#''There's gotta be someone else out there in the universe because I want to experience it with them'' | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

12.7% of mobile users access Tumblr.

#''There's gotta be someone else out there in the universe because I want to experience it with them''

trashlie · 3 months

Text

Love and Deepspace Thoughts

I promised some thoughts about Love and Deepspace and we're a week into the game and I think I can finally ramble about it for a while. I've been immensely enjoying myself and screaming daily with my friends lol and I think I've been able to formulate my thoughts pretty well! Idk how many people actually wanna read this, but I always love to have a record of my thoughts - especially something this early in game, because knowing papergames, there's going to be so much angst, so many twists and turns, and I'm already seeing a lot of threads of how things could play out and I like to be able to look back and see how wrong I was lol.

I play on the North American server and have completed chapter 7, so this will be full of spoilers for story content, as well as a lot of spoilers for anecdotes, tender moments, and some of the myth stuff - I'll try to denote where I'll mention certain spoilers in case you're trying avoid certain things, but it'd be impossible to write all of my sincere thoughts and capture all of what I really love and am looking forward to without spoilers, unfortunately.

Below will have a lot of thoughts on the current LIs as well as speculation about the 2 coming LIs, as well as their dynamics, and further speculation on where I think - or maybe just would like to see - the story could be going. To be clear, I have not cleared all anecdotes or myths, as I'm trying to savor things and good lord I cannot pull all those cards; a lot of this is compilation between my experiences as well as @poisonheart and further things I've read and discussed in the server. I will also be approaching this as a longtime player of MLQC, papergames' other otome game, because I cannot help but see the comparisons between the game and sing the praises of where I feel like they've grown and refined, but I don't think you'll need to have played MLQC to read this - you can honestly just ignore those bits lol >A<

What I can outright, sans spoilers, say is that I'm really enjoying Love and Deepspace so much and I think that it's come at a really good time for me, personally, as a MLQC player, because there's so much in game that's been completed and we're basically going through the motions doing our dailies, waiting for our new chapter events or participating in the occasional events (if you aren't hoarding resources for SP wish tree events) so it feels SO refreshing to dive into a new game that takes place in the same universe/world but have so much new stuff to uncover, so much new lore, new characters to meet and get to know. In MLQC I have a very clear favorite, but so far in LADS, I find that while I think I might have a favorite, I really enjoy all three LIs so much and I don't feel bad when I pull someone else's card, because it means I get to gobble all the lore! I don't feel like "UUUGGHH THIS GUY" when we get to X's chapter route. Perhaps it's just that LADS really caters to specific tropes and cliches in a way that I enjoy, but I feel so much like they've done these characters great justice! This goes for the MC, too, who doesn't feel at all like a cookie cutter MC meant to be a stand in for our own self-insert, but rather has a lot of personality of her own, is feisty and discerning.

Also, I gotta give a lot of props to the character customization features. I understand why people are upset that you can only change your hair and hair color in the photobooth function, but we rarely see MC out of that feature - so much of the game is in first person POV - and the times that we do see her, she's seen from the back, so maintaining the same hair for all characters allows them to keep something they can use for her stand in in such scenarios. But the customization is legit nuts! You can do so much with it, I spent so long tweaking mine the day before the game launched! I want to make side accounts I will never play just to play with that function lol

But let's get into the good stuff!

I really cannot sing the praises for the LIs enough, and that's going to be the bulk of what I'll talk about, because even this early in game, there's so much nuance to the LIs in both their characters as well as their dynamics with MC. Everyone brings a little something different to the table, and with what little we know of the upcoming LIs, I think even if for some reason the current LIs don't work for people, maybe the new ones might? But personally, I am so invested in all three of them! While I think I have a definite ranking in favor forming, it's not like it means I dislike any of them at all, and I'm always so eager to learn more!

One thing I'd like to mention before getting into it is that I love the inclusion of the myth cards, and though they are treated as alternate universes, I think it's more like they are previous or parallel timelines, but I'll try to get into that a little more as I talk about the characters!

From what I can see so far, I think Rafayel is one of the more popular fans with the North American/English-speaking fanbase - and it's not hard to see why! He's sassy, provides good comedy, he's fun to bully, and he's really pouty. I had a feeling he would be my favorite from the get go, just because I tend to have a thing for really pathetic men lmao and I have SUCH a fondness for him. I said I think I have a ranking forming, but it feels WRONG to rank them because that's how much I really like them, but if I had to, Rafayel's #2 position is really, REALLY close to #1! But the thing is, it's not just because of all of those traits above. I'd argue that he's one of the characters who has a lot of iceberg depth, as in there's a lot of depth to him that may get ignored or glossed over because of the sass and brattiness that accompanies, or even masks, it. As poisonheart puts it, the comedy hides the pain - and Rafayel comes with a LOT of pain! There's a delicious complexity to him where he is one part needy and clingy, but also one part resentful and hurt. MC made a promise that she doesn't recall - whether it was in this life or another - and you really get the sense that Rafayel wants to settle the score, but at the same time his feelings get in the way of those bitter, hurt feelings, and I really enjoy this complexity a lot! I think it elevates all of the sassiness, gives it a purpose and meaning.

Take his Nightly Stroll Bond: on the one hand it comes across as comedic and even manipulative -and it is! But when you get into it, you understand why. That's not to say if I think there's justification for manipulation because that's not what I'm here for; I'm just here for a good time and a good time I'm having. But when Rafayel says "It's been 800 years!" I don't think that's an exaggeration - he just isn't talking about just the day that he waited. Is faking an injury/illness and checking himself into a hospital overkill? Sure lol but that's what makes him so delightful to me. There's all of this hurt and unaddressed resentment, but as much as that, there's all of these feelings! Because even though he's hurt, he CARES about MC, SO MUCH. That's the problem! It would be easier if he didn't care, but he does. He's so needy, so clingy, he wants her attention because he's waited for so long while she was off, having forgotten him, living a life that abandoned and left him behind while he waited and waited and listen ;~; my stinky fish man I'm so sorry I cannot wait for her to learn the truth. I want to know SO BADLY what happened! When did they meet, anyway? He makes a comment on the homescreen when he's sulking lol about "See you in three months... three minutes, landlubber"

HOW LONG DID HE WAIT FOR HER IF ONE MINUTE IS ONE MONTH TO HIM?!

And listen, idk what anyone else thinks, but the end of chapter 7 had me in my FEELINGS, with the way he tried to leave her at the bottom of the ocean - but he couldn't, because of their promise, because he's unable to go back on it, because even though she forgot all about him and their promise and went about her life without a memory of him, he can't do that. It's the hurt! It's the resentment! It's the confliction between his feelings, because it seems like they take up equal space - his hunger for her attention, for what feels like she was so fickle to give and take away, the way she meant so much to him and he feels like it wasn't the same ;A;

(I've contemplated how possible it is that they met when she was younger, before she was attacked in the Wanderer incident 14 years ago, and if that could somehow have affected her memory, but I feel like it must be something greater, because seeing the fish glow in his heart means the vow they made was binding, so something strong must've caused her to forget. But that's also why I've contemplated if this was in another life? I'm less sure about this, because in Rafayel's second anecdote, he crosses paths with MC at university, though of course she doesn't recognize or recall him, and he specifically recognizes her voice. "Though her voice has matured, her pronunciation, enunciation, the rhythm of her speech, and even the emphasis in her sentences... Every word strikes like a drumbeat, awakening long-buried memories in his mind" It feels more likely that it happened while they were younger. Also I feel like this passage really encompasses her significance, that he can recall these details, to recognize them after so much time ;~; stinky fish you make my heart ache ;~;)

I appreciate so much that they've given Rafayel so much depth, that under the comedy of his pathetic, sulky exterior is so much reason for it, that there's an undercurrent of resentment and something dark - after all, we haven't actually uncovered what happened with the painting and Raymond. We saw the mermaid skeleton in his house - was Rafayel seeking revenge for his people?

But Rafayel also shows tremendous emotional sensitivity, in ways that sometimes catch me off guard. I distinctly remember lol sitting in shock after 4-3, and the text from Rafayel that pops up asking MC if she got the thing, telling her about how he asked a seagull to send a white seallshell why hasn't it arrived yet lol and I remember going "NOT NOW RAFAYEL READ THE ROOM ;~;" and then he goes on, telling her "if you draw on it and put it into the ocean the sea will carry the feelings you poured into the drawing to the soul you yearn for" and I just started SOBBING lol ;~; It was just so.... poignant but so simple. He didn't say I'm sorry for your loss or my condolences or anything like that - it was his own chaotic, weird method, but it was sincere. Likewise, he shows that similar sincerity in Ocean At Night, despite initially dismissing paper lanterns as silly human traditions - a lantern will be blown out why would you put all your hope in something so fleeting - coming around to using his own flame, that will never go out, to light a lantern for MC with the prayer that her hopes will never go out. ;~; Listen, I cried. I was TENDER my heart was soggy ;~;

And while I know people love a good pathetic man and enjoy chaotic sass and the fact that we really, truly NEVER know where his plots are going to go lmao - always an adventure with him - I hope they appreciate that depth and don't disavow the darker elements of him that give reason to those core elements of him. Rafayel is a character that carries his hurt and bitterness on his sleeve, rather than hiding it or shoving it away, and I really look forward to exploring it and all the messiness it has to offer, and how it will play out for MC.

On the very far end of the spectrum is Zayne. He's the character I expected to not be too fond of, so I was so pleasantly surprised as we got to know him to find myself proven wrong! I expected him to be... hm... I guess colder? More prickly? Than he turns out to be? And, admittedly, he is still rather aloof and cold on the surface, but I think it helps that he and MC have that history and that we are introduced very early to them through the A Frozen Promise Bond. It made it readily apparent that Zayne was not a cold and aloof person because he was too lofty or something but rather... it just seemed like maybe he'd been someone more awkward when he was younger, someone who didn't know how to connect very well with the daughter of this family friend, but he still tried. The snow seal took me out, you guys ;~; I never moved on from that!!!!!!

Despite seeming so cold, there's a certain kind of warmth to Zayne, just under the surface. He shows his care and concern in the ways he knows best, as MC's PCP, caring about her well being and health, but their Tender Moments are a collection of wonderful moments showing them growing closer, getting to know each other better as people, as friends and equals. For the record, Starry Nocturne hurt me so much, but it did two things I thought were so important. a. It showed that he was not infallible, which I think is very important, because often characters are written in their roles as geniuses who never fail, or else accomplish the impossible, and to see him lose a patient, while painful to read, made him so human but also b. It gave him that moment of vulnerability with MC where he could lean on her. It's so, SO important! for a MI to be able to lean on the MC, I feel, for them to be those equals, for him to be able to be vulnerable with her, but especially so for a character like Zayne who feels very reserved and closed off.

MC makes statements about feeling like there's distance between her and Zayne, especially when they first come back into each others' lives for the first time, so getting to indulge in these little Tender Moments of them taking little steps towards each other, closing that gap between them, is so satisfying! Having that history gives them a dynamic unlike Rafayel or Xavier's with her, because she has her memories of their childhood, of who he was when they were younger, and who they are now, and can compare the warmth of him opening up, of the chuckles and laughter she elicits from him. They also have this kind of flirtship I really enjoy - something very coy, not in an uwu so shy way just.... very coy, both dancing around the bush, before one of them calls it what it is - I thought the A Heartfelt Paradise Tender Moment a really good example of this!

It's so easy to read Zayne as being cold and aloof, but he really does have so much warmth, he just isn't good at showing it. He doesn't wear things on his sleeves like Rafayel or MC. But good LORD when he's in private....!!!!!!! The Business Trip Memoria TOOK. ME. OUT!!!!!! This is the game launch and they're already throwing this at us?! It was, to me, such a mature kind of date to give us? Two people who have had to grow used to each other's absence in their lives, and continue having to make space for those absences, as both are busy people - Zayne, a dedicated cardiac surgeon and MC a hunter - and what it means to grow used to the absence and to miss each other. But listen - when MC got in his lap?! She was touching his mouth? His face?! "What did you want me to do, in front of all those people?" he asked her? SIR?!

HELLO?! Girl. Listen.

I had to fan myself alfjkkfkjafjkafkjaf lmao

I looooooove them for that element of normalcy - for the people who have important careers and lives that they have to attend to, but still find the room for each other in their lives. The implication that Zayne rushed his way through school, took on grueling workloads and lacked a social life amongst classmates much older than him, not because he loved learning or even because he was so dedicated to his career - but because it was his way back to MC, so that he could return to stand in front of her? GOD. HOW DO YOU MOVE ON FROM THAT? HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? Knowing that he did it all so that he could stand in front of you again? HOWLING pls LISTEN.

Zayne may feel cold on the surface, but he is SO warm, he cares so much. And not just about MC, either. Thank God, too, because I'm not huge on the "Cold man only cares about the woman he loves" type, but Zayne cares so much about his patients, and making sure they feel seen, cared about? His first anecdote had me crying about seniors in hospitals with no relatives to accompany them to their examinations ;~; What a man.

I haven't had a chance to dig into his myth yet, which is a shame, but his third anecdote DID destroy me. I'm not even exaggerating, I was sobbing in my bedroom - and the worst part is I knew it would be painful going in and I still wasn't braced for impact enough! I mean, frankly, both his second and third hurt but nothing like the third! Parallel universe Zayne in a grim reaper role where he must kill humans turning into Wanderers - so very opposite the surgeon version of him who does everything he can to save people, both of them living parallel lives to each other, experiencing each others' lives through their dreams/nightmares. THIS HAS ME SCREAMING!!!!!

So much of MLQC has a lot to do with timelines - parallel worlds, some alternate universes, a whole timeline that's technically the same timeline reset but also still moving forward...... lol I can't help but think about where all of this fits in to LADS. Even though the Myth storylines are taken as alternate universes.... I think they're part of everyone's stories. We see echos of them. I haven't finished Rafayel's but even little moments, like making a break for it and having to run to escape attention echos a scene of Rafayel and the Princess MC making a mad dash in the market alley to escape the palace guards. It feels especially true for Xavier and MC, which I'll get to. But especially with Zayne - whose myth, again, I haven't been able to dig into, but seems to pose him as a sort of god, a forseer - we have two very different timelines/events now: his myth/Philos story and his parallel Grim Reaper self. How many timelines/parallel universes are we playing with, I wonder....?

I really want to revisit this in the future when I do get to dig into his myth, because I can see how Rafayel and Xavier's myths tie into their identities and their dynamics with MC, but I don't know yet how any of that works for Zayne and MC! I'm so intrigued, I can't wait!!!!

And finally, Xavier. God, I should have known lol in retrospect I should have realized Xavier would be my weak spot but listen..... sometimes I gotta lie to myself lol I love everything about him, the seemingly gentle eepy man who is also simultaneously a walking weapon of mass destruction but also so easily stumped by a UFO machine lol. Much like Rafayel, I'm especially fond of him because of the depth and dynamics, but also, honestly, much like Rafayel, he just checks all the boxes. Poisonheart puts it best when she says Xavier is the perfect middle-ground of the two - he's not as sassy as Rafayel is, but he'll still roast MC, he's very grounded and comes off a little aloof sometimes, but he doesn't seem nearly as aloof as Zayne, and he's also really unintentionally funny! He plays the middle-ground of them SO well. And where Zayne was working hard in order to show up in front of MC again and Rafayel has a score to settle but also so much neediness, it feels like Xavier has a LOT of karma to make up for.

Now, I personally don't have his myth cards, but poisonheart does, so everything I know I've experienced via her and all of our hours of screaming lol and the thing that really gets me the most about Xavier and MC is like..... okay it's the way he's clearly this really incredibly strong guy, but he plays the submissive prey role so well? lol He begs if she tells her to, he doesn't resist, he indulges her, he plays along - but when the mood strikes, he'll pull the dominant switch and flip the table and alkfjlFKJKAFJ ALKJFAF LAKJFAKFKJFAJ AFLKJD GODDDDDDDD IT GETS TO MEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Xavier has that sense of like.... everything for MC, right? Like he's making up for a lifetime. There's implications that maybe he's been searching through space and time for her, trying to find her, that they've lost and each other countless times before - or rather, she's lost him - and his Shooting Stars myth supports this. Sometimes it's really subtle, sometimes it stands out so much I'm in agony. She remarks so often how he feels so distant, like he's as out of reach and mysterious as a star. She has nightmares about him disappearing and he is incredibly reassuring about staying, about not leaving. And maybe I'm reading into it, but he even talks about her hanging on tight, like maybe if she's strong enough, she can keep him from ever being taken away, keep them from being separated this time.

He's also the one who feels like he's actually endured all the years. Rather than separate timelines or parallel worlds it feels like Xavier has actually traveled through space and time, like he's the same Xavier from the myth himself, which makes him talking about the loneliness of stars so much worse. How long has he been alone, searching for her? ;~;

But their dynamic just really gets to me - it's those echos, the way MC subconsciously acts on them, and how indulgent Xavier is towards her. It's the playful teasing and the gentleness and how he plays so submissive and docile but when the mood strikes he can switch it up and catch her (and me!!!) off guard. It's the way he texts LMAO never writing out you or one lmao (which is marginally better than Rafayel's COMPLETE LACK OF PUNCTUATION LMAO ALFKAJFKJAFKJAFKJAFJK) It's the way he has that innocent baby face and could absolutely get away with murder.

Initially I had contemplated if it was possible he is actually a star and while maybe that isn't true I am still not certain he's human - at least he's not from our world (especially if he really is the very Xavier from the myth) but I still like to think of him as one, because he wears the star motif so well and likens himself to one so often. Also, look, I am a SUCKER for a star motif. I was doomed from the start lol.

There's just something about the agony and TRAGEDY in their past, in the echos, the subconscious fears, and the sheer indulgence!!!!! It's MC telling Xavier he might be her enemy later and the distress it caused him, prompting him to share his access privileges with her to earn her trust ;A; It's the way he's apparently spent DECADES, at the VERY LEAST, on our earth AND HE'S A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE COOK lmaoooooooo it's the stupid little lines he says because he's not as overtly clingy and pouty as Rafayel but an armful of plushies is a dreadful thing because then he doesn't have a free hand to hold MC's hand !!!!!!! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BE NORMAL ABOUT THIS?! WHINES

I could write a whole essay about Xavier and I'm restraining myself and attempting to be really, really normal about him okay?

