#the crossover combination no one saw combo
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I present you, Lord Mark Dimitrescu with a vanity chair. This is the funniest but most terrifying thing I’ve created this year. Absolute genius and op af.
#markiplier#mark#re8#resident evil 8#resident evil village#the crossover combination no one saw combo#the POWER!#fan art#he would make an excellent dimitrescu let's be honest#doublelsatan
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When I saw your fic about shinobu having to hide her wisteria plan, I halfway expected it to be like that one giyuushino post about giyuu misunderstanding it to shinobu being pregnant and offering to take responsibility for her ‘baby daddy’ and her going along it. I guess my question would be how possible would that plan work out till someone asks why she doesn’t have a baby bump, excluding kaguya figuring it out long before anyone else
This Ask is in reference to my pre-canon fic which was written as canon compliant as possible while still giving myself space for indulgent Pillar interactions, as well as an AU that started as a silly joke but then became my indulgent ship outlet.
And you’re asking me to combine these two into one indulgent crossover? Well then, with your permission, I shall indulge!
To set the stage, in the aforementioned fic, Shinobu has just started her wisteria poison intake, but she was over-ambitious and gave herself severe side effects, like fainting at the end of a Pillar Meeting, so all the Pillars take a turn trying to be supportive (in some cases succeeding, in other cases… hm.) In this fic, Giyuu noticed something was off before she fainted, and his way of offering support is visiting. As usual, he doesn’t talk much.
In the AU, Giyuu and Shinobu got married sometime after Giyuu’s encounter with the Kamado siblings. They are Pillars first and spouses second, and their marriage is so low-key even if many of the Pillars have some awareness that they are married people, they haven’t all figured out that they are married to each other, as their professional interactions remain much the same. Later in that AU, Giyuu is certain something is off. Even though they didn’t plan on having children while acting as Pillars, just an empty “maybe someday” thing, Giyuu assumes her condition is due to pregnancy, and he doesn’t talk about it but feels driven to be protective of her and the baby, only to have his growing hopes dashed by Kanao telling him the truth later. (What happened to my happy fun silly AU??)
So then in a combination of these two AUs (and this combo is meant to be funny, it’ll only sting a little) the moment Shinobu faints, every Pillar who knows she’s a married woman automatically assumes it’s pregnancy, except Giyuu. He just wants to know why his wife has fainted but is so stuck on the “we aren’t having kids for a long time, if ever” mindset that he’s the only one not to jump to this conclusion—for now?
Uzui disapproves of Shinobu continuing to work in that condition, and puts pressure on Giyuu to make her stay put at home. Giyuu, not knowing what Uzui is insinuating, snaps back that Shinobu is a Pillar. Uzui is impressed with Giyuu’s faith in her, and he feels vague inadequacy for how he prioritizes his wives’ lives over his own Pillar work. In the end, though, Uzui would rather be an inadequate Pillar than an inadequate husband.
Okay, so, Pillar reactions:
Himejima is happy for them and secretly a little excited to see the baby, babies are cuddly and warm like cats after all, and he hopes this will be what makes Shinobu retire. When she does not, he fears what her stubbornness will do to her both in the long and short run. Namu Amida Butsu.
Rengoku, having jumped to a conclusion at some point that Shinobu is one of Uzui’s wives, makes a mental note to congratulate Uzui, which he never gets around to. He finds himself amused, wondering if a child between the two of them may wind up of perfectly average size and strength.
Iguro, despite vaguely knowing that both Shinobu and Giyuu have spouses, does not yet know that they are together. He’s concerned for Shinobu’s wellbeing, but ultimately finds the whole topic much too awkward to eloquently voice any concerns. It flusters him so much, in fact, that in this AU of an AU, Mitsuri might even get a misunderstanding about Iguro liking Shinobu (how tragic, though, seeing as she’s already married).
Although in the original version of this Low-Key Married AU, Iguro is the one to inform Mitsuri that their colleagues are married so that she can avoid further embarrassing herself, let’s say that in this version she knows Shinobu is married to Giyuu but is under the impression that it’s supposed to be a secret, having totally misread Shinobu’s request to keep it ‘low-key.’ This adds to the tragic drama surrounding Iguro’s affection for Shinobu, he’s going to be even more heartbroken when he knows she’s carrying the child of another man! While Mitsuri is full of pity for Iguro and a drive to take care of him in his heartbreak, as she knows what let-down is like (but also, why does this sense of pity sting so much and feel sort of ugly??), she is also constantly concerned about Shinobu. Even if she’s doing her best to keep Shinobu’s secret, she’d be the only constantly asking her how she feels and if she needs anything and whispering excitedly to ask if she feels any kicking. Shinobu diplomatically and truthfully responds that she has indigestion.
Muichiro does not know where he got this impression, but he’s accepted as fact that Shinobu is unwell because she’s tired from taking care of a nest of hungry baby birds.
Kagaya knows everything. Shinobu told him about the poison, but she hasn’t told Giyuu and she wants Kagaya’s help keeping Giyuu in the dark about it, there’s no need to get Giyuu involved or make him unnecessarily upset about her death in advance. After all, they entered this arrangement as two Pillars, supporting each other in whatever Pillar duty requires of them. While Kagaya feels bad for Giyuu and has told her he thinks she’s overestimated how okay with this Giyuu will be in the end, he finds the fact that everyone assumes she’s pregnant kind of hilarious and wholeheartedly offers his help.
“I’ll have my most trusted Kakushi supply you with a growing array of fake bellies. And I’ve got the perfect excuse for when you need to stop going on active missions! You see, there’s this demon named Ta—”
“I’m not stopping any active missions; I have demons out there to kill.”
“...but… but pregnancy was going to be the excuse…”
“While it’s a convenient excuse for now while I’m still getting used to the side effects, I don’t need any of the drama from when a fake pregnancy ends. That’s why any time someone brings it up I smile and remind that it’s a private matter between me and my husband.”
“Thereby leading them deeper into believing…”
“No! Because it is a private matter. Tomioka-san and I have already discussed this. We’ve both accepted it’s not likely to ever happen for us. The last thing I need is for any word of this to get to him”
“Because he would be sappy and excited, wouldn’t he?”
“Please, Oyakata-sama, we both know my husband isn’t—” she tries to deny him but the sheer sense of guilt for lying even a little bit to Oyakata-sama makes her blood pressure dip again and she faints.
When she wakes up, Amane is with her and assures her she’s heard everything and is there is help. “My husband tells me you’re looking for help in making convincing pregnancy symptoms to distract from what you’re really up to.”
“I… never wanted to go that far, but I suppose if it’s an order from Oyakata-sama… “
“The first thing is to make an assumption how far along you are. Hmm,” she says, peering narrowly at Shinobu. “And how many you’re carrying.”
“Zero.”
“It doesn’t hurt to have some imagination. Shall we be conservative and say two?”
“One is fine.”
“Boy or girl?”
“Why would that… fine. It’s a boy.”
“Have you picked out a name?”
“Not ‘Tanjiro.’”
“Still thinking then. Given your size, how long the two of you have been together, and the particular symptoms you’re wishing to conceal, let’s assume you’re still very early. Maybe you don’t even know yet. Maybe you’re so used to your period being late due to the stress of training that you haven’t even considered the possibility.”
“Nevermind all that. Rather than faking a whole pregnancy, is there some way to accentuate extra weight and curves to lead people to make their own false impression? As opposed to all the trouble of a convincing lie. Nothing that would make Tomioka-san notice anything amiss.”
At this, Amane’s eyes looked distant. Shinobu braces herself for a lecture about the meaning of marriages and necessity for total openness between spouses, and Amane would be the sort of person with a right to chide her for a naïve commitment, but then Amane says, “Trying to keep your figure for your husband? You have so much to learn. You’ll be bigger than you ever imagined.”
“To be fair, Amane-sama, in your case—”
“My ankles? They were swollen out to here.”
“This is seeming less and less conducive to my demon slaying missions. If you’ll excuse me, I—”
She stands up, too quickly, and as she comes tumbling down her gut is whirling. Amane catches her by the shoulders and guides her to the garden to expel the contents of her stomach. It’s as Shinobu is inwardly groaning to herself about this new side effect and listing off what medicines she should concoct to keep it under control that Amane assures her sympathetically that she understands, “morning sickness” is a misnomer because it is all-day sickness.
Shinobu decides to get out of future advice sessions with Amane and continue to let everyone assume what they will, she won’t play in or out of it, though this whole time Kagaya is “accidentally” leaving clues. However, when asked outright, “omigosh, I knew it, how is Shinobu-chan, is she doing okay!?!? When is she due!?!?” he always smiles and sayings, “I really can’t say.” However, when talking to Giyuu, Kagaya is more gentle and reminds him to spend quality time with his wife.
So anyway, that could potentially go on for months, maybe with Giyuu vehemently shutting down any congratulations with a deadpan, “I’m not a father.” (And wow, Mitsuri would toooootally take this the wrong way. Surely it’s not Iguro-san, who in his broken heart keeps such distance from Shinobu?), but eventually with Shinobu reaching more of a state of normalcy and not showing any additional signs, the others forget about it, assume they had been mistaken all along, or that their worst fears came true and it’s not their place to talk about it. Shinobu prefers not knowing who thought what, although at one point Rengoku sees that Uzui and Shinobu happen to be standing next to each other and he says, “my condolences,” and they have no idea why.
What brings Shinobu the most relief is that this hasn’t really changed anything between herself and Giyuu, as he does put such trust in her as a Pillar that he never questions her own judgement about her limitations. Even when, much, much later, he does find himself unable to quell the nagging sense that something isn’t right with her health (really, it’s that she’s showing signs of distress about her end being near and about the research with Tamayo), he never tells her to stop any of her Pillar duties but volunteers for a lot of missions and unconscious comes off a bit cold. It’s all his way of expressing protectiveness and going out to face danger so she won’t have to, though Shinobu misreads it as him knowing about Tamayo and volunteering for missions she’d usually take so as to help keep her cover, but it’s also possible he’s angry that she’s cooperating with a demon. But who is he to get worked up about that, when he’s the one who let Nezuko live and hid her existence for so long? But that is another issue in their relationship they haven’t quite worked out yet.
Neither of them talk enough, really.
#GiyuuShino#GiyuShino#Giyuu x Shinobu#my fics#kind of#KnY fix it Au#kiiiiiind of#Kochou Shinobu#Kocho Shinobu#Tomioka Giyu#Tomioka Giyuu#Ubuyashiki Kagaya#Ubuyashiki Amane#GiyuShino Low Key Married AU
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@meepmoopmaap so I tried all three picrews.
This one is Dewdrop, she’s in my first mlp fanfiction (Find Your Spark) and first let me tell you I really tried to find a combo of outfit pieces that all were A) the same or a similar shade of blue and B) combined together to look like her blanket. Alas.
Anyway I’m still figuring out her entire lore but for now it’s what’s in the story. She’s the youngest princess of the neighbouring kingdom to Equestria called Kiang (also jumped through HOOPS to find a horse-related name to call this kingdom) despite being an Earth Pony, because in Kiang you have to earn wings and unicorn horns through acts of service, especially if you want to be an Alicorn, which, you cannot rule a piece of Kiang unless you are an Alicorn because that’s the ultimate symbol of royalty, (a lot like Equestria). Also there’s Earth Pony magic and yes I ripped that straight from the newest generation, fucking bite me.
The other two picrews looked like younger ponies than adult ponies to me so this is Flickerspell, and she’s going to show up in my second Mlp fanfiction (Little Teenage Ninja Ponies, yes it is a TMNT crossover, fucking bite me). She’s basically my OC Ming if she were a pony. She was born an Alicorn. (which, btw, just found out apparently in the regular mlp friendship lore, Doesn’t happen. Like, Flurry Heart was an EXCEPTION, which makes me sad that we never saw her grow up because honestly she probably should’ve been the star of her own MLP generation. Honestly, they should have made one between Friendship is Magic and Make Your Mark focused around the only Alicorn BORN an Alicorn in all of Equestria. I need that show)
Anyway, rant over, I digress, Flickerspell was born an Alicorn and abandoned in the forest of Bridlewoods and then Splinter found her and the turtles’ ponysonas and Splinter raise her. I was going to make them all move to Ponyville and Flickerspell be friends with the Cutie Mark Crusaders (Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scoot-a-loo) and have a whole chapter arc around the episode they got their cutie marks and she wasn’t there and now she’s the only pony her age without one yet. But I’m kind of torn because I also really do want a focus on Flurry Heart because if both of them are the only two ponies BORN Alicorn, they could be special together and we can still have the whole “my best friend(s) got their cutie mark before me/without me, and theirs are awesome and mine is going to be lame if I ever get it at all” arc.
Im not sure. If Flickerspell goes with the Crusaders I may end up writing aNOTHER mlp story about Flurry Heart because I honestly need that.
I don’t know who this is. I wanted it to be Flickerspell because the hair shape matches better than the other one but this picrew didn’t have any streaks options (and she has green streaks in her blue hair) also this one’s hair looks more purple than blue. We could say this is Dewdrop after she gets her wings and horn (because as much as I live for the angst of inferiority complexes, Dew WILL get a happy ending, I need that in my Mlp fanfics) but the picrew looks too much like a young pony and Dewdrop is about Twilight and gang’s age during her story.
Since she’s kind of a mix of the two, I’m going to call her Sea Holly (one of the MANY names I went through when trying to come up with Flickerspell’s). The other two don’t have special abilities yet (Dewdrop’s is a surpriiiiiiise) so Sea Holly’s special ability is going to be that she can control and speak to all the sea creatures and control all the oceans and rivers and bodies of water (she’s an Alicorn, after all) and her cutie mark is a water drop with a sea creature within (a turtle? A dolphin? A fish or a shark? Can’t decide)
IDK maybe Sea Holly can show up in one of the MLP stories one day or be Flickerspell and Flurry Heart’s third friend. Who knows? Not me.
I am however going to save her lore in my notes because I came up with this one the spot and I love it.
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if you’re still doing 003 reqs i’d LOVE to hear what you think of tatara! he’s one of my favorite characters so i’m biased </3
I am indeed still doing these, and still thriving. Here we go!
How I feel about this character:
So cool looking, the white trench coat and mask combo is so stupid and pretentious but it works somehow, and the fact that it has emotional value actually leans to the silly side of it in my mind. I’m not sure why, I think I’ve just wired my own brain incorrectly enough to go “haha you have emotions.” But I’m going to tell that portion of my mind to be quiet for now, because he has an excellent design, though it could stand to have a few more defining traits, and he looks a bit like a pokemon gym leader.
Oh! Also, Hands down coolest Kakuja and I wish I’d seen it before the Kakuja polls, in which I so foolishly voted Uta or something, thinking there could be no better. How wrong I was, FLAMETHROWER KAKUJA. The mere combination of words invokes awe. I could roll it around in my mind for hours. Continuing the pokemon comments, it really feels like the evolution of his normal outfit because it is also pretentious and stupid but somehow works and it’s really cool anyways. I didn’t realize how… large it was supposed to be before I saw a screenshot of the anime’s portrayal. It always felt human-sized to me, perhaps a couple feet taller but no, it apparently has the dimensions of an 8-wheeler and I don’t know how to feel about that. He definitely doesn’t really have a grand plan he’s just chilling with these comparatively much worse people while doing nothing particularly remarkable himself, he’s mostly just a functional figurehead eating grapes and providing the method to the madness that is Aogori. Eto had plans but she’s not going to take the time to carefully direct them herself. It’s a thankless job but might as well have the pale beanstalk who was-a-mask-wearing–kakuja-before-it-was-cool do it. He doesn’t seem to mind, or at least he’s just going to be in the same bad mood regardless.
Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character:
Just secondhand HouTata. I observe it. Live in antagonism, die alone, perfect. The golden standard. Neither of them are happy. Be like them, fictional couples. Also I like the thought of Tatara being awful at cuddling but the natural warmth makes it nice anyways.
My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character:
Ayato. “I don’t care about him at all, not worth more than the dust beneath my feet without about the same usefulness- oh they grow up so fast.” Go put what can only be described as your awkward nephew to bed, I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to let this child into your terrorist organization Tartara, but congratulations he’s yours now.
My unpopular opinion about this character:
I have few opinions on him and none of them are very strong so it’s difficult to find an unpopular one… his personality gives the profound impression of an undersalted pretzel stick standing upright inexplicably, and a shade of light green-grey. When lost I just spew a small piece of my constant stream of nonsensical, slightly unhinged simultaneous thought processes.
One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:
More screentime. Yeah he existed to prove points about other characters but you’d think the debatable leader of Aogori would be a bit more fleshed out.
Favorite friendship for this character:
Eto! Mutual respect, terrible decisions, fun times.
My crossover ship:
Maybe Rem. Or Luida. These are just my end-of-ramble thoughts now. The song I listened to for most of this has several instances of very goatlike screams and they were never where I thought they were no matter how many times I looped it.
#miscellaneous not-art things#zeph answers questions about media/characters/ships#tokyo ghoul#tatara
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hey so i saw your reblog and uh yeah you got any rythm games to reccomend? (I play mostly osu!mania kind of games)
Yesssss tytyty! Let's do this! And I play more traditional Beatmania-style stuff anyway so that works!
OK so I will say that a lot of the rhythm games I tend to play and recommend are a bit more self-contained, that while I do mess with osu!mania from time to time, I mainly play stuff without custom songs, or at least officially. BUT! I do still recommend these a ton!
I also know that there's a good chance you may know these, but I'm adding them in just in case you don't or if anyone else reads! Just didn't want you to think I am assumin' your level of experience with the genre. Hokay! So!
Beatmania IIDX
(Arcade, PS2, PC sorta) Basically the mother of any traditional 4-to-8-key rhythm games. Beatmania I and III were novelties, but there are now **30** standard versions of IIDX and for good reason. Literal thousands of song+difficulty combos and all damn types of genres, and punishing but classic 7-key gameplay. Iirc Beatmania was also the first keysounded rhythm game and you still simply can't go wrong with it. The problem is the barrier to play -- either gotta find an arcade version or get an old PS2 and find a PS2-compatible controller. You can also hack the arcade versions and get them on PC but it's very tricky. But it's certainly worth it!
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DJMAX Respect V
(PC highly recommended - also PS4-5, Xbox but missing some features) Probably the rhythm game I play the most nowadays, especially good because it is played best with a standard computer keyboard - no fancy tech. Incredibly high production value, tons of really good original music and good collabs, and 4, 5, 6, and 8-key modes with players at all levels. Visuals and customizations + unlockables are amazing, tons of DLC and a season pass (that lets you play DLC for free online w/ others), and even very robust ranked online play make this my absolute biggest recommendation.
The game is a full $49 price so for a rhythm game it can be a bit pricey, but it tends to go on massive sales during most Steam sale periods, usually like ~75% off! (Also message me if you get this and I will totally play with.)
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Muse Dash
(PC, Mobile, Switch) I slept on this game WAY too long. It just looked too much like a platformer at first to have, like, a ton of rhythm game depth, but it absolutely has it all. Still traditional rhythm game gameplay, similar to Taiko in a slight way where you're basically hitting 'enemies' or dodging hazards at two locations, with a ton of original and crossover music, cute-as-hell characters and backgrounds and bosses, and a really good difficulty scale for all kinds of players. The base game serves as almost a trial of sorts with a one-time unlock cost that gives you all past AND future DLC, so it is entirely worth the sticker price! They pump out music at a really good clip and the quality bar remains pretty high. PC and mobile can even sync their progress together if you want to play on the go! (I don't recommend the Switch port because it can't sync scores/level and tends to get songs later, but it's not awful otherwise.) Hiiiighly recommend getting at least the starter version for a couple bucks and seeing if you like it!
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Cytus II
(Mobile, recommend a tablet/iPad) If you want a story for your rhythm game, it literally does not get better than this. Tap-based game that feels like a combination of osu! and DJMAX Technika with some absolutely incredible narrative, even things like bosses and secrets that you'd find in ARGs. This game crossed over to most of the above games too so maybe you'll find something you like in one of them and come here after!
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Honorable Mentions
EZ2ON Reboot R
Hatsune Miku Project DIVA MegaMix
DEEMO Reborn
I literally could list more than this too, haha, but these are my definite go-tos nowadays and you can always message me to find out more and talk shop! Hope this helps!! 💛💛
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The differences between Takato and Haru
(This meta was requested by @digitalgate02, who also assisted me with a large portion of it. Thank you for your help!)
Takato and Haru often beg a lot of comparisons because of the fact they go so against the usual “brash hero” archetype common to not only Digimon but also shounen franchises in general, being significantly more mild-mannered (on a language level, they’re also the only Digimon protagonists to date who use the more polite boku first-person pronoun instead of the more assertive ore). Haru himself even points out in Appmon’s very first episode that this kind of personality would normally be more suited towards a side character than a protagonist!
Because of that, Haru is often considered to be a spiritual rehashing of Takato, and many have tried to make close parallels between the two, but while the desire to make comparison is naturally understandable, the truth is that beyond surface temperament, the two characters actually have very little in common. In fact, both Tamers and Appmon take rather different approaches to their definitions of a “conventional hero”, and that results in both Takato and Haru having very different roles in the plot.
In many cases, the role of a protagonist in a narrative has a deep relationship with what kind of narrative it is in the first place, and especially what kinds of themes it wants to present. For instance, in the case of 02, you could argue that the story is more “about” Ken than it is about Daisuke, since both major arcs in the story are about his fall and reformation, but when you consider the major themes present in 02′s narrative about purpose in life and pragmatism, Daisuke’s way of life and overall attitude are vital elements in relation to them, and it’s why he ends up being the “protagonist” (or, more accurately, the character at the forefront of the story) despite Ken’s heavier connection to it.
Tamers and Appmon have a number of similarities in storytelling, mainly that they’re both “hard sci-fi” stories in comparison to other entries that have stronger fantasy elements, and do have a certain amount of crossover in terms of dealing with AI-related topics. However, the actual “nature” of each work ultimately turns out to be different, and thus impacts how each of their protagonists is presented.
I heavily dislike calling Tamers a “deconstruction” of the monster collecting genre or of Digimon Adventure, mainly because of how much that term has been exploited to stereotype works in a genre as being things they’re not, or less nuanced than they actually are (as one Twitter user aptly put it: “a deconstruction is when I like something in a genre I disrespect”). I absolutely do not care for the idea of claiming that Adventure or 02 were somehow less nuanced or “deep” than Tamers just because they were more idealistic or more subtle about it, because they sure as hell had a lot of deeper things hidden between the lines if you bother to look out for them, and I also don’t like the implication that Tamers exists to criticize Adventure for supposedly being too naive. It is true, however, that Tamers re-examines a lot of Adventure (and 02)’s concepts in a different context; while Tamers isn’t as strong of a theme narrative, and it’s much more difficult to say there's an overarching message that encompass most or all of the series as much, it does indulge in a lot of thought experiments and smaller subplots that wouldn’t be possible in Adventure, and Takato thus has an important position in facilitating those kinds of thought experiments. The overall franchise metaphors of “growing” (evolving) alongside your Digimon (or, at least, something different from you) and the symbolism associated with it are still more than present, so the Tamers way of showcasing it is in mainly presenting the question of how that kind of goal would even be achievable in the first place when things aren’t as clear-cut.
In particular, Takato serves to address how someone who doesn’t fulfill the typical protagonist mold would cope with situations that somewhat resemble those in Adventure, what would happen when a Digimon partner is fundamentally different from oneself, and how one would still be able to grow alongside such an existence. Thus, his own character arc is more relevant to his own personal growth in accordance with interacting with Guilmon and what he gets out of his journey. This is especially because one thing particularly unique to Tamers is how it portrays Digimon as significantly more feral and different in mentality to humans, which means that he had a much higher personal hurdle to begin with, and thus his personal story and what he gets out of it becomes of significantly more importance.
Appmon, on the other hand, very much is an overarching theme narrative and isn’t exactly subtle about it, with one of its biggest questions being about what’s important in a world that’s getting increasingly controlled and regulated by modern technology that’s getting more and more intelligent. Haru is thus the embodiment of Appmon’s answer to that question: “to choose to be kind” -- and the less-than-subtle invocation of the word “protagonist” ends up having a very different meaning invoked in its final episode.
At the very least, on top of both being rather unconventional protagonists, both Tamers and Appmon do start with Takato and Haru both expressing a desire to be more like one who could go on some kind of adventure (Takato’s version isn’t as verbal, but his way of enthusiastically putting on goggles as proof that he’s a Tamer in Tamers episode 2 carries heavy implications of wanting to emulate the heroes he saw on TV).
However, this is where we get our first difference: Takato proudly claims his newfound status as the series protagonist, whereas Haru is unsure and self-conscious about it -- Haru himself is the one who initially considers himself not cut out for the role despite Yuujin personally believing he does and Gatchmon trying to urge him into it. And, in fact, this is actually the difference that kicks off where their paths entirely diverge.
Takato is often said to be unconventional for a protagonist, but when you really think about it, it’s not like Taichi or Daisuke were exactly models of typical protagonist tropes; while you could call them “hot-blooded”, in the end, Taichi’s standout traits have more to do with natural charisma and sometimes even being too chill, and Daisuke, for all he seems assertive, is actually extremely deferential. So why is Takato still such a standout in comparison?
Well, when you look at the detailed profiles of all twelve of the main Adventure and 02 cast, you might notice something: all of them are naturally selfless people who put others before themselves without a second thought. On the other hand, when you look at Takato, you might realize that this is very much not the case, especially during the early parts of the series. As much as Takato is a “soft” person, he’s not necessarily very “kind” or “nice”, especially during the early parts of the series; he can get possessive or clingy, petty, or even a little arrogant (Tamers episode 11 basically has him go on a mini-power trip based on his card combo having worked so well in the prior episode, which ends up becoming part of his isolation from Hirokazu and Kenta in the following one). Moreover, Takato loses his emotional composure and becomes a crying mess as early as Tamers episode 2, and while it’s not like other characters in Adventure and 02 hadn’t been prone to emotional outbursts, combine it with the above facts and you get the take-home that Takato isn’t “soft” out of an active choice to be so as much as he’s just really, really lacking in emotional mettle to begin with.
To be fair to him, Takato has to deal with quite a bit more stress during the early parts of Tamers than Haru has to during the equivalent parts; having to deal with a Digimon partner that’s outright feral at times and doesn’t have a fully intelligent understanding of how to communicate is a pretty rough thing to start off with. That said, Takato is fairly cowardly even in situations that don’t necessarily have to do with this, it’s just that this makes it worse -- but it means a lot that Takato himself is willing to put in that much effort in bonding with Guilmon despite being initially intimidated by what he’d just created, and that perhaps is what’s the beginnings of how he continues to develop that strength of heart for the rest of the series (and also extends to how he’s the one who connects with Grani).
This is in contrast to how Haru is described by Yuujin at the end of Appmon episode 1, in which Yuujin states that Haru is already cut out to be a protagonist because he’s a kind person -- in other words, Takato is someone who is not cut out to be a protagonist of any kind of adventure at the start of Tamers, even though he thinks he now gets the luxury of being one due to the circumstances he’s thrust into, whereas Haru is already someone with the potential to be one even at the start of the series, but initially lacks the self-confidence to consider himself able to be so. Thus, Takato’s character arc involves having to actually grow into someone worthy of the position, whereas Haru’s involves coming to terms with the aspects of himself he already has but doesn’t quite understand yet.
One very important thing to reiterate is that “unconventional” does not necessarily mean “better” by default, and, on the flip side, just because Takato isn’t as virtuous of a person at the beginning doesn’t mean he’s a worse character (after all, these kinds of things are what makes one interesting). Rather, it’s more important to consider why these characters are this way based on the context of the narratives they’re in.
In the case of the Adventure/02 kids, getting twelve naturally kind kids wasn’t exactly accident, nor was Haru and the other Appli Drivers also being that way; said kids have a bit of selection bias in that they were deliberately chosen by various entities (”the one who wishes for stability” and the Agents, the Holy Beasts, or Minerva) knowing that a massive world- or humanity-threatening crisis was on the horizon and quite understandably picking kids who had the greatest potential for the kindness that shouldering the world’s burdens would take (in Adventure and 02 this manifested in having the kids resonate with Crests and Digimentals that represented virtues, and in Appmon this involved Minerva actively testing them). After all, it’s only natural that anyone with the chance to recruit people to help with a monumental task would ideally go out of their way to pick people who seem best suited for the job, whether it’s something as grand as fantasy chosen hero picking or something as simple as job recruitment. But at the beginning of Tamers, none of the involved parties were really aware of any kind of grand, looming threats on the horizon, and whatever the DigiGnomes were thinking (or not thinking) when giving Takato his D-Ark is arcane to us all, and so Takato ended up becoming a Tamer by functional accident, resulting him starting off very poorly equipped for the job and having to learn how to do it on the fly.
This also means that the “motives” Takato and Haru have for taking action at the beginning of the series are accordingly different. Because any concept of “stakes” was not immediately apparent at the start of Tamers, Takato’s motivations for being a Tamer are more self-centered and selfish than Haru’s are for being an Appli Driver at the start of their respective series.
Takato’s motives at the beginning of Tamers really just revolve around “I want to be able to play with Guilmon more and not lose him,” and there’s no indication at said beginning that he’s really prepared for or even understands the part about having to protect others from harm. That doesn’t mean that Takato’s a selfish person to the extent of not caring about others at all -- in fact, by the time of Tamers episode 15, he demonstrates an understanding that they’re not playing a “game” anymore when things get difficult (and even puts his foot down in front of the other kids for it, a huge improvement from his rather cowardly outlook at the beginning of the series), so the issue largely had to do with the fact that the early parts of Tamers didn’t immediately make such high stakes clear, and Takato himself was thus in a situation of not worrying about others because that necessity wasn’t there yet. But even in the same episode, Takato still has a clear motive of wanting to show off his cool Digimon partner to the others and bask in his “status” as a Tamer, and it’s still a huge contrast to Haru who was initially too humble to accept his role as part of such a larger narrative until his desire to “protect everyone” won out. It’s a big deal that Haru understood the stakes that would be involved in the fight against Leviathan from day one, and actively chose to opt in because of his selflessness.
Another major reason for this difference is that Haru has a certain character trait explicitly ascribed to him that isn’t with Takato: Haru enjoys reading books and is actually rather book-smart and intellectual. On a certain technicality, Takato being characterized as not particularly skilled in that department actually brings him a little closer to the conventional shounen protagonist archetype than it does a “bookish” character like Haru, because such a character is often considered too nerdy for the protagonist position -- but in Haru’s case, the fact he’s actively thoughtful and ruminates on things means that he spends a lot of time thinking about “what’s the right thing to do” in a given situation.
