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highfantasy-soul · 1 month

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NATLA Episode 6 - Masks (4/5)

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

An explanation of what I'm doing here and my history with ATLA.

Of course, full spoilers ahead.

Daammmnnn these transitions for Zuko in this episode!!!! Right into the Agni Kai.

It's such an interesting choice to have Ozai seem genuinely insulted that Zuko said the general's plan was terrible - like it really was Ozai's plan Zuko had said was bad. He's terrifying in his rage, but it feels more personal in the live-action rather than the cold and distant - almost disinterested anger of the animated series. Animated Ozai always felt more dismissive and annoyed with Zuko, live-action Ozai seems like he truly wants Zuko to be his perfect prince and is angry that he's not.

He hasn't written Zuko off yet - and I think that makes a much more interesting dynamic to watch than one where everyone can tell Zuko will never win his favor. It will make Zuko turning in Ba Sing Se make a lot more sense because we, too, might believe that Ozai might actually welcome him back. In the animated show, it was painfully obvious that Ozai couldn't care less about Zuko and his treatment of him upon his return was ceremonial at best. But here, watching him berate Zuko about his insult in the war council, it feels like Ozai really cares - not in the healthy, good manner of caring, but he's not so distant. He's a very real, present, and active threat.

I like that in this iteration, Iroh tries to intervene on Zuko's behalf. I don't see it as lore-breaking at all (I've seen people say that Zuko was punished for speaking out at a war council, surely Iroh would be punished even more severely for directly opposing the fire lord's actions in front of witnesses) I think Iroh still has a lot of respect in the fire nation and enough status to be able to at least recommend the fire lord change his decision. Ozai allows this because he's not trying to teach Iroh anything, he has a ceremonial position in the nation, but no real power as shown when he immediately steps down when Ozai says he won't change his mind about the Agni Kai. It's still his brother, the Dragon of the West, after all, so I don't think even the onlookers would see it as an underling questioning the ruler - it was a conversation between two brothers, both of which have storied histories for the fire nation.

It's chilling to hear Ozai respond to Iroh's insistence that 'he's still your son' with 'we'll see'. It's what he wants to see here, he wants to see how ruthless and 'strong' Zuko will be when pushed to it as that's what Ozai has been taught makes a 'good' leader. Zuko tries to beg forgiveness, but Ozai orders him to rise and 'learn respect'.

While in the animated series, Zuko doesn't fight back at all and kneels unmoving as his father brands him, I don't think it messes with his character to have him fight back in the live-action. He's not fighting back because he's angry at his dad or is trying to show he's better than his dad - he's fighting because he thinks it'll be what makes his father respect him and think that he's a worthy son. He's terrified and doesn't want to fight, but he thinks obeying his father - showing what he can do - will earn him his father's love.

But he doesn't throw the first punch - Ozai does. Zuko merely stands and faces his father and dodges the fire lord's attacks and does his sick parting of the fire blast. He evades and dodges until he runs out of space and finally tries to demonstrate what he can do. Ozai's nonchalant, relaxed pose as Zuko comes at him with his own attacks shows just how much more skilled Ozai is than his son - this is truly an uneven match - a master against a child.

Ozai dodges Zuko's blows with his hands behind his back, then with only one hand, and easily grapples him and pushes his son back - snarling at him "is this everything? Give me everything!" He has no idea how harmful this 'lesson' is to his son, he doesn't see the trauma he's inflicting - his own childhood has led him to believe that this is actually an accurate test of Zuko's ability. And so Zuko tries to give his father what he wants - his attacks become bigger, more powerful, more ferocious, but Ozai still blocks him, dodges, and lands easy blows on his son.

Then he leaves Zuko an opening. He makes a big swing for Zuko to duck and pauses so Zuko can take advantage of the drop in his guard. He still has plenty of time to block Zuko's attack, even from the position he's in, but he sees his child commit the cardinal sin - he shows compassion. He hesitates to cause pain. And now Ozai is done with the lesson - his child failed. Zuko couldn't bring himself to truly hurt his father - his compassion won out over the brutality Ozai wanted to see from him. And so he's punished. His father holds him down, tells him compassion is a sign of weakness, then brands his son as a lesson he won't ever forget.

Iroh looks away in horror, Azula looks on with fascination, Zuko screams, and there's actually a look of conflicted pain on Ozai's face as well.

Jumping to the flashback Zuko has in season 2, Zuko Alone, of the animated show: I had never noticed the parallels between the way Ozai punishes Zuko for speaking out and how Azulon attempts to punish Ozai for the same thing. Both sons questioned their father's plans for the future and both were punished for it. Ozai's comes much later in life, after he's been fully indoctrinated into the Fire Nation's propaganda that power and force are the most valuable traits one can have and arguing that Iroh isn't fit for the throne because of his 'weakness' after his son's death reinforces this. It also directly impacts the way Ozai treats Zuko when he speaks out at the war council in defense of the soldiers' lives. Ozai's punishment was to know the loss of a child - while he didn't seem to believe that it would affect him as it did Iroh, I think his over-punishment of Zuko was a hold-over from that trauma his father inflicted on him - a similar trauma response Zuko has in the series: he over compensates for the perceived weakness others saw in him.

By brutally punishing Zuko for speaking out against him (just as he would have been punished for speaking out against his own father), Ozai was trying to prove to himself that he wasn't 'weak' like Iroh and the pain of his children wouldn't affect him. Not only that, but he wanted to forge his children into the ideal that he thought he, himself, had achieved: one where they were 'strong' and could stand alone without breaking under the pressures of war (like Iroh did at the loss of his son) or harm done to a family member (Zuko held back and wouldn't hurt his father).

While all of that is subtly in the animated show, you have to really understand the way childhood trauma affects people into adulthood and the cycle of violence that's perpetrated: very rarely are abusive parents that way randomly - it usually stems from how they, themselves, were treated as children. I do like that we got to see more nuance in Ozai's character here rather than the flat maniacal villain shown in the animated series - we DO see conflict on Ozai's face as he burns Zuko, possibly a hint of tears in his eyes. It doesn’t lessen the horror of his actions, it doesn’t make him 'sympathetic', it makes him a real person that we can identify in the real world. It also makes people grapple with the idea that 'bad guys' are rarely the comic-book villains with no hope for redemption that's popular in some genres of media. Not that that's a bad way to show villains, usually those stories (Lord of the Rings comes to mind), other themes are explored rather than the complexity of what leads people to do horrible things, but showing that nuance is also not a bad thing. They're just two different ways to approach antagonists.

A huge part of learning about oppression (racism, patriarchy, homophobia, colonization) is that all those things HARM THE OPPRESSOR TOO. Does that mean that the only reason we should stop racism is because it harms white people? No. What it DOES mean is that understanding that everyone is connected and even when you're 'on top' in the social/economic/political order, you are still harmed by that system too. Understanding that is a very big way we can STOP those systems - by not just throwing out an entire group of people because they happen to be born into the social group that’s oppressing people, but rather understand what's happened to their minds as well so that we can teach them a better way and keep it from repeating with just another group. I know large sections of Tumblr hate that idea - that by humanizing those causing harm we can reduce harm - it's much more satisfying to just say 'that person was born into x group and has upheld x group's supremacy, therefore they're evil and should never be shown a scrap of kindness or understanding'. This isn't a whole ass 'how-to de-radicalize people' post, so obviously I'm not going to go into all the nuances of how to go about doing that or WHO should be taking up the burden of doing that (genuinely, the answer to that question is whoever feels called to do it whether that be allies from that group or those of the oppressed group who are able and willing to 'reach across the aisle', it's 100% up to the individual and I am NOT here to tell you how you need to react to oppressors), this is just a 'lets try to cover some bases in case people take my statements about Ozai and generational abuse wildly out of context'.

We understand in the animated series that Zuko is a product of his childhood and the culture he was raised in - so why does that understanding never seem to extend to anyone else in the Fire Nation? My assumption would be that, as a kid's show, it was easier to digest that there would be one 'had always been good' kid in the Fire Nation while everyone else was just 'born a monster' from the start. Again, like with the Lord of the Rings, that's an acceptable way to portray villains when the themes you're looking to explore aren't central to that nuance, but I really like how the live-action decided to explore what it was like for the Fire Nation royal family in more complex ways. Azula wasn't grinning at Zuko's punishment like a psycho, she was looking on in morbid fascination, learning the lesson just as well as Zuko and perhaps seeing herself taking the place as the favored child for good. A much more interesting dynamic to me than her 'foregone conclusion' of being Ozai's favorite like in the animated series.

#natla #natla positivity #avatar the last airbender #netflix avatar #avatar netflix #avatar live action

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honestmouse20 · 5 months

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Gonna turn this into a fic but, I saw an angsty post about the ninja being hurt and it gave me Ideas!

When Kai's hurt, he's the type to hide it. He would rather do anything else other than telling the others he's injured. Zane and Pixal both have gotten scarilly good at scanning him and detecting the signs that he's injured. He'll kick and scream that he's fine but the second one of them actually start tending to him, he goes limp and pliant.

When Jay's hurt, everyone knows. He's the complainer but that's how you know he's *alive*. If he's dead silent then that's how the ninja know it's really bad. it's only happened a couple of times but it's always scared the shit out of the ninja. Jay's a good paitent though, he always listens and is a big cuddle bug.

Cole admits when he's hurt but usually tries to downplay it. He would rather get patched up quietly and not go through all the crazy worrying his friends and everything. Though he's *also* the one who will put off his own injuries to take care of the other ninja

Zane gets injured fairly often but because he doesn't really bleed, most of his injuries can be fixed easilly. Usually it's messed up wires or his 'skin' getting damaged. He can get hurt badly (i.e. the fight with Mr. E. ) but it's much more rare. Even then, he can return from almost anything.

Nya is... stubborn. She isn't as bad as Kai but she hates asking for help. So she'll tell someone she's hurt but then try and patch herself up anyway. Pixal and Zane have both walked in on Nya giving herself stitches in the middle of the night. Once she and Jay become a couple, he starts watching out for her waaay more and will all but drag her to the med bay.

Lloyd gets hurt the most. Bad guys single him out a lot and he's also pretty clumsy. Plus the general saving the world thing that ends up getting him hurt way more often than the others. It's not by intention but he also will just straight up not notice that he's hurt until the battle is over. (like at the end of possession I hc he absolutly just drops from exhaustion) In fact, he just collapses a lot. And that's why I feel like Zane was so quick to catch him in P1 of Dragons Rising, he's used to it.

#also i have so many ideas for like #fics revolving around showing why the ninja are the way they are with being hurt #and why they react the way they do when the Others are hurt #so I do plan on writing those lol #or maybe just making htem small and posting them here #ninjago #d rambles

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fanstuffrantings · 11 months

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One of my biggest issues with Anders in DA2 will always be that he was a stand in for Valena and plot points weren't fully rewritten with him in mind. Allow me to give examples.

If you're just nice to Anders, he assumes there's romantic intentions and is angry if you reject the idea. What we know about Anders in Awakening means this doesn't make sense. He's a flirt. But for Valena this would make sense. A calous elf who trusts no one is shown complete kindness and understanding? It would totally track for her to be angry at rejection. This moment made me dislike Anders a lot during my first playthrough, it didn't fit him.

Next is just in general how he acts and how departed from awakening he is. If awakening and 2 had more time between them then sure we could argue that the years just changed him. But it hadn't been years. The awakening timeline is a mess but da2 Anders appears barely months after (if that). Valena being introduced as untrusting, slightly uptight, and immediately reactive fits perfect though.

With that said: if they ever were to remake da2 these are some story changes I'd make to Anders to allow the plot to flow better with him.

1. He flirts with everyone. For Fenris it could be done to get a rise out of him. The hatred between them is still clearly there just not as volatile as it can get. He could grow feelings for hawke but it's never brought up until act 2 when he wants to know where the relationship is going. You can't sleep with him without forming a romance but if the player opts for a "I'm just friendly flirting" Anders let's it go. In act 3 when we see him at his lowest he doesn't friendly flirt with anyone.

2. Justice and him are on bad terms at the start of 2. In the book for anders he was kicked out of the wardens after eating people. I want him to have a problem with that and actually be thinking letting himself be possessed is a mistake. It's Hawke's response in act 1 that begins his journey to either reconciling with justice, or attempting to be free from justice. This would also shape how he turns out in act 3. If you support him we see him how he is in game. If you tell him to separate we see him become less of himself as he becomes desperate to avoid what justice plans.

3. The scene with fenris being sold needs to change. That scene honestly should be the thing that causes companions to abandon hawke. Only reuniting in the final to defend the city because everyone is home there. The only exception is if we have vengeance by this point who thinks fenris is getting his justice for hating mages. But even then it's iffy.

4. Again I want to see anders change over the game depending on hawke. If a hawke constantly encourages him and justice to stay together and work through things we see him become more radical and willing to do whatever it takes to gain mage freedom. Even if some must die. The anders we knew is no longer there, but for many this anders is what's needed. What's right. For players who reject what anders could be we see him become almost a shell of himself. Still unrecognizable but also fighting best he can against what's to come. Maybe in this version he tries to warn circle mages, tries to tell hawke, heck maybe even attempts to tell thrask since he's one of the better templars. But he's incapable of doing so. He still wants mage freedom but he's so caught up in his own struggle he can't really fight for it. Still not a great outcome.

I've been thinking on these for a minute. Dragon age 2 is both a loved and hated game for me. Because I feel like it did a lot of damage to the dragon age story but also gave us such good parts as well.

#dragon age #da2 #anders critical #da anders #listen i loved awakening anders but after finding out he replaced Valena (who i also love) a lot of things made sense

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pheiral · 12 days

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Let's talk about father of the year, Ryuga Tokisada.