But yeah for him it's that depth of like... the guilt and agony he carries - because not only does leaving her hurt him, but it hurts himself, too. That unbearable loneliness, the endless wait, hoping, wondering, unsure of when, or if, he'll find her again, but refusing to give up - and when he does, endeavoring to make up for it. Like, as it is, there's something about strong men being submissive that is so lakkjfkafkjfkjaf alfjakfaf but it's the way Xavier does it with MC that is soooooo INDULGENT, so VERY "for you, because it's you" that makes me want to chew my keyboard and howl at the moon and every time he reassures her he won't leave I feel dread but also I want it to be true.

I know how papergames operates. I know Xavier may mean it, but I also know.... ;A;

And to think, this is all JUST THE LAUNCH STUFF! We haven't even passed chapter 8 yet lmao We don't even have all our LIs! We've (maybe?) yet to meet our antagonist? WHICH I'M EXCITED ABOUT BTW

Listen.

I have some thoughts and I'll try to keep them short (yknow, for me) because this is already long and rambly and maybe I can just expand on this later but: Sylus and Caleb are confirmed as LIs right? But are they the same person or not??????

If Sylus = Caleb it gives us a LOT of potential for exploring some really complex, grey morality. I mean, no matter what, Sylus is going to bring grey morality lol but especially if it turns out Caleb is actually secretly the leader of Onychinus, because it brings that whole "Who is this person I thought I knew?" and more so because Onychinus is poised as an enemy to the Hunter's Association.

But something Papergames has done in MLQC and I fully expect them to do here is explore grey morality, not only in Onychinus, but the Hunter's Association. Xavier's Tender Moments Garden of Secrets brings up the implication that some Wanderers are, in fact, intelligent, and while it's rare, it can occur. And with parallel world Grim Reaper Zayne having to kill people before they turn into Wanderers it begs the question of this world: can that happen here, too? And it gets into the moral conundrums. That's not to say the Hunter's Association are bad for killing Wanderers and protecting people but it starts to bring up questions, because in Grim Reaper Zayne's world, this is being covered up. What about this world? There's also the question of what is Onychinus even doing? I fully expect to find that whatever their objective is, it will be a question of the greater good and if the ends justify the means and the such.

Ultimately, an antagonist LI has to be sympathetic in some fashion, because how else are they going to write the story for them lol. Like they can certainly have Bond/Memoria/Tender Moments that are more about the combative element of their relationship meeting the chemistry that draws them to each other, but at any rate, there has to be something that draws them to each other and makes them care, right? So therefore, he can't be entirely bad, or at least MC has to be able to empathize with him and his objective, or the cause of it or something like that.

If Caleb = Sylus, that might be more achievable because of their history, but obviously that isn't a requirement, and that can also make it more complex, because again, that whole "this person I thought I knew".

I think there's a possibility for that overlap partly because we already have a LI with a history with MC - but to be fair, Zayne's history with MC is very different than Caleb's and has a different dynamic, so even if they didn't give him the villain route, it would still play out very differently and give them a significantly different enough dynamic that I don't think it would be a big issue.

If he's not Sylus, then there's still a lot of avenues to explore with Caleb. They've already implied that Caleb wants to take care of MC, wants her to lean on him and let him play that role for him, to stop being so strong in front of him, and I think that could very well affect his story and what has lead to his "death". Being in the airforce makes me wonder if it's possible that the military is associated in any way with Onychinus - after all, didn't he say that he does top secret work involving the deepspace tunnel, and isn't Onychinus interested in that? It wouldn't be the first time a government agency was written as being corrupt lol (and again there could be a lot gray morality here where Onychinus isn't necessarily inherently bad). Caleb could have gotten involved simply by his job.

There's the revenge angle, if he, too, was an experiment subject (which would make sense because why did Granny take him in as well?) and wanting to get back at? the people who experimented on them. Or wanting to be more involved? A spy case? SO many possibilities and I'm really excited to see where it all goes!

I think regardless of how Caleb is reintroduced to the story, I imagine there's going to be some kind of conflict - his "death" and then reappearance.... did he know that was going to happen? was it planned? was he involved? I don't think they'll bring him back and yay! now she has a family member back but I think there will be some kind of strife to work through, some good ol angst that really plays with the dynamic of feeling hurt and betrayed but wanting to return to the old times that can never be returned to, wanting to seek refuge in someone who maybe doesn't exist anymore, being drawn to someone you cared so much about and feeling so conflicted about it alfkjkfjkjafjkaf kj

I JUST HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS!!!!!!!!!!

This is such a rambling mess so kudos to anyone who made it this far. Maybe I'll manage to write some more bitesized thoughts later @___@

#Love and Deepspace #LADS Brainrot #LADS Rafayel #LADS Zayne #LADS Xavier #LADS Caleb #LADS Sylus

82 notes · View notes

ominoose · 6 months

Note

Top 5 Oscar characters most likely to be yanderes? 👀

Ooooh here we go. In no particular order:

• Blue Jones

He's possessive as hell, relationships for him will be part of his status and control is notoriously a big part of who he is. Blue wants to know where you're going, now long you'll be there, what you're wearing, etc. Sometimes he might not let you leave, not for a particular reason, just to exercise control.

Blue picks what you wear too, treating you like his perfect doll. Since you'll live in the Lennox club you'll have his guards eyes on you constantly, so anything you do will be reported back to him. You live in the palm of his hands, and he'll lord that over you, letting you know he paid for that pretty dress and the roof over your head, if it weren't for him you'd be on the streets. Hell even use his customers as proof that no other man will treat you as well as he does since he technically doesn't bend you over a table without at least a warning.

• Steven Grant

Steven could end up a yandere without even realising. He has no real relationship experience, through Marc, Jake and his parents he doesn't even have any examples of what an average, healthy, stable relationship looks like. All he knows is Marc's deep but repressed feelings, so when it comes to his own love he's got so much pent up but doesn't want to repress it, he wants to show it. Steven will read all the romance novels, not knowing it's not reflective of real relationships, and take his que from those.

Expect him to be over bearing, smothering you in love, hugs, constant affirmations, accidentally objectifying you. He's absolutely obsessed with having someone love him and having someone to love. If you ever try to leave? You're talking nonsense, you loved him before, you cant stop now, hes not going to risk losing you. Will definitely get frantic and do something he regrets in a panic, like chaining you to a wall. That won't make him unchain you though, in fact it's probably for the better, you can trust him to take care of you.

• Nathan Bateman

Another man who loves having control, but instead of Blue being more sly about it, teasing you with the open Club that's actually a prison, Nathan has you completely isolated. This makes it much more easy to completely brainwash you.

I fully believe Nathan would make you dependent on him, leaving you locked in a room when you misbehave. He's the only other human you have, completely cut off from everyone else, it'll be easy to make you cling to him.

When you act out he makes an android version of you and dotes on it in front of you, especially when you're locked in clear, glass room. Nathan will show the android more care and affection than he shows you until you're sobbing and begging to get back into his good graces.

• Leto Atreides

I was hesitant to put him here but in my mind it could happen in a few specific scenarios. Being the Duke of an entire planet, the Emperor of the Universes favourite guy but also his enemy, throw in the trauma of his first wife killing his first born in a jealous fit and also his mother figure killing his dad for the same reason, Leto has gotta have some issues. That's a lot of pressure and relationship drama.

House Atreides have honour, a trait Leto likes to represent, but that isn't without flaws. This can lead to, as we see when he gets KO'd in Arrakis, being blinded by determination, blinding by pride.

If you were his favourite concubine or wife, in a period of high political stress, like during Arrakis, if things get rough I can see him snapping. He'll hold it in, trying to remain the figure of calm reason and all it'll take is one Harkkonnen threat towards you or you taking initiative and making a meeting with political heads to aid Leto, then he snaps. You'll be kept strictly in a private wing because you're his and he cannot lose you, will not lose you to the threats plaguing House Atreides from every shadow. Leto loves passionately, deeply and values loyalty and he will know that's his weakness. You're his heart, so he'll keep you locked away from the outside.

• Shimmer!Kane

I lean towards the theory that clone Kane is more primal and caveman like, he has only base human instincts when he's fresh out the Shimmer. This means he will have base instincts towards a partner.

All he has in him is a feeling of connection towards you and the concept of "partner". To him that just means you are his. Since his emotional understanding is very limited, this just manifests as him being possessive, not recognising boundaries.

I'm not much for a breeding kink, but he will breed you, that's just his understanding of humans and might even be programmed into him from the Shimmer. He might even coddle you, taking over any labour you're doing whether that be putting jars on the top shelf or carrying something upstairs. You'll likely end up feeling like a human pet for him to study and possess.

I know William Tell or Jake Lockley or Basil Stitt would've been popular choices but personally, if I was to be truly honest, I can't see it in canon (although I love it Fanon wise).

For William, I think hed too self loathing. He can barely make himself be in a normal, loving relationship and doesn't allow himself the pleasure of sleeping on a normal bed. If William dated someone and suddenly felt himself becoming possessive, controlling or any real overly strong emotion that wasn't pure love he would bolt. William knows what he is capable of and hates it.

For Basil, I think he's just too... pathetic. I don't think he has it in him to be controlling, he's too submissive. He might try, but you'd shout or tell him off and he'd buckle. He'd just sit and cry if you did something to upset him or left. Might spam you or stalk your socials but that's it.

For Jake, I think he'd check out if his emotions ever got that intense. I don't see Jake allowing himself a relationship while he's still keeping to himself from Steven and Marc, but if he was open I still see him being wary. In a scenario where he does have a partner and feels himself becoming too obsessive or controlling he would ghost and never come back. His commitment is to the body and by extension Khonshu, for your own safety and his head mates he'd split.

#omiwrites #leto atreides #steven grant #blue jones #nathan bateman #kane annihilation #william tell #basil stitt #Jake lockley

96 notes · View notes

honeylations · 8 months

Text

SON JIWOO x FEM!READER

Prompt: You attend a party in celebration of exams ending, only to find your crush being cornered by her ex boyfriend

Warnings/Notes: uni au, drinking, kissing, mentions of cheating, suggestive at the end

———

“Chanelle! Y/n! Welcome to the party-“ Yeji interrupted herself upon seeing your outfit tonight. “Wohohoho look at you Kwon Y/n~ Is this really you?”

You rolled your eyes playfully, unable to hide the proud smile creeping your lips. Yeji was right though, you had decided to go all out with your look, wanting to impress everyone (more like SOMEONE) with your visuals.

“Nerdy architecture student Y/n?! No this is womaniser Y/n!!” Chanelle did jazz hands as if you were her successful experiment. Which is technically true.

Upon finding out your crush was going to be at this party, you cried to Chanelle on the phone about dressing you nicely like a doll. Of course, she was more than happy to help you despite the 3 hours it took of actually finding an outfit in your dull closet.

Chanelle was also right on the ‘nerdy architecture student’ title because every lecture, every brunch, every dinner, you stuck with the same purple Champion hoodie that Yunah got you for your birthday 3 years ago. The colour had faded and some threading came loose but you refused to wear anything else as you quoted: ‘I am attending a 2 hour lecture. Not a fashion show’.

Your friends tried to convince you by using Son Jiwoo, your campus crush, as an excuse to dress better but your buildings are on complete opposite sides of the University so what was the point? It didn’t matter.

Well now it did matter. You had your hair down for once, revealing the outgrown wolf cut that Ruka offered to trim and retouch, and Chanelle organised a simple black long sleeve button up and slacks to help scream ‘lesbian’.

She suggested for you to wear your contacts but you remembered doing that last time while being absolutely wasted and you ended up forgetting to remove them before you passed out in bed. Wasn’t a pleasant morning afterwards, having to deal with sore blood shot eyes for the week.

“You dressed her well, Chanelle. I feel so proud of our Y/n-ie!” Yeji fake cried before letting you fully step into the loud dorm. It was dark but the little neon lights allowed you to see just how many people were here, recognising a few from your classes.

“Jiwoo is in the kitchen if you’re wondering” Funa said in your ear, making you jump.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

The girl laughed and ran her hands from your shoulders down to your arms. “Wow you look great. So pretty but so handsome, rawrrr!”

What you didn’t notice was Jiwoo eyeing you from the kitchen doorway, shooting daggers at Funa who’s hands could not leave your shoulders. Taking a sip from her red cup, she walked back into the kitchen for more liquor.

“Are you drunk? You’re very handsy” You chuckled at Funa.

She gave your shoulders one last squeeze. “You work out so well, I’m jealous. And no, I’m not drunk”

You shrugged at her. “Gotta stay in shape or else the ladies won’t love me”

“Ladies? You mean Jiwoo” She winked. “Get yourself a drink, Y/n. You deserve it after studying so hard”

You nodded and bid her a goodbye before making a beeline to the kitchen that had lights on, being better for you compared to the dark noisy living room. Chanelle was already on her 5th cup, having a good chat with Minju by the drinks table. They both noticed your presence.

“Hey Y/n! I didn’t even recognise you!” Minju beamed, eyeing you from head to toe.

“I’m gonna get that a lot tonight, huh?” You smirked and poured yourself some vodka and sprite.

“Let loose Y/n-ie! Our future architect deserves a reward” Chanelle winked your way, being enough of a reason for you to chug your drink and pouring a second round.

For the next half an hour, the effects of the alcohol got you more extroverted than you usually are, talking with classmates to talking with strangers, most of them being pretty med students that marked you as their eye candy. But they weren’t Jiwoo so you turned down any offers of taking things upstairs.

Being on your god knows how much cup, you were leaning your back against the counter while chatting with Ryujin about your childhood together when Yunjin appears with her hand around Chaewon’s waist.

“Hey there, architect” Yunjin grinned.

“Hey lovebirds, enjoying the party?” You asked with a smiling Ryujin.

“Better question is, how come you’re not making any moves on Jiwoo, huh? You’re dolled up like this and not expecting to get laid?” Chaewon tilted her head at you mockingly.

“I don’t just go up to someone like that, Chae” You laughed.

The three started a whole new conversation when you looked over Yunjin’s shoulder and saw the girl you’ve been thinking of getting cornered by a guy. You sighed and took another big gulp out of your red cup, turning around to pour another. Ryujin slapped your arm

“Slow down there, Kwon. You’re gonna kill yourself”

“What’s the point. Jiwoo’s getting talked to by some dude that could’ve been me” you grumbled, drinking your new pour with ease, going straight for another.

They all looked at where Jiwoo was, Yunjin frowning as she realised the situation. “Uh, doesn’t look like she’s into it actually. She looks uncomfortable”

Throwing your eyes back to your crush, you could see Yunjin was right. Jiwoo had her shoulders up with a disgusted look while the guy was trapping her between the wall and his body.

“Isn’t that Hwan?” (OC character) Chaewon questioned.

“Didn’t they break up two months ago? What could he possibly want?” Ryujin questioned next.

“Look away” You simply huffed and set your empty cup down before walking your way to the two students.

“This is gonna be so good” Yunjin smirked, Chaewon and Ryujin joining in as a small audience.

“I’m back now, baby. It can be us again” Hwan whispered into Jiwoo’s ear, kissing at her ear before he got pushed away by your hand.

“Ever heard of consent?” You hissed.

Jiwoo could finally breathe, holding onto the back of your shirt while she hid.

“And you are?”

You gulped and thought of the first response that came to mind. “Her girlfriend. Is there a problem?”

Jiwoo’s eyes widened, clutching your shirt tighter as her heart rate quickened. Being called her girlfriend was something she dreamt of for way too long.

“Cut the bullshit. She needs a real man and I’m the closest thing to that compared to you” He jabbed a finger at your shoulder.

You took a step closer, killing him with a deathly stare that Jiwoo nor anyone hasn’t seen before, causing an uncomfortable aura around you. “Having a 3 inch dick doesn’t make you a man, Hwan”

His eye twitched before trying to reach around to grab Jiwoo but you aggressively pushed his hand away and grabbed at his polo collar. “Don’t you fucking touch what’s not yours” You growled.

Jiwoo gasped and was quick to grab onto your shoulder, trying not to distract herself from the yummy muscles she was feeling. The touch made you look at her.

“Y/n baby, please don’t. He’s not worth it”

Releasing a heavy sigh, you pushed Hwan away with your eyes piercing angrily into his. You snapped out of it when you felt arms slide up your neck, making you face Jiwoo who held you close. “Please don’t hate me for this” She whispered, not letting you question it the moment her lips pushed into yours.

Instantly closing your eyes, your hands went around her exposed waist while kissing deeply back. You opened your eyes briefly to lock eyes with an embarrassed Hwan as you squeezed Jiwoo’s waist. The man cursed under his breath and left the party.

Jiwoo gently pulled away, fixing your glasses that got wonky from the kiss. Your hands never left each other. “I’m sorry, Y/n”

“Don’t be, please. Just felt the need to save you. Who was he anyways?”

“My ex. He’s insane, don’t worry so much about him” She sighed and ran her hands over your strong shoulders.

“May I ask what happened between you two?”

“Cheated on me, that’s all. I don’t care anyways since I’m here with you. I’ve wanted you for a while now, Y/n” she smiled.

You were about to melt from the blunt confession. “Same here. I didn’t even know you knew my name”

“I’m mutual friends with Chaewon. The moment I saw you, I had to ask her for every detail”

“Stalker much” you joked, letting her head rest against your chest.

She went on her tippy toes to give light kisses under your jaw, marking it with her red lipstick. “You look so fucking good tonight. You don’t understand how crazy you made me, Y/n”

“Oh believe me, I’ve been worse”

She then placed lipstick marks on your cheek to the rest of your face. “Glad you’re out of that same purple hoodie you always wear” She giggled.

You looked at her shocked. “Hey, don’t be mean. I love that hoodie because Yunah gifted it to me!”

“If I buy you a new hoodie can you let that purple one go for once?”

“If it’s from you, I don’t mind anything”

Jiwoo shook her head from your cheesy words.

“Well Miss Son Jiwoo, how about we change this fake girlfriend thing to something real?”

She looked up at you and bit her lower lip. “Hm. If you make me forget everything tonight, I’ll consider it”

You noticed the seductive tone in her voice, easily intertwining your hands and walking towards Yeji’s spare bedroom.

