Today I'm thinking about manga versions of Maxie and Archie, because it's something... I even dont have words for it. Like. Holy fucking shit.
In the beginning, of course, they're confront each other - that's the classic, they're rivals after all, standing for different things and all that things. They're different. They're opposites. They're still strongly exist in each other lives, because of their conflict.
But then
This happens. And this IS beginning of the end, because of course they're working together - and at the moment it looks like it is only for benefits for their goals, nothing else. They will destroy each other when they will get to finish.
They're fucking irritating(/pos), it almost feels like they're drawn to each other, in any scenario, their destiny is to meet, to exist in each other lives. None of them exist alone (and when one of them do exist alone, it means that something went terribly wrong).
AND THEN THINGS JUST GO EVEN WORSE (/pos)
This panel. I don't know where to start.
Do I need start with that they're realizing they work together perfectly? Do I start with that this making them thinking they needed to work together from the beginning? Do I start with that two men, who, up until this point, was fighting with each other and conflicting, hating each other, founded in each other the best partner they ever could have? Do I start with that they're probably the best persons in each other lives?
It is already very emotional (at least for me), but with how story goes on, they're connecting more and more, becoming even more emotionally fucked up.
AND THEN THERE IS EMERALD ARC???? CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT EMERALD ARC???????
There is so much going on in emerald arc I barely can find words for describing my emotions.
This is the fucking tragedy. Because, what do you mean, they're put in situation where is only one of them can leave alive for some more time? (Remember how I said that if only ONE if them exist it means that some shit is going to happen something going to go really terrible. It either them both exist or them both don't).
What do you mean Archie is literally killed Maxie, just for chance of living a little longer?
And this is tragedy, because Archie, in the end, loses again. And now, not only he does lose in literal sense - he didn't achieve his goal, after all. He loses everything he had - his team, his life, and most importantly, he loses his only friend. He is all alone now.
Ah yeah can we talk about
This?
It's just one phrase. It has so much in it.
Not only he calls Maxie friend, not only he confess that Maxie probably the only one person which Archie was thinking as a friend, but also like.
Consider this: this isn't oras archie yet. This version of archie is cold, closed and gloomy, genuinely intimidating person. He doesn't care about his team members, it is kind of okay for him to use them as tools (which, ironically, shows even in this interaction with Maxie: after all, Archie still killed him for a chance of living a bit longer. And Archie acknowledging that he betrayed Maxie. He betrayed his only one friend). He is a cold person, but it almost seems like Maxie managed to warm him up a bit, just a little bit. This is actually incredible and, again, endlessly emotional, and I still can't stress this enough. Holy fucking shit.
Just imagine Archie at this point. Imagine, because, the best person in his life always was his rival. His rival, and maybe, even friend.
And I told about this before, but can we talk about that in distorted world they became one? It's just so symbolic. Like, Archie and Maxie from beginning were opposites, they was supporting opposite things, their goals was completely opposite. But they can't choose only one of this, because everything around them is a combination of different, sometimes opposite things. Like even the land and water in Hoenn! Exactly this combination of land and water create Hoenn as we know it, and how they know it. And they, people, who choosed only one of these things, in the end, became the one themselves - isn't this ironic? Isn't this funny? Isn't it symbolic in some way? (I also fucking love how this fusion explain in some way why when oras hits, Maxie is more like original Archie, and Archie more like original Maxie. They had explored each other minds I'm sure of it)
And finally, ORAS, part that I love the most.
Not only they both was given chance of living again, but this is literally their peak. They're working together again - and by that I mean they're working perfectly together.
They even acknowledge it themselves:
And this is so good in contrast with Ruby and Sapphire arc - back then, they too, realized and started to think they're work perfectly together, but it still was mixed with some evil fucked up shit, but here? They're working together because they (ironically), have the same goal. And they're helping each other.
They're working together perfectly, this is so good for them. And no evil bullshit this time! It's actually best versions of them in some way - because they're working together, for sake both of humanity and pokemon. They working towards happiness and safety for everyone, not choosing and prioritizing only one of them.
And they're talking to each other as if they was old friends, partners, every one of their interactions shines with this somewhat warm feeling. This is so good for them. I would even dare to say that ORAS part was the happiest moments in their lives.
