lingering somewhere that almost got Yuma killed, but Waruna and Yoshiko uneasily agree that Kurumi's right. They can't just... leave without answers. They'll look around while searching for the Resistance and the detectives.

In subsequent events, they skirt around the locals that Yuma's deeply fearful of. They investigate an old post office, and find the order to evacuate amidst papers left behind. Soon enough familiar faces show up, and the girls have no choice but to believe the "zombie" story that Yuma fed them. There's no other explanation for seeing Karen and her father approaching them sluggishly, moaning and groaning incomprehensibly. They make a run for it, and somebody outside shoots an arrow attached with a note that explained a little bit about defective homunculi... They don't have the time to sit and reflect on it, so they keep moving, and eventually run into the Priest from the church, as well as that Worshipper. And before long, more and more familiar faces emerge from the woodwork, none of them can be reasoned with so Yuma and the girls keep running.

Gradually, they hook back up with the other Rescue Squad members, who are thankfully in one piece, if not spooked by the seemingly cannibalistic residents. They eventually reach the ominous factory, and uncover more information about homunculi and the true nature of Kanai Ward. Some Rescue Squad members are already in the factory and surrounding areas, poking around. They learn the uncomfortable truth that the meat buns of Kanai Ward are made from human corpses, and they just keep learning more and more...

The final "stop" on their tour is an old bathhouse up high. They all can see this is where the unending rain originates from, and when they turn off the equipment... everyone but the detectives pass out, and the residents of the abandon village go berserk. Makoto arrives to restore the rain, but only after Yuma "lends a hand". Right after the rain is back, Makoto and the detectives have a tense standoff, and Yuma has no choice but to access the Mystery Labyrinth one more time to resolve everything. Thankfully, however, he's not alone as all the Nocturnal Detective Agency personnel join Yuma on this last eye-opening adventure. (人◕ω◕)

The Future

Players should probably know by now how the final adventure goes. (人◕ω◕) Yuma uncovers everything, and this time he's got his NDA friends supporting him, not just Shinigami. It's an emotional rollercoaster for all of them... But they get Makoto to change his ways, to leave the labyrinth and reveal the truth without killing him.

I haven't really mentioned up until now, but the chief difference with the labyrinths from canon is that it's possible to talk it out with the culprits' souls and have them reveal the truth to everyone outside the labyrinth. There's no need to execute the culprit every single time. With the soul returning to the culprit, changed, the labyrinth fades away on its own. So essentially, Yuma and co. won't have to use Shinigami's emergency exit. (人◕ω◕) Shinigami can remain contracted to Yuma.

Of course that means Yuma won't regain his memories... But he's fine with that in the end~ Because all the mysteries have been solved. Makoto is going to tell Kanai Ward everything, and he's going to strive to open their city up to the world and allow them opportunities to leave. Amaterasu will develop innovations to help them deal with their weakness to sunlight. Hearing the truth will be hard for the citizens, especially for the Rescue Squad... But the people of Kanai Ward will endure.

And the NDA... Well... (人◕ω◕) Yakou thinks he'll be on his own again, everyone else returning to the WDO for new assignments... But he's floored when he's wrong. Yuma, for one, resolves to stay and help the NDA. Kanai Ward still needs detectives... They're at a crossroads now, with Peacekeepers receiving a major overhaul, Amaterasu coming back from years of corruption. Yuma might not have the memories, but he knows that he used to be #1 of the WDO, and as he currently is... He can't lead the organization. Yuma would rather work here, where he knows he can still make a difference. (人◕ω◕) The train gang that he came here with pretty much agree to stay, too, for their own reasons. Desuhiko, Halara, Vivia, and Fubuki will at least go back to the WDO for the election to decide the new #1, but then they'll probably come back to help as detectives~ Their time here wasn't long, but they're loyal to each other and to Yakou. It's enough to make the poor guy bawl his eyes out. He's touched. (人◕ω◕)

Kurumi graduates from Aetheria Academy soon after everything resolves, and she remains the city's informant - although with the detectives' help, she may find new informants willing to step up, to learn from her~ Yuma remained here because of his bonds with the few people of Kanai Ward that he's gotten to know these past several weeks. He has an ever-deepening bond with Kurumi and her friends, and the Resistance.

Yuma still has plans to travel the world someday... He may or may not settle in Kanai Ward forever... But he's in no rush to leave. And even if he ever does depart, Yuma will have a bunch of... buddies... tagging along. (人◕ω◕) ... Alright, they're his girlfriends. No use beating around the bush. He can't deny that he loves them all, and they love him. ... A lot. (人◕ω◕) Sure, certain girls are more competitive and greedy... But Kurumi's one of the ones willing to share Yuma. Yoshiko, Waruna, Kurane, Fubuki, Pucci... They're all good people. She wouldn't keep Yuma from them~

... Guillaume is an interesting one, but more on her later. (人◕ω◕)

Surprisingly, Kurumi is slower on the "I wanna marry Yuma" campaign... She's content to just be with him. Yoshiko, Waruna, and Kurane are more ambitious. ... Or in Kurane's case, she just... needs him. Very badly. (人◕ω◕) Pucci is ambitious, too. Fubuki more goes with the flow. Guillaume is... Guillaume. There's no rush for baby Yuma's, either. Not for Kurumi, at least. Not to say Kurumi wouldn't like having a family with Yuma; the idea is very appealing. It's just... Kurumi's deeply flustered with that intimate stuff. The really, really intimate stuff. Hugs and kisses are great, she likes cuddling, but taking off clothes and doing..... that... Kurumi's not horny. It's too embarrassing for her. In the beginning, anyway. Kurumi is beaten out by her friends in this instance; each of them having their reasons for craving Yuma on that physical level. (人◕ω◕)

Nevertheless, Kurumi does form a family with Yuma someday. Makoto was gracious enough to give Yuma and his ladies residence in Kanai Tower, and later he also helps oversee the building of a proper "home" for all of them... Of course it has to be big. There's seven of them plus Yuma. And then you throw in their kids... Yuma's life is very busy with seven lovers, but he doesn't regret loving them. (人◕ω◕) Kurumi's one of the gentler, "fun" moms. And she's second in maturity, only losing out to Yoshiko on that front. ... But that's cuz Yoshiko's used to being a mother figure, even before her children were born.