It'll be inevitable to ramble about Mizuki and Gegero too because Tokisada are such a good foil to Kitaro's fathers. Beware of spoilers and personal interpretation just for my own conveniences

Ryuga's new year fortunes details what aspect of Mizuki and Gegero that each Ryuga family foil for

Tokisada's fortune: "We should believe in and entrust the next generation without being proud of our past efforts" (mtl)

- Unlike Gegero who sacrifice himself for his son and Mizuki who's not proud of his war experience. Tokisada is a selfish character with massive ego, as if his big portrait at the bottom of the well isn't enough sign...

Tokisada and Hinamatsuri

the cake Tokisada ate, Hishimochi (square one in the picture) is something to be eaten at March 3rd, but genazo is set on summer. He also arrange his corpse as the only Emperor (god) instead of properly arranged hina dolls.

This is festival that pray for daughter good health, but you know how he treat his daughters and he's only praying for his own health and longevity. His kingdom is for himself and no one else.

During the will reading, we can see Tokisada's portrait hung onto the dragon's body. This kind of dragon are often referred as godly being.

So many things are show how much this man think himself as god. Remember how to open the secret door, they need to stab the general statue's nostril, this geezer sure love to descreate traditions and it'll bite him.

Hinamatsuri arrangement need to be done perfectly or else it'll be bad luck for the daughter, but Tokisada's arrangement is suited for himself...in a way he got it coming for being so disrespectful.

💩

Now onto Tokisada's final scene in the movie because it contrast so well with Kitaro's fathers

Everyone probably recognize how these two scene have a lot of similarities.

Kitaro's trademark sound is karan koron that come from his Geta, making us hear the sound of the axe against the stairs and sound of Gegero's geta sent me chills and makes me very excited

Gegero first appearance in the village and Mizuki's climbing the stair..they climbed it for the sake of others and opening new path. Gegero meeting Mizuki changed his trajectory of life, Mizuki climbing the stairs helped yureizoku.

Some more differences i love:

- Color scheme fitting their respective theme colors

- Liquid that make them wet (rain for crybaby Gegero and blood for blood bank worker/ex soldier Mizuki)

- What they do after arriving at the destinations. Gegero who try to defuse the situation calmly and gently, offered to talk together, get ignored by humans anyway but saved by Mizuki vs Mizuki who come to chop some geezer, offered rewards and wealth by the geezer, he ignored the offer anyway with loud objection (which is also rejection to his future, the abominable path Mizuki might take if he continue with his current way of living)

- Both of them have the other see them as they walk up the stairs, what kind of feeling they have in respective scenes.

💩 back to Tokisada.

He too climb the stairs. No heavy distinct sound except his pathetic cry of help because this man ideal weight as much as the sound of his steps. He climb for himself after pissing his pant from fear (if gegero blue is tears, mizuki red is blood...tokisada yellow is piss lol).

We don't see him rise from below like Kitaro's fathers but instead from his back as he ran being chased, but his path is blocked by his own gigantic portrait. The one who see him only Kyokotsu who is out for revenge instead of the feeling of camaraderie that's evoked by Kitaro's fathers in shoots above.

Tokisada's dialogue as he arrive as his dead end is pleading for his life pathetically, which is of course ignored by the inhuman kyokotsu.

I love to think these shots all culminate onto Kitaro's birth as he dig himself out while bawling. As Mizuki heard the baby cry for help, he almost ignored it and then he heard sound of Gegero's geta...he finally help Kitaro just like when he helped Gegero.

Anyway..

About Tokisada final form, poop ball

The pearl clutched by dragon is called pearl of wisdom look so much like yellow ball Tokisada but it's just a mockery of the true pearl of wisdom.

Fun fact: during the will reading, Katsunori sit at the dragon's maw side while Tokimaro sit near the pearl side which can be seen as foreshadowing of him as next vessel for Tokisada.

Now back to yellow ball Tokisada, both him and Gegero lose their body. Tokisada last shown body part is his eyes, so you can't help but think of Medama Oyaji. Their difference make it much better

Tokisada forever trapped at the bottom of the well, spent 70 years to get that far at the movie beginning only to fall again. He's opposite of Gegero who only retain his eye and lose all his flesh. Tokisada is only compressed blended flesh, dunno if it's possible for him to even see anything in that state. They're both very round but Medama able to move around and feel the world despite everything, Tokisada can only roll and scream.

He scream but has no mouth, which is interesting to compare with the visual of forbidden island. The island seen together with it's reflection look like shut lips despite loud screams coming out of that island.

💩

Just a little thought, Mizuki and Gegero both wear something on their wrists

Gegero with his bracelet woven from ancestors spirit hair that signify everlasting time vs Mizuki with wristwatch that symbolize his limited time. That bracelet is his kin while Mizuki's watch is an object

Tokisada doesn't wear such thing, but he has his own "time piece" aka the name Toki- that mean time. He treated his family members like object. He want to be eternal but his entire fortune are now destroyed.

💩

Tokisada's lore can be seen as homage to Shigeru Mizuki older works which can be read from [3, rue des Mystères]

Collection of short stories. From what I can gather, these are the stories that's have similarities with genazo plot:

- 怪奇鮮血の目 a story about oldman who want to inherit all his riches to a young man. Only to exchange body with a young man, so the young man is left with his near death body.

- 墓を掘る男 man who dig skulls out of grave and fall to hell

- ???, a thief drink elixir of immortality with grave consequences that leave him unable to die even when his body get mutilated

#genazo #ryuga tokisada

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communicationandconversation · 9 months

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Ruthless blocking as self-punishment

CW: Extended mentions of aphobia and transphobia, very brief mention of ableism, general negativity around the internet and what could potentially be considered self-harm (deliberate exposure to upsetting materials).

You know how a lot of people say getting into arguments with trolls on the internet does nothing to change the troll's mind and is just detrimental to your mental health in the long run? I'd like to take that a step further if that's alright.

(Disclaimer: this isn't really focused on language but I will be focusing a lot of my experiences as a queer person and disability to some degree as well. It's also not me telling people not to block people, it's mainly me talking about my own experiences in hopes other people might be able to relate.)

Between my tumblr and twitter accounts I have over 800 people blocked. Some of the numbers may be a bit off given the amount of bots and people deactivating their accounts over the years but it's still a lot! The internet is a divisive place and everywhere you turn there's an argument you can join a side in. But, at the same time, it can also be incredibly easy to cultivate bad habits as a result of all of this discourse.

I originally joined Tumblr in 2016 as an aroacespec young person. Other people on those spectrums who have been here that long are probably plainly aware where I am going with this, but it was not a good time to be aroace on the internet then, especially when you're just starting out in those spaces. Arguments around "cishet aceys" taking up too much space in the community and giving it a bad rep with our microlabels and flags was rife. A lot of our culture was kept quieter and quieter - the rings, the cake, the dragons - because it was considered too cringy. "Mogai hell" was enough of a phrase to send anyone packing.

So what do you do when it feels like people on the internet hate your existence? You try to fight it or barracade yourself in. Arguing or blocking, both have their merits and downfalls. When you're arguing with people about belonging in a space, chances are that the person you're arguing with won't change their mind; if anything, they're just going to dig their heels in further or twist your argument to support theirs. But at the same time, there is a chance that other people with the same identity and/or experience will see you fighting and feel less alone.

On the other hand, blocking takes away some of the satisfaction on both sides. People trying to get a rise are just getting ignored rather than recieving attention, good or bad, but you're also still aware that they're out there on the internet saying all of these horrible things, even if you yourself can't see them. For some, this is where the cycle ends, but I tried to take it even further, even if I didn't argue with anyone at any point.

"Ace discourse" had taken over all of the main tags, plus a few (see "Mogai hell") were even more direct in showing you how much people hated your aroacespecness. So, I would go on those tags frequently, find those blogs saying horrible things and go through their posts, blocking other people they reblogged from and then blocking them at the end. I told myself it was a good thing. It meant I was becoming increasingly aware of all of the main aphobic talking points and was also preemptively blocking blogs before I could come across them naturally (despite the fact I might not have come across them at all if I hadn't actively searched them out). It didn't help though. There are always more blogs to block and always more hateful talking points to come across.

You know when they have those episodes of tv shows where people think they want their friends/family/partners to be completely honest with them about everything and then the other person says something that annoys them and it just makes the person who wanted that honesty feel more insecure with themselves? It's kind of like that. It just feels your head with people who don't deserve to be there rent-free, while they have no idea you even exist and wouldn't care if you did or not. People don't want to feel like they're being ignorant but honestly there's so much hate in the world already that living life without also harming yourself is more radical than scrolling through posts on the internet with the intention of blocking every single person who's written one.

It's easier in some cases than others. I see a lot less aphobia nowadays, probably both from me not actively seeking it out and from Tumblr culture moving past it being such a popular form of "discourse". I also have a rule for myself that I will scroll past any form of AITA reddit post that has mentions of autism or other disabilities in the title because the chances of seeing people being ableist on there just aren't worth it.

But at the same time I and other people I follow on Twitter do a lot of work around the rise in transphobia, so even tweets I encounter around trans joy at the moment are bombared with TERFs and other transphobes kicking up a fuss in the comments. Once again people are dedicating so much time to hating a group that just wants to live life happily and it's kind of pathetic. Part of the reason I wrote this though is because I can feel myself slipping back into those same unhealthy routines more and more, since it's so easy to click on a tweet, go to the comments or quote retweets and just start scrolling and blocking.

So in case anyone else has been having the same troubles, hello! You deserve much better than this and if it's not for work I'd advice moving away from following accounts that focus on the doom and gloom of prejudice for a bit. Follow some cute animal accounts, artists or silly novelty accounts! If you use apps rather than websites for social media, don't be afraid to have daily time limits on them, or move to browser-only so they're more of a hassle to get to everytime.

Constant negativity isn't a viable way to live and there's a difference between ignorance and healing. I'm wishing you all the best and hopefully we'll all be able to come out of this on the other side healthier and happier than ever before. Much love! <3

#tw aphobia #tw transphobia #self care #blocking #discourse #mental health #internet safety

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mango-dolphin · 2 years

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do you want to hear a hc i have about how Melromarcs world works :000 To bad you're hearing it/j

all of the heroes summoned are normally 18 or above. its VERY rare for them to be 17, and 16 is literally unheard of. that's one of the reasons people think Itsuki's the youngest(along with his appearance and how Ren carries himself/hides his age), it's practically impossible for anyone to be younger!!

Ren's party know he's on the younger side, but they think he's just a strange 17-18 year old.

i also think the weapons have age preferences: Shield heroes have the widest range, and are normally the eldest, like 20-28. Spear heroes have a smaller range, 21-24(normally they're 21 tho). Bow heroes are have the smallest, 17-18. idk about sword heroes ;A; im thinking a wide range at 17-22, normally ~18.

Ren is an outlier XD as he deserves/j

yesssssss YESSSSSS YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS if i were a dragon i think i would hoard headcanons. even ones that i don't subscribe to. i love headcanons so much thank you king

this... is a VERY intriguing idea, actually (that the weapons have a preferred age cut-off)... i don't know how much i subscribe to this headcanon, but i feel like if this were the case on any level it'd be incredibly telling of parts of the world—both in an enlightening and a concerning way.

for starters, summoning someone at 18 to early 20s is still pretty dang young to be taking heroes, from a standpoint considering age. they're not so young as to miss out on a majority of common sense, but they'd still be young enough to be generally impressionable. they have a lot of room to grow, and would typically be in a phase of their life where they'd be trying to find out who they are. so grabbing someone around that age range would make it easier to convince them "Hey, what if you were a hero? Our hero?"

(it's a little ominous admittedly, especially in cases like Naofumi's where they aren't quite given the choice, but as someone who's gonna turn 20 later this month it'd be awesome to be given that opportunity imo. like damn alright i wouldn't mind getting isekai'd like that, even though it'd be a very difficult journey. at least i don't have the illusion of accessible healthcare)

GOD DAMMIT IT GOT LONG AGAIN

there is the thing of folktales often having young heroes to begin with, so i wouldn't be surprised if the minimum age was actually 16 myself. i don't remember too much about shit i've read but like. y'know. Y'know. YA literature, young/teenage protagonists off having adventures, the "older kids" (teens) enabling more "edgy" adventures, etc etc. but it'd be really funny if one of the Cardinal Weapons had that similar train of thought: start out your kid hero early as you can help this youth rise to greatness the old-fashioned way. i hope this paragraph made sense LMAO

BUT i think if the weapons had age preferences, i'd generally agree w/your assessment on all of them.

it makes sense that the Shield spirit would prefer older or generally more mature/experienced heroes—they'd need someone reliable, not so fickle. the issue with choosing someone older is that they may already have set down some roots, so they might not be as enthusiastic about the task. however, ideally, they'd someone self-assured and more comfortable in their identity. i bet on average the heroes they've summoned are the oldest out of the four: you put your range at 20 - 28, but i'd personally say that it'd typically start at 23 (absolute limit 20) and have no upper bound for age. just whoever would be the best fit for the role (and growing/learning on the job), and would be in the most favorable position to accept the role.

i think the Spear spirit would be looking for someone willing to act, but not so caught-up with the small stuff. someone with good instincts—and you usually accumulate those instincts and skills the more time you're given to spend on them, so someone a little older is probably the weapon's preference. but not TOO old. gotta catch someone spry. so i agree on typically 21 but ranging towards 24, maybe 25 if someone stands out. probably trying to go as young as they can, but not so young as to make too many stupid decisions.

