#spoilers through chapter 11 of rebirth
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Arm's Length
Summary: Aerith had learned to keep people at arm’s length. All it took was a little deflection here, a question turned around like barbs instead of answered there, an engulfing smile or sometimes a pout stretched coyly across her face. She learned that if she acted as they expected, then they would accept her.
Though Aerith felt safe, she was also so often alone. There was one person though, someone who Aerith had only known for a few months, who she felt could see right through her.
Aerith glanced up at the window where that one person had waved from earlier, but Tifa was gone.
Word Count: 2,000
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Aerith glanced down at the high ankles of her boots, which dangled back and forth beneath her. The gap below extended far past the reach of her limbs, all the way down to the dusty dirt paths that led through town. Gravity kept water moving through the pipes, from the water tower to the surrounding buildings and then back to the ground, with a force as unstoppable as souls returning to the planet. If Aerith were to gently kick one of her boots off it would succumb, perhaps beaning an unsuspecting black cloak over the head in the process.
The thought brought the hint of a chuckle to her lips, but no she wouldn’t do that. Instead, her eyes tracked a distinct spattering of spiky blonde hair emerging from the house across that distant path. Cloud staggered slightly when the sun hit his gaze, right foot faltering as he turned towards the inn.
When he stumbled again, this time bumping roughly into a pedestrian, Aerith’s hand tightened against the edge of the scaffold. His behavior had been worrying for a while and had been even more troubling lately. Especially in Gongaga, though Aerith hadn’t seen it Tifa told her later what had happened. Even knowing that the Weapon hadn’t meant any harm didn’t stop her from remembering the chilling wash of fear and panic as she had searched the mako desperately for any sign of life. Learning that Cloud had knocked her in, put Tifa in immense danger, only made the feeling worse.
When he reached the inn, vanishing inside without so much as a glance back, Aerith released a sigh. It had felt strange to sit up here with him, to be together where so many of his childhood memories had been formed. It must’ve been nice to have a normal childhood, she thought, with friends who actually liked you.
That was a sour thought, bitter in the back of her throat as Aerith swallowed it back. It wasn’t that she didn’t have any friends as a child, but even as a young girl her heritage had hung like a hammer over her head. When they found out, or even if they didn’t, things would always change for the worse. When they decided she was rude, or angry, or introspective, or as so many unkind kids had put it, creepy, they always turned away.
Aerith had learned to keep people at arm’s length. All it took was a little deflection here, a question turned around like barbs instead of answered there, an engulfing smile or sometimes a pout stretched coyly across her face. She learned that if she acted as they expected, then they would accept her.
Though Aerith felt safe, she was also so often alone. There was one person though, someone who Aerith had only known for a few months, who she felt could see right through her.
Aerith glanced up at the window where that one person had waved from earlier, but Tifa was gone.
Her eyes were next drawn down to the entranceway of the house. On the right side, near where the mailbox was, she found Tifa. The other woman leaned against one of the pillars that supported the second floor, eyes closed with her head tilted back against it.
Perhaps it was time to go see her. Aerith carefully gathered her feet beneath herself before standing up, brushing any loose dirt from the back of her dress. The breeze rustled her braid as she descended slowly from the platform one rung at a time.
Once she reached the bottom of the ladder, her destination was only a few steps away. Tifa hadn’t moved from before, not so much as an inch. From this distance Aerith could see that she almost looked relaxed if not for the familiar clench of anxiety in her fingers.
Tifa’s eyes fluttered open when Aerith approached, a hint of red visible within them even in the shaded light. Her hair was mussed slightly as she rightened herself from the post, lips lifting in a warm smile.
“Enjoying your tour?”
Aerith tucked her arms behind her back and nodded as she responded. “The water tower made for a great look out point.”
“I bet.” Tifa broke eye contact to glance up at the tower. “You can see everything from there.”
“Pretty much!”
When Tifa’s gaze came back to meet her own, her expression had shifted into a more pensive one. “Well, not quite everything. I know you saw through the window but…” She faltered in her words and turned her eyes down towards her hands, which came together to fidget. Tifa’s tone was soft, almost uncertain. “This is where I grew up, well, it used to be. Would you like to see it?”
Aerith’s heart panged in her chest. “Of course, if you want to show me.” She stepped forward and placed her hand gently on Tifa’s joined ones. “Lead the way.”
Tifa nodded once, mouth setting in a resolute line, before turning to do just that. Aerith trailed behind her through the front door of what used to be her home.
They passed through the downstairs areas one at a time, dodging around men in black cloaks throughout the first level of the building.
Tifa told her a story about how she used to train with her dad in the living room, but one time he deflected her kick straight through the wall and that was the end of that. She pointed out where the damage would’ve been in the old house, though this new one showed no sign of it. Tifa ran her hand over that spot on the wall, closing her eyes for a moment before pulling back.
“He sounds like a wonderful dad.” Aerith said, trying to keep the melancholy out of her tone. She hadn’t realized it until long after breaking out of Shinra, but she had never known her father or even a real father figure. It didn’t bother her too much, but in times like these she couldn’t help but think about it.
“Yeah, he was.” Tifa looked over at her with a hint of emotion in her eyes, head tilted slightly. Then, inexplicably, she smiled broadly. “I’m sure he would’ve loved you, you know. He looked after everyone; he was always kind like that.”
Aerith inhaled sharply, the response being an unexpected one. It cut straight through her thoughts, directly to her concerns and worries. This time when Aerith’s heart throbbed, it was a warmer feeling. It took a few moments for her to gather herself for a soft reply.
“Like father like daughter.”
This drew a hint of pink to Tifa’s cheeks, as well as a shake of her head. “Those are big shoes to fill.”
“I believe in you.” Aerith said strongly, her voice steady and firm. She believed every word.
Tifa’s reply came low under her breath, her face already turned away from Aerith. “Thank you.”
The two continued their trip through the house until they reached the upstairs. There were only two rooms up there, one of which Tifa pointed out as her dad’s room.
“And this one is mine.” Tifa didn’t hesitate as she pulled open the door, allowing both of them to enter.
The room itself was small and looked about the same from the inside as it had from the view on the water tower. There was a cabinet, a bed, and a piano all occupying space within the room.
Tifa went over to linger by the piano, while Aerith moved to look out the window. She could imagine past her sitting out on that platform, staring down at the abyss beneath her feet. She was on the second floor here as well, but with an entire building below her.
Aerith sat down on the side of the bed, longing again for a childhood home like this one with a childhood friend right next door. How was it that Cloud was lucky enough to know Tifa his whole life, but Aerith didn’t get to meet her until a few months ago?
“A gil for your thoughts?” Tifa’s voice came chipper and inquisitive from right in front of her.
Aerith looked up at her, covering up her surprise by lifting one finger to her chin. “For anyone else they’re not for sale. But for you, hmm…” Tifa’s eyes glimmered with emotion, concern or worry perhaps, as she waited for Aerith to finish her response. She must’ve been watching her think for a while.
They had come here into Tifa’s house to dig up her old memories, haunting and sad and terrible memories, but she wanted to know what Aerith was thinking about? If it was anyone else Aerith would’ve thought they were prying, or perhaps stalling or deflecting, but not Tifa. No, Tifa asked because she cared.
Lately, in what felt like a completely incomprehensible way, Tifa had pushed past the invisible boundaries Aerith erected around herself. This was just another moment, one of hundreds or thousands or more. In the gaze of Tifa’s kindness and care, there was nowhere for Aerith to hide. And, for perhaps the first time, she didn’t want to.
“Free.” Aerith declared with a smirk.
Tifa let out a half chuckle, gaze softening a little. “Tell me then, please.”
Aerith followed Tifa with her gaze as she sat down to her left, their knees almost touching. She took a deep breath, warm from just how close Tifa was. “I was thinking about this town. It feels odd to be where you and Cloud grew up. I never had that kind of childhood.”
Tifa moved one hand to cover Aerith’s in her lap when she paused, a silent gesture of support.
Aerith kept talking. “I always wished for a childhood friend, someone who would understand the real me. Even after escaping Shinra it was hard, being here just reminds me of that.”
“I see.” Tifa replied quietly, voice barely audible. Her face was close too, their foreheads only inches apart.
“But I’ve also been thinking that we only have so much time ahead of us, I can’t just dwell on the past.” Aerith continued, smiling softly as she spoke. “I need to appreciate the friends I’ve made, who see me for who I am. Especially you, Tifa. Ever since we met, my life has changed for the better.” Aerith finished without hesitation. “You’re the best friend I could ever ask for.” Maybe there was more to add to that once Aerith had more time to work through her feelings. For now, this was enough.
“Aerith….” Tifa’s slow inhale, so close yet still too far away, sent a tremor down her spine. “And you’re mine. You brighten every day and inspire me to push on despite the odds. No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you.”
“Thank you.” Aerith blinked away the start of a few tears, unable to stop one from escaping. Tifa’s hand released hers and rose gently to brush that tear away. “Thank you…” She repeated, voice trailing away this time.
The touch of Tifa’s finger lingered against Aerith’s cheek for a heartbeat longer as silence took over the room, quiet but safe and warm.
Aerith leaned her head against Tifa’s shoulder for what she told herself would only be a few minutes. The warmth of an arm around her back followed, pulling Aerith even closer. The two sat together in this small room, on the second floor of a rebuilt house, in what should’ve been a destroyed town, enjoying the kindness of each other’s warmth.
What did Aerith do to deserve her? She didn’t know, but she prayed to the planet, to the lifestream, to any being out there that would listen for this relationship to last. She hoped against all odds that the cruelty of her fate would leave well enough alone and not tear the two apart, that the inevitability of gravity wouldn’t send them tumbling to their doom.
She prayed to be able to spend another day at Tifa’s side.
