#salvage showcase
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Salvage Showcase- Polaris P. Polanski
Assuming I get this out in time, this Showcase is dedicated to the most popular character in Danganronpa Togami has to offer in the fandom and on the day of Volume 3's release! If its not Shinobu Togami you heard about, you probably hear this girl's name dropped every now and again and for pretty understandable reasons given who she is!
Time to take a dive into the great Polaris P. Polanski!!!!
(...Who doesn't have official art so I'm just using the Vol 2 cover of DRT in its stead)
Summary
Now, Polaris is a character that plays a role in the events of the Legacy Crown Championship in the 2nd volume of Danganronpa Togami. She is Suisei Nanamura's assistant, at best 13 years old at the time, and travels to the LCC to Castle Toajo after Mitsuzo Togami hires Suisei to solve the case of mysterious killings in the competition.
Now, compared to her eccentric boss, she is very silent and has taken to pretty much following Suisei around. Suisei entrusts her to go through evidence or handle them, regardless if the contents are embarrassing or even gorey. Best shown off when, on the ninth day, Suisei announces that he has figured out the culprit - which was Kazuya Togami. During this meeting to discuss such a claim, she hands over Saburo's camera (that has been recording himself in the buff dancing) and was tasked with holding the bag that contains the severed head of Yoru. The latter piece of evidence is the nail in the coffin that had Kazuya initially tossed into the dungeon...
Only for it to 'be revealed' that Mitsuzo was the culprit in a confession note left behind as Mitsuzo appeared to have killed himself. With their client dead, Suisei leaves the LCC on a helicopter and one assumes that Polaris would have done the same.
Except! No, she doesn't! She secretly stays behind and begins working on trying to figure out the 'reliance' that will crown the winner of the LCC and heir of the Togami Conglomertate. In the end? When the chaos of the killings of the LCC had the castle burn down, Polaris would be one of the survivors: having not only figured out what the reliance was, but also finding Shinobu Togami to escort her to safety. As Shinobu wakes up, Polaris has whispered what the reliance was into a tape recorder: and was deemed correct. Thus, making her the official heir to the company!!
Or rather...he. In actuality, Polaris was just Byakuya Togami in crossdress, disguising himself as a girl to infiltrate the LCC (he figured he'd get close to it eventually while working as Suisei's assistant since the detective only takes high profile cases). Byakuya was apart of the hundreds of other Togami kids who were disqualified from even participating in the event due to their Mother's social standing and had been working to sneak himself for a long while. First by acting asa day trader and then as the aformentioned assistant to Suisei.
With his victory secured, Byakuya offers Shinobu to come with him to be his secretary with the other participants dead or missing (like her brothers) and since Shinobu lacked either Hope or Despair - aspects that'd he find use in someone that can write an untainted view of his autobiography. She accepts, though does request one thing: that he calls her big sis! Which gets him taken aback as much as your average teen boy does.
Considering Polaris is Byakuya, her personality is pretty similar to him. She's intelligent, cold, serious, and has no issues in doing unnerving tasks if it means she can get ahead or do her job. While in the LCC she maintains a quiet demeanor, very rarely speaking, when her job is done, she's free to express her usual stern, and critical nature towards others below her.
In particular, Polaris shows disdain towards how the LCC is operated by the Togami Conglomerate, primarily in regard to who is chosen based off their pedigree and acting as if someone from an unknown background can't be the heir (which might implicate Byakuya being from an unknown background himself?)
Yet, in regard to the event featuring Polaris, it should be noted that the flashback itself was a shared unreality memory for both Kazuya and Blue Ink. When we consider Byakuya's account in-game, where he says he was one of the participants, it makes rather unlikely for him to done the alter ego of Polaris or even be Suisei's assistant.
Rundown
In DRT's theming, Reality vs Unreality, and how it affects Byakuya as a character, Polaris represents a major aspect of our Ultimate Heir in using an aspect of Unreality, deceit, as a positive (if only for himself).
From tossing out his glasses that had a tracker on it, in order to fool their enemies and get them off their backs, to faking his death to even Blue Ink during a confrontation with Hasegawa Research Institute, to taking credit for the WDP in order to use it for his own domination conquest, to becoming Polaris even become the heir to the Togami Conglomerate to, most importantly, wiping away Kudan into Blue Ink: Byakuya is no stranger to deceiving both ally and enemy in the WDP in order to get ahead for himself. And this isn't a unique DRT trilogy trait either, remember Byakuya in DR1's infamous moment? Where he tampered with Chihiro's body just to reveal Genocide Jack amongst their group and know who to watch out for when/if he decided to become a blackened? Deceit, even if it makes others thinks less of him or intefers with his allies, is a valued tool of Byakuya when push comes to shove, which does make him legitimately tricky to deal with on top of his high intellect.
Which actually contrasts the other protagonists of DRT (or POV trio) remarkably well in their outings with Unreality. For both Kazuya and Blue Ink, the story makes it clear that they are pretty much being strung along by the whims of their Borges' Story AI, unable to see the truth until late into the WDP (and how they handle that is very different). As for Moleman, despite what he thinks is his past, his entire being as an alter is just a falsehood used by the main personality of Suzuhiko Otsuki to make his killings easier. Basically, all three POV Togami's are depicted as being unknowingly under and/or, even if aware, suffering from the effects of essentially living life under a lie. They are not in control of the narrative woven by others for them, at least, up until Shinobu goes through her development in Volume 3.
But Byakuya? He differs in that he's usually depicted as being the controller or just a user of Unreality. He's not generally caught up in it, but is the one crafting/going along with a false narrative that has enemies pretty much still struggling to keep up and trap him (well, that and having assistance from his few allies), despite essentially having the upperhand or dead to rights. Polaris is pretty much the epitome of this dynamic, even if probably not real, with her being able to come onto the island and take the crown without alerting anyone to her true identity, whilst almost everyone else pretty much killed each other in the mysteries of what was essentially a self-started killing game.
This also makes his actions in the final book of DRT hit that much harder. When he chose not to take over the world, it also meant he was now choosing to submit to being under Unreality, choosing to believe a lie that Ultimate Despair would have crafted that obfuscates the truth of the WDP, hinder his talent and cut his relationship with Blue Ink. All of that, just to save Blue Ink's life. For a character defined by his self-centeredness, even in the trilogy itself, him going for a major sacrifice like that is very telling of his true heart underneath his ego and what he eventually gets back post-DR1 (after some development during that killing game as well).
Personal Thoughts
Polaris is a funny case to me! As said before, she is pretty much just Byakuya and, even then, its very possible that her existence beyond Unreality is, well, non-existant. It doesn't help matters, she only appear in just a long flashback and barely has much of a role in events too until the end.
But that said, she's pretty much the most popular character to come from the DRT trilogy and its not hard to see why (...well aside from the fact she is a mainline character) ! For one, the idea of Polaris gives a layer and interest to Byakuya in a few ways. The most obvious being his interest in crossdress, even if only for a means to an end, is something that gets people's head's turning over Byakuya's sexuality in question and is just a fun concept to explore with such a serious character (and him going on to dress as a nun and state he doesn't mind wearing women's clothes is just so much fuel to use).
Another layer him being Polaris brings is his potential connection with Suisei. Byakuya crossdressing is one thing, but him being an assistant to an eccentric, yet corrupt detective? Someone's whose own arrogance and high intellect towards life reflects onto Byakuya? How much of Suisei rubbed off on Byakuya? They seemed like a stable pair working together, so is it possible Suisei knew about Byakuya's true identity all along? That's not even getting into the parallels between him and Kyoko, being stronger given her connection with Suisei in the DRK series. It's brief, but its a dynamic that has quite a bit of potential to gleam through, if you see assume that even outside of Unreality, there was a possibility that Byakuya diid become Suisei's assistant for a time.
Finally, there's the possibility of Polaris herself not coming from a well off home given her talk with Blue Ink at the end of the LCC, after she won (and her bitterness over people outside the ranking system not being able to compete). Now we know in-game Byakuya was a participant in the LCC for real, so him sneaking into the competition is just false. That said, it could still be possible he had to very much work his ass off from nothing just to be accepted into the real LCC (which is very likely given just how much of the true event is left pretty vague). It gives a real credence to his arrogance and his actual appreciation for hard work, since it means he was legitimately working himself in not just the LCC, but throughout his entire life, into become the powerful Ultimate Heir we know of him as today and gets you wondering if the reason why he's such a condescending jerk is because he's projecting his struggles and victories onto everyone else.
Though, as you all know by now, DRT is not one for making things concrete and Polaris (and what she brings to the table) is possibly just straight unreality produced by the K2K System. That said, DRT not being so concrete means its not a hard denial either of their existence in some other fashion. While Byakuya being Polaris to compete in the LCC is false, whose to say he didn't spend some time in his years posing as her before or after the fact? The details being fuzzy means those who do love Polaris are free to accept her in some fashion, while those who dislike her or think of everything in unreality is being all fake, are also not wrong in dismissing her. It's a situation where, even with unreality being in play, people on both sides can pretty much win.
For me, I like Polaris for the aformentioned layers above and think she just makes for a fun addtion to Byakuya's history. While I doubt he'd have needed or even was crossdressing in the real LCC, him just being so comfortable with himself he can wear practically anything, no matter the gender, is a confidence from Byakuya that you can't help but like and I can't help but basically accept as like a pseudo-canon trait of his.
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And that ends DRT's entry! I missed the anniversary of DRT Volume 3, which sucks, but at the very least am glad to get this out a bit quicker than usual! Was inspired to make this after seeing posts of DRT floating about on that day, so managed to make this Showcase quicker than usual.
Next up is back to Killer Killer!
#salvage showcase#byakuya togami#polaris p polanski#suisei nanamura#danganronpa togami#danganronpa#dr togami#blue ink#shinobu togami
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Now showing on DuranDuranTulsa's Television Showcase 📺...Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Salvage (1955) on classic DVD 📀! #tv #television #horror #drama #alfredhitchcock #ripalfredhitchcock #alfredhitchcockpresents #salvage #genebarry #nancygates #50s #DVD #durandurantulsa #durandurantulsastelevisionshowcase
#tv#television#horror#drama#alfred hitchcock#rip alfred hitchcock#alfred hitchcock presents#salvage#gene barry#nancy gates#50s#dvd#duran duran tulsa's television showcase#duran duran tulsa#Spotify
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Good Idea
length: 1.6k+ words
Genre: smut
Itzy Chaeryeong x Male Reader
(Author’s Note: Typing this on my phone was a hassle, so apologies if the quality isn’t that great. Enjoy anyways :) )
【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★【☆】★
PLAYER TWO WINS
Your friend Chaeryeong throws her hands up to celebrate her victory while you slump deeper into the couch, the bitter sting of your 10th defeat in a row filling your mind.
“Get owned, los-“ Chaeryeong begins to taunt you, but stops as she notices your upset expression. She scoots closer to you, offering you an apologetic look. “Sorry, did I upset you?”
You lightly chuckle at her reaction and shake your head. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Chaeryeong.”
“Then what’s wrong, oppa?” She asks, looking up at you expectantly with her big, round eyes. You sigh as you recount the details of your failed date. A couple weeks ago, Chaeryeong recommended you to try a dating app after expressing to her that you wanted to meet someone new. She helped you set up your profile, and after a while of getting left on read, you finally managed to secure a date with a girl who you thought was cute and fun to talk to. Things were going great… Until your first date with her. Your lack of dating experience in the past few years turned you into an awkward, blubbering mess in front of her. It didn’t help that you decided to order the spiciest item on the menu that basically killed any chance you had of salvaging your date (and your taste buds).
Chaeryeong gently rubs your arm as you sink lower into the couch, accepting the fact that you’ll probably die alone.
“I’m sorry, oppa. Is there something I can do to cheer you up?”