The rain never stops in Kanai Ward... But now Kurumi and everyone else knows it's there to protect them. And with the NDA alive and thriving in the new Kanai Ward... With Yuma there... Life had never been sweeter for Kurumi-chan. (人◕ω◕)

#master detective archives: rain code #kurumi wendy #Yuma x Kurumi #Yuma harem

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brbabcseu · 10 months

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What are some fun facts about AJ and his friends? They look like a fun group!

Leighanne w ur permission I am kissing u in glee

I got fun facts ABOUND

They're a very fun group! Jesse's never had complaints abt them, he thinks they're all good kids. They all got their own troubles and have their moments, especially around high school, but they're kids yk? Jesse is happy to have them under his roof if they ever need an escape or a vent or what-have-you. He WOULD love it if they could keep it the hell down after 10 pm though.

Damien is the newest initiate to the group. He's a sophomore when AJ and the other three enter their freshman year. Damien got to know Maya first through extracurriculars-- he runs track and Maya figures skates! They'd hang out after their respective practices and listen to podcasts while waiting for their parents to pick them up. AJ has a huuuuge crush on Damien and everyone teases him abt it... idk I love Damien so much he's such a goober!! V much one of those kids who "acts cool" bc he's always so chill and can easily run in more popular crowds but he's not a douche, he's actually v affable, if not a little too apolitical when it comes to disagreements + drama amongst the teens. Guess he's afraid it'll make his persona less neutral, and the idea of not being able to be friends with every different clique makes him feel insecure :(

Axel is overly boisterous, moderately annoying, and incredibly funny. Will Say and Do things just to see what happens. Rule of thumb: if it provokes their group to throw proverbial tomatoes at him, he's commiting to whatever that bit is. Likes to keep the energy up and the conversation flowing, otherwise he gets too anxious (he deals with a lot of tough things internally) and his friends remind him to relax once and a while, he doesn't always have to be so On around them. Close with all of them but has a special bond with Maya; AJ coming in close second.

Maya is sunshine incarnate. She always has a way to find things beautiful. If her life isnt going to inherently be like an indie film then she's going to MAKE it like one!! And she makes it look effortless to boot. Lover of all thing doodle-y, poetry, and podcast-y. Doesn't always matter the subject; admittedly though, she has a hard time focusing on something full through. If the name or thumbnail interests her she goes "sure hell yeah" and follows it lol. Her and Ax's respective neurodivergencies fit together very well. Her and Sam love to brag about their "boy-free" outings in front of the three guys and will usually team up when everyone else is being annoying. Maya considers AJ her sweet angel baby boy and would carry him around in her pocket if she could. She lovingly gave him the nickname "AppleJack" 🥹

Sam's been around the longest. A very level head in the group, a grounding force. She knew AJ since they were in diapers so they're essentially siblings. This is evident in how they treat each other; they'll whack one another over the head w a pillow and call each other a dumbass with EASE but also be ride or die till the end. The two can share one look and burst out laughing, super silly and goofy!! Sam's mom, Eliza, is a recovering alcoholic and has been slowly but surely putting her life together while Jesse's friend and local foster mom Delilah has taken care of Sam on and off throughout the years. Eliza is good people; her and Jesse are kindred spirits. So, meeting her and seeing her as a fellow struggling parent with a history of addiction, he vouched for her a lot and tried helping her out with housing and finding work while she was at her lowest. There were a lot of playdates, so Jesse's seen Sam grow up. He was there for all her school events, helped with all the birthdays, just as he did with AJ. A lot of that connection goes unsaid-- so it hit Jesse like a freight train when one day a 12 year old Sam approaches him and very casually hands him a father's day card. "You're not my dad but you are A dad, and a good one. I never met my own real dad so thanks for being there instead," the card read. She has to watch her smirk and keep from rolling her eyes and says, "Ah, you don't gotta cry about it!" when Jesse gets that 🥺🥹 look on his face. Despite being as prickly as her mom, she accepts his bear hug and tells him she loves him. The card is still on his dresser.