#aerti#ff7 rebirth#ff7 rebirth fanfic#aerti fanfic#aerith gainsborough#tifa lockhart#flip writes#continuing to cross post on tumblr cuz why not#spoilers through chapter 11 of rebirth#character study#I want to see in side Aerith's brain#is that too much to ask
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my year of rest and relaxation review
this review does contain spoilers. this book is also undoubtedly 18+ and no minors should be partaking in it.
i want to begin this review by talking directly to those who dislike it. there were many mixed reviews from what i saw about this book before purchasing it, and most just cited the fact that the main character is awful as a person and horribly depressing. well, that is true. she is definitely that. but a bad main character doesn’t make a bad book. she’s still very well-written and captivating as a narrator, even if unreliable. if you prefer books where the main character is a good-hearted heroine, i promise there is a whole world out there for you. but if you are still willing to read, i would absolutely 100% recommend this book to you. holden caufield in “the catcher in the rye” is just as miserable, but apparently that book is a classic, i guess (i really had no pleasure in dragging through that one in high school.)
the premise of the book is super simple; she pretty much just wants to sleep the whole year, following feeling unfulfilled in life, and wanting some sort of rebirth. this summary makes it sound incredibly boring, but there is never a dull moment in the story. nothing my eyes wanted to skip over. i was hooked on every word and paragraph. Moshfegh writes in such a beautiful way that was simple (and a good break after reading sense and sensibility) but powerful, as if the main character herself was furiously scribbling into a notebook every time she came back to consciousness.
you never truly feel sorry for the character. she is a total asshole. a complete entitled, self-centered, rich asshole. but her thoughts are still expressed in a way that can be relatable. i think that’s what makes it so captivating. even though she exhibits extreme behavior, it is still relatable on a base level. being unsatisfied with the career you’ve chosen. the death of family to suicide, to cancer. a love-hate relationship between long time friends. wanting a fresh start.
i do also think Moshfegh picked the perfect time period to place this book in. 2000-2001 are very simplistic but complicated years. the emergence of new technology yet still just primitive enough. the joy of the VHS player where she watches movies on repeat makes it so thought dialogue is better concise, but she is also not scrolling for hours upon hours on social media distracting herself and putting herself to sleep that way.
the lingering theme on 9/11 is also pretty haunting. you can see from my updates that it was constantly on my mind, but the book truly has no reason for me to think that way. Moshfegh simply slips in unnerving details about its potential future presence, like Reva being moved into the twin towers for work, or how each date after she wakes up during her hibernation is explicitly listed. i thought for a second it would just cut off before 9/11. but the final one-page chapter is as well placed as i hoped it would be.
read this book, but don’t find yourself relating too much with it. don’t allow yourself to wish for similar events. i guess that is the problem many people have with it. but it is possible to read a book at base level and just appreciate the story. you don’t have to absorb it into your very soul. it’s fiction, after all. it’s not meant to be taken 100% seriously. enjoy yourself.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
this did conclude my reading challenge for the year as well. i had set it very low at the beginning of the year because truly i didn’t expect to read at all! and then suddenly i’ve finished 3 books in the span of about a month, which is so wonderful. if you’re interested in being friends on goodreads (i have none 🥲 say yes pls) it’s linked in the pinned post on my profile.
in the seventh chapter, she mentions that she read “war and peace”, and i’m taking it as a solidifying sign, as that will be my next venture for what will probably be the rest of the year. now that will be a long, intense review. and i’ll see you at the end of the year for that. <3
#aesthetic#studyblr#studyspo#bookish#bookblr#my year of rest and relaxation#book review#5 stars#goodreads
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Cigs' Quick & Dirty FHR Stats Guide
An almost perfect, mostly spoiler free guide to stat changes through choices in FHR. If you find any discrepancies, hit me up via inbox or chat (just please be specific). Broken into individual chapters because once it got to a certain length, the damn thing won't stop reloading. Not all chapters are logged yet, but will be in time.
Rebirth:
Chapter 1 (Getting the Nanovores->Meeting Mortum)
Chapter 2 (Psychopathor Fight->Rat King to Mortum)
Chapter 3 (Ortega Reunion->Meeting the Rangers)
Chapter 4 (Heartbreak Finale->Ortega/Puppet Meet Cute)
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Retribution:
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
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I posted 3,232 times in 2022
That's 3,232 more posts than 2021!
969 posts created (30%)
2,263 posts reblogged (70%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@inquisitorius-sin-bin
@nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius
@oh-three
@sinisterexaggerator
@aredhel-of-doylkien
I tagged 1,074 of my posts in 2022
#wip - 111 posts
#birdposting - 58 posts
#ghostposting - 56 posts
#inquisitorius - 52 posts
#spotify - 45 posts
#s: kenobi - 45 posts
#grand inquisitor - 44 posts
#kenobi series spoilers - 43 posts
#my art - 42 posts
#ride or die fic - 42 posts
Longest Tag: 139 characters
#funny thing is i am into monsters and my husband is into femboys and this does not do it for either of us lmao but if it pleases the masses
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
What if we got the Grand Inquisitor we all deserved? As a little treat?
89 notes - Posted September 7, 2022
#4
Welcome to Nur
110 notes - Posted June 24, 2022
#3
I woke up at 4 AM to watch Tales of the Jedi before work so I wouldn't see spoilers so tell me if this is unhinged but-
*squints*
Did that motherfucker really?
118 notes - Posted October 26, 2022
#2
Thrawn sitting in a throne-like chair and petting a white ysalamiri, like he's a Bond villain.
This was so, so satisfying to draw, but mostly because that Ysalamir is my new best friend. This is poster sized, so view full screen for best resolution.
I am always self conscious about how I draw Thrawn, because I think I follow SOOOOO many people who draw him much better than I do, but I think this came out pretty well!
128 notes - Posted August 2, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
Ride or Die
Grand Inquisitor x F!Reader
18+ Fic (Minors DNI)
Chapter 1: The Stranger
Chapter 2: Wet Moon
Chapter 3: Favors
Chapter 4: Negotiations
Chapter 5: The Eagles' Fall
Chapter 6: Survivor
Chapter 7: Flight
Chapter 8: First Watch*
Chapter 9: Lanternbeetles*
Chapter 10: Youngling
Chapter 11: Kin
Chapter 12: Birthright
Chapter 13: Theo
Chapter 14: Handprints
Chapter 15: Vella*
Chapter 16: Fletchers
Chapter 17: Awaited
Chapter 18: Unwell
Chapter 19: Temple Guard
Chapter 20: Home
Chapter 21: Juleper Berries
Chapter 22: Forgiveness
Chapter 23: Listening
Working Glossary
*chapters containing porn
Summary:
It has been seventeen years since your rebirth on the plains of Utapau. An orphaned child with nowhere else to go, you were adopted by your clan leader Drago and his mate Bolen, who made you their own daughter through the unique tattooing rituals of the surface-dwelling Pau'an.
See the full post
240 notes - Posted November 5, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
#tumblr2022#year in review#my 2022 tumblr year in review#your tumblr year in review#longpost#long post
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"You want to know what death is? I'll tell you. Death is the loss of life. Despite everything doctors like me attempt... a patient's life can still fall through our fingers. You think death lies in the apex of science? Anyone with such little regard for life will die by my hand."
Character Analysis: Yosano Akiko
Age: 25 || Ability: Thou Shalt Not Die
BSD CHAPTER CHAPTER 65-66 SPOILERS
table of contents:
1. Author counterpart.
2. Yosano's history.
3. 'Angel of Death' defined.
4. Yosano and Atsushi.
YOSANO BRAINROT!*(#&!*@#($
1. Author counterpart.
Having been given the “Sho Ho” at birth, Yosano Akiko’s counterpart—the real-life author—was known for her zealous take on both feminism and pacifism.
Side note: Once again, to avoid confusion, I will use the name Sho Ho in reference to the real-life author, and Yosano in reference to the BSD character.
Sho Ho's writings were pretty much out-of-the-ordinary in her time, and despite being suppressed by the social norms of gender hierarchy, she sought to reform society’s view on the cultural perspectives of women and their sexuality (She expressed her love for a woman in one of her poems, but many still argued on whether she identified herself as queer or not.)
"Thou Shalt Not Die," Yosano's ability, is actually named after one of Sho Ho's most famous, controversial poems. She wrote it for her brother, who was a soldier in the war between Russia and Japan (1904-1905). In her poem, she expressed her general distaste for war and how her brother was a part of it.
O my young brother, I cry for you
Don't you understand you must not die!
You who were born the last of all
Command a special store of parents' love
Would parents place a blade in children's hands
Teaching them to murder other men
Teaching them to kill and then to die?
Have you so learned and grown to twenty-four?
- excerpt from Sho Ho's poem, "Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare"
Her words were blunt enough to inflict guilt on her brother's conscience, as she wasn't afraid to express her disapproval over how her brother took part in the typical violent bloodshed and manslaughter of war. Such opinions perturbed the authorities, and her work was eventually banned from the public for a period of time. Later on, it was used as an anti-war statement.
2. Yosano's history.
Now, as for the character in BSD, Yosano is seen to be generally strong-willed, and later on, we see that she is terrifyingly compassionately ambitious in the way she treats her patients. She treasured life itself, and hated the thought of losing a patient.
Yosano had developed her relations with Mori Ougai back in the Great War, when she was just 11 years old. Her ability was a great benefactor in saving lives. Realistically speaking, she was used for her ability to heal injured soldiers and diminish the effect of any casualty acquired.
Initially, she wasn't aware of this, until one of her close friends pointed it out by subtly accusing Mori of manipulating her to participate in the War under the close-to false pretence of 'saving lives.'
As much as her ability did save lives, it also forced soldiers to return to the frontlines and suffer injuries over and over again. The soldiers were never given the opportunity to return to their families because of her ability. This obliged them to carry on in the war without any excuse, inserting them into a vicious cycle they had no escape out of.
Metaphorically speaking, Yosano's hatred for Mori sort of mirrors Sho Ho's disdain for war and fighting, don't you think? The way Kafka materialised Yosano's past was quite interesting because he used chapters 65 and 66 to explain Yosano's dislike for Mori, reflecting how Sho Ho used her poem to explain why she condemned the idea of war and how her brother was part of it.
Before the effect of her ability was fully understood, however, every soldier praised and thanked her for what an angel she was. One of the soldiers she had befriended and gotten close to even kept a tally of the number of times she had saved him. He was the one who gifted her the butterfly hairpin she wore all the time.
The weight of the truth that her ability was a curse rather than a blessing fully dawned on her when her soldier friend ultimately committed suicide, because the fact of being indefinitely trapped in the throes of war agonised him until his spirit gave out. This drove Yosano to loathe her ability, or rather, how it was used.
In the time she participated in the War, Yosano was given the alias 'angel of death' due to the control she retained over the battlefield, but I thought that perhaps Kafka had a reason behind giving her this title, so I did my research.
3. 'Angel of Death' defined.
Side note: I wouldn't want to disrespect any culture or religion, so if my citations are inaccurate and/or disrespectful, do feel free to correct me/let me know! I did research out of pure curiosity, and I don't intend to twist the significance of any of the interpretations.
I had to grow up learning about the basics of religious stuff, so it's kind of nice to study something out of the box, and very much against my father's rigid belief system :D
ARCHANGEL ARIEL
(archangel: an angel of higher rank)
I came across the few characteristics of angels/goddesses and their roles, and the one which really caught my attention was the female archangel, Ariel, the angel of nature.
[ source ]
In Hebrew, the name Ariel means 'altar' or 'lioness of God,' and her role is to heal. In addition to that, she is also recognised as a helper to another one of the seven main archangels, Raphael, whose role is to provide physical and emotional healing, too.
She is the protecter of the environment and the animals therein, and is bestowed with the duty to oversee the order of heavenly bodies as well as earth's natural resources. She assures the sustenance of food, water, shelter, and supplies of human beings, much like how a nurse is to a patient I suppose.
In relation to Yosano, I think this part is pretty self-explanatory, or perhaps this is blown out of proportion HA, so take this as a suggestion rather than a fact, because I'd like to believe that Kafka had a reason for giving Yosano a title as such.
In the past, I've come across the angel of death only to perceive it as a female grim reaper of some sort, so it was pretty cool to find that the word 'angel' and 'death' made up a title of a someone like Ariel, one of the purest forms of humility and compassion.