LAUGHING AT THE BOW SPIRIT HYPOTHETICALLY HAVING A RANGE SO SMALL BTW. i think this might be the "start your kid hero early to help them rise the old-fashioned way" weapon i was musing about earlier. this is so funny. idk the Bow spirit seems like it'd be the most outwardly chivalrous & "knightly" of the Cardinal Weapons, especially considering their second choice for a hero was Itsuki (and not literally anyone else) LMAO. 17 - 18 sounds about right, if not occasionally picking up to 20 years old if the other heroes are all 23+. start your knights off Early!

i feel like the Sword spirit might prefer older heroes as well—someone who'd, at the very least, would be able to come to terms with what their job as a Hero might entail. so, older typically would suggest that. i like the range you gave, but i think the Sword spirit may not particularly have a preference so much as a trend. probably heroes from 19 - 26, but has regularly chosen from the high end, and very very rarely chosen lower.

i bet when the summoning ceremony happened for the weapons, they lost their minds when the oldest hero chosen was the spear hero. like damn, alright! the hero who's usually the second youngest (if not VERY rarely the youngest) is now the adult of the group! we be choosing babies this year!

it'd also call into question why the second choice for the Sword's holder would be someone so young... i'd like to think that the second choices for the Sword, Spear, and Bow weapons were people emotionally close to their first choices, which might explain why the Sword spirit was so comfortable with choosing a baby. their first choice was also a baby, so might as well commit!

REN IS AN OUTLIER, AS HE DESERVES—

bonus: i don't know enough about the Holy Hunting Tool to really suggest anything, but i think it'd be really funny if its spirit preferred hunters/fishers, particularly gentle/humble ones. it took one look at a maybe 13, 14-year old kizuna and was like that's her. that's the person who will defend my world from evil. and then kizuna proceeded to play the fishing minigame nonstop (while also defending her world from evil). (i don't know at what age kizuna was summoned)

#mango japery #answer #small-spark-of-light #headcanon #theory #my writing #mango's writing #OUR writing. (communism)#THIS WAS REALLY FUN TO THINK ABOUT THANK YOU. ok i might actually subsume part of this headcanon anyways #it's like. ooOOOOHHHhhh... it not only suggests that the weapons have Biases #but the weapons might even have Opinions. like. we already get the implication that the weapons think & feel #but this really affirms that the weapons could be considered on some level close to people #if not just being sentient beings in general #which is. INTERESTING.#BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS. ren & naofumi are da Special Boyz.#ALSO!!! JUST REMEMBERED THIS. the notion that the *general public* knows the weapons' preferences also suggests SO MUCH #mmmMMMM I LOVE HEADCANONS WITH WIDER IMPLICATIONS ABOUT THE WORLD.#like. there's enough mythos about the holy weapons' spirits' PERSONALITIES for it to be common knowledge?#for people to have ASSUMPTIONS built off of that common knowledge?#these weapons are A PART OF THEIR WORLDSSSSSSSssss

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the-cryptographer · 11 months

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You don't have to do both or you can just answer the parts of the game you'd like for either, but Vivian Wong as a character and/or Battleshipping as a ship for the ask game if you'd like. Thank you!

Thank you!!

001 | send me a ship and I will tell you: BATTLESHIPPING

when I started shipping it if I did: I can’t exactly recall. But I think it was generally something that came along with getting back into the fandom in 2015/2016ish. Like, I had liked pupship for a long time, and wishship was something that stood out to me in the early parts of the manga, and there’s nothing not to like about rivalship. So why not just... put ‘em all together, lol.

my thoughts: Think it’s generally a lot of fun to contrast the more happy-go-lucky optimism of Yuugi and Jounouchi and their friendship with Kaiba’s cynicism. But like... what if they kissed about it? I think there’s also something to be asked about the kind of space that Jounouchi and Seto and Yuugi would create for themselves? Because you kind of have extreme poverty and extreme wealth with Jou and Seto respectively, and then Yuugi as the everyman with your sort of average media middle class domestic life. And it does make me wonder what kind of space they would want to occupy together and the kind of objects and ideas they’d want to fill it with. Which is perhaps an extremely domestic take on the ship, but it’s where I feel my mind tends to go.

What makes me happy about them: Them coming out the other side of canon with this connection to one another. Jou effusively touchy feely loving on Seto and Yuugi. All the over the top big gestures Kaiba makes, contrasted with all the small ways that Yuugi shows consideration for people. It feels like they all bring something a bit different to the table and it comes together in a way that’s really colourful.

What makes me sad about them: Think there would definitely be a lot of moments where Jounouchi feels Seto & Yuugi are teaming up against him, or Seto feels Jounouchi & Yuugi are teaming up against him, and Yuugi is SICK of getting typecast as the peacekeeper when these conflicts come to a head. I remember one of the ideas I came up with for a get-together fic was Jounouchi like... making out with Yuugi in front of Seto in a way that was obviously meant to be, like, bragging/flaunting/provocative. Which is very dysfunctional and evil and the kind of shit I feel like Jounouchi pulls all the time, lol, even after they’re together and it’s less about romantic jealousy in specific. The boy loves to get a rise out of people. Something that makes me happy & sad is the shared connection to Atem too. Bittersweet that they shared that loss together to different degrees.

things done in fanfic that annoys me: I don’t think there’s enough fanfic for them for me to really make any generalisations about the good vs the bad here.

things I look for in fanfic: Its existence.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: Other ships I like are Jounouchi/Mai, Isis/Seto, aaaaand... let’s go with Malik/Ryou/Yuugi for Yuugi? But these are just a sample. I’m pretty open to and happy with most ygo ships.

My happily ever after for them: Maybe that shared domestic space can have like... a Blue Eyes White Dragon bouncy castle, lmao.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: Hmm... not sure. I think they switch it up, but Jounouchi likes sleeping in the middle for maximum cuddles and attention.

what is their favorite non-sexual activity: Gaming, of course~ I think we’ve gotten art from Takehashi of both Jou&Seto and Seto&Yuugi postcanon games of Duel Monsters. But I admit I like the idea of them playing other types of games as well. Dice and racing games and ttrpgs.

002 | Give me a character & I will tell you: VIVIAN WONG

How I feel about this character: She is... a mess <3 Something truly sociopathic and sinophobic about her appearances in canon, chasing after husband material and competing with literal twelve year olds. But, ignoring the jank- I love her energy! She’s so fun! And, let’s be real, Grandpa deserved to get beat up a little.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Mai <3 I’ve also seen some of her with Otogi. If I remember he delivers the exposition on who she is an her duelling records, and it’s kinda implied he’s a fan of hers. This does strike me as pretty cute.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Probably still Otogi. But I do also kinda enjoy her and Rebecca duelling and being stupid at one another~

My unpopular opinion about this character: This entire post is unpopular opinions.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Less of the aforementioned heterosexist/sinophobic jank. I also wish more of the female duelists in this series got to win and their badassery was less of an informed quality. But obviously the entire structure of the story and cast would have to be rearranged to really accommodate that, so I don’t know where this leaves me.

my OTP: Mai/Vivian~ It makes me happy that we see them together in that scene in the end credits. I feel like Mai being able to travel with and duel together with this woman is really peak happy ending. I think also because I get the impression from other places in the series that Mai has really struggled making friends her own age, and also struggled making female friends, and it’s cool to me that through the power of Duel Monsters and character development, she was finally able to connect with someone she can relate to in those kinds of ways.

my cross over ship: I got nothin’!

a headcanon fact: I’m not sure I have anything in specific, but I’d like to headcanon more about her acting credentials. I wrote her starring in a show called Romance of the Lost Dynasty apparently.

#battleship #Vivian Wong #save me from this card game hell #i still have one more of these to do 'anon' but i'm dragging my feet

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fuzzyizmit · 2 years

Text

Creative Stuff List

I thought that it might be a good idea to put all my creative endeavors into one place to make it easy to find/share when needed. I'll include little descriptions of each piece and some examples (in the case of visual art). This will include my fan fiction (including my OC website), visual art and fiber art patterns. I stream a lot of the creative process, as well as stream games on Twitch. I'll also include, at the very end, some places you can support my art if you feel so inclined. Check the tags before you dive into them!

FAN FICTION

I tend to write about Fallout (particularly FO4 and Goodneighbor) but I have a few other fandoms in there too

Out of The Desert and Into The Fire (series) aka Antique Champagne - (Fallout) This is how I began my fan fiction journey. This story follows Payne, a very unique ghoul from New Vegas, as she tries to make a new home in Goodneighbor and reconnect with her humanity. This is a long fic and has some very mature themes. There is more planned for this series.

Beastly Kingdom Sage (series) - (Fallout) Liz became the Overboss of Nukaworld though relentless planning, manipulation and force of her will. Her power is absolute and her vision final. The Minutemen general shows up and offers her the chance to an even grander vision. You can read about her rise and fall, both before and after the Great War. I also commissioned a wonderful artist to render part of the first chapter into comic book form, so that is up there too! This series is finished.

Absolute Zero - (Fallout) Finding herself between a rock and the business end of a gun, Angela is forced to use her skills as a chemist in Goodneighbor to pay off an insurmountable debt. Things go from bad to worse. Can she keep going? (on going)

Silver Linings - (Fallout) Growing up as a raider is tough, but Dust is finding life as a plain ol' resident of Goodneighbor just as daunting. (on going)

One More - (Fallout) A day in the life of Oswald the Outrageous. Written for the From Necropolis with Love fan zine.

Mixed Media - (Fallout/Dragon Age/Elder Scrolls) Rita, an avid gamer, wife and mother, find herself trapped in a strange jumble of her favorite game worlds. Can she figure out how to get home before everything collapses into madness?

Explicit One Offs - (Fallout, Star Wars) If you want mature fare, you'll just have to look through my profile. I hope you can find something you will enjoy.

VISUAL WORKS

Again, most of these are Fallout related, but not everything!

Deviant Art - I share both digital art and crafting projects here. Lately, it has been more digital art, including American Traditional tattoo designs, OC portraits, and emotes.

Examples:

The Strange are Quilting - I share free (both fandom and non-fandom based) quilting and cross stitch patterns here. I've even had people share some of the things they've made with them!

Examples:

SUPPORT

I'm just dropping these here if you feel moved to support me. Please, don't ever feel obligated to do so.

Twitch - Maybe some day I'll make affiliate! It's only been... 5 years...

Ko-Fi - Buy me a coffee (not that I actually drink the stuff)

Throne Gifts - If you really want to treat me, take a gander at my wish list! Oh, I have referals if you need one!

Red Bubble - Put some of my designs and artwork on stuff... then buy it (if you want, of course)!

#about me #master list

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gascon-en-exil · 1 year

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What are your 5 favorite FE maps? Be it for story, gameplay, or anything else.

That's quite a difficult question, both because there's so many of them to choose from and because it can be hard to compare maps from different games especially when there are different design philosophies, ex. how most of FE4's maps are a slog to play through but are fantastic in terms of laying out the game's broad narrative. Still, in no particular order:

Genealogy of the Holy War Chapter 5

On the subject of FE4, the atmosphere of Chapter 5 absolutely sells it, full of mounting dread and a sort of fatalism that one rarely sees in FE or in a lot of video games for that matter. The massacre of the knights of Leonster and Quan and Ethlyn's deaths play out as a part of regular gameplay, with no way for the player to intervene in time, and the chapter hits you over and over again with every conquered castle and anxious character conversation and the inevitable barbecue that Sigurd is marching toward. The pacing slows to a crawl in the middle because desert maps are terrible, but like I said this is mostly about the story and atmosphere. Chapter 5 is the one that makes me most skeptical of IS remaking FE4, because of how much it conflicts with the philosophy of never allowing the player to feel too bad. Watch them add an Avatar who figures out Arvis's plan but sticks around anyway until Sigurd sends them to follow Oifey and Shannan at the last minute, paving the way for them to be playable again at the start of Gen 2.

Fates Revelation Chapter 21

Revelation's numerous gimmick maps miss more often than they hit, but this one is fairly interesting with tiles that shift enemies between promoted and unpromoted forms. There's some fun tactical potential here, especially as you can use a Dragon Vein to swap the tile effects, and it's more memorable fun than the route's awkward attempts at platforming or a stealth mission lifted from Path of Radiance or...God, that snow level....

Blazing Blade Chapter 26x (Eliwood)/28x (Hector)

Sonia is one of my favorite FE antagonists, because she's just so delightfully evil even as I'm fairly indifferent to her woobie of an adopted daughter. This map is sort of a take on a water dungeon concept, with platforms that sink and rise every few turns. It can be a headache to navigate, especially as Sonia is one of those bosses that spams long-range magic, but it's generally not too difficult to figure out unless you're actually trying to use Nino. The ending is great too, with the reveal that Sonia was a morph all along and didn't realize it.

Three Houses Crimson Flower Chapter 17

FE16's map design is overall unremarkable, so on the basis of character work alone it was either this or the non-CF battle in Enbarr for its Ferdibert boss conversation. This one took the prize though, because 1) that boss conversation requires me to be using Ferdinand, whereas the Dimidue death scene can be triggered by anyone, 2) that's just one line, and while it does provide the energy for the ship's Wicked parallel that the voice actors took advantage of that's nothing compared to a dialogue scene that's so gay that it had to be laid over a black screen because any visual would completely obliterate all attempts to no homo Dimitri and Dedue's relationship, and 3) unlike every other instance of optional character moments in battles I can think of in this game, getting the Dimidue death scene actually makes the map easier as you don't have to fight Dedue as a Crest Beast. That's some good gameplay and (very gay) story integration right there.

Radiant Dawn Part 3 Endgame

Desperately needs the option to skip enemy and NPC phases, but it's got a feeling of dread and inevitability similar to FE4 Chapter 4 thanks to the ominous counter in the corner of the screen that goes up whenever any unit is defeated. It's complicated and sprawling and I've seen this map play out in all sorts of ways based on what the AI decides to do, and the enemies can be quite difficult too and make it tough to rush ahead and treat this like a rout map. Then the counter gets to 80 and the map just...ends, and so does the world sort of. The first time you play through it without knowing what's coming up it can all be pretty jarring.

