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gavalaa · 8 months

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Sketches of all my redone designs for my Phantom Thieves from my AU, Icarus! Lots of info down below on the cut, so if you want to know more about the details and inspiration, feel free to keep reading!

This includes Akechi’s design for his Princely/Robin Hood attire, BEFORE his Icarus attire you might have seen from my other posts! Check out the Icarus AU tag for more info! Icarus has a main focus on Akechi and his relationship to the thieves, but the AU is actually an entire rewrite with new designs, 3rd semester and epilogue/strikers/tactica stories, hence Zenkichi and Sophia’s inclusion.

Read below for individual info:

I decided to include more motifs towards their persona’s and general vibes; and also just my own personal touches haha.

AKIRA - Not much has changed, I really like his design overall. I raised his boots to be like Arsene’s and changed his neck area.

MORGANA - I hate the OG pill shaped head, his new design is based heavily on the shape of Palico’s from Monster Hunter. Added a little more nod to Zorro/His persona motifs and also just made him cuter! Little hamburger headed cat.

RYUJI - I made him a little bulkier and gave some more weight to his outfit overall. I gave him heavier boots and a slightly buffer build to relate back more to his sporty style.

ANN - honestly was never too big on her latex outfit, I wanted to call back to a personal favorite female lead; Christine Daae, and used one of the versions of her Don Juan costume as inspiration. I remember seeing Phantom live and in many stage versions of her character, the Don Juan scene was a pure moment of female control, and she was truly working the Phantom and controlling every movement on the stage. Her presence is commanding, and I thought it was a very fitting tribute to Ann’s character as feminine strength. (I’m absolutely not referring to the movie iteration of Daae btw.)

YUSUKE - I referred to some historical art and legend of Goemon to add more elements of design to his outfit. When I color them, I want to add some really strong pops of color to his clothing to really drive the aesthetics and artistry home.

MAKOTO - Another totally redid outfit, I opted to give her a design which relates back to Popess Joan, and also Anat. I gave her a clawed hand on her right side and an uncovered hand on her left as both a nod to Anat’s hand raised in iconography of her from art history, but also to show the duality of Anat’s title as both a goddess of war, and of love. It also relates to the mythology of Joan and her nature as both a leader and a martyr. I changed her mask to a Venetian Commedia mask as well.

FUTABA - ok. I’ll be honest. I never liked her skin-tight outfit, it just doesn’t match her personality at all. Also, the high tech Egyptian feel never really sold me. I totally understand the tomb thing, but I truthfully think a dungeon/palace which was more like… tech/nerd themed would have been much more “futaba” the inspiration for this new outfit relates back to her persona, the Necromomicon, as well as her nerdy personality, and her affiliation as Alibaba (Ali Baba.) I wanted to go more lovecraftian, long sleeves and patterning designed to look more like lovecraftian tendrils, and big baggy pants and her classic shoes to match. The patterning on her undershirt will resemble a rib cage, both as a reference to her deathly “tomb” iconography, but also to Lovecraftian and Necronomicon lore. I think she matches the description of a nerdy, techie DND dungeon master more than the initial outfit, so that’s the route I took personally.

HARU - relating back to some fashions from 17th c France, where Milady’s story (the three musketeers) takes place, I kept her design relatively similar. I just gave her a little more iconography relating to the three musketeers and that general timeframe.

AKECHI - in his pre-Icarus outfit, I’ve given him a princely sort of outfit befitting of his two faced nature, and edited it to relate to Robin Hood a little more. I tried to keep it sleek and just generally very concealing and layered.

SUMIRE - i gave her some iconography relating back to one of her personas, who is an inference to Freya. I also included some more nods to classic Cinderella, with fantasy gown elements. Overall, relatively similar.

ZENKICHI - again, relatively similar, I really like his outfit. I just opened up the face some to show more personality and spiced up the outfit generally to keep it matching. honestly, les mis/Valjean was a hard one, but I also think his character could be heavily related back to Edmond Dante (Monte Cristo.) so I gave some nods to that as well.

SOPHIA - I turned her into a FINGIE!!!! I made her whole dress as a nod to her persona/to pandora’s tiles around her/the pillars. I wanted to make her small and almost unnatural since she’s an AI, and I thought having a little guy on the team would add some more variation.