GREEK GODDESS PANAKEIA
For my beloved (wannabe/or not) students of Greek mythology (much like myself, let's make a cult!), you've probably heard of Panakeia, the goddess of healing. Medicine finds most of its vital significance in Greek history, and in its mythology, Panakeia is actually known for her ability to heal any kind of sickness.
[ source ]
Her name means 'panacea,' which is actually defined as a remedy for all diseases. Terminal diseases and injuries lead to death, right? This would bring us back to Yosano's ability to nullify any injury's effects on a person, keeping them from death itself.
Now, we know that in order for Yosano's ability to work, her patient, or victim, has to be in a near-death condition in order for her treatment to take effect. This can't exactly fit into the description of resurrection, but it can be described as some sort of rebirth.
GREEK GODDESS PERSEPHONE
So another goddess which reminds me of Sho Ho/Yosano, is Persephone, the goddess of spring and rebirth. Before Hades, the god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone to take her to live with him, Persephone lived a happy life.
Hades, with his nature of darkness and the like, was captivated by how pure Persephone was, and stole her away from her former life to live in an environment which differed sharply from her natural aura of purity.
[ source ]
Remember when Yosano's friend left a note behind before he killed himself? The note said nothing except for, "You are too righteous." Take that as you will, but figuratively speaking, you could say Mori takes the role of Hades in the story, while Yosano can be portrayed as Persephone.
Sho Ho can also be a parallel of Persephone, in that she had to adapt to the realities of war and disharmony, while Persephone had to adapt to the raw darkness of the underworld with Hades.
Sho Ho stood against society's norms and decided to reform it, making her one of the most well-known feministic pacifist in history, while Persephone managed to escape from the underworld to return to her former position, earning the title the 'Bringer of Life,' or the 'Destroyer of Death.'
Furthermore, the way Sho Ho's anti-war poem took its effect later on, reflects the way Persephone restored balance in the world after returning from the underworld.
4. Yosano and Atsushi.
chapter 66; Yosano: "It's my fault that those close to me died... Is there some place where it's okay for me to live?"
chapter 8; Atsushi: "If I have any chance of saving them all, of returning them home safely, would that mean it's okay for me to keep on living?"
I couldn't help but think of Dazai and Atsushi back when I was reading through these panels. Ranpo (my beloved), along with Fukuzawa, accepted Yosano as she was, despite how her ability was a cause of despair and misfortune.
Ranpo looked past her mistakes and the entirety of how dark her past was to welcome her into the Armed Detective Agency. Dazai, on the other hand, knew who Atsushi was and what his ability had made him do before anyone else, and still decided to provide a safe place for Atsushi to find his sense of belonging, journeying with him as he learned to use his ability properly.
For more info about Dazai and Atsushi's dynamic, you can check out the analysis I did for Dazai :D
Atsushi desired to save people to prove his right to live, while Yosano made her wish to achieve the recovery of all her patients the reason for her existence.
Others would prefer to accuse both Yosano and Atsushi of having a saviour complex, but the reason why they pursued to save people with utmost dedication, stems from the nature of what their past was like. You know the saying 'from broken to beautiful?' Yeah, it's something like that.
The way their pasts were written out gave them a desire to change, which was, I daresay, initiated by the people who took them in: Ranpo and Dazai. Their abilities were demonised because of how they were used, but once they broke from their abilities' effect over their lives, they honed their skills to control them for the right cause instead.
In a less cynical point of view, I believe both Yosano and Atsushi stood for what was right, and wanted nothing but to achieve peace and harmony in whatever way they could, even if it meant risking their own lives to save others.
So yeah, that's it for my rants today. Thank you for reading, and if you have anything to add, go ahead! I'm open to discussions ;)
#bsd#bsd atsushi#bsd yosano#bungou stray dogs#bungo stray dogs#bsd characters#bsd analysis#literature analysis#bsd abilities#bsd anime#bsd manga#bungo stray dogs atsushi#bungou stray dogs atsushi#bungou stray dogs yosano#bsd dazai#bsd mori#bsd ranpo#character analysis#.daydreams
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Shoujo manga recommendations - otome game isekai
So, after 10+ years reading shoujo manga, I’ve read over 1k titles, admittedly, a reasonable amount is one-shot (or at least a collection of), but nonetheless, over time I had to expand my interests.
Lately, I’ve started reading the otome game isekai genre, and decided it’d be nice to share the ones I thought were best.
Most of them are pretty much the same, but the best ones usually have a twist, so...
! Warning: You’ll most likely want to beat up 1 or 2 characters from each one, but worry not, so do I and the other characters
1. Fiancée's Observation Log of the Self-proclaimed Villainess
Crown prince Cecil was so brilliant that everything in life was easy to the point of boring him, then one day, his fiancée Bertia suddenly said "Prince Cecil, I am a villainess!" Claiming that this world is the same as that of an "otome game" from her past life and that she is playing the role of the "villainess" in it, she aims to play her part well and have their engagement annulled. With that goal in mind, she sets about causing turmoil in Cecil's daily life.
This one definitely takes the gold for me. Super sweet and pretty funny.
2. My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!
Most people would prefer being the protagonist of a world full of adventure, be it in a game or in another world. But, unfortunately, a certain girl is not so lucky. Regaining the memories of her past life, she realizes that she was reborn in the world of Fortune Lover—one of the games she used to play. Unfortunately, the character she was reincarnated into—Katarina Claes—is the game's main antagonist, who faces utter doom in every ending. Using her extensive knowledge of the game, she takes it upon herself to escape from the chains of this accursed destiny. However, this will not be an easy feat, especially since she needs to be cautious as to not set off death flags that may speed up the impending doom she is trying to avoid. Even so, to make a change that will affect the lives of everyone around her, she strives—not as the heroine—but as the villainess.
This one takes 2nd place! It has a different result than others, and the FL is great - everyone is, to be fair.
3. Of Course I’ll Claim Palimony
"I'll annul our engagement!" My fiancé suddenly declared?! Apparently he's in love with the recently transferred count's daughter and is planning on making me the villain in order to annul the engagement. Although I have no lingering attachments about the engagement, I do have to claim a hefty consolation fee don't I?
This is sooo good. The FL is spectacular and manages to stand out - even if just a bit - from the rest of the genre.
4. I’m a Villainous Daughter, so I’m going to keep the Last Boss
Avoid the BAD END! That's the goal of the villainess in this plot-twisting story!! She has been reborn into the world of an otome game as the villainess, Irene. Using her memories of her former life, she recognizes flags indicating she's en-route to the bad end, so she makes a plan to conquer the last boss (the evil king Claude), make him her lover, and see if she can open up a new route!
Pretty funny, and the FL is bold. Also, the ML is a bishounen.
It’s one of the few mangas from this genre that has been completely translated, and since it only has 13 chapters, it’s a good way to start out.
5. The Plain & Unnoticeable Me is No More
Elaine Lana Norris, who was born at the top of the aristocratic daughter, was declared abandoned by her second fiancé at the school's founding party. Lana, who has been made a villain daughter, is driven out of her home by a strict grandfather. But there is a secret in Lana that everyone doesn't know about?
I don’t want to give out any spoilers, however, it suffices to say that she accepts her role as the villainess.
Ok, I think these 5 are my favorite, but the ones below have been selected as well, so they’re still pretty good and worth reading.
6. The Villiainess Is Adored by the Crown Prince of the Neighboring Kingdom
Tiararose was supposed to be disengaged and exiled from the country. “This was the Otome game I had played!” She realized on the day before the story’s ending??……. Shall I wait for the judgment? But, I did not do anything too cruel……. Thinking so, the ending continues. But, during the judgement??something that was not possible in the game happened. The neighboring crown prince courted the villainous daughter Tiararose.
ML: 10/10 FL: 8/10 (too insecure for my taste)
7. Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess
She’s always putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not actually that upset! Oh, why can’t she just be honest with herself…!??? She is a tsundere, after all? When her embarrassment levels exceed a certain limit, she will explode into anger. However, the point that she’s suppressing under the surface is that she wouldn’t mind that sort of thing if it were in a less public place.? As Endo-kun passionately reacts to the antics of Lady Liselotte, the villainess of an otome game, Kobayashi-san provides a painstaking breakdown of her tsundere behaviour. Suddenly, one person could hear their voices; Liselotte’s fiancée, Prince Siegward. That is where this story begins.
8. I’m the Villainess, but the Capture Targets are too Abnormal
The villainess, Mystia, remembered her past life on her 10th birthday and has unwittingly turned the characters in the otome game "Kyun Kyun Love School" into yanderes! In order to avoid becoming the love rival of the "heroine" who will lead her to her downfall, she starts making every effort to break off her engagement with her "prince-like classmate"! That’s was what supposed to happen...But, because of her kind personality, her favorability increased instead!
It’s still in its beginning stages, but seems pretty solid.
9. Though I May Be a Villainess, I'll Show You I Can Obtain Happiness!
A collection of one shots.
Great way to start out, it has quite a few options, so if you don’t like one, give another one a try!
10. The Villainess, Cecilia Silvie, Doesn't Want to Die, So She Decided to Cross-dress!
I was reincarnated into the body Cecilia Silvie, the villainess of an otome game. According to the plot, what awaits me in the normal route is either a slow, painful death or an instantaneous one... Essentially, every route leads to my demise. Then I'll change my fate! And that's why I decided to become a man. However, I made a mistake during a certain event, and the story began to head down an unexpected path...?
I haven’t seen any other like this, and if you like gender bender, this one’s for you!
11. I’ll Become a Villainess That Will Go Down in History ― The More of a Villainess I Become, the More the Prince will Dote on Me
Alicia is the eldest daughter of the noble Williams family—a bloodline that excels in dark magic. Her jet-black hair and golden eyes command a powerful presence, but her most unique features are, without a doubt, her sharp tongue and malevolent nature. By all means, she is a villainess, but also a fictional character from an otome game!
12. I’m Not a Villainess!! Just Because I Can Control Darkness Doesn’t Mean I’m a Bad Person!
The novel The Saint Beloved by the Prince is set in the land of Lacia, where spirits control the elements, each of which is overseen by a "Spirit King." On rare occasions, these Spirit Kings may bless a single human, granting them immense magical control over their respective element. The heroine, Amelia Logan, and the villainess, Claudia Leitzya, are two sides of the same coin, blessed by the Light and Dark Spirit Kings respectively. However, while Amelia is beloved, Claudia is hated and rejected due to her dark skin, ebony locks, and aptitude for dark magic. After dying in modern-day Japan, Sakura is reborn as an infant Claudia. While difficult at first, Claudia tries to adjust to this new life, all the while accompanied by the Dark Spirit King Gerald. But even this task is far from easy; people fear her at first glance, no matter how she acts toward them. Still, Claudia is set on changing her fate from the novel, proving she is a good person and breaking free from the shackles of a "villainess."