“I don’t think there is.” You let out a deep sigh and stare at the ceiling, lost in thought. Maybe dying alone wouldn’t be so bad. It’s not like you haven’t gotten used to being alone by now.
“Um…” Chaeryeong anxiously bites her lip as she turns to look at you. “Do you wanna try touching my boobs?”
Your head jerks up as your eyes widen in shock. “W-what did you just say?”
“I read somewhere on the internet that guys like touching boobs.” Her wide innocent eyes stare back at you without a single thought behind them. Chaeryeong had a habit of blurting out strange things, but this is by far the most insane thing she has ever said.
“I-I mean, you’re not wrong, b-but…” You were at a complete loss of words by her proposition, but you couldn’t help scan your eyes down her body. Her white ruffled tank top accentuated her breasts while also showcasing her tiny waist and sexy abs she achieved from years of being a dancer. Paired with her skin tight jeans that emphasized her curvy ass and thighs, you almost humored the idea of running your hands all over her body.
“W-why? Just why?” you ask, confused yet slightly turned on.
“Because you’re my friend and I don’t like seeing you so upset,” she responded with a pout on her lip and puppy dog eyes. It was practically impossible to say no to her whenever she made that face. With a sigh, you end up giving in.
“O-okay okay, fine. Just… You offered this, so no telling anyone I did anything weird, alright?” Beneath your apprehension, your heart was pounding with excitement. Not getting any action for years made you go feral at the simple thought of copping a feel.
A smile grows on Chaeryeong’s face as she giggles with elation. “Okay!” She sits on your lap, her ass pushing against your crotch. “Don’t be shy, oppa,” Chaeryeong teases as she grabs your wrists, placing your hands on her ample chest covered by her top. You instinctively squeeze her breasts, eliciting a cute moan from her lips. Almost instantly, your cock begins to strain in your pants, smushed against Chaeryeong’s ass, as your primal urges begin to take over.
“Looks like someone is excit- MMM!!” Chaeryeong’s words are interrupted by your mouth kissing on the supple skin of her neck. All of your inhibitions fade from your body, every action driven solely by hunger. You couldn’t deny how sexy your friend was as she succumbed to your every move. Each squeeze of her chest, each nibble of her ear, each lick on her neck turned her body into putty, completely malleable in your hands. This became evident in how you are able to lift her top without resistance, exposing her braless tits.
Chaeryeong’s mounds were absolutely perfect in your palms, soft yet firm and perfectly round. Paired with her toned abs, you couldn’t believe how lucky you were to be able to rub your hands all over her amazing body.
“D-do you- ah! Do you feel b-better, o-oppa?” Chaeryeong asked in between moans. You couldn’t help but chuckle at her adorable innocence as if she wasn’t being completely violated by you.
“Yes, I feel a lot better. I want you to feel better too,” you whisper into her ear in a sultry tone as your hand traces down her torso, causing her body to shiver in response. Chaeryeong giggles at your touch, biting her lip as she looks at you with complete lust in her eyes. You slowly unbutton her jeans, making sure she was watching. Her beautiful chest begins to rise and fall with heavy, anticipatory breaths. The urge to completely ruin your best friend was ever present in your mind, but you wanted to take things slowly. Savor every second of this experience.
Chaeryeong, on the other hand, was growing steadily impatient. “Oppa~” she whined, pouting her lips at you.
“So needy,” you chuckle before grabbing her chin and kissing her lips. She immediately melts into the delicate kiss as your fingers play with the hem of her panties. Slowly, you inch your hand closer to her wetness, teasing her skin with each scrape of your fingernails. Chaeryeong lightly moans into your mouth, her body shivering with pleasure. You graze her clit, causing her body to jolt from the contact.
“O-oh my g-god…” she groans, giggling with delight. You grab Chaeryeong’s chin with your free hand, watching her expression change as you plunge your middle finger deep into her pussy. Her mouth gapes open as she lets out a deep guttural moan, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. With your libido at an all time high, your mouth latches onto her neck as you insert a second finger into her heat, plunging your digits in and out of her until your hand starts to cramp.
“F-f-f-f-fuckkk!!!” Chaeryeong’s squeals, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. The walls of her pussy squeezed against your fingers as she came, staining her pants and your hand with her nectar. Her body suddenly goes limp as the high from her orgasm leaves her breathless.
“You okay, Chaeryeong?” you ask, smirking at her.
“Y-yeah… I feel… amazing…” She lazily plants kisses on your cheek in gratitude. This experience was definitely unforgettable - but you weren’t done yet. At this point, it was impossible to ignore your raging hardon, especially when Chaeryeong’s ass was rubbing all over it.
Standing up, you gently lay her down on the couch. She watched you, biting her lip, as you stripped her of her jeans and her soaked panties, leaving her bottom half completely nude. Her fit body was glistening with sweat and her sweet juices.
“Please take me already, oppa. I’m all yours,” Chaeryeong said, winking at you with a naughty grin. Without hesitation, you strip your clothes off, leaving them in a messy pile on the other side of the room. Your heart pounded with anticipation and lust as you lined up your cock with your best friend’s wet hole.
Church bells ring in your head as you slowly insert the tip of your penis into her. Chaeryeong’s body was complete perfection, both inside and out. A wave of ecstasy flows through you as her walls squeeze your member. You lean forward, catching Chaeryeong’s tit in your mouth as you continue to push through. Her cute moans fill the room, music to your ears.
“Mmm!! F-fuck… so b-big, oppa…” Her words were confirmation enough for you to start thrusting your hips into her. You start nice and slow, taking out most of your cock before plunging it back inside her heat. The jiggle of her breasts as you fucked her was mesmerizing.
Suddenly, she grabbed your face, forcing you to look at her. “F-faster… p-please, oppa,” she pleads, her wide eyes practically begging you to ruin her. You smirk, planting a gentle kiss on her lips before grabbing her hips and pounding her cunt with your hard dick. The rest of the world faded around you as you went rampant with pleasure. Pressure began to build in your loins, a sign of your impending orgasm. With the last of your strength, you slammed Chaeryeong down onto your cock, forcing her to match the rhythm of your thrusts.
Sensing your orgasm, Chaeryeong wraps her legs around your waist. “C-cum inside me, oppa. I-It’s okay.” With one final thrust, you went over the edge. Chaeryeong’s sweet pussy milked your cock completely dry. You collapsed back onto the couch, drained of all your energy.
“H-holy fuck… that was incredible,” you commented as you caught your breath. Chaeryeong snuggled up against you, smiling.
“I’m glad I could make you feel better, oppa.”
You couldn’t help but pepper her cute face with kisses. “If you’re gonna do this every time I’m sad, then I should go on failed dates more often,” you joked, earning a chuckle from her.
“Orrrrr, you could just go on a successful date with me and fuck me anyways,” she suggested, giggling as she bit her lip.
“I think I like your idea better.” With one final kiss, the two of you doze off in each other’s arms.
#itzy#lee chaeryeong#itzy chaeryeong#kpop fanfic#kpop gg#itzy x male reader#itzy x male oc#itzy chaeryeong x male reader#itzy chaeryeong x male oc#smut#chaeryeong smut#itzy chaeryeong smut
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Okay so this new episode that came out (Episode 4) was poorly handled.
TW /// SA
- No warning before the show starts...why? And even if there is no way for Viv to add one, for some stupid ass reason, why didn't she announce to the fandom properly "Hey, this will have very deep topics and imagery that may not be suitable for all audiences."? Why have arguments on threads and fail to do this very easy thing. At least if the episode came out, people would get a heads up, and the word would spread faster PLUS people would see that you at least TRIED
- The episode opens up with a scene of CNC porno played for laughs in an episode that tackles SA. Complete tonal whiplash. Why did it have to open up with Angel showing everyone a porno? It serves no purpose other than to get a cheap laugh (that never came) out of me or anyone else who watches and because of the topic of the episode revolved around it. I'msure that if the episode WASN'T ABOUT SA, that joke would not have been there....but it is. There was legit no good reason to start this fiasco off with such a tone deaf opening.
- Charlie is actually fucking useless and a burden in this episode, serving no other purpose other than being the gateway to further the issues that befall Angel when "trying" to help. This all screams forced. Worse of all, Charlie does nothing to actually HELP Angel out of this, even though he has a clear black eye thanks to it all and literal mirrors breaking as a result of the abuse. We never see an actual development between the two thanks to her foolishness and garbage writing, and it's resolved easily as if this is some early Disney cartoon season that's on a strict deadline. Regardless of whether she apologized or not, she essentially caused the issue and did NOTHING to actually clean her mess. The goddamn B A R T E N D E R had to be used to salvage the pieces. So far, Charlie, as a character, is utterly pathetic and has been a burden to the cast twice so far. Vaggie, who tried to prove herself (moreso Vaggie's fault for going the extra mile for no reason but an obstacle nonetheless), also had an issue that involved Charlie's utter lack of a backbone. Hey, what was it that Charlie said in the pilot that her dad taught her and one of the only thingsshe learned from him? "You don't take shit from other demons"
- Only one scene from the abuse shown was handled well, and it was when Charlie visited, screwed everything up, and Val asked Angel to come to his dressing room. Aside from that, the whole SA imagery is jarring. While this time, the fast pace of it all is not bad, the quick shift into it all with Angel switching from enjoying to hating, to smiling, to frowning, ALONG with the quick pace of it all with the PRIOR KNOWLEDGE SHOWN and the SONG PLAYING, I am getting mixed messages here. Imagery? Shows Angel getting assaulted multiple times with either a forced smile or for some reason ENJOYING sex with Val and the role play situations showcased, is he INTO his abuse? Lyrics? He seems to find arousal in Val controlling him. The song legit reads as follows
"Addicted to this feeling, I can't help but swallow"
This doesn't read like he is "forced" it reads like he is yearning the toxic relationship. Now if this was one of the main issues with the abusive relationship, where it was a codependency built on romanticising the abuser and Angel learning to break free from that horrible view of someone who never loved him and actively harms him, this lyric would make a lot of sense....but that's not what we are shown at all. From the jump, we are shown that Angel HATES being with Val, to the point of him straight up avoiding his texts and voice messages, they actually do an okay job (despite the shoddy voice work) on showcasing how manipulative Val is and his outright explosive temper through this scene in episode 2. We see that Angel does NOT wanna have association with Val, is tired of it all, and even got drunk to down his sorrows. Yet these lyrics present it all as though it's just a very rocky love life like those songs you hear on the radio with the singer lamenting about how awful their relationship was but still miss their toxic boo-boo. It just...doesn't read like an SA song and could mean anything regarding the type of abuse he is facing. It's kinda vague in hindsight. That's MY take on the lyrics, though.
- Husk's song is a trash fire. He sees Angel is down in the dumps and proceeds to talk shit about him pretty much relaying his sorrows, saying it's okay to feed into your vices, and downplaying the actual situation at hand. So let's get this straight.
Angel- A sexual abuse victim forced into sex slavery to appease all sorts of people's sexual desires whether he likes it or not, including pleasuring his pimp who physically abuses him often all cause he sold his soul
Husk- Gambled his life away and lost his title as overlord, serves under Alastor all cause he sold his soul.
How is this even...the same at all? Even if Husk is lacking some context, he SEES that Angel normalized drinking roofied drinks and works for Val SOMEONE HUSK SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AND WHAT HE DOES but nah, screw Angel. Even if he honest to God (irony) wanted to actually help, why tf would Husk think this was sound advice? Why does Husk just SUDDENLY care? No build up, no memorable dynamic, no nothing. Realistically, CHARLIE should be the one singing with Angel or maybe Vaggie because she heard the story from Charlie. Not Husk. He is self aware enough where he knows this "advice" wouldn't work but nah. Nothing about the song makes sense. Telling someone going through it that "you're a loser" pretty much a no one, an insignificant individual, when VAL has made it clear that Angel would be nothing without him...yeah no the only reason why this whole song "worked" was cause the writers wanted it to, so Angel is happy with being a loser for being a victim of SA and selling his soul to someone who abuses him in various ways consistently.