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mageknight14 · 3 months

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"Trust Your Partner": How NEO TWEWY Deconstructs and Reconstructs the Original

I think one of the most interesting things NEO TWEWY does as a sequel is how it takes the original’s game motif of "trust your partner" and explores that to show the negative downsides of that mindset before rebuilding it up again through new lenses.

In the original, "trust your partner" is a motif that’s there to encourage Neku to learn that it’s okay to be vulnerable and that not everyone in the world is out to get you. That you can become strong enough to withstand any emotional hardships that come your way.

In the ending, Neku is rewarded for taking this lesson to heart and being unable to bring himself to shoot Joshua due to a combination of coming to value their relationship and still subconsciously trusting Joshua to do the right thing even in spite of everything he had done to him by getting revived back to life alongside the friends he had made connections with. He can't forgive Joshua for what he had done but he still trusts him regardless and it's a dynamic that still holds true in NEO.

In OG TWEWY, this lesson works for Neku because almost everyone in the game was acting in good faith, doing what they felt was the right thing in the long-run. This was essential towards helping Neku learn to heal from the trauma caused by the death of his best friend and have him open up again. That even if he gets emotionally hurt, he can still keep moving forward.

But NEO looks at that motif and explores a different side to it, showing how the original lesson can be taken into an unsavory direction if exploited by certain kinds of people or their mindsets. How bad faith actors can and will destroy you if you’re not careful. This is a theme that the game thoroughly explores, from Shiba’s relationships with the Shinjuku Reapers and Kubo to Rindo’s dynamic with Motoi, showing off the consequences of what blind faith and never questioning your idols can do.

However, I think the day that best exemplifies this theme in full is W3D2, the Shoka/Ayano day. I think it should be emphasized that Shoka and Ayano DO genuinely care for each other; their actions show that off incredibly well. However, it’s a relationship that’s been broken down by the events that happened around and between them. Ayano, unable to decide who to trust anymore in the chaos that’s happening around her, latches onto Shoka as a security blanket (she even names her iguana after her!) and tries to do everything to keep her at her side, even gaslight her, out of fear that she will abandon her too. An aspect of her that only gets worse as she gets possessed by Plague Noise.

She’s convinced herself that Shoka is just being led around by her emotions, not being able to see that she’s denying and suffocating Shoka’s agency, and that she’s secure in the choices that she’s made (though it’s understandable given what happens to former Reapers in the end).

On the other side of the coin, Shoka isn’t able to see for herself until the end that Ayano deeply, deeply misses Shinjuku and that trying to show her what life in Shibuya can be like has only depressed her even more, with Shibuya Survivor showing this in detail. She was simply content to have Ayano by her side, never fully thinking deeper about their relationship and its issues. And when Ayano is too far gone to the influence of the Plague Noise, Shoka throws all caution to the wind and tries to save her only to get herself killed.

All of this shows the limit of trusting your partner for both sides. Ayano can't see that Shoka’s made her own decision and is going to stick with it, and Shoka can't see with a lot of convincing and support that Ayano can't simply be talked down. In a way Ayano's trying to give her life to Shoka by "saving" her and dragging her back to the Shinjuku gang and leaving Shibuya to be destroyed but she can't or doesn't care about the city due to her trauma, so she can't realize that is what Shoka cannot and wouldn't want. We as people can always do our best to trust and understand as much as possible, but there's a hard limit to how much that can work. Some people are NOT going to agree or come to a conclusion and in a lot of cases, it can be painful and tragic but we hit the limit of that.

So what we CAN do is to try and soften the blow and trust and be kind/understanding to Shoka and in this case, the motif of "trust your partner" gets built up again via showcasing Rindo and Shoka’s relationship. These convos show off what it means to be a true friend, to listen to them when they tell you how the situation they’ve been through has affected them, and how that has to be enough, with Rindo assuring to Shoka multiple times that he trusts her and that he won’t abandon her. Maybe he won’t agree with what she decides but he helps her to feel secure in her own agency and come to decide what she truly wants to do, reinforcing what Neku had to learn: becoming emotionally strong enough to deal with what happens next.

And the game showcases that the original lesson still holds true: it was possible to talk Shiba down by appealing to his humanity/better nature and Rindo still gives Motoi a second chances even in spite of what he had done to him.

Having faith/trust in the inherent goodness of others is NOT a weakness but just like how there are people who act with good faith in mind, there are also others who WILL try to screw you over for their own intentions or mistakenly think that what they believe is best for you. And in a time where topics such as parasocial relationships, false information, and isolation are explored more and more, I think it’s an especially important lesson/topic to explore.