For all it’s worth, I really hope that the above won’t be taken as an implication that Takato is a fundamentally bad person for having more selfish immediate priorities than Haru or the Adventure/02 kids do; having to carry the weight of such a large thing is a huge thing to ask of someone, especially when we’re talking about someone who kind of got thrown into this whole mess and has been spending the entirety of this series trying to figure it all out without a lot of reliable sources of help. On top of that, it should also be noted that Takato is ten; if there’s anything that can be said to be not entirely true-to-life with the Adventure and 02 cast personalities, it’s that a lot of the emotional awareness and levelheadedness they exhibit usually come from people much older than 8-12 (it’s one of the “acceptable breaks from reality” employed in kids’ shows that kid protagonists are often a tad bit more mature than actual kids would be at that age, otherwise a lot of said kids’ show plots wouldn’t function), and real ten-year-olds in Takato’s situation would often have more difficulty knowing what to do with such great burdens at this age. It’s actually fairly significant that Haru is 13 and from a group composed mainly of middle schoolers, in contrast to the older series having elementary school kids (the youngest Appli Driver, Astra, is actually the same age as a classic Digimon series protagonist), and thus it’s probably not surprising that they’re more willing and able to deal with such huge issues much earlier on.
Thus, although Takato’s character arc does involve him slowly growing into the role of becoming less shallow and selfish, and becoming more truly assertive while he’s at it, this fundamental difference in their natures ends up continuing to have a major influence by the time of the later parts of the series. The difference can be most starkly illustrated in Tamers episode 35 versus Appmon episode 41 -- in which Takato, upon seeing Beelzebumon kill Leomon, is utterly consumed by his emotions and decides that the best course of action to take would be killing Beelzebumon in revenge, even though this won’t bring Leomon back or accomplish anything productive (and, indeed, it does make things worse in the form of driving his own partner over the edge and traumatizing Juri further). (Adventure had already warned that prioritizing “revenge” over “protecting others” is foolhardy and tends to cause a lot of really nasty problems.)
In contrast, one thing you might notice about Haru is that he never “denies anyone’s feelings”, even when confronting someone like Knight. You could argue that Haru wasn’t necessarily dealing with direct trauma in front of him, but recall that Knight had caused tons of grief and misery for many (something Haru takes serious offense at) and had, along with Charismon, gotten very close to permakilling all of the Buddy Appmon at one point back in Appmon episode 37 -- so it’s not like Haru doesn’t have reason to have grudge against Knight, even if the severity isn’t as immediate. Note that Haru doesn’t “both-sides” this issue; he still insists on making his own case, it’s just that he still doesn’t have it in him to not acknowledge that Knight has a good reason for making the case he does given his background, consider his words to an extent, and fight against the idea of having Knight be killed for no good reason. Haru has a very strong belief in “thinking with one’s heart” and “respecting feelings” that he'd exhibited through the entire series (for example, very prominently in Appmon episode 12 with Rei), and because of that he has a ton of emotional control over himself even taking some very harsh things. It’s clear that Haru does have very deep understanding of what he’s dealing with -- and chooses to be idealistic and kind anyway.
(In addition, because Haru is so naturally inclined to be selfless, the one time he really does hit an emotional low in Appmon episode 49, it’s not anger or lashing out at anyone, but rather sadness and despair. Haru just really does not have the fundamental capacity to be aggressive.)
As said before, Takato’s character arc is very much a personal story of how he grew into the role of a Tamer, via learning to fight for what’s important and have a strong heart for it. As a result, his motives for fighting end up still having a much more personal streak to it than anything -- at the time of Tamers episode 49, technically speaking, the Wild Bunch was still being counted on to work on the D-Reaper problem, and his own family was urging him to stay home for now, but what tipped him over the edge was not some desire to protect people as a whole but rather the fact that Juri was calling for him. It’s not to say that such a thing is selfish -- he’s clearly doing it for her sake, not anything to do with his own -- but nevertheless his involvement was directly related to something that hit a little more personally moreso than it was for the sake of the wider picture.
As said before, this is fitting for someone whose story is really more of a personal character arc before anything else; the significance is more in line with the sheer amount of emotional growth Takato had to go through in order to get to this point at all, and how someone normally so divorced from the concept of heroism could come to do something so meaningful, especially thanks to his interactions with Guilmon and growing alongside him. There’s absolutely no doubt that Takato wouldn’t have been able to do this kind of thing at the beginning of the series, so it’s a huge accomplishment that shouldn’t be watered down. It also makes him a very good foil to the D-Reaper, an emotionless program that’s still fixated on rehashing the same destructive purpose it was originally created for years ago and has long lost its purpose, and while Takato isn’t technically the sole factor in putting it to rest (at most, the most valuable asset as part of the Wild Bunch’s plan), the contrast is quite apparent.
On the flip side, Appmon episode 54 not only involves the exact opposite -- in which Haru sacrifices something closely personal to him for the sake of everything else -- but also ties it very closely to its own series themes, which are assertively laid down in all of their glory during this finale. The reason Haru had been “chosen” by Minerva to begin with, and the reason he himself had been given an opt-in “choice” at the beginning of the series and again in Appmon episode 38, and so many other characters had been given “choices”, is that this story is about choices -- because Leviathan (and Knight, and any kind of “AI should manage everything” argument that this series fights hard against) believes that humans shouldn’t be allowed them, and that everything ought to fall in accordance with a “rational” system. Haru, on the other hand, believes in the human heart that can do unexpected things, and his constant choices to do things out of kindness despite understanding what they entail.
Over the course of the series, Haru hadn’t always been putting himself in a spotlight situation -- in fact, many episodes had involved him saying “we’ll support you!” and generally uplifting others before he’d ever tried to take charge. But in the end, the reason he ends up as the “protagonist” who makes the final choice for everyone’s sake is because he’s the one who understands that gravity of “making a choice with one’s feelings” that’s so vital to changing Leviathan’s mind -- plus, the fact he’d been so supportive and kind to everyone means that everyone else shows up for him when he needs it most. Note that when Astra and Eri are upset at Yuujin in Appmon episodes 48 and 51, it’s not so much out of the overall betrayal as much as the fact he specifically betrayed and hurt Haru, because that’s how much they’ve come to care for him in return.
Hence, why Appmon latently ends on a frame of redefining the concept of “protagonist” -- certainly, on a meta level, Haru became the “protagonist” of the narrative that is Appmon, but what it actually means in terms of what Haru became is that everyone, including the members of the audience watching this series, is “the protagonist of their own life”, meaning that being a “protagonist” is defined merely by said act of “making choices” and defining what your own path will be. And especially in a world where singularity is going to become more and more of a real possibility -- as the show indirectly reminds us, AI surpassing human intellect is something that’s been predicted and warned about in this very world we, the viewers, live in -- understanding this is going to become even more important.
Incidentally, in the end, as much as it might be tempting to try and draw parallels with Takato because both of them are in the franchise-mandated position of “protagonist”, removing that requirement actually brings up a character that might make a much closer parallel -- “making choices that are out of kindness” easily directly invokes a certain other character from 02 who had “kindness” as a huge part of his character arc, doesn’t it...?
Really, if you think about it, Haru has a lot in common with Ken, who’s also thoughtful, intellectual, very in touch with his own feelings, assertive, resilient, strong in heart, and kind out of choice even when he doesn’t have to be -- you could basically say Haru is what Ken would be like if he hadn’t gone through such a massive formative event of trauma early in his life, or, alternatively, Ken if he had a bit more of Daisuke’s more outwardly bright, friendly, and supportive traits. It may not be a comparison you’d be easily tempted to make because, as stated above, as much as Ken had a deep connection with 02′s plot, he’s not portrayed as the protagonist of his own narrative...and, hence, Haru is unusual in that the exact archetype that was formerly placed in the role of the series deuteragonist has now been recast in the role of the protagonist itself. But then again, from Haru’s perspective, it’s not like Ken wasn’t technically the driving force of his own story, right?
(I’m not just drawing this comparison because I usually blog for 02. I promise.)
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✨💌 self promo time: reply with five of your favorite creations and pass this on to some of your favorite creators! Thank you for making such lovely things 💌
as if i needed an excuse to dig through my own edit tag, anyway i’m going to do 5 pippin edits and 5 non-pippin edits because i’m feeling self-indulgent
pippin edits:
this is my peak edit. apparently i peaked four years ago, why’d i even get my degree? but anyway i had the idea for this and i’m just so happy with how it turned out.
this pippin/catherine edit. i love making gifs paralleling lyrics with other parts of a show. i haven’t made as many as i’d like but this is the best one.
this morning glow/finale edit. speaking of parallels. i really tried to write meta and it’s...okay but the first time i saw pippin live was the first time i really made this connection.
this pippin/cmiyc edit. musical theatre crossover edits are the best. pippin and cmiyc are such an easy crossover. i think my mom gave me the idea for this. i used to play her songs from shows and make her guess which show it was from and she guessed goodbye was from pippin.
this cut song edit. i was (shocked pikachu face) when i found out about this song being cut and replaced in the original production and it just makes me feel something.
non-pippin edits:
this bare edit. this one is pretty recent but makes me feel a lot of things. bare makes me so sad, these boys make me so sad.
this natasha edit. combining stills + gifs are my favorite kind of edits to make and i think this is one of the best ones i’ve done. i’m really happy with the coloring and overlay.
this great comet edit. i just really like the colors and combo of photos.
this toursies edit. love love love this cast and this show. jack kelly and his friends are very important to me
also this bare edit. really most of these are my own edits that make me the most emo. but man i love jason and nadia, i know their relationship isn’t super fleshed out in the show but there’s so much under the surface.
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learning to be silent (multi) — chapter five - Roza
[ summary ] : the race for the grand prix final continues as the free dance begins and winds down the competition in france for the ladies. brooke is praying to come back from a disappointing result and sasha can't help but let her emotions get to her.
[ author's note ] : this took SO long to update but I swear : I had school, I had my month and a half sold out musical run that I miss beyond belief already, more theatre, model un, crazy month. finally on break however and I can finally update!
(*˘︶˘*).｡*♡ / AO3 / My Tumblr
— *.✧
"Sasha, do you think you're going to beat everyone for the gold tonight?"
"How are you feeling going into the long program, we saw you holding back during your training!"
"Вы выиграете еще одно золото для России?"
Everything was beginning to melt into place as Sasha entered the doors to the arena, turning down the volume on her wireless headphones as she nervously questioned the utter bombardment of reporters. Her coach pushing them all aside, hearing the questions become louder and louder as they moved along.
"Sasha knows anything in this sport can change in an instant and I believe she absolutely as enough for the gold, that is all the questions we will take!" Her coach yelled as they made their way to the skater's area.
It was a good day of training and then some before the Russian realized that indeed, she still had the free skate. She'd never prayed so hard to win the top spot, it be the extra push and points she needed to make her end goal meet: qualify with the Grand Prix with thirty points or two gold medals.
Sasha began to lace up and tighten her skates as she made eye contact with Brooke who stood stern, arms crossed with her Canadian team jacket covering the top part of her costume which had a beautifully styled ballerina tutu. Her coach, Manila Luzon, stood idly by as she watched her spin in her sneakers, practicing her jumps on the hard surfaces knowing warmups still having some ways to go before hopping on the ice considering they'd be in the last group of girls to go.
The blonde huffed and breathed on to her hands before rubbing them together, gripping her laces together before finishing up the knots before standing and putting on her guards over the blades and blasting the music through her headphones.
She had warmed up a good three hours prior to driving over from the hotel, she felt both ready and yet absolutely horrified. The media pressure, the pressure from her coach— no matter what front was put on, she knew skating to them was about the medals and the prize money. The artistry and athletics came after that fact. Sasha couldn't lie to herself, the medals were what supported her family.
It would be 36,000$ USD if she won top spot at the podium this Grand Prix. Enough to send to her father and help him along. Sasha had enough sponsorships and publicity to make it through her own daily living and still enjoy herself.
"Sash!"
Wincing, she lowered the volume on her headphones as she heard both her name being called and the announcers beginning the presets to begin the free skate competition. Finally looking to her left she gasped and immediately ran over to Shea who had her arms wide open with a small laugh, a grin placed widely across her lips. The two held hands firmly as the first group was beginning to take to the ice and start warming up on the rink.
Another sold out crowd, for an arena of over 5,000 it was certainly pact out with lots of domestic and international fans. Shea adjusted the collar on her jacket as she took out an earbud, "I can sense you're nervous, your hands are very shaky."
The American gently rubbed her wrist as the Russian smiled genuinely, her cheeks flushed as she laughed nervous for the day that was to be ahead.
"You shouldn't be nervous, you'll blow us all away as you always do. I have no doubts."
Her fingers curled around her blonde hair as she giggled at Shea, the American seeming calm and confident in both of their abilities. Admitting to Sasha that she hoped they would once again be the top two.
"Expect maybe this time I'll beat you."
"We'll see about that."
— *.✧
Manila rubbed the Canadian's shoulders as she took a deep breath and threw her skate guards next to her duffel bag. The whispers from her coach only for her motivation and willpower, the white strands scattered throughout her black hair bouncing as she passionately spoke towards her skater.
"I believe in you so much, this is what you were born to do and there's a reason I wanted you to do the program I first started with as a senior— you're a ballet dancer first and foremost and I wanted this music and gorgeous costume to reflect that."
The blonde nodded though her eyes must've shown nothing but absolute panic and fear as her coach groaned and jumped, clutching her shoulders, "Make yourself proud this time, think of all the effort you've put into this skate and this sport, don't let one stumble yesterday let you go down please. I rhinestoned the fuck out of this, please." Brooke had to giggle as she wiped her eyes and gave a kind gaze, gripping her hand before letting go and hearing the announcer, immediately skating on the ice.
"Next to skate, representing Canada, Brooke Lynn Hytes."
"À côté du patin, représentant le Canada, Brooke Lynn Hytes!"
The Canadian immediately waved as she heard the screams of what must've been her supporters as well as a distinctly familiar voice that screamed, "C'mon Brooke!" She turned and smiled widely at Detox who yelled and gave her two thumbs up, knowing that she had developed this program well enough for Brooke to skate to it.
Her hands ran down the red tutu that was perfectly sewn in with the rest of the costume, the details on the chest and gloves (her personal favorite part of the costume), she finally felt her full ballet fantasy and the fact she would be skating to Don Quixote only enchanted the pure joy felt within her heart.
Do this for Canada, it's all for Canada.
She crossed her legs forward as she bowed in position, letting her arms extend behind her back as she smiled: her eyes glimmering in anticipation as she waited for the music to begin.
The first notes of the program begun as Brooke jumped to the orchestra, placing her hands in front of her in the shape of an X as she then began to step around the rink, swirling into her left foot as she did a crossover— each beat a different ballet position, she felt completely at home with such a reflective program. This music, this costume, it was quintessential Brooke Lynn Hytes.
Her skates jumped as she landed on her left foot, turning back and stretching her arms before placing them on her knee as she began to float across the ice. Kicking her legs perfectly straight in the air as the music would slow. She started to transition into her first jump: a triple toe and triple loop combo.
Brooke let the music cue her as she started her forward approach on the inside edge, switching to a backward-facing position before she felt herself takeoff, landing on her right back outside edge. Hearing the ravenous applause certainly helped her confidence as she continued with utter poise and grace. She bent to the ground and her leg kicked up, her gloves holding on to her skate. Brushing the blonde strands of hair out of her face, she then stood again and jumped in the air with a split, coming to the ice once more as she continued.
Her quad flip was next and she felt the entire music burst with her as she prepped. Beginning to take off from a back inside edge she jumped and felt herself rotate what she prayed would indeed be four times and landed on the back outside edge of her opposite foot, giving a small smile to the positively delighted audience that awaited for more.