“WOOOH YOU GO Y/N!” Ryujin yelled.

“GET IT BABY!!” Yunjin screamed afterwards.

A/N: Yes finally wrote for mommy Jiwoo :p I can write a smut part if y’all want😭

#Son Jiwoo #gxg #wlw #r u next x reader #r u next #Son Jiwoo x reader

108 notes · View notes

cactikiki · 7 months

Text

I have reason to believe Cassie's dad tried investigating into GGY, and it didn't end so well for him.

Let's get into why...

The therapists say to patient 46 (Gregory, while under the Dr. Rabbit (Mimic) influence) that the techs were getting concerned with his diving into the system, hacking it and messing with code to change how the animatronics act. This happens multiple times:

Now, what is Cassie's father? A Fazbear Technician! Evident by the fact he has a Faz-Wrench, something only Fazbear techs own. Now this is absolutely a stretch, right? Well, it is, until I bring up this note found in the AR world:

In the AR version of the Plex, Cassie experiences personal things that wouldn't be there for other people-- cutouts of herself with Roxy, of her with Gregory (and subsequently crying when he's gone), missing posters of Gregory, eyes that stare at her, mirrors, etc. So this note is another personal thing to her, and given the importance of the other personal things listed, it's likely this note has a good amount of significance to her too. I previously thought it was because Cassie's dad had left to look into something, but I had zero idea what it could be-- until now.

Either the note was placed by someone else to cover up her dad's disappearance (more likely, death), or he left it there knowing he'd be gone longer than normal while looking into this mysterious GGY. With people repeatedly disappearing, and GGY linked to the animatronics being messed up, he could've taken the initiative to look into it himself- and, possibly, payed the price for it.

When this happened, I don't have much of an idea. But I assume closer to the time SB took place rather than GGY, since it's pretty likely Mimic's influence was dropped right before the game, and RUIN seems to happen maybe a few weeks to a month after the base game? I think Cassie would've done something, or felt something was off, much sooner if it'd happened before then; but we don't know enough about her yet to know if that's the case. There's no mention of any other family she has outside of referenced 'emergency contacts'.

We still don't have a whole lot of information about Cassie, so we don't know how long she was left alone, if she's left alone often, etc.

With Help Wanted 2 possibly being a prequel to Security Breach, it's possible we'll also get a confirmation as to why and how Gregory got stuck under the Mimic's influence, plus what happened to Cassie's father. Maybe the game takes place a few weeks before Security Breach? I dunno. We just gotta wait and see!

I just doubt this note means 'he went away for a while at some point and came back', and it's not like past tense is used when she says her dad has a Faz-Wrench like it is when she talks about him collecting old lunch boxes. It has to be significant, otherwise, why include it?

I believe whatever happened to him, Cassie doesn't know about it yet- but her link to the Mimic, and by extension Gregory, goes deeper than we realised- that's why she was introduced at all in RUIN.

Her story is 100% far from over, but I don't believe we'll focus on her again juuust yet.

We know Scott doesn't drop huge lore without clarifying it in the next installment; Burntrap > Mimic for starters. Dittophobia happened, Steel Wool is now referencing fnaf 4 in tweets tagged as SB and RUIN. GGY is still shrouded in mystery, answers are bound to come up soon! (There are way more examples of Scott confirming lore in the next installment of something, but I can't bring it all to mind right now-- there's definitely plenty of examples, though, and iirc Scott made a steam post about this once)

Gregory had a huge reveal at the start of this year with GGY's release; plus, the Mimic (and how it can control things) was finally introduced in the games.

I think GGY is next to get fleshed out in the game universe, and Help Wanted 2 is the perfect place to start. And, of course, that all links to the people who'd sunk too deep into the mystery; the therapists, Tony Becker, and the technicians.

#fnaf #fnaf security breach #fnaf ruin #ruin dlc #gregory #ggy #Dr. Rabbit #five nights at freddy's #cassie #Cassie's dad #Fnaf theory #Forgot to post this earlier when I put it on twitter oops #help wanted 2 #fnaf help wanted 2

131 notes · View notes

undobutton · 6 months

Note

I agree with you totally and to add something, Im white and it is extremely easy to be respectful? Like you dont have to be too smart to know that because you are white that doesnt mean everyone else reading is, and the people that are like “im just not used to it/ idk how to not write white reader/ being inclusive is too difficult" and else are really self-centered and probably kind of racist people, not only to black people but to any POC. If you are going to describe the reader as white, dont even call it an "x reader"🙄

this! this! i gotta say:

WHITE IS NOT THE DEFAULT.

STRAIGHT IS NOT THE DEFAULT.

FEMALE IS NOT THE DEFAULT.

CIS IS NOT THE DEFAULT.

ABLE-BODIED IS NOT THE DEFAULT.

i feel like some people need to hear that. there is no default besides being human. and hate to burst anyone's bubble but we're all fucking humans. You and your experiences are not universal.

not everyone blushes visibly, or has hair that fingers can be ran through, or can go straight to cuddling someone as soon as they get through the door.

sometimes our skin is too dark, or our hair is too thick, or getting free of our outside clothes is the most important thing to do when getting home. and thats okay.

adding a little "written with white reader mind" or "written with straight reader in mind" or "written with able-bodied reader in mind" helps so much. like let. us. know. please.

cause it hurts to be knee deep in a fic and then have to recalibrate and ask yourself if this character would like you if you're not white. and feeling like the answer is no? that shit SUCKS ASS.

and if you feel called out by this? That's fine. you don't deserve death or a curse on your whole bloodline. just make the effort to acknowledge this and add those warnings in the future. adjust the tags you use in your fics! I'll do it too!

If I make a mistake tell me! don't tell me to die bc i forgot a warning. be humane.

the problem is when people act like they are above adding these warnings. or acknowledging that they accidentally considered their fic inclusive when it wasn't.

im not writing all this to make people feel bad. I'm just passionate and like making bold words and using all caps. If you realize that you've been doing some of these things just make your future works more inclusive or add those warnings.

if you "don't know how to write a non-white reader" or something. the xreader tag is for everyone, sure. but you can tag your fic as xreader and xwhite!reader or xfem!reader. it's not hard, really.

i also don't want to take away from anon's original statements. so i just want to ask anyone reading this to maybe reread what they said. since i drifted away from that topic and i think they said it very well!

also wanna add that xwhite!reader isn't even really a tag? like it didn't pop up as i typed it so.. maybe we can make that a thing?

-button 🌺

#x reader #atsv x reader #hobie x reader #miguel x reader #haikyuu x reader #mcu x reader #x black reader #x white reader #xwhite!reader #x black!reader

62 notes · View notes

sleepymccoy · 3 months

Text

Still thinking about a Star trek TOS Firefly au. So I'm gonna have fun writing it out.

I love the dynamic between Mal, Zoe, and Wash, so that's certainly becoming the triumvirate. Mal > Jim, Zoe > Spock, Wash > Bones. However Wash's job doesn't make sense for Bones so he's going to change to doctor.

Jim was on Tarsus 4 and suffered the same as in canon, famine leads to who lives lottery and he wasn't chosen but survived anyway. I think that makes perfect sense in the Firefly universe too, but I think unlike in trek Kodos is celebrated by the federation in Firefly for making tough choices and leading in a strong way. So he's not on the run, he's a constant background side threat who's still in power. The face of the federation in this version, but not the head of it. You feel me

After Tarsus, Jim and Bones met and became mates. I think Bones moved to a big fancy planet for his wife and child after a bit. In the meant time, we have Spock!

This got massive, have a readmore

Spock is the result of eugenic experiments (there's no aliens in Firefly 😢) like the serenity thing that the og story is about (but generational eugenics not brain poking)(because I want there to be many others, just also in hiding and with their own political factions and opinions) but his resulted in Vulcan-like stuff. I think he's still got the pointy ears and has excessively strong emotions that he's learnt to hide completely cos he was raised in a medical facility by cold scientists instead of parents and love. There's schools of thought about them, some want to integrate, some want them exterminated, some want them to form their own society. The federation stance is these eugenic things don't exist and if you see one kill it because it officially doesn't exist. So Spock is forced into hiding and hasn't really had a chance to form his broader opinion, cos it's academic anyway. They're all hiding now.

So, Spock's escaped (more on that later) and in hiding. He meets Jim and they click, probably meeting in some silly battle. I reckon Spock has ways to get away from the feds that Jim wants to learn, so Jim pushes for them to team up. They spend some time together either on someone else's ship or on a smaller ship just them two.

After a while that comes to an end and they put together a crew and buy a ship together. They hire Sulu and Chekhov who are a criminal team who need to get off this rock very fast please. Chekhov can fly wonderfully and has enough engineering knowledge that they're like hey we maybe don't need someone in the engine room!

Sulu is a jack of all trades. It takes a few months for them to realise how useful he is, he always has a skill they need and always knows someone who'll play as a contact. Absolutely invaluable.

Eventually the engine breaks beyond Chekhov's skill to fix and they've all heard of Scotty. Everyone knows about Scotty. I think this would make a good episode one.

They work Sulu's contacts and find Scotty who is, lo and behold, having a drink with his mate disgraced Doctor McCoy. Spock, immediate dislike, this guy is a doctor. Jim, holy shit! Bones! Why the fuck aren't you emailing me back!?

Turns out Bones has gotten divorced and threw a bit of a fit in a hospital and can't work on a core planet anymore. He agrees to join the crew and Scotty has some issue that forms most of the episode plot and joins too cos hey, crims gotta keep moving

The ep ends with meeting Uhura, who manages a lot of the residual resistance movement's comms. She's the most political of the bunch, but Jim is absolutely in agreement and so chuffed to meet her even tho he's never been too war-y before. Scotty and Sulu already know her. She takes a kind of Inara role on the ship, but she's not companioning, she's boosted the comms in the shuttle and is continuing this work. It's great for her cos she gets to move around and be hard to catch, and it's great for the ship cos it gives them access to loads of underground people who aren't the hated federation

I also think she helped Spock break out back in the day. I'm not sure if she was part of it and they've met, or if she helped run things so she knows Spock but he doesn't know her. She's gonna be their reason for getting accidentally involved in larger things in the story and why they get more altruistic with their jobs. Spock also pulls them into some of the eugenic stuff

I reckon episode two needs some Spock eugenic stuff to happen so that Bones can solidify himself as on team Spock in action even if he has a go at Spock. Cos everyone else follows Jim's orders and Jim is team Spock, so I think Bones needs a chance to prove it. To great danger to himself ofc.

Repeat characters (like in Firefly they have Badger and Saffron who rock up as major non crew characters) are Chapel and Rand. I think Chapel is still on a core planet as a nurse. I would have her join the crew in season two, to look for her missing husband. But in season one she can be an insider informant for the hospital heist episode, which they do mainly for the medical equipment cos Bones has like nothing to treat people with. And maybe Spock has some additional medical needs that Bones needs to learn (Spock hates this)

Rand is like a bit of Saffron energy but less totally untrustworthy. I think she works them for her benefit but in a way where when they meet again they're like hey Janice you're not allowed on the ship but it's great to see you! Like, maybe she hijacks them to get her somewhere or stows away super inconveniently. Or maybe she just steals from them old school style and has a very all's fair in love and war vibe about it. She just doesn't hold any resentment, so it's hard to resent her

If I were to cast this show I'd cast Bones and Jim and women because I think it needs more women, might as well put them in positions of power, and honestly I think Spock's character with the emotional repression and all would change being cast as a woman whereas the others wouldn't. Spock's character in this is gonna be playing into stereotypes and expectation to stay in hiding, and those change as a woman

I've definitely got less tension on board than Firefly. There's no Jayne equivalent making life hard for everyone, but you could write an arc in for Chekhov like that if you wanted to. He could go from disliking the danger Spock and Uhura bring to absolutely admiring them over like two seasons. Could be interesting, but it's not got much to do with trek really

There's no shipboard romance here either. There could be something cool in the Scotty/Uhura that happened later in trek canon. Maybe they've got romantic history, so when she joins the ship there's tension and they just fall into bed together pretty quickly. But I'd only put that in if it added something else to the story, which it might! I'm not actually writing, I'm brainstorming

And similar to what the did in Firefly I think Spock/Bones makes the most sense. Cos we don't need proof that Spock and Jim understand each other, they're captain and first officer. They have each other's back absolutely. And similarly with Jim and Bones, they'd have old loyalty and friendship to draw on. And I think they also just obviously get along. But Spock and Bones could do with some plot prodding along, so I'd do something like the Simon/Kaylee romance where there's tension and clear desire but they're bad at making it happen. There's too much in the way. But it adds reason for Bones to have Spock's back (cos we're coming at at the start of their friendship, not years into their five years mission) and you can occasionally see Spock relaxing the emotional wall with someone other than Jim as he develops more serious a crush

I want to see! The Niska episode where Jim and Spock get nicked and tortured, and Bones goes in to trade for them back. He can only afford one but true to the Empath ep he just trades himself and volunteers for the torture.

I also want to see a Jaynestown style ep where Scotty or Sulu are the hero. I think probably Scotty. He'd be easy to write as selfish in a he only cares about tech kinda way and then to find that he accidentally did this would be funny. He also likes to keep a low profile generally so it's extra hilarious

Hospital heist ep, with Chapel cameo. I don't think anyone's handing Spock over to the feds, but maybe they get caught and Chekhov tries to trade Spock for their freedom? Not in a pre planned malicious, but more that he just doesn't prioritise Spock's safety over everyone else's. He sees it as a last ditch leverage effort, for the greater good. Could be good drama

Saffron style ep with Rand but she steals from them. I do think that's hilarious, showing them be the mark. And I'd let her win, leave them stranded without whatever thing it is she fleeced and having to find a new magical tech engine bit. But hey she left some booze as an apology and made out with Jim so it's not too bad

I really like Firefly

#star trek #star trek tos #firefly #uhotty #spones

28 notes · View notes

faithfromanewperspective · 1 month

Text

gotta say it now bc i've been spending so much time in the 5sos fandom where we're all super protective of our creators: I know supporting an author isn't the same. I know cassie doesn't put herself out there in the same way as zillennial musicians. and I know there are things people in the fandom disagree with her on and I'm not here to minimise that.

but everywhere I interact with the fandom and it's been like this for years now, jokes and things about how old we'll be when the series is finished and yeah it's funny to some extent but as someone who knows what pressure to create does to me, who knows how much it dries my creativity, she's on tumblr. she's seeing some of this. and we gotta tow this line and be careful: careful as to how we're treating her and also careful for the sake of fans ourselves--we don't want to be acting in ways that incidentally result in content being delayed and lower quality because she's been burnt out for ages and we're just giving so much pressure to read twp, read tbvotd and read whatever else she'll doubtless come up with after because she loves the shadowhunters world, she always ends up writing more for it even when she says she won't. and aren't we lucky for that? we love the tsc universe. and if we're old by the time it's all finished, that's the result of her loving this universe she created so much that she just kept writing for it. it's a blessing.

and maybe i sound like an aussie who grew up under a rock in the middle of the bush (which I am) saying this but. when my only queer representation was a singular jacqueline wilson book until i was 14 and read malec's story in tmi, when i've never seen another author portray such a diverse range of realistic neurodivergent characters, when i'm a half white poc with grandparents from borneo which is partially in indonesia and magnus is indonesian, I do find in myself some appreciation for her: the author who created a world of characters I see myself in and I do hope she's okay and I want her to recover from burnout, I know how much it sucks, and it still kinda baffles me how she'll share bits and pieces of her mental health experiences (and she's my parents' age!! and a lot more emotionally aware than most gen x's I know which I so appreciate) and we don't, largely, as a fandom, seem to care. like i get we're in a fandom for the characters and stories she created not her, herself, but like ???

I love seeing the artist behind the art they create. I love it when they're human and imperfect and yet we can still see the good in them that they put out to impact the world with, a legacy, and when we see their imperfections and we can acknowledge this all together, acknowledge and come together for the fans who have been hurt by these mistakes, oversights, harmful views, that are mixed in with the good. and I love it when we can still come together after this and be like, I support this creator, I want them to be okay, I want them to keep discovering love and I want to see it in their writing. and this I don't think should only apply to conventionally attractive twentysomething men who sing! maybe i'm biased in the observation that it is usually where I see the most artist support. or maybe it's actually a trend and as feminists, as people who see our dignity in more than being fuckable and more than being Perfect Leaders, we can do better.

and so i don't care when the wicked powers come out. i'll have finished my masters' degree before I finish that book series and hear the rest of kit and ty's story i started reading in high school. but that's okay. if that's what it takes to get a good story. i don't care when we get the final tec book, even though i've got two copies of the other two on my bookcase and don't know if the cover art will even be the same when the third one comes out. because we love pretty timely things but we're not owed them. and I have to say, this isn't completely true. I do care. I do want to know. I do want to experience that joy. but much more than that I want cassie to write at her own pace and I want her to enjoy it and I want her to keep discovering her own creativity and the proof is honestly in the pudding that every artist I've seen decide to do things at their own rate has ended up way more productive than before they decided that. and artists are people after all. it's what makes their art so good and forms the basis for the fandoms we're in. so I hope she knows it's okay to take her time.

#cassandra clare #tsc #tmi #tid #tda #twp #tec #the wicked powers #tlh #kit herondale #ty blackthorn #again. i really don't want to say 'she's perfect and can never hurt people'#but the point of this is that she still deserves to have freedom over her schedule and we can do our part by not being demanding to the #extent that we forget that she's human. that she's poured so much of herself into the characters and worlds she's made and she deserves to #keep looking after herself even when that means we don't get what we want as soon as we want it. we can be a loyal fandom

27 notes · View notes

brakken · 10 months

Text

it’s 3 am and I need to talk about critical role

spoilers for campaign 3, episode 65 below the cut

So I haven’t been keeping up with the latest campaign as much lately (and still have to watch the second half of this ep, even) - but, y’all, I can’t sleep and I gotta talk about that kiss.

I loved how... simple it was, compared to other moments in the show of this type of affection. There’s Imogen & Laudna, doing grocery shopping - just a homely good deed for someone else - such a domestic and safe moment despite the world in the state it’s in, and that’s where Imogen is able to properly reunite with Laudna. To acknowledge that she’s hurting, yes - and also, in this crowded place where Imogen’s now free of all the outside thoughts, to express an inner feeling in a simple, wordless way.