This episode is terrible
Jarring for any newcomers
Who have no idea who these characters are
#vivziepop critical#hazbin critical#hazbin angel dust#hazbin hotel criticism#hazbin hotel critical#hazbin hotel husk#vivziepop criticism
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I too ship Zutara and think they should have been canon. Although for me it's important to know how such a rewrite would go down. I tried to think, and I'm lost.
After Mai betrayed Azula for him, will he just go "sorry, not interested"? He isn't obligated to date her because of this, but her redemption hinges on Zuko and I don't see it being satisfying if he ends up rejecting her after this.
I thought the solution would be to rewrite her arc in boiling rock to make her have a moral realization, but then the problem with Maiko is practically solved. Their relationship wasn't salvaged by her redemption because last time they talked, Mai still didn't understand what's wrong with the Fire Nation and only changed because she loved Zuko. So how do you make it both satisfying & logical?
With Kataang the problem is the Chakras. The problem with the original (in my opinion) is that after he opened his chakra, letting go of his attachment to Katara, he's still attached (forcing a kiss on eip). Should TCoD get rewritten so that Azula shoots him before he opens it? Then why wouldn't he just open it later? Maybe the chakra would be locked so he feels as though he doesn't need to overcome his attachment just yet. In that situation, how would his chakra even unlock? The stone thing felt like nonsense, so how would I do it?
So yeah I have no idea how to approach this. How would you? (Thanks)
I've been rotating this ask in the back of my head like a rotisserie chicken for a few days--it's interesting because I don't generally stop to think like, how would I write them out of these relationships, I either ignore the relationships completely (which isn't hard, they were barely footnotes in the cartoon) or play a little bit with jealous exes or something. Thinking about like, In A Perfect World where Bryke wasn't in charge of ATLA post-canon (because if zutara had been canon, you can be sure they would've made us regret it) is interesting, and I do have thoughts on how I'd handle their relationships in a rewrite.
(this got long, so the rest is beneath the cut)
Assuming you mostly want to keep canon intact, I think maiko would be the easiest to work around, given how little relevance their relationship has in canon. The problem with maiko as an endgame ship is that it was not set up that way--if it had been, it would not have begun entirely off-screen and their whole relationship would not have been a study in misery and utter inability to connect emotionally. His relationship with Mai was there to showcase just how much he had changed and how little he fit into the life he had been so sure he wanted more than anything since his banishment. It worked very well to highlight Zuko's growth--how that contrasted to Mai's lack of it and why she could not understand him even at his most open and vulnerable--and did not work nearly so well when she was shoved back with him in the epilogue, after he'd quite literally forgotten her existence (he never mentions her again after Boiling Rock, not even to say a word of mourning, considering he'd have every reason to believe she was killed for defying his sister).
I don't think you can fix this by giving Mai some moral realization, because there simply is no room for it. As @araeph says in the essay I linked:
As a character, Mai is very useful to the story during Zuko’s return, because she represents everything that Zuko gains by sticking by his father. A girl who cares about him; the ability to indulge her; the authority he has over others at the palace; we see it all in his interactions with Mai. But this makes Mai a tether to a life he has long outgrown. Her function is not to advance Zuko’s character development, but to obstruct it, which also unfortunately means that Mai gaining a full understanding of Zuko’s trials would be disadvantageous to the story. If she knew everything about him and still wanted him to stay, it would give Zuko more cause than he should have to remain in the Fire Nation, but if she knew and encouraged him to leave and join the Avatar, it would rob Zuko of the triumph of making this decision on his own. In other words, there are good narrative reasons for keeping Mai in the dark; it just doesn’t make their relationship any stronger.
The seeds of a genuine redemption arc (one that includes some sort of moral realization and change to her moral framework) for Mai would have to have been planted far earlier than five episodes from the end of the series, but doing so would have of necessity detracted from Zuko's own character arc and the realizations that he makes despite his attachment to Mai (or more specifically to their relationship, which I feel like he was clinging to more out of a sense of abject loneliness he couldn't shake rather than genuine feelings and emotional connection).
So, in my mind, since we're tackling this with an eye towards getting rid of maiko with the fewest ripples to the overall story anyway, the easiest way to do this would be make one slight change to the end of the Boiling Rock two-parter--have Ty Lee (who had always been the least gung-ho of the trio about bowing to Azula's whims and had to be textually threatened into joining her in the first place) save Zuko's life, and then have Mai (who showed the most genuine affection for Ty Lee anyway) save Ty Lee. I love Zuko more than I fear you always fell flat for me as some epic declaration of love, anyway, since a) Zuko is not around to hear it, and b) unlike Ty Lee, she never showed much fear of Azula to begin with, so it wasn't a very high bar to clear. It was a cool line that was entirely unearned, and I don't think it would be missed, there would be some cute mailee crumbs this way, and a throwaway line of getting them released from the prison after the war ended could wrap up their presence in the story pretty nicely.
Now, kataang is a little trickier, if only because the last leg of Aang's character arc is almost completely derailed by his refusal to let go of his possessive attachment to Katara, to the point where he never naturally reopens his chakras, he has to have the Rock of Destiny hit him in just the right place, and the deus ex lionturtle there to give him a way out of having to make a hard moral choice. (I've maintained for years that if you work the final act of your main character's overall arc in such a way that it could have been solved by one good session with a chiropractor, something got fucked along the way.)
The thing about Aang's chakras is that, narratively, his whole thing with Guru Pathik and leaving his training early to save his friends was basically his version of Luke running away from his training with Yoda on Degobah because of his Force vision, only to find out that his friends were in the process of rescuing themselves and then losing his hand because he hadn't completed the most crucial part of his training. What's missing, therefore, from the last act of Aang's character arc, is the return.
See, in Star Wars, Luke pretty explicitly makes the wrong choice when he chooses to prioritize saving his friends over attaining enlightenment and fully mastering the Force. It was the only choice he could have made, but it was still the wrong one--because, like Aang, his friends did not actually need him to save them, he actually almost makes it harder for them to get away by requiring them to save him because, like Aang, he loses a battle in a very critical way. This was a lesson he desperately needed to learn, and it is clear he has learned it by the time he makes it back to Degobah and witnesses the end of Yoda's life, his own enlightenment having already been reached.
But Aang never goes back to the Guru.
And the text refuses to allow us to sit with the fact that he made the wrong choice in prioritizing his attachment to Katara over his ability to master the Avatar State. He is actually narratively vindicated about it, because the plot bends itself into a pretzel so that he doesn't have to spend any time during the last book trying to reopen his chakras and regain access to the Avatar State, handed both in the final battle with no excess effort on his part, and handed the girl into the bargain. (The girl who never even wanted him, so far as we can tell from all the lack of cues she gave him that she actually returned his feelings.)
And I think this could have been solved with a few scattered scenes. Let Katara actually have some agency in her own romantic relationship (or lack thereof), insofar as noticing Aang's advances and clueing the audience in to how she actually feels. Let Aang struggle with the fact that he can't reach the Avatar State, that his mastery of the elements is in limbo because he can't access his full power, rather than ignoring all of this until the end of the show. If we're trying to keep the shape of the last season roughly the same, let Katara confront Aang about the invasion kiss.
This would have been the perfect time to establish that Katara actually does feel some type of way about Aang prior to the epilogue, and it could have saved us from the exceedingly cringey EIP kiss that Aang never apologized for. How it comes across now, of course, is that Katara basically pretends it never even happened, to the point where she doesn't even know what Aang is talking about during EIP until he reminds her--the death knell for any shot their relationship had at looking requited, because I can tell you, as someone who's been a teenage girl, if someone I had conflicted but burgeoning romantic feelings for had kissed me, I would not have completely forgotten about it only a few weeks later--and we never get any indication as to what she actually felt about the kiss (which was not mutual, despite what Aang's dialogue in the EIP scene implies) except for the fact that she looked away and frowned afterwards. (A change mandated by Bryke, who wanted to leave her feelings completely ambiguous; the original storyboards had her smiling to herself.)
So, with an eye towards wrapping up Aang's puppy love crush and establishing Katara's distinct lack of romantic feelings for him, have her talk to him about the kiss. A good frame of reference for this would be Meng's conversation with Aang in "The Fortuneteller", where she finally realizes that he doesn't like her in the same way she likes him. Katara and Aang's conversation about the invasion kiss could be a callback to this, with Aang having some important realizations--that just because Katara doesn't share his feelings doesn't mean she loves him any less, and just because he can't have her the way he wanted doesn't mean he has to love her any less, that she doesn't belong to him but that's ok, because she's still his family and they'll always have each other's backs. Which could have functioned well in helping him take another step towards unblocking his chakras. Going back to the Guru directly may not have worked, since by this point in the story we're hurtling towards the final confrontation and Sozin's Comet, but let Aang reflect on what the Guru told him with new understanding granted him by his experiences throughout the first half of the season.
To keep the stakes high and up the suspense, obviously, he shouldn't have fully unlocked his chakras and the AS before the final fight, but the seeds could be planted--little moments like a talk with Katara about the invasion kiss, maybe a little more empathy and understanding from him about why Katara needs closure in TSR, etc--and then, during the final fight, rather than hand him all the answers on a silver platter, have him almost lose. He still can't go full Avatar, he's out of time, he still doesn't know exactly what to do about Ozai given his own pacifism and desire to preserve that part of his culture--he tries to fight but he's pretty quickly overpowered. Idk how I would've animated this, and maybe it wouldn't have looked as cool for the final fight, but the true climax of the finale was the Zuko and Azula agni kai anyway, so it hardly matters--I'm picturing him doing the rock-shield thing and going into a brief meditative state, where he finally achieves the enlightenment necessary to unlock the AS on his own, no rock of chiropracty necessary. And at this point, I'd give Ozai a Disney Death, since leaving him alive causes more problems than it solves and it's not necessary for Aang to kill him for him to die--they're fighting on a mountain ffs--but if you don't want to change that part then him figuring out energy bending as part of becoming a fully realized Avatar would at least feel more earned than the lionturtle just handing it to him. (And that could've been foreshadowed better by seeding the idea for it earlier in the season.)
After all of that, particularly if you up the emotions during the agni kai and have Zuko and Katara kiss there (or something less explicitly romantic but still tender, like a brief forehead touch), it'd feel pretty natural to have a just friends ending for Aang and Katara. Maybe a brief, slightly awkward but ultimately amiable conversation if Zuko and Katara had a ~thing at their final fight, and then the final shot of the series could be the gaang all together, maybe zutara holding hands or Katara resting her head on his shoulder or something, but since they already kissed there wouldn't feel like a need to end the whole show on romance, something which I've always felt missed the point of the series.
And then, y'know, after that, the world's your oyster! This is how I'd do it if I were trying to keep the bulk of the final season intact. Of course, breaking it all down to its component pieces and rebuilding from the ground up is also an option, but that'd probably be a longer post lol.
#zutara#atla#m.aiko salt#k.ataang salt#atla canon rewrite#hey albert kim if you're taking notes on how to do season 3 of the LA................#Anonymous#asked
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A Potion Mishap || Theodore Nott x reader
Warnings: None (Apart from a shitty ending)
Summary: Y/n and Theo find themselves in a week-long body swap after an accident with their project.
Y/n L/n and Theodore Nott were known for their prowess in potion-making, mastering nearly every potion they were assigned to brew. So it wasn’t a surprise when Professor Snape, the stern Potions Master, paired Y/n and Theodore for a challenging project. The assignment required them to brew the elusive Elixir of Luminescence, a potion rumored to glow like a thousand stars when concocted perfectly.