Doodles!!! Respectively: Sam receiving aforementioned bear hug, Maya and Damien hanging out, and Sam and AJ at their most affectionate

#bookofmajora #mutuals #ask #tysm!!!!!!#alaska crew #i know like i KNOW im very annoying abt my ocs and wanting to talk abt them so ty for when u guys do indulge me fr #mfa

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hue-makes-burgers · 8 months

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starting off strong with some bob’s burgers oc doodles who i recently redesigned! (kinda odd to start with a redesign. i’m just jumping straight into this here) he’s a goober his name is robin i draw him a LOTTT

his old design/ref (plus more doodles and info) is under the cut

this was his old design/ref:

all the info on the right side is still true (elliot and rose are friends’ ocs. i’ll dive more into this guy later). but i felt it was about time to change his outfit. when i first made robin he was more of a shy character who didn’t really fit in anywhere at wagstaff which essentially he still is like that, but now that i have developed his character much more, he’s much less shy and is quite outgoing, but still not fitting in really anywhere. i felt that the old sweater portrayed the old, shy and under the radar personality the he used to have. so i decided to keep him in short sleeves making his undershirt a tanktop instead. i also changed the collared shirt to be longer and drawn different because i simply didn’t enjoy drawing it anymore and it needed to change with the rest of the design anyway.

tldr: the loose and more free outfit fits his new devolved personality better.

onward to more robin doodles!

i never stated that robin and louise are friends but like he’s friends with tina so he knows all the belchers. these are silly i love the idea of these two pairing up to pull little pranks on mr frond because they’re goobers like that. i imagine these two planned a day to both dress up as frond. for funzies. and maybe louise refound the old halloween costume she had and formulated this plan. they’re just silly

#on god did not mean to infodump so much on my first art post #first art post #btw #might make a tag just for robin since he might be the oc i post about the most #i’ll do that for all my ocs actually #for easy access to their info #robin frond #bobs burgers #i feel bad for putting this in the bobs burgers tag since it’s just my oc #changed my mind no remorse #bobs burgers oc #what other normal tags do i use here #mr frond #louise belcher #she counts right #please love this guy #because there will be so much more of him #hueburgermaking

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robinpixels · 2 years

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Aloy x ikrie?!??! 👁👁

HI MEG YES HELLO THANK YOU

Continuing w these from yesterday!

ask meme here!!

who is more likely to hurt the other?

...Aloy, probably. I've talked about these two most with @emotionalsupportpuma (HI JORDAN <3) and we've come to note that Aloy and Ikrie both have very similar traumas (i.e. abandonment issues up the whazoo) but we interpreted they deal with it very differently.

While Aloy bottles up her emotions and essentially seeks to run from them by keeping herself busy, keeping her distance, being more wary before opening up to people, if Ikrie finds someone who wants to be around her she'll tend to cling. Which in the beginning would unnerve Aloy, who's always having to be on the go and is so used to running, which would hurt Ikrie, which...yeah, it's a big ol' snowball of Ouch if it ever gets rolling.

who is emotionally stronger?

I feel like the both of them are....coping about the same, right now. That is to say, not WELL, but--

who is physically stronger?

I feel like they're both pretty evenly matched here since they have similar skillsets!

who is more likely to break a bone?

WOW IS THIS QUESTION IRONIC IN THE FACE OF THEIR QUEST TOGETHER LMAO

who knows best what to say to upset the other?

Haven't seen much of a sharp tongue from Ikrie, so I'm not sure what she's capable of. I don't thnk she'd actively try to get a rise out of Aloy.

Aloy meanwhile has...the most incendiary thoughts come to mind if they're in a heated argument because she's used to defending herself that way but, I doubt she'd actually let loose for fear of hurting Ikrie.

who is most likely to apologise first after an argument?

I can see Ikrie doing this most of the time, though vice versa Ikrie being so in her head and thinking the argument through and Aloy coming up to her to admit she was out of line.

who treats who’s wounds more often?

Both, for each other! Self-sacrificial little shits, the two of them.

who is in constant need of comfort?

Ikrie at first, to make sure it really is that Aloy wants to stay around her. Then Aloy, as she gets a bit more comfortable depending on other people to take care of her too.

who gets more jealous?

Ikrie, though she tries not to let it get to her. A lot of people are looking at her partner and although she'd let it happen if that's what Aloy wanted she's quietly dreading her leaving for good for another.

who’s most likely to walk out on the other?

Aloy--she's a busy girl, got things to do all over. But she'll always find time to wander back into the Cut to see Ikrie again.

who will propose?

Aloy!! And Ikrie won't expect it KFJDLDL:SKFJDFSKL

who has the most difficult parents?

…WELL--

who initiates hand-holding when they’re out in public?

I don't really see them and PDA being a thing, aside from light playful shoving or just walking side by side.

who comes up for the other all the time?

Aloy, since Ikrie's in the Cut for the forseeable future.

who hogs the blankets?

ALOY. Girl isn't used to the colddddd

who gets more sad?

I'd say both have their fair share of Sad Boi Hours

who is better at cheering the other up?

Ikrie can pep talk Aloy up pretty effectively, but also the other way round where Loysie can just. Be such a goober when she's completely relaxed and it instantly always perking up Ikrie's mood because she feels so honoured to be able to see this side of her.

who’s the one that playfully slaps the other all the time after they make silly jokes?

Both of them!!

who is more streetwise?

Ikrie when it comes to the Banuk, Aloy in general.

who is more wise?

Ikrie, 100%. She's spent a lot of time just. On her own. With her own thoughts. Oh god.

who’s the shyest?

Ikrie, if travelling outside the Cut--needs a bit of time to acclimate to how everyone else does things before relaxing.

who boasts about the other more?

Aloy has many words of praise for Ikrie, but have you HEARD the flowery shit Ikrie lays down as casual speak? Girl is a SONGSTRESS

who sits on who’s lap?

They wrestle for it. Loser has to be the chair

#robin chirps #hzd #ikrie #aloy #aloy/ikrie #THANK U FOR THE ASK i don't think abt these two on their own often but i SHOULD #ask game

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franklyshipping · 1 year

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Omg what can i say? I'm so glad you took your time on this, it was definitely worth the wait.