13. Rebirth of the Villainess: The Life of Letizia after the Engagement Annulment
For some reason, the duke's daughter, Letizia, was plotting to break her engagement with the prince. Her plan succeeded and the prince, none the wiser. But shortly after the engagement was terminated... The King collapsed! In that moment, she recalled her memories of her past life as a nurse and she fully utilised her knowledge & experience as a nurse, to save the King's life. Thinking she had achieved what she wanted, she thought she could finally relax, drinking her favourite beverage and leisurely spend her time, she instead somehow keeps getting involved in incident after incident. The slow and peaceful life is now nothing but a dream!? Lazy daughter, busy seeking freedom and laziness!
14. I Won't Become a Villainess. I'm Just a "Normal" Duke's Daughter!
A Japanese person reincarnated into an otome game chock full of death flags for the villainess, Rosalind. "I'm going to live an enjoyable life in this world!" Making full use of the game knowledge to avoid death flags, for some reason events keep happening one after another?! Contracting with spirits, helping her father (the prime minister) with his work using her modern day knowledge, taking a walk with the holy beast... and on top of all that, even starting up the heroine's event...? Will Rosalind be able to smash through every unknown death flag that comes her way...?! And will she be able to be fluffy lovey-dovey with the supporting beastkin character she liked from her previous life?!
Cute. Has beasts.
15. Milady Just Wants to Relax
She worked herself to death in her past life, but then she was reborn in another world as the villainess Ronia! As expected, her engagement is broken and she's expelled from society, but now she takes that chance to live peacefully, and even opens a cafe with the help of her fairy comrades, which is becoming unexpectedly popular with beast-kin...?
Also cute. Also has beasts.
16. I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!
Violette, a proud and beautiful daughter of a duke, commits a crime out of jealousy towards her half-sister. Convicted, Violet faces her own heart with sincerity in a prison cell and regrets her sin. Then time rewinds to a turning point—to her first meeting with Maryjun one year ago. Violette makes a decision. She will not make mistakes this time. Without committing a crime and bothering anyone, she will live an ordinary, plain and inconspicuous life...! However, incidents contrary to Violette's expectations occur one after another...?!
17. I Became a Villain Daughter
On her 15th birthday, Hinase Kaede, a young girl who was working as a part-timer, perished in a traffic accident. Upon her death, a self-proclaimed “God” appeared, declaring that Kaede would be brought back to life. However, Kaede’s happiness was short-lived and her soul was thrown into Erika, the villainess of an otome game! In the original game, Erika became a saint candidate alongside the heroine, committed evil deeds over the course of the candidacy, and ultimately faced condemnation. Thus, Kaede decides that she will not get close to the main characters of the game so as to avoid the bad end, but yet——?
#manga#shoujo#shojo#shoujo manga#shojo manga#manga cap#romance#otome game#isekai#mangacap#shoujo recommendation#bakarina#bertia#endo and kobayashi’s live commentary on the villainess#fiancée's observation log of the self-proclaimed villainess#villainess
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Did you ever make a bad assumption about a character ? What if your theories are wrong ?
Hi there!
These are two questions so I will answer them separately if you don’t mind.
Did you ever make a bad assumption about a character ?
Of course, I did! I changed my mind about the three heads of the dragon at least five times if not more. I read the prologue to A Feast for Crows seven times ( seven!!!) before I got all the clues. I also remember that I thought Jaqen was really a Lorathi assassin when I was reading A Clash of Kings Harrenhal chapters for the first time. Somehow I always knew the face Arya saw was his true face ( I was right about that part actually ) and I really loved his Lorathi persona and the pattern of speech. I even wanted him to be the Lorathi. I thought that introducing a significant character that didn’t belong to the Great Houses was more interesting that staying in the old circle of nobles.
I’m sure I made a lot more bad assumptions about particular scenes from the books. Especially at the time when I believed that the show was faithful to GRRM’s story. I read the books once and I promised myself that I won’t re-read them until GRRM completes the series. But I do re-read some parts once in a while and every time it hits me how rich the story is and how easily it is to miss something if you don’t pay close attention to details, symbols, quotes from other stories and so on. If you have anything specific in mind, anything I wrote, please ask!
What if your theories are wrong ?
Nothing at all. I didn’t invest any money in promoting my stuff, I’m not losing anything. I was offered a paid interview on Quora and I declined because the user called Daenerys “a Stalin with tits” one time too many. I don’t have the time for that level of ignorance nor do I care.
I don’t need to make profits from ASOIAF analysis.
I write about ASOIAF because I love GRRM’s riddles and I want to help people understand the books.
Some things I notice in the books have never been mentioned before. Some things were mentioned by low-profile authors and they go unnoticed or forgotten. I think it’s good to remind and discuss them because it helps us get what GRRM is writing about. I never take credit for someone else’s ideas.
I won’t tell you when exactly everything will happen. I don’t know which chapter of The Winds of Winter will be about Daenerys coming to Westeros or when exactly Young Griff will die or what fate awaits Sam precisely or what every moment of the Battle for Dawn will look like apart from dragons being involved. Still, I know some of my guesses are correct.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
What I think/know will happen:
1. Young Griff will ruin his potential alliances rejecting offers of marriage. His promising conquest will end tragically and the boy will die. Though I think he is a good person, just too young to be reasonable. I think he will die a heroic death.
2. Arya and Jaqen/Aegon will be together though I’m not sure for how long because the foreshadowing for Aegon is contradictory. I think that all the bad stuff is meant for fake Aegon but I might be wrong. GRRM is a pretty bloodthirsty author.
3. Jaqen is Aegon, Elia Martell’s son with Rhaegar.
4. Jaqen will leave the Citadel and frame Sam in stealing the book about dragons. J. will hatch his dragon, find Daenerys and together they will go to the North. Daenerys will fall in love with him. They will fall apart because of Arya.
5. Septa Lemore is Serra, Illyrio’s wife and Young Griff’s mother.
6. Ashara Dayne lives in the House of Black and White. She is the Waif.
7. The Kindly Man is Aegon V who survived Summerhall and fled to Braavos. Aegon/Jaqen is his last hope. Aegon V dreams about the rebirth of dragons.
8. Jon won’t be resurrected by Melisandre. Jon will survive in Ghost and will be reborn by the end of the books. Perhaps even as Arya’s first child.
9. Benjen is a warg too. Benjen lives beyond the Wall with the pack of wolves. Jon will find him when he escapes the Wall.
10. The three heads of the dragon are the equivalent of the Holy Trinity. Rhaegar is the father, Aegon is the son and Arya is the Holy Spirit - love. I realized it only recently when I saw GRRM’s interview about the 3 heads and the Trinity connection. He does spill the beans sometimes. Though he could just write the books. Who needs more interviews?!
11. The Valonqar is Jaqen/Aegon.
12. Bran is not supposed to be that good. On the contrary, at the moment he is very selfish. He will be crowned because every other contender to the throne will be dead or missing. Bran might be a good ruler after all.
13. Lyanna and Rhaegar are buried together in Winterfell.
14. Lady Stoneheart will cause great turmoil that will be one of the factors leading to a dance of dragons. LS will be the reason of Jaime’s change of heart too.
I suppose those are the major ones. If you follow them through you will realize why the show’s ending seemed so outlandish. They skipped almost everything that led to that resolution. The resolution itself was also half-faithful to GRRM’s version.
If you have more questions, please ask. Though I answer as slowly as GRRM writes ASOIAF;D
#asoiaf#asoiaf theories#the winds of winter#a dream of spring#George R.R. Martin#asoiaf meta#jaqen h'ghar#arya#daenerys targaryen#young griff#jon snow#lyanna#rhaegar
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TROS Fix It Fic Masterpost - Part Three
All fics listed here are 300 kudos or less, at the time of this post’s creation. Part One and Two.
Fics under the cut.
1) The Rise of the Dyad by Lust4Cillian
Rating: Explicit
Kudos: 18
Comments: 3
Summary: "I’m going to find you, and I’m going to turn you to the dark side, by offering you my hand again. You’ll take it."
This story starts in TROS in the hangar of Kylo's Star Destroyer over Kijimi; while Finn, Poe, and co are escaping on the Millenium Falcon, Kylo is dropping bombs about dyads and Grandpa Palpatine. So what would have happened if the hurt and anger over this news pushed Rey to the Dark Side--just as Kylo Ren promised when he foretold him offering her his hand the next time? This fic explores what could've happened...Will they find a way to defeat Palpatine together? And along the way, a way back to the Light? Or a balance between the Dark Side and the Light Side?
2) The Dawn of Solo by hanaH
Rating: Not Rated
Kudos: 124
Comments: 12
Summary: Kylo Ren has died, and Ben Solo lives on. Ben finally returns home.
3) Rebirth by belowtheprecipice
Rating: Teen And Up
Kudos: 69
Comments: 5
Summary: The Dark Side of the Force was a pathway to many abilities some considered to be unnatural. And that's exactly what Rey needed. Or rather, Rey won't let the Force take Ben from her so easily.
4) forever the end for us by caisha
Rating: Teen And Up
Kudos: 81
Comments: 3
Summary: A look into Ben Solo's mind and heart from the time of his turn until the end. Fix-it for TROS ending.
5) And who are you? by heartlert
Rating: General
Kudos: 61
Comments: 5
Summary: Ben Solo wouldn't let his parents' war end in defeat, he wouldn't let all of those martyrs die for naught. He would make it work. But he had to climb to where she was fighting her demons before it was too late.
6) THE DESTINY OF SKYWALKER: The Rise of Skywalker Ending Rewritten (REYLO) by ShadowverseJC
Rating: Teen And Up
Kudos: 193
Comments: 28
Summary: I know why you're here. JJ really screwed up, huh? And Kathleen Kennedy, and every other nerf-herder at Disney and Lucasfilm. What was the point of this whole trilogy again?
7) Reprieve by SGTBrowncoat
Rating: General
Kudos: 134
Comments: 3
Summary: There. I fixed it.
8) the rise by manbunjon
Rating: Teen And Up
Kudos: 208
Comments: 6
Summary: They were meant to give up their strength to regain his power, to be used to restore the legacy he had built upon the backs of a thousand dead Jedi. But instead they stand together, the Last Skywalker and the Jedi from Jakku, two halves of the dyad that had been birthed by the Force and nurtured by fate, two halves of the same whole.
or, what should have happened in the rise of skywalker.
9) Lovely, Soft, Alive by Rinnagirl
Rating: General
Kudos: 83
Comments: 5
Summary: “You would have done the same for me.” And he knows it’s right and she knows it’s right because she would, god, she would.
10) Let the Past Die and Keep the Hope Alive by spiritmadeofstars
Rating: General
Kudos: 42
Comments: 1
Summary: A different ending to The Rise of the Skywalker. I hope it makes you feel better.
11) Star Wars Episode IX: The Destiny of a Jedi by romancered
Rating: General
Kudos: 21
Comments: 5
Summary: In the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga, our heroes face new challenges. Kylo and Rey try not to give into their deepest desires, Poe and Finn wrestle with complicated emotions, and the Resistance takes one last stand against the First Order. When the Emperor announces his return, the Dark and the Light will go on a quest of a lifetime in order to bring balance to the galaxy.