Y/n, a studious and determined witch with a penchant for precision, was immediately focused on the task at hand. Theodore, on the other hand, known for his cunning and resourcefulness, saw the project as an opportunity to showcase his skills. As they gathered the ingredients and set up their cauldron in the dimly lit dungeon, they had no clue that this collaboration would lead to unforeseen consequences.
Their instructions were clear, and the stakes were high – impress Professor Snape, and the glory of mastering the Elixir of Luminescence would be theirs. Y/n meticulously measured out the moonstone dust while Theodore expertly handled the fluxweed. The air in the dungeon crackled with anticipation as they mixed their ingredients with precision.
However, in the midst of their focused work, a mischievous house-elf, intrigued by the brewing magic, appeared near the cauldron. Startled, Y/n and Theodore turned their attention to the unexpected visitor, momentarily forgetting the delicate balance of their potion.
In that fleeting moment of distraction, disaster struck. Instead of carefully adding a single drop of leech juice, both Y/n and Theodore simultaneously poured a considerable amount into the simmering cauldron. A greenish smoke billowed, filling the air with an acrid scent that hinted at the unexpected turn their project had taken.
As the greenish smoke began to dissipate, revealing the chaotic aftermath of their unintentional potion experiment, Y/n and Theodore exchanged nervous glances. Professor Snape's piercing gaze bore into them, and with a subtle nod, he signaled for them to continue their work.
Undeterred by the setback, Y/n and Theodore resumed their brewing with newfound determination. They exchanged hushed whispers, strategizing on how to salvage their project and impress the ever-watchful professor.
The minutes stretched into hours as they painstakingly followed the revised steps, compensating for the unexpected influx of leech juice. Beads of sweat formed on Y/n's forehead as Theodore stirred the cauldron with controlled urgency. The dungeon's atmosphere became tense, a palpable mix of anticipation and anxiety hanging in the air.
After what felt like an eternity, the potion reached its final stage. Y/n cautiously added the powdered moonstone dust, and as the ingredients merged, a soft glow enveloped the cauldron. The Elixir of Luminescence radiated a mesmerizing light that danced like miniature stars within the liquid.
Professor Snape's stern expression softened slightly as he observed the potion. It seemed their efforts had not gone entirely unnoticed. With a curt nod of approval, he dismissed them, leaving Y/n and Theodore to bask in the mixed emotions of relief and accomplishment.
As they exited the potions classroom, the weight of the mishap lingered in the air. Y/n couldn't shake the feeling that they had messed something up. Theodore, ever the pragmatist, tried to reassure Y/n, reminding them that their potion had, against all odds, succeeded in captivating Professor Snape's attention.
The following evening, Y/n and Theodore gathered in the Slytherin common room to discuss their success with the Elixir of Luminescence. Excitement and relief filled the air as they relished in the triumph of overcoming the potion mishap.
As they clinked their goblets in a toast, the potion worked its subtle magic.
Y/n felt a sudden dizziness, the room spinning around her. Theodore, too, sensed an inexplicable shift. Their surroundings blurred, and before they could comprehend what was happening, they found themselves standing in the common room - but something was off.
Y/n stared in disbelief at Theodore, who was staring right back with widened eyes. Their voices exchanged in a surreal twist as Theodore spoke in Y/n's voice, "What just happened?"
Y/n, now in Theodore's body, responded with a disoriented tone, "I... I have no idea. This wasn't supposed to happen."
A wave of panic swept over them as they frantically tried to make sense of the situation. Theodore, awkwardly adjusting to Y/n's body, exclaimed, "Merlin's beard, we swapped bodies!"
Y/n, grappling with Theodore's taller frame, replied, "This has to be a side effect of the potion. We need to figure out how to reverse it!"
Theodore, fumbling with Y/n's wand, muttered, "Reverse? Right, get the potions book." They huddled over the textbook, their fingers flipping through pages, searching for a solution.
In the midst of their frantic search, Y/n muttered, "This is insane. How did we manage to brew a body-swapping potion accidentally?"
Theodore, now reading aloud, answered, "Apparently, an excessive amount of leech juice amplifies the potion's effects. We've brewed a week-long body-swap potion. Great."
Y/n, realizing the gravity of the situation, sighed, "A week? In each other's bodies?"
Theodore nodded grimly, "Seems like it. We better make the best of it and try not to draw attention."
As they reluctantly accepted their predicament, the common room door creaked open. Pansy Parkinson, always curious, stepped in and looked at them quizzically. "What's going on? You two seem... different."
Y/n, attempting to imitate Theodore's nonchalant demeanor, replied with an awkward smile, "Oh, nothing, just experimenting with a new charm."
Pansy, raising an eyebrow, shrugged and left them to their devices. As the door closed, Y/n and Theodore exchanged uneasy glances, realizing that the challenges of adapting to each other's lives had just begun.
**Part 4: The Realization**
The following morning, Y/n and Theodore wandered awkwardly through Hogwarts in each other's bodies, garnering curious looks from fellow students. Their footsteps echoed in the corridor as they headed to the library, hoping to find a solution within the dusty tomes.
Y/n, still adjusting to Theodore's taller frame, grumbled, "I feel like a giraffe. How do you manage like this?"
Theo, struggling with Y/n's more delicate features, retorted, "Well, at least I don't have to crane my neck to see the top shelf."
They entered the library, earning stern glares from Madam Pince, who clearly disapproved of their presence. Y/n scanned the shelves while muttering, "We need to find something about reversing body-swaps. It can't be that uncommon, right?"
Theodore, riffling through a book, replied, "I hope so. I'd rather not spend the whole week trying to be you."
Y/n chuckled, "Trust me, being you isn't a walk in the park either."
They delved into the books, whispering incantations and searching for clues. Y/n, growing more frustrated, muttered, "This is impossible. We're stuck like this."
Theodore, attempting to reassure, said, "We'll find a way. We just need to keep looking."
Suddenly, Y/n's eyes widened as they stumbled upon a section about accidental body-swaps. "Wait, I think I found something. There's a reversal spell, but we need Occamy eggshells and Dragon Claws."
Theodore leaned in, peering at the page, "Where on earth are we going to find those?"
Y/n thought for a moment, "Snape’s storerooms. We'll need someone to gather the ingredients for us."
Theodore grinned mischievously, "Leave that to me. I'll be back before you know it."
As Theodore left the library, Y/n sighed, "This week is turning out to be more complicated than I ever imagined."
Theodore snuck into Snape's storeroom. The dimly lit room was filled with an array of magical ingredients, jars, and peculiar specimens. Theodore whispered to himself, "Occamy eggshells and Dragon Claws... Where would Snape keep those?"
Back in the library, Y/n's focus was momentarily broken when Draco approached her. Draco, not recognizing Y/n in Theodore’s body, said, "You left your diary in the common room, man. You should thank me, Pansy almost read it."
Y/n, surprised by the unexpected courtesy, took the diary and mumbled a thank you. As Draco turned to leave, curiosity got the better of Y/n. With Theo’s diary in hand, she couldn't resist the temptation to sneak a peek.
Flipping through the pages, Y/n discovered his innermost thoughts, penned down in ink. The revelations hit like a storm – Theodore Nott had a crush on her. The words spoke of admiration, subtle attempts to get closer, and a longing that had remained hidden beneath the surface. Y/n's heart raced as the implications of Theodore's feelings sank in.
Meanwhile, Theodore, now with the Occamy eggshells and Dragon Claws in hand, exited Snape's storeroom and found himself unexpectedly bumping into Pansy in the hallway.
Pansy, raising an eyebrow, remarked, "Y/n, you seem a bit off today. Everything alright?"
Theodore, momentarily taken aback, stammered, "Yeah, just... you know, potion mishap things. Nothing to worry about."
Pansy, oblivious to the body-swap, continued, "I wanted to talk to you about Theo. You two have been spending a lot of time together. Did you finally get the guts to ask your loverboy out?"
Theodore, shocked by Pansy's revelation, managed to say, "What? No, we're just working on a potion project together. Nothing more."
Pansy smirked, "Sure, girl. Just remember, you can tell me anything."
As Pansy walked away, Theodore, still processing the newfound knowledge about Y/n's feelings, made his way back to the library. However, he decided to keep the revelation to himself for now, unsure of how to navigate the delicate situation.
Back in the library, Y/n, their heart still pounding from Theodore's confession in the diary, awaited Theodore's return, unaware of the brewing storm of emotions and revelations that would soon reshape the dynamics of their relationship.
Theodore entered the library with a conflicted expression, struggling to process the bombshell that Pansy had dropped. As he approached Y/n, still immersed in the library's sea of books, he hesitated before saying, "Found the ingredients. Snape's storeroom is like a labyrinth."
Y/n looked up, and the air seemed to crackle with tension. "Good. Let's get started on brewing this reversal potion. The sooner we fix this, the better."
Theodore, attempting nonchalance, replied, "Right, no need to spend any more time in each other's shoes than necessary."
As they set up their makeshift potion-making station in a secluded corner of the library, Y/n couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in Theodore's demeanor. "Is everything alright, Theo?"
Theodore hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "It's just... Pansy. She asked if we were dating. I had no idea she thought that way."
Y/n, suppressing a smirk, responded in Theodore's deep voice, "Well, the Slytherin Prince might have some admirers."
Theodore, looking genuinely perplexed, said, "This isn't a joke, Y/n. I've never considered... you know, us."
Y/n, in Theodore's body, raised an eyebrow, "Really? Never?"
Theodore's eyes shifted, revealing an unspoken truth. "I mean, we're friends, right? But I never thought..."
Y/n felt her heart drop, "It's complicated. But, I found something interesting in your diary."
Theodore's eyes widened, "You read my diary?"
Y/n, in a teasing tone, replied, "Couldn't resist. Turns out, you've got a crush on me. Who would've thought?"
Theo blushed, a rare sight for the usually composed Slytherin. "Look, Y/n, it's not like I planned for you to find out this way."
Y/n, placing a reassuring hand on Theo's, said, "No harm done. Let's just focus on fixing this mess for now."
Theo, grateful for Y/n's understanding, nodded. "Okay. Let's brew this reversal potion and put an end to this madness."
As they gathered the ingredients and followed the intricate steps of the potion, the air became charged with tension.
Y/n, breaking the silence, said, "You know, Theodore, being in your shoes for a while... it's not as easy as it seems."
Theodore, stirring the potion with a thoughtful expression, responded, "Same goes for me, Y/n. Your life is more complicated than I thought."
They continued the delicate process of brewing, occasionally sharing anecdotes about their respective lives. The library, once a sanctuary of knowledge, transformed into a confessional where Y/n and Theodore laid bare their thoughts and emotions.
As the potion neared completion, Theodore looked at Y/n, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. "I never expected this potion mishap to bring us to such a revelation."
Y/n, smiling, replied, "Sometimes, the unexpected moments reveal the most about us."
With the reversal potion finally completed, they stood back, glancing at each other with a mix of relief and newfound understanding. The potion shimmered with the promise of returning them to their original selves.
Theodore, extending a hand, said, "Shall we do the honors, Y/n?"
She nodded, "Together, then."
As they recited the incantation, a burst of magical energy enveloped them, and the library seemed to sigh in relief. The world spun and then the magic settled.
Y/n and Theo, now back in their own bodies, found themselves standing in the dimly lit hallway outside the library. The air between them hung heavy with anticipation, the newfound awareness lingering like a spell in the enchanted air.
Theo, his eyes filled with a mixture of nervousness and longing, gently brushed a strand of hair from Y/n's face. "So, um, about what happened in the library..."
Y/n, giving Theo a playful smirk, let out a soft laugh, "You mean the part where you've been hiding a secret crush on me? Seems I've been oblivious to the Slytherin Prince's affections."
Theo blushed, a warmth spreading across his cheeks, "Well, when you put it that way..."
Y/n, closing the distance between them, reached out to trace a gentle path along his jawline, "No need to be embarrassed, darling. It's surprising, but in the most enchanting way."