And.. Then end of ORAS hits.
And, again, as classic already, it's a small panel, but how much here is.
First of all, can I point that Archie died two times, and both times he was thinking of Maxie in some way?
And both times is some kind of emotional moment for Archie: first time, he calls Maxie friend (he doesn't call him by name, but. He obviously talking about him COME ON), and second time he ask Maxie, if he would want to work together again, if they will have chance to do so. I just love seeing this progression, how Maxie became more and more dear person for Archie as time goes on, how he became more attached to him. And Maxie does too!
It is such an incredible moment filled with so much emotions, with so much sense. I love how Archie doesn't even say his question fully, but Maxie still understands him. Of course he does, because, I'm sure, even if Archie didn't ask this, Maxie still would think of it. I'm sure if none of them said this, they still would understand this wish to work together again that they both have. At this point, they are incredibly connected together, and they have only each other.
I also love this moment, because when Archie died first time, he was told that, if he will continue like this, he will end up all alone. And Archie agrees to that: he answer in the way that he is already accepted that he is alone now, and he doesn't even have Maxie by his side (I still can't get over that he really highlighted him in this speech holy fucking shit). BUT then, when he appears next time, he appears as ORAS self, and his ORAS self is very different from what he was, not only as a person, but his motivation is different, too.
He changed in some way. And he ISN'T alone, because now, Maxie is by his side again. And I can't stop thinking about how happy it probably made Archie.
And even dying, he is calm, because he isn't alone. He have Maxie by his side. His only friend.
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seth's new design!! wow!!
SO YEAH this is the seth redesign i was talking about in my last post!!
basically i was like "hey.. so rapunzel's hair changed color in the end, right. and it got shorter. so what if we did the same with seth, except in his case it's getting longer". and. yeah, here i am.
i think it's good for my ocs to have redesigns actually! i want them to age and i want them to change!!
and yes. yes, i know that he looks so much like riku and arata. i know. i blamed myself for not being creative enough but then i was like "well. all of them have different personalities and backstories and arata is especially different from seth and riku". so. yeah👍 i just have my fav tropes and styles and aesthetics and obviously i try to include them in my oc designs as much as possible! my vidia boy is probably going to join this dark-haired boy gang hehe.. i will introduce him. one day. give me some time.
some design notes + bonus drawings under the cut!
seth's redesign notes:
as you have probably already noticed, his hair is getting longer. he doesn't really want to cut it and he actually wants to grow it out. he's not sure if he wants it to be as long as it was when he was a child, but.. we'll see. it's actually a huge deal for him because he was afraid of his hair getting longer and he tried to cut it as often as possible since luna claimed that she thinks seth looks better with long hair, so.. he's finally able to move on :)
it's not so noticeable here bc of the filter i used but seth still has purple highlights! they're just more subtle now.
what is not subtle at all, however, that he has even more piercings and tattoos everywhere now. he has some on his back and legs too, they're just not visible here.
the tattoo on his neck is actually supposed to look like a chameleon's tail.
he has a new choker too and surprisingly, it's more pastel compared to the rest of his outfit.
he decided that he's too cool for the nrc uniform, so now his uniform doesn't have that many similarities with it, he doesn't wear his jacket anymore and his shirt has shorter sleeves. the thingy on his vest is kinda supposed to be a reference to the dark mirror.
again, not that noticeable here, but seth is wearing new colored contacts and his eyes are actually supposed to look like a purple and pink sky full of lanterns. he's still refusing to wear his glasses more, haha.
his nails are hot pink most of the time and they look more bright compared to the rest of his design.
Y E S he's wearing matching rings with rollo >:3 i am so insane about this concept, STOP ME BEFORE I START RAMBLING ABOUT IT. i actually think seth would wear a matching accessory depending on who he's dating at the moment/in this universe/timeline. and since i'm in a very strong seth x rollo mood as always, i went with this one. but i'm sure i'll get to draw the rest of them in the future!
and now. just take these silly doodles bc i had this redesign opened on my tablet when i pulled for rollo and. he didn't come home (he will. he will i am dragging him as he's screaming for his life) and i was like. at first i was like "did he not like it :(" but then i came to the conclusion that this repressed catholic school boy just. needed a moment to process it.
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