12) Across the Stars: A Rise of Skywalker Fix-It by kaitlynwrites31
Rating: General
Kudos: 56
Comments: 4
Summary: Since many of us did not agree with TROS ending, I decided to put my spin on a happy ending, in which Ben and Rey defeat Palpatine together as a dyad in the force. A version where they find peace and happiness in a galaxy finally free of war.
13) Out of the Gray by a_dyad_in_the_force
Rating: General
Kudos: 74
Comments: 2
Summary: Rey awakens to find herself restored by her Force-mate, but refuses to let it be at his expense. Spoilers for the end of The Rise of Skywalker.
14) Everything She Needs by juniordreamer
Rating: Teen And Up
Kudos: 138
Comments: 14
Summary: She closes her eyes, feels his warmth, finds him in the force as easily as she reaches down and grabs his hand to place back on her stomach. It soothes her, his peace. His steadiness in the force. So different from the storm she used to find raging there.
Will their child be resigned to face the same storm? To the fate of their ancestors? Will she know the pain and destruction that plagues her family line?
“She won’t,” Ben answers, though Rey never spoke the questions aloud. And he guides her then, through the force. Leads her right to the orb of pulsing light that lives, for now, inside of Rey. As bright as the sun.
Or, a post-tros fix it wherein Ben is alive and Rey is pregnant and they live happily ever after.
15) Eternal Return by 2ns
Rating: Teen And Up
Kudos: 82
Comments: 14
Summary: If you wish to restore Ben Solo, you will have to start by finding balance within yourself.
Years after the devastating events on Exegol and far removed from the mortal plane, what little remains of Ben Solo's life force is nearly extinguished. He is little more than a wraith. Concerned that if Ben ceases to exist, the effect on Rey will be catastrophic, Luke Skywalker seeks out Rey.
Overseeing a burgeoning temple on Tatooine, it appears as though Rey has continued to be a beacon of hope. The future of the Jedi Order is secure. On a deeper level, she struggles with the strain of the shattered dyad bond and mourns the loss of Ben Solo. By the time Luke visits her, Rey's strength is fading as well.
Though he refused to appear to him during his mortal life, Anakin Skywalker goads Ben into returning to Rey as an apparition, suspecting the strength of the dyad bond is far greater than the barrier that separates Ben from Rey. In time, Ben and Rey learn that even death cannot separate them. Like the Jedi who came before them, they are unable to escape their own destinies or the will of the Force that has bound them together.
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15 Years Later Batman: War Games
I’ve considered myself a comics fan from the time as a little girl I received hand-me-down superhero comics from one of my older brothers. I spent a good deal of my childhood wrapped up in various tales published by DC comics mainly but, also other American creations as well as those from Asia and Europe. Lately I’ve been diving back into some of those DC comics. One character from Batman, Poison Ivy has remained one of my all-time favourites. But I’m not going to be writing about Pam today despite her being a recent topic of conversation. The reason being, during my trip down memory lane I was reminded of another contentious event in DC comics history. The October 2004 issue of Detective Comics #797 included the first part of “Low” a three-part story about Poison Ivy and the Riddler. However, that issue also started the first Act of War Games, an event which with prelude War Drums added in engulfed Batman comics for 10 months beginning earlier in March that year.
War Games, where a hypothetical stratagem Batman devised against Gotham’s underworld is put into action with disastrous consequences, can be memorable for several reasons. I remember it because of another beloved Batman character to me who played a major role Stephanie Brown, aka the Spoiler and for a short time also the fourth Robin among other designations. (She was however not the first young lady Robin if one includes The Dark Knight Returns which is outside main continuity.) The treatment of Stephanie, in War Games is the reason that I took a break from reading DC comics for a long time. 2019 marks 15 years since those events. So, with DC once again facing criticisms about how it wrangles philosophy and portrays violence, trauma and death I think it is time to revisit some of Stephanie’s history too.
Stephanie Brown was created in 1992 by Chuck Dixon and Tom Lyle debuting in Detective Comics #647. A teenager from some difficult circumstances with a criminal dad and mother with a prescription addiction.
She becomes a vigilante named Spoiler to thwart her father, eventually gaining allies and older mentors, also dating Tim Drake the third Robin.
Stephanie like those around her is not a perfect character having her share of mistakes and tribulations but, she also strives to improve and works towards making some difference in the world that isn’t as it should be. The Robin comic was particularly noteworthy for chapters featuring her teen pregnancy by an ex-boyfriend and the decision to put the child up for adoption. (Robin #65, 1999)
As well as in another powerful issue her confiding about an attempted rape at age 11 by her father’s friend who was left to watch her during an effort at rehab for her mother. (Robin #111, 2003)
Through it all she had a perseverance and resilience that became inspiring and her efforts and convictions led to her becoming a part of the Bat-family. So, it was quite a development when unable to stop the sudden murder of a key ally Orpheus (whose bloody body would be featured across pages to come as well) she was extensively tortured by the villain Black Mask, leading to a likewise incredibly difficult death scene with Batman by her bedside at the end of the third act of War Games in December 2004. Orpheus became a martyr figure (currently his last appearance which feels like a waste, along with the causticity of killing off a character that talked about representation) and characters mourned Stephanie too, with a whole host of emotions as fans tried to come to terms also.
Not to be outdone though some months later when questions arose in War Crimes, the situation around Stephanie’s fate would get even worse with another principal character Dr. Leslie Thompkins given some of the worst (and out of character) motivations for not properly treating Stephanie, betraying her profession and the people close to her.
After Thompkins’ clinic becomes ground zero for the casualties in the massive gang war it’s an absurd decision to send a message to Bruce and young protégés about their actions. Not the first time the heartbreak would be used in such a manner either. It’s not all happy endings. It would be almost four years before DC returned to Stephanie’s fate retconning, revealing the truth of her death as a deliberate falsehood. (Robin #174, July 2008)
However, pouring more salt on the wound those years were a period during which she was also disrespected in death, an executive editor saying Stephanie was never a true Robin despite that going against Batman’s own words written in the comic on more than one occasion. Unsurprisingly behind the scenes editorial decisions about torturing and killing a 16-year-old teenage character apparently did not sit well with all the writers either. Stephanie taking on the Robin role was some small bright point of achievement to be wrestled before the horrible events to come, but also working as a ploy readers would fall into. When Tim’s father has it out with Bruce to put it mildly after discovering their vigilante personas, the developments of a new Robin (a position Stephanie held story-wise only 71 days before Batman fired her) did reportedly boost sales.
But she further had to die as Spoiler because another dead Robin is too much, for Batman. Young as I was in 1988, I too remember the spectacle death of Jason Todd the second Robin whose memory looms from the start in the prologue War Drums.
DC wasn’t done with him either. Reading stories of Jason, some that felt like the material I’d been craving for a long time, nevertheless always make me wonder where we’d be if the vote on his survival all those years ago had been different. A Death in the Family would seem to be a culmination after other titles usually on one’s lips around the experimentation of the late 80s less of interrogation and maturity perceiving a world growing darker inside and out but, the one question of what is too far to come back from.
And 16 years after it, well a dead Spoiler tortured and gone was too much for me. After nearly just as much time again today in 2019 marking the 15th anniversary of War Games I’m surprised in fact at how much the story even now hits me right in the chest. It’s been a long time with many, many people creating countless more titles at DC Comics. Including stories featuring Stephanie Brown who has gone on to take the mantle of Batgirl at one point (that same executive editor finally acknowledging how she connected to a portion of the fanbase and Bat-family in 2009) and likewise been reimagined through the reboots of the comics. (Stephanie in Rebirth’s Victim Syndicate in 2016 was particularly striking to me.)
Yet, I remember most clearly the earlier Stephanie perhaps by virtue being a teenager back then too. Or maybe in a similar fashion as impressionable of a moment as the comics I first received from one of my older brothers, as a young adult War Games seared into me a visual of a brand which gives its characters direction from bad places, hope, lets them rise and then to paraphrase it as a writer once did crush them like a bug. As a young child I could say wow Robins can die. Older, I could ask so what does it mean.
There are all kinds of stories, and what they offer to people as diverse as humanity itself. The ugly, tragedies and heartbreaks are important too for many reasons. I could write instead about such examples I’m fond of or, respect. Pieces of fiction that dance that line of examining and representing truth, little windows maybe the glass becoming a mirror that’s more painful because it is so familiar or, cuts when it breaks. Superheroes don’t live in the real world. But there is a very real world we live in where there are people that have and are growing up with no trust in authorities, screwed up parents, losing parents, becoming parents, facing sexual assault, abuse, gang violence and schools becoming yet another killing ground among other challenges. These sort of wars that are fought can leave a host of scars and casualties. Whether those 18 years or so are good or bad we’re lucky if they are only a small part of a larger life. Too often that’s not the case. But still, I have to ask when I pick up a comic and seem to find the same over and over, as time marches on what about this common story of harm and death has changed and what is its legacy?
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Okay, this is definitely more than 500 words, but the last scene between Hunk and Keith? It was really cute!!
[Spoilers for Written in Sand Chapter 11]
Hoo boy okay I don’t know if you mean just the haircutting part or the whole entire scene starting when Keith gets out of the healing pod. I’m gonna stick to the haircutting bit just so this doesn’t get way too long, but I’ll start with some notes for the scene in general
(Also, it should be noted, there are... one or two things I can’t talk about with this scene because they’re spoilery for future chapters)
Hunk has basically seen Keith do one of two things when shit goes down: get pissed, or wall himself off. He is ready for either of those things, but he knows Keith needs comfort right now, so he is waiting outside the pod determined to be the best friend he can. He is super NOT ready for a Keith who is apologetic and upset and clinging to him for dear life and worried he put HUNK AND CORAN in danger when he’s the one who nearly just got Two-Faced. But Hunk is the ultimate Mom Friend and he is doing literally everything in his power to be there for Keith however Keith needs him right now, even if he’s been thrown a bit of a curveball.
Keith’s head right now: “God Jesus Christ I fucked up. I really fucked up. I beyond fucked up. I was gonna be dead. I was 100% gonna be dead. And I put the lions, the Castle, Hunk, Coran, Voltron, and by extension the entire universe in danger because I almost got myself killed making the most reckless decision possible. Oh, my god, I almost died. I almost died. For real. If it weren’t for magic healing pods and Hunk being right there to save me I would be dead right now.”
My thoughts: Keith has been going through a mounting crisis ever since he saw the symbol on Ulaz’s blade. Although there was some self-reconciliation in the Trials of Marmora – which is what allowed him to awaken the Blade – the result of the trials produced more stressors. He’s accepted some truths about himself: he is half-Galra, he has a crush on Lance, he may never know his family history. He’s accepted that he has to live with those truths and move forward and keep fighting for Voltron. HOWEVER, now he has to deal with what those truths mean to the people around him. And that’s something that Keith’s been running from his whole life. He pours all of his uncertainty, his insecurity, and his anger into the search for Lance, the focus of a lot of his personal emotional/identity crisis. It climaxes in a reckless rush into a battle that very nearly kills him.