#neo twewy #the world ends with you #neo the world ends with you #twewy #ntwewy #shoka sakurane #ayano kamachi #rindo kanade #analysis post #neku sakuraba

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kinsey3furry300 · 1 year

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No One, not a soul, not a single person: My neurodivergent arse: “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Death in Puss in Boots the last Wish is a wolf, nor do I think it’s just because a wolf is a cool and menacing creature, nor as furry-bait, but that it’s a deliberate reference on the part of the writers to The Interlopers by Saki, where death appears as a wolves with no actual stakes in the main conflicts between characters, in order to drive home the theme of the inevitability and randomness of death and the importance of living genuinely before it’s too late. I fact, a think the choice to make the wolf also a Spanish speaker with strong Western visual and audio motifs (spaghetti western whistling, being seen as a bounty hunter, the “Pick it up” duels) layers this symbolism with another work that heavily draws of The Interlopers, namely No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy¸ where Anton Chigurh is also obliquely referred to as lobo. In this essay I will…”

#Puss in Boots the last Wish #the interlopers #Saki #No Country for old Men #Anton Chigurh #Puss in boots is just No Country for kids fight me #Joke #humor #Humour #My ADHD #overanalysis #post western #neo western

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fireemblems24 · 1 year

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The Misinterpretation of Dimitri

Specifically, I'm referencing the frequent misinterpretation of his dialogue with Edelgard towards the end of Azure Moon.

I've seen people claim Dimitri is arguing for the necessity of Church of Seiros/faith and/or divine right of kings. That, because people are weak, they need the people in power to protect them in contrast to Edelgard who wants to empower the people and doesn't think they need to rely on anyone.

This is interpreting Dimitri and Azure Moon through and Edelgard and Crimson Flower lens and not at all what Dimitri's saying here.

Faith and religion play little to no role in Dimitri's life or Azure Moon's plot. Nor does the divine right of kings. Those are motifs and themes explored in Edelgard's story, not Dimitri's. The argument above is only true if you view the whole game through a crimson-colored lens.

So what is Dimitri actually saying? That the bootstraps mentality doesn't work for everyone. Some people need help - many kinds of help.

More relevant to Dimitri and AM's story is the importance of emotional support and having people to rely on. To a lesser extent, it's also Dimitri's reaction to living in poverty while on the run. He understands that some people need emotional support and time to properly grieve to move on from trauma. He also understands that some people don't have access to proper food, shelter, etc . . . and will need government assistance to move forward. He's arguing that Edelgard's ways leaves behind the people who need something or someone to lean on, hence "the path of the strong."

He isn't even saying everyone is like this. Right in that dialogue he acknowledges Edelgard as an exception. Edelgard doesn't need time to grieve. She processes trauma by pushing forward. While I am personally uncomfortable labeling that as "strong" compared to grieving as "weak," that's an argument for another time. As an imperial princess and then Emperor, she has no lack for resources either, unlike Dimitri during his time on the run and the others living in poverty he came in contact with.

So, no. Dimitri's not arguing that faith is a necessity, but that it is needed by some. He's pointing out that Edelgard's ways strip people from safety nets - regardless of the form it comes in. He's also arguing that people at the bottom need people at the top to provide for them to lessen the inequality gap - not necessarily in the form of a king - but that Edelgard's war leave them destitute and her meritocracy unable to compete as long as they're "weak" in any way.

Does this mean Edelgard's wrong and Dimitri's right? No. There's flaws with Dimitri's rulership too, but what he's pointing out here is a major flaw in Edelgard's beliefs and ideas about government and it should be explored as such rather than seen in a borderline bad faith interpretation.

#fire emblem #fire emblem three houses #dimitri alexandre blaiddyd #three houses #dimitri fire emblem #fe3h #azure moon

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sciderman · 7 months

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What was it like coming up with Anita’s design versus Olive’s design?

god! feels like so long ago now, i don't know if i can cement all my thought process - sometimes you just see something and it clicks into place - with anita, i needed something with a heart motif - something classy, and something fantastical. something that almost couldn't exist in reality. something made of dreams and rainbows. anita is a fantasy - the ultimate, divine diva who came from the heavens. the embodiment of truth and love.