Nailing her triple axel was easy enough but her next jump would be a quad salchow, she had been working on it all of training— getting back up from the ground each time and cheering for the few times she managed to actually land it.
The Canadian heard the violins begin to come in as she slammed her skate's toe pick in the ground as she began takeoff from the back inside edge of her right foot and rotated four times in the air before landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot.
Holy shit.
She didn't let the complete roar of applause and flags waving stop her nearly perfect performance so far as she reached for her straightened leg and pulled it up in front of her face in a vertical angle, completing her I-Spin in the center of the rink as she continued.
Two more triple combinations stacked up before she let herself breathe knowing all that was left was to show off her flexibility and let her step sequence do all the talking. She skated perfectly clean on the edge of the ice, the music was beginning to pick up again as she started to make the rounds to finish up her program.
One last push and her fate was completely up to the judges and her free dance.
She added more jumps and splits before beginning to spin on one foot with their other leg extended behind them and above their head, forming the iconic teardrop shape that came with a Biellmann spin. It was a required element for all the ladies and Brooke was best known for it, what better way to show her extreme flexibility.
The music picked up pace as Brooke sat with one of her final moves, in a squat position she led her leg out straight and in front, toes pointed as she spun with her sit spin.
One more jump and kick before she executed her scratch spin to the ending beats, hopping over two steps before ending with the exact same position she began with as she smiled and let the music end, fully embracing the cheers and screams most noticeable to Brooke from the Canadian section of the arena as she pumped her hands in the air and laughed wanting to just jump up and down and collapse on the ground.
"Representing Canada, Brooke Lynn Hytes."
"Représentant le Canada, Brooke Lynn Hytes!"
The blonde bowed as she felt her hands almost melt on her tutu, completely immersed in sweat she blew a kiss to her mother who she nearly couldn't spot before laughing and skating off being met with a tearful Manila who couldn't stop crying and wheezing every three seconds. The duo hugged and Brooke sniffled, feeling herself finally be proud of her own program after all the breakdowns and training that came with it.
Sitting at the Kiss & Cry couches she was bombarded with a bouquet of flowers from Plastique who ran over quickly and kissed her cheeks, proud of her skating sister before Brooke held onto the flowers and whispered a prayer staring at the screen replaying all the jump footage.
"I don't think anything has been under rotated or anything, it looked fantastic." Her coach whispered as the blonde took a bobby pin from her hair with a sigh of relief.
"The scores please."
The two held hands as Brooke stared at the results waiting and hoping it was enough, she was out of the gold medal for sure: there was no way Sasha would fall that bad however, she needed Silver or Bronze for even a chance at the Grand Prix final.
"Brooke Lynn Hytes has earned in the free dance a total combined score of… 248.30 points."
Manila screamed and immediately jumped up, "What!?" She yelled, in an utter state of shock as Brooke had broken the record. From being fourth best last time this was definitely a step up in the right direction.
"She has earned a new personal best and has set a new world record."
"Brooke Lynn Hytes a obtenu en danse libre un score total combiné de 248,30 points!"
The Canadian covered her eyes in her gloves and cried, biting her tongue as Manila jumped up and down and grabbed her for the tightest hug of her life as Brooke laughed, teary eyed, at all the gasps and screams that turned into applause.
I did exactly what I wanted, I am going to win a damn medal, so help me.
Manila running off after the next skater was called, Brooke taking the top seat that was being held by Adore who now moved down one seat. The Canadian tapped her thighs as Aquaria was next to be called down to skate. She clapped for the young american though she began to feel an uneasy cloud over her; she had beaten Brooke before, there was no reason Aquaria couldn't pummel her into the ground again and leave her without a medal.
Her program music was Sleeping Beauty, another classic ballet, and of course: she had a long and flowing pink costume to match with drapes for her arms: she was stunning and her long platinum hair was completely untamed besides two braids in the front to keep the hair from her face to not fall.
"C'mon Aquafina!" Screamed the distinctly recognizable voice of Alaska from the stands as she stood close with most of the American team, rooting for her training partner.
Brooke's eyes laid only on Aquaria, watching her skate to the ballet. Her footwork was excellent and she was beyond talented though she must've been extremely nervous, her heart wasn't in the piece as much as she had shown for her short program. Every jump was clearly done with force and there was no room for her to breathe and focus with the cheers and with her coach watching.
She prepped for her quad flip but once she rotated all four times the blonde couldn't keep her stamina up and fell on her side with a hard thud. Much to the dismay of her coach and all those around her who were rooting for the young girl, Brooke gasped as Adore groaned in horror.
"C'mon Aquaria…" the American grumbled beside her in horrific anticipation. The blonde quickly recovered and continued a smooth program though Brooke noticed the apparent mumbles when Aquaria must've underrotated her Quad into a Triple salchow. She was completely giving up, it was incredibly strange considering the utter fire in her eyes skating to Björk just a day ago in the short program.
The Canadian clapped when she nailed her quad flip, it was a beautiful quad as well and as she spun from her Arabesque into her Biellmann spin, Brooke had to wonder what had gone wrong. Aquaria's painful expression only ended with a shake of the head as the camera's caught while she sat completely defeated in the Kiss & Cry.
Patiently waiting for the scores, Brooke realized that if Aquaria's stumbles had truly added up that fast it would mean that the Canadian would be guaranteed a medal considering the only two left were the original short program medalists: Sasha Velour and Shea Couleé.
It was great for Brooke but a complete disappointment for Aquaria.
"Aquaria Coady has earned in the free program, a total combined score of 210.90 points. This is a new season's best."
Brooke gasped and covered her mouth realizing she was officially guaranteed a medal, no matter who slipped at this point. Shea or Sasha could knock her down all they wanted and she'd still hold on to at least a bronze medal. She applauded and stood up for Aquaria who shook her head and cried in her hands aware that she'd have no chance at winning.
"Aquaria Coady a gagné dans le programme gratuit, un score total combiné de 210,90 points. C'est le meilleur d'une nouvelle saison."
Adore and Aquaria exchanged places as the two hugged, the American trying her best to hold it together for the camera's though Brooke felt her exact emotions just a day ago and now she sat: at the top of the world, a gold medal. This was simply the world of Figure Skating.
— *.✧
Aquaria's result had come beyond unexpected to Shea who stood in a state of disbelief, possibly worse than Sharon. This was meant to be the defining dance of her entire career: everything down to the aesthetics was perfectly planned.
Tightening the laces on her skates Shea stood firm and took off her Team USA jacket, knowing she was next up to bat and had to keep this streak going. Maybe she could win against Sasha, in the back of her heart she knew it was a small chance but you never really knew with a sport this unpredictable.
"Listen to me." Bob said, grabbing her skaters shoulders as the announcer began to speak above them and in the arena. "Don't think about medals right now, think about your program and nailing your damn jumps because that and your attitude is what will get you medals and it is what will get you the satisfaction of winning. I'm proud of you regardless but if you fall on any jumps so help me God." Shea snickered before the two hugged, the American crossing her chest and letting out a deep breath before skating out on the ice.
Immediately hearing her corner of fans which included her American skating sisters and the large huddle of USA fans with their posters, their signs and flags waving proudly as Shea's name was announced. She had to make an impact and she had been waiting far too long to skate, every motivation was itching to get out and do what she did best for this medal spot, for first place.
"Next to skate, representing the United States, Shea Couleé."
"A côté du skate, représentant les États-Unis, Shea Couleé."
She adjusted the loose strands of hair from her face as she grinned and stood in the center of the ice, starting in a kneeled position as she held her hand on the ice with a deep exhale before silence came over the arena.
The piano notes played and Shea began what would he the longest four and a half minutes of her life.
She slid across the ice before easily standing and putting her entire body on the edge as she held her hands in the air, completely liberated before the singing had even started. Her skating slowing down once more until the vocals began, her skates picking up off the ice as she crossed over backwards into a spin.
The song was entirely in French and appreciated the distinctly loud cheers from the natives in the arena as the words began to flow out of the singer's mouth. Shea had learned after weeks, months of training to finally find the proper headspace to convey a song about hurt, sickness.
Hell, the song was called "Je Suis Malade" which would translate to "I Am Sick."
Shea turned on her skates prepping for her first quad, a salchow. Her takeoff from the back inside edge of one foot came with her four rotations along with a proper landing on the back outside edge of the opposite foot. She couldn't smile even if the cheers and screams from the arena were a large help and motivation, she couldn't ruin the intent of the piece.
Her first jump was a complete success and as she twizzled across the arena she couldn't possibly get distracted but the back of her heart was hoping Sasha was near and watching, she had to be! She was next up and had to be getting fully prepared. She kicked her leg out as she spun into an I-Spin, making sure every edge was clean and perfect as she then began making the rounds around the arena.
Completing her triple toe, triple loop was easy enough but there was still quad's waiting to be accomplished. Any boost in a score a skater could possibly get: an attempt would be better than just skipping it all together.
The music was building as Shea began to skate into the quad salchow, hoping for a decent result after practicing it so much on and off the ice. An entrance from a back outside edge lent her to slam her toe pick before completing her four rotations, landing on the back outside edge of her opposite foot as she timed her hands in the air to beat, applause shouting to her all around, from every corner.
Bending backwards she let her free leg hold on in attitude position as she spun into her layback spin. She flipped over and extended her hands over as the music only became more and more tense.
Another triple combination and an extra quad flip thrown in saw the movement into her triple axel, perfectly timed at the end of the bridge just when the music would completely explode— it was Shea's favorite section of the entire program. She entered with a camel spin before skating across the rink, beginning with a forward takeoff Shea approached with a series of backward crossovers in direction to the jump's rotation, followed by a step forward onto the forward outside takeoff edge, she jumped and rotated three times before landing on the right and inside edge of her blade.
It was perfectly timed and the American girl couldn't help but feel extremely proud of the work she had put in to make this program as authentic as possible.
She was officially moving on to her spins and her steps, there were no more scheduled jumps and her stamina was beginning to lower as the program was beginning to wrap up. She kept her energy forward as she accomplished her compulsory Biellmann spin. Her skates gliding across the ice as she let all her expression and emotion be completely exposed and poured out on the ice.
The final notes were approaching and she jumped into her sit spin as she held out her legs she transitioned into one final layback, extending her leg finally in the air as she turned with it: combining in one more I-Spin for a final push as the music stopped. Shea held out her entire body and almost immediately dropped to the floor as the music stopped, covering her mouth and laughing through her hands as she heard the energy from the crowd and saw all the gifts being thrown.
She picked up a stuffed bear and a rose and took off from the ice as she slammed into Bob who was waiting for her patiently off the ice, her coach groaning and smiling with pride as she explained that was exactly what she needed, what she had been looking for this entire season.
The two walked over to the Kiss & Cry with nothing but exhilarated smiles and utter exhaustion, all of Shea's energy was officially gone as she stared at the screen. Her eyes noticed a small clap and wide smile from the rink nearby, Sasha waved and clapped in her direction: the Russian was thoroughly impressed by her competition and so called rival.
Shea grinned and winked, holding back a thumbs up as she turned to the screen, Bob's arm stretching around her shoulders as she comforted her skater. This would be the score that sealed her fate and would tell her if she was guaranteed a possible top three finish. Shea believed in her ability but that didn't mean the judges would.
The music dimmed as the scores were to be announced.
"Shea Couleé has earned in the free program, a total combined score of 256.96 points. This is a new personal best and a new world record, she is currently in first place."
The American held onto Bob's arm in disbelief as she heard her peers completely screaming in excitement. She heard her coach simply whisper a small "wow" next to her ear before the two got up, teary eyed and hugging. She was guaranteed at least, bare minimum, a silver medal.
It dawned on Shea rather quickly beside the fantastic result that Sasha still had to go and would be the last to go: the short program gold medalist and Russia's own shining star to the ice.
"Shea Couleé a gagné dans le programme gratuit, un score total combiné de 256,96 points!"
Brooke clapped and stood to move as Shea and Aquaria embraced quietly, Shea whispering something to the younger girl who moved down to third, painfully aware that she would be moving down to fourth after the next four and a half minutes.
"Last to skate, representing the Russian Federation, Sasha Velour!"
"Dernier à patiner, représentant la Fédération de Russie, Sasha Velour!"
The blonde skated on the ice with her legs gliding across the ice as she traveled perfectly to the center of the rink, waving to the Russian crowd and all those in between who had come here to support her or those who were simply rooting for her.
She held her body straight and firm as she closed her eyes, waiting for the music to start so she could begin the program. Her heart pounding as the tension built up thick. A part of her didn't want to win against Shea, she wanted her newfound friend to have her moment.
But what would be the fun in that? She couldn't let her emotions stick to her career that easy: not every little thought could buzz around her stomach especially not during a competition where she needed focus and stamina.
I'm sorry Shea but I have to beat you today, I need that gold medal.
#rpdr fanfiction#sashea#shea coulee#sasha velour#brooke lynn hytes#manila luzon#aquaria#sharon needles#adore delano#bob the drag queen#jinkx monsoon#figure skating au#lesbian au#roza#concrit welcome#detox icunt
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Just Yuzuru Things
I’m so amused and at the same time amazed whenever Yuzuru does his YOLO jumps or combos. Just the term “YOLO jumps” tells so much about his guts 😂 What are your favorite or most memorable YOLO jumps Yuzuru has done on the ice? Please bless us with your gif prowess!
Oh I have a most suitable and recyclable gif for this, here you go:
Rewatching Yuzu's Olys FP, it was the first time I understood what Borser meant by 'being in control of his wildness'. Watching his sequence after the lutz I suddenly had a flashback of Nice 2012, and with that realization I was smiling like an idiot, I guess because I'm glad that refinement does not mean his fiery spirit and style is gone, it just came out when you least expected to hit you in the face with tons of feels, just like its master :'(
Lol, yeah, I know what you mean. Yuzu does try very hard to keep his wildness under control, but it’s always bubbling under the surface and it tends to boil over especially when he’s desperate. The Olympic FS was a prime example of that, so there he went treating us to all The Feels™.
Whatever are we fans going to do with you, Mr Hanyu?
Hi Alice! I was just wondering if you know when Yuzu started doing his 3A from a back counter?
I’m not sure when he first started practicing it, but unless I’m much mistaken, he first used the back counter 3A in competition during the 2011-2012 season:
Hi. Really new yuzu fan here, and must say how much I love your posts and replies - always patient and loads of detail and the best gifs! So thank you for that 😊. Just saw your comment about yuzu putting 3A's in his exhibitions. It seems axels are really 'his' jump. I haven't been watching long enough to pick up, but does he land 3A's more consistently than other quads/triples? What about the others, which ones is he consistent with, and how does this compare with the average skater? Thanks!
Yes, the Axel, 3A in particular, is Yuzu’s best jump. He does land it much more consistently than his quads. Much more amazingly, he lands his 3A more consistently than his other triples too. It’s amazing and insane, because a 3A is so much more difficult compared to a normal triple.
I put this table together a while back using stats from 6 of the top men, with historical data up to end of the 2016-2017 season. Not very up to date, unfortunately, but it can give you a sense of how Yuzu and Yuzu’s 3A compare to other guys:
With Yuzuru's usual entrance to his 3F, do you think he could do a -1Lo-3F combo? Not that he will, since he doesn't like it, but could he? Does the setup of his 3F work in his favour?
Yeah, he could probably do it if he wants to and if he puts in some practice. His current flip setup is very short and does not rely heavily on entry speed, which means his solo 3F is already not that different in technique from a 3F in a +1Lo+3F combo. He’s also been working on that flip edge long enough that it’s pretty stable now, so he likely doesn’t have to worry about reflexively going on outside edge anymore.