Marvin and his teases were diabolical, i love how you wrote his villainous side, ironic how he had both heroes and dark, essentially the leader of the manor. His comebacks made me wanna curl up in my bed and scream. I love the call back to the tickle pollen and i really hope there is more planned, though i know it may be limited to what can be done. But that's the thing with limitations is it exercises creativity! I love the fact that with the right techniques, infusing the pollen into food makes it so an area is focused rather than all over.

Dark, omg i love how you wrote dark in this. His sweet kindness mixed with his gruff grumpiness is perfect. I love how you make it seem that he genuinely does care for the egos and sees them more than just pawns in his game. And i especially adore his interactions with Silver, treating him almost like a son and how well their platonic chemistry is with training. I love how despite him being hysterical he's still somewhat composed (pressing his head against the table while the others are on the floor)

Silver, my sweet baby, my boy. Poor guy has been a victim of the pollen twice in the same manner. I love how motivated by sweets he is, another call back to whenever training he mentions sweets or food afterwards. I love how he's adored and yet not infantalized like how most people treat a sweet character. I love how marvin calls him best friend since he was adopted into the poly like yancy.

Jackie aaaaaaa omg! I'm a sucker for the hero x villain tropes. I love how him and marvin are completely enamoured with each other. And omg the cheek caress you DID NOT HAVE TO DO THAT WHO TOLD YOU YOU WERE ALLOWED AAAA they're such a cute ship i forgot how much i love these silly goobers

Secondly i love the details on how their favorite foods represent them in a way. Dark having a high class steak and being very fancy since that's how he is. Jackie getting tacos i can definitely see him gorging on during patrol. And silver enjoying some noodles, a healthy and delightful safe food that warms you up inside that also can show off some playful charm. A comfort food that just makes you feel at home.

I'm definitely saving this so i can read it over and over and did i say HOW MEAN THE TEASES ARE??!?!

"It's your favorite spot" DON'T MEAN YOU GOTTA SAY IT OUT LOUD

"The spot behind your ears" SHUSH DON'T ANNOUNCE IT DUMMY

"What are you gonna do? Kick me with your ticklish feet?" LISTEN MOTHER FUCKER

*Screaming and crying and rolling about bECAUSE AHHHH YOU'RE SO SWEET AND ILY FOR BEING SO DETAILED I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO ME T H A N K Y O U!!! I worked rly hard on this so this means a frickton to me* ASFJBMHFFCGLDVKFK 😆💜

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kaptainandy · 4 years

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My Complete In-depth TLOU 2 Thoughts:

Yeah I know, y’all have already read through countless reviews and thoughts, but I gotta get my thoughts out there. So, continue under the cut for some somewhat coherent, essay-ish style ramblings. There will be a TL;DR at the end because this is going to be long. (Spoilers ahead).

Okay so my overall perception of this game is that it’s average and I’m slightly disappointed. I’m going to start with the things I really liked and enjoyed before I get into what I didn’t like.

The visuals and gameplay were solid and enjoyable with small improvements upon the first game’s already fun and interesting, gameplay. The NPCs felt less like they were following a track in terms of their movements and felt more natural. The dialogue between enemies felt more varied than the first game, and the addition of giving everyone a name made me feel more immersed and the reaction from other characters to their fallen friends felt more believable. I feel that overall, the development of gameplay from the first to the second game felt “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it,” and I think it worked out because it’s one of the aspects I liked about the first game. The addition of craftable silencers, varied stealth takedowns, ability to go prone, tall grass to hide in, cars to hide under, larger infected (bloaters and shamblers) now being able to destroy weak walls, etc. were fun editions that helped the combat feel less repetitive. And lastly, the areas of combat that included both human enemies and infected, (and later WLF soldiers vs Seraphite soldiers) was really cool and felt more realistic for the world of the Last of Us. It was something I think the first game lacked and it was really interesting to choose who to take down first and let the enemies fight each other.

The level design was also great. I felt it gave the player a lot of options of how they wanted to traverse the area to takedown enemies and look for supplies. Everything felt huge and worth exploring. The player was rewarded appropriately for checking every nook and cranny, and the addition of going prone to fit under small spaces or breaking glass to get into locked buildings was a lot of fun. The first day in Seattle as Ellie was especially enjoyable as you got to explore the city and mark things on your map while engaging in dialogue with Dina. Every building held something new and acted as an opportunity for Dina and Ellie to banter.

The art direction was incredible and I don’t think I’ve seen a more stunning looking game. It felt like a lot of time and care went into the design of each item and every corner of every environment. My favorite environments were definitely the homesteads of the major characters/factions (Jackson, the stadium transformed into a village by the WLF, the Seraphite island, etc.) because it told the player more about what everyday life is like for these characters and how they’re similar and different. Also, the weather, time of day, lighting, and use of space (or lack there of) added tension and changed the tone in scenes and levels appropriately. I felt engaged in each moment. I think the best use of visuals and atmosphere to set tone and really immerse the player was in the lower level of the hospital during the Abby playthrough. It was claustrophobic, damp, dark, ominous, and it always felt like danger and despair were right around the corner. And the massive clicker cluster fight in the small hospital corner was one of my favorite parts in the entire game. What would have felt like a silly and dumb concept if encountered elsewhere, was actually legitimately terrifying and really cool due to the tone set from the scene. Seeing the effects of a ground zero site for infection 25 years later was really cool to see.