the rainbow motif kind of came from anita being kind of a filter - she was born out of necessity for wade to be able to filter his emotions - i was in writers block with a truth anon and i needed anita to be that filter to get wade to express himself. so she's a prism of light. (it's also why i sneak in that pink floyd shirt constantly. hehahoheo...)

i think somewhere in a hunt for visual inspo i peeped this monstrosity. and i riffed on it.

this dress... dear god it's impossible. and kind of hideous. but there's something there. there's something there. it's as gaudy and loud and fantastical as anita has to be. added a garter (because she's playful, and i kind of just - love the garter symbolism attached to wade, and the traditions that are attached to it – all being tied to marriage and good luck all-the-while also being tongue-in-cheek) added evening gloves (she's a lady) and – vitally, the mask. because all in all, she's still putting on a show.

olive - olive's first ever look was inspired by a beautiful brighton queen - she had a kind of asymmetry motif to her outfit that i kind of really loved for peter - if peter would have a motif - it had to be asymmetry. two sided boy. one side slutty, one side conservative.

duality of olive... and oliver... early on i kind of wanted there to be a distinction between olive and oliver - olive me is this sweet, romantic creature. who's ready to give all of himself - and oliver me is...

bossy. slutty. whorish. demanding. they kind of melded into one - i think they kind of had to. but it's a conceit in olive's playlist too - two warring genres - the soft, hopelessly romancey tones of ella fitzgerald vs the sluttiest era of britney. peter's both of those things. a romantic idiot, but an absolute freak. i thought about having a half-mask sort of situation, like the classic way the comics drew his spider-sense -

i think i'll still do it at some point - a la one of those fun half-man half-woman vaudeville acts - i think it could be hilarious.

i'll do it one day. i'll do it one day.

it's kind of important that olive doesn't wear the mask, though, i think - so the funny little britney-esque microphone became my compromise.

the aerial silks were vital. vital. in fact, it's how i became obsessed with spider-man - i saw a spider-man themed aerial silk performer at a circus, and i could Not stop drawing spider-man since.

peter getting to be that sort of lithe, strong, athletic sort of queen vs wade's very classically feminine sort of queen.

the silks are important - i sort of have it living in my head, no matter how impractical it is, that peter spun those all himself. his entire costume came from him. hence all the pink glitter which, apparently, flows through his veins.

pink's kind of the colour of love, in the 9319 universe. literally.

peter's kind of a bottomless reservoir of love. which is great, because wade needs a lot of it.

i always think about how pink is kind of a softened red. peter's so full of passion, and rage, and red is so intrinsic to him - it's something he's scared of, actually. all the red that courses through his veins.

but when you soften him, he's all pink. all that passion and anger comes from love - it's kind of his lifeblood. it's the thing that consistently pulls him through, in every iteration of him. it's literally what pulls him from the brink of death.

sorry. wow. i'm going through all of these gymnastics to tell you why olive wears pink. why is my brain like this.

#sci speaks #ask-spiderpool

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gravityidol · 5 months

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12th Prisoner in Milgram?

the key thing this theory is leaning on is the concept of the panopticon being 12 sectioned. whether the 12th section is a walkway or a cell doesn't matter for this theory, just that it exists.

10 sections is what you'd assume it to be considering the current canon number of prisoners. iirc there's eleven cells, though, with prisoner 11 implied to be es. my proposed theory is a metaphorical 12th prisoner, to round out the panopticon, and complete a clock face.

milgram seems to have a lot of links to time, and the passing of such, along with almost the loss or absence of time also being a factor. es with their amnesia, how the prisoners were presumably brought in moments after they committed / realized they committed murder (in what ever form it was), how there's an unspecified amount of time in between trials / es being awake.

the clock face and motif could be a natural progression to this theme. 11 confirmed prisoners (as of deep cover, kotoko calling es 011) could relate to the idiom of the 11th hour, a moment in time where it's the last possible moment or almost too late. it's sometimes used in horror or thriller narratives to pin point the moment just before everything goes wrong. having 11 prisoners on a clock face could be a really interesting way of implying guilt, or perhaps relating to how the prisoners were taken just after everything went wrong.

this leads me to the matter of the 12th section. for a clock to be complete, the 12th hour is necessary, even if time were to stop at the 11th hour. what's necessary to Milgram, even though its not explicitly shown? the audience.

the audience has been mentioned in passing, of course, as the voices the prisoners hear and as one of the driving forces behind es, but apart from mikoto saying how he thought milgram was a reality tv show, there's no acknowledgment of watching. of something outside of es or jackalope influencing the progression of milgram.