Hi Alice, could you explain why Yuzu did 4t-lo-4t and not 4t-4t at last year's world champs gala? Is there a difference between the two in terms of difficulty to execute? Thanks!
I'm pretty sure Yuzu intended to go for a 4T+1Lo+4S there, since it’d have made a lot more sense and he, reportedly, does practice the +1Lo+4S for fun sometimes. It looked to me as if, at the last moment, he changed his mind and went for a toe loop instead, probably because he felt like he didn’t have enough speed for the Salchow.
In terms of execution, putting a half loop between the two quad toes would give him more time to set up the second 4T, so it’s a bit easier to do compared to taking off immediately after landing the first jump. In competition, a 4T+1Lo+4T would not be a valid combination, though. The key rule on jump combination is that the landing foot of the previous jump must be the takeoff foot of the subsequent jump. After a half loop, which lands on a left back inside edge, only a Salchow or a flip can be executed to satisfy that requirement. A toe loop, taken off from the right back outside edge, would constitute a change of foot and turn the jumps into a sequence instead. A jump sequence will receive only 80% of the total base value, so a 4T+1Lo+4T+SEQ is only worth 16.88 points compared to, say a 4T+1Lo+4S, which would be considered a combination and worth 21.30 points in BV.
I have been watching more figure skating lately, and your blog really helped me understand the scoring/jumps/spins so yay thank your so much. But i have a question about the skater's arm during crossovers. Most of the skaters have their arm extended paralleled to the ground, making the crossovers very obvious while Yuzu has his arms closer to his body and looks less obvious. Is keeping your arms closer to your body very difficult? maybe it's about balance? why isn't more skaters doing so? ty
For a competitive skater, doing crossover is never “very difficult”, but yes, extending your arms and keeping them parallel to the ice surface does help with maintaining the balance. It makes an easy thing even easier to execute, so to speak.
Most skaters, when they use crossovers, use them with the purpose of gaining speed, so there’s not a lot of thought for choreography going into those steps: the skater will do whichever is most natural and most comfortable to them in order to gain the maximum speed. The crossover, in its most basic form, does involve keeping your arms extended for balance, so that’s what skaters usually default to.
I've noticed that Yuzuru loses a lot of speed when he goes into his Biellmann (compared to the ladies, but also to MCM). What do you think is the most likely explanation?
The Biellmann is a very difficult spin position. It requires a lot of flexibility and it significantly reduces the skater’s balance, so every skater slows down when they go into that position: it’s only a matter of how much speed they lose. Because of its particular shape, the skater’s body is generally more spread out when they do a Biellmann, so the key to maintaining speed in that position is extension, i.e., the straighter their free leg, the more compact their position is, the less air friction they have to deal with, and the faster they spin. Yuzu’s extension in his Biellmann is not the best, not as good as most of the ladies’, and not as good as Michael’s, either. That is the main reason why he loses more speed compared to them.
I do have to point out, though, that the vast majority of male skaters can’t even get their leg up high enough and their upper body straight enough for a Biellmann, so, well, there’s that.
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Some insights into the narrative design and lore of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and the upcoming DLC, Beast of Winter! Watch the VOD above or, if you haven’t the time, my notes on the stream are below the cut.
Beast of Winter DLC available August 2nd
Also Aug 2nd for free DLC Deck of Many Things
Advice for getting into narrative design:
write constantly
practice reactive writing, interactive fiction, e.g. make a Twine game – having made something is a plus when trying to get into the game industry
Does refining luminous adra destroy the souls therein/prevent them from reincarnating?
there is soul essence in luminous adra and it is being consumed; he doesn’t know for sure if that destroys the essence (ask Josh)
What is the origin of the sentient races; do they emerge independently or mutations of previous species?
that’s something he would like to address in future games
Are there any druids that defy the traditional approach regarding nature; e.g. druids that study natural energies more as science
Druids are animistic, assuming all things in the world have soul energy and their souls use the soul energy of those things; they believe all their actions have impact on the world & could apply scientific method to that
Culture of Pale Elves/White That Wends?
Beast of Winter DLC will look quite closely at pale elves; WTW is a very large continent, varied cultures but mostly pale elves, other kith species to the north along the coast
Will DLC expand/improve main quest?
no additional endings (in the way Bastard’s Wound did for Tyranny)
there are elements in the main game that respond to decisions in Beast of Winter
some new content in the end of the base game that only exists if you do certain things in BoW
Do all deities have godlikes?
yes; no plans in the near future to show Wael’s, Abydon’s, etc. new types
godlikes touched by each god can take various forms
they’re rare
What does the general pipeline for Obsidian’s narrative design team look like; how are stories kept consistent between writers?
areas aren’t generally passed along between writers; early design of a space handled by area designers with narrative designers’ input; one writer generally responsible for a given area
Anything that ended up on the cutting room floor you really liked?
yes, always
Alex did rewrite of Serafen and random encounters on world map; a storm was originally way too long and weirder aspects/possibilities got cut, some of which he really liked
Which country does Alex find most interesting?
Ixamitl! also mentioned Vailian Republics & Rauatai and he hopes we’ll explore more of all those in future
How long is Beast of Winter?
larger than Bastard’s Wound but not as large as White March in terms of content
Any chance of a Detective background in future?
Alex says that sounds rad, so maybe
He thinks we will eventually have protagonists who aren’t the Watcher and then would allow for different backgrounds because that’s a better place to change that consistency
Any plans to tie in novels?
Aarik thinks that would be rad but they don’t have any planned
There are plans for other “prose fiction-y things” in the works however
Will Deadfire DLCs have ending slides at the end of the base game?
Yes for Beast of Winter though it may not end up being the case for all DLC
Dual-wielding shields?
Far too powerful, Eora would break
How is writing for DLC different from writing for base game?
The hard work of setting stuff up is done (e.g. mechanics) so devs can do more exploration, “edgy” things
e.g. in BoW a lot of things that don’t look like the items or areas in base game
Base game is all in service of the main region/story but in DLC it can go a different direction
Alex’s favorite companion excluding those he wrote (Ydwin and Serafen)?
Original: Pallegina
New: Xoti, but he likes things about all of them
The party they’re playing with during this interview includes Vex, Grog, Serafen, Ydwin, and the Watcher is named Ronin after the Bailingham baby (but is a female orlan?)
How is it decided what is canon and what is up to the player in the story, given the reactivity in Deadfire?
He claims there’s no canon history & the game is reactive to all player decisions (ed.: Woedican Watchers might disagree)
When writing an NPC do you keep in mind sidekick options?
Some sidekicks were created to be recruited but others were already written as NPCs/quest givers and then upgraded to sidekicks, e.g. Fassina, Mirke
“You say you want to go fishing with Edér but you’ve clearly never hunted whales with him” (Ed.: ????)
Heading to BoW area now!
BoW includes a new area and content, does it have other new features?
new subclass for the new recruitable character, Vatnir
Vatnir does have reactivity in base game content
new consumables – fish, liquors, etc.
new recipe that “combines beer and fish into some manner of beer-fish combo”
“fish-ale?” “it’s more like aley fish” (it’s a beer-battered fish, we see later)
Harbinger’s Watch: temporary settlement at the Dead Floe, iceberg in southern corner of Deadfire
Pale elves believing this ice will expand to take over the world
Do these Pale Elves have anything to do with those you met in Twin Elms?
There is some crossover between that quest and what’s going on here
There is “no small amount” of reactivity to Pale Elf and/or White That Wends Watchers in the DLC
Are there non-pale elf kith in Harbinger’s Watch?
mostly pale elves; there are some others (we saw an aumaua)
Do pale elves brew pale ales?
yes they do ;-D
Does BoW raise level cap?
no
New unique weapon
Great sword, The Twin Eels
Vatnir
Leader of the Harbingers, he has invited you here
Priest, can multiclass with chanter or rogue
no companion quest, but he is central to the DLC content
Voice actor is Atli Gunnarsson
Do you have a voice in mind when writing characters?
not so much a voice actor as a sense of the way they speak (there’s a doc referencing how a character talks)
Systems team working on balance changes still
#deadfire#deadfire dlc#beast of winter#deadfire spoilers#pillars of eternity#alex scokel#aarik dorobiala#obsidian#dev stream#links#from the desk of ranna
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Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 5 Easter Eggs & References
https://ift.tt/eA8V8J
This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers for Season 3, Episode 5.
Because everything in the 32nd century is brand-new for the Star Trek canon, it would make sense that the writers of Star Trek: Discovery could get away with not really referencing anything from the existing canon. To put it another way, how much do you really know about the year 1090 off the top of your head? The gap between Discovery’s point of origin in 2258 and 3188-3189 is huge. And yet, nerdy Star Trek Easter eggs and HUGE call-backs to some of the most beloved ships and characters ever, endure.
From a surprise cameo from a famous film director, to a lesson in Mirror Universe history, and yes, the appearance of Captain Janeway’s beloved starship, here are all the Easter eggs we caught in the latest Star Trek: Discovery episode, “Die Trying.”
“Federation and Starfleet Headquarters”
Saru notes that the ship is en route to “Federation and Starfleet Headquarters,” and then points out that these are “separate entities that now must abide together.” Although sometimes used interchangeably, this distinction is relevant. Starfleet actually predates the Federation and is an exploratory organization, analogous with what might happen if NASA and the Navy were combined in space. The United Federation of Planets, on the other hand, is the government. Starfleet and the Federation are not the same things, except now, as Saru points out, in the 32nd Century, they kind of are.
New Constitution
Owo sees what she describes as a “new Constitution.” This can only refer to what she infers is an upgraded version of a Constitution-class starship. The NCC-1701 Enterprise was one of 12 Constitution-class ships in service in Joann Owosekun’s time.
USS Voyager and USS Nog
The crew very prominently sees and talks about the USS Voyager NCC-74656-J. Owo and Tilly confirm that the “J” constitutes 11 “generations of evolution.” It is unclear if this means that this is literally the same Voyager from the 24th Century, or if the “J” means that this is the 11th ship to carry the name, “Voyager.” Elsewhere in the Starfleet Headquarters, barely visible is the USS Nog. Clearly, this was named for the Ferengi Nog from Deep Space Nine. Played by the late Aron Eisenberg, Nog was the first Ferengi in Starfleet.
New Starfleet uses the TNG coloring
Admiral Charles Vance and the rest of the 32nd Century Starfleet seem to use the color-coded system from the TNG era. Command officers still appear to sport red, while stripes of gold and blue are visible on other uniforms.
Kaminar Joined the Federation
Saru is thrilled to learn that Kaminar became a Federation planet sometime after Discovery jumped into the future. Because we never heard from Kelpiens in the 23rd or 24th century, it seems likely they joined the Federation at some point after that. In the Short Treks episode “The Brightest Star,” we learned the Prime Georgiou rescued Saru from Kaminar, but that Saru couldn’t return there because of issues with the Prime Directive. In Discovery Season 2, the ship returned to Kaminar in “The Sound of Thunder,” but Kaminar definitely didn’t enter the Federation at that point.
Sigma Draconis System References “Spock’s Brain”
One unnamed officer tells Admiral Vance that the “Emerald Chain” — an alliance of Andorians and Orions — is up to no-good in the “Sigma Draconis” system. This is the same star system from the TOS episode “Spock’s Brain.” Let’s hope that Spock’s brain hasn’t been stolen — again.
The size of the Federation
For the first time ever, the size of the Federation has been firmly established, not just now, but also, prior to the current timeline. Vance tells Saru and Burnham that there are “38 member worlds” in the Federation right now, but that because of bad communications, it’s possible that there may be more. Vance also says this number is “down from 350 at its peak.” We knew there were a lot of planets in the Federation in TNG, but we really had no idea exactly how many.
Starfleet Federation combo
As mentioned by Saru in the opening monologue, Vance doubles-down on the idea that “Where we sit now represents not only the headquarters of Starfleet Command by also the entire civilian government of the United Federation of Planets.” It’s unclear at this point if there are civilian government officials still operating, or if Vance is saying that he is basically Starfleet and the Federation at the same time. He also says that everything has “been that way since the Burn.”
Zero records of Discovery is basically Spock’s fault
Vance says “our records show Discovery was destroyed in 2258.” Saru implies the files would have been erased by Starfleet for safety reasons. But, the truth is, Spock is the one who erased the stuff about the Spore Drive. We saw Spock take these steps in “Such Sweet Sorrow Part 2.”
A War to Uphold the Temporal Accords
Admiral Vance’s “quick history lesson” mentions that the Federation spent most of the 30th Century fighting “a war to uphold the temporal accords” which he says is an “interstellar treaty outlawing time travel.” This references the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise, and basically establishes that the “Temporal Wars” alluded to by Book in “That Hope Is You Part 1” are the same Temporal Wars that Daniels pulled Captain Archer into. It also seems that the Temporal Wars may have continued in the relative “present” beyond what we saw Daniels doing in Enterprise.
The Discovery crew drops references for their entire story
As the crew is getting debriefed by the new Starfleet, several characters, including Culber, Reno and Tilly tease-out plotpoint from previous seasons.
Culber: “I was emotionally dead, and I was murdered”
Culber was killed in the Season 1 episode “Despite Yourself,” when the Discovery jumped to the Mirror Universe. He was then brought back to life in the Season 2 episode “Saints of Imperfection.” He was in a terrible mood about being brought back to life which is why he jokes here that “I was emotionally dead.” The fact that he and his “murderer are good now,” references a confrontation he had with Ash Tyler in “If Memory Serves.”
Reno: “Commander Burnham fell out of the sky, with Captain Pike”
This references the Season 2 debut, “Brother,” in which Burnham and Pike rescued Reno from the USS Hiawatha, which had been crashed into an asteroid.
Tilly: “After I got my hair blown out and became a Terran Captain/Dominatrix”
Tilly is talking about the episodes in which she had to impersonate the Captain of the Terran ISS Discovery, her Mirror Universe counterpart nicknamed “Killy.” This started in the episode “Despite Yourself” and went through “What’s Past Is Prologue.” When Tilly had to dye her hair and straighten it in “Despite Yourself,” she noted that her mother would have approved.
David Cronenberg
During Georgiou’s debrief, a mysterious man with glasses sits-in and asks her all sorts of pointed questions. This character has not yet been named, but he is played by legendary film director David Cronenberg. Among other films, sci-fi fans probably know Cronenberg best for directing The Fly and Scanners. Is this new character a representative of the future version of Section 31?
Georgiou’s Mirror Universe History
Cronenberg’s character notes that the present is Georgiou’s “second universe, your third timeline.” This means that Georgiou has existed in the Mirror Universe version of 2257, the Prime Universe version of 2257-2258, and now, the Prime Universe version of 3188.
April 5: Bizzaro First Contact Day
Cronenberg’s man with glasses also mentions April 5, 2063. In the Prime Universe, this is First Contact Day but in the Mirror Universe, it’s the day that humans killed the Vulcans who landed on Earth. This event is depicted in the opening scenes of the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes “In a Mirror, Darkly Part 1 and Part 2.” To date, those are the only episodes of Trek canon that take place entirely in the Mirror Universe.
The Terran Empire’s Demise
When Georgiou and Cronenberg talk about the Terran Empire versus the Federation, he points out that the Federation “endures, unlike the Terran Empire that fell centuries ago.” We have no idea how this guy has access to so much history about a parallel universe, but the collapse of the Terran Empire references the Deep Space Nine episodes that take place in the Mirror Universe, starting with “Crossover.” In that episode, we learned that after Kirk asked Mirror Spock to make the Empire nicer in the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror,” Mirror Spock basically did just that. But, his actions eventually led to the downfall of the Terran Empire. As far as we know, in canon, the most “recent” crossover to the Mirror Universe would have happened during Deep Space Nine, which is why Cronenberg says there hasn’t been a crossing between the two realities in “500 years.”