Haircutting can be very symbolic, particularly in some Asian cultures. It can signify a loss or a release of identity (fire, also, often symbolizes cleansing and rebirth, in addition to being personally significant to Keith). This scene is the catharsis to Keith’s identity crisis. And the fact that Hunk helps him is key. Letting Hunk help him strip away the ruined remnants of a signature piece of his appearance helps Keith let go of his desperate desire to wall off all his issues from the people around him. He is changing and growing as a person — and now he’s finally saying “Okay. Someone else can help me get through this. I can change and not have to pretend everything’s the same and I’m fine.” (The whole build up through the chapter of Hunk learning about the crush and discussing his Galra heritage helped him reach this point, but Hunk indisputably saving his life was the key trigger).
Some more jokey and specific thoughts below the cut :D
[Send me an excerpt from one of my fic’s and I will write you director’s notes!]
“it took them about half an hour to unearth a pair of scissors and electric clippers, both stolen from Coran’s extensive mustache care station” Me: how the fuck can I give them the tools to shave Keith’s head in the Castle. Me: oh right, Coran definitely has ever hair care tool ever invented
“Keith...plopped down on the stool, facing away from the mirror.” Half “Dude I look butt-ugly right now don’t make me look at my reflection” half “Don’t make me watch as part of who I am is forcibly stripped away, even if it’s now too damaged and changed to keep”
“The quiet buzz as Hunk shaved the sides and back of his head down to a thin fuzz was oddly soothing. His fingers roamed over Keith’s head with reassuring warmth. He relaxed so much into the silence and touch that it startled him when the clippers turned off and Hunk’s hands disappeared from his head.” Two things. One, I am a fucking slut for quiet friendship bonding moments. Two, my boy Keith is touchstarved as hell and just having this very intimate but platonic moment of contact with Hunk is something he’s very not used to and didn’t even know how badly he needed it
“But since the pod healed all your skin, I’m hoping it should start growing back pretty quickly.” Me realizing that you can actually permanently burn off your hair if you get burned badly enough: “yeah uhhhhhh no the healing pod definitely for sure healed any totally dead follicles I’m not leaving Keith with a bald patch”
“Abruptly, he leaned forward, still on the stool, and wrapped his arms around Hunk. “Thank you,” he mumbled, his voice muffled by Hunk’s stomach. Hunk patted him on the back.” C A T H A R S I S. Time to cry kids.
#answers#voltron#memory fic#godddddd this scene was a lot to write#I could say more but I don't want this post to be a mile long lol#also yeah there's... another thing that's important here#and some people in the comments have cottoned to it#but it's technically a spoiler so I won't say#thefancytomato
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Heart of Wisdom - Chapter 11
No reposts please. Clearly it’s just Fanfiction, but I still wrote it. Thank youz!
WARNINGS: Teen+ for this chapter. Depicts minor sexual violence and themes and Strong language. Contains Hyrule Warriors spoilers and story items. I highly recommend playing the game if you haven’t! It’s complete fluff, but fun fluff…. minus Lana.
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Heart of Wisdom | Chapter 11 | Power
Horses atop a seaside cliff bore their riders who observed the ocean in detestation. The briny air was disgusting, stinging his eyes and leaving the taste of salt and old fish on his tongue. It didn’t help his mood that they’d ridden so far for nothing.
The Warlord had enjoyed burning the village of the Hero to the ground. Watching those he knew that the Hero cared for scream as they died, running in fear… it had been exhilarating. He’d seen some of the men displeased at the slaughter of women and children and taken note. However he needed all the people he could right now, and had stopped in the next town to buy drinks, food and women to celebrate. It had worked for the most part, which until he summoned and gathered an army, would have to do.
“Griffin,” Naburoo said from the horse aside his. Her red hair whipped in the wind and she looked about as happy as he felt.
“Ganon,” The Warlord corrected. The name was right. Comfortable… and he was beginning to feel the power stir within him. He’d been transporting them short distances with magic he’d never before had. It corsed through him, whispering to him in quiet moments and reminding him who he was.
“Of course,” Naburoo sighed, eyes casting out over the corrugated sea. “Are we to proceed?”
Sighing internally, he could feel the Zora Kingdom beneath the waves… but it was too far out. There was no way for them to reach it that for out at the depth it sat. “Not yet,” he grumbled. “Not yet. My power is not such that we can take revenge on that shrew of a mermaid Princess.” Jerking the reins of his enormous black stallion, Ganon turned away from the cliff’s edge. “It will come. The Zora will flock to aid Hyrule. They will come to us, and then, we will have revenge.”
“Will you try and fuck her too?” Naburoo sniped, turning her horse to follow him.
Ganon smirked. She had been so very angry, jealous and bitter since the night his Goddess had quite literally slipped through his fingers. Most men would be annoyed by her bickering and jibes, Ganon merely smirked. He relished her jealousy, and it made her a hellcat in his bed.
“If I so choose,” he chuckled. “But I will be ruler of this land. This World. Intend to do as I please, when I please. That includes who I please.”
Turning to look at her, she fumed from her saddle with a glare that would strike lesser men dead. Reaching out to grab the reins of her horse, she was not fast enough to snatch them away. As his men drew away from the cliffside after his lead, Gannon pulled Naburoo’s horse over to his and reached out. Wrapping his arm around her waist he pulled her from her horse despite her flailing protest and across his lap. She was spitting mad, furious, but he held her fast, chuckled as he bid her to stop fighting, which eventually she did out of realization she was not going to overpower him.
“Who do you think will be my Queen?” he purred. He did have every intention of elevating her to such a status. She was ruthless, dedicated to him, and loyal. She would have responsibilities giving him time to do as he pleased, but she would still be rewarded for her loyalty.
“One of your whores?”
“You, Naburoo.” His voice was enticing, and his lips brushed her neck as he spoke with the intent of seducing her. “I’ll have my lovers, you may have yours, but at the end of the night, you, and you alone will be my Queen.”
She was still tense, but she stopped fighting entirely and sighed. “Queen of the world is an appealing prospect.”
“There is no one else I would trust for such. You above all others have proven your loyalty. All others are merely sweet flesh for me to slake lust. You, you are the only one worthy to be my Queen.” There it was. She relaxed back against him, and Ganon smiled. She was his again - hook, line and sinker. It was almost pathetic. It had been before she learned of his advances upon the Princess Zelda. Since then she’d made it far more of a challenge, more interesting and he loved it.
She turned to sit in front of him in the saddle, taking the reins of her horse as he handed them off, slipping one hand under her cloak and gripping the softer bits of her anatomy inappropriately before shouting to the men, “We ride for Hyrule Castle!”
By evening they had reached the outskirts of Faron Woods. It would be another day’s ride through the woods to Hyrule field and at least a half day to the Castle from there. The Gerudan camp looked out of place amongst the green grass and trees of Faron - but it was what they had. Despite the desert colors and bright accents that were the style of his people, Ganon doubted greatly that anyone would attack them. Woe be to the fools that tried.
The fires were dying down, the plentiful bounty that had been hunted for their dinner had left him feeling full, and after taking his pleasure of Naburoo, the warlord felt satisfied and lethargic. Staring at the fire pit in his tent, Naburoo slept peacefully, nude and nearly on top of him while Ganon let his thoughts wander. There was an itch between his shoulderblades that had begun on their approach to Faron Woods, growing the closer they drew.
The Sword of Evil’s bane.
In his first dreams, the Goddess had been protected by a form obfuscated in light, wielding a sword… it was that same sword he felt now.
The memories were coming more easily now. Being bound on the surface beneath the blissfully ignorant humans the Goddess had sent to the sky. His release but ultimate defeat by Hylia and her Chosen Hero. Then, the soul he’d tied himself to - the original Gerudan warlord who had summoned and merged his soul with darkness. The Legacy that assured his rebirth and made him literally the man he was today.
He remembered seducing the Usurper in Twilight, a time with Hyrule was naught but an ocean, and a few other vivid recollections. There was one however that his mind tried to summon, but every time he thought on it too hard it slipped from him. But the flashes look familiar, images that he recognized from this incarnation of Hyrule. Especially flashes of a temple, the Sacred Temple, where the Sword rest. That was vivid. He would know it when he saw it, though he had no idea how to find it.
Ganon was beginning to believe that perhaps the battles he’d heard about in the heart of the land recently were more than merely a nameless Warlock.
Struck by inspiration, Ganon looked down to Naburoo and carefully extricated himself from her embrace, leaving her sleeping in the bed as he stood to dress. The night was cool, but after his time in the Outlands it was balmy against his skin this far south.
Stealing out into the night, Ganon carried his sword and crept between tents and his men even sleeping out under the stars having had too much to drink. The woods were quiet, but alive with the soft sounds of nature in the evening… it was obnoxious. He far preferred the silence of the Desert, or the whistle of the frozen Outlands wind. And yet, he took one step beyond the tree line, the woods began to fall to a hush. The Lands of the Goddess recognized danger when it approached - triggering a smile from the warlord.
He trekked, unimpeded and quietly through the mossy underbrush, following the growing itch between his shoulder blades. It felt for a time that he was wandering aimlessly, but with a bit of trial and error, eventually he found what seemed to be the right direction.
Through the trees, the temple was revealed in moonlit splendor. The white stones, covered in vines and moss seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. Despite the ruination of the temple, he could see that it had been traversed fairly recently. Not within the last few days, but the boot prints of many soldiers had not yet faded entirely even with the recent storms. It seemed likely that the battle in the heart of Hyrule had included these grounds.
The magical itch here was now enough to be uncomfortable, and Ganon imagined the closer he got, the worse it would be - yet there was something else. He was compelled to continue. Whispers in his mind said there was something here, something he needed to see… to know. His feet moved on, over the flagstones and grass. Nature had reclaimed this place, despite the evidence of recent disturbance, and it somehow made him uncomfortable beyond the magical irritations. It was peaceful, serene… holy. The static opposite of the way his heart desired the world to be.
He never stopped to question why it was he craved darkness, chaos, perversion of purity - they were all lies. There was nothing in this forsaken world that was not an illusion. Justice, Mercy, Duty - all lies constructed by humans to warm themselves at night against the growing darkness and unavoidable chaos, the inevitable entropy of decay and destruction - Survival, Selfishness, Power - those were real. Those were woven into the very fabric of every man, woman, human, Goron, Zora, Rito, beast and plant under the Goddess’s absent eye. Power was the only constant. Those with it thrived and rose to the top. Those without were crushed underfoot. Be it the deer tracked, chased and killed by the more powerful wolf, to the goblinkin he enslaved, Power was the key to life. IT was more honest, more real.
He who holds the Power has all.
With Power he would rule Hyrule, and gain the praise and fear he longed for and deserved. He was smarter, faster, a better hunter than the rest of his tribe, and his tribe was the best in the land. He was clever, cunning and charming - he could talk his way into and out of anything and everything he desired. He was smart, strategic, observant… He could not be denied his desires. That was only this lifetime. He was the nightmare parents comforted their children over, the eyes in the darkness that everyone feared. A Legend that was destined to rule the lands where none could stand in his way or thwart his rise to power.
And yet he had been stopped. Time and Time again.