The music? A masterpiece. We have to stan Gustavo Santaolalla. What more can I say? He did a great job. If nothing else, give the soundtrack a listen.

The acting was incredible, as to be expected. The emotional moments were really sold and carried by the actors and the music together. Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, Shannon Woodward, and Laura Bailey I expected to be phenomenal and they were, but I’d like to give a shoutout to the newcomers and more minor actors as well. I felt no one had a bad performance, or even an average one. Every performance felt genuine and made me more connected to the characters.

As for new characters, I felt Yara and Lev were the ones I felt the most for and were the best written. The inclusion of Lev being trans was really cool to see as a trans person, and I felt it was executed well within the story. Lev being exiled from the Seraphites for questioning their ways and attempting to transition while Yara fought to remain by his side and protect him, made them both interesting and likable characters. They had depth to their characters. Despite coming from an environment that seemed ruthless and unforgiving they both acted as voice of reasons and wanted to help others, which was their strength and their weakness in the end, adding to their complexity.

The story had it’s moments. I found myself being impacted more during light and happy moments more so than the traumatic and sad ones. I felt a lot of time was put into showing the love and care between Ellie and Dina, and I found myself smiling like a goober when they were being goofy or together or cuddling. This also ties into the LGBTQ representation, which I personally thought was well done as I briefly touched on with Lev. I understand and respect those who felt there was too much trauma forced upon the LGBTQ characters, and I agree with that when it comes to Ellie because the whole game was essentially torturing her. I’ll at least give Naughty Dog credit for avoiding the “bury your gays” trope when they very easily could’ve done that given the constant death in the world of the Last of Us. Treatment aside, as a gay trans man, the overall presentation of these characters I felt was realistic, respectful, and gave me hope for future LGBTQ representation in triple A titles. I know this is literally doing the bare minimum but we gotta start somewhere.

Now, as for things I disliked about the game, there was a lot and I felt the weight of things I disliked outweighed those that I like since the overall experience depended on them more heavily.

I’ll start with the small things that irked me, that could be somewhat excused and are more a personal preference. For starters, I felt the game was too long. After awhile it got repetitive and having nearly the entire game take place in one city (as opposed to the first game that took place across the country), the scenery got old pretty quickly. I feel like a lot of the traveling could have been cut. For example, instead of showing a cut scene where characters say “we have to get to x” and having to basically travel the entire way, it would’ve worked better had it cut to them being at or close to their destination, thus cutting back on repetitive combat. It didn’t feel super rewarding and it only sometimes resulted in something added to the story. In the end, I felt it should be exempt for a similar reason you don’t need to show a character’s entire traveling in a movie, it’s just unnecessary.

Another minor detail that bothered me was the shamblers. Not as a concept, because I thought they were really fun new enemies and added something to combat, but the fact that they felt thrown in with no explanation. Where did they come from? Are they only in the northeast of the US? What caused them? It’s mentioned briefly by one character (I forget who) that it could be a result of excessive rain, but it was just a guess and not further elaborated on.

The fact that events and characters of the first game that were influential to Ellie and Joel’s character seemed to be inappropriately forgotten about. I understand the game is meant to be enjoyed by people who haven’t played the first game as well as fans of the first one, but it could still be done in a way to cater to both audiences. It would also help people who didn’t play the first one learn and connect more to Ellie and Joel. Why was there no Riley-related dialogue for Ellie upon seeing “The Turning” arcade machine? Hell, Riley was never mentioned at all. Same with Tess. Bill was briefly mentioned, but not by name. Ellie’s mom still remained a mystery, and I don’t recall her being mentioned. Henry and Sam? Also never mentioned. Upon seeing Sam’s robot toy in Ellie’s room (which I thought was a nice touch) I would’ve thought he might’ve been brought up in discussion with Dina about past friends. I get that it could be implied Ellie has discussed her past with Dina and others before the events of the game took place, but you have an audience to think about. Essentially you have to think that if the audience didn’t see it or hear about it, it didn’t happen. I feel the omission of past characters and events was a disservice to the first game and was really disappointing.

This relates to something else I disliked: It felt like too much time was spent on characters solo traveling and being in combat and not enough on story and relationship building. I felt the time spent traveling alone as Ellie or Abby was far greater than traveling with a companion. The dialogue and interactions between Ellie and Joel in the first game was crucial to the story and relationship, and when the characters were apart, it made the player that more eager for them to be reunited. They were only ever apart when one was missing/injured or they were unintentionally separated and it made sense to the story. In terms of missed opportunity, I especially thought Jesse’s character was mishandled and wasted. Just as the player was really beginning to know his past and connect with him, he dies a seemingly (in my opinion) stupid death. Not only that, but there’s almost no mention of him or his death after it happens, and Ellie and Dina seem relatively unaffected. I felt like Dina’s character also could’ve been fleshed out better. She was one of my favorite characters, but the things we knew about her didn’t seem to impact the story or her character that much, especially the loss she’s suffered. Her thoughts about her sister’s death and Jesse’s death are barely touched on, and I just felt like I was left wanting more.