Ion storm
Speaking of the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror,” while trying to help the Federation seed ship, the USS Discovery encounters an ion storm. Though this plot device has been used a lot in Trek, it was notably the reason why Kirk, Uhura, Scotty and Bones accidentally beamed to the Terran ISS Enterprise in “Mirror, Mirror.”
Burnham in command
Oddly, though Burnham is the main character of the show, we really haven’t seen her in command of the USS Discovery. Other than her brief attempt at mutiny on the USS Shenzhou, and her command of the ISS Shenzhou, this is the only real time she’s been in legit command of a starship during the entire run of the series.
Barzan Joined the Federation
Nhan hails from a race of aliens called the Barzan. In the TNG episode “The Price,” the Barzan were trying to sell rights to a wormhole in their space. At that time, the Barzan were not a member of the Federation. Their planet was also super-reliant on other planets for assistance, which is why Nhan later says that her people are known for “poverty.”
Airam’s funeral
Nhan tells Burnham that she’ll never forget Airam’s funeral and what Burnham said. This references the Discovery Season 2 episode “The Red Angel,” which began with the entire crew honoring Airam’s sacrifice in the previous episode, “Project Daedalus.”
Federation Starchart References a Ton of Known Star Trek Planets
A huge holographic star chart at Starfleet Command contains the names of a bunch of planets from the entirety of Trek canon. Some of the names are mirrored, which makes it tricky to read them all, but here are the ones we caught
Ankari Homeworld: This alien species comes from the Voyager episodes “Equinox Parts 1 and 2.”
Cardassia Prime: The homeworld of the Cardassians, primarily from Deep Space Nine.
Thalos: While it’s tempting to read this as a misspelling of “Talos,” from TOS, it’s not. Several planets in the Thalos system were referenced in both TNG and DS9.
Halee: Historically this is a Klingon planet in the Beta Quadrant. It’s been referenced in Discovery and TNG, starting with the TNG episode “Heart of Glory.”
We Don’t Have Five-Year Missions Anymore
Vance tells Burnham and Saru that Starfleet doesn’t “have five-year missions anymore.” This of course, references The Original Series, in which the Enterprise was on a 5-year-mission of exploration. Sura and Burnham are super-familiar with this policy, mostly because Pike was on a five-year mission on the Enterprise before he became temporary captain of the Discovery. Saru tells Vance that he feels like the DISCO crew come from a “revered time,” which seems to imply Saru has been reading a bunch of history while Burnham was on this mission. In this sense, Saru is aware that contemporary Starfleet must be huge fans of the exploits of the 23rd Century Starfleet. Basically, Saru gambles that the new Starfleet is filled with people who are, in a sense, classic Star Trek fans. He’s not wrong.
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Star Trek: Discovery airs new episodes on Thursdays on CBS All Access.
The post Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 Episode 5 Easter Eggs & References appeared first on Den of Geek.
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Best Power Tools and Hand Tools Set
A mechanic is only as good as the tools he's working with. After all, making tools for solving complex problems was the tactic that gave humans an evolutionary advantage. Mechanics in particular need a comprehensive inventory of tools at their disposal because of the wide range of automotive issues that can arise. To help make your job easier, we've narrowed down the best hand tool sets for mechanics.
Benefits of Hand Devices
Time. Using the right devices for the task is mosting likely to be a lot more effective. If you're a technician, that suggests they'll make you more cash. Even if it's just Do It Yourself tasks, conserving time is always the very best method to go.
Even more control. Today, we have automated devices that can handle almost any work. The essential part of that being "virtually." Hand devices give you far more control of the work you're doing, are less likely to damage or strip something, and can be simpler to utilize, particularly in limited spaces.
It's a financial investment. Getting vehicle hand devices isn't just for obtaining work done, it's a terrific investment. Even if you don't utilize them immediately, they aren't going to go bad. There's a great deal of crossover between automotive devices and also tools you need inside your house, so having the fundamentals can be incredibly helpful.
Kinds Of Hand Devices
RATCHET SETS
These might end up being your most-used devices in a whole set. While the real "cog" part of a ratchet collection was initially the essential function, currently they're relatively typical, and needing these tools for nuts and bolts on your lorry is virtually a warranty for each job. A good cog collection can consist of not just routine sockets, yet additionally Philips head, hex tricks, as well as Allen keys that will provide you the ability to uncouple anything you need.
SCREWDRIVERS
A modest yet crucial tool in your mechanic's toolbox is the screwdriver. Not only do we require them for the variety of screws you'll find in a car and truck, yet screwdrivers can likewise be a versatile property when you're servicing a huge project. Different tool collections can come with different kinds of screwdrivers and features like ergonomic deals with magnetic types, global screwdrivers, as well as specialty screwdrivers.
PLIERS AND ALSO CABLE CUTTERS
There is an endless supply of electric troubles you can have in your car or perhaps just additional functions that require to be wired in. An excellent collection of wire cutters can make your task a lot easier and also cut the valuable pause of the electric job inside your lorry. Pliers are not just great for electrical wiring however can also be extremely valuable when you least expect it.
OBD2 SENSING UNITS
An OBD2 sensor can make all the difference when you're attempting to diagnose your lorry. These devices are a mechanic's secret weapon, and it can be yours too. An OBD2 sensor can review the check engine light in your auto as well as tell you what is tossing the code. This saves plenty of time trying to determine your trouble. To read more regarding OBD2 sensors, check them out here.
SPECIALTY TOOLS
There are lots of uncommon tools that are required for an auto job. Your fronts lights can be adjusted with a headlight modification tool or a headlamp spring device. Did you recognize vehicle batteries have their own special device? A battery provider has big jaws that are made to slide right into the tightest rooms as well as guide top so you can quickly accomplish a car and truck battery. Spark plug pliers are specialized pliers that are padded at the end so you don't damage your ignition system when trying to remove them. There is likewise a vehicle-specific fork tool that is made to slide under the clips that hold your lorry's indoor together.
DEWALT Mechanics Tools Kit
DeWALT is one of the top technician tool brand names, thanks to its long background and also respectable name. The business provides a considerable line of hand tools as well as toolsets, and also this embedded in specific consists of cost products at an appealing cost point. This collection includes an easy-to-use instance as well as enhanced materials.This auto mechanic's device package is a terrific combination of hand tools as well as power tool accessories (while it does not include power devices, all the outlets are compatible). This kit likewise features the business's quick-release, 72-tooth ratchet, which is terrific for high-torque ratcheting as well as fits in limited spaces. The devices feature an enhanced, anti-slip vinyl hold driver designed for maximum comfort.
Cartman Blue 39-Piece Cutting Plier Tool Set
The Cartman 39-Piece Tool Establish is an excellent starter package, and all of us need to begin somewhere. Cartman might not have the very same presence as various other much more identifiable brand names, however the business does use a series of cars and truck treatment products, devices, and automobile devices at cost effective rates. This collection of devices is a superb gift for brand-new house owners, kids about to go to college, or for individuals who are not the handiest around your house yet need to be able to hang an image or put together some furniture.It includes a 10-foot tape measure, an eight-ounce claw hammer, six-inch pliers, a bit chauffeur, a two-inch little bit port, eight-inch scissors, an utility knife, screwdrivers, a set of hex keys, and screwdriver bits. This set of tools suffices for tasks around your house. The portable size of the carrying instance likewise makes this set great to travel with when you are on the road. All of the tools in this set meet or surpass ANSI crucial standards and are heat dealt with and also chrome-plated to prevent corrosion.
STANLEY Mixed Tool Set
When you discuss that makes the best hand devices, you'll probably listen to Stanley Devices in the discussion. This reputable brand name is popular and usually supplies high-quality hand tools that are precious by its customers. One of the very best aspects of Stanley device sets are their lifetime replacement warranty.This blended device set features 210 items for all types of tasks as well as projects you may encounter. This Stanley collection consists of various outlet sets (consisting of spark plug, deep outlets, and various drive sizes), padding grasp screwdrivers, a measuring tape, energy knife, specialized pliers, a spinner deal with, and also hex keys. The devices include chrome vanadium-forged bodies for longevity and also a polished chrome coating. Every device that is included surpasses all ANSI specs for included safety.Even the most effective hand tool business has some issues with its items. This Stanley kit is on the extra pricey side contrasted to the variety of devices included, and also other Stanley instances with even more tools get extremely expensive. Additionally, the situation that the tools can be found in isn't excessively strong and also makes it challenging for storing your full collection.
This combo device set is the next best point to the DeWalt combo package. It features nearly all features, however it still lacks the Bluetooth audio speakers. This combo set features a PCC601 drill chauffeur with a 2-speed motor of 0-- 350 RPM and 0-- 1,500 RPM which is not as effective as the DeWalt. The effect vehicle driver that comes with this bundle also has a two-speed arrangement that can deliver up to 2,800 and also 3,100 RPM specifically.
This bundle includes a jigsaw that permits its individuals to collaborate with a speed of regarding 2,500 SPM as well as cuts only about 3/4 inches deep. Complying with that is a circular saw with likewise a 6 1/2 inch blade which can cut up to 2 ⅛ inches which is slightly minimal than the DeWalt. Another device to care for is the reciprocating saw, this tool can be able to slice into tough materials, providing a speed of regarding 3,000 SPM while handling it easily.
This bundle offers an oscillating device which is very easy to use. It allows a variable rate of as much as concerning 8,000 to 18,000 OPM making it an ideal tool for the job. Various other tools included are; a grinder with an extremely firm as well as ideal take care of and a flashlight to aid you execute the task.
Ryobi P883 18V ONE+ Lithium Ion Contractor’s Kit – Best Value
We believe that this particular combo collection is the most effective value selection. Although it does not consist of a great deal of gadgets like that of the DeWalt and also the Porter-Cable, this combination set has some of the essential tools available for a simple DIY task. This combo kit includes-- a drill/driver, a reciprocating saw, a circular saw, 2 batteries, a flashlight, a battery charger and a bag for storage. The 1/2 single sleeve drill has a 24-clutch that is convenient for various types of exploration specifications.
The circular saw which is additionally cordless like the various other kinds of tools has a 5 1/2 inch blade that can tear with any type of material/sheets while the deal with gives you a strong grasp. Similar to the circular saw, the reciprocating saw additionally includes a variable speed trigger and also the design makes it convenient to make use of.
The flashlight is likewise practical for any type of directional use. The kit is additionally given with 2 lithium-ion batteries which are additionally said to be light-weight. These batteries are also compatible with any one of the tools as well as a charger is likewise included.
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NBA mock draft 2020: Instant picks after lottery order set
LaMelo Ball, Deni Avdija, Anthony Edwards, and James Wiseman are four of the top prospects in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially on the clock.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are officially on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The NBA locked in the draft order during the lottery on Thursday night. Minnesota started the lottery tied for the best odds to land No. 1 with a 14 percent chance with the top pick.
Unlike a year ago with Zion Williamson as the obvious prize waiting for the lottery winner, there is no clear-cut No. 1 pick this year. The pandemic will only further complicate the draft process with the cancellation of March Madness and the likelihood of the draft combine being held virtually.
This is considered a ‘weak’ draft because it lacks a consensus top pick, but every draft is still loaded with players who will have successful careers. This one is no different.
The 2020 NBA Draft is currently set for Friday, Oct. 16. Here’s how we see it shaking out.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves - Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
Ant can be a lot when he wants to be pic.twitter.com/vQKP3EYo8b
— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) February 27, 2020
At his best, Anthony Edwards looks like he has the total package to one day be day a primary scoring option. The Georgia freshman has elite quick-twitch athleticism, crazy explosiveness near the basket, and impressive shot-making ability off the dribble when he’s hot. The problem with Edwards is that he too often settles for his jumper rather than consistently putting pressure on the rim. He also needs to improve reading defenses and knowing where the rotation comes from so he can consistently find the open man as a passer. Despite his fantastic physical tools, Edwards also leaves a lot to be desired defensively.
No one is questioning Edwards’ talent level. It’s just hard to put him at No. 1 when he shot under 40 percent from the field and under 30 percent from three. It feels like Edwards would be wise to focus on defense early in his career and let his natural ability takeover on offense.
2. Golden State Warriors - LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks
Today’s NBA is dominated by oversized offensive initiators who can breakdown the defense off the dribble and find open teammates as a passer. LaMelo Ball is the No. 1 player on our draft board because he has the best chance to fit that archetype of anyone in this year’s class. At 6’7, Ball is a natural point guard blessed with rare vision and creativity. He finds angles that don’t exist and throws passes few other players alive would even consider. He also has the best ball handling ability in this year’s class, able to shake defenders and create separation with tight crossovers and pace manipulation. Turning 19 years old in late August, he’s also one of the youngest players in this draft.
Ball will have to prove can score efficiently in the halfcourt to give his passing extra juice, and that remains a work in progress. He finished the year at just 48 percent true shooting in 13 games in Australia. Outside shooting is his biggest swing skill after hitting 28 percent of his threes. Ball’s shot selection is often highly questionable, but all of those repetitions shooting with range off the dribble could one day pay dividends. Defense will be his biggest immediate concern. He often looked disinterested on the defensive end in Australia, but it’s possible his instincts could make him an adequate defender as he adds strength later in his career.
3. Charlotte Hornets - Onyeka Okongwu, C, USC
Here's the best prospect in the class, Onyeka Okongwu, dominating: pic.twitter.com/JqG9wg6uQZ
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) January 25, 2020
Okongwu became the top center in this draft class by quite simply being the most impactful freshman in college basketball. While a bit undersized for an NBA five at 6’9, 245 pounds, Okongwu is strong physically and always seems to know where to be to wall off the paint defensively. His 9.8 percent block rate is one of the best among projected first round prospects and hit the glass hard as a rebounder on both ends.
Offensively, Okongwu knows how to finish out of the short roll and in the dunker spot, posting a brilliant 64.5 true shooting percentage this year. Comparisons to Bam Adebayo feel a little optimistic given Adebayo’s All-Star breakout for the Miami Heat, but his success lays out a blueprint of how a young center can blossom in the NBA without being 7-feet tall.
4. Chicago Bulls - Killian Hayes, G, Ulm
How to impact a defense off ball featuring Killian Hayes: pic.twitter.com/dsz9Eu9hU6
— Spencer (@SKPearlman) July 21, 2020
After LaMelo Ball, Hayes feels like the next best bet in the draft to eventually turn into a high-level offensive initiator. While not the most explosive natural athlete, Hayes is a big 6’5 lefty guard who already understands the reads and rhythm of playing in the pick-and-roll. He answered questions about his outside shooting ability during his first season in the German league, showing an improved three-point stroke while hitting 87 percent of his free throws. As Ball and Edwards each struggled to score efficiently, Hayes finished his season with an impressive 59 percent true shooting. He should also be able to hold his own defensively after showing a knack for making plays off the ball.