The image of The Goddess in his mind, was a girl, hair like sunlight with ribbons and the smile of an angel. He’d not been entirely himself then… he’d bee two people. Souls. Entities? The recollections were vague, but he had loved her. He had hated her, and her fallen Hero when the sky and the land were two different worlds. That had been the beginning. He was denied his love. He was denied his right to destroy and his freedom at their hands, and he had lived to see them elevated on high…
Though it was millennia ago now, the knowledge, and recollection still enraged him. Fists clenched at his sides, Ganon realized that he’d been walking whilst in thought. Now he stood inside the ruined temple and adjacent to a set of large, closed stone doors. Jarred from his reflections, a single inspiration struck him like a bolt of lightning leaving him dumbstruck a moment.
The sword was just beyond this door.
As was a part of his very soul.
Both thrummed through his blood, the presence of the instrument of the Goddess causing every fiber of his existence to itch and burn. He was coming to understand that his current state was an almost larval form of his glorious power - so the whispers said. Being this close to the Sword of Evil’s Bane was more than uncomfortable. He was not yet powerful enough to withstand its presence. But he also felt that power trapped beneath it. He didn’t have to open the door to see - The sword would be point downward in a stone, under which a magically trapped piece of himself lay bound.
Raising a hand up to rest on the cool stone, the energy emanating from within sent a thrill through his body, and so much more. On the back of his right hand that lay against the stone sigil of the Goddess carved into the door, the shape of the Triforce illuminated magically. The top Triforce of the three shone more brightly than the rest… the Triforce of power.
It was his. He possessed it… and now, he could wield it.
As if a curtain had been parted or drawn back, Ganon, for that was who he truly was without any doubt in his mind, knew how to use the Triforce within his possession. Taking three steps back, he held up the hand on which the triforce was alight, and forced his concentration on the door. Magic wards of a different but also old magic not of the Triforce resisted him, attempted to keep him shut out. It merely served to inspire a greater determination in him.
Fist clenched once more, Ganon’s body shook with tension and the force of will he was exerting over the magic resisting him. Sweat beaded on his forehead, teeth ground together and a roar bubbling up to tear from from his throat as finally the magic buckled and shattered.
Before him the doors swung open slowly. There it was, the Master Sword, polished and perfect shining in the moonlight. Driven into a marble stone, the inscription was clear as the day it had been made.
“He who wields Power without Wisdom, cannot possess Courage.”
A quaint nursery rhyme, and empty comfort to the fools of Hyrule he was certain. And trapped beneath it, he felt true power - the rest of his soul.
Striding forward confidently, he knew he’d not be able to wield the sword, but he could take it where the little boy could never find it, and would be helpless against him. It would also free his power to return to him, sealing the fate of Hyrule.
Reaching out he went to grip the handle and was shocked, quite literally, with a jolt of energy so powerful his heart skipped several beats as he flew backwards through the air and onto the stone floor.
Goblin shit.
He’d expected, even known that wielding the damnable thing was off the table, but not even being able to touch it? Forsaken whore of a Goddess. He’d hold her down and make her scream for this. Trapping a man’s soul for centuries… she was no better than her professed detestation for his destruction of lifetimes passed.
“And what precisely did you think would happen?”
#heart of wisdom#zelink#legend of zelda#zelda#link#volga#impa#midna#naburoo#ganon#ganondorf#wisdom#courage#power#hwzelink#hyrule warriors
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Superwoman Presents New Superman Reborn Mysteries
SPOILER WARNING: This article contains spoilers for “Superwoman” #8, on sale now.
While the latest development in the big story of the “Superman Reborn” arc was the true identity of the mysterious non-super Clark Kent over in “Action Comics” #975, “Superwoman” #8, a tie-in issue by Phil Jimenez, Jack Herbert and Stephen Segovia, also offered significant clues as to what this latest “rebirth” will mean for the Superman Family. Lana Lang has now been visited not only by the ghost of New 52 Lois Lane, but also that universe’s Superman and more.
Throughout the series, readers have seen Lana deteriorate both mentally and physically as the energy powers she gained as the New 52 Superman died have taken their toll. She’s had regular conversations with the spirit — or some other form of ethereal manifestation — of New 52 Lois Lane, who acquired more traditional Kryptonian powers at the same time but who died on the two Superwomen’s first mission. Lana, quite understandably, believes these conversations to be all in her head, but one of Lena Luthor’s Bizarress clones seems to be able to perceive Lois, as well. Last issue, though, and continuing through “Action Comics” #973-4, Lana finally succumbed to her own deadly powers, and her boyfriend Steel rushed her to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude for live-saving treatment.
“We’re So Disappointed in You”
In a state near death, Lana’s hallucinations/visitations are ratcheted up to 11, and she finds herself confronted with her dead brother, parents and the New 52 Lois and Clark. Her brother’s first statement, “We’re so disappointed in you,” speaks to a lot of Lana’s conflict over the course of the series: her debilitating self-doubt. She had to be coaxed into being a Superwoman, and acutely felt the failure of living up to the model of an ideal hero.
But soon her family softens the blow by clarifying that they are only disappointed that Lana has forgotten her own strength.
“Why Can’t I Focus?”
Things get more interesting, however, when Lana reveals that her memory of the very meeting where Lois convinced her to become Superwoman is “hazy.” As her family fades away, Lana is left with her old friends Lois and Clark, along with the sense that something is changing in the very fabric of reality — something centered on this pair.
Superwoman: What makes Lois and Clark so special?
In case there was any doubt, a caption directs readers to check out the “Superman Reborn” arc for the full story. But the thing is, even with this week’s big reveal, the stuff Lana is going through hasn’t really been the central focus of that arc — readers who pay close attention to the story around comics, who consider the reasons behind their favorite stories and debate about things like the New 52 and Rebirth, may have a good sense of what’s to come, but that’s all somewhat external to the story currently being told in “Superman” and “Action.” Right now, it’s looking at the mystery of the false Clark Kent and the peril he represents to the real Clark, Lois and their son Jon. But those characters — the bedrock of the DC Universe — are currently carrying the narrative albatross of being refugees from another universe, the pre-Flashpoint reality, which complicates the concept of a character who should be universally accessible. “Superman Reborn” will likely address this. But “Superwoman” #8 starts to suggest how.
A bit of metacommentary from Lana Lang.
After a bit more railing about how Lois and Clark are apparently the most important people in the universe, Lois tells Lana that the “universe chose her” to “be a bridge,” to “protect the past and connect it to the present.”
Then, the pieces start to fall into place.
“I Understand Now”
Lois: “It’s our son.”
Lana is either way smarter than I am, or else overstating her case. But at any rate the direction is pretty clear: The universe is reconfiguring to incorporate the pre-Flashpoint Lois and Clark so that they have always been a part of the current continuity. It also suggests that Jon, who is currently being held captive outside reality by “Superman Reborn’s” villain, represents more than simply the first child born to comics’ classic couple.
Lana’s role, her purpose as a “bridge,” is now to expend the “red energy” to get N52 Lois and Clark “back to where we came from. To make us whole.” Which she does, knowing that she will no longer remember their time together and believing that she will no longer have powers.
But…!
The last two panels of the issue present two final, vitally important questions. First, does Lana retain some form of Superwoman powers? She imagines herself waking up after the extended visitation, donning her familiar costume and rushing off with John Henry, Natasha and Traci 13, but without her own energy crackle. But then, the issue ends with an image of Lana still hibernating within the Kryptonian battle armor that brought Kal-El back to life following the “Death of Superman” arc, with Steel pleading with her to “please come back.”
Superwoman is still comatose
It’s pretty clear that Lana remains comatose. How, then, do we interpret the events of this issue? The structure of the series and the nature of her conversations with Lois suggest all of these things “happened,” within the context of developing Lana’s narrative — Lois assures us “this wasn’t for nothing.” And that means we can accept the insinuations about the conclusion of “Superman Reborn” at face value, opaque as they are. But if she’s still in the battle armor, we don’t know what kind of Superwoman she’ll be when she comes out. This may be by design, as new writer K. Perkins takes over from Phil Jimenez next issue; Jimenez has concluded his chapter in the “Superwoman” saga by notably drawing his characters back to their roots (the meeting on the farm where Lois convinced Lana to suit up) while also resolving their inter-dimensional conundrum and crisis of faith.
The solicitation text for Perkins’ first issue suggests that Lana and Lois will once again fight over the mantle of Superwoman.
“SUPER WOMEN” part one! In this story tying in to “Superman Reborn Aftermath,” Lois Lane and Lana Lang find themselves reunited at last! Along with the Man of Steel, their reunion is cut short by the return of Cannon and Saber, who arrive to wreak havoc on the newly restored Metropolis. The mantle of Superwoman will be decided in this debut chapter of “Super Women”!
Does this mean Lana will come out of her coma? She does not necessarily need to be conscious for a “reunion,” though an ongoing series in which the lead is incapacitated for several issues at a time would be difficult to sustain. Or does this suggest that Lois will come out of “Reborn” with powers, and potentially take over the series? After the unexpected switcheroo back in issue #1 where Lois, who had been billed as the titular hero, expired prematurely, some might see such a development as vindication, while others would cry shenanigans.
“Superwoman” has been at its best, though, when it’s unpredictable, and when it uses its conflicted heroes to explore the grey areas of super-heroism, such as the potential for redemption in the Atomic Skull’s contribution to saving Metropolis despite his indisputable crimes. It has been less good in its endless litigation, both through caption narration and “Conversations with Lois,” of Lana’s self-doubt. Whatever path the new writer takes, Perkins may do well to let its central heroine stand on her own and embrace those aspects of Truth and Justice often ignored by the superhero set.
The post Superwoman Presents New Superman Reborn Mysteries appeared first on CBR.
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Zod Joins [REDACTED], Aquaman is Impeached in DC’s May Solicits Highlights
May promises to be a busy month for DC Comics, which continues to flesh out its Rebirth mystery with a revelation here and a tease there. But there’s a lot more going on outside of the “when are the Watchmen showing up?” mystery.
EXCLUSIVE: Dixon & Nolan Return to Bane for New DC Series
For starters, Batman’s most dangerous enemy, Bane, is poised to headline his own series when Chuck Dixon and Graham Nolan present “Bane: Conquest.”
In the 12-part series, the title villain will reunite with Bird, Trogg and Zombie, his henchmen that have been mostly missing in action since their introduction in the 1993-1993 “Batman: Knightfall” arc, but who re-surfaced as part of the “I Am Bane” storyline. According to DC’s official description of the series, Bane will take his criminal ambitious out of Gotham, in search of “new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush.”
Of course, the rest of the DCU has other things to worry about, from new enemies to betrayal by old friends, and yes, some more Rebirth developments. Here are the highlights of DC Comics’ solicitations for MAy 2017.
The Suicide Squad drafts its most powerful member ever, when Amanda Waller convinces General Zod to join her deadly team. The storyline crosses over with the latest “Action Comics” saga, “Revenge,” which sees the Rebirth genesis of the Superman Revenge Squad
Ryan Choi and Caitlin Snow are in love, or at least the early stages of it. “Justice League of America” #11 promises developments in the “budding romance” between Killer Frost and The Atom. But even bigger, the sopy declares we’ll see “a moment fans have been waiting for since DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH!”