#Fire Emblem

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chibitabathasloves · 2 years

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i agree w the notes !! i hadnt noticed the scarf stuff but it makes a lot of sense. nice catch !

sorry the brain fog is taking a bit. i love that u have a notebook for that btw. if you ever end up watching manhunter, it's an ok adaptation of the book red dragon. im kind of insane about red dragon willnibal and manhunter willnibal : i think manhunter will is VERY different from red dragon will, in bad ways, but both are kind of insane to me. i have book fandesigns but idk if its worth posting the content bc everyone is so used to NBC ? but then again i literally draw manhunter designs which are from a movie literally Two people in the fandom have seen so

i like ur interpretation of hannibals feelings for will ! i do have a bit of trouble being as optimistic about it as other people in the fandom. i kind of don't really know where the control freakism starts and where it ends w his feelings for him. you're right that he didn't choose who he loves, which i'm sure made him ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS, BECAUSE HOW DARE, but also so he can play chess with will properly instead of just making him a pawn he does have to relinquish some control... and he can't just detach himself emotionally from the situation, he's in love... but then it means he has to give up control. i love willnibal so much, i love writing it so much, it's so fucking complicated.

also i love the italian nicknames they're so cute :) i love the idea of italian nicknames in general. hope u can kick ur friends ass !! i do love the idea of will trying to connect w hannibal thru languages. italian seems like a good middle ground, lithuanian is really pushing it too far imho. remembers lovingly that mspaint comic i made w will thinking it would be a VERY good idea to practice saying "i love you" in lithuanian and chiyoh begging him to stop because it was the worst idea alive

Hello again, sorry I was at a wedding last night trying to wrangle small children that aren't mine.

My notes have like insightful little quips and then bullshit like: "Fucking monster. Licked a newspaper." Like, ah yes. They're going to give the cannibal glue. No, no they won't. But he sure did lick that newspaper for his weird little scrapbook.

I'm not going to lie, the reason I've actually thought about watching Manhunter is cause of you. My one friend told me the movie isn't very good (I'm notoriously bad at watching bad films) but I wanted to be able to interact with your art for those things because I like your art so much. Also now that I am an unhinged Hannibal fan, he got me to watch Hannibal Rising (i think I told him I wanted my time and money back), SOTL and Red Dragon. My first thought when seeing Norton as Will was "Really? The fight club guy?" But i remember so little of the film other than 'wow, Freddie Lounds is a dick whether he has one or not' and 'hehehe exercise leash'. And then with SOTL I was like "wow, good thing all these characters appear to be the pinnacle of mental health." But they sure didn't seep into my brain. I might try watching them again. But I def want to watch Manhunter. Give me insane. I'm down for the sickness (brain rot).

Also, give me the fan designs. I'm still a partial Witcher fan, so I love seeing the book designs people come up with. I love that for people! I love that for me!

The weird thing about Hannibal's feelings is that he's so blasé about them. I think at first he saw Will, and was intrigued about the potential of being seen. But clearly it wasn't the superpower it was practically claimed to be. After all, Will looked him dead in the eyes and didn't see the creature behind the veil. But maybe Hannibal saw something else in those eyes that wouldn't settle. Like a feral animal curled into itself, eyes darting around, looking for the best and quickest exit. Unlike when he met Lass, who was hardworking and smart, he kept her because of that intelligence. Will had something, but he wasn't sure what. And I think that's why when he says he was curious about what Will would have done with Hobbs when he had placed that phone call, I believe him. Will was either going to be another of Jack's bloodhounds stolen from under his nose, or he was going to be something else. I think that Hannibal struggles with some form of depression, the surface level attachments to his creature comforts, so the boredom is stifling. Hannibal himself is so incredibly nuanced and shifts from "Will is my friend" to "Guess I have to eat him" in the same conversation. I don't think Will was ever safe from Hannibal's knife. At least not until like S3 finale. The issue with an emotion you're not used to is its volatile, and we can see that in how Hannibal talks of Will and to Will. I do think that he joined Jack in helping to groom Will to kill himself, because it would be a worthy challenge.

I know some of the Fandom elevate Will to a god-adjacent status in Hannibal's eyes. But again, I think that comes and goes. I think there are moments where Hannibal looks at Will and sees the God of Righteous Fury, and other times he sees the man who is ruining his life. Hannibal's body language and facial expressions are all very neutral (props to Mads Mikkelsen for that), so you have to watch his eyes and mouth for the smallest flickers. And they are small. Matthew Brown was a fool and a tool, but he was right about the eyes.

NBC Hannibal's past is very patchwork-y but from what I could scrape together he would have stopped speaking Lithuanian around the time he was mute, would have shifted into at least understanding or attempting to understand Russian (soviet occupied Lithuania) before he fled to France. In France he was still a mute. NBC specifically said his Uncle Robertus took him in at 16. Boarding school. So we can assume he learned French in boarding school. Japanese would have been next up, Lady Murasaki and Chiyoh would have used it to speak to each other, both so far from home, it would have helped ease the homesickness. So I do believe Hannibal would have learned Japanese. But Japanese would be tied to another heartbreak (like Lithuanian) when Murasaki sends Hannibal away after he refuses to stop stabbing people. He goes to his mother's homeland of Italy, and eventually settles in Florence, where he learns Italian and comes to grow into the man we know today. So that's why I advocated hard for Italian nicknames. And why I think that language for Hannibal is important, but also an insane field filled with landmines.

Welcome to my Hannibal TedTalk lmao

And I will kick his butt, because I want to write suburban murder husbands calling each other il mio mostro and il mio tutto, and I think we chose a German nickname for Abbie, but I don't remember it now. Had to look it up Jägerin, for huntress. Cause we're unhinged and can lmao

#sansnom #hannibal #chibi rants #its practically my dissertation now

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canmom · 2 years

Text

perhaps it's just a limited view of it, but it really seems like the mindset of amateur self taught artists has changed a lot with the rise of the youtube drawing channel. instead of handing about ad hoc techniques, there's grown a huge emphasis on certain technical skills - 'learn your fundamentals' has become almost a religious mantra, and nowadays you'll see a lot of figure breakdowns and discussion often revolves around invocations of principle - shape design, form, perspective etc. - and exhortations to draw more.

in this current aspiring artist subculture, art seems to be increasingly viewed almost as a levelling tree in an rpg. you master certain skills, in some sort of notional order. some people endlessly comb through drawing videos and beg for permission to draw in the perfect proper way. some earnestly post their weekly progress and apologise for not drawing enough. there seems to be a very broad need for validation.

is this a good or bad thing? i can't deny wanting to achieve certain technical aesthetic effects and making use of all these materials in the hope of drawing like certain artists i admire, and there's no question that certain kinds of work in the capitalist art industries (concept art, anime genga, etc) demand certain skills, but seeing this egregore possessing so many young artists makes me worried. what awaits at the end, a job at ubisoft?

there is much less focus on cultivating the expressive and personal aspects of art, or learning a vocabulary to talk about them, even though that is the thing that forms your connection with an artist far more than their level of technical skill. there is more to drawing than trying to catch up to kim jung gi on the great scoreboard of art mastery. and yet, if you told me to give up trying to learn all these skills and just be happy with what i can do now, i don't think i could. there is a certain sense that learning all these skills is necessary to reach certain emotional aesthetic effects.

steven zapata's solution to this conceptual dilemma is to suggest that each artist must develop their own personal strong aesthetic opinions, essentially defining the game they're trying to play, and that is where the struggle for skill plays out rather than one universal pyramid. i think i agree with this. and yet, when i stumble on an artist fighting to climb the same stupid mountain, like this guy who drew every day for six months and never saw his friends and still goes on about how he needs to tackle harder things and learn anatomy better and just try harder, all in the hopes of animating for The Line in London in a couple of years, i have a sense of a kindred spirit - another mad fool perhaps. when someone asks me for drawing advice i can whip out 20 drawing channels and an explanation of all the technical vocab bc it's a special interest and i like to be knowledgeable. watch, all these doubts go away and i take your hand and lead you into the dragon's mouth...

the whole 'sigma grindset' meme is a joke of course, but the fact it gained currency feels like it's reflecting some kind of generational anxiety. so i end up wondering - what currents are carrying me this time? the rise of the online tutorial, the sakuga fandom, deviantart declining and artstation rising, the notion of 'grind', techbro culture - i can only see some of its edges and tendrils, but it feels like something has grown here. is it a cultural echo/side effect of a period of rampant unemployment and precariousness where manufacturing has mostly been exported abroad and jobs in the creative industries seem to be the only promise of both security and fulfilment? essentially the same as the monster that ruled in academia? ...yeah that's probably just it huh.

#art #introspective nightposting #not night but it's that spirit

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shyrose57 · 3 years

Text

AU(s) where all the mod videos Tommy does, along with some other videos, are all alternate universes, and their residents end up in the SMP. Chaos ensues.

Voice Mod AU:

Universe where nobody talks aloud. They telepathically communicate, and the closer you are, the clearer and louder you are, unless you have the control the lower your mental voice.

Why?

Post-apocalyptic world(because Tommy said welcome to the new world at the start, and I too that and ran with it). They’re the new versions of humans, created after life returned on the planett, and the telepathy is a survival method, because outward noise draws predators, inner noise does not.

This also means they possibly have some other features similar to that. Like maybe Quackity’s duck wings being from some newly evolved duck species in the new world, Wilbur being a bit abnormally tall, or similar. I’m not sure.

Oh hey, no, Wilbur can be like a tree hybrid or something, cause Treebur.

Basically, evolution and telepathy.

Wilbur has a horse named Bert, he is speedy, and spends just as much time dragging his owner out of trouble than he does riding him into it.

The gang is basically just traveling the lands, exploring what’s about.

There are fish-horses, ender-horses, spider-horses, silverfish ponies, and horses that are somewhat like a breed between llamas and sheep in the world.

There are a lot of new horse breeds.

The Quackity of this universe wears clothes a lot like Manhunt Dream’s, hoodie-wise, but it’s all bright blue, and his mask has the :] face on it.

Size Mod AU:

Universe where people can shift and change sizes, though only to certain ones.

For example, Wilbur’s stuck small. He can shift to the size of a small dog, height wise, or that of a flower, but he can’t get big. Quackity can go smaller than Wilbur, or literally bigger than the Enderdragon. Both Tommy can be normal sized, or big, and Phil’s can be about the size of a tree, or become the size of a small mountain.

They all live in a nice house in the plains and spend their time terrorizing the locals.

Wilbur has a little house within the house, and he uses his size to cause havoc more often than not. Quackity is equally guilty of this.

Sometimes when the kids are being particularly bad, Phil puts the smaller ones in a compost bin and holds Tommy off the ground until he starts behaving.

Quackity’s a follower of the Blood God. Not to Techno’s length, but he goes and kills rabbits for him, and dedicates the chaos his giant form causes to the guy. In return, the four always have a flourishing harvest, and Quackity’s absolutely mean in battle.

Wilbur sleeps in one of Tommy’s old shoes that he stole and made into a bed.

Honestly, Wilbur’s kind of like the house mouse. He steals stuff and vibes in his little home in the walls. The cats that occasionally slip in try to eat him a lot too.

Wilbur and Quackity are bird hybrids, Tommy’s a zombie hybrid(cause he’s fighting a zombie and saying ‘I burn’ at that little bit), and Phil’s an iron golem hybrid.

Quackity and WIlbur have little bird-houses set up around the area for them to dart into and hide if anything comes after them.

They all met when tiny Q and Wilbur tried to rob Tommy and Phil. They succeeded with Tommy, but Phil was less than impressed at the attempt. Somehow it resulted in them all sharing a house.

Dragon Mod AU:

Universe set in more medieval-themed world. Phil, Quackity, and Tommy are dragon hunters. Wilbur’s a mischievous dragon sorcerer who enjoys shapeshifting into a dragon to mess with people. The hunters were originally sent after him, but spent more time frantically running for their lives while he laughed at them.

Wilbur’s actually good friends with the actual Enderdragon, who he calls Keithette. It was with her blessing that he decided to pick on the hunters.

He just spends all of his time messing with them. That’s all he does. He messes with them. It’s originally more malicious, which means they had a ridiculous amount of deaths, but they eventually all grew fond of each other, so now it’s more playful.

He helps them find treasure and scares off rivals.

Tommy’s a trained medic.

Quackity and Wilbur are...something? It’s a Skephalo situation. They could just be very affectionate friends, or they could be dating, or they could be messing with everyone. Nobody knows, and everytime they think they’ve figured it out, the two seem to magically know and do something to throw them off.

They’ve confused many, many people with their antics.

(They’re probably messing with people though, because they definitely know what they’re doing)

When the actual Enderdragon and her egg mysteriously went missing, Wilbur rounded up his friends and asked for their help in finding her-so now the group is on a quest to find her and return her to the End.

Natural Disaster Mod AU:

Universe where world ending natural disasters just keep happening. It killed off a lot of people, but honestly, at this point, it’s been going on for years, and those that remain are pretty used to it.

Tubbo and Wilbur are followers of the Mule God, and were brought together by him. Jack and Tommy are two good friends who came together to survive. And Phil’s a top-tier survivalist who keeps an eye on the four, mostly because he’d feel bad if they died too often while they live in the area.

Though they’re all three different groups, they stick together and help each other out.

Tommy and Tubbo were childhood friends before the disasters separated them. A young Jack found Tommy and took him in, and Tubbo was saved and blessed by the Mule God. They’re still friends, but have somewhat grown apart with their differing lifestyles.