Jesse and Dina could’ve definitely been handled better, but at least I cared about them. I didn’t have those feelings towards anyone in Abby’s story (except Yara and Lev). This relates to the bigger problem with the timeline of events and the and the order they were shown in the game, but I’ll touch on this in a bit. Before beginning to know these characters, the only thing you know is that they were involved in killing Joel, and happy about doing so. Now the challenge was to get the player to like them, which the writers failed abysmally. I couldn’t even remember half of their names when they were brought back up. The most influential of Abby’s friends, aside from Owen, seems to be Manny and the only things we get to know about him is that he’s horny, likes to get drunk, and - much like the writers - tries to force other characters to like each other (i.e. Mel and Abby). He only exists to establish Mel and Abby’s relationship and to save and help Abby when they encounter Tommy trying to snipe them. Mel and Abby (who I will touch on extensively in her own paragraph because yikes) both seemed like miserable people to be around and their relationship seemed catty and to simply revolve around Owen. I’m kinda sick of having women characters’ relationships revolve around the fact that one of them used to date the guy that the other is now currently dating. It’s stupid and I couldn’t give less of a fuck if that’s the biggest roadblock in their relationship. Also Mel calling Abby a piece of shit seemed unwarranted based on what we knew. Like we knew Mel was against the brutality of Joel’s death, but the way she spoke to and of Abby seemed like there was something else that the writers forgot to tell/show the audience. Abby never did anything personal to Mel (that Mel knew of) yet Mel decides to hate her guts and be unreasonable? Nora was kind of okay and seemed like an actual decent person (aside from wanting Joel dead and them making that shitty comment to Ellie) in her relationship with Abby. She was willing to risk getting in trouble to help Abby, but we weren’t given enough time with her to make me give a shit, especially after what she said to Ellie. Owen had potential to be likable; he was charming, funny, a bit of a fuckboy, but nonetheless was optimistic and hopeful. But for some reason the writers decided to throw out any ounce of care we had for him by having him cheat on Mel with Abby in a shitty sex scene.

Now for my thoughts on Abby. My thoughts about her also relate to my thoughts on the order of events, and a few other aspects I haven’t mentioned yet, so forgive me if my thoughts are a bit all over the place. I really really tried to sympathize and like Abby, but holy shit they fucked up every possible opportunity to create some sort of likability. For starters, it boggles my mind that they had her commit the atrocity that was Joel’s death as basically the introduction to her character. Not only that, but just mere minutes beforehand Joel had saved her life and shown her nothing but kindness and she goes on to torture him and continue to do so while his surrogate daughter begs and screams for her to stop. She shows no guilt both in the moment or afterwards. It doesn’t eat her up inside at all. Every time Joel is brought up by Abby and her friends, she wastes no time expressing how elated she is that she not only killed him, but did so in such a gruesome way. You really expect fans to even WANT to like this character after she tortures and kills the only other character (besides Ellie) that fans LOVED. And I’m not upset that Joel died, because I expected he would and there were a million ways it could’ve been done appropriately to both the story and fans. But the way he died and how early he died at the hands of essentially some nobody really rubbed me the wrong way, they essentially threw him away without any honor to the experience we had with him in the first game. So, that’s our introduction to Abby and her friends. Again, the writers had the challenge of trying to make us like her, but it felt like they didn’t even try. Every attempt to make her likable fell flat either due to an action that happened right before or after. Abby’s only expression of sorrow is after the death of her father and Owen. Manny’s death is never mentioned after it happens and she seems to act like it never really happened. There is no remorse when she kills Jesse and Tommy, or anyone for that matter. She and (seemingly most of the WLF) condone and even get off on torturing Seraphites (they’re terrible people but if you’re trying to make me like a character, I don’t think you should have them condone the torturing of anyone). Abby is quick to kill Dina even after learning she’s pregnant, to which she comments, “good” and only stops because Lev is an actual decent human being and gets her to stop. And the writers have the gall to try and compare her to Ellie; trying to be like, “see she and Ellie aren’t so different uwu.” Meanwhile, Ellie is crying each time she hits Nora; she just wants Abby, she didn’t want to have to torture Nora like that. Ellie is traumatized after finding out that Mel is pregnant after killing her. Ellie is constantly shown to be grappling with the consequences and feelings of her actions. She experiences guilt and shame while Abby is shown time and time again to not regret her wrongdoings. The writers really tried to push us to like Abby by having her care for Yara and Lev, but I felt she did it out of selfishness and needing to feel good about herself not because she truly cared for these kids.

Going back to Joel’s death, the gruesomeness wasn’t even warranted based on Abby’s reasoning. Abby’s dad didn’t get murdered in front of her and he was killed because he stood in Joel’s way, holding a scalpel to Ellie. Jerry’s death was quick and painless too. And I know people will be like, “but Abby was also mad because now there’s no cure because of what Joel did!!!” However, she had no problem wanting to kill, or leave Ellie alone despite knowing she was immune. Abby was never on a quest to capture Ellie or talk her into finding the Fireflies with her (which would have made for an interesting storyline actually), she wanted her dead too. Joel’s death was the most tasteless death of a beloved character I think I’ve ever experienced.

Also the order of events was really detrimental to the story and especially Abby’s character. The way that flashbacks were thrown in throughout the story after Joel’s death fell flat and made Joel’s death feel even worse. The Joel and Ellie flashbacks were honestly the highlight of the game because we got to spend time with the only 2 fleshed out and likable characters. Had they been placed at the beginning of the game and also showed more of their relationship after Joel tells Ellie the truth about the Fireflies, I would’ve felt his death would have been more okay (still shitty, but slightly better than what they gave us) because it would feel more unexpected and it would hit better emotionally after these moments we had with Ellie and Joel. Hell, the majority of the game should have been as it was advertised (which is another issue I’m gonna touch on shortly): the rocky relationship between Joel and Ellie after Ellie learns the truth and the two of them going on a revenge quest together, as Joel tried to earn Ellie’s forgiveness. The events presented in the order in the game also made it impossible for anyone to try to like Abby. We learn she commits the biggest atrocity and we know all her friends are going to end up dead, so there’s no emotional impact when we see how they die because we’ve known the whole time they were gonna be killed by Ellie. Both Abby’s character and the story they were trying to tell could’ve have been really great and interesting but it was just so poorly executed.