That kiss was so filled with reassurance, commitment, and unshakeable love - but it was also as if for Imogen it was just the natural course of action. An emotion so impossible to express by just talking. A universal confirmation for the both of them - ‘we’re together again’.

And there was no ceremony, there was no... acknowledgment in that moment that what they’ve had uptil now had changed at all - they just kept communicating, and untangling. And Laudna follows up with another kiss, almost midway through a sentence - with that same reassuring truth that they were together.

This was so perfect for my experience with them - they’d made such an easy pairing from the get-go, but in the ‘pacing’ that the story had set out, I was beginning to think that it wasn’t going to unfold romantically. I’d made my peace with that, but was still so very appreciative of the bond they had - beyond any classification of friendship or family or whatever - they were so committed to each other. And then this kiss was almost like.... part of that? As if it was never really missing - like they’ve just skipped the ‘romance’, you know? Already on that soul-mate stuff that was so present from the start.

These are the kinds of pairings that really stay with me - the ones I aspire to write about myself. The undying, unquestioning truth of ‘I’ll never leave you’, expressed so purely.

And I say they skipped the romance, but I still want to acknowledge Marisha’s little jokey aside about her intention to create an unromanceable PC this campaign. A cold, creepy witch woman. And how despite that, everyone - the audience, the cast, and the characters - have all so readily and easily fallen in love with her in some way or another. It speaks to how well she performs Laudna, and also how much Laudna deserves that love. Because while it was an out-of-character comment, the idea of Laudna feeling the same - of having created this haunting idea of herself over the years, of having experienced such pain and exclusion, and still shining through despite herself, to inspire others to give back all the love she puts forward. For all the ways that she sees herself as broken, and undeserving, there’s Imogen, to show her that isn’t so.

Then on Imogen’s side, again, that desire to communicate what she’s feeling without words - without thoughts. Imogen doesn’t fully know, can’t know, can’t hear what Laudna has been through, and to have that be both frightening but also freeing - to be separate from everyone and everything, even someone you love, and then to actively and mutually reconnect - to remake that bond.

And there wasn’t need for flowery descriptions, or have it as the ending note of the episode - there wasn’t this intent to focus on ‘oh Laudna’s lips feel clammy at first but then warm to Imogen’s touch,’ or anything. Because it wasn’t what they were focusing on, either. It wasn’t about how it made them feel on that physical level - it was everything else. The kiss was simple, and with its simplicity it brought a million complex feelings into momentary order.

Anyway, it’s late, or early, but just had to write a bit - get some of my own thoughts out of my head.

As I’ve been typing this, I’m reminded of a song - ‘Signal Fire’ by Snow Patrol - it feels right for Imogen & Laudna, I think.

#critical role #critical role spoilers #cr imogen #laudna

81 notes · View notes

tokyo-tower-symbolism · 2 years

Text

A Deep Dive of the Junna-Nana Revue in the Movie, or why you really ought to believe in others more

The Revues in Revue Starlight can be difficult to understand.

Usually that’s because of all the imagery and music and symbolism coming at you simultaneously, but this one in particular is confusing because Nana is just so hard to understand. She is absolutely terrifying in the movie, and last time it was because she had to protect her reruns, but we don’t know why she’s doing it this time. And don’t get me wrong, we just had a whole thing where Mahiru chased Hikari with murderous intent, but that was acting! So we keep waiting for Nana to drop the act, but she never does! Even when Junna is crying and has lost the will to fight, Nana just leaves her behind like she doesn’t even care!? What’s going on? Nana is Junna’s biggest fan! What happened to Nana? What’s going on?

So this is my attempt to lay out everything going on and try to get a better understanding of what was going on with Junna and Nana throughout the movie. It’s also part of my series of deep dives into each of the movie’s Revues, and while it should be able to be read as a standalone thing, I will be analyzing the Revue of Annihilation in this one, so I may touch on the issues everyone else is dealing with as well.

So to start it off, let’s take a look at what Junna’s dealing with at the start of the movie.

And I gotta say, girlie is going through it.

Admittedly she seems fine at a glance, but literally her first scene has her own acting being overshadowed by Karen’s brilliant performance of someone who feels lost after their friend leaves them behind. And if we’re being real, that really says more about what Karen’s going through than anything about Junna’s actual ability, but can you blame her for being discouraged by this brilliant display of method acting?

And it get’s even worse when you realize what they were performing. This is the play that they were going to see at New National. And from the poster and the fact that Mahiru and Futaba were practicing these lines, you can figure out that Junna was playing the lead role in this rehearsal.

So literally everything in the script is working to make her stand out, but she got upstaged by the supporting cast! Not only that, but she’s also gonna see this her own role played by a professional soon enough, so she’ll have to compete with that too soon enough.

If you take a look at her future plans, you can see that Junna plans on continuing to University, which is a big departure from literally everyone else who is planning on auditioning for Acting Troupes so they can become professional actors straight out of high school. But unlike them, Junna wants to study more about the stage right now to understand it deeper.

And this is a sign of the growth for Junna compared to the start of the series, since she used to be extremely impatient. She was obsessed with becoming the top star and pushed herself with extra practice to the point of passing out to try and make up for her lack of experience compared to Maya or Claudine, so the fact that she’s willing to take it slow and learn properly is much healthier for her in the long run. If you think about it, pre-character development Junna probably would have applied for a troupe immediately after graduating because that’s what everyone else was doing and she doesn’t want to fall behind, even if it wasn’t the best move for herself.

But if she wants to understand the stage, it’s a little odd that she’s applying to a literature department as her first choice. Keep in mind that Seisho is a music academy and her second and third choices are explicitly drama focused, so it’s a little strange that her first choice isn’t explicitly stage related.

But then again, Junna has always loved using quotes from literature, and she says she’s going to use what she learns to act in college, so it’s not like she’s completely given up! She says as much, in that all of this is so that she can become the star she aspires to be! Also she quotes William Shakespeare because of course she fucking does.

But I think it’s a little sad that the quote she and her teacher recite is about how some are born great, while others achieve greatness, and it’s pretty clear that Junna doesn’t think she’s the first one or that she’s the second one yet.

We see this lack of confidence surface again when Kaoruko accuses them all of having given up their desire to become a top star.

Obviously in the scene we know that Kaoruko is wrong here. Kaoruko even admits as much to Claudine after storming off from the room. She’s clinging to an idealized version of the past, so obviously the rest of them aren’t interested in becoming the top star of a stage that never existed. They are looking to the future instead.

But I wanna take a look at Junna’s reaction in this scene.

When Junna looked at her phone, she didn’t recognize the date, because she had moved on from the auditions, which is a little surprising when you remember how much weight she put into that initial loss to Karen. She was ready to complain to the manager about it too! But then again, Junna had matured since that first revue, and by the 10th episode when she got knocked out of the auditions, she wasn’t bitter. She instead chose to watch and learn from everyone else.

So she and everyone else is shocked to realize that Kaoruko actually still wants to participate in the auditions.

Although unlike everyone else who remains shocked, Junna is the only one who looks away while Kaoruko talks about waiting for another shot at the auditions. Because although this is coming from a place of hurt, Kaoruko accidently hit the nail on the head for Junna. She hasn’t been waiting for the next audition, since she doesn’t think she can compete with top stars as she is now. And from an outside perspective, this scene almost makes it seem like Junna can’t bring herself to look at the brilliance of someone who strives to be the top star of the audition.

But all of that was just my wild speculation about this scene. For all I know I could be reading way too into it, but Junna explicitly says as much to Claudine later in the train ride, so I’m probably not too far off.

On the train to New National, Claudine decides to reenact her conversation with Mahiru in the laundry room, but this time with Junna.

Just like with Mahiru, Claudine takes a look at her questions for New National. And Junna’s questions are… rough to say the least. They’re all about how to handle pushback from those around her or how to overcome hesitation about her career path. And like wow, this is heavy stuff. Can we go back to the power of love overcoming hardships? This got way too real for me way too fast.

Honestly that thing in her questions about her family makes me think her first choice college being a literature department instead of a drama department might have been a compromise with her parents so they would let her act in college. As I said earlier, girlie is going through it.

But Junna defends herself for having such a long list of questions, just like Mahiru did with Claudine earlier. And just like with Mahiru, Claudine remarks to Junna on how excited everyone is, because thinking of new conversation topics for every single person is hard.

But eventually Junna asks Claudine if she’s the one who recommended Futata to aim for New National. And while Claudine says she simply encouraged Futaba, she does ask if Junna is okay with not applying to New National.

Junna doesn’t directly answer that question, saying she’s no match for Claudine or Maya right now, but she’s going to improve to be their equal one day because she’ll keep learning and trying. Anyways that whole monologue is a nice call back to what she had been saying since the first episode, that she would work hard to catch up to the rest of them and reach her own star!

But don’t let her eloquence deceive you, she absolutely dodged the question on whether or not she was okay with not applying to New National.

Anyways, earlier I mentioned that the conversation was practically ripped from the laundry room scene before, but there was a notable difference. When Mahiru expressed doubts that she would be good enough to get into New National, Claudine didn’t try to comfort her, but Claudine tried to cheer on Junna when she expressed her doubts.

This is because despite their similar lack of self-esteem, at least Mahiru is at the start line and is willing to at least audition for the best troupe in the world. Mahiru doesn’t need Claudine to encourage or comfort her.

But Junna gave up before she even started, already deciding that she needs to learn more, that she’s not ready yet. Which is why Claudine tries to give Junna a push, just like she did with Futaba. But even when Claudine encourages Junna literally word for word the same way she encouraged Futaba, Junna is still hesitant to try to audition for New National, too scared to aim for the top star at the top troupe.

But that’s all in her head. Junna is underestimating herself. Sure Claudine was making a jab at Maya when she said Junna was just as good, but she really does think that Junna has what it takes. And much later during the Revue of Resentment with Kaoruko, Futaba explicitly mentions Junna as a stage girl who has something she lacks.

Junna covers up this insecurity of hers by claiming she’s only not a match now, and in the future she will be, so it’s not that like she’s completely given up. But even so, right now Junna has lost the recklessness she had at the start of the series, that courage to try and become the top star, no matter how slim the chance. The Junna we see on the train is not the same Junna who got mad at her classmates for giving up on becoming Flora or Claire even before the auditions because they were sure Maya and Claudine were going to win.

That Junna would have snapped at this Junna.

Anyways, there’s a reason that is the last meaningful conversation anyone has until the Revue of Annihilation.

But before that, let’s take a look at Nana.

In Nana’s career counseling, she says her current plans for after graduation are to either apply to New National’s acting troupe, or apply to be part of their production troupe, but she’s not completely sure which one to choose in the end. This is a nice reminder that although Nana’s pretty knowledgeable about the auditions and revues and everything, she’s also trying to figure out her own future, just like everyone else.

It feels important though, that Nana mentions that she knows she will have to choose, and that eventually it will end.

But unlike everyone else who is guiding the new students in their opening scenes, Nana is instead helping out Class B, essentially guiding the existing students instead of new ones.

Although, I gotta be real with you guys, I kinda forgot that Nana’s initial goal was New National.

When I rewatched the movie, I actually did a double take at this scene since I completely forgot that she applied there, and not the Royal Academy for Theatrical Actors where she ends up in the epilogue. And while this may be attributed to the fact that I am illiterate, I think part of it is because we don’t really see Nana get excited about New National with Maya, Mahiru, and Futaba.

The entire time before their field trip to visit New National, the three of them are talking about it non-stop since it’s their dream troupe, but not Nana. She’s thinking about something else the whole time.

As for what she’s thinking about, we can take a guess.

If we go back to the scene where Karen and Junna are acting in front of potential students, Nana is in the background watching, and it’s pretty clear that Nana definitely relates to Karen. In Karen’s performance of someone who is lost because their friend has to leave them, Nana is the one who finishes Karen’s line, “Why are you leaving?” by adding “my friend.”

Nana’s whole subplot in the show was about how she didn’t want her friends to change and leave her behind, making her alone again like her time in Middle School. And while she made peace with the idea that they would all eventually grow and evolve as stage girls at the end of the show, the threat of them growing apart is still very real, especially as they all graduate and go their own, separate paths.

And unlike every other girl in their class, Nana and Karen are the only two without a clear plan for the future. But while Nana is at least attempting to narrow down her options and aware that she has to make a decision soon, Karen left her future plans sheet blank.

This separation of Nana and Karen from their classmates continues even into their next scene at Seisho. While Karen is who-knows-where, Nana had left to do laundry before she can hear Kaoruko’s rant about how pathetic they all are for not being interested in the audition this time. However despite being physically separated from the group and not participating in the conversation, Nana is somewhat aware of what’s going on with everyone.

Nana doesn’t come in and take part in the conversation though. She chooses to wait outside, despite not being busy with the chores.

This is a switch between Maya and Nana’s usual roles in the show, since usually Maya would be the one to be separated from the group in the show, and Nana would be the one infodumping about what’s going on. My working theory is that Nana feels guilty about what she will have to do later, so she’s trying to isolate herself from her friends before the Revue of Annihilation.

Even on the train ride, Nana only talks to Karen, the sole person in their train car who won’t take part in the upcoming Revue. And it isn’t like the two of them are having some important conversation either, since Nana is paying attention to Junna and Claudine’s talk.

When Junna talks about how she doesn’t plan on aiming for New National right now, Nana stares, although I gotta wonder if she is staring in disapproval or concern?

And like I said, that was the last meaningful conversation anyone has before the Revue of Annihilation.

Everyone, sans Nana and Karen who are conspicuously absent, are surprised to see Revue cloaks fall in front of them and the giraffe wheel going by them, and are disoriented when they find themselves thrust on top of the train in the dark.

Meanwhile, the drums start when the camera reveals Nana, her shadow looming over the position zero. She taps her foot, already dancing to the music of the stage, unlike the stage girls who are frozen in place, save for the movement of their hair and clothes from the wind.

Nana prepares to fight, and cryptically says the train will go to the next station, and then asks about the stage, and about “us”. And I just think it’s notable that Nana is including herself in that question.

Anyways, the train cars behind the stage girls detach and we see the giraffe standing in front of the New National Theater, literally the next station for the train, and he announces the star of the Revue of Annihilation.

When we cut back to the train, the backdrop rises, revealing lights that blinds Kaoruko, Futaba, and Junna, and while they’re distracted, Nana pounces in front of them.

Maya and Claudine say her full name before she starts singing, so I guess that counts as a Revue introduction? It could be a reference to how Nana didn’t introduce herself in the Revue of Solitude? That feels like a reach though if I’m being honest. I think the real reason she doesn’t do one is because the Revue introduction basically states what a stage girl wants out of a Revue, and Nana’s motives are supposed to be a mystery right now.

Either way, when she starts singing she specifically mentions “wi(l)d-screen Baroque” and “Sing, Dance, and Battle” both of which the giraffe had said outside New National, even though she ought to have no idea about that.

As she makes her way to the other side of the train, dodging and parrying each of the stage girls, the song has Nana asking if they understand the rules, reminding them of the giraffe’s catchphrase, despite the fact that he isn’t there. She also asks what they plan on doing once their life ends, which sounds dumb, but then again a stage girl is constantly reborn so I guess it’s a valid question.

Kaoruko mistakenly thinks this is an audition, but is interrupted by another train approaching, which Nana had been waiting for, sees as it gives her a second sword.

That second sword is important because it’s a show of how much brilliance Nana has. When Hikari lost her brilliance, her sword significantly shortens, so clearly having two shows just how much hidden brilliance Nana had. In fact the time we see Nana with two swords is the moment she stops holding back and defeats Maya in the original timeline, so it’s a sign that Nana will not be holding back against her classmates this time.

But circling back to the second train for a moment, I wanna point out how it’s strange that something from the outside is helping Nana, considering they were isolated on the train. In the scene before the Revue, their classmates say that everyone else had made it to New National except them, and once the Revue began, the attached train cars all fell away, so it’s a little jarring for a new element to show up on the stage, and a little suspicious that Nana was expecting it.

But that’s just to show that Nana had outside knowledge before this Revue. She knew it was coming.

In the recap/prequel movie, Rondo Rondo Rondo, an exclusive scene added to the end which has Nana see a vision of everyone dead. It’s like the very first scene of the show with everyone lying in the same positions on the stage, except this time there is blood tomato juice everywhere. She brings up the dead stage girls to the giraffe who can’t confidently say he understands, but he warns her about the new ending that the audience demands: “wi(l)d-screen Baroque.”

In another after credits scene from the previous movie, Nana comes to the conclusion “We are already on Stage”, and welcomes Hikari. And I gotta say, I probably should have watched Rondo Rondo Rondo before I wrote the Mahiru-Hikari Revue. I was super confused on how Hikari knew that phrase despite not taking part in the Revue of Annihilation, and apparently it’s because Nana told her beforehand. Although Hikari didn’t really get it, which led to the whole Revue of Competition, and if that interests you then read the write up I did for that.

Anyways, what I’m trying to say is that Nana isn’t attacking her friends for no reason. She’s trying to pass a message onto them. But they don’t know that, and neither does the viewer who skipped the recap movie because they just watched the actual show before this, so why would they want to watch an abridged version?

Hahaha, fuck me.

Now armed with her second blade, Nana aggressively charges at the rest of them, and we get a fixed wide shot of Nana fighting everyone at once. It’s not even a challenge for her, though. She’s weaving through their attacks effortlessly and pushing them back!

But despite this utter dominance, the backlight has everyone shrouded in darkness from our point of view, and literally no one is talking. And in the song even, Nana is bemoaning how no one there has any brilliance. How boring the whole fight is for her.

These stage girls aren’t a challenge for her, they’re a shadow of their former selves.

Also considering this is an essay about Junna and Nana, I feel like it’s important to point out the scene of Nana blocking Junna’s arrow without even looking, while the song in the background talks about how there is no excuse for running away.

Anyways, the first one to break the silence is Kaoruko, who claims she’ll use this to become the top star, but this is silenced by Nana cutting off her clasp, and she tells them that this isn’t an audition.