Tommy’s a penguin hybrid.

Tubbo and Wilbur have been known to try and scam people passing by, and they have tried this with everyone in the area too-the difference is the ones who stick around know better than to buy it.

Whenever Tommy wants to hang out, he declares he’s rescuing Tubbo, and steals him from whatever he’s doing. Wilbur has long since accepted that occasionally Tubbo is going to be stolen, and doesn’t even blink anymore.

Tommy wears green, and Tubbo wears red.

Storm riding is a favored sport of Tubbo’s, where you grab a hang glider and get swept up into the storm. Jack hates it, but often gets dragged along anyway.

Morph Mod AU:

Universe where shapeshifters are more common, and Tommy, Charlie, Phil, Schlatt, and Wilbur are all a clan of them.

They co-exist with humans, and actually protect the local villages they live close too.

They also spend a lot of time messing with people outside said villages, but that’s unimportant.

Charlie and Wilbur prefer to be aquatic creatures. while Phil transforms into whatever works better for the environment he’s in. Schlatt just does whatever, and Tommy usually sticks to human form, only shifting when he’s bored or he needs too.

Wilbur tried to transform into a horse once, while in fish form. He’s not sure what exactly happened, but long story short, he’s the reason for the myth of the hippocampus.

They have a house in the village, one out, and then general little areas meant for them in animal form.

Because shapeshifters are strongly group-oriented, they prefer to shift in pairs or groups. Charlie and Wilbur typically pair up, as do Schlatt and Tommy. Philza doesn’t really have that instinct as strongly, so he just stays close to them instead.

Laser Eye Mod AU:

Universe set in a futuristic setting, where, due to an ancient void deity becoming malicious, Tommy, Phil, Charlie, and Wilbur are selected to become plasma wielding cyber warriors(futuristic magical girls, basically) to fight back against such threats.

These four’s cybernetics were embued with magic to produce specific plasma that would be effective against threats.

Phil wields divine plasma, and it’s fired out from his cybernetic wings, which were implanted as a military experiment. He can even detach a feather to act as a plasma covered sword.

Tommy wields phoenix plasma, and it’s fired out of his cybernetic eyes, which were transplanted into him when he was in an accident young, rendering him blind. They allow him to see by scanning out the outlines of objects and areas, and feeding the image into his brain.

Wilbur wields soulfire plasma, which is fired from his prosthetic legs, which have a kind of mermaid-motif, with fins and all, and make him a fast swimmer.

And Charlie wields greekfire plasma, fired from his cybernetic arm-it can also fire slime-like globs that rapidly grow and incase the area they’re attached too.

Wilbur was actually the first selected for the program, but he went missing shortly after, stolen and controlled by the void deity, who turned him into quite the obstacle for the others.

They eventually rescued him from it’s control, and after he recovered, he joined the fight.

Endermen and endermen hybrids are common minions of the void deity-it seems to have End-based origins, being able to control them.

Lava Ravine Mod AU:

Universe where Phil, Charlie, Wilbur, and Tommy are all strangers, who get a mysterious invite to an unknown world. It seems like a lovely vacation at first, strangers aside, but things turn deadly when a seemingly normal ravine in the ground begins to grow, the lava inside it begins to rise, and our heroes find themselves unable to leave the world.

They soon realized they may have been selected for their ability to survive, but to do that, they’re going to have to all work together.

Tommyinnit originates from the world of RLcraft, Phil grew up in Hardcore Mode, Charlie is a fallen god from a world of chaos, and Wilbur has lived through a world like this before.

They build a giant glass and stone dome, and live within there, using their various skills to survive.

Wilbur pretty much knows how this world works to a T, and is able to predict when the lava will raise and how quickly. He knows how to survive and work around the heat.

Tommy and Phil have a variety of skills from their lives before, not limited to first aid and cooking.

And Charlie’s got a bit of godly power he can put to good use here, as well as many out-of-the-box ideas for what to do.

Charlie brought a card-game from his old world, and teaches Wilbur how to play. It becomes a favorite past time of theirs.

Jump Mod AU:

Universe where enhanced individuals have recently begun to exist. Tommy, Wilbur, and Quackity are some of many who choose to use their new abilities for their own gain, becoming thieves. They were taken under the wing of master thief Philza, who was in the game long before he gained his new powers.

Or, well, they were thieves. A job gone wrong resulted in them being caught by authorities, and forced into a deal. Once thieves for their own gain, now they’re agents for the government, stealing back what was stolen from their country.

All of them are generally more physically enhanced, with agility, endurance, and all that jazz. But they also have other abilities.

Tommy’s faster than anyone. Wilbur can refract light, essentially becoming invisible. Phil can communicate with birds. And Quackity can change the density of anything he touches, himself excluded.

Philza was actually caught because he stayed behind for his new partners. He had realized someone was looking into them, and didn’t want the younger ones going into that alone.

TNT Mod AU:

Universe where everyone is a mob hybrid, and they live divided in tribes. Tommy, Phil, Charlie, and Wilbur are a tribe/keg of creeper hybrids, who protect their territory, and cause havoc for any trespassers who happens upon them.

No one dares settle there, because these four are just as likely to swear a village’s protection as they are to laugh as they set it ablaze. It’s purely up to how they feel at the moment, finicky keg that they are.

However, there is a reason some do venture here.

Every tribe/(name for grouping of specific mob) guards a certain treasure. For the creeper boys, it’s an orchard of apple trees that grow, not only red apples, but gold ones too-and rarely, a god apple.

If you do happen to stumble upon their territory unintentionally, your best bet is to appeal to Wilbur, as he does have a soft spot for people-of course, you’ll need to make sure none of the others think you’re taking advantage of that soft spot, lest they slowly and painfully kill you for even considering it.

Creepers are very friendly to them, and see them as one of their own. Other mobs, not so much.

The orchard is surrounded by a dense forest, that’s abruptly lets up to a clearing that rings around it. This is where the keg lives, in high tree houses all connected to one another.

Their forest is their pride and joy, and it’s filled with many exotic trees and plants from around the world. Bringing them an addition for it is a sure way to assure your survival, and even gain an alliance, if it’s a really good addition.

Likewise, messing it up even slightly will immediately get you murdered.

Black Hole Mod AU:

Universe where the sun exploded and became a black hole that’s slowly consuming the world. Though many perished, some survived, with the advanced technology in the future.

Wilbur, Charlie, Phil, and Tommy are some of those survivors.

Charlie is a scientist, studying the black hole to see if there’s anyway to perhaps stop it, or survive within it once it consumes them.

Phil’s a former mercenary who came to the lab with Tommy, after finding the young student stumbling about the remains of a city.

Wilbur’s the former on-board scientist from the crew that first encountered the black hole. He was originally presumed dead, but suddenly reappeared one day, and was found nearby by Phil, who dragged him to the lab. He’s...different. He’s seen things.

Charlie and Wilbur graduated from the same university, and were actually working in the same lab before Wilbur joined his crew in space for an up-close study.

Philza has a bad habit of adopting any creature he finds, and it’s become something of a joke by the four. He adopted Tommy, he’s adopted Wilbur and Charlie, and he has quite a few birds and other creatures that followed him back.

Body Shuffle Mod AU:

Universe where glitches a common sight, and humanity has evolved alongside them.

The world basically...well, I wouldn’t say revolves around? But glitches are a large part of life at this point, and players have specifically evolved to be able to work with them.

A common glitch includes the Body Glitch, where random body parts will seemingly vanish off a person without causing them harm or effecting them.

Tommy and Charlie are Takers, people who have a special, glitch-specific gene that allows them to take a glitch effecting a being or item, and pull that effect from said being/item, and upon themselves.

They’re equally loved and hated, considering the rarity of the gene, and what uses it could be employed for.

The two have a business that they use this ability to take and relocate glitches for various purposes.

Philza and Wilbur are the two’s bodyguards turned friends, who protect them from less savory people, and suss out the ones with bad intentions.

Gas Mod AU:

Universe set in a modern fantasy world where a mysterious gas suddenly overtook the planet. Many died. A few survived-but for some of them, that was the crueler fate, as the mysterious gas began to make them monsterous creatures that sought flesh and blood.

Tommy, Charlie, Phil and Wilbur are the scattered survivors in a city overtaken by the gas, banding together to fight back the monsters born from the green fog, and stay alive.

Wilbur was formerly a cartographer on a ship. He’s also half siren, and his most priceless possession is a diamond dagger given to him by his former captain.

Charlie is a doctor, as well as a wizard. His magic pet is a slime-like dragon. Yeah, he’s not sure where the little guy came from either.

Phil got a whole cocktail of heritage, but most are sky-related, so he’s got a strong grasp on air magic, which he uses to create safe bubbles for the gang to breathe freely.

And Tommy’s a low tier human-turned demon after death- an imp, basically. He causes havoc.

They all have to wear gas mask, which are heavily enchanted to keep the gas from affecting them.

The group basically just has a weirdly domestic life in the abandoned city, after they cleared out an abandoned apartment building to chill in.

Surgery Mod:

Universe where the gang are the experiments of a mad scientist having escaped.

Tommy is a poison-based experiment, Wilbur is a Nether-based one, Philza is an End-based experiment, and Charlie is an Over-world based one.

They were all grouped together in a cell because the older three are part of the Dimension Project, and Tommy accidentally imprinted on Wilbur when he was created, meaning he would have died if he was separated from him.

The four eventually decide that they hate this life, and stage a break out with the rest of the guys experiments.

Once they escaped, they decided to travel the world as a family, exploring everything they’d never had the chance to see, and finding where they belonged in this place.

Lava Floor Mod AU:

Universe where all the oceans in the world have been replaced by lava. For Ninja, Tommy, Wilbur, and George, their get-along vacation goes south when they’re stranded alone on a chain of distant islands, far from any sign of civilization.

If they ever hope to survive, they’ll have to put their issues to the side and work together to get to the one place unaffected-the Nether.

Tommy ‘Smokes’ Notfound, and Wilbur ‘Soot’ Fortnite are the two children of the struggling couple George ‘Specs’ Notfound and Ninja ‘Bow’ Fortnite, who haven’t seen each other in years, despite still being married.

The two, knowing how close their kids were, agree to meet up so the two can hang out, which is why they ended up on this vacation on the first place.

Wilbur and Smokes would really appreciate if their parents could get along too-it’d make vacation a lot nicer without all the tension. And yes, they could worry about all the oceans turning to lava, but they won’t. Instead, they’re going to be gremlins who try to get their parents to make up, whether that means divorce, or becoming a happy couple again.

Rising Void Mod AU:

Universe where the planets are being eaten by the void. Tommy, Philza, and Quackity are all aliens who managed to escape the demise of their home planets, and crashed landed on Earth, with the intention of warning them of what was coming.

Unfortunately, the only guy around for miles is Ranboo, a conspiracy theorist who prefers his isolated mountain cabin to the city...and also is in complete denial about the existence of aliens, even if they’re standing right in front of him.

Quackity is from a planet where ores and gems have a large part of fashion culture.

Tommy’s planet was the first to fall. However, Quackity was the one who was closest to be touching, and it leaves side effects-like him occasionally hearing it’s eldritch whispering calling for him to surrender himself to it and stop fighting-

But, y’know. It’s fine. It’s all good.

(Although he does happen to be the most aware of their inevitable fate, and uses humor to cope with the knowledge that no matter how hard they try, he and these people he’s grown to care for are going to die, and there’s absolutely no way to stop that)

Sky Grid Mod AU

Universe where Ranboo is a young, lonely god born to a grid-formed world. Though he has made many interesting creations, he decides he wants someone like him. Who can listen, and answer, and love, and hate.

And the universe loves him, so it answers.

It finds two souls who’ve died too young, and puts them into his hands to mold as he wishes. One, he creates in colors of green, like grass, and emeralds, and poison alike. The other, he creates in colors of red, like lava and poppies, and warm beds.

Their names are Tubbo and Tommy, and they’re different than what he thought they’d be. They cannot be controlled or remade, but they can bleed, and they can laugh, and most importantly, they can make choices.

And they choose to love him, taking him in their embrace as a friend, treating him kindly, and as one of their own, regardless of his power or abilities.

The three make a home in the gridded world, finding themselves and never fearing the fall, because the world loves both it’s godling, and the people made within it.

Terraforming The Moon AU:

Universe where the remains of humanity have fled to the moon upon the destruction of earth. They unintentionally awake age-old space deities, who, luckily for them, feel like lending a hand-mostly.

Wilbur is the only actual deity of the moon, but the rest of the SBI spend more time there than they don’t, because humans are interesting.

Tommy’s the youngest god, a deity of the stars within their young galaxy-it’s a position that was passed onto him by the former star deity, Clara.

Technoblade is the deity of both Mars and Venus. He’s actually been to Earth a few times before it’s destruction, and finds their cultures fascinating-particularly the Greek and Romans.

Philza is the god of the End. The oldest, he’s not just a deity, he’s a primordial of the end of all things. Truthfully, it was the very end of Earth that awoke him from his slumber, and it’s former inhabitants interesting lives that keep him awake.

They all pick a human to favor, and help out. Changes on the day.

Honestly, they aren’t necessarily malicious? They don’t really consider the fact that humans don’t have the same limitations and powers as them, so occasionally they fuck something up that somebody worked hard on, and don’t understand why they don’t just fix it already, not realizing that the humans actually have to take awhile to do that.

One Hundred Player Laboratory AU:

Universe set in modern time.

Wilbur and Technoblade are two university students trying to do a study for their finals-unfortunately, the rats they were supposed to use are both oddly sentient, and incredibly chaotic.