Scott Snyder re-teams with his “American Vampire” partner Rafael ALbuquerque for a new arc of “All Star Batman.” Rather than focusing on the Dark Knight’s classic rogues, “The First Ally” will introduce new bad guys to Batman’s universe, and possible betrayal from “one of his closest allies.”
Aquaman finds himself more or less impeached in the first chapter of “Crown of Atlantis.” When the citizens of his kingdom grow tired of their constant battles with the surface world they attempt to overthrow the king.
“League of Shadows” concludes in “Detective Comics,” which teases the permanent loss of one member of Batman’s team due to the actions of Lady Shiva’s power play on Gotham City.
Stephanie Brown takes the spotlight in the next issue, when “Detective Comics” #957 debuts “The Wrath Of Spoiler.” The description teases a “very unlikely ally” will help Stephanie in her battle, so place your bets as to who will join her.
“Green Lanterns” #23 teases a possible break-up of the partnership between Simon Baz and Jessica Ruiz. The Green Lantern Corps strikes a deal with the Sinestro Corps resulting in one Green and one Yellow Lantern per sector, which means Sector 2814 has an extra Lantern.
Nicola Scott returns to “Wonder Woman,” albeit briefly. Scott joins Greg Rucka, Liam Sharp and a number of other artists for “Wonder Woman Annual” #1. Through several short stories, we’ll see Diana’s first encounter with Batman and Superman and learn how their relationships evolved over time.
The Legion of Super-Heroes Rebirth mystery deepens in “Supergirl” #9. Not only does the issue involve the Phantom Zone (ie: the place where Mon-El spent centuries awaiting a cure for his lead poisoning), it features the Emerald Empress and her attempts to build a team of villains. Chances are good we’re about to see the Fatal Five crash the Rebirth party.
We already knew about the Teen Titans/Titans/Deathstroke crossover, but the solicitation text for the 4-part storyline’s finale, “the consequences of which will be felt for years to come,” and Wally West’s role in the center of the conflict indicate that it will have massive repercussions on the Rebirth timeline.
Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson’s “Dark Knight III: The Master Race” concludes when issue #9 arrives in May.
“Bug: The Adventures of a Forager” brings Jack Kirby’s New Gods to DC’s Young Animal imprint. The series, by Lee, Mike and Laura Allred, explores Kirby’s Fourth World reality, following the adventures of one of its lowest denizens as Bug attempts to elevate himself to the status of a New God.
The post Zod Joins [REDACTED], Aquaman is Impeached in DC’s May Solicits Highlights appeared first on CBR.com.
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The Buy Pile: Bad People & Bad Decisions Make For Good Comics
WHAT IS THE BUY PILE?
Every week Hannibal Tabu (winner of the 2012 Top Cow Talent Hunt/blogger/novelist/poet/jackass on Twitter/head honcho of Komplicated) grabs a whole lotta comics. These periodicals are quickly sorted (how) into two piles — the “buy” pile (a small pile most weeks, comprised of planned purchases) and the “read” pile (often huge, often including comics that are really crappy but have some value to stay abreast of). Thursday afternoons you’ll be able to get his thoughts (and they’re just the opinions of one guy, so calm down, and here’s some common definitions used in the column) about all of that … which goes something like this …
THE BUY PILE FOR JANUARY 18, 2017
Curse Words #1 (Image Comics)
Jump from the Read Pile. The lure of leisure time and scantily clad romantic partners have felled conquerors of many stripes, from the Zentraedi in “Robotech” to … well, the Invid in “Robotech.” In this crafty new book, an imperialist’s minion gets a change of heart when he experiences New York City. That part is very engaging, and when the bill inevitably comes due that leads to some solid action and the truth needing protection in an extreme fashion. Charles Soule, Ryan Browne, Jordan Boyd, Michael Parkinson, Chris Crank and Shawn DePasquale turned in one entertaining work and watching this struggle between demons and slightly better angels is a great start.
“Grand Passion” #3 breaks all the rules and loves every minute of it.
Grand Passion #3 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Jump from the Read Pile. Not at all safe for work, this twisted gunpoint love story has everything you need to get engaged in the characters and resolve the plot in this issue while pushing you towards the next one. Spoilers would abound with discussing the details, but James Robinson, Tom Feister, Dave Curiel and Simon Bowland deliver a bawdy, enjoyable romp.
WHAT’S THE PROGNOSIS?
New ideas getting their game face together? Gotta love that, especially with so much cool new stuff happening.
THIS WEEK’S READ PILE
Honorable Mentions: Stuff worth noting, even if it’s not good enough to buy
Answers start to come in “Mosaic” #4 with the help of a brain significantly better than the series’ protagonist. There’s a real holodeck feel to it, as a lot of nothing happened just to transfer some information and do a bit of character work. That dragged the plot, which wasn’t so good, but the building of Morris Sackett as a character is fantastic.
Maximus the Mad is like a bored frat boy Loki in “Uncanny Inhumans” #18 where he comes up with a plan that only involves a little bit of murder and mayhem but he figures will be wholly forgiven. Hanging out with two of the worst Inhuman villains aside from himself, this has the feeling of a good crime comedy but hits the brakes sometime during the second act, leaving things unresolved. An improvement with the focus on character, but not enough to make it home.
“WWE” #1 was interestingly written, presenting the story behind the story as a story, reframing actual events in wrestling … “history,” we can call it. In any case, this behind the scenes look plays out as if the characters on the screen are the same when the cameras are off, carrying the scripted nature of the stories to a whole new level. On one hand, that’s brilliant and amazing, especially with the Seth Rollins characterization. On another hand, many of the shirtless characters herein were difficult to distinguish from each other, and that made the story seem to go by in a blur at points.
“Captain America Sam Wilson” #18 took a long time to make what seems like an obvious decision (as stated by almost everybody who matters in these pages), which made its titular character terrible even in the eyes of many people closest to him. It also had a strategy from a young hero that bordered on stupidity, so that was a problem. What was good was Steve Rogers, dancing around double entendres so much that Ben Kenobi might pause and then applaud respectfully. The ideas are better than the execution, and if this issue is right that the cause matters more than the consequences, that’s something to like.
Just when “Star Wars Doctor Aphra” #3 was getting good, after some character development (including her full name) and finding out just how dangerous a single Wookiee can be, when the page count caught up to it, cutting the story off at the climax of a second act. Written as trade bait? Maybe. This was close to making the mark, though, as each cast member did some of what makes them awesome.
The “Meh” Pile Not good enough to praise, not bad enough to insult, they just kind of happened …
“Harbinger Renegade” #3, “Aquaman” #15, “Revolutionaries” #1, “Trinity” #5, “Cage” #4, “Hook Jaw” #2, “Green Arrow” #15, “Squadron Supreme” #15, “Jeff Steinberg Champion Of Earth” #5, “Dollface” #1, “Lucifer” #14, “Spider-Gwen” #16, “Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual” #1, “Venom” #3, “Superman” #15, “Deadpool And The Mercs For Money” #7, “Horizon” #7, “Ultimates 2” #3, “Justice League” #13, “Black Widow” #10, “Athena Voltaire And The Volcano Goddess” #3, “Suicide Squad Most Wanted El Diablo And Amanda Waller” #6, “Divinity III Aric Son Of The Revolution” #1, “Avengers” #3.1, “Raven” #5, “Unbelievable Gwenpool” #10, “Battlestar Galactica Gods And Monsters” #3, “Mighty Captain Marvel” #1, “Justice League Vs Suicide Squad” #5, “Gamora” #2, “Doctor Who The Ninth Doctor” #9, “Patsy Walker A.K.A. Hellcat” #14, “Harley Quinn” #12, “Kill Or Be Killed” #5, “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” #11, “James Bond Hammerhead” #4, “Nightwing” #13, “Black Panther World Of Wakanda” #3, “Generation Zero” #6, “Star-Lord” #2, “Cougar And Cub” #1, “All-New X-Men” #17, “Justice League Of America The Ray Rebirth” #1, “U.S. Avengers” #2, “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency The Salmon Of Doubt” #4, “Invincible Iron Man” #3, “He-Man Thundercats” #4, “Night’s Dominion” #5, “Green Lanterns” #15, “Few” #1, “Batman” #15.
No, just … no … These comics? Not so much …
Since “Clone Conspiracy” #4 and “Amazing Spider-Man” #23 have so many of the same story elements, they may as well have the same review. Of course, trusting maniacs and murderers goes as it inevitably has to after pages and pages of moralistic hand wringing and prevarication. These books are so predictably doomed that when the other shoe finally drops, it’s almost a relief to know there’s just the punching and attempted murder to get through now. Subpar concept, adequate execution.
SO, HOW BAD WAS IT?
Not bad.
WINNERS AND LOSERS
Those jumps, though … let’s call this week a winner.
THE BUSINESS
Well, there are 22 pages of a new 72 page web comic on line, there’s another one coming next month while a third just got collected for sale, 44 pages of story for just three bucks through Black History Month. All that and asking the question who is David Chance? It was a big weekend at the Black Comix Arts Festival in San Francisco, and if you join the mailing list there’s free stuff in it for you, to boot!
The writer of this column isn’t just a jerk who spews his opinions — he writes stuff too. A lot. Like what? You can get “Project Wildfire: Enter Project Torrent” (a collected superhero web comic), “The Crown: Ascension” and “Faraway,” five bucks a piece, or spend a few more dollars and get “New Money” #1 from Canon Comics, the rambunctious tale of four multimillionaires running wild in Los Angeles, a story in “Watson and Holmes Volume 2” co-plotted by “2 Guns” creator Steven Grant, two books from Stranger Comics — “Waso: Will To Power” and the sequel “Waso: Gathering Wind” (the tale of a young man who had leadership thrust upon him after a tragedy), or “Fathom Sourcebook” #1, “Soulfire Sourcebook” #1, “Executive Assistant Iris Sourcebook” #1 and “Aspen Universe Sourcebook,” the official guides to those Aspen Comics franchises. Love these reviews? It’d be great if you picked up a copy. Hate these reviews? Find out what this guy thinks is so freakin’ great. There’s free sample chapters too, and all proceeds to towards the care and maintenance of his kids … oh, and to buy comic books, of course. There’s also a bunch of great stuff — fantasy, superhero stuff, magical realism and more — available from this writer on Amazon. What are you waiting for? Go buy a freakin’ book already!
Got a comic you think should be reviewed in The Buy Pile? If we get a PDF of a fairly normal length comic (i.e. “less than 64 pages”) by no later than 24 hours before the actual issue arrives in stores (and sorry, we can only review comics people can go to stores and buy), we guarantee the work will get reviewed, if remembered. Physical comics? Geddouttahere. Too much drama to store with diminishing resources. If you send it in more than two days before comics come out, the possibility of it being forgotten increases exponentially. Oh, you should use the contact form as the CBR email address hasn’t been regularly checked since George W. Bush was in office. Sorry!
The post The Buy Pile: Bad People & Bad Decisions Make For Good Comics appeared first on CBR.com.
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