Earlier in the movie, before heading to New National, Kaoruko complained about how none of them were aiming for the top star. But literally no one was aiming for that because they aren’t performing Starlight anymore. Well, they still have their third year performance, but that’s not what the movie’s about. They all have their own futures they need to work towards, and each of those will take them different places.

They aren’t competing for the same role anymore, so there’s no need to audition.

Anyways Kaoruko calls them all useless for that, but later admits that she’s the most useless of them all. And as I said in my analysis of the Kaoruko-Futaba Revue, that uselessness is referring to her refusal to move onto the next stage.

And don’t get me wrong, Kaoruko was lashing out from a place of hurt, so she didn’t actually have a point, but literally no one here is ready to move onto the next stage. None of them are actually ready to confront their insecurities, so they are holding themselves back from their full potential.

So that’s what Nana means when she says this isn’t an audition.

In Revue Starlight, the auditions were meant to steal glimmer from the other stage girls to use as fuel so the top star could get to their stage of destiny, but this isn’t an audition. The Giraffe isn’t watching the Revue of Annihilation, and there’s no rankings here either.

After the Revue, the giraffe has a scene where he says that he is their food, their fuel. And he meant that literally, seeing as the giraffe is made of various vegetables and fruit, including that tomato that each of them will use as fuel to get to the next stage. So as a result, this time they don’t need to steal from each other in order to get to their next stage.

Basically when Nana says that this isn’t an audition, she’s refuting Kaoruko’s idea that they should still be aiming for the top star in the Starlight Play, instead they need to find a new goal. But literally this entire Revue is showing that everyone lost their edge, so we know that none of them have actually found that new goal yet.

Also it sort of hints at the nature of future Revues, with Position Zero no longer being the goal, and the former rules of the auditions no longer applying.

And I just want to mention that in the background, Nana sings that even if you step off, you are still on stage, and that’s important later because Maya says that she is always on stage if the audience desire it at the end of the Revue, and Maya is also the only one who doesn’t get defeated by Nana, so clearly Nana has a point here.

This philosophy is that none of them can half ass being a stage girl. They can’t just take a break. The need to be in 100% on being a stage girl, or give up. There is no middle ground.

Another important line that Nana sings in the background happens when she throws her sword at Junna, and in the background Nana sings that you can’t just get by with words alone. Plus there was also that line about being all bark and not bite, essentially talking big but not delivering.

I swear it’s like this song’s lyrics are targeted at Junna specifically.

Anyways, then Nana manages to cut the cloaks off of Futaba and Mahiru simultaneously, and repeats that this isn’t an audition. This is because Mahiru and Futaba had been attacking her, trying to cut the clasp off like in an audition, but that’s not how they were supposed to beat Nana in this revue. Just defeating Nana wouldn’t do anything for them, since they’d be in the exact same headspace they were before. In order to beat Nana here, they’d have to be confident in their next stage, but neither of them actually think they can get into New National, which is why both of them lose to Nana.

Anyways, after seeing this impressive display, Junna can’t bring herself to try and fight, or even perform. And this is reflected in the Revue as the music slows and the train goes through a tunnel which blocks the stage lights. At this point, Nana doesn’t even need to run anymore. She just picks up the sword she threw earlier and easily cuts Junna's cloak without a second glance at her.

And when Junna falls to her knees, all she can say is that she doesn’t know this Nana, but Nana ignores her and has already moved on to her next opponents.

And this sucks for Junna. I mean don’t get me wrong, giving up without a fight is pretty tragic for her sure, but that line also calls back to that night after Nana lost to Karen where Junna comforted her.

Initially when Nana tells Junna about repeating the year (time loops, not being held back), Nana remarks that the Junna she knew isn’t called Junjun, introducing this recurring idea for the two of them. Anyways, as is natural when your roommate tells you that they are responsible for putting everyone in a time loop, Junna is completely lost and can’t say anything, exactly like Junna on the train.

Anyways, after Nana loses to Karen, Junna finds Nana again, and Junna doesn’t blame Nana. She says that Nana was trying to protect them, and was well intentioned at the very least. Anyways, during that conversation, Junna complains that she doesn’t know anything about Nana, but by the end of the conversation realizes that Nana is a real stage girl, and that she’s a scardy-cat and a crybaby, like a kid.

And don’t get me wrong, Nana is exactly that, but that’s not all she is.

On the day that Nana faces Karen, Nana mentions that she and Junna haven’t faced each other in a Revue yet. And the next day is when Claudine and Maya fight Hikari and Karen, which means that Junna has never fought Nana before the Revue of Annihilation.

So even though Junna thought that she understood Nana best, it must have come as a shock to her to see Nana like a completely different person. She’s just as lost now as she was when Nana told Junna about the time loops.

Anyways, like Nana, let’s ignore Junna and get back to the action.

The music kicks up again when they leave the tunnel and the train is out in the city, and Nana asks Claudine and Maya the question from earlier, about how the train will reach the next station, but what about the stage, what about them?

Claudine is confused, but Maya says that if the stage and the audience ask for it, she is already on stage.

At this moment, Nana knows that she can’t beat Maya in this Revue, since Maya came to the answer that Nana was trying to get them all to reach. Maya has the wrong idea of her next stage, as we see in Maya and Claudine’s upcoming Revue, but it’s a goal she decided on and she’s wholeheartedly working towards it, so that’s enough.

And as if to physically show this difference between Maya and the rest of them, the train enters the tunnel again, and blankets Nana and the stage girls she defeated in darkness.

But Claudine, like the rest of us, has no idea what the two are talking about, and isn’t in sync with Nana and Maya who approach each other simultaneously, and is thus ignored. In anger, Claudine charges at Nana, who swipes at her but ultimately goes past her, to lock blades with Maya, who she is evenly matched with. And while Nana couldn’t say anything in response to Maya earlier, she does shut down Claudine for being a bit too talkative.

And the moment Nana and Maya separate is the moment Claudine’s cloak falls off. And the clasp falling off is timed with Nana reaching position zero, because she had finished what she came here to do.

Now that the play-by-play is done, can I just take a moment to say how cool Nana was this entire Revue? Like that thing she does at the end with her hair? Completely badass. 10/10. Absolutely terrifying and I love it.

I’ve been holding it in till now, but oh my god she’s so cool! Like she was completely destroying them and she made it look effortless! And these are like the top students at the top academy! Did you guys see the grace with which she dodges and weaves! Like don’t get me wrong, in the show she had that powerful presence, but there’s only so much of her skill you can convey if you only show her swinging her sword down really hard. Meanwhile this fight choreography undeniably shows the Nana who could beat Tendou Maya countless times for her time loops. And she just makes it look so easy! Like I get that everyone was nerfed because they had no clear idea of their goals or conviction in this revue, but still!

She’s just so awesome. Plus it makes it even funnier that they all call her Banana. Am I really supposed to take her seriously with a name like that? Because I will. Again, she is just that cool.

Anyways, back to the analysis.

It’s silent for a bit as they all try to process what happened, until Nana says that she feels like she was drunk. But she has to repeat herself a couple times because she speaking softly and the train is loud so no one can actually hear her, but eventually she speaks up so everyone else can hear her.

Anyways Junna points out that they’re minors so they can’t drink. (Don’t tell her about Kaoruko taking a bath in champagne later in the movie. Or the drinking age in France.)

But she’s right, Nana doesn’t know what it feels like to drink strong sake. Instead, Nana’s just playing a character who has. She’s acting. But because Junna refused to act in response, blood tomato juice sprouts from her neck. After all, a stage girl refusing to act is essentially death for them.

Everyone is overreacting to the blood tomato juice that’s gotten everywhere, except for Maya who points out that it’s a prop, because as the only one who wasn’t “killed” by Nana, she’s the only one with an objective view of the stage as she isn’t as affected as the rest of them due to their collective loss to Nana.

As a stage girl, Maya is the farthest from death currently.

Speaking of Nana, she’s not looking at any of them. She’s doing that pose from when she won the Revues in her time loops, where she’s enchanted by that dazzling light. And I’ll talk about this later in the actual Revue, but it’s not a good sign that there’s something else dazzling enough to make Nana not pay attention to them.

Anyways, Nana’s train car separates from the others, leaving them standing still as she goes off into the distance. Nana repeats her question from throughout the Revue, “What about the stage, what about us?” Only this time she answers, that they are all already dead.

I think it’s interesting that she's including herself in that, because if you remember from her career plan, she isn’t sure about her next stage either. She’s still trying to decide if she wants to stand on stage or create a stage.

She isn’t already on stage like Maya.

Anyways, while everyone is left behind and standing still, Kaoruko tastes the blood and says that it’s tasty, implying that it’s actually tomato juice, which we later see is the fuel that they need to go to the next stage.

Either that or this was her cannibal awakening.

We next see Nana and Karen riding the train car together alone. Their conversation is mostly about Karen, so I’m probably gonna talk about this scene whenever I get to Karen-Hikari Revue deep dive, but I just want to point out how tired Nana is in the scene. She’s not cold or overbearing like in the Revue of Annihilation, but she doesn’t have that usual friendly, reliable Banana energy either. She sounds mournful when she talks about everyone going their own way, to their own stage, their own roles. And while she tells Karen to find her own stage at the end of the path, Nana gets off the train, claiming she has to go back.

So after those heartbreaking scenes of utter confusion and loss, it’s time to party!

The kick off party for the 101th Production of Starlight is a blast and everyone is happy, except for the stage girls who Nana beat, who are all sitting in darkness. Junna in particular is sitting at the gazebo they usually hang out at, where Nana usually gave them snacks. Nana meanwhile, is nowhere to be seen.

Anyways if you wanna know why I love this scene, check out the section in the Mahiru-Hikari Revue essay since I don’t wanna write it all out again, but what you need to know from this is that this is the moment where everyone realizes it’s okay that they don’t know what they’re doing. No one has all the answers and everyone is incomplete. But they aren’t alone, and their friends can help them figure it out along the way.

Also we finally see where Nana is, because she was helping set up the stage. It’s a little strange that she’s alone though, because setting up that tower required a coordinated effort from the members of Class B.

Anyways, Nana mentions how the time for snacks is over, and instead they need to hunger for a new stage. This is similar to what Nana said to Karen earlier in the train car alone, but unlike Karen, Nana says that everyone else is already seeking that new stage.

Also it feels targeted at Junna, considering she’s the one who is at the gazebo where they always ate those snacks. And if you also consider how Junna is settling for a smaller stage so she can take it step by step and slowly get better, instead of ravenously clawing for the top like she did before.

This eventually leads all of them back to the top of the train car where Nana utterly demolished them.

It’s not clear if Nana is doing a monologue or talking to her classmates, either at the kick off party or the following scene on the train, but Nana reveals that, as seen at the end of Rondo Rondo Rondo, she saw a vision of all of their deaths.

I’m gonna be real, so much of my confusion could have been solved if I had just watched the Rondo Rondo Rondo exclusive scenes. I’m fuming.

Anyways, regardless of who she was talking to, everyone faces their corpses as dead stage girls. None of them are wearing their clasps or jackets, since it’s all in a bloodsoaked tomato juice soaked pile in the corner. They have been defeated. Also, they give off a packaged doll vibe if you ask me, considering how they have the bodies and the accessories neatly laid out, if you ignore all the tomato juice. But the thing about dolls is that they can’t move on their own. They can’t act.

Also the reason they aren’t wearing shoes is because it’s a cultural thing to take off your shoes when you commit suicide, meaning the stage girl corpses weren’t defeated in a Revue, but chose to die. After all, losing an audition doesn’t mean you can’t try again. The only way for a stage girl to stay dead is if they choose not to act, choose not to live. (Apologies to the Futaba-Kaoruko Revue Deep Dive, the curtains were not just blue apparently.)

But yeah, this is a vision of what they could be if they decide they don’t want to be stage girls, which is a perfectly valid path for them. After all, they’re just high schoolers, they have their whole life ahead of them. They can find a new dream to pursue.

But if they want to be a stage girl, they have to go all in on it. Just like what Nana sang on the train, they need to be ready to always be on stage.

So after finding a new resolve at the Kick off Party, the stage girls all face their failures and they all choose to get back on stage. This includes Nana, which is a little surprising considering she didn’t really fail or learn anything new from the Revue of Annihilation, but I guess it makes sense considering she’s in the same boat as everyone else about graduation.

Okay, I take that back, she probably learned one thing from the Revue of Annihilation, and it’s that Junna is no longer fit to be a stage girl.

Nana saw that Junna no longer had that same ambition that she had last year. Instead of aiming for the top, Junna had essentially given up before she even started. She refused to apply to New National, thinking she wasn’t on par with Maya. She even refused to fight Nana once the gap in skills became apparent! It’s not for nothing that Junna was the first one to “die” on the train.

Nana initially put them all in the time loop to protect them. And the first real shock that made her go down that path was seeing that two of her classmates dropped out of Seisho. And now it looks like Junna is going down that same road.

So Nana resolves to go back into her own role, to the obsession of that girl, to seeing to her end. But for those last 2, the camera shows Junna instead of Nana, making it unclear if she was talking about her own obsession with the past and the end of that, or Junna’s obsession with one day finding her star and the end of that. Probably a little bit of both if you ask me.

Meanwhile Junna is completely lost. She doesn’t know what Nana’s talking about putting an end to. Unlike everyone else who properly faces their stage girl corpse, the shot of Junna barely has it in frame. And this checks out if you see them facing the corpses as acknowledging their failures so they can find out what they need for the future. After this scene, everyone other than Junna knows what they want from their upcoming Revue.

It’s also interesting to compare it to the shot of Nana looking at her stage girl corpse, since Nana herself is barely in the frame. Unlike Junna, who doesn’t know what she’s doing wrong, since she’s not aware that she’s basically given up on being the top star, Nana is very aware of what she’s doing wrong. She’s been very withdrawn and isolated from her friends because she knows that what she did and what she’s about to do will hurt them.

Nonetheless, the two of them both choose to take a bite of the tomato, and accept the fuel so they can reach the next stage. After all, they chose to be stage girls. They are already on the stage.

The Revue opens with Junna rising from a platform, still confused from earlier. She doesn’t know what needs to be put an end to, or with who.

It’s a little odd for Junna to not realize she’s gonna be fighting Nana though, but she’s been through a lot in the past couple of hours, so I’m not gonna blame her too much.

The set of the stage is Seisho Academy, with two giant katanas hanging from the ceiling along with a projector that displays Daiba Film Co., Ltd on a screen.

Honestly, Junna’s entrance here almost mirrors Hikari’s from the Revue of Competition. They were both confused once they got to the stage, unlike their opponent who was expecting them and has complete control of the stage. But unlike Mahiru, who was welcoming initially, Nana isn’t nearly as kind.

Earlier I said that Junna and Claudine’s conversation on the train was the last meaningful moment before Revue of Annihilation, and the reason for that was because that conversation was what pushed Nana to start the previous Revue.

A projection of Junna during that conversation is displayed, and she says “As I am right now, I don’t have enough experience or practice. I don’t even have the resolve to stand on stage”. But what Junna had actually said at the time was “I’m no match for people like Tendo-san, or you” to Claudine.

Basically what I’m trying to say here is that Nana’s whole basis for this Revue is flawed.

Don’t get me wrong, Junna definitely lost faith in herself and her abilities. She isn’t aiming nearly as high as she should be. But it’s a mischaracterization on Nana’s end to think she doesn’t have the resolve. After all, Junna took a bite of that tomato. She’s willing to use it as fuel so she can get to the next stage.

Junna has always had this attitude towards Maya and Claudine. In her second Revue with Karen, we see that Junna saw herself in the audience, or as one in the crowd, unlike Maya, Claudine, and the other top stars who shone on stage. She was always aware of this gap in their abilities. That was why she worked so hard to catch up and surpass them. So that one day she could find her own star.

But Nana’s not completely wrong though. When Junna watched Maya and Claudine's Revue against Hikari and Karen, she was watching intensely and saying that she can’t let them defeat her. But now Junna is saying that she’s no match for them?

And that’s why the second part of the memory is accurate when Junna says that what she said before was “just for now!” Because while Junna believes in her future, Nana does not. When Claudine and her teacher asked about Junna’s future plans, she was always hopeful for her future, but to Nana, it just sounds like an excuse, and she says as much when she enters the Revue. After all, Nana saw how time passing eroded Junna’s ambitions as a Stage girl, seeing as Junna went from someone who would challenge the top stars to someone who gave up before she even tried.

Just like Mahiru in the last Revue, Nana also enters the Revue and immediately opens with her Revue Introduction, since she already knows what she wants out of this Revue.

Unlike her initial introduction with Karen, when Nana talked about how it was her duty to protect the fragile fruits that were her classmates, this time she refers to Junna as an ugly fruit that’s ashamed to live. And while she considered her classmates to be unripened fruits hanging from the tree before, she now sees Junna as an overripe fruit that will fall to the ground since the branch can no longer support its weight.

Because as Nana sees it, Junna gave up. She used to reach out for her dream despite how unlikely it was, but she’s lost that drive. And if Junna never tries, she’ll never get anywhere. Instead she’ll just keep futilely chasing her dream, hoping, waiting for it to come to her some day, but it never will.

Junna’s a lot like how Karen was before her first Revue with Maya, as she’s just spinning her wheels, hoping that her feelings will eventually bridge the gap in abilities between her and those who have been trying to reach the top star long before she started.

If Junna keeps going as she is now, she’ll never succeed. So at this point, it’s basically a mercy for Nana to stop Junna from continuing as a stage girl. It’ll hurt now, but it’ll save Junna from the constant pain of constantly failing to achieve her dream in the future.

Of course this is all just Nana’s opinion.

But that’s why Nana’s here. Her introduction says as much, that she’ll offer Junna a beautiful end, instead of a long, painful, drawn out one.

Unlike everyone else, Nana’s end goal here isn’t to find her own stage or determine her own future, but instead to end Junna’s future as a stage girl, to get her off the stage.

This is reflected in the outfits they are wearing. It’s some kind of military uniform, and I’m gonna be real, I do not feel like looking up the specific branch of the military or what time period they are from. If I had to guess based on my gut feeling, I’d say Nana is an army officer and Nana is either a navy or airforce officer, but it really doesn’t matter right now. What does matter is what they are doing.