Techno and Wilbur are doing a study of behavior, and other scientific things. To do this, Techno has built a large, complex maze/building thing.

And Wilbur purchased a bunch of rats-except, he probably should have been a bit more careful who he bought from, becomes these rats definitely understand human speech, are all not normally colored, and desire to be as annoying and detrimental to their grades as possible.

To put it lightly, it’s not going well.

George’s If You Laugh You Lose Rematch AU:

Universe set in a chaotic, light-hearted world.

Sapnap, Karl, George, and Dream are some of the world’s residents.

Karl and Dream are chaotic shapeshifters who enjoy messing with George.

Sapnap’s a mischievous nether spirit who likes to team up and help them do it.

Karl can shift into objects, and Dream can turn into animals.

The whole world is comedic, and all it’s residents have a permanent case of the giggles-to the point of making a game of how long one can hold off laughing.

Sapnap usually takes the form of an enderman or enderman hybrid

#dream smp #dream smp au #tubbo #ranboo #tommyinnit #philza #technoblade #charlie slimecicle #quackity #georgenotfound #dreamwastaken #karl jacobs #wilbur soot #sapnap #Bits And Bobs of AUs And Mods AU

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dandelioncrownns · 3 years

Text

random grishaverse facts/trivia (mostly tgt/kos, tbh), because i love useless details. Also, attempted organisation, because i like order too. + ft. my unwanted commentary

the darkling

has a sweet tooth

loves animals and nature in general

for those of you who have read demon in the woods, he got to meet the white tigers :)

his bedchamber walls are carved into trees bc he loves the woods

his favourite trees in particular are pine trees (or just evergreen trees in general)

he used to be afraid of the dark (many possibly worrying? interesting? implications to this; i won’t get into it here tho)

he likes bright colours, but wears black all the time basically for the aesthetic

he met his younger half-sister, Ulla, when he was a seer’s apprentice in Fjerda

the darkling is a musician! He plays the fiddle, and growing up, he played the balalaika and oud (i wonder if he can read tablature,,)

His father was a very powerful heartrender (maybe this is why the corporalki are valued so highly by him?)

genya

she got an amplifier between the end of R+R and the start of KoS (kestrel bones)

Genya used Dekora Nevich, the Ornamental Blade, to poison the King

It smells like cinnamon and is a warm golden colour

the royal family / nikolai’s bio family

the King once cut himself on his own sword

genya named the queen’s dog

until she was like 11, Genya was like the daughter the queen never had (omg i really wonder how Nikolai and Vasily felt about that? ik it’s not really mentioned, and Nik kinda acts like he just met Genya is S+S, but they must have been a lot closer, right?? I mean genya was almost always at the grand palace with Queen Tatiana, and nikolai just really wanted his parents’ attention, there must have been some kind of maybe one-sided jealousy/sibling rivalry thing, right?? I digress- for now)

also the queen in a dog person

p. sure Nikolai is a mommy’s boy

(possible explanation:) he looks exactly like his real father (except for his eyes). Nikolai even has the same laugh as Magnus

the queen was also fed up with Vasily and his horses

Vasily rides a white gelding horse and Nikolai rides a speckled grey horse (called Punchline)

speaking of, vasily is definitely a horse girl, but like... just the worst (darkling 🤝vasily)

Queen Tatiana’s letters to Magnus Opjer were “very racy”

She doesn’t approve of women in trousers

Linnea is ~1 year younger than Nikolai

she is good at math + studies engineering at ketterdam (I wonder if maybe she and Nikolai crossed paths when he was at uni- they’re around the same age, so maybe?)

The King and Queen hired a clown for nikolai’s 10th birthday (the worst birthday party he’d been to, inclusive of the night Vasily died, according to Nikolai)

Nikolai is afraid of spiders (and also clowns???)

nikolai:

he can juggle

Nikolai sucks at learning languages

he once spoke Fjerdan so badly a man named Knut offered him a ruby to stop

his Kerch seems pretty good tho

Nikolai met The Darkling when he was 14

Nikolai is a baritone (as is Jesper!)

In his free time, Nikolai writes bad poetry (remember that time he got stabbed w/ a letter opener bc his poetry sucked?)

he went through an emo phase/ existential crisis before becoming sturmhond.

during said emo phase, he wrote rhyming poetry pretty much exclusively

He also took philosophy classes at uni (PPE?)

alina:

alina tried on the same rose dress that the Queen watched vasily die in

Nikolai gifted Alina a VERY low-cut cobalt lace gown (In the words of Nadia, “The bodice might as well be cut to the navel.” )

Alina hates herring, but Zoya and Nikolai love it

She is VERY sarcastic and snarky!! I feel like this gets glossed over so much in the fandom, and just why?? (she’s so gloomy and over everything 90% of the time, i love it so much)

So this isn’t technically a fact-fact, but there is no way Alina wasn’t at least a little bit into women. Did you read how she talked abt genya? Zoya? there’s no way she wasn’t into them

Alina doesn’t really like hard cheese

zoya + zoyalai:

Zoya’s horse is called Serebrine

Zoya can use her lightning as a defibrillator (I’m sure other squallers can do this too with the right training)

Zoya likes Nikolai’s hands (and Nikolai likes Zoya’s feet lmao)

she has ‘weird (long?) incisors’

she definitely had a crush on Nikolai since Ruin and Rising

kaz:

Kaz grew up on a farm in Southern Kerch, in Lij

Kaz is a both a cat and a dog person (he just likes strays)

Matthias is a dog person, obviously

All the other crows are cat people

He likes hot chocolate

both he and nikolai like brandy

hates cereal

Kaz is obsessed with magic + likes puzzles

actually very funny if he wasn’t terrifying (honestly?? at leat 70% of his dialogue is just witty quips/jokes)

Kaz’s right leg is the one he broke, and the dregs usually get their tattoo on their right forearm

the other crows:

Jesper has been known to go line-dancing (and would like country music)

Mal and Jesper were friends in S+S!! (Probably) Jesper has a not-really-secret crush on sturmhond.

He also had a VERY not secret crush on Kaz before wylan, ofc

Matthias’ middle name is Benedik

Nina would win in an arm wrestling contest against Jesper

Inej has a thing for Kaz’s eyes

Nina was at the orphanage with the other grisha kids in R+R

In the opening scene of CK, Jesper was wearing a navy waistcoat with little gold stars (his fashion is just top tier honestly)

grisha- powers, etc.:

A solar eclipse would have no effect on the Darkling’s powers, but it would make it harder for Alina to summon.

Fabrikators can make flowers bloom

The twins have shark teeth amplifiers

Adrik and Leoni are saints

general world stuff:

Gay marriage is legal in Kerch!

there was a landbridge connecting Shu Han and Kerch but the council of tides covered it

Antimony is used as mascara

kruge is pale purple paper currency

ravkan currency has Nikolai’s face on it (ig not anymore tho?)

Hringkälla is celebrated on March 20th

the distance between Ivets and Os Alta is only about 100 miles? (i’m just going to willfully ignore this, because thats,, so small?)

Mermaids and dragons exist(ed) in the grishaverse

misc:

the daughter of the duke of ivets has a daughter who can play the harp

there is not fourth tale of krigi

The baroness Natasha Beritrova is fifty (as of KoS) and has lands near caryeva

Elke Marie Smit is from one of the most powerful Kerch families and is just 16 in KoS

Oncat is an orange tabby

Anya liked Joost a lot :( (I got way too attached to them at the start of SoC and was so sad + confused when they died lol)

david eats hard boiled eggs for his working days in the shops

‘Malyen’ is the Ravkan version of ‘Malcolm’ (very fitting)

Nikolai brought the kids at Keramzin toy boats + frequently sends Alina and Mal gifts

The triumvirate would also visit them every feast of Sankt Nikolai too :)

star signs / birthdays (ik the gv constellations aren’t the same as ours, but idc):

Inej: Cancer (june 21st - july 22nd)

Kaz: Capricorn (december 22nd - january 19th)

Nina: Leo (july 23rd - august 22nd)

Jesper: Gemini (may 21st - june 20th)

Matthias: Taurus (april 20th - may 20th)

Wylan: virgo (august 23rd - september 22nd)

Kuwei: aries (march 21st - april 19th)

Darkling: aries

Nikolai is most likely either a gemini or cancer (but he could also be a Leo or Taurus). Whatever it is, he is a summer baby.

Alina and Mal have the same birthday (they were given the Duke’s birthday when they came to the orphanage)

heights:

Jesper is 6’2” - 6’3”

Kaz is 6′

Matthias is 6’4

Nina is 5’9”-5’10”

Inej is 5’3” - 5’4”

Alina is ’short’ (5’3”?)

Mal and the Darkling are ‘tall’ (tbf, like all the characters are tall >:( I want my short people rights)

Nikolai (well, stumhond, but i think they’re the same height) is described by Jesper as tall (so 6’2”+?? why is everyone so tall??? I-)

Zoya is several inches shorter than nina (zoyalai height difference lets go)

Kuwei is slightly shorter than Wylan (who is about 5’8”?)

there’s definitely more, so if you made it this far and have any more, pls add to the list!

#grishaverse #six of crows #the grisha trilogy #the darkling #nikolai lantsov #alina starkov #king of scars #rule of wolves #<< mild spoilers #zoyalai #kanej #etc. lol #brain dump

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amuelia · 3 years

Note

How do you think Roose will meet his demise? Or will he survive? What's your best Roose end game predictions?

Thank you for the question! This will be a long post under the readmore, going into my thoughts on the show ending and exploring what the books may have set up in regards to themes and characterization, as well as a bit of general analysis of Roose' story arc in a Dance with Dragons (and some speculation about Ramsay as well).

If you click on the readmore i will have divided the post into sections with bolded Headers, if you want to only read my specific endgame ideas you can skip ahead to the "His Endgame?" section.

In The Show

The show had him get killed by Ramsay in s6, which informs a lot of the fandom speculation about this storyline.

I am not a fan of the show's scenario as it was both similar to tywin and tyrion as well as a mirror of robb's death; it would also be offscreen in the books since neither of the characters are PoVs and Ramsay would need to do the act in secret. This would ultimately undercut Roose' role and impact, being a death scene that is not very unique and also isn't shown to the reader directly. Since no PoV is even in Winterfell currently, we would just hear of it from afar and not witness the consequences.

The show also has a different dynamic in the Bolton storyline, emphasizing Ramsay as the "main character" of this arc, and elevating him to the main villain for s5-6 to fill Joffrey's shoes as an evil character played by a very charismatic actor. Ramsay's show writing is informed by the needs of a TV setting that wants shocking moments and capitalizes on "fan favourite" actors; his rising importance in the show thus is not necessarily an indicator of his book importance. The show was also missing many central characters like the northern lords and the Frey men in Winterfell.

The show had a tendency to kill off characters early when they wanted to cull storylines or had no plans to adapt more of the character's story (like Stannis, Barristan, possibly the Tyrells...); In Mance Rayder we have the most obvious example, where they killed him off for real in a scene that in the book was a misdirection. We also have characters like Jorah where it appears the showrunners had their own choice of how they want his storyline to end, even if Grrm has his own ending in mind.

"For a long time we wanted Ser Jorah to be there at The Wall in the end," writer Dave Hill says. "The three coming out of the tunnel would be Jon and Jorah and Tormund. But [...] Jorah should have the noble death he craves defending the woman he loves." - Dave Hill for Entertainment Weekly

So a death in the show does not need to be an indicator that the books will feature an equivalent scene, even if it gives a hint as to what may happen. By s5 the show has become its own beast, and the butterfly effects from radical changes they made as well as the different characterizations results in the show having to cater to its own needs in many cases when it gets to resolving a plotline.

"We reconceived the role to make it worthy of the actor's talents." - Benioff and Weiss for the s5 DVD commentary, on Indira Varma's casting as Ellaria

In The Books

(Since this post was getting out of hand in length a lot of these arguments are a little shortened/not as in-depth as i'd like! Feel free to inquire more via ask if something is unclear or you disagree)

In the books i find it hard to make a concrete guess as to how it will end. Occam's razor would be to assume the show sort of got it right and that it will vaguely end the same, which could very well happen and i will not discount the possibility; Ramsay is cruel, desires the Dreadfort rule, and is a suspected kinslayer and has no qualms to commit immoral violence.

"Ramsay killed [his brother]. A sickness of the bowels, Maester Uthor says, but I say poison." - Reek III, aDwD

Reek saw the way Ramsay's mouth twisted, the spittle glistening between his lips. He feared he might leap the table with his dagger in his hand [to attack his father]. - Reek III, aDwD

Arguments against this or for a different endgame come down to interpretations of the themes in the story arc and opinions on dramatic structure/grrm's writing, and are thus very subjective.

The way the story currently is going, Ramsay killing Roose treats Roose almost as a plot device; his death brings no change or development to Ramsay's character as we already know his motivations and cruelty align with such an act, and we can assume that he would feel no remorse about it either. The results of such a scene would be firmly on a story level, as it brings political changes and moves the plot along into a specific direction. Roose himself cannot have any relevant character development about it as he does not have a PoV and we would not be able to witness his reaction from the outside.

“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.” - William Faulkner, often quoted by Grrm

Further, killing his father is very difficult to pull off in secret (Roose is frequently described as very cautious, and employs many guardsmen). And even if Ramsay pulls it off (people often interpret Ramsay as Roose' blind spot, assuming he might be caught by surprise, not expecting Ramsay would bite the hand that feeds him), Roose is the one that holds his entire alliance together; The Freys would be alienated by Ramsay who would antagonize Walda and her son as his rivals, The Ryswell bloc appears to dislike Ramsay (especially Barbrey), and the other northmen are implied to not even like Roose himself. Killing Roose would quickly combust the entire northern faction, and hinder Ramsay's further plans (another reason why I am not convinced of a book version of the "Battle of Bastards"). Though this might of course, if we look at it from the other side, be grrm's plan to quickly dissolve this plot and move the northern story forwards.