Despite just turning 19 years old, Hayes also feels like one of the most physically mature prospects in this draft class. He should have the strength to compete defensively early in his career, and has showed off impressive awareness and an ability to play the passing lanes. He’s already shown flashes of pull-up shooting off the dribble, and it feels like that’s the skill that could push him to become one of the best players in this class if he can consistently hit it with range. Questions about his raw athleticism might push him down the board further than this, but few prospects in this year class offer as many translatable skills as Hayes.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers - Obi Toppin, C/F, Dayton
Obi Toppin's synergy profile. He ranks in the 99th percentile of points per possession this season. pic.twitter.com/uD6OQ8Ihj9
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 11, 2020
How great can Toppin be offensively? How poor will be defensively? Those two questions will be debated fervently in the run-up to the draft. Toppin was the best player in college basketball this year at Dayton, finishing in the 99th percentile of scoring efficiency throughout the country. The athletic 6’9 big man isn’t just a monster finisher at the rim, he also showed off an improved three-point stroke. The hangup here is Toppin’s struggles defensively. He often looked disinterested in protecting the rim, and it’s likely teams will hunt him in the pick-and-roll early in his career.
The pieces around Toppin will go a long way towards determining how effective he is at the NBA level. He needs to be paired with an electric playmaker offensively and with someone who can protect the paint defensively. While his age and defensive limitations are scary, Toppin is big, agile, and explosive while posting absolutely unassailable efficiency numbers for the Flyers. It won’t be easy to put him in the perfect team building context long-term, but if it happens his unique strengths should make him a thrilling NBA scorer.
6. Atlanta Hawks - Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv
Love the burst Deni Avdija shows here off the bounce.
Subtle in-and-out dribble with his eyes going off to the left to give thought he was passing it off, then gets low and attacks for the drive and dropoff pic.twitter.com/sv2dHE8J5c
— Spencer (@SKPearlman) January 26, 2020
Avdija is a 6’8 combo forward who offers a dribble-pass-shoot skill set that should transition nicely into the NBA. He solidified his case as a top-10 prospect during his run to MVP honors in the Israeli league with Maccabi Tel Aviv. Avdija is effective in transition with grab-and-go rebound ability, impressive passing vision, and the aggression to finish at the basket when he needs to. His fit into halfcourt NBA offenses will remain a bigger question. Avdija will have value as a passer and cutter, but he’ll need to continue to prove himself as a shooter even after showing a better outside stroke after the league returned from its pandemic hiatus.
7. Detroit Pistons - James Wiseman, C, Memphis
Wiseman was the No. 1 overall recruit in the country before playing just three games at Memphis amid an NCAA eligibility scandal. His limited college tape is just one reason why he feels like the most polarizing prospect in this year’s class. Believers in Wiseman see a long-and-strong 7’1 center who can protect rim and slam home lobs from day one while refining his offensive skill set. Critics question the quickness of his lateral mobility and second jump, and wonder how impactful a center can be in today’s game without plus shooting and passing ability.
What gives me pause with Wiseman is he couldn’t even make one of the All-EYBL teams as a high school player despite being the No. 1 recruit in America. Wiseman’s physical tools give him a relatively high floor, but it’s hard to see him with a high enough ceiling to warrant a top-three pick even in a weak draft. He should be a solid center, but star projections feel too optimistic.
8. New York Knicks - Devin Vassell, F, Florida State
Just sick stuff from Devin Vassell pic.twitter.com/V07OxMxMFS
— Jake Rosen (@JakeInThePaint) January 23, 2020
Vassell saw his draft projection go from sleeper to top-10 pick during a breakout sophomore year at Florida State. Few players in this draft are safer bets to offer more two-way potential. The 6’6 wing is an excellent team defender as the bedrock of a unit that finished No. 15 unit in the country, showing an ability to get into the passing lanes (2.8 percent steal rate) and wall up near the rim (4.1 percent block rate) despite not having the biggest frame. While Vassell isn’t much of a creator on offense with the ball in his hands, he does have a quality shooting projection. He made 41.5 percent of his three-pointers this season and showed an ability to hit them on the move and from a variety of angles. If you want a 3-and-D wing in this draft, it’s hard to do better than Vassell.
9. Washington Wizards - Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
NBA scouts wanted to find out if Haliburton could maintain his excellent efficiency while going from reserve to featured star as a sophomore at Iowa State. For the most part, he did exactly that. A skinny 6’6 point guard, Haliburton has proved to be an excellent spot-up three-point shooter (42 percent) and an advanced passer (35.3 percent assist rate). Just don’t ask him to single-handedly create offense in the half-court. Haliburton is not the type of guard who breaks down the defense off the dribble and puts consistent pressure on the rim, meaning he’ll likely be at his best as a secondary ball handler. Add in his terrific defensive instincts — his 3.8 steal rate ranked top-40 in America — and Haliburton looks like a nice complementary piece if not exactly a future star.
10. Phoenix Suns - Tyrese Maxey, G, Kentucky
Tyrese Maxey throws the ball way ahead for the split, steps through the Okoro contest for the and-1 with his off hand. Unreal sequence pic.twitter.com/apfxNLamUZ
— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) February 2, 2020
Maxey doesn’t run offense like a traditional point guard and lacks the size to consistently defend shooting guards, but it isn’t hard to see how his skill set could be effectively deployed next to a bigger offensive initiator in the NBA. The 6’2 freshman is at his best attacking the basket, where he showcases impressive body control and soft touch around the rim. He’s an active and attentive defender who plays bigger than his size with quick hits and good length with a 6’6 wingspan. Maxey only shot 29 percent from three-point range, but he hit better than 83 percent of his free throws and should be a threat both off the dribble and on catch-and-shoots. Maxey has some limitations for now, but he has enough skills to be an impactful player in the league in the right team context down the line.
11. San Antonio Spurs - Patrick Williams, F, Florida State
Flashes like this at his size make Patrick Williams the lotto tier prospect he is. So active making interior rotations, contests then pushes in transition and makes a great pass: pic.twitter.com/BWj5YKtqdb
— Ben Pfeifer (@Ben_Pfeifer_) February 25, 2020
Williams showed flashes of the type of player he could one day become during his freshman season at Florida State. The youngest NCAA prospect in this year’s draft, Williams is a long-and-strong 6’8 combo forward who offers defensive versatility with the hope of spot-up shooting and supplemental playmaking. Defensively, he’s big and strong enough to provide secondary rim protection in the front court after posting a 5.6 percent block rate with the ‘Noles. His offense is fairly rudimentary at this point, but there’s reason to believe he can be a better shooter than his 32 percent mark on relatively low volume suggests. He did hit 84 percent of his free throws. NBA teams always need big wings. Williams has the potential to be an impact player if continues to flush out his skill set.
12. Sacramento Kings - Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
Isaac Okoro pull-up 3, comes down the other end, tag, steal, and dunk pic.twitter.com/MeU0ar19dQ
— Max Carlin (@maxacarlin) January 16, 2020
A powerfully built 6’6 wing, Isaac Okoro was a shutdown defender from the moment he entered Auburn. He displayed rare defensive versatility in his freshman season, preventing penetration when guarding the ball, making crisp rotations off the ball, and even flashing some signs of rim protection when he’d wall up in the paint. Okoro’s offense remains a mixed bag at best, with encouraging playmaking flashes being overshadowed by his struggles to shoot from three-point range. A team would do best to be creative offensively with Okoro early in his career rather than letting him sit out on the perimeter where opposing teams will likely ignore him. If his outside shot eventually comes around, he would be the type of two-way wing every team covets.
13. New Orleans Pelicans - Aleksej Pokuševski, F, Olympiacos
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It feels like every draft has a boom-or-bust prospect that will make one GM either look brilliant or foolish depending on his development. This year, it’s Pokuševski. The 7-footer has a mesmerizing array of skills for someone his size, showing off knockdown shooting ability and creative passing flashes with the ball. He’s also impossibly skinny and will likely be hunted defensively whenever he’s on the floor. Poku also didn’t face the highest level of competition playing in Greece’s second division, but it’s worth noting some guy named Giannis did pretty well coming over from the same league.
14. Boston Celtics - Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina
What a great set to get Cole Anthony attacking downhill off the catch, and an impressive and-one finish, too.
Secondary DHO with Cole curling off of the Garrison Brooks pindown.
Exactly the type of action that Cole needs to see in the NBA to maximize him off-ball. pic.twitter.com/MUDzS7uyxw
— Trevor William Marks (@twmarks_) August 12, 2020
Anthony was getting hyped as a potential top-three pick coming out of high school before a disappointing freshman season at North Carolina that was weighed down by a torn meniscus. At his best, Anthony can still be an electric shot-maker off the dribble with deep range. He’s impressive in the pick-and-roll, but his ideal fit at the next level should be playing off the ball next to a dynamic offensive initiator. His size will lead to questions defensively, but Anthony has always been a quality rebounder and disruptive in the passing lanes. His high school pedigree will be at odds with his underwhelming freshman season and the fact that he’s a year older than a typical freshman. If Anthony pulls off a successful transition to the NBA, it will more evidence to take evaluations throughout multiple years and not just a single one-and-done season.
15. Orlando Magic - Kira Lewis Jr, PG, Alabama
Lewis might be the fastest player in the draft with the ball in his hands. The 6’3 point guard is a blur in transition, where he graded out in the 79th percentile of points per possession in the country. Lewis is also a capable shooter who hit 36.4 percent of his threes and graded out in the 86th percentile of spot-up opportunities. He’s a solid if unspectacular passer at this point in his career and will badly need to add strength to his skinny frame. The biggest point in Lewis’ favor might be his age: he was the youngest sophomore in the country this season after playing his freshman year as a 17-year-old.
16. Portland Trail Blazers - Josh Green, SG, Arizona
Green is a monster athlete with a catch-and-shoot potential who can still be impactful despite a rudimentary offensive skill set. Offensively, Green can find success with straight lines or cuts to the basket but his value will ultimately be determined by how good of a shooter he becomes. He hit 36.1 percent of 83 attempts at a freshman at Arizona. Defensively is where Green is more intriguing. He’s a super fluid athlete with quick hips who can force turnovers with a 6’10 wingspan. It’s fair to question his upside given his lack of offensive refinement, but he should be able to stick in the league for a while as a 3-and-D wing.
17. Minnesota Timberwolves - R.J. Hampton, G, NZ Breakers
Hampton sets up the screen with a double cross, gets downhill with legit speed and slams. He's a good athlete: pic.twitter.com/gga2arkORm
— Ben Pfeifer (@Ben_Pfeifer_) March 22, 2020
The Dallas native graduated high school early to join LaMelo Ball in the NBL and play for the New Zealand Breakers. Hampton’s year abroad was interrupted by a hip injury, but he showed flashes of what makes once made a top recruit across 17 games as a pro. A 6’6 combo guard, Hampton is aggressive attacking the basket and has the strength to absorb contact and finish inside. Those same attributes make him a competent defender, too. He’ll need to improve his outside shooting (29 percent from three) and his ability to read defenses to become a starter, but for now Hampton looks like he’s worth a shot as a developmental guard prospect.
18. Dallas Mavericks - Aaron Nesmith, SG, Vanderbilt
Nesmith looked like the best three-point shooter in college basketball before a season-ending foot injury. The 6’6 sophomore guard hit 52.2 percent of his three-pointers and showed an ability to hit shots from tough angles while on the move. While not an elite defender, Nesmith showed an ability to understand his role on defense and should be able to hold his own on that end. If you need a catch-and-shoot threat in this draft, Nesmith is one of the best options available.
19. Brooklyn Nets - Saddiq Bey, F, Villanova
Part 1 (PnR Scoring) - While Saddiq Bey isn't thought of as a PnR player & he most likely won't be asked to do too much of it in the NBA, he showed some promising flashes this year.
He does a good job at using his body & size to create space or drive through players & finish pic.twitter.com/8nidlEyvwn
— Zach Milner (@ZachMilner13) April 19, 2020
Bey is one of the best pure shooters in the draft. The 6’8 wing shot 45.1 percent from three-point range during his breakout sophomore season at Villanova. His combination of size and shooting makes him a viable option in the first round, but it’s fair asking what else he’ll bring to the table. Bey doesn’t jump off the page athletically which hurts him defensively and as a creator. As long as his college shooting numbers translate to the league, he should have a long career.
20. Miami Heat - Desmond Bane, SG, TCU
Bane flew under the radar as a senior at TCU, but he was quietly one of the better two-way wings in the country. A dynamic shooter off the catch, Bane hit 44 percent of almost 200 attempts from deep this past year. He’s also a more skilled finisher than the other top shooters in this class, able to absorb contact in the paint and lay the ball in with either hand. Defensively, Bane should be more advanced early in his career than many of his peers with a combination of high-IQ, strength, and discipline. Bane’s draft hype hasn’t matched his production to this point, but some smart team should scoop him up in the first round. Read Jackson Frank on Bane here.
21. Philadelphia 76ers - Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
Tyrell Terry is the 2nd best catch and shoot player in the entire draft based on “score %” or the % of possessions the player scored more than 1 point
Terry (50%) is only behind Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith (52.4%) pic.twitter.com/A5rdhentta
— Daniel Segal (@dsegal01) August 20, 2020
Terry has become one of the popular sleepers in this draft class for his shooting versatility. The 6’2 guard hit 41 percent of his three-pointers on the year, and showed the ability to make deep shots both off the dribble and while spotting up (he finished in the 99th percentile on catch-and-shoot attempts). His ceiling will be determined by how truly great his jumper becomes. If he falls short of being special as a shooter, does he bring enough to the table in other areas to offset his more obvious weaknesses? Teams will have justified size and defensive concerns here, but Terry is worth the risk at this point in the first round for a team like Philly that badly needs as much shooting as it can get.
22. Denver Nuggets - Paul Reed, C/F, DePaul
Quick Paul Reed finishing flashes video.
The shot is a work in progress (though he had some really nice relocation and movement Js) and his shot IQ needs work, but if you can get defenses to close on him, he had some elite finishes this year downhill for a big w/footwork & touch pic.twitter.com/4h0yoWNR1J
— Spencer (@SKPearlman) August 15, 2020
Reed was an overlooked three-star recruit entering one of the worst power-five programs in America when he committed to DePaul. Three years later and one major growth spurt later, he has a shot at being taken in the first round as a big man who can cause havoc defensively and maybe stretch the floor as a shooter down the line. Few players in the country packed the box score as reliably as Reed. He posted huge block (9.4 percent), steal (3.4 percent), and rebound rates, and also showed improved finishing and shooting ability. It’s fair to wonder about his offensive projection if he’s caught between the four and the five, but Reed makes enough plays defensively for someone to take a shot on him late in the first.
23. Utah Jazz - Malachi Flynn, PG, San Diego State
Flynn burst onto the national college basketball scene during his first season with San Diego State as a transfer from Washington State. He was nothing less than one of the very best players in college basketball this year as the engine of an Aztecs team that finished the season at 30-2. Flynn has unremarkable size and athleticism for an NBA point guard, but it’s hard to discount the fact that he’s simply very, very good. A tough and crafty point guard, Flynn hit 37 percent of his three-pointers, showed elite feel in the pick-and-roll, and played aggressive defense despite in his size limitations. He’s a first-rounder in my book.
24. Milwaukee Bucks - Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL
Maledon had a standout career on France’s youth teams alongside Killian Hayes before going to ASVEL and becoming something like Tony Parker’s understudy. He has great size for a guard at 6’5, but lacks the burst to break down the defense off the dribble. Instead, Maledon plays a safe and steady pick-and-roll game and spots up along the three-point line. His ceiling feels like it will ultimately be determined by how dependable he becomes in catch-and-shoot situations.
25. Oklahoma City Thunder - Leandro Bolmaro, G, Barcelona
Bolmaro is intriguing as a 6’7 ball handler who played de facto point guard for Barcelona this season while splitting time between their senior team and lower divisions. He does a good job playing with pace with the ball in hands and has the vision and size to find shooters on the perimeter. He was a sub-30 percent three-point shooter, which will have to a point of emphasis for his development moving forward. Here’s an extremely in-depth piece on Bolmaro from Graham Chapple our Hawks community Peachtree Hoops.