Their poses resemble seppuku, or the Samurai ritual of suicide. Junna is kneeling with a blade in front of her, and she’s supposed to use that to stab herself in the gut. And in order to make sure Junna doesn’t suffer a slow death from blood tomato juice loss, Nana is supposed to decapitate her once she does that to end it quickly.

As I mentioned earlier, the corpse of the stage girls on the train weren’t wearing shoes, implying they committed suicide. That’s because the only way for a stage girl to truly die is when she chooses to no longer act. Nana beating Junna in this Revue wouldn’t actually achieve anything, since Junna could just decide to get back on stage again à la Karen.

The only way to achieve Nana’s objective is for Junna to give up being a stage girl of her own free will.

It’s also interesting how they are awash in a red light that references first Junna’s Revue, when Junna had Hikari pinned with her arrows and there was a red spotlight on her. Only this time, Junna is the one who is trapped and unable to move.

Anyways, we get a close up of Junna’s eyes panicking because she’s in a very high stakes situation all of a sudden, when Nana’s sword swings down, smashing the tomato underneath Junna’s discarded cap.

Nana is trying to cut off Junna’s path to the future as a stage girl by destroying the fuel she needs to get there. It doesn’t really do much though since Junna already ate though.

For a second though, you think that Nana actually succeeded in decapitating Junna though, since Nana slowly walks away with blood tomato juice on her sword. We saw on the train that Junna couldn’t fight back, and now she’s frozen in place once again by the scary red lights, despite all the positive connotations of red if you consider color theory.

But we do see Junna safe and sound, having run away from the dangerous situation, although Nana claims that it’s futile considering she lost sight of her star. Basically this is what Nana was worried about, that Junna would fruitlessly struggle, but it’s not as if that would change the end result.

And Junna admits as such, that she can’t see her star and she doesn’t see a future where she succeeds. But she’s never seen that, so her only hope is to continue down her chosen path until she gets there. Plus she brings out that aerial hoop she used in her Revue with Hikari, which she absolutely dominated up until Karen very rudely interrupted Junna, so it’s a way to show that Junna is going to put on her best showing.

Anyways, despite Nana having complete dominion over the stage a few moments ago, Junna takes control and brings up a maze of walls to trap Nana in. Junna may have lost the will to fight Nana before, but she’s ready now. She decides that in the Revue of Hunting, she will be the hunter instead of the hunted.

Junna can’t beat Nana in a straight fight, so she keeps her at a distance and forces Nana on the run with her arrows, and keeps her guessing where the next attack will come from by concealing her own presence. Junna is very resourceful while using the stage, since she distracts Nana by using the debris her arrows cause by hitting props.

And while Junna seems to be winning, this is actually bad for her.

Because a stage girl is supposed to shine, so why is the spotlight only shining on her opponent during the Revue?

Junna’s whole strategy against Nana is suspiciously similar to her plan when she had her revenge Revue with Karen. Just like with Nana, Junna was caught off guard by Karen during their first fight and lost. So in her rematch, Junna is more cautious. She hides in the background and uses the debris from the props to distract Karen.

But Junna couldn’t win like that, and by the end of that Revue, she decides to be more straightforward like Karen. So in the little bits we see of her future Revues, and that one time when she almost beat Hikari, Junna continues to use the stage to her advantage, but she herself is front and center, boldly facing her opponent under the spotlight.

In this Revue though, she regressed, so Nana clearly had a point about Junna not shining as much as she did before.

And seeing as this is a battle for Junna’s life as a stage girl, the least she can do is give a counterargument to Nana.

While sniping at Nana, Junna says a couple quotes from famous writers about how trying is the first step before succeeding, hoping to convince Nana to see it from Junna’s perspective, that she just needs time before reaching her star.

And from Junna’s singing, we get a glimpse into her mindset, that if she uses the wise words from people of the past, or learns from her top star classmates, eventually she’ll drift towards the stage and find her star. But the word drift is troubling, since that implies passivity on her end. She might get there eventually, sure, but it’s essentially up to the tides of fate.

But Junna has always been about putting in the effort to achieve her dreams, so it almost feels like Junna isn’t even sure that she’ll be able to make it. Her list of questions from earlier did ask about how to overcome any hesitations about a career in living on stage.

And you can kind of see this idea in the scenery too.

While Junna is hunting Nana, we see these giant red kanjis, meaning “star,” fall in the background. Funnily enough it’s the same kanji (hoshi) used in her last name. And while Junna does use them to her advantage, we eventually see where they are coming from, the Tokyo Tower above them. Tokyo Tower often represents the stage, so essentially by relying on these stars, Junna has been damaging her own stage.

This is seen more explicitly when we cut to Nana, since these falling stars have destroyed the maze that Junna used to trap Nana. Because Junna is surrounding herself with stars at the expense of own stage, she’s quite literally sabotaging herself in this fight.

But that’s not just in this fight. That’s what’s happening to Junna in the real world. She’s always comparing herself to the greats and consequently doesn’t think she’s good enough.

Anyways, there’s also a shot of an arrow coming at Nana while Junna says that words are her power, again showing Junna’s mindset in the battle. She doesn’t have enough confidence in herself, and is instead using lines from more established writers to compensate. It also links this reliance on words with her bow, her usual method of fighting as a stage girl.

Anyways, Junna couldn’t beat Karen with this strategy before, and she can’t beat Nana with it now either. While illuminated by the red light of danger from before (coincidentally, red light also symbolizes the top star), Nana cuts the giant arrow in half using her own power, and destroys the stars that Junna has been letting cover the stage. After all, those were just props, and Nana is an actual top star.

Nana knocks Junna down, and traps her again. Junna’s attempt at fighting back clearly didn’t impress Nana. Junna didn’t even try to shine on her own merits. She’s hiding from the stage and hiding behind the words of others. Nothing she did in that fight could possibly shake Nana’s view of Junna. And as Nana sees it, if Junna continues as she is now, she’ll never achieve her dreams of becoming a star.

While Junna is pinned to the ground, Nana says that Junna had been beautiful, and in the background you can see pictures of Junna working her hardest at practice and studying.

But I gotta ask, if Nana takes pictures of beautiful things like that, why does she also take one of Junna now? I think this shows that Nana is a little more conflicted about how she feels about Junna’s brilliance than she lets on.

It’s a tiny detail, sure, but photos are important for Nana. She’s constantly taking photos, since she’s sentimental like that, and has tons of pictures displayed in her room. Plus photos are a way to preserve the moments of the past, so it’s almost like her time loops.

But after she gives up on her reproductions, she stops taking them.

Although in this movie, when helping Class B, we see that Nana started taking photos again. Although now she’s using a brand new disposable camera, instead of her phone. The same camera that she now uses to take a picture of Junna while she’s pinned down.

So just like Junna, Nana has also regressed to her pre Karen self during this Revue.

On the train, Nana talks about going back to her old role, and in both the Revue of Annihilation and the Revue of Hunting, and she’s been acting like she did in her Revues with Karen and Hikari. Don’t get me wrong, in the time loops and both those revues, we’ve only ever seen Nana act like this in a Revue. Cold and overbearing, clearly in control and gazing at a goal beyond what anyone else can see. But you’d think after realizing that she didn’t need to protect everyone, she would act a little differently.

But in a way, she is still trying to protect everyone. Her Revue of Annihilation was a wake up call that everyone needed. Even now she’s trying to protect Junna from future pain, in a twisted sort of way.

But while last time she tried so hard so everyone could stay together, this time Nana is deliberately forcing them apart. She stabs a blade between a picture of the two of them walking home in the evening, literally severing their bond. And in the background, Seisho itself splits when she does this.

But we know Nana, and she treasured her newfound friends and school more than anything, literally to the point of sticking them in a time loop so they would never have to separate from each other.

So we know doing this is probably killing her inside.

But none of that is showing in her acting. Nana’s been very cold and ruthless this entire time. Even when you could tell that Nana was mad at Junna for giving her a subpar performance earlier in the Revue, the anger seemed very cool and resentful. It’s completely unlike the last time we saw an angry Nana, when she was desperately shouting, trying to understand Karen in their Revue.

And that resentful anger is there when she was talking about how amazing Junna used to be. About how Junna used to be unaware of the gap that existed between her and top stars, and she could blindly reach out to become the lead.

The thing is though, Junna didn’t foolishly reach out to become the lead in the original timeline, or any of the loops. She was always very methodological in her approach, constantly learning and improving, while never giving up. It’s only after losing to Karen, who’s inner stage girl was reignited by Hikari returning, that Junna decided to straightforwardly aim for the top instead of overthinking.

The Junna that Nana is talking about isn't the one from her reproductions, but the one we saw in the show.

And Nana says that Junna was dazzling.

Dazzling is an important phrase for Nana. In the show, dazzling is how she describes the 99th Starlight. And it was so dazzling that Nana never wanted to leave that moment. She was content to live in that moment forever, since from the first loop to the last one before Hikari arrived, Nana says that particular stage was still dazzling, no matter how many times she reran it. And Nana is always chasing that shine, up to the point in her Revue with Karen, where she asks how Karen is so dazzling, just before she loses.

And sure, Nana lost to both Karen and Hikari in a Revue, but it’s the conversation with Junna after the Revues, when Junna asks Nana to let them make the next stage together, that finally convinces Nana to end her reproductions.

In that moment, Junna was dazzling enough to make Nana's desire to see their future overcome her desire to return to the past.

But unlike the 99th Seisho Festival, Junna couldn’t live up to Nana’s expectations, and she is no longer dazzling.

And this genuinely angers Nana. She grips her sword too tightly, and sounds just so desperate and frustrated in this line. She gave up everything because she believed in the stage girl Hoshimi Junna, but Junna doesn’t even believe in herself anymore.

That’s gotta be disappointing.

So instead of cutting off the clasp to her jacket, as they normally do to win the Revues, Nana instead smashes the gem on Junna’s bow, literally destroying Junna’s ability to fight, her ability to shine as a stage girl.

Because Nana’s goal isn’t to just beat Junna and show her what she’s missing like on the train, Nana’s goal is to kill Junna as a stage girl, but there’s really no way for her to do that. Sure if the auditions were still a thing she could maybe steal Junna’s motivation for the stage, but that’s not possible anymore. The only way for Junna to die as a stage girl is for Junna to choose that, so Nana instead has to destroy any hope that Junna has for being a stage girl.

Like the start of the Revue, Nana gives Junna her sword to commit seppuku, only this time Nana isn’t offering to see to her beautiful end. Instead, the spotlight follows as Nana just walks away, no longer visibly angry, instead it's more like she doesn’t even care.

And this is tragic for Junna. She’s had doubts about her future, sure, but she received nothing but support from her teachers and friends up until now. So when Nana, the person closest to her, confirms her fears that she isn’t good enough to be a stage girl, she breaks down crying.

Junna cries and asks why Nana said she was dazzling in the past tense, but Nana ignores her, simply noting to herself that Junna was crying.

And this sucks for Junna. It really does. It’s almost a repeat of when Nana beat Junna on the train, where Nana ignored her and just moved on while a defeated Junna was on her knees in the dark. She’s in the exact same position, so like Nana said, despite her attempts to fight, it was futile in the end.

So to motivate herself, Junna recalls quotes about failure and how people can overcome that, but for a moment it looks like that isn’t enough, since she hesitantly picks up the seppuku blade that Nana gave her.

And this is heartbreaking for her. For the obvious reasons, of course, but also because this isn’t the first time that one of them was crying in the dark while Junna started reciting quotes in front of Seisho Academy.

After all, this entire set is just a callback to that night in front of Seisho Academy in episode 9.

That time, Nana was the one crying, while Junna tried to recite quotes to cheer her up. And that time, instead of walking away, Junna hugged Nana, and assured her that as a stage girl, Nana would be fine. But when their roles are reversed, Nana is doing the opposite.But the thing is, what touched Nana that night wasn’t the quotes from great writers. She only cheered up when Junna said her own, original quote, which happened to be her Revue Introduction.

And that’s exactly what Junna does now. She needs her own words. She realizes that the words of others aren’t enough, so instead of using Nana’s sword to kill herself, Junna instead uses it for a different purpose.

She slams the hilt into one of the fragments of her gem that was shattered around, making Nana’s sword her own.

Remember how she said words were her power when shooting an arrow? Well now that she can’t use her bow, she needs to find a new source of power. And using quotes is kind of fitting for a bow, since Junna is using other people’s word, the arrows, and shooting it at the target. There’s a degree of separation there, so that’s kinda symbolic.

Although the first time I heard the line that the words of others aren’t enough, I thought she was talking about quotes by other people, in that Junna relies on using wise words to guide herself. But she could also be talking about Nana’s words. When Nana said Junna wasn’t dazzling anymore, Junna really took that to heart, and that’s what really made her break down, which is kind of surprising after considering Nana completely destroyed her in both of the Revues, but Junna’s built different and would never completely give up from something like that. So this declaration could also be referring to how she decides to ignore the words of others, and truly follow her own path.

So Junna comes to a new resolution. Just like that night when she convinced Nana not to do the reruns anymore, Junna says her brand new Revue Introduction. She says that she knows she’s not enough, and she’s tired of it. But unlike before when she would try to drift towards her star, now she’s going to desperately struggle until she not only takes the leading role, but devours it, calling back to what Nana said about the stage girl hunger during the kick off festival.

And unlike before, when she would previously introduce herself as a part of the 99th class, now she introduces herself as the student council president for the 99th class, which is subtle but also kind of a big deal. You see, everyone else just says 99th class, except for Maya and Claudine, who introduce themselves at the first and second rank of the 99th class respectively. So by acknowledging her own achievements, she’s bringing herself to their level in a way, despite earlier claiming she was no match for them.

(Although I could have sworn she was just the class representative for Class A, but who knows, maybe she got elected in her third year, in which case good for her! But considering there’s like 2 classes in a year, I’m not sure if there is much of a difference.)

So even though Nana tried to destroy Junna’s passion for living as a stage girl, it didn’t work. If anything, that gem on her sword shining shows that Junna is more passionate than ever. After all, the stage responds to the stage girl's passions, and their gems would always glow during those moments.

And now instead of trying to become someone who can impress Nana, Junna instead calls her out. She won’t let Nana ignore her again just because Junna couldn’t meet her expectations, and she also won’t give Nana what she wants either.

If Nana wants to kill the stage girl Junna, then she’ll have to do it herself instead of making Junna do it.

The stage shifts to a yellow (Nana’s color), hazy landscape, with Nana’s swords all around them, pointing at Junna.

The set is still entirely under Nana’s control and hostile to Junna, as seen by the fact that she is still getting utterly bodied by Nana. I get that she’s not used to the new weapon yet, but it’s kinda embarrassing how she is completely off balance and is thrown backwards during each of their exchanges.

But she doesn’t give up, no matter how unsightly she looks. In the background, Junna sings about how she's gonna keep continuing on her journey and won’t ever give up on it, which is remarkably similar to what she said when she first fought Nana in her Revue, that even if she can’t see her star, she will continue down her path.

Meanwhile Nana demands her Katana back since Junna isn’t using it for the intended purpose. And just like at the beginning of the Revue, Nana tells Junna that fighting is futile. That Junna lost her ambition and now she won’t ever be able to fulfill her dream.

While fighting, Nana brings up that Junna just parrots the words of others, but only moments ago Junna herself decided that she would no longer rely on that. So Junna has evolved in the middle of this Revue, but Nana isn’t acknowledging that.

Meaning Nana is fighting now someone who doesn’t exist anymore.

Just like last time, Nana easily beats Junna and tells that she can’t take ahold of her own star, and attempts to walk away again. But just like last time, Junna picks up the sword again, and challenges Nana to kill her herself.

And this bothers Nana.

Just like when Nana brought up how Junna used to be dazzling, she clenches her sword and starts sounding a lot more passionate compared to her cold demeanor from before. Because even though Junna knows she stands no chance against Nana, she’s foolheartedly fighting back anyways.

Exactly like the Junna that Nana found dazzling.

Nana is completely different from before. She’s no longer as dominant as she was during the Revue of Annihilation or in the beginning of the Revue of Hunting. Despite claiming nothing would change no matter what Junna did, Nana’s getting desperate to end this. And when she fought before, her sword would always stop for a moment and lock with the weapon she parried, but now she’s flailing her blade wildly and letting their swords slip by each other after every hit. Not only that, but she’s evenly matched with Junna, despite easily stomping her earlier.

This uncontrolled fighting style is similar to when Nana fought Karen in the Revue of Bonds. She was so desperate to achieve her goal and cling onto the past, but at the same time so curious as to why Karen was so dazzling.

Just like with Karen, in this Revue Nana brings up the roles they play, and how her opponent is different now. But it's not just a callback, but also a role reversal of the Revue of Annihilation, Junna brought up how she didn’t know this Nana, but now Nana is the one who doesn’t know this Junna. And this scares Nana, since as I mentioned earlier, she was fighting someone who doesn’t exist anymore, but she’s only realizing this now.

With this realization, the haze clears and the light turns green (Junna’s color), revealing that Junna was already at Position Zero, the final goal for a stage girl, and we couldn’t see it. Junna reached this point by evolving as a stage girl throughout this Revue. She died and was reborn along with a new weapon. She found a new resolve as a stage girl, so if she wanted to end it here, she would be fine. At this point, she would probably be able to achieve her dreams if she keeps up this passion and resolve.

But that’s not enough for Junna. Instead of accepting an end set by someone else, she steps past Position Zero. She claims she will find her own path, different from the one that Nana planned.

And she doesn’t stop there. She says she won’t accept the roles Nana gave her or any of her stages, and literally bisects the stage and giant sword set pieces in the background. Not only that, but she cuts down the projector that Nana used at the start of the Revue. But this declaration isn’t out of spite though. She’s not mad about how Nana literally tried to get Junna to give up on her dream.

It’s just because Nana’s a shitty director.

In her song in the background, Junna asks Nana where she has been looking all this time. And Junna herself says that Nana was blinded by the light, the same thing that Nana accused Junna of being when she lost her ambition. And looking at the set designs, she was probably right. When they were covered with the yellow light of Nana’s color, the stage was hazy and hard to see. But when it’s green like Junna’s color, it’s clear.