"Ramsay will kill [Walda's children], of course. [...] [She] will grieve to see them die, though." - Reek III, aDwD

"How many of our grudging friends do you imagine we'd retain if the truth were known? Only Lady Barbrey, whom you would turn into a pair of boots … inferior boots." - Reek III, aDwD

"Fear is what keeps a man alive in this world of treachery and deceit. Even here in Barrowton the crows are circling, waiting to feast upon our flesh. The Cerwyns and the Tallharts are not to be relied on, my fat friend Lord Wyman plots betrayal, and Whoresbane … the Umbers may seem simple, but they are not without a certain low cunning. Ramsay should fear them all, as I do." - Reek III, aDwD

Roose' death at Ramsay's hand also removes him thematically from the Red Wedding, as we can assume such a death might have happened regardless of his participation in the event (seeing as Ramsay is getting provoked by Roose constantly in normal dialogue, and has a general violent disposition). Roose already took Ramsay in before aGoT started, and married Walda very early in the war, which is already most of the buildup that the show's scenario had. It also has little to do with the The North Remembers plot except set dressing, since the northmen are presumably neither collaborating with/egging on Ramsay nor would they appreciate the development.

Themes: Ned Stark and the rule over the North

Roose is treated as a foil to Eddard; They are often contrasted in morals and ruling styles, while also having many superficial similarities that further connect them (they are seen as cold by people, grey eyed, patriarchs of rivalling northern houses, etc...).

Pale as morning mist, his eyes concealed more than they told. Jaime misliked those eyes. They reminded him of the day at King's Landing when Ned Stark had found him seated on the Iron Throne. - Jaime IV, aSoS

They both have a "bastard son" that they handle very differently; Roose treating Ramsay in the way that is seen as common in their society. Ramsay and Jon as a comparison are meant to show that Catelyn had a reason to see a bastard as a threat (since Domeric was antagonized by his bastard brother), but also shows that her suggested plan for Jon would not have stopped any danger either (as Ramsay being raised away from the castle didn't help).

And if his seed quickened, she expected he would see to the child's needs. He did more than that. The Starks were not like other men. Ned brought his bastard home with him, and called him "son" for all the north to see. - Catelyn II, aGoT

"Each year I sent the woman some piglets and chickens and a bag of stars, on the understanding that she was never to tell the boy who had fathered him. A peaceful land, a quiet people, that has always been my rule." - Reek III, aDwD

It appears to me that Roose' story functions in some ways as an inversion to Ned. He makes an attempt to grab a power he was not destined to (becoming warden of the north), where Ned did not want the responsiblity thrust upon him ("It was all meant for Brandon. [...] I never asked for this cup to pass to me." - Cat II, aGoT). Where Ned rules successfully and his northmen honor his legacy ("What do you think passes through their heads when they hear the new bride weeping? Valiant Ned's precious little girl." - The Turncloak, aDwD), the Boltons are largely hated and there are several plots conspiring against them ("Let me bathe in Bolton blood before I die." - The King's Prize, aDwD).

It seems possible to me that in terms of their family and legacy, Roose might also live through an inverted version of Ned's story; where Ned died first, leaving his family behind, Roose already lived to see the death of his wives and trueborn heir, and might thus also live to see Ramsay's death. Ned leaves behind well raised children and a North who still respects his name, and even though he dies it will presumably all be "in good hands" in the end (in broad strokes, obviously this is all much more morally complex). Roose however built up a bad and toxic legacy, and also built his way of life around evading consequences; it makes sense to me that he would be forced by the story to finally endure all the consequences of his actions and witness the fall of his house firsthand. After all we already have Tywin who fulfils the purpose of dying before his children while his legacy falls to ruins, and a Feast for Crows explores this aspect thoroughly.

Roose' arc in A Dance With Dragons

The story repeatedly builds up the situation unravelling around Roose, and him slowly losing a grip on it and becoming more stressed and anxious.

Reek wondered if Roose Bolton ever cried. If so, do the tears feel cold upon his cheeks? - Reek II, aDwD

Roose Bolton said nothing at all. But Theon Greyjoy saw a look in his pale eyes that he had never seen before—an uneasiness, even a hint of fear. [...] That night the new stable collapsed beneath the weight of the snow that had buried it. - a Ghost in Winterfell, aDwD

Lady Walda gave a shriek and clutched at her lord husband's arm. "Stop," Roose Bolton shouted. "Stop this madness." His own men rushed forward as the Manderlys vaulted over the benches to get at the Freys. - Theon I, aDwD

It also directly presents him as a parallel to Theon's rule in aCoK, who similarly experienced a very unpopular rule and his subjects slowly turning against him. Presumably, the point of this comparison will not just be "Ramsay comes in at the end and unexpectedly whacks them on the head". Both Theon and Roose invited Ramsay into their lives, giving him more power than he deserves, and causing Ramsay to make choices that increasingly alienate others from them (the death of the miller's boys for example has repercussions for both Theon and Roose). Grrm is likely steering this towards a difference in how they will deal with this situation.

It all seemed so familiar, like a mummer show that he had seen before. Only the mummers had changed. Roose Bolton was playing the part that Theon had played the last time round, and the dead men were playing the parts of Aggar, Gynir Rednose, and Gelmarr the Grim. Reek was there too, he remembered, but he was a different Reek, a Reek with bloody hands and lies dripping from his lips, sweet as honey. - a Ghost in Winterfell, aDwD

"Stark's little wolflings are dead," said Ramsay, sloshing some more ale into his cup, "and they'll stay dead. Let them show their ugly faces, and my girls will rip those wolves of theirs to pieces. The sooner they turn up, the sooner I kill them again." - The elder Bolton sighed. "Again? Surely you misspeak. You never slew Lord Eddard's sons, those two sweet boys we loved so well. That was Theon Turncloak's work, remember? How many of our grudging friends do you imagine we'd retain if the truth were known?" - Reek III, aDwD

Roose' arc is deeply connected to the relations he shares to the other northern lords, which has been heavily impacted by the Red Wedding. It stands to reason that they are going to be an important part of his downfall, and we see many hints of them plotting to betray him.

The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer's farce is almost done. My son is home." - Davos IV, aDwD

Themes: Stannis and kinslaying

The books set up Roose and Stannis as foils as well; Both lack charisma and have trouble winnning the people's support, Stannis and Roose both parallel and contrast Ned, Stannis appears as a "lesser Robert" where Roose is a "lesser Ned", Stannis represents the fire where Roose represents the ice, both struggle over dominion in a land that doesnt particularly want either of them, etc... What i find interesting is how they are contrasted over kinslaying:

"Only Renly could vex me so with a piece of fruit. He brought his doom on himself with his treason, but I did love him, Davos. I know that now. I swear, I will go to my grave thinking of my brother's peach." - Davos II, aCoK

"I should've had the mother whipped and thrown her child down a well … but the babe did have my eyes." [...] "Now [Domeric's] bones lie beneath the Dreadfort with the bones of his brothers, who died still in the cradle, and I am left with Ramsay. Tell me, my lord … if the kinslayer is accursed, what is a father to do when one son slays another?" - Reek III, aCoK

Stannis is set up as someone who is very thorough and strict in following his own code and his "duty", even if he does not like what it forces him to do.

Stannis ground his teeth again. "I never asked for this crown. Gold is cold and heavy on the head, but so long as I am the king, I have a duty . . . If I must sacrifice one child to the flames to save a million from the dark . . . Sacrifice . . . is never easy, Davos. Or it is no true sacrifice. Tell him, my lady." - Davos IV, aSoS

The armorer considered that a moment. "Robert was the true steel. Stannis is pure iron, black and hard and strong, yes, but brittle, the way iron gets. He'll break before he bends." - Jon I, aCoK

Roose however is frequently characterized as someone who tries to get as much as he can while avoiding negative consequences, and who does not have a consistent moral code and instead bends rules to his benefit to be the most comfortable to him.

It is often theorized that Stannis will end up burning his daughter Shireen; the Ramsay issue might then serve to contrast the two men. If Grrm intends it to be compared by the reader, I can see it going two ways: Either Roose will be forced to finally act in a drastic way after avoiding his responsibility in regards to Ramsay and he will be forced to get rid of his son, making him break the only moral hurdle he has presented adhering to during the story (though analyzing his character, the kinslaying taboo is probably less a sign of moral fortitude and more him using the guise of morals to explain a selfish motivation). Or he might not act against Ramsay and suffer the consequences, presenting an interesting moral situation where some readers might consider his action "better" or more relatable than Stannis', breaking up the otherwise very black and white moral comparison between the two men. It serves as an interesting conflict of the morality of kinslaying compared to what readers might see as a moral obligation of getting rid of a monster such as Ramsay; contrasting Shireen whose death would not be seen as worth it by most. Ramsay as a bastard (who was almost killed at birth if he hadnt been able to prove his paternity) also makes for an interesting verbal parallel with the bastard Edric Storm, and might be used for a look at the utilitarian principle of killing a child (baby ramsay/edric) to save countless people from suffering that underpinned Edric's story.

"As Faulkner says, all of us have the capacity in us for great good and for great evil, for love but also for hate. I wanted to write those kinds of complex character in a fantasy, and not just have all the good people get together to fight the bad guy." - Grrm

"Robert, I ask you, what did we rise against Aerys Targaryen for, if not to put an end to the murder of children?" - Eddard VIII, aGoT

"If Joffrey should die . . . what is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?" - "Everything," said Davos, softly. - Davos V, aSoS

However Grrm decides to present these conflicts or which actions the characters will take in the end, it will result in interesting discussion and analysis for the readers.

His Endgame?

Looking at the trends of the past books, it is probably going to be hard to predict any specific outcome; every book introduces new characters and plot elements that were impossible to predict from the last book even if their thematic importance or setup was aptly foreshadowed.

Roose has a lot of plot importance and characterization that has, in my opinion, not yet been properly resolved in a way that would be unique and poignant to the specific purpose his character appears to fulfil. However I also have a bias in that i did not like the show's writing of that scene which makes me averse to see a version of it in the books, and i really like Roose as a character and want to see him have more scenes in the next book(s). This leads me to discount plot speculation that cuts his character arc short offscreen early. Roose is only a side character; however, i have trust in grrm's writing abilities and that he would give him a proper sendoff that feels satisfying to a fan of the character.

"…even the [characters] who are complete bastards, nasty, twisted, deeply flawed human beings with serious psychological problems… When I get inside their skin and look out through their eyes, I have to feel a certain — if not sympathy, certainly empathy for them. I have to try to perceive the world as they do, and that creates a certain amount of affection." — George Martin

Considering my earlier analyis, there is a case to be made for Roose killing Ramsay; however it appears grrm might have a different endgame in mind for Ramsay, foreshadowed in Chett's prologue:

There'd be no lord's life for the leechman's son, no keep to call his own, no wives nor crowns. Only a wildling's sword in his belly, and then an unmarked grave. The snow's taken it all from me . . . the bloody snow . . . - Chett, aSoS

I tend to think something might happen to Roose/the Bolton bloc later in the book that would cause Ramsay to attempt to flee the scene again like he did back in aCoK fleeing Rodrik's justice; perhaps Ramsay is sent out to battle but then flees it like a coward, or he sees his cause as lost. This time, the fleeing and potentially disguised Ramsay would not make it out to safety though, and get killed without being recognized as Ramsay, dying forgotten. This would serve as dramatic irony since Ramsay so strongly desired to be recognized and respected as a Lord of Bolton, without being too on the nose.

As for Roose, i could see him getting captured and somehow brought to justice (either when someone takes Winterfell or in some sort of battle). I see it unlikely that he will be backstabbed like Robb was, because it seems very "eye for an eye" and ultimately doesn't teach much of a lesson except "he had it coming"; But the various people conspiring against him could lead to his capture by betraying him (giving a payoff to the northern conspiracies and the red wedding). I would find a scene of him standing trial interesting since i believe we didn't have one of these for a true non-pov villain yet, and it would be an interesting confrontation that he cannot escape from (he also loves to talk so it would be a good read to see him make a case for himself).

I assume Roose will be out of the picture when the Other plot finally properly kicks into gear (whether dead or "in prison"). With Stannis as a false Azor Ahai and Roose as a false Other (with his pale, cold features), their struggle in the north seems to be a representation of the false "Game of Thrones" that distracts people from the "real threat" of the Others.

As always this is just my opinion, and it could all go very differently in the books! There could always be something that completely uproots my analysis and goes into a direction i did not expect from the material we had; But i have fate that Grrm as a writer will deliver and give me something i can be satisfied with.

#asks #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #roose bolton #valyrianscrolls #a song of ice and fire #not art #anonymous

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letterboxd · 3 years

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Blurring the Line.

As a new Space Jam film beams down to Earth, Kambole Campbell argues that a commitment to silliness and a sincere love for the medium is what it takes to make a great live-action/animation hybrid.

The live-action and animation hybrid movie is something of a dicey prospect. It’s tricky to create believable interaction between what’s real and what’s drawn, puppeteered or rendered—and blending the live and the animated has so far resulted in wild swings in quality. It is a highly specific and technically demanding niche, one with only a select few major hits, though plenty of cult oddities. So what makes a good live-action/animation hybrid?

To borrow words from Hayao Miyazaki, “live action is becoming part of that whole soup called animation”. Characters distinct from the humans they interact with, but rendered as though they were real creatures (or ghosts), are everywhere lately; in Paddington, in Scooby Doo, in David Lowery’s (wonderful) update of Pete’s Dragon.