The story itself seemed so amateur as well. It just boiled down to “revenge and violence are bad uwu” while giving the player no choice but to engage in said violence. They tried to create a gray area between good and evil like they did in the first game, especially with Abby’s story but they ended up doing the opposite. Also the weak use of animals and pregnancy to create emotional impact is just so easy. They couldn’t think of any other way to make us connect to the characters except “hey look they love this animal” or “this is someone who is going to have a baby under these rough circumstances” and it’s just sloppy writing especially because they use both tactics MORE THAN ONCE.

The intersecting stories, themes of “what really is good/evil,” redemption of a thought to be unlikable character, and the death of a beloved character would have been so interesting and emotionally impactful if done right, but it felt like Naughty Dog chose every terrible option and outcome, resulting in the wet fart that we got. It felt sloppy with no honoring of the previous game or characters. We all cared, but apparently the writer’s didn’t. The ending with Ellie essentially being left with what she feared most, being alone, would’ve been way more appropriate had anything prior warranted this consequence. Not only is she alone, but Ellie loses the ability to play guitar, a way in which she remembered and felt connected to Joel. Like she goes through hell, and 99% of her actions are justified, yet she gets punished.

Lastly, I want to touch on the false advertising for the game. Normally, I wouldn’t be upset because movie trailers do it all the time where there will be subtle differences or added scenes that don’t occur in the movie, but this was a whole other level of fuckery. I get trying to mislead people to think something is going to happen only to steer them in a different direction, in fact I think this is really cool and fun when done well. However, this was straight up lying and essentially selling an entirely different game. Not only were these lies perpetuated in trailers and ads, but even in events such as E3. Neil Druckmann constantly harped on the idea that the game was going to be about Ellie and Joel having a falling out after Ellie learns the truth and how they navigate their relationship through their next adventure together. Yet the game was never about that, instead it was just a story about drawing shitty parallels between a beloved character and a new character who was destined to be unlikable from the start.

In the end, I think it’s still worth playing because I’ve seen so many mixed reviews floating around so I feel it’s best to make your own opinion. And if nothing else, it’s a fun experience if you’re just looking at a fun game to play if you don’t really care too much about the series or characters as a whole. Will I return to this game? Not anytime soon likely. But just being the fan that I am of the series I think I’ll try to get most of the achievements eventually, and to experiment with photomode because the visuals are so good. Even with how much of a disservice this game is to the series, I don’t think it ruins it for me. It just makes me love and appreciate the first game even more and I think they could bounce back from this, but they’d need to put in a shit ton of work to earn their core audience back.

TL;DR: As an addition to the Last of Us as a series, the game is a huge disappointment and disservice, but as a standalone game it’s slightly above average. The gameplay, music, and visuals slap but the story, characters, and relationship building (or lack thereof) suck. Naughty Dog lied in a highly scummy way to fans via advertisements and trailers. Fuck Abby. Stan Lev and Yara.

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roxannarambles · 4 years

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Top 3 Favorites Of Fire Emblem 3 Houses

It’s time once again for Top Three! This time, for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, a game I’m rather late to playing but have finally gotten around to!

I’ve decided to divide it by houses and give my top three favorites from each of the playable characters from the three houses/four routes.

(Contains a few plot spoilers.)

Black Eagles

1.) Caspar

Caspar isn’t a perfect guy; he tends to have a disturbing tendency toward black-and-white thinking on morality, dividing the world into pure heroes and pure evil, and he doesn’t always stop to ponder the more intricate details of moral quandaries. Yet, despite that fact, in his heart he means well, and you cannot help but love him anyway. He’s enthusiastic and earnest, whole-hearted in what he does, and will fight fiercely to protect his friends. His voice actor is simply splendid and I think half of why I adore his character so much; the delivery is just perfect. The character will bring humor and energy to almost any situation, and both those elements are valuable standouts in a game with often heavy story themes.

2.) Petra

In a lot of ways, Petra is simply fulfilling a warrior princess archtype; a self-reliant huntress, proud, fierce, grateful to the blessings of mother nature, confidant, driven. With all that, it’s hard to find anything to dislike about her. She’s genuinely open and caring with everyone, despite the injustices against her country. She works very hard and carries the burden of an entire country on her shoulders with poise. She also makes for a powerful assassin unit.

3.) Linhardt

Linhardt is, to be perfectly honest, probably suffering from some pretty bad depression. His tendency to skip sleep some nights in favor of binge-studying, and then to sleep excessively and at all odd hours of the day, doesn’t read as “quirky” to me so much as a plain and very real symptom of depression (which can manifest in a number of ways, including insomnia and excessive sleep). His general attiude of apathy, again, seems a rather plain sign of depression. Considering the troubles of his past that he mentions he’s been trying to avoid confronting, this does make sense. While I don’t particularly enjoy Linhardt’s apathy and sleepiness, he’s actually quite a nice intellectual and a very good friend, when he puts his mind to it.