In Nana’s mind, Junna’s role was supposed to have a beautiful end after realizing that she no longer had that ambition from last year. But Junna’s whole thing has been never giving up, and putting in more effort until she can catch up, so Junna was never going to do that. Nana doesn’t understand Junna nearly as well as she thought she did. And for that reason, Junna isn’t going to stand on Nana’s stage.

So instead of waiting to become the star of a distant stage like before, Junna claims the lead for herself now. And instead of relying on Nana to call her dazzling, Junna is now confident enough in herself to claim that descriptor. Just like how she doesn’t need Nana’s roles, now Junna won’t let herself be defined by anyone else. She will no longer say she isn’t a match for people like Claudine and Maya.

When Junna finally swings her sword, we get a shot of the stage falling, but it’s juxtaposed with a shot of Nana’s clasp flying in the air. Because although this stage has ended, Nana’s future is up in the air, and she will continue as a stage girl. Unfortunately we really don’t know anything about Nana’s future though, since both of them were fighting over Junna’s future as a stage girl in this Revue.

Earlier in the Revue, when Nana was walking away from Junna, she was following a pink path to her next stage. Now, at the end of the Revue, Junna and Nana are facing away from each other on that same pink path, but on two different sides of a crossroads. Coincidentally, this forms a giant Position Zero.

So symbolically, this looks like the end of their relationship. After all, Position Zero is the end, and now we have Nana and Junna going their separate ways.

Junna says that the stage she mentioned before where she is the dazzling lead will be her next stage, and that she will never stop reaching for it. That kind of messes up my point from earlier about how she was no longer relying on the future to become a star, but art is subjective, and I choose to interpret it so that I was right earlier. But it's nice to see this Revue helped her find her way, so that’s nice I guess. She’s now properly facing her next stage, symbolized by her green light at the end of the path.

Plus, now that I think about it, she completely destroyed that stage where she was the lead, so maybe it’s for the best that she was talking about a future stage.

Nana is also headed towards her next stage, represented by the yellow light at the end of her path, but I do have to wonder how ready she is for it. Unlike Junna who got a new resolve for herself, Nana’s resolve was probably destroyed by this Revue. After all, she was wrong about Junna, so what if she gets it wrong again?

She sadly says that her reproduction might have ended, but if we’re being literal, her reproduction ended last year. Maybe she’s talking about ending her idealization of the past, since that was the point of the reruns last year, but I think she was actually talking about her relationship with Junna and everyone else.

After all, the point of the reproductions was to make sure their friends never had to go on their own separate paths after graduating, and now that’s basically going to happen in a couple months.

But in a way, the time loops were also to protect the relationships Nana made at Seisho. And her actions here could have completely destroyed her bond with Junna. She literally stabbed her sword between the two of them in the picture, and it can be hard to forgive someone if they try crush your dreams and get you to kill yourself (metaphorically, of course.) She knew that going into this, which is why she was always somber outside the revues, because she knew she was about to do something unforgivable to Junna.

But just like the night that Junna forgave Nana for the time loops, she understands where Nana was coming from and forgives her. Even though they are going their separate ways, Junna looks forward to when they can stand on stage together again. And when she says this, we finally see a shot of their faces and we get to see Nana’s reaction. Very surprised, I think, but also really grateful that there’s no hard feelings between them.

And sure, earlier I said it symbolically looked like this was the end for them because they were going there separate ways on a giant position zero, but Junna stepped beyond the position zero. She can do whatever she wants, and she wants to be with Nana.

Not right now though. But later, definitely.

They “See ya” to each other, implying that it’s not goodbye, just bye for now. And as they go down their respective paths, the water repairs the damaged picture, showing that this Revue wouldn’t impact their closeness in the long run, despite the fact they have to go their separate ways.

It also shows Nana’s discarded camera in the pool of water, showing that Nana no longer needs to hold onto the past so tightly. It also shows that she hates the environment, but in her defense 100 companies are responsible for 90% of all global plastic waste, so I’m not gonna get on her case too much.

But was it really that hard to find a trash can?

Despite Nana being the one earlier to insist that the curtain falls, Junna is the one who sings about the ending as they go their separate paths, but knows they will meet each other on stage one day, since she knows they’ll both continue on as stage girls.

And as they walk away, Nana thanks Junna for helping her arrive at a brilliance that’s like jewels set ablaze, a phrase which she previously only used to describe the 99th production of Starlight that she was always trying to reach.

But Junna is just so dazzling that she can make Nana forget the past.

And while walking away, this time Nana is the one crying, another role reversal for the two of them. So now Junna is the one to mention that “she cried.” And just like Nana before, we see Junna continue down her path after taking a moment to make a steel herself. And since this is a mirror of the earlier scene, we can assume Nana must have done something similar too at the time. Even back then she didn’t want to ignore a crying Junna, but she thought she had to do it for them to make it to the next stage, and forced herself to move on.

But unlike episode 9 though, Junna isn’t there to wipe away Nana’s tears. Nana is still a bit of a kid and a crybaby, just like Junna noticed back then, but now Nana has to find her next stage on her own, so she wipes away her tears on her own, and continues down her path.

Anyways, despite that heartbreaking goodbye, literally 5 minutes later we see the two of them sitting with each other. I mean I know they promised to meet together again soon, but this was probably way sooner than they expected, right? Then again they are roommates and this is like May so they have like 9 months of school left, so their reunion was probably going to be sooner rather than later, but could you imagine how awkward it would be if Nana actually succeeded in making Junna give up on being a stage girl?

Now let’s take a look at their endings.

Junna ended up studying abroad at the New York Musical and Drama Academy. This was not on the list of colleges she was initially applying to, so I’m guessing after the Revue, Junna decided to apply for schools regardless of her chances of being accepted, and she got in! Plus she’s not in the literature department, so she can focus on the stage full time now! And it’s a performing arts school, so I guess she doesn’t need to focus on learning more quotes from famous pieces of literature anymore.

But I thought that she would apply for an troupe instead of a school though, since she got more confidence in herself after that Revue, but in the beginning she said she wanted to study more about the stage objectively, so clearly she wasn’t saying that because of insecurity, but because she really does love the stage and wants to learn more about it.

Plus she says she is having a lot of fun right now, and that’s what really matters.

Nana also ended up studying abroad, but she’s at the Royal Academy of Theatrical Actors. Her initial plan was to go to New National with Maya, Mahiru, and Futaba, but maybe she thought she needed to study more before moving on to the next stage, after all she never really had a moment like everyone else where she found out what she wanted to do in her future. But that’s because she thought that she was already ready to move onto the next stage, although the fact she couldn’t beat Maya and that she also saw herself dead in the vision means she probably wasn’t as ready as she thought. And after Junna proved her expectations wrong in their Revue, she must have realized it herself. Although I’m a little annoyed we never got to find out whether she decided to focus on making the stage or performing. After the ending of the revue, I could see either happening though.

But it’s cool that she’s not alone since she’s with Hikari in London. And while it’s a little sad she didn’t go with Hikari to meet everyone, it seems like she’s adjusted well to separating from everyone, so that’s nice.

It’s interesting how Junna and Nana are the only ones to change their future plans after the Revue. It probably says something profound about the two of them, but I just analyzed two whole Revues and I’m tired of thinking. I guess it just shows that the two of them have a lot to learn I guess? Maybe to show how the future isn’t set in stone and they can always go down new paths?

Anyways, it was really cool to see an actual fight between the two of them, especially because every other main pairing got the chance in the show, even if we only got to see brief moments of it. They have this really interesting past vs future conflict going on, so it was really cool to see that play out in an actual revue.

But boy did it hurt to see the two who were most supportive of each other duking it out. At least they looked awesome while doing it. They really popped off with the fights in this movie, so it was cool to actually analyze their movements and their meanings.

And now let’s take a look at some cool things that I noticed but didn’t mention earlier because that would mess with the flow of this essay:

I didn’t talk about the kick off party much in this deep dive, mostly because I already talked about it in both of the last two Revue Write Ups and I had to cover two whole revues in this one, but there’s a line of foreshadowing in it that’s relevant.

The line “Be reborn, destroying your old body” is read while Junna is on screen. This hints at her having her gem get destroyed, but coming back to continue fighting with a new weapon, and with a new stage girl ideology.

The more interesting thing about the Kick off Party when it comes to Junna is the fact that she’s the one who brings up how the script is incomplete and doesn’t have an ending. I feel like it’s fitting since Junna herself doesn’t have an end in mind, since she can’t see her destined star yet, but she keeps reaching out because she has faith that she’ll find her ending, just like how the classmates have faith that the script writer will be able to come up with a wonderful ending too.

Also it’s funny because Junna has literally no idea what’s going on during the period between the Revue of Annihilation and the Revue of Hunting. She’s constantly lost and voicing her confusion from the train up until she gets up on that Revue stage. It doesn’t really mean much, but I find it funny.

There are a whole lot of shots in the beginning of the movie where Nana looks straight at the viewer to reference that jump scare in episode 7, and oftentimes it’s not clear who she’s talking to, making it seem like she’s addressing the audience. I don’t really have anything to say about this, just know that while looking for screenshots I had to pause very often so sometimes I got moments where she stared into my soul and I did not appreciate that.

Also, can we just talk about how much unconditional support Junna gets? In her previous songs, it’s heavily implied her parents aren’t completely on board with her decision and she’s had to fight an uphill battle alone for even the chance to pursue her dream, but literally everyone is behind her here. I mean her teacher agrees that her path will be good for her if she wants to become a star, and even though Claudine thinks she should aim higher, she understands that Junna doing what she’s comfortable with is important. Anyways, I just think it’s just really nice that Junna is surrounded by people who love and support her no matter what (yes, this includes Nana despite everything.)

In the Revue of Annihilation, Nana chucks her sword at Junna, causing her to miss and hit the lights, sending shimmering light everywhere which distracts Futaba. This was a tactic Junna previously used against Karen in their second Revue, showing how Nana not only knew Junna so well that she could use her techniques, but also how Nana was so skilled that she could get Junna to help her.

Nana’s literally so cool. What do I have to do to be this suave one day?

Junna’s last name has the kanji for “star” and “to see”, because she is always gazing at stars and trying to reach them. But if you think about it, this means that her star was inside her all along!

Speaking of meaningful names, you can rearrange Daiba Nana’s name to Dai Banana, which means big banana in Japanese!

Thou Shalt not Die is an Japanese anti-war poem where the author mourned her brother having to fight in the Russo-Japanese War and begged him not to let himself be killed. Seeing as the two of them are wearing military uniforms, it really brings into question Nana’s true feelings on trying to kill Junna as a stage girl. Then again I just looked up a summary online and am repeating what some blog said, so as far as I know this could all be bullshit.

But it's interesting how Nana is bringing up literature, since that’s usually Junna’s thing. Although Nana is referencing a Japanese work, unlike Junna who usually quotes Western authors.

Now can we take a minute to talk about how this whole movie is sword propaganda? In what world is a bow not better than a sword!? Bows were way more effective than swords back in the olden days! This is revisionism and I won’t stand for it!

Give Junna her bow back! Actually give everyone bows! Other than Aruru in the mobile game, she can keep her pistols. And that new girl with the boomerang, that’s hilarious. But everyone else should switch to bows.

“Your star is just a piece of space trash” is like the sickest possible burn, I’m still reeling. Especially for Junna who was constantly reaching for a star, but didn’t know what she was reaching for. So to say that the faraway star she was reaching for was actually just junk that humans shot up, it just feels so cruel! They should do more astronomy related burns like this considering how they are all trying to become the top star. Maybe say something about how the hazy landscape they are in is the nebula from Junna’s dying star or something. Honestly that line is just such a good insult, I’m still in awe.

In her song, while she is shining the brightest, Junna brings up how she didn’t look upwards just for show. So even though Junna admits that she was wrong before, she’s not gonna completely disregard her previous methods, and is still gonna use what she learned to shine. This mirrors her advice to Nana back in episode 9, where she told Nana to take the memories she treasured with her to the next stage. And just like that, while she won’t rely on the words of others anymore, she will still use what she learned to become an even better stage girl.

Continuing the previous point, Junna sings about how her unbreakable pen is stronger than Nana’s Katanas. As she said before, words are her power, but now instead of reciting someone else’s words, she’s going to be the one to write them, and no one will be able to break her spirit again.

You know in a way, Nana never went to the next stage in all her time loops. She was constantly stuck repeating the same one over and over again, so she’s probably going to need the biggest adjustment once she graduates. I mean everyone else was used to growing up, but can you really say the same for Nana after she was in the time loops for who knows how long?

But despite probably being the most scared to move on to the next stage out of all of them, Nana made sure she could help everyone get to where they needed to be in order to advance to the next stage. And I just think that was really sweet of her.

Although her methods for helping could have been a bit sweeter if you ask me.

#revue starlight #junna hoshimi #nana daiba #junnana #revstar #gekijouban shoujo kageki revue starlight #analyzing starlight

230 notes · View notes

foxieflower · 26 days

Note

For Vanq: 17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise? 20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest? 25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?

Oh I love these questions so much. Okay, answering for the Big Guy then.

17. What is the worst thing you have put your OC through story-wise?

I will admit, that one's pretty hard. Recently we have made an au in which Vanquish is kidnapped by an obsessed elf for close to 100 years (he's a druid ans I also headcanon that tieflings live as long as half-elves so he's got a lot of life there) but while it's a pretty long and drawn out experience, he's really mellow and calm in that au, so it doesn't feel quite as impactful as some of the other alternate universal situations he's been placed in.

I'd wager its a toss up between the necromancy au and how his life starts in the Modern au.

In necromancy, that's also a slightly fnaf inspired au in that he was killed and forced to be reanimated as a walking corpse with his mind still intact. Having to carry out the bidding of someone he once called a business partner until Aywin comes around.

At the start of the Modern au, Vanquish is a tiefling created of a pact, a rarity in the modern area. He is kept as the child of a terrible cult, wanting to use him as a sort of sacrificial devilish beast to bring them blessings. He does escape, but it did a lot of mental damage to him that ultimately let him to becoming the ruthless tycoon he is.

20. Does your OC have a tendency to get jealous? If so, how does this manifest?

Vanquish absolutely has trouble with jealousy, he has a lot of explosive and powerful feelings, no matter how negative people view them. His jealousy often manifests in rage and aggressive protectiveness over his beloved, Aywin. Now of course, Vanquish never entirely thinks there is ever any sort of flirtatious interaction between Aywin and someone else, he just does have an issue with hot-headedness and lashing out. In truth, Aywin either wears pink glasses or he just thinks those red flags are rather decorative. (I promise, they love each other and practically never fight. Sometimes they talk out if one or the other wants to push Van's jealousy buttons because they love the fire in each other's eyes)

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?

Gotta say, this is the most difficult question. I could say something about his design, the fact he has age lines and imperfect skin textures. I could say his personality, how he's this perfect mixture of explosive rage and tender kisses. But really, I think the thing that really bring him forward is how he has come to be. He was simply a character I created for world building involving a character I had used in a quickly ending dnd campaign. A cult leader than my little thief got tangled up with but eventually grew to like, it wasn't a lot and due to the constraints of the person running it, they wouldn't have had a lot of interaction and got shelved. Time passed and then entered @gluskincasual he started a campaign during my Weddie obsession Era and soon I found myself digging up these two ocs to make them look like Eddie and Waylon, now called Vanquish and Aywin. It was fun to make this character and play him but it was obvious that as time went on and I started to come up with more in depth and built up stories for these two with Toby... that they meant so much more to us than simply some dnd characters but and extension of each other... especially once we began to date.

So I think the best thing about him to me, is that he both represents me and the part of me that loves my partner 😳🥰

#foxie thoughts #send asks #vanquish #vanquish and aywin #please send me morenof these #i love them so much

6 notes · View notes

babe-in-red · 2 months

Note

Hi again, can I ask something from Trigun? What do you think are Vash and Wolfwood’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic? Sorry if you've answered these questions before.....

P.s

If you want to answer the questions above with Gojo and Geto's dynamics, I also don't mind....

I can answer both!

About vashwood:

Well, at first, Wolfwood, who must have been insanely confused after all the experiments, is one of the most stable characters in the Trigun universe. Though his morals are limping, you can clearly see why. As a child, Wolfwood was kind, understanding, and helpful. The big brother for the orphans. As an adult, he still fought against the regime he was in, and though they tried to break him and brainwash him, his strong personality, in the end, soaked through. I believe a good person in their heart cannot be completely corrupted.

Also, when Wolfwood loses his shit because of Vash being Vash, that's one of my favorite things about him. He shows how deeply he cares while denying it. The denial originates in Wolfwood. He's loving by nature, so when he pretends to be the big bad Wolf, he simply can't... someone save him. He really is *uses Vash's soft voice* Wolfwood.

Wolfwood's kindness and confusion are what make him the most human. His experience is something else.

About Vash--Ah Vashie Vash, Spikey Head, Tongari, Blondie, dumbass. Who wouldn't love Vash? I mean, that dude can be irritating by his inability to read danger, but then he's a plant (angel), and his beliefs are strongly installed in his bones. Vash is everything we wish to be, but Vash also has power we don't, so we simply sit in the corner. My love for Vash started when I understood that's exactly why he helps everyone. Because he has the power.

He possesses the strongest soul among the fictional characters. Incredible person, I'll tell you. Stubborn, maybe, and can't explain exactly why, but he knows in his heart. It's an instinct we lack. So, when Wolfwood doesn't understand why anyone would throw themselves into the pit like Vash, then the answer is instinct. I wish I knew what to do the second the problem appeared before me. That's what I love about Vash---quick in decision, unstoppable.

So, summing it up. I love their unstoppable, strong spirits.

Tired, but will always put together enough energy to keep going.

Admirable.

They are a part of one cake. You know, as a two-tier cake. The first tier is chocolate, and the second is vanilla. They taste different, but together they are delicious. It's their flavor.

Ah, I simply love vashwood.

Satosugu:

I wish we knew more about Suguru's background. About his childhood and his family. It's hard to go into depth when you don't know someone on that level. Suguru, however, is a typical traditional man; you can say he was raised in a strict family and led to follow traditions.