there's already been a slight commentary on the concept of watching and judging with fuuta, muu, and now kotoko as of Yonah. theres plenty of theories comparing those three to the audience, fuuta relating to the part of judging without fully understanding, muu specifically with her t2 song saying in the official English lyrics "I'm doing this just because I'm bored, we're just the same.", and kotoko with her strong belief in what she believes is true justice. there's more, of course, but those are the key points i remember.

with the commentary on the nature of judging that milgram already makes, it wouldn't be too far to assume that the audience has a bigger role than we already have. we already choose innocent or guilty, along with influencing the reasoning and contributing to the voices the prisoners hear.

es has been revealed to be their own character, with their own backstory and motives, so where would that leave us if es was supposed to be an audience insert? the milgram project is all about how the choices we make have consequences, along with the main theme of the prisoner's crimes.

i believe the 12th section has been reserved for us, the viewers. we're playing the role of judge, jury, and executioner in the same way we criticize kotoko for doing. it wouldn't surpirse me if at the end of the project, after the final verdicts for the prisoners, there's an extra set of votes. one for es, and one for us.

es is the audience mirror, and all of the prisoners have been grouped as a pair. if es is prisoner 011, the one they'd be grouped with is prisoner 012. you could argue es is a parallel to every prisoner in some way, and i'd agree, but that could also go for every character pairing possible. jackalope could also be es's duo pairing, but it feels unlikely as he's never been referenced as a prisoner, even slightly. we, on the other hand, would fit as es's duo due to the concept of the general audience having no specific gender, keeping the male and female prisoner count the same. almost opposite to es's non gender, we as the audience could technically be every gender, keeping the theme of the duos having "opposing" genders.

tldr; the audience is the 12th prisoner, being es's parallel for the prisoner duos.

feel free to add or object to this, its just an idea i've had sitting in my head for a while :]

#milgram #milgram theory

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shallowseeker · 4 months

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Optimism freeform meta

Jack, Harper, and the folly of pursuing of immature, illusory Perfection as the antidote to life's many disappointments.

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Okay, here it comes. It's our rambling, group Optimism meta from discord that I promised once upon a time I'd post here. Apologies ahead of time if I get your Tumblr names wrong.

Harper's flat is decorated in ooey-gooey symbols of love.

Green for growth (though Harper's growth pattern is certainly arrested), and red for passion. We have the green-Italian amore in the symbolic kitchen of life, and a bright red heart near the entrance.

BEWARE: You're entering Harper's heart. It's black and bloody.

We also see that her home is full to the brim with books and stories. She clings to them, hoping they'll bring her life meaning. The blood-red-pink-purple color theme continues in the form of her array of romance novels.

Harper herself is clothed in red, in a Sayles-coded corduroy, perhaps a mate to the hunter's anorak jacket. Her little scarf is certainly Scooby-Doo-Daphne-esque, but it's also a RED BANDANA calling to mind that she's an OUTLAW, like Dave Matthews in the Tombstone episode.

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But her bedroom is more serene, stuffed with zen colors, serene green, and a bedful of childish stuff animals. It's dominated by strong protector-types like lions and elephants.

via @honeyedwhiskey: okay so I got intrigued by the fact that she has these particular stuffed animals. the lion, symbolizing stalking her prey, elephants for their memory and their brutality (maybe a nod to wanting community) and the tiger for her actual isolation. the puppy seems to be an older addition, maybe from childhood, and the smallest and most vulnerable one is being protected by the dog which seems to be a bear cub? reference to maybe a mama bear that protected her? the three at the top are what interest me the most though because harper is represented by the heart and the color red so the mouse is her, and the two pigs seem to be her parents, with one being a combination of colors and patchwork looking. so it seems to me that one of her parents was zombie-fied, maybe from a young age.

I like the symbolic nature Whiskey acribed to the stuffed animals above a lot!

I too think her reaction to abandonment and Vance speaks to something really fucked up in her necromancy family, like maybe a necromancy-coming-of-age-trial that went REALLY REALLY badly and wound up with her being totally alone.

Maybe it's like how Sam jokingly told Charlie: "You're not really a hunter till you've come back form the dead." Or like Cas told Jack of his own death, "It's something of a rite of passage around here."

Maybe you're not really a necromancer until you've killed and brought your family back and ofc Harper failing that test would fuck her up forever.