Theodore, captivated by Y/n's touch, looked into their eyes with a mix of relief and anticipation. "Surprising, huh? I wasn't sure how you'd take it."
Y/n, sincere and tender, whispered, "Truth is, I never expected this either. But I’m glad it happened"
Theodore’s fingers delicately entwined with Y/n's as he leaned in closer, his breath mingling with Y/n's. "So, how do you feel about... us?"
Y/n, their lips mere inches apart, whispered, "I like you Theo. More than you know."
Theodore, sensing the unspoken desire, leaned in, their lips meeting in a soft, lingering kiss. As they hesitantly pulled back, Y/n, feeling a surge of courage, pulled him back for another.
Theodore, his gaze filled with adoration, replied, "Be mine, Y/n. I can’t go a day longer without you by my side."
#Theodore Nott#Theo#Nott#x Reader#Pansy parkinson#Draco Malfoy#Theodore Nott x reader#Snape#theodore nott x reader#theodore nott x you#House elves#Potions
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Okay! So! I'm breaking out the correct capitalization because this news is so insane! The Japanese website for Endless Ocean Luminous received a major update last night, and I want to walk through the biggest new info from it with you! This is gonna be really long, so please bare with me, there's just so much to cover...
Here's the link for people who want to check this themselves: https://www.nintendo.com/jp/switch/a7lka/index.html
The Veiled Sea is random, but not in the way you think
It has been officially confirmed that the Veiled Sea's terrain and creatures will change with each dive, and creatures will likely spawn in accordance to the nearby terrain. But don't panic!
After filling in 80% of an area's map, you will be given a map ID, which you can use to access that exact same map, either by yourself or with friend, whenever you like! Think of them like Minecraft world seeds. An example ID (which can likely be used upon release) is given in the photo above, accompanied by what looks like a photo of the one and only...! Maybe you can reliably encounter her on that map ID?
2. Salvages are back, baybee!!
In what looks to be a system similar to EO1 and the Everblue games, salvages of all sorts can be found under small glints on the ocean floor! The P earned from salvages immediately goes into your current amount once you've picked it up. According to the photo above, salvaging is "essential to unravelling the ocean's mysteries", and another photo states that you may even find traces of "ancient civilizations"...
3. A diving rank system has been revealed, along with fishy friends
As you discover new creatures and treasures, you will unlock all sorts of things, and your dive rank will increase! Higher dive ranks have access to more suit colors (which side note omg i'm loving the options), as well as larger creatures following you, and more creatures following at the same time! What does that mean? Well... you know EO1's friendship system, where if you're friendly enough to a fish, it'll follow you around? This seems to be returning, but reworked! The creatures that follow you depends on your dive rank: at a low rank, only small fish will follow you, but as your rank increases, you can have dolphins and even huge whales tag along with you!
4. Behold a whole new range of underwater environments
I already showed pictures of them in my previous post, so I won't here to save photo space, but to list a few, underwater magma flows, shipwrecks in the abyss, polar areas, freshwater caves, and active hydrothermal vent fields have all been shown off here!
5. Different missions will be available each dive
Not much elaboration is needed here, but each dive, you will be given special missions (such as seeking out a location or creature). We don't yet know what reward these will give us, but it's gotta be good, right?
6. A new method of identifying creatures
Creatures you have yet to identify will glow, and pressing the L button while near these creatures will unlock their information. Multiple creatures' info can be acquired this way at the same time, making for easy scanning of big groups! This info will then be available in the marine encyclopedia, which can be accessed at any time.
The encyclopedia will also record the creature's behavior, habits, and the largest/smallest sizes of it you have found.
7. Creature variants have been introduced
Though the site did not elaborate on this, it did showcase a picture of a creature labelled "variant".
This one is especially interesting, because though the scientific name here is accurate, the Japanese text below it reads... "Coco Maharaja", which is this EO2 legendary's Japanese name! Will we be able to encounter the exact legendary specimens from EO2 again in the Veiled Sea, or are these simply colored variants named after them? Either way, the creature variant system is going to be awesome, I can tell!
8. Photography is back, and better than ever!
Photos will be sent to the Nintendo Switch's album when taken. What purpose they will serve in the greater game has yet to be seen, but you can take photos with yourself in them!
9. Multiplayer and singleplayer options
I know some people were worried about multiplayer being the only mode, but this is not the case! Players can dive either solo, or with a group over the internet with the "Dive Together" option. When diving together, up to 10 random players can play... or, when diving with friends, up to 30 people can!
Additional multiplayer reveals include the ability to use tons of emotes to communicate, adding emojis to creatures or treasures you find which can be seen on the map for others to check out (the Cacao Maharaja photo showcases a bunch of these emojis), being able to teleport to any player in your current dive, and more!
10. A new mythical creature...?
The array of photos shown of new creature models is absolutely astounding... but one in particular that caught my eye is the set of new prehistoric creatures!
One of these things is not like the others though... what could "Raja Emas" be...? Can prehistoric creatures be mythical too?
This update has made me more hyped than ever for this game! I'd be curious to hear your thoughts too~ :>
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I actually thought that Adrien and Gabriel's relationship seemed like it might have been possible to salvage in the early seasons. What do you think?
@tallwriter Starting a new post since this one was getting super long as this is a different topic.
The problem with Gabriel Agreste's character is that they very clearly wanted to write a sympathetic villain - you can tell that from how the show handles his death - but sympathetic villains don't work if you make them cartoonishly evil. You have to handle the situation with nuance and delicacy, especially when one of the main heroes is the villain's son.
Gorizilla is not a perfect episode by any means, but it does showcase how Gabriel should have been written if they wanted him to come across as complex and sympathetic. In that episode, Gabe thinks that Adrien is Chat Noir and, because there's no way to magically force Adrien to reveal himself or confess his secrets, Gabriel has to come up with a situation where Adrien would be forced to transform of his own free will (since that can't be overwritten with a ring or something crazy like that). Which is how we get Adrien hurtling to his death while his father looks on:
Adrien: Always! (jumps out of Gorizilla's hand, and over the side of the building) Yeah-ha!
Hawk Moth:(from his lair) No!
...
Hawk Moth:(from his lair) If indeed you are Cat Noir, then transform, son. Please. (Adrien continues to fall downward, resolutely remaining as he is) Come on, son!
(Ladybug looks down at Adrien, then raises her head, eyes closed.)
Ladybug: Cat Noir, help!!
Hawk Moth:(from his lair, to Gorizilla) Drop Ladybug!
This is good writing. Yes, Gabe's plan was kind of dumb (you live with Adrien, dude, just bug his room), but if we accept that this was the only way to go about a forced reveal - and that does seem to be the writer's logic - then we see a situation where Gabriel put his son above winning. A situation where he's still very much the villain, but he's not a dastardly, cold-hearted one. He does love his son.
There are actually several of these moments in the first three seasons. Some involve Adrien and many more involve Nathalie. It's why season five's claim that Gabe put beating Ladybug above everything else rings hollow. He never actually did that outside of Evolution (S5E1). He's almost always been loved-ones first when it really counts, a thing that Ladybug uses against him in the final when she tries to crush Emilie. The whole "Ladybug obsession" thing truly feels like something they just made up for that one episode to justify Nathalie "turning sides" aka doing nothing useful beyond maintaining the status quo (hey, they needed someone to keep the senti plot from having consequences and it wasn't like she was doing anything useful anyway!)
The problem is that this "loved ones first" mentality is only used for big dramatic moments, often as a way to keep Gabriel from winning. It's not Gabriel's main characterization even though it needed to be if you want season five's ending to feel even remotely earned. Going into that ending, we should have all thought that Gabe was a messed up dude who truly did love his son. And, if Gorizilla, Style Queen, and Ladybug had all been examples of his standard characterization, then we would have thought that.
But that's not who the writers told us Gabe was.
Instead, his standard characterization paints him as petty, controlling, and manipulative. Which is wild because there was no reason to do that! Gabe could - and should - have been played as stern and removed, but generally loving when he's outside of the mask. In other words, Gabriel Agreste could be well liked while Hawk Moth was hated.
The crazy thing is that this is such a simple change to make. You either removed the episodes where Gabe's awful parenting is the source of the conflict (ex: Bubbler) or you just make a few minor changes to show that he's conflicted about his actions.
For example, take Chat Blanc, the episode that ruined so many elements of this show! In that episode, Gabe is a total bastard. He happily sacrifices his son's happiness to make an akuma in the form of Marinette and then, when Adrien's secret is revealed, does Gabe have any sort of conflict about traumatizing his son? The kind of conflict we'd expect after episodes like Gorizilla? Nope! He straight up delights in showing Adrien Emilie's... corpse? Comatose form? Whatever! Gabe then akumatizes Adrien with a smile on his face.
That gets the writers a solid F for consistent characterization. It's why I highlighted "almost" in red when I mentioned Gabe's motivation. Because in Ephemeral and Chat Blanc, the writing ignores the sympathetic stuff that characterizes the dramatic moments and goes straight for the worst-father-of-the-year, love-to-hate-him, please-let-him-die-now characterization that we get in most episodes.
If you were writing Chat Blanc's Gabriel to fit his intended complex, sympathetic mold, then you would probably drop the breakup plot or you'd have spent all season setting Marinette up as the perfect akuma target, changing the breakup into something that Gabriel felt that he HAD to do instead of opportunistic evilness. You'd also have Gabe drop a line like, "I'm sorry, Adrien. You'll thank me later" before the Chat Blanc akumatization. Or at least don't have him grinning! Do something, ANYTHING to show that Gabe sees using his son like this as a necessary evil and not a fun time! You know, like how he was begging Adrien to transform during Gorizilla? Almost like Gabe had stopped caring about winning and started just wanting his son to live.
Would these changes make Gabe less of a fun cartoon villain? Yes, but that's the point. Cartoon villains are cartoony. They're over the top. They have no nuance. Sympathetic villains don't work with those characteristics.
The normal way to get around this in a cartoon setting is to have secondary antagonists who can be played as cartoonishly evil. And, confusingly, Miraculous has those characters. Chloe, Sabrina, and Lila have been here since season one (Kim could also have stayed a bully and been added to that list, but he's not a teenage girl, so I get why they didn't do that /s.) Felix has been around since seasons three. Nathalie has been an active villain since season two. Any or all of these characters could be the cartoonish, nuance-less villain while Gabriel stays sympathetic.
Instead, they play Gabe however they want to play him in any given episode, making it so that he's impossible to understand from an audience perspective. I personally like the sympathetic take and think that those are the show's best episodes because I like complex villains. It's even how I write Gabe in my stuff because I go for less cartoony takes on canon.
I don't think a redemption was needed, but a sympathetic villain doesn't require one. All that term means is that you can understand the villain and be sympathetic to their plight. Redemption is optional. In fact, the goal is often not redemption, but an understand that, "there but for the grace of the gods go I." I mean, we've all lost loved ones. Wouldn't the power to bring a loved one back tempt you, too?
If they wanted to go for evil, cartoony Gabe, then they needed to drop all of the complexity and go for a Disney villain type character who gets a Disney villain death a la Scar or Mother Gothel. Don't give Gabe the wish. Let him fall to his own hubris by falling into the water of his secret layer and lading as a puddle of ash while a sad Ladybug looks on, having just failed to save him.
If you want to see an excellent look at how cartoon Gabe could have worked, then I highly recommend @zoe-oneesama's Scarlet Lady comic, which is just nearing its end after a multi-year run. I think it's fair to say that Zoe and I largely agree on canon's flaws, she just fixes them by leaning into the cartoon side of things, creating a hilarious story with lots of heart. Canon could have absolutely gone that way too and worked out wonderfully! The issue is not a lack of nuance, it's that they tried to add nuance without ever fully committing to it, making a story that is the worst of both worlds. While a more serious nuanced reboot would be my ideal dream, a reboot that scraps all of Gabe's nuance and just makes him go full evil would be just as satisfying and Zoe proves that.