I like Suguru for the fact he treats everyone the same. And now, see the trait he shares with Satoru? They treat everyone the same until they don't, yet they do. It's really simple. Suguru met Satoru and was absolutely not phased by the Gojo prodigy boy. He treated him the same as he treated others. He normalized Satoru having friends despite his BIG status. I think that's also where Shoko sunk with them. She saw an opening and slid in.

Even after Suguru got lost for ten years, got his hair done, and then came out with villain plans, he still treated everyone the same--we all were monkeys, whatever, dude. There was no one less monkey than the other one. We were a zoo for him, lmao. I gotta let him have this one.

Also, he's funny, like, don't even let me start. And devoted to his thing. Loves children and is caring, even for those monkeys he keeps cleaning for money. Suguru is another example of a good man who cannot be completely corrupted. And you could see that during the fight in the movie. When even Satoru said that he trusted Suguru, he wouldn't seriously harm his students (mind, one of them was Maki with no cursed energy--monkey.)

When it comes to the Gojo brat, I gotta say we are too similar. I mean, the weirdness we possess is something so strongly judged. Being called a weirdo or idiot, but then you have people trailing you and following like shadows. When You have absolutely everything (which I absolutely don't), then it's hard to keep living. People usually live for their dreams, but when your dreams are all fulfilled, then what? You want to have goals, but you are on top of everything you touch. It's all fun while you can compete. You keep fighting.

I think Satoru was isolated most of his life, yet he always stayed true to himself. Rather be himself and hated than loved for who he wasn't. You can have friends and pretend every day, or you can be alone but be at peace with yourself.

I don't really care if he's a self-centered dumbass; his self-respect and self-love are what so many of us lack.

Summarized, once again two strong characters with different flavors come up together, fitting each other gaps.

#reply #vashwood #satosugu

6 notes · View notes

slutforstabbings-archive · 1 year

Text

Since the Velma show is so uhhhhh Like That, here's my pitch for an adult Scooby Doo show:

The most similar existing Scooby thing is On Zombie Island and the two biggest inspirations/points of comparison outside of Scooby Doo are Scream (particularly MTV Scream) and Cabin in the Woods.

The gang are college upperclassmen, juniors and/or seniors.

Fred started as a finance major but switched to criminal justice. Daphne’s a journalism major. Shaggy's getting a fine art degree and his concentration is ceramics, Velma's major is physics.

Fred and Shaggy were roommates freshman year and had an enemies to besties situation because they were so different. Mostly the problem was that Fred's upbringing was super sheltered and old money, prep school, country club, young republicans - so when he meets Shaggy he's like how tf do I deal with people who aren't from my very rigid uptight wealthy background? But he lets go of that bullshit really quickly and now he and Shaggy are inseparable and have chosen to continue to live together since.

Daphne is Fred's high school sweetheart, they both went to single gender prep schools but they were like "sibling" schools that held co-ed events together. She's from the same super rigid old money world as him but she's always been more rebellious and aware of the outside world than he was. Maybe they broke up for a while because even tho they decided to go to the same university, they wanted different college experiences and she was a big party girl freshman and sophomore years, but now she's calmed down a little and he's opened up, so they're the most compatible they've ever been and they find their way back to each other.

Velma and Shaggy met in an art class that she was taking as an elective and he was taking as part of his main course work. She'd never done any kind of art before and was super nervous but Shaggy was really encouraging and they became buddies and she discovered a new interest and made all her free electives be art classes after that. If Shaggy's having a hard time getting a sculpture to be structurally stable, he comes to Velma for physics assistance.

Shaggy decides to adopt a dog and he's on the humane society website like look at this weird dog, it says he's been there for months, how come nobody has adopted him? So he takes Fred and they go to the humane society and they meet this fucked up Great Dane that nobody else wants and they agree to adopt him.

That's when Weird Shit TM starts happening on campus and in the surrounding town. It is NOT monster of the week but maybe the first couple episodes are sort of falsely monster of the week seeming, until they realize everything is connected. Definitely keeping the villian's motivation as some horrible destructive ultra capitalist scheme, and it hits close to home for Fred and Daphne because that's kind of the world they're from, but it's also supernatural somehow and Scooby's nature as a not-quite-normal dog is tied into it, the four of them like, become fated to solve this problem because they welcome Scooby into their lives. Stakes are high, the supernatural is real and death is permanent. The gang should lose peripheral friends and have to figure out the mystery while also mourning, and the villian or one (or more) of the villian's henchmen is someone in the gang's outer circle. Like maybe the big bad is the president of the university and Daphne's sorority sisters and Shaggy's plug and Velma's advisor are all in on it.

Velma IS a lesbian, and Indian. If we're making one of them black it's gotta be Fred or Daphne, I hate that they made the stoner character black in the Velma show lol that was my first red flag. I mean, in this I think they're all stoners, they do the round table That 70's Show thing, Shaggy is just the only one with a Stoner Personality. And I think it's cool for him to be non-white, it just feels cringey to me for him to be black. But I think it could be really interesting for one of the super wealthy upper crust characters to have to realize that they were really insulted from racism in their specific community but that doesn't mean that it isn't still a big deal everywhere else, and maybe even looking back they DID experience racism growing up, they just didn't realize it. Perhaps they're even mixed race, half black half white and have to deal with the intersecting privilege and oppression that simultaneously brings them. Fred is bi but still figuring it out, Shaggy is nb but enjoys masculinity and just doesn't give a shit about how other people perceive his gender, it's a more internal experience for him, and he defies gender conventions in subtle ways.

#scooby doo #velma the series #fred jones #norville shaggy rogers #daphne blake #velma dinkley #mtv scream #cabin in the woods #mine #sorry to break from corey content but all spooky people like scooby doo right?#i think this belongs here

45 notes · View notes

katyspersonal · 1 year

Note

since you've been playing elden ring, do you have a favorite npc so far?

Haha, my pace at discovering more of Elden Ring is SNAIL slow. And I don't mean moderately fast snail-like mobs in ER, I mean real life snails. xD So, my knowledge is still lacking. But with what I DO know, I think I can pick a favourite already!

This might come off as a surprise, but this...

...is...

...SELLEN!

Honestly, so far I liked her the most! She gives me very strong Imposter Iosefka vibe (in the scenario if after having made enough Emissaries, the Imposter also joined with them to be several small ascended people hiding in a trench coat pretending to be one BIG ascended person…). Whereas she is still, of course, a unique and interesting character on her own! It is just this kind of a female character after knowledge beyond human plane that reminds me.

I am particularly fond of the madman/woman/person characters who want to know the eldrich truths of the universe, no matter how horrifying they are and no matter what taboos they have to break, and what they have to give in exchange. I also can respect the type of 'scientist that is not above trying their own medicine' because, again, she becomes The Orb herself xd Her sassy and blunt attitude is also very appealing for me, she is a confident character with a very certain motivation! I do also enjoy how no matter what scroll she is given, her reaction is that she is familiar with this sorcery, so she is already very educated!

I've posted my analysis how in Bloodborne, Willem and 'original' Choir (from which only Yurie remains) prioritise ascending humanity and leveling with the gods as people, whereas the Choir as it is later tries to TRANSCEND humanity, and will break any taboos, just like Mensis too. In there, I actually sympathise with Willem's side and see Choir as reckless and desperate fools. But in Elden Ring, for some reason, I actually sympathise with the ideas of Sellen (and her teachers, Azur and Lusat) more instead, whereas seeing how Caria family goes about the glintstone teachings as kinda weak. Not REAL researchers. It is very funny and I can't even explain why I am so inconsistent all of a sudden; doesn't help that Rennala herself gives strong Willem and Yurie vibe! Truly, the magic of narration can make EITHER side feel more sympathetic than the other o_o"

Also, I've learned that initially her Witch's Glintsone Crown was named Grana Glintstone Crown, but it was patched out!

I feel like developers initially did want to make Sellen as important as someone who had her own school and the crown made in her likeness was a common wear too, but it never picked up because… well, her line of studies contradicted with Caria's family agenda and restrictions too much? It is one thing to just explore rocks from space, but completely different one to try and BECOME one! But I decided to go with 'they retconned the idea' rather than with 'they obscured the idea'. I mean, how exactly people would follow this "school"? They'd just become rocks lol. It is not really studying the object when you become the object.

I also honest to god cannot recall this particular shade of green glintstone anywhere else - not in an environment, nowhere on Graven Scholars, and there are no spells or staff associated with this color. So I feel like it is artificial and created BY her; would go with theme of her experimenting with turning people into seeds of a star. Heck, maybe this glintstone also had an… organic origin, too. So it cannot be turned into a weapon (unlike staffs of Azur and Lusat that ARE made from existing cosmic material), but only serve as cathalyst for intellect and sorcery of THE caster.

Also I just gotta say, I really appreciate how in these spheres everyone is always having the both horrified and awe-full expression, but she looks really blissful and calm x) She actually gave a realistic, adequate estimate towards how much she wanted to become one with the cosmos xD Lore says that even Azur and Lusat were devastated when they witnessed it, so she is arguably MORE of a madwoman than those two. Love this about her so much.

Honorable mention: so far, Nepheli is my second favorite. Her design definitely beats everyone else's amongst NPCs yet, but also she is just really appealing character. Badass warrior with two axes with great honor and will to go on no matter what, who is also very sensitive and compassionate at heart, is in touch with her vulnerable side, grieving the fallen, strong but not invincible… It is a very good example of how TO write a strong and badass female character; the power is not to be a solid brick that never cries but to be able to connect with one's insecurities and still get back up. Her being heartbroken when her father figure turned on her was very moving, for some reason this way she feels stronger than if she just got up and kicked Gideon's ass and hated him forevermore after that. I just live for this balance of both big muscles but ALSO a big heart.

#elden ring #sorceress sellen #elden ring headcanons #(sort of? it isn't really much it is just me rambling)#(can't wait to discover a minor detail in lore that will flip everything upside down as usual lol)#going in blind with elden ring is a very rewarding experience trust me #but at the same time i feel SO helpless compared to how well-versed I am in BB!#emotions when you find and NPC dead or find a plot twist are so worth it tho xd #for the record: yes i do like seluvis and i can write an essay on this too #but from cold and rational standpoint not he is my favorite #i just appreciate him #i really love it though how in ER there is a line between magic (incantations) and science (glintstone sorcery)#how former scales with faith and latter with intellect #i needed it a lot #granted BB also has cursed pthumerian-esque magic vs COSMOS OF COURSE and eyes #but it is a bit more blurry #by the way if there IS this exact shade of green somewhere else in the game BUT her crown please show me!#i just haven't seen it nor an item!#unless i am right and it IS unique. oh boy....

24 notes · View notes

comicaurora · 2 years

Note

(Now I would have used Tumblr's handy dandy reblog function on my last ask, but I felt too self conscious making a long post Even Longer over a single section, BUT!)

'If I put Falst in a notably hostile and unjust city and then just… left him alone, that risked turning the in-universe established fact of people being casually shitty to ferin into a tell-don't-show thing. The last thing I wanted was for it to seem like Falst was being oversensitive, that things weren't that bad or that he could've been hanging out in cities this whole time. ... It was very important that I not shy away from showing the gross, bad side of his experience, because doing so could risk producing the opposite effect.'

Y'know as (half of) a black person, this honestly never occurred to me, like I just Instantly grasped from the way others talked about Falst in his intro arc when he wasn't there "Oh. Oh I Know That." And so seeing him in active peril in the city as opposed to him playing cards with Alinua in the one spot he knew was primarily safest didn't register to me at all as a big difference in presentation because you're not allowed to just Forget that people can and will treat you worse than you are due on sight when you're in Falst's position. But the audience watching a story is allowed and very likely to forget or not register danger levels unless they are being actively shown those things at prudent intervals. Like the silent pressure constantly on Falst is something I Fully Get without having to be given examples, but also it's a silent omnipresent pressure on top of all his other issues that he refuses to bring out of himself, so in crafting a story around All Of That, you gotta shake the jar or else the glitter at the bottom will become such a non-thing that people might just kinda go 'I mean it's just a jar with something at the bottom, I don't see what the deal there is.'

Yeah, it's… a tough balance to strike. I'm not a fan of stories that aggressively fire off nonstop reminders of in-story prejudice (netflix's shadow and bone went so hard on the in-universe anti-"shu" racism I kept cringing away from the screen wondering how this world seemed to be composed 95% of people with nothing else going on in their lives except being racist), but on the flip side you get stories with, as I like to call it, Elf Racism, where some demographic of gorgeous superhumans like elves or angels or catgirls will be allegedly discriminated against or hated by some specific in-universe group and it will usually either be brought up (a) only once in a Very Special Episode where someone is taught quickly and cleanly that Racism Is Bad, (b) literally never, except maybe the token elf/angel/catgirl will be like "you think my ears/wings/kawaii kitty vibes are beautiful? but……… all my life I was told they were hideous", or (c) solely in the context of Radical Anarchist Rebels whose reasonable points about "racism is bad" are obscured by their startling habit of committing random atrocities for our heroes to morally oppose without addressing their actual moral thesis.

My biggest complaint with these executions is that they are wildly, wildly unrelatable. "My life is hard because I have adorable kitty ears, angel wings or superpowers" is the kind of thing that needs supporting evidence before an audience will buy it. "This world is prejudiced, by which I mean elves and dwarves hate each other - but not THIS elf and dwarf, they're besties, but all other elves and dwarves hate each other and in those cases it's just a fun quirk we will never attempt to address" produces a setting that can't decide if prejudice is a moral failing or a funny quirk. "There is prejudice in this world, by which I mean all the bad guys are racist and all the good guys are 100% enlightened and unproblematic" isn't much better, because it's being used as just another flavor of Good Vs Evil - plus the execution on the bad guys' part tends to be so cartoonishly over-the-top as to be completely implausible.

This is a problem, because if the "prejudice is bad" story is trying to communicate, for instance, the complex moral message "prejudice is bad," the prejudice enacted in the story probably shouldn't be so cartoonishly implausible that the audience has no chance of recognizing it within themselves or within anyone whose flavor of bias is anything less blatant than foaming-at-the-mouth-and-cranking-the-hate-crimes-dial-up-to-11. Most people will accept the idea that "people being ridiculously terribly prejudiced is bad," but when the image of prejudice the story paints is so divorced from any sort of lived experience, they will not see prejudice as a harmful flaw that real human people are capable of perpetuating, and they won't recognize it when they see it from the outside in real life - they'll see it as another hypothetical flavor of evil villainy that some bad people intrinsically do.

Prejudice is such a widely experienced issue, especially the "omnipresent invisible uncertainty of whether or not I am safe right now" thing, that it's baffling to me that so many of these stories don't seem to… get it? While the specific nature varies in every case, there is fundamental overlap in the experience! Like, I absolutely do not experience it the same way a lot of other people do - I am very white-looking, and too blonde for the garden-variety antisemites to figure me out, so race-based harassment has never targeted me - but I've been an underage woman in creepy-older-male-dominated spaces, I spent about half my middle school years as the target of nearly-nonstop bullying (a lot of it from people who I otherwise got along fine with and knew were ultimately well-meaning with a blind spot for casual cruelty), and in the past I've been cyberstalked and harassed by random entitled weirdos for long periods of time. I am very aware of the feeling of "there is a target on my back, and I just hope nobody hits it too hard today," and it seems to me that that specific feeling cannot possibly be this difficult to communicate.

It's like these writers read about how prejudice worked and were like "some people hate people for how they were born, got it" and just put that in their world without any nuance. Actually, I say it's like that, but considering the demographics dominating publishing, that's probably exactly why it happens so much.

#asks #writing stuff

155 notes · View notes

moonjxsung · 4 months

Note

Pookie I feel like I'm doing something wrong in my life. I don't like how I look, and I weigh a lot. The people telling me to lose weight are completely right tbh. I should just lose weight. But everytime I try, my body physically can't. I've been thinking about starving myself and getting diet pills or something. I've been starting to starve myself, and I've noticed some changes

I don't know why I'm telling you this. I'm sorry. I have no one else to talk to other than you and this anon community.

TW: talks of weight & body insecurity 🫶

Pookie ☹️ first of all anyone who EVER tries to tell you what you should do or how you should change yourself is NEVER right. There’s no such thing as correctly putting someone down. That’s just called being a shitty fucking human being.

Second: Please don’t starve yourself my pookie. I know it’s also exhausting to hear people tell you the same version of “please eat!” But it truly has so many adverse effects and it’s not going to make you feel any better about yourself. It’s so important to be able to experience life and be present for all of it and be able to feel happy when you’re living for yourself and you can’t do those things when you’re depriving yourself of your body’s basic needs. You gotta be there for yourself, your body is relying on you!! Eat healthy if you want to and if you want a little treat then HAVE a little treat. Go to the gym if you want to and don’t go if you don’t want to. But whatever you decide, make sure you’re doing it for YOU. You can’t live your life giving in to the insults and demands from shitty people. You’d be trying forever if you did that (and life is too short to live that way!🫶)

Be there for yourself and be kind to yourself and allow yourself to take up space. Where what you want, act how you want, tune out people who don’t hype you up the way you deserve. But don’t ever allow yourself to give into negativity because that just spirals into a LIFETIME of trying to please other people. Talk kindly about yourself and take care of the vessel you’re in, it’s your HOME !! 🫶 I’m grateful for you always and grateful for your body and your mind and every little molecule in the universe that aligned so that you could be here and be present. And your weight is so, so beyond insignificant in the grander scheme of all that.

I’ll never forget a time my sister went on a crazy diet and lost a ton of weight, and someone we loved so dearly said to her “I hope you’re not doing it for anyone except yourself, don’t disappear on me!” And I think about that always. Don’t shrink yourself to please others! Don’t disappear on me for the sake of shitty people! It has to be YOU at the end of the day- every decision you make and every outcome that stems as a result. Be kind to yourself and if you look in the mirror today and hate your reflection imagine there’s a little Moonjxsung on your shoulder hyping you up.

OKAY? Okay. I love you (without bounds and infinitely more than that!) 🫶💓🫂

#ask

4 notes · View notes

Last Seen Blogs

sheepdog-comic

Sheep Dog

artistsbooks

Sv collection — ARTISTS' BOOKS

everyman0

paintrainconductors

Pain Train Conductors main

defibher

Untitled