I noticed the teddy bear, too! There's a tee-tiny nod to the teddy-bear lovers' symbol above her bed, same as Marvelous Marvin has a red heart on his chest in season 15's Gimme Shelter. (And Dean's I Wuv Hugs from a million years ago.)

[The stuffed bear is] a simultaneous motif...of sexual intimacy and The Lover, it's also representative of The Beloved Child resulting from their contact.

(Jack is Marvin.)

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Here's love in the corner, illuminated by two lamps. Harper is getting Jack a book, a book about her little beloved hometown, McCook.

Deep down, Harper is lonely, and unlike her disdain for her other suitors, she's a little different with Jack here: she wants to be understood.

She wants him to understand her and her hometown. Just a little. She's prodding at the niggling, unusual, UNFAMILIAR feeling. So, she sits down and invites him to sit, to learn more about her.

By this point, it's possible she's figured out he's a hunter, which opens up the possibility of revealing her true self, for better or for worse. It's an intoxicating thought for Harper.

Jack hesitates, clearly interested but also a little bit "!!!!"

He's framed by the heart on the wall. Indeed Jack, like Dean and Mary, is a "heart" character. He's even clothed in one of Mary's key colors: dusky orangey pink. (Aside// You'll notice Connor also wears this color in Gimme Shelter.)

///

Unlike in Tombstone, where Jack wasn't (via script) all that interested in Athena and Dave's relationship, now Jack's clearly grown. He's even interested in physicality.

Even though his emotional core can be kinda prickly, like Dean and Mary, he's at root a very affectionate character, interested in experience affection/connection with others:

So, he sits. Perseveres through he awkwardness. And lo and behold, Harper is as weird as he is.

They talk about having a positive outlook, even though they've had and terrible pasts, have done terrible things. And hey, look--she's getting the lamp treatment! How lovely.

They sit on the blue couch, as Harper tells him more about her past, subconsciously seeking his acceptance. The blue of the couch mirrors the blue color of her past, of her prom dress. We see her little prom queen crown, and we wonder...Harper is so awkward...

...does she really seem like the Prom Queen type?

I suspect it was fake. That she manufactured her own popularity with bit of magic. To meet the perfectionistic obsession with her romance tales. She is at core a fearful character, fearful of messing up, or being imperfect, of not living up to The Dream (TM).

///

Jack makes a quick getaway. In this shot, he's effectively the trope of the divine masculine, fleeing from love, "amore."

It's interesting that the kitchen, a bit like the bedroom, is earthier in tone, filled with more "valley" colors: of browns, greens. The kitchen is about the imperfect strivings of every day life, divorced from the high-dollar reds of Harper's romance-novel decor.

In the bathroom, Jack is clearly interested in exploring "love."

To Dean, he says, "Just in case (she is in love with me)...tell me everything you know about sex. Go!"

Jack is a curious-and-courageous character, too. He's prone to experimentation, which is also why he so often gets the drug ("I like cocaine!" and The Who) motifs. Like Cas, he's maybe a little scared, but he's going to go-for-it no matter how silly and awkward he might look.

That courage is probably something Harper senses in him. It's attractive to her, like the symbolic stuffed-animal lion-and-tiger protectors she has in her bedroom. She wonders:

"Is he strong enough to love the real me?"

In THIS sense, the thing with Vance isn't completely "a naughty nurse game." Deep down, at her root psychological base, Harper is testing the potential lovers' strength. Very classically mythical, really. And she's disgusted by her suitors because they keep failing and failing.

No one is like Vance. Not even Vance is like Vance. Her idea of Vance was never real, and she was never prom queen. But admitting that to herself is so painful, she constructs this horrible pattern of death and destruction.

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"Her apartment has a lot of wallpaper/furniture from the 50’s! Or with that general aesthetic!" -Cal (@13-01)

It's so interesting, because this 50s retro theme is something that Jack, Dean, and Cas carry a lot, especially in terms of their "old-school" button-up pajamas and dressing downs. (Cas himself, with his overcoat, could be plopped in the middle of Mad Men tv series and fit into the surroundings, haha. And although we rarely see Sam carry the motif, but he dips into it in Peace of Mind as well.)

At the end of this episode, we'll see Harper seated in her own retro cafe with the same 50s vibe as well, a Charming Acres-sort of feeling. To me this symbolizes a backwards-looking illusion of perfection, that everything used to be simpler and better, and with enough effort, it can be simpler and better again.