#ml season 5 salt#ml salt#ml writing criticism#ml writing critical#Gabriel Agreste deserves better#Gabriel Agreste deserves worse#Gabriel Agreste deserves anything but what canon did with him#Let me love to hate him#Or watch sadly as he ruins his relationship with his son#Just don't give me the mess that is canon
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Listeners Obey
So, the new MC skins of the Empires members in dresses made me think of Ella Enchanted where she’s got an obedience curse. And then my brain reminded me that another word for “obey” is “listen”.
“Oh come on, Jimmy. Just let them have their fun,” Joel laughed as Jimmy’s dissatisfied expression became apparent after yet another joke at his expense.
Jimmy’s expression shuttered, “Shut up.”
“What?”
“Shut up, Smallishbeans,” Jimmy’s voice was scathing as he invoked Joel’s player tag instead of his name. The emotionally distant title cut through the room like a death knell.
“Come on, Jimmy,” Joel’s tone turned pleading at the sharp dismissal, trying to salvage something that he hadn’t realized was just one step away from shattering.
“No. I am tired. Tired of Listening to you. It gets so hard to Listen sometimes. Because do you know what a Listener is expected to do? Do you?” Anger flushed through the avian’s voice as he questioned Joel.
Confusion was apparent in Joel’s gaze, “Jimmy, what? What do you mean? Listener?”
“Oh void,” Fwhip interrupted from off to the side, horror in his voice as the admin made a realization. “If you’re a Listener, they’re expected to obey.”
“Well someone read their history books, didn’t they? That’s right. So if you don’t want me to fucking obey, then don’t tell me to do things like that. Don’t tell me that their fun is more important than my feelings.”
Shelby’s brows furrowed as she thought back to her books on magic, becoming concerned at the implications, “So it’s like some kind of obedience curse?”
“May as well be one, not like I was given a choice. Or have one now,” Jimmy agreed reluctantly.
“Void, Jim. Alright, no telling you to do things,” Joel looked gutted when Jimmy turned to face him as the man spoke again. It was clear that his brother-in-law was thinking of quite a few instances of when Jimmy had been told what to do in the past.
“Proud of you, love,” Scott smiled as he took Jimmy’s hand, smiling at his husband. “Questions are helpful, right?”
Jimmy nodded before addressing the others, “Right. If you ask me to do something, I can say no easier. Basically, don’t order me to do something. That’s when it’s hard.”
Joey thought for a moment before asking to confirm, “You were dealing with this last season, weren’t you?”
“I always deal with this,” Jimmy admitted softly.
Sausage blinked, “So all those times where we baited you, told you to fight back? You basically didn’t have a choice?”
Scott squeezed Jimmy’s hand, “He’s still got a choice, mostly. It’s just hard to actually disobey. It’s an instinct to just do what he’s told, even if he doesn’t want to. Sometimes, when there’s too many orders, he can’t disobey them all.”
“Right, we’re going to figure this out. You don’t have to deal with this alone. Come to my--Would you like to come to the Goblands to figure out a plan?” Fwhip rephrased, realizing his phrasing wouldn’t help.
Jimmy’s wings shifted, showcasing his surprise, a moment before his expression softened slightly, “Yeah, I’d like that.”
#Empiressmp#empires jimmy#Sheriff Jimmy#jimmy solidarity#listener jimmy#jimmy solidaritygaming#Canary Jimmy#empires smp#empires smp season 2#empires smp s2#esmp jimmy#esmp s2#esmp scott#esmp joel#esmp fwhip
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In the Defense of Saw Gerrera......
Ever since I've rejoined the fandom few years ago, my blog gets notice for a lot of pro-Jedi arguments and sentiments but I don't always get the time to talk about another character in the franchise who gets grossly mishandled by fans: Saw Gerrera.
A lot of fans like to prop up his character as a showcase of "extremism" that makes the Rebels not the quissitessinal good guys and vindicate the Empire, giving them a legitamate reason why they do what they do.
Today, I'm going to call out some things I believe are important to remember about the character.
"Saw's methods hurts the Rebellion more than it helps"
I've seen this sentiment come up a lot, especially after his appearance in The Bad Batch. In canon, there are certainly people who think that, chiefly Mon Mothma (The Rebel Files, Rebels) but the consensus within the Alliance until it's official formation is that they cannot be picky and that he and his PARTISANS are KNOWN for getting jobs done.
And say what you want about his methods, but the Alliance themselves have more than one time asked for his help and even when they didn't like him whatsoever. And when they didn't, it hurt THEM badly.
In Leia: Princess of Alderaan, Bail is big mad because he killed Moff Panaka, believing he was more sympathetic and didn't like how it almost costed his wife/daughter's life (despite the fact the Partisans had no clue they were meeting). Despite all the hubup and Bail getting bigmad, it actually saved Leia, as he was about to reveal to the Emperor that based on the resemblance, she had to be Padme Amidala's daughter.
In Rebel Rising novel, Saw explicitly talks about how he doesn't like how they prioritize things but remain critical about his methods. One of his former Partisans, Idryssa, went to form her own group in the Rebel Intelligence but found when she wanted to help liberate Tamsye Prime of slavery, the Alliance High Command didn't believe it was worth their time to fight, prioritizing other unnamed dilemmas. She ended up going to Saw in hopes he could do a recon mission that'll give her valuable intellgience. He lambasts her for it, telling her it's ironic she had all the ideas to help the galaxy but could only hope people like him do the dirty work. For context, that part of the story is where Saw gets invited to the Alliance (despite doing the worse thing he's done in canon), which he accepts the mssion for FREE, and it is that mission that created the reason why Jyn was abandoned (ill get to that later).
In the episode "In the Name of the Rebellion" for Star Wars Rebels, the Jaliandi Station the Empire established essentially made it possible for the Empire to quickly respond to any distubances, including a mission Hera was on that was botched unexpetedly. The episode, while grooming over Gerrera's methods, also mentioned that he already warned them about it and they ignored it, paying the price for it. This stems from the fact all their tactics are going to, ultimately, come to a "peaceful resoultion". They also try salvaging this by wanting to plant a tracker so they can also listen into communications and adjust their strategy. Both Ezra and even Hera herself believe it's a damn useless tactic and destroying it was the best option. Plot tiwst: it was. Empire took a L.
Rogue One had a big point that the Rebel leaders were unwilling to act decisively and Rebels had shown that for YEARS, Saw warned them that the Empire were building a superweapon. The reason he wasn't listen to? According to The Rebel Files, Mon Mothma dismissed him entirely on grounds that it was too extreme even for Palpatine and that she doesn't like his line cynicism. It took confirming the Death Star to convince her and High Command to talk to Gerrera and/or take him seriously, who has since cut contact with them altogether.
The Bad Batch is the most recent of these examples as his attempt to kill Tarkin and higher up leaders of the Empire led to a series of events that cumilated to Tech's death and TBB's eventual capture. A lot fans wanna blame Saw despite the fact that they interrupted HIS operation and he was planning to assassinate both Krennic and Tarkin included. Tech has a "counterpoint" but as the audience, we know thsoe two are instrumental to the Death Star and given Rogue One's context, the Empire wouldn't have been able to have a Death Star BECAUSE the research on kyber crystals came from Galen, who was a FRIEND of Krennic (to an extent; Galen wasn't favoring him that had especially later), and after Order 66, a lot of experts on that field were killed or they hid because they knew anybody involved with Jedi was gonna get hunted too. Saw would of killed two importantfigures in the Empire in one fell swoop and lets not forget it was TBB that alerted the Empire in the first place and he was doing it in YEAR 2, when the Empire was still up and coming and had a leadership deficit.
Both the Rebels and TBB show gave counter points with comparing his tactics to instead using it to gather intel. I wanted to address the fact that despite what Tech and one of the guys in High Alliance state that ultimately, they were WRONG: the Jailandi relay being destroyed was a all out positive and Tarkin and Krennic's respecitve connections is what brought to fruition two big parts of the Empire and you couldn't replace the leadership capability Tarkin had. It is literally no surprise in canon, the Empire fell apart in 4 years even if they were close to winning but even in that timeframe, both Sidious and Vader had to be more direct in their approach and the galaxy was quickly against them.
One of the real reasons the Alliance had problems was because of their leadership; it was a known fact that in general and especially after Bail's death, High Command would only act dependent on Mothma or otherwise be indecisive and stall. Her core belief was on searching for a peaceful resolution and she stood on that hill to the point she ERASED Saw contributions while being okay with it if it were her friends that did it, as according to Bloodlines, there have been at LEAST 2 instances prior to the destruction of the Death Star the Rebellion under her leadership engaged in "terrorist tactics", one that involved slaughter.
In fairness, Mothma had a problem with her camp (Rebel Intelligence) using those tactics but at the end of the day, guess what? She endorced Draven, even when he got on his mysoginistic bullshit with Jyn. The Alliance's own propaganda department had to start lying/exageratting because they found out ignorant people will not listen to the truth (shocker). [Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy] And guess what? She signed off the destruction of the Death Star, which totalled to about 1.5 million deaths, the majority being civilians and low-ranking officers dedicated to maintaining it. (Bloodlines) Mothma spent YEARS ignoring, underplaying, and erasing Saw's influence, contributions, and her problem with him was personal, as essentially, she didn't like how Saw both underline the very methods she will have to endorce/support/perform one way or another and that his actions didn't benefit HER, as he was on that "IDGAF about her methods" team. All that and she ended up having to support doing the more morally repugnant things he said she would have to do.
In short? It's complex but Saw doesn't inheretly actually hurt the Rebellion in any special way, despite what the Empire propaganda in universe claims and some opinions of characters (typically Mothma).
"He is a short-sighted fool who just blows stuff up"
Another big claim I see fans put out here is that Saw lacks forsight and doesn't think things through. It's a hilarious thing because the "short sighted fool" was the only one who saw the the Death Star coming YEARS before anybody suspected otherwise. Characters spent so much time writing him off, trying their hardest to contend with it, and wanted so badly for him to just do things their way even when he told them they were fighting an enemy who plays dirty and didn't care about people.
Funny enough, Leia in canon (by the time she led the Resistance) doesn't actually hold too must amnimosity for Saw because at that point, the New Republic paid the price for playing with Mothma's mindset, the First Order took advantage of her compassionm, the Rebellion/New Republic's still possessed indecisiveness without a clear leader telling them what to do, and the Rebellion/New Republic did not learn their lessons when it comes with dealing with the Empire when they were the leading government. Leia had to create her own militia to fight the First Order and they didn't have no allies for a while. She actually thinks they owe him a lot (The Rebel Files)
Saw said it in Rebel Rising: it'll take a tragedy, the galaxy can't ignore it to get people actually united. And guess what? It happened...3 times over: the 2 Death Stars got people working together after the destruction of Alderaan (Jedha too except in universe, a lot people still bought Jedha being destroyed in a "mining accident") and Palpatine publically announcing himself alive was the only thing that got people to come together against the Empire/First Order/Final Order. The latter happened 35 YEARS AFTER HIS OWN DEATH.
I don't personally agree with his actual methods typically but lack of foresight my ass. Dude had foresight on a level comparable to a Jedi and he has no Force sensitivity. He called out the Death Star and knew what it'll take for the Alliance to get their shit together.
"He's a hot-head, self centered, paranoid leader who hurts his own allies"
I've seen a combination of things, especially regarding his character youthful appearances in Clone Wars/TBB, that suggest he is a hot-head, that he is paranoid (usually spoken in retrospect to his later appearances), and that he doesn't care for his allies. I've seen people in fanfiction try to say he burns people when they outlive their usefulness or claim he on'y is worried about his own skin.