The original ‘Pete’s Dragon’ (1977) alongside the 2016 remake.

Lowery’s dragon is realized with highly realistic lighting and visual-effects work. By comparison, the cartoon-like characters in the 1977 Pete’s Dragon—along with other films listed in Louise’s handy compendium of Disney’s live-action animation—are far more exaggerated. That said, there’s still the occasional holdout for the classical version of these crossovers: this year’s Tom and Jerry replicating the look of 2D through 3D/CGI animation, specifically harkens back to the shorts of the 1940s and ’50s.

One type of live-action/animation hybrid focuses on seamless immersion, the other is interested in exploring the seams themselves. Elf (2003) uses the aberration of stop-motion animals to represent the eponymous character as a fish out of water. Ninjababy, a Letterboxd favorite from this year’s SXSW Festival, employs an animated doodle as a representation of the protagonist’s state of mind while she processes her unplanned pregnancy.

Meanwhile, every Muppets film ever literally tears at the seams until we’re in stitches, but, for the sake of simplicity, puppets are not invited to this particular party. What we are concerned with here is the overlap between hand-drawn animation and live-action scenes (with honorable mentions of equally valid stop-motion work), and the ways in which these hybrids have moved from whimsical confections to nod-and-wink blockbusters across a century of cinema.

Betty Boop and Koko the clown in a 1938 instalment of the Fleischer brothers’ ‘Out of the Inkwell’ series.

Early crossovers often involve animators playing with their characters, in scenarios such as the inventive Out of the Inkwell series of shorts from Rotoscope inventor Max Fleischer and his director brother Dave. Things get even more interactive mid-century, when Gene Kelly holds hands with Jerry Mouse in Anchors Aweigh.

The 1960s and ’70s deliver ever more delightful family fare involving human actors entering cartoon worlds, notably in the Robert Stevenson-directed Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and Chuck Jones’ puntastic The Phantom Tollbooth.

Jerry and Gene dance off their worries in ‘Anchors Aweigh’ (1945).

Mary Poppins is one of the highest-rated live-action/animation hybrids on Letterboxd for good reason. Its sense of control in how it engages with its animated creations makes it—still!—an incredibly engaging watch. It is simply far less evil than the singin’, dancin’ glorification of slavery in Disney’s Song of the South (1946), and far more engaging than Victory Through Air Power (1943), a war-propaganda film about the benefits of long-range bombing in the fight against Hitler. The studio’s The Reluctant Dragon (1941) also serves a propagandistic function, as a behind-the-scenes studio tour made when the studio’s animators were striking.

By comparison, Mary Poppins’ excursions into the painted world—replicated in Rob Marshall’s belated, underrated 2018 sequel, Mary Poppins Returns—are full of magical whimsicality. “Films have added the gimmick of making animation and live characters interact countless times, but paradoxically none as pristine-looking as this creation,” writes Edgar in this review. “This is a visual landmark, a watershed… the effect of making everything float magically, to the detail of when a drawing should appear in front or the back of [Dick] Van Dyke is a creation beyond my comprehension.” (For Van Dyke, who played dual roles as Bert and Mr Dawes Senior, the experience sparked a lifelong love of animation and visual effects.)

Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and penguins, in ‘Mary Poppins’ (1964).

Generally speaking, and the Mary Poppins sequel aside, more contemporary efforts seek to subvert this feeling of harmony and control, instead embracing the chaos of two worlds colliding, the cartoons there to shock rather than sing. Henry Selick’s frequently nightmarish James and the Giant Peach (1996) leans into this crossover as something uncanny and macabre by combining live action with stop motion, as its young protagonist eats his way into another world, meeting mechanical sharks and man-eating rhinos. Sally Jane Black describes it as “riding the Burton-esque wave of mid-’90s mall goth trends and blending with the differently demonic Dahl story”.

Science-classroom staple Osmosis Jones (2001) finds that within the human body, the internal organs serve as cities full of drawn white-blood-cell cops. The late Stephen Hillenburg’s The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) turns its real-life humans into living cartoons themselves, particularly in a bonkers sequence featuring David Hasselhoff basically turning into a speedboat.

David Hasselhoff picks up speed in ‘The Spongebob Squarepants Movie’ (2004).

The absurdity behind the collision of the drawn and the real is never better embodied than in another of our highest-rated live/animated hybrids. Released in 1988, Robert Zemeckis’ Who Framed Roger Rabbit shows off a deep understanding—narratively and aesthetically—of the material that it’s parodying, seeking out the impeccable craftsmanship of legends such as director of animation Richard Williams (1993’s The Thief and the Cobbler), and his close collaborator Roy Naisbitt. The forced perspectives of Naisbitt’s mind-bending layouts provide much of the rocket fuel driving the film’s madcap cartoon opening.

Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, Roger Rabbit utilizes the Disney stable of characters as well as the Looney Tunes cast to harken back to America’s golden age of animation. It continues a familiar scenario where the ’toons themselves are autonomous actors (as also seen in Friz Freleng’s 1940 short You Ought to Be in Pictures, in which Daffy Duck convinces Porky Pig to try his acting luck in the big studios).

Daffy Duck plots his rise up the acting ranks in ‘You Ought to Be in Pictures’ (1940).

Through this conceit, Zemeckis is able to celebrate the craft of animation, while pastiching both Chinatown, the noir genre, and the mercenary nature of the film industry (“the best part is… they work for peanuts!” a studio exec says of the cast of Fantasia). As Eddie Valiant, Bob Hoskins’ skepticism and disdain towards “toons” is a giant parody of Disney’s more traditional approach to matching humans and drawings.

Adult audiences are catered for with plenty of euphemistic humor and in-jokes about the history of the medium. It’s both hilarious (“they… dropped a piano on him,” one character solemnly notes of his son) and just the beginning of Hollywood toying with feature-length stories in which people co-exist with cartoons, rather than dipping in and out of fantasy sequences. It’s not just about how the cartoons appear on the screen, but how the human world reacts to them, and Zemeckis gets a lot of mileage out of applying ’toon lunacy to our world.

Bob Hoskins in ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’ (1988).

The groundbreaking optical effects and compositing are excellent (and Hoskins’ amazing performance should also be credited for holding all of it together), but what makes Roger Rabbit such a hit is that sense of controlled chaos and a clever tonal weaving of violence and noirish seediness (“I’m not bad… I’m just drawn that way”) through the cartoony feel. And it is simply very, very funny.

It could be said that, with Roger Rabbit, Zemeckis unlocked the formula for how to modernize the live-action and animation hybrid, by leaning into a winking parody of what came before. It worked so perfectly well that it helped kickstart the ‘Disney renaissance' era of animation. Roger Rabbit has influenced every well-known live-action/animation hybrid produced since, proving that there is success and fun to be had by completely upending Mary Poppins-esque quirks. Even Disney’s delightful 2007 rom-com Enchanted makes comedy out of the idea of cartoons crossing that boundary.

When a cartoon character meets real-world obstacles.

Even when done well, though, hybrids are not an automatic hit. Sitting at a 2.8-star average, Joe Dante’s stealthily great Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) is considered by the righteous to be the superior live-action/animated Looney Tunes hybrid, harkening back to the world of Chuck Jones and Frank Tashlin. SilentDawn states that the film deserves the nostalgic reverence reserved for Space Jam: “From gag to gag, set piece to set piece, Back in Action is utterly bonkers in its logic-free plotting and the constant manipulation of busy frames.”

With its Tinseltown parody, Back in Action pulls from the same bag of tricks as Roger Rabbit; here, the Looney Tunes characters are famous, self-entitled actors. Dante cranks the meta comedy up to eleven, opening the film with Matthew Lillard being accosted by Shaggy for his performance in the aforementioned Scooby Doo movie (and early on throwing in backhanded jokes about the practice of films like itself as one character yells, “I was brought in to leverage your synergy!”).

Daffy Duck with more non-stop banter in ‘Looney Tunes: Back in Action’ (2003).

Back in Action is even more technically complex than Roger Rabbit, seamlessly bringing Looney Tunes physics and visual language into the real world. Don’t forget that Dante had been here before, when he had Anthony banish Ethel into a cartoon-populated television show in his segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Another key to this seamlessness is star Brendan Fraser, at the height of his powers here as “Brendan Fraser’s stunt double”.

Like Hoskins before him, Fraser brings a wholehearted commitment to playing the fed-up straight man amidst cartoon zaniness. Fraser also brought that dedication to Henry Selick's Monkeybone (2001), a Roger Rabbit-inspired sex comedy that deploys a combo of stop-motion animation and live acting in a premise amusingly close to that of 1992’s Cool World (but more on that cult anomaly shortly). A commercial flop, Back in Action was the last cinematic outing for the Looney Tunes for some time.

Nowadays, when we think of live-action animation, it’s hard not to jump straight to an image of Michael Jordan’s arm stretching to do a half-court dunk to save the Looney Tunes from slavery. There’s not a lot that can be fully rationalized about the 1996 box-office smash, Space Jam. It is a bewildering cartoon advert for Michael Jordan’s baseball career, dreamed up off the back of his basketball retirement, while also mashing together different American icons. Never forget that the soundtrack—one that, according to Benjamin, “makes you have to throw ass”—includes a song with B-Real, Coolio, Method Man and LL Cool J.

Michael Jordan and teammates in ‘Space Jam’ (1996).

Space Jam is a film inherently born to sell something, predicated on the existing success of a Nike commercial rather than any obvious passion for experimentation. But its pure strangeness, a growing nostalgia for the nineties, and meticulous compositing work from visual-effects supervisor Ed Jones and the film’s animation team (a number of whom also worked on both Roger Rabbit and Back in Action), have all kept it in the cultural memory.

The films is backwards, writes Jesse, in that it wants to distance itself from the very cartoons it leverages: “This really almost feels like a follow-up to Looney Tunes: Back in Action, rather than a predecessor, because it feels like someone watched the later movie, decided these Looney Tunes characters were a problem, and asked someone to make sure they were as secondary as possible.” That attempt to place all the agency in Jordan’s hands was a point of contention for Chuck Jones, the legendary Warner Bros cartoonist. He hated the film, stating that Bugs would never ask for help and would have dealt with the aliens in seven minutes.

Space Jam has its moments, however. Guy proclaims “there is nothing that Deadpool as a character will ever have to offer that isn’t done infinitely better by a good Bugs Bunny bit”. For some, its problems are a bit more straightforward, for others it’s a matter of safety in sport. But the overriding sentiments surrounding the film point to a sort of morbid fascination with the brazenness of its concept.

Holli Would (voiced by Kim Basinger) and Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) blur the lines in ‘Cool World’ (1992).

Existing in the same demented… space… as Space Jam, Paramount Pictures bought the idea for Cool World from Ralph Bakshi as it sought to have its own Roger Rabbit. While Brad Pitt described it as “Roger Rabbit on acid” ahead of release, Cool World itself looks like a nightmare version of Toontown. The film was universally panned at the time, caught awkwardly between being far too adult for children but too lacking in any real substance for adults (there’s something of a connective thread between Jessica Rabbit, Lola Bunny and Holli Would).

Ralph Bakshi’s risqué and calamitously horny formal experiment builds on the animator’s fascination with the relationship between the medium and the human body. Of course, he would go from the immensely detailed rotoscoping of Fire and Ice (1983) to clashing hand-drawn characters with real ones, something he had already touched upon in the seventies with Heavy Traffic and Coonskin, whose animated characters were drawn into real locations. But no one besides Bakshi quite knew what to do with the perverse concept of Brad Pitt as a noir detective trying to stop Gabriel Byrne’s cartoonist from having sex with a character that he drew—an animated Kim Basinger.

Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) attempts to cross over to Hollie Would in ‘Cool World’ (1992).

Cool World’s awkwardness can be attributed to stilted interactions between Byrne, Pitt and the animated world, as well as studio meddling. Producer Frank Mancuso Jr (who was on the film due to his father running Paramount) demanded that the film be reworked into something PG-rated, against Bakshi’s wishes (he envisioned an R-rated horror), and the script was rewritten in secret. It went badly, so much so that Bakshi eventually punched Mancuso Jr in the face.

While Cool World averages two stars on Letterboxd, there are some enthusiastic holdouts. There are the people impressed by the insanity of it all, those who just love them a horny toon, and then there is Andrew, a five-star Cool World fan: “On the surface, it’s a Lovecraftian horror with Betty Boop as the villain, featuring a more impressive cityscape than Blade Runner and Dick Tracy combined, and multidimensional effects that make In the Mouth of Madness look like trash. The true star, however, proves to be the condensed surplus of unrelated gags clogging the arteries of the screen—in every corner is some of the silliest cel animation that will likely ever be created.”

There are even those who enjoy its “clear response to Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, with David writing that “the film presents a similar concept through the lens of the darkly comic, perverted world of the underground cartoonists”, though also noting that without Bakshi’s original script, the film is “a series of half steps and never really commits like it could”. Cool World feels both completely deranged and strangely low-energy, caught between different ideas as to how best to mix the two mediums. But it did give us a David Bowie jam.

‘Space Jam: A New Legacy’ is in cinemas and on HBO Max now.

Craft is of course important, but generally speaking, maybe nowadays a commitment to silliness and a sincere love for the medium’s history is the thing that makes successful live-action/animation hybrids click. It’s an idea that doesn’t lend itself to being too cool, or even entirely palatable. The trick is to be as fully dotty as Mary Poppins, or steer into the gaucheness of the concept, à la Roger Rabbit and Looney Tunes: Back in Action.

It’s quite a tightrope to walk between good meta-comedy and a parade of references to intellectual property. The winningest strategy is to weave the characters into the tapestry of the plot and let the gags grow from there, rather than hoping their very inclusion is its own reward. Wait, you said what is coming out this week?