26. Boston Celtics - Xavier Tillman, C, Michigan State
Simply put, Tillman was one of the best players in college basketball each of the last two years. He broke out as a sophomore at Michigan State when Nick Ward got injured, turning into a plus-minus marvel upon entering the starting lineup. Tillman had a similarly massively impact as a full-time starter during his junior year, proving himself to be a super high-IQ big man with strength and finishing ability. He’ll be short for an NBA center at 6’8, but his length and raw power should help make up for it. Tillman isn’t a flashy pick, but he qualifies as an analytics darling in this year’s draft and has been remarkably dependable whenever he’s on the floor.
27. New York Knicks - Precious Achiuwa, C/F, Memphis
Achiuwa passes the eye test in that he just looks like an NBA player the first time you see him walk onto the court. A massive hybrid forward at 6’9 with a 7’2 wingspan, Achiuwa is extremely strong and plays with energy. He just doesn’t always know what he’s doing on the floor. The Memphis freshman hit 32.5 percent of his threes on low volume this year, but he also made under 60 percent of his free throws. His decision making is a bigger concern after finishing with 87 turnovers to 30 assists. Still, Achiuwa is athletic, strong, and active. If his feel for the game improves, there will be a spot in the rotation for him.
28. Los Angeles Lakers - Grant Riller, G, Charleston
Riller doesn’t have the hype of a one-and-done freshman as a player who will turn 24 years old as a rookie, but the tape shows that the 6’3 guard is one of the most explosive one-on-one scorers in this year’s class. Riller has an elite scoring package that includes deadly step-back jumpers, outstanding finishing ability, and the ball handling required to create separation off the dribble. He will have to be protected defensively, but his offensive upside is impressive enough to warrant a first round pick despite his age.
29. Toronto Raptors - Devon Dotson, PG, Kansas
Dotson was the engine of the best team in college basketball all season. While he lacks ideal size at 6’2, Dotson makes up for it with speed, strength, and projectable shooting. He was remarkably consistent all season in terms of his scoring efficiency on different play types. While Dotson only hit 30 percent of his threes, he finished as an 82 percent free throw shooter and has a compact shooting stroke that should be effective from deep in the NBA before long. He’s also a competitive defender who posted a huge 3.6 percent steal rate and doesn’t back down from bigger ball handlers. There is plenty of evidence that being an excellent college basketball player is a great indicator of future NBA success, and Dotson certainly fits that bill.
30. Boston Celtics - Tre Jones, PG, Duke
Jones shocked the college basketball world by returning for his sophomore season to lead a Duke team without Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Scouts wanted to see him improve his outside shooting and be more assertive on offense, and for the most part he was able to do it. Jones increased his three-point percentage to 36 percent, up 10 points from last year. He’s also a heady playmaker who makes quick decisions with the ball and has more size to compete defensively than his older brother Tyus Jones on the Memphis Grizzlies. This is not an exciting pick, but Jones already carries himself like a pro and should be a low maintenance and dependable bench option for a long time.
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Album Review by Bradley Christensen
Goodbye June – Magic Valley
Record Label: Interscope
Release Date: May 15 2017
Goodbye June, a band with one of the most misleading names I’ve ever heard (there’s nothing wrong with it, but if I saw this band’s name without knowing who they were, I’d assume they’re a mid-00s pop-rock band), is one of the outliers that I came across in my search for new and interesting modern rock bands. Not that they’re super weird, experimental, or anything like that, but like The Revivalists, a band that I’ve talked about beforehand, their sound isn’t merely a cut and paste of 1970s blues-rock / hard-rock. They have that sound, don’t get me wrong, but they throw some other influences that most rock fans probably aren’t familiar with. The Revivalists, especially on their latest LP, Men Amongst Mountains, threw in folk, Americana, roots-rock, funk, and soul, but Goodbye June throws in southern-rock and country. I mean, they’re not a country group by any means, but a couple of songs on this album could potentially have a crossover appeal to country listeners. These guys are a band that I randomly came across while searching for new and exciting modern rock bands. Their name was interesting to me, but I was blown away when I listened to “Good Side,” I think. I was hooked from that song, because of how groovy, catchy, and energetic the song was, especially with its southern-rock / blues-rock groove. These guys are influenced by Led Zeppelin, as just as much as they’re influenced by Lynyrd Skynyrd, and that’s kind of cool, actually. I feel like if you either band, you’ll somehow like these guys, too. I mean, fans of one band is a fan of the other, too, because they’re both hard-rock / blues-rock, but that’s still an odd mix, nonetheless. Southern-rock isn’t exactly a genre that’s in a lot of peoples’ minds, especially nowadays, because it mainly popular during the 1970s, but a lot of bands are keeping that sound alive. Goodbye June, and their debut LP, 2017’s Magic Valley, is a melting pot of rock, so to speak, because they combine a lot of styles of rock together, and they do it in such a cohesive, concise, and interesting way.
I’ve talked about how some albums that I’ve been into have been either too consistent / repetitive with their sound, or they’ve been too diverse for my liking, but Goodbye June gets it right. This album is a great mix between consistent and diverse. The album goes through a few different sounds, but it knows how to combine those sounds in a way that’s very cohesive and flowing. The album can go from an upbeat rocker to a sentimental and sweet ballad, only to go back to a more upbeat and energetic track, at the drop of a hat, and it doesn’t lose any steam. I’m mainly talking about the three-punch combo of “Good Side,” “Darlin’,” and “Charge Up The Power,” which are three of the best songs here. I have to talk about the first three tracks, though, because those are another set of amazing tracks. “Bamboozler,” “Oh No,” and “Daisy” are fantastic rock songs that have a southern and blues edge to them that will get any rock fan’s veins pumping. “Daisy,” however, does place more emphasis on a hook, versus the “guitars and stuff,” but it still rocks. When we get the next three tracks, that’s when things could potentially take a turn for the worse, but they really don’t. “Good Side” is another very energetic track, but “Darlin’” is a sweet little ballad that picks up by the end, so the album oddly doesn’t lose any steam when the next track starts. There’s only one more ballad / country-ish song on the album, and that’s “Fear Of Jesus.” The song is technically the closing track, but there is a bonus song called “Liberty Mother” that kicks a ton of ass, honestly. It would make sense for “Fear Of Jesus” to be the closing song, though, because it has that feeling to it. I love how this LP combines a lot of styles together, but it never loses a beat. The album never loses its steam, and it easily could from having slower tracks on it. What’s weird, too, is that this LP is only a minute shorter than The Temperance Movement’s White Bear, which I recently talked about, too, and that album was a bit too diverse for my liking, because it wasn’t a very flowing album in how it tried to have a more atmospheric sound while being more energetic and raucous.
I’ve barely talked about anything less on the album, but this album is amazing. I love the vocals a lot, especially, because they have that dynamic that vocalists like Bruce Springsteen and Brian Fallon have, where they’re both gritty and melodic at the same time. I love those kinds of vocals, and the vocals aren’t totally like that, but they can be very raw and raucous, but their vocalist pulls through on the ballads. He doesn’t have a soulful voice, like the vocalist of Rival Sons, but when the album does gets a bit slower in tone and mood, it works well, nonetheless. The instrumentation itself is very well done, and the album isn’t a generic hard-rock / blues-rock album that puts an emphasis on “guitars and stuff,” as plenty of bands tend to do. There is an album that I’ve been into lately that has that idea, and I’ll talk about that soon enough, but it can work. Bands that just “rock” can be awesome, because it all depends on the execution. This band is more than that, though, and they have a few more tricks up their sleeve. They definitely have more in common with southern-rock bands, which is really neat, because they’re not just your average hard-rock / blues-rock band that’s influenced by the 1970s. If I had to pinpoint a single weakness on the album, it’s that the lyrics can be lacking sometimes. I really like the lyrics on certain tracks, especially the ballads, “Fear Of Jesus,” and “Darlin’,” but some of the lyrics don’t quite do a lot for me. The thing is, though, the songs on this thing are a lot of fun, so the lyrics are what you’d expect from more raucous and energetic southern-rock. A song like “Bamboozler,” the opening track, is a song that has a lot of wild and crazy lyrics, and “Oh No” is all about how the narrator is still going strong, despite a lot of awful stuff happening to him. The lyrics are totally fine for what they are, and I have a lot of fun with them, nonetheless. I’d love for this band to get bigger, because they have a really cool sound, especially within this crop of modern rock bands. I’d totally recommend this band to any rock fan that I know, because they have such a kickass sound that I want more people to hear.
#goodbye june#magic valley#daisy#oh no#bamboozler#rock#southern rock#lynyrd skynyrd#led zeppelin#blues#blues rock#southern#country#alt country
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The good, the neutral and the bad: Meg Giry’s Masquerade costume
The good: I love the equestrial touch of the replica costume. The fitted riding jacket, the small veiled top hat, the lace jabot, the riding boots, and Maria Bjørnson’s signature detail: the little apron. It reminds a lot of various Victorian baroque and rococo revival riding jackets, like this one from The Met. That ensemble even has a matching veiled hat. Another The Met jacket, from Worth 1890s, shows a purple jacket with beading and lace decorations. The similarity of these jackets and the Meg one, combined with the veiled hat and the lack of skirt/pants makes me wonder if Maria Bjørnson actually saw these. Paired with dotted tights it bears some hints of the 1980s and the love for tunic/tight combos. It’s possibly the most 1980s costume in Phantom in that aspect, cause it actually echoes clothes in fashion at the time it was designed. But it also echoes the Victorian love for anything historical and inspired by history. And I think this 1880s/1980s crossover works really well.
I also like the 2004 movie costume, featuring Meg Giry as a white swan Let’s hope it bears some reference to a future stage career as prima ballerina dancing The Swan Lake, and not reference to the fate of the swan itself... The costume is a nice combo of white silk and white feathers, with a sprinkle of glitter, and with fluffy wings in the back. I’m not necessarily loving the very white/black/metallic look of the Masquerade scene in the 2004 movie. But I think Meg’s costume would have worked in any context, and it is both allegorical, beautiful and period looking. So definitely on my like list.
The neutral: I usually love the splash of colours and details in the Czech costumes. But the Meg one... I do love the tiara and the very visible hallmark Meg wig. I also love the colours and the materials. But the skirt/pants leaves something to be desired. It basically just comes off as messy?
Similar, the Hungarian one has some funky details That ballooned skirt and the colours, as well as the wings, are cool and quite fitting for the occasion. What bugs me here is the “bathing suit” like bodice. I can only imagine how cool this costume would have been with a more ornate bodice!
The Polish one is kinda opposite... well made, beautiful bodice, ballroom gown fitting for the b/w ballroom theme they did in Poland... but so bland a result. I’m just ITCHING to add a touch of gold or colours to the scallopd flounces and bodice decorations. Would have made the whole thing “pop”.
Estonia... The blue dress is the classical young girl symbol - Belle in BATB, Christine in replica Phantom, Alice in Alice in Wonderland. I assume this is supposed to be the latter, with the apron and stripy stockings and all? Which is a very fitting costume for a Victorian fancy dress party. Yet I’m pretty neutral to it. Doesn’t really stand out in any way? Kinda bland? Anonymous? I dunno. Could have been made flashier or even more Alice in Wonderland.
The bad: Finland never disappoints. OK, so the basic idea is good. A Pierrot/Pierrette costume, a stock character from classical pantomime. This bears hints of Palais Garnier Masquerades as well as Christine’s original costume in the replica version. But the execution of the costume is so poor. It looks like a rack costume from WalMart. Give her a decent fitted bodice, or a big skirt, or ANY detail convincing me this was made by the costume workshop of a professional opera house. This is just sad.
ROMANIA’S FRENCH MAID THOUGH! Well, yes, so this fits well over the bell-shaped Degas costume and all. I assume that’s what’s worn underneath, anyway. But this hits all the stereotypes, and I so strongly doubt Meg would choose to dress as a maid if she got to choose. It’s her moment to shine, not to serve, goddamnit. Also, it’s so poorly fitted it’s not even funny. Just NO.
DISCLAIMER: It’s surprisingly hard to spot Meg Giry in most non-replica costumes, as she doesn’t often wear any “Meg specific” details. So sorry if any of the above has been erroneously identified.
#meg giry#meg masquerade#good neutral bad#phantom of the opera#masquerade#fancy dress#non replica#not tagging them all
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An analytical look at the returning mechanics in Marvel Infinite
If you follow fighting games to even the smallest degree, you know that Capcom just released more content for the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. And if you have been on Twitter lately, you also know that this content has gotten, to put it lightly, mixed reception among fans. However, if you were looking for more complaints about the graphics, you might as well just look online. There are still plenty of signs that MvC:I will have the gameplay quality of the older games in the series.
As someone who has played every game in the Marvel fighting game series, MvC:I looks, to me, like an amalgamation of many of the other previous titles. It takes obvious inspiration from the past games in the series, starting with Marvel Super Heroes, combining the best mechanics of each game into one.
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The time gem from Marvel Super Heroes in action.
Marvel Super Heroes is the second game in the Marvel fighting game series. This game has somewhat similar mechanics to Street Fighter. It is a 1v1 game, with a 6 button system. However, it’s not just another Street Fighter clone. Instead, it is characterized by a gem mechanic. The player picks up different infinity gems off the floor of the stage, and once activated, these gems provide power-ups. In Infinite, the player picks one stone at the beginning of the match, and gets an additional special move and super move, based on the selected stone. Even specific stone abilities from MSH are returning to MvC:I, such as the time infinity storm granting the ability to cancel normals into normals.
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Eddie Lee showcasing the dual combination attack.
MvC:I also appears to take inspiration from Marvel vs. Capcom, the first all-out crossover game between the Marvel and Capcom universes. This game is a 2v2 fighting game, like MvC:I. However, the thing that makes MvC unique from other games in the series is the dual combination attack, a technique in which you can call in both characters at the same time, including using multiple hypers simultaneously. While Infinite doesn’t directly use this mechanic, the active tag system allows similar situations to happen. For instance, in the dual combination attack, you could use certain timing and option selects to trigger a hyper attack with one character, while you apply pressure with your other character. In Infinite, you can activate a hyper with one character, then use active tag to apply pressure with the other. While this is one of the most basic examples of how the active tag system can be used similarly to the dual combination attack, we will probably see more and more ways to use the active tag system that will be reminiscent of the craziness of MvC:I.
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A typical Iron Man fly/unfly combo.
The returning mechanic from MvC2 is the combo system. The controls have returned to the Marvel 2 four button system, and the OTG system has also returned. However, another facet of the combo system has returned, and it might not be as obvious to those who never played or watched competitive Marvel 2. This facet is known as fly/unfly combos. These combos were mostly used by Sentinel and Iron Man, but in MvC:I, it appears that all characters with a fly now have fly/unfly combos.
The only thing that seems to be directly taken from MvC3 is the roster. Neither X-Factor nor Team Aerial Combos have made a return, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on your opinion of MvC3’s system mechanics. However, there are plenty of returning characters, so it is possible we may see similar situations to the ones we saw in MvC3, such as acid rain incoming mixups or the possible return of lightning loops. Ultimately, only time will tell how much similarities are between the two games.
While none of these returning mechanics prove that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will be good, it is a good sign for anyone who enjoyed previous games in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. MvC:I may have its share of problems for now, but knowing that the core gameplay is taken from the classics in the series, MvC fans can rest easy.
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