That's especially not true. There's a reason why he parallels as a non-Force senstiive version of Anakin Skywalker; they are both hot headed, they are both competent leaders, they hate slavery and indentured servitude with a passion, their best trait is the care and compassion they have for others in which they subvert with logic and reasoning and it isn't always easy for them, and they are respectively feared in similar ways. With that said, there are some difference
Saw does possess compassion even with his darkness; he is willing to protect his Partisans and not risk their lives. Even though he loves them, he also KNOWS some of them are on that "Fuck them kids" team (which he is not all okay with) and typically tries doing good things for them, he "abandonded" Jyn (she knows why but she refused the explaination) because his own group were wanting to use her as a extortion tool for Galen, which didn't sit right with Saw. He genuinely likes Ezra and Sabine too. He likes Megyn. He was willing to help refugees displaced by the Empire way back since TBB. There's a reason for his own databank saying "Saw loses much in his decades of combat, but occasional flashes of the charismatic and caring man he once was shine through his calloused exterior". Even in his more morally bankrupt decisions like adopting Jyn as a child soldier, he explains he does it because he recognize that child innocence will not protect her from Stormtroopers and evil who don't care and rather teach her how to survive and fight for herself. And he genuinely teaches her everything he knows. She is a good foil for Leia for a myraidof reasons.
That man had inhailed Genosisian insecticide from a mission and chemical burns from saving Jyn's life and that man still fought. He apprently lost his leg the same year he died in and he was almost willing to keep fighting even when he was going off his rockers towards the end.
In all, it's again complicated when you get all things but he is not this cold man who abandons his allies at the first sign of trouble. He is one of the first original rebels, the Empire's most wanted person that isn't a Jedi or in the Alliance (tbf, he was dead then), and one of the most deadliest rebels the Alliance had without factoring in Jedi.
The real reason fans don't like him
Let be for real; a lot of people don't like Saw is because he parallels a lot with Mon Mothma, who is a white privilege woman who emobdies the traits associated with heroes (restraint with enemy, peaceful resolutions, "rising above to be better") though unlike Jedi, she is going to be judged differently because she won't have to worry about the responsibility of the Force and it's relation to a character's mindset. She is on the side of the protagonist whe emobody these similar traits so Saw is always going to be seen as "wrong", even when the good guys run headfirst into his methods like gundarks seeing headlights. That's not to say she doesn't have her own points, reasons, stife, and whatnot but fans in this fandom wanna side with "Mommy Mothma" for a reason.
Another reason is that he is a black character and unlike Mace Windu, he HAS crossed lines and does things morally repugnant and distasteful. That I will never argue. However, people love having black characters like that to vindicate and excuse their racist behavior; there were people on tumblr making actual comments about having a mob and lynching him after bein blamed for Tech's death and tried to pass it off as a joke. I have never seen peole wanna lynch mob Anakin Skywalker for killing younglings but they'll go talk about it for their residental, white-washed favorite boi (he's my favorite too btw) onto Saw and thought they were slick all the while pretend Tarkin isn't there or "Well he's a villain so it's expected". Got people out here making headcanons about how all the Clones hate Saw for what happened to Tech or xyz knows when most likely, they don't know or don't care like the way they think their faves would.
What personally frustrates me about this and why I'm invested in even calling this out is because, in all, this fandom will have people ask for nuance and looking at things beyond the surface but the moment the concept is rooted in ideas outside Western ideals or the character in question is a person of color or at least is "coded" as such, they lose their mind and spread the most surface level of misinformation and Saw is no exception.
Saw doesn't represent the favored protagonist; he does not follow their logic and mindset, isn't conventinally attractive to people in ANY iteration, and he is a BLACK MAN in a story about fighting oppression and tyranny using some of the Empire's curelty against them. It aint no surprise and yall not slick.
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Salvage Showcase - Monokuma Maid
Back to Danganronpa Zero - the first light novel of this franchise. Last time on this Showcase saga we got a look into the eight in one Naruto case that was Madarai. So for this time, I chose someone who, while not as well known as others in her class, serves the theme of Danganronpa Zero pretty well and gives sight into another underrated aspect of the series.
...Well, that and I also want to talk about the only other prominent original female in that light novel. Look at her! Can you blame me? Presenting Zero’s representation in the Mono department: Monokuma Maid!
Summary
Not much is known about this girl’s past prior to joining the Reserve Course, but she must come from a decently well off family, since she could afford to pay the Course tuition to attend the Academy.
Things changed for her after the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak Academy – where the Student Council were forced to kill each other. Junko would send out a mass email that put the blame on Izuru Kamukura the school’s Ultimate Hope. This would anger the Reserve Course who started to riot. One for their mistreatment and the other for the funds they spent being used to, apparently, make a mass murderer. Junko would then use the footage of the massacre and edited with the knowledge of Ryota Mitarai’s brainwashing methods. Creating the Despair Video, this girl would fall prey to it and be driven insane with despair. Like with the rest of the Reserve Course, she became an underling to the Ultimate Despair.
During the events of Zero, Ryoko would wake up to find herself in the Reserve Course’s secret society and be welcomed by the girl, this time wearing her maid dress and Monokuma mask. Monokuma Maid would guide Ryoko about the base, assuming that Ryoko was testing her, and delve into the Reserve Course’s goal of getting their hands on Izuru. Notably, her own blatant insanity, creepyed Ryoko out so much that she used the excuse of needing to use the restroom to quickly leave her. But, in doing so, Ryoko would learn more about the society’s secrets as well. From how they watched the DV on repeat for thousands of times, to even holding two of the Steering Committee hostage (albeit, one dead and the other tortured before eventually being killed as well).
When Junko finally regained command in the finale, the reason the girl became Monokuma Maid was because Junko was just trying out mascot ideas, but decided that people in costumes wasn’t going to work for her next killing game.
Eventually, like with the rest of the Reserve Course that hadn’t died yet in DR3 or became Izuru, Monokuma Maid would meet her on end on the day the Reserve Course invaded the Main Course side, slaughtering every student that wasn’t in Class 78 or apart of the Ultimate Despair. The RC students would commit suicide after Junko would send them Monokuma’s Gloomy Sunday, otherwise known as the Suicide Video. Be it jumping out of the Main Course building or running into its burning wreckage, Monomaid would have killed herself. The Reserve Course mass suicide would go onto the catalyst for the Tragedy that would end the world.
While polite, quirky and eager to please at first, Monokuma Maid is a girl that’s utterly insane, being prone to violent ranting and cursing over her plight as a Resrve Course student. She is bitter and disdainful to the school she’s affiliated with it, being utterly disillusioned with it. She holds fierce loyalty to Junko, but laments that she feels that she isn’t capable of truly being Monokuma.
Rundown
I mentioned that Danganronpa Zero’s theme is one of ‘identity’ or, rather, a ‘lack of identity’. Yuto’s whole thing is that he lacks so much presence that people don’t notice him, the Madarai are octuplets that make an effort to be completely indistinguishable from each other to the point people could mistake them as being one person. Monokuma Maid serves this theme from the get-go by way of her own design and name...or lack of it. She is only known as the Monokuma Maid, with her real name being unknown. Her face is complete obscured by her Monokuma mask and her own identity as a maid hammers in the point that she is but a servant. Someone that lives to assist someone else’s life instead of their own. Monomaid’s status compared to the other Reserve Course (that aren’t the Trio most are aware of) is also something to take note of. Sure, while her identity that we know of is literally just a Monokuma Maid, it still marks her as unique compared to the other members of the Reserve Course who get no names, nothing to make them stand out and, in the anime, are depicted as being transparent, near faceless, nobodies. She is unique from the metaphorical faceless crowd solely because she took up a mask to become a literal faceless henchman.
Monokuma Maid easiest point of comparison would be to Mukuro Ikusaba herself. Similarity wise, both are devoted followers of Junko that done disguises or other forms on behalf of their boss. They are also more than willing to go about illegal or immoral actions for the sake of Junko’s plans being completed, with an eagerness to serve her. Though, how they differ, is in their motivations which, strangely enough, Monomaid is more of the autonomous of the two (despite, you know, being brainwashed).
Mukuro’s whole life desire is to serve Junko and make her happy, no matter what, even if it costs the world. Her entire identity is wrapped up in that one desire. Monokuma Maid on the other hand, while essentially being nameless and apart of the masses of underlings involved with Junko, her desire (and by extension the Reserve Courses’s main desire) is to get their hand on the Ultimate Hope and ‘crush him’ as payback, which is why they’re rioting and working with Junko (with video shenanigans for good measure). It's a nice reminder that, despite probably being the least regarded people both in and out of universe in Danganronpa, the Reserve Course’s goal prior to their mass suicide did come from a genuine independent grudge beyond Junko and persists even as they became her underlings.
Personal Thoughts
I really loved Monokuma Maid in terms of design and what aspect she brought to the prequel to the original game. The idea that concept of Monokuma needing to go through stages before becoming the bear that we all knows and, probably, love is a great addition to the world.
Monokuma Maid also serves as a great gateway to a rather undertalked about aspect of Danganronpa, that being the Reserve Course. It’s easy to dismiss them as just ‘Junko’s brainwashed puppets’ ( + three named others of varying importance) and call it a day (DR3 certainly chalks it up to just that), but Zero’s inclusion of Monomaid, and really the other RC students that get depicted in it, really helps flesh out that aspect of them.
Monomaid isn’t a bluefaced nobody that Junko can chuck at a repressed boxer, she’s a perky, unstable, girl with a clear chip on her shoulder in face of an actual injustice. She’s passionate about taking down Hope’s Peak and (while Junko wasn’t herself), this maid actually had the gall to go right up in Junko’s face to yell at her about her grievances. Sure, her being so crazy is due to watching the video, but its an exaggeration of her very real issue with the system.The same goes for the other minor students that got some page time. One of the talking Monohead students (in a very depressed and bitter state) is able to wax philosophical about the mutual killing that transpired in Zero and, when Ryoko runs to the old school building, one of the students disguised as a guard, smirks at her and let’s her in.
They’re proof that even the ‘talentless’ crowd had personality and charm to them just as much as the Ultimates that we all love. Even with the knowledge of them being brainwashed in Zero, you get the feeling these aren’t just zombies Junko can order about and treat willy-nilly, but thinking people that you have to take into consideration. Heck, even Junko and Mukuro talk about them in the end as if they were your regular minions that one needs to work with and around if you want stuff done (which makes DR3′s usage of the DV more annoying but that’s neither here nor there at the moment) It’s characters like the Monokuma Maid that really helps make the DR world message and themes come alive, and why I do wish she got remembered more. Kind of makes me sad that, despite being the sole survivor of the original DR0 cast, DR2 just has the Reserve Course kill themselves without any utilization of her. Makes me sort of wish she took the place of AI!Junko in a way, but what can you do.
With that, DR0 is down once more! Next up is back to the detective side of things with Danganronpa: Kirigiri!
#danganronpa#salvage showcase#danganronpa zero#DR0#ryoko otonashi#monokuma maid#monomaid#monokuma#reserve course#junko enoshima#mukuro ikusaba#izuru kamukura#DR1#danganronpa 3#DR3#Ultimate Despair#SHSL despair
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[Fanart] Videogame Items 01 - TES V Skyrim - Salvaged Helgen Loot
Edit : Resized the glove, it was too big in relation to the other stuff.
Are you a ‘loot everything that isn’t nailed down’ or a ‘roleplay looter’ kind of player? Does this resemble your inventory coming out of Helgen or do you notice a severe lack of spider eggs in this? lmao.
I’ve been trying to roleplay a lot lately with my spellsword dovahkiin. Not pictured here is the longbow and some iron arrows.
List of items in a somewhat loose order :
Health and Magicka potions.
‘Northerner Gauntlet’ - from ‘Guards Armor Replacer’ mod.
Septims.
Helgen Keep key.