Blue Lions

1.) Ashe

Ashe is a Very Good Boy, My Good Son. He’s as sweet and pure as a summer’s afternoon and I won’t suffer any fools who say otherwise. He dreams big and he actually puts the effort out to pursuing those dreams. Even when others try to dissaude him, or tell him he’s being niave to have such glowing ideals of knighthood, he fights for them anyway and follows his heart. He also cares deeply about his family and does all he can to take care of them, putting their needs above his own. And, he’s flippin’ adorable. What a lovely person.

2.) Felix

Ok, look. I don’t always like rude, bitchy, acerbic tsunderes. But when I do, I like me some Felix. Apparently. Felix is a disappointingly rather two-dimentional character in a lot of ways, since he falls into the “obsessive swordsman trope” that Lon'qu, Rutger and others also fall into. He obsesses over his swordplay and over improving himself, but there is no real core to WHY he obsesses over it; what drives him. The support conversation with Byleth and Felix explores this, but the conclusion never actually reaches any reason why he obsesses over it. He simply wants to be strong for the sake of strong. He has no idea why and never actually finds a reason. I find this deeply unsatisfying. Still, despite this fact, I cannot help but enjoy him anyway. His bitchiness and tsundere behavior is highly entertaining to me. And he does seem to at least draw some very clear lines: as obsessed as he is with power for sheer power’s sake, he is truly disgusted at excessive bloodshed and cruelty. He’s equally disgusted at romanticizing battle or dying for your ideals-- although I think his interactions with Ashe make him consider that sacrificing for your ideals may not be so terrible after all.

3.) Annette

She’s bubbly, cheerful, energetic, loves to learn, is super friendly and often silly and provides comedic relief. The Blue Lions are generally a bunch who carry some pretty heavy emotional baggage-- so Annette’s presence is pretty essential to lighten the tone at times and help buoy people up. That’s not to say Annette doesn’t have her own shit to deal with, considering her father left her and her mother when she was still young. Still, she is a resiliant person who manages to carry on with aplomb despite that pain. And we get to enjoy her reconciliation with her father during the Blue Lion route, which is quite nice.

Golden Deer

1.) Claude

Claude . . . Claude has so much great potential as a character, but I feel he was short-changed, in the end. He has an intriguing combination: he’s a man who has built up a reputation of being a sneaky, devious schemer, somebody to not be trusted and who does not trust others-- who relies soley on himself. Yet, on the other hand, he also has big, flowery dreams of creating a world that has destroyed racism and xenophobia, that welcomes and celebraties diversity and differences of all stripes. For all his claims of being self-serving and mistrustful, his dreams are enormously altruistic and compassionate. There was great potential in exploring this contradiction in his character, as well as tracing Claude’s path of slowly opening up and learning to trust others with his tender heart-- such as with Byleth. The trouble is this never actually HAPPENS in his route. The main plot focuses mostly on the actual military strategy; it does not go into the character development he so deeply deserved. His support conversations with Byleth were intended to show this character development, but without actually showing how he got from Point A to Point B-- wary and mistrustful vs. learning to open up-- it rings hollow to me. It’s frustrating, because I do love Claude dearly (deer-ly, haha. . .). He deserved, quite frankly, so much better.

2.) Leonie

Leonie is very straightforward: what you see is really what you get. She’s a Commoner from a small village with big dreams of heoric mercenary life-- not all that dissimilar, really, from Ashe’s big dreams of heroic knighthood. She managed to drum up support (both emotional and financial) from her village and now feels obligated to do them all proud and pay them back for their support and kindness. While she can be a little single-minded at times about her adore for Jeralt (sometimes even lashing out in jealousy at Byleth), overall she’s a strong-willed, clever, and very determined young lady. I can’t help but love her. She also excels as a fantastic unit to use in-game, powerful, versitile, and getting so much done through pure grit, without any of the advantages or leg-ups that the Crest-bearing nobles are in posssession of.

3.) Ignatz

I do realize this is Sweet And Pure Archer Son Number Two on my list, but there’s no way he’s not going on the list. He’s just too wonderful. Look at my son!!! He loves his family dearly and puts aside his own dreams to honor their needs and wishes! But he also can never quite give up on his artistic dreams and his friends all gradually encourage him to have the confidance to pursue them! He is so polite and sweet and friendly and shy! He has adorable little daydreams about the Goddess and has a crush on Saint Cethleann! He has such a huge glow-up after the timeskip and turns into such a dependable, strong young man who fights for justice and always holds such tender compassion in his heart! He’s great. :)

Church of Seiros

1.) Seteth

I would be repeating myself if I wrote anything here expounding upon my love of Seteth, which is as wide and deep as the blue-green seas. So I will just link you to a previous post. That should explain exactly how my feelings evolved over time about Seteth. He was an absolute surprise and a joy to discover. I never expected to fall in love with him; when I first started playing I always expected that Claude would be the one to steal my heart, not this mysterious man. But life’s funny like that.

2.) Alois

This man is a giant freaking dork and a goober, and I feel a great deal of affection for him. He makes me feel happy and safe and he is a great adoptive brother/dad/uncle/whatever. Truly, the game and the church would feel much emptier with him not around (and much quieter, haha).

3.) Shamir

Shamir, when you first run into her, simply seems rude and cold. In fact, you will probably always have that impression of her, unless you read her support conversations. Once you access her supports, a whole new story is told. While she’s reserved and can be curt, she really does have a warmer side, growing to truly care for her allies. She’s deeply thoughtful and reflective, full of surprising insights. She’s also a remarkably talented mercenary and assasin, but while she insists she’s simply a sellsword, she does care about more then just the pay and survival.

#fire emblem #fe3h #mystuff

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