Destruction Spell book for ‘Sparks.’
Iron Dagger, Sword and Axe.
Rusty Lockpicks
Frost Mirriam
Wine
Rabbit meat
Bread
Garlic
Elves Ears
This was pretty fun, I have plans to do some ‘thematic’ inventory style showcases in the future too, one for thieves, one for mages and so on... But I also have more food only stuff planned as well. These are awesome as warmups before working on bigger pieces.
#The Elder Scrolls#TES#Skyrim#tesblr#digital art#Food#Food Illustration#Videogame Food#Videogame Items#Inventory Illustration#misc#Bread#Wine#Alcohol#alcohol mention#Meat#Raw Meat#Alessia Serpens#Nightsketching#myart
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Pumpkin Patch
Summary: So you're taking your newly toddler-sized nephilim to a pumpkin patch, what could go wrong?
Tags: Short fic, ~750 words, Destiel, Family Fluff
For Suptober 2023 Day 2 - Pumpkin Patch
Under the cut or on Ao3
“Jack? Jack?” Dean craned his neck to see around a stand of decorative scarecrows and tried not to sweat despite the cool autumn breeze.
Logically, he knew that Jack could take care of himself, knew that he was more powerful than anything that could possibly try to hurt him anymore. Ever since they’d defeated Chuck, for good this time, there wasn’t much that could harm Jack. Still, since Jack had decided that things were safe enough for him to revert back to looking his actual age, Dean couldn’t help but feel protective of him. The kid wasn’t even five years old yet, for fuck’s sake.
Now, they were on a family outing to the local pumpkin patch, and Dean had lost sight of the little monster.
Just as he was about to call for Jack again, he heard Jack’s excited, squeaky little toddler voice call, “Dean!”
Dean turned and breathed a quick sigh of relief to see Jack in one piece, his tiny little hands wrapped around the stem of… one of the largest pumpkins Dean had ever seen in his life… the pumpkin that Jack was carrying completely unassisted, though it was wider than Jack was tall.
“Oh my god,” Someone breathed behind Dean in shock.
He turned to find Lydia, owner of the best bakery in town (that is, the one with the best pies, of course), standing in the middle of a group of the smaller pie pumpkins and gaping open-mouthed at the spectacle of a five-year-old showcasing his superhuman strength.
Dean let out an exasperated huff and fought the urge to face-palm. How many times did they have to remind Jack to blend in?
Before Dean could try to smooth things over, somehow, Cas came jogging up behind Jack, looking more frazzled than usual. “There you are, Jack, how many time have I told you not to go wanderi—” Cas stumbled to a halt, wide eyes going between Jack, Dean, and Lydia before zooming back to the incriminating pumpkin.
All three adults froze.
While they stood in the middle of a social standoff, Jack finished toddling over to Dean, gently placed the pumpkin at his feet with a heavy thump Dean could feel in the ground, and raised his arms in the universal toddler demand to be picked up.
Dean stooped down to hoist Jack into his arms, mind racing to find some way to salvage the situation.
Jack proclaimed proudly, “I found the perfect pumpkin, Dean! We can make so many pies out of it!”
Dean stared down at the pumpkin, at a complete loss for words. It really was a ridiculously perfect-looking pumpkin, very symmetrical, with a beautifully-even deep orange color. It looked almost too perfect…
Dean burst out laughing as the answer slotted easily into place.
He spun Jack around in a circle and said, “You sure did find a perfect pumpkin, buddy. I think its made of Styrofoam!”
Jack frowned, ready to correct him, but Dean shook his head and Jack kept his mouth shut. Jack's face fell when he realized they had an audience, his excited grin falling into a worried frown.
Dean plastered a smile back on his face and turned to Cas. “Sweetheart, would you take this fake, very light pumpkin back to whatever display this little troublemaker took it from?” He winked at Jack and tickled him until he smiled again.
“Right,” Cas said, catching on quickly. “I’ll just…” He lifted the pumpkin, which had to be thirty pounds if it was an ounce, like it weighed nothing. He even used it to give Lydia a jaunty little wave as he retreated back into the field from which he and Jack had emerged.
Dean watched Cas stroll away and tried not to drool at the reminder of just how strong Cas was.
Lydia breathed out a relieved laugh, a chagrined smile on her face. She leaned over to Dean and said quietly, “You know, for a second there, I almost thought…” She shook her head, turning her attention to Jack. “If you want to make pies, you want one of these smaller pumpkins over here, the big ones taste terrible, especially the fake ones!”
Dean set a squirming Jack down so he could critically eye the significantly smaller pumpkins with Lydia.
A few minutes later, Dean let out a relieved sigh when Cas returned to slip an arm around his waist. “Did you make it back alright?”
“Yes, but you should have seen the owner’s face when he saw me strolling around with one of his prize pumpkins under my arm.”
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every (silent, feature-length) buster keaton film ranked by the presence of trains
three ages: no trains. a resoundingly meh movie. overall a waste of time. 0/10.
our hospitality: the second act showcases a goofy, historically accurate stephenson's rocket locomotive that buster and co. built from scratch by looking at a couple pictures in a book. like you do. it was so accurate that a museum asked to take it after filming; as far as i know, it's still on display. bonus points for the cutest damn scene-stealing dog. 100/10.
sherlock, jr: the train is instrumental in setting up a cool gag, but it broke buster's neck. sure, he walked it off, but it still broke his neck! bad train. -1/10.
the navigator: there is no train, but i give the film honorary points because it takes place on a boat, which is basically a train. points docked for the shockingly racist cannibal scene at the end, which is only somewhat balanced out by buster empathizing with a black newlywed couple in the beginning. 5/10.
seven chances: there's a train, but it's used with a supporting actor in blackface to make a joke about black people being stupid. not cool, buster. -50/10.
go west: TWO train scenes! the first one made me laugh so hard i sprained something. the second one plays a key role in setting up the finale, and it has a shoot-out. bonus points for buster protecting his love interest, brown eyes the cow. so many bonus points. 500/10.
battling butler: there is a scene with a train. it is small, but buster is adorable in it. bonus points awarded for how much he's shirtless in this movie, and for the interesting commentary on masculinity. 7/10.
the general: oh my god. *deep breath* 10,000 points for THREE TRAINS!!! A TRAIN IS THE LOVE INTEREST! THEY STUNT DRIVE TRAINS! THEY BLOW UP A TRAIN! THE MOVIE ITSELF IS NAMED AFTER A TRAIN!!!—but it upholds white supremacy so minus 9,998 points. 2/10.
college: there is a train present for all of two seconds. what's worse, this time buster puts on blackface. not even the presence of multiple racing shells is enough to salvage this. -100/10.
steamboat bill, jr: there's a scene at a train station in the beginning, but mostly i'm awarding points for the titular steamboat, upon which a good chunk of action takes place. also because i eat up buster's daddy issues with a spoon. 10/10.
the cameraman: an elevated train goes by in the background when buster's hamming it up in yankee stadium. i'd like to dock points for buster being a yankees fan, but that's unfair to the train—especially since it very generously added itself to a film which would otherwise have been trainless. it disappears when the shot cuts away, but whatever. half a train is still better than no train. 0.5/10.
spite marriage: no train. there is a boat, but dorothy sebastian ruins it by spending 90% of the movie being absolutely wretched to buster, who is nothing but 100% organic husband material. i can only conclude she's blind. points docked for illogic and viewer distress. -10/10.
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"In the heart-wrenching plea from Amira, a soul caught in the crossfire of war and displacement, the desperation for help resonates like a haunting melody. Her words echo the harsh reality of life in the Gaza Strip, a place that was once a home but has now transformed into a battleground where survival is a daily struggle. Amira introduces herself as a bridge between two worlds—one in Germany, where she now resides as a refugee with a new lease on life, and the other in Gaza, where her family grapples with the devastation of war. The urgency in her message is palpable, a plea for assistance to salvage the remnants of a shattered family life. Her mother, a 70-year-old woman, bears the weight of not just age but also the burden of chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Stranded in Rafah, a city where essential medications and treatments are scarce, she resides in a shelter with living conditions that border on the inhumane. The vivid image of their once-beautiful house in Gaza City, now lost, adds a layer of profound grief to the narrative. Amira's brother's family, too, has become a casualty of war, stripped of their possessions and left to rebuild from scratch. The dire circumstances extend to her sister's family, a unit of seven people, including three children, who find themselves homeless in the aftermath of conflict. Amira, now in Germany, grapples with the challenges of providing support from a distance. The bureaucratic hurdles further complicate the situation. Amira, driven by the desperation to reunite her family and provide her mother with the medical care she urgently needs, attempts to navigate the complex visa application process. The German-Palestinian Embassy's closure in Palestine necessitates a journey to Egypt, adding financial strain to an already dire situation. The exorbitant costs associated with traveling through the Rafah crossing become a formidable obstacle, especially for a family of considerable size. Amira, despite her own struggles as a refugee in Germany, extends a hand, seeking support from others. The sincerity in her request, coupled with the offer to provide evidence for her words, creates a compelling narrative that beckons compassion. The mention of potential channels, such as Western Union or a trusted person in Egypt, showcases Amira's resourcefulness in the face of adversity. In closing, Amira expresses gratitude for any contribution, emphasizing the collective power of individuals joining hands to make a difference. Her plea is not just a call for financial aid but a plea for empathy, understanding, and solidarity in the face of human suffering. It's a poignant reminder that, even in the darkest times, the human spirit can shine through, connecting us across borders and inspiring hope in the face of despair."
(This is not my gofundme, I'm just boosting.)
#palestine#gofundme#donate#donations#free palestine#free gaza#free rafah#save palestine#save gaza#save rafah#all eyes on rafah#keep eyes on rafah#palestinian genocide#justice for palestinians#palestinian resistance#save palestinians#from the river to the sea#gaza#gaza strip
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Poor Bang PD he really thinks that he can make Kpop mainstream in the West. Bless his heart. In stead of capitalizing on the love for Kpop in Asia , Latin America and other emerging markets which in a decade will account for the majority of the world's youngest population if not already; he is still obsessed with the US.
Also I know that the bts members are all adults and each one of them can make their own choice and direct their own lives but I couldn't help but feel pity for JK today after watching Bang PD's interview.
It is now clear that there was no vision in his song releases and the coming album beside proving the point that hybe hiring Scooter was not a disastrous investment strategy.
I expect no artistic growth from him coming out of this album as Scooter will do all it takes to prove that he can get the numbers he wants. But a what cost? Will JK ever feel ready to realise something of his own after this album which will break records thanks to Scooter?
Hybe/bighit has really decided to sacrifice one of their artist with a lot of potential in the name of proving a point to investors and salvaging Scooter's and Bang PD's ego.
The issue is that the moment they fail with JK at breaking into the US market they will toss him on the side only to repeat the same experiment with a newest hottest and youngest hybe artist
Also I am mad at the fandom. Your obsession with the 2025 reunion is partly the reason why I feel JK felt like he was running out of time and decided to partner with scooter. Bang PD mentioned that JK was not inspired and was not thinking of releasing an album all together. But my take on this is, if he knew that he was not enlisting soon he would have had time to pull himself out of the creative slamber he was in and taken the time to create a more meaningful album.
Don't get me wrong I do not beleive that every single song an artist performs and sings should be produced or written by him. But at least a debuting album should somehow showcase the artist's identity.
Unfortunately the fandom is blindly celebrating the 2025 reunion forgetting what the implications are. One of them being sending the youngest 3 members away at their prime when they don't have to.
This 2025 reunion is just not it at all and the members themselves will realise it but it will be too late. Thinking that a group can prosper at the expense of individual members is not it. Only when each member prospers on its own can the group be healthy and have longevity.
I hope my pessimistic outlook of the JK x Bang PD x Scooter collaboration is proven wrong. Otherwise I predict somber days ahead 😔
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