Also there are dragonflies in her bathroom, a bit of a parallel to the lonesome fly plot that Sam and Charlie are on (in this same episode).

This too is the backwards-looking motif, of holding onto the illusory idea of Happiness (TM) so tightly that it becomes tragic and destructive.

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Since even her idea of Vance isn't real, it's become like Amara's illusory idea of love. It can never let her down. "It can never hurt her."

#harper sayles #spn optimism #jack stuff #jack kline #spn season 14 #spn 14x06 #spn steve yockey #jack relationships #jack discord #honeyedwhiskey #cal

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punkeropercyjackson · 2 days

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"You're real fucking sweet but i gotta watch out,you'll burst my bubble,like strawberry POP!"

For @rinverse ' 1 year Atsv annivesary event and illustrated by @a-hypnos-v,my Spidersona:Nora Morales aka Earth 1610's Spiderwoman,also know as Gamespider!

Nora is the eldest Morales sibling at 36/37 with Jefferson and Rio being aged up to their 60s but he's not their bio kid because i'm black biracial instead of monoracial so he's adopted!His parents took him in as a 16 year old street kid who'd been kicked out for being trans,specifically transmasc genderfluid and bigender.The Morales fam are super supportive of him and always have been!!

He's super bubbly,goofy,silly,sweet and kind but very insecure due to his trauma which also included getting bullied at school with zero friends and never went to college because his neurodivergence made school at that level too hard for him(audhd,anxiety and mdd)and Miles having all the same ones didn't help at all.But he never takes it out on him and is super proud of him for how smart he is and they're best friends on top of being adoptive siblings!!!Nora's also really snarky and lowkey cheeky and a huge gamer and geek and actually pretty responsible with good self-care habits contrary to the stereotype because he's a black fem instead of a white dudebro who dosen't read Spiderman comics.His poor social skills made it hard for him to connect with people but he does have a few casual friends in Itsv!No real strong connection though,it's just people he knows well enough.I think it goes without saying but he has hidden anger issues and spiteful tendencies too!

His version of the movies is called 'Spiderman/Spiderwoman:Spiderverse' but would be dubbed Spidersiblings:Spiderverse by fans if he were canon!It's both his and Miles' story as the titulary Spiderman and Spiderwoman so they're co-protagonists and Across has him as the fem mc instead of Gwen

Into him worked at the diner Peter B and Miles talked at and that's why Miles took him to it and Jefferson is a househusband because fuck copganda

Nora actually got bit at work at the same time Miles did while with Ripeter and Nora's intro blends into his as their theme songs play back to back/mixed into eachother:Miles' is 'Sunflower' and Nora's is 'Strawberry Pop',a rap song about black womanhood and Nora's type specifically as it was written for him like Sunflower was for Miles and both have a few lyrics referencing eachother as the heart and soul of Spiderverse.They're open with eachother about almost everything and Nora partially helped raise Miles so he always looked up to him but stopped vocalizing it as he got older so Nora misenterpreted it as him not thinking he was cool anymore and it hurt but he didn't vocalize that either because he found it fair

Nora was close to Uncle Aaron too and had suspiciouns he was hiding something and there's a moment where he jokes that he's secretly a supervillain but pretends not to be to protect the family with a goofy expression and hand gestures and we don't see Aaron's expression on purpose for dramatics and angst sake

His Spider motif is the purple jumping spider so his power is super strong legs including beyond average strength in them and echanced jumping and the rest of his body is already thick beforehand due to age(and so he dosen't look ridicilous LMAO)

Peter B is his main love interest!They bickered a lot in Itsv due to the whole 'extrovert optismist vs introvert pessimist' thing but had relathionship development as they got to know eachother and worked together and ended up crushing on eachother.Nora was the first older trans person Gwen met so she instantly latched onto him because they clocked eachother and he was happy to be friends with her and mutual mentors for lack of a better term(i.e Gwen taught Nora about being Spiderwoman and Nora was a positive adult figure in Gwen's life who took care of and looked out for her).He gets along with Peni,Noir and Spiderham too and Peni is shoujo based instead of moefication bullshit so naturally her and Nora's pastel femme ass hit it off

What's Up Danger? is a Morales Siblings shared theme song and Nora gives Miles ressurances as much as their parents and Peter B do and Peter B himself helps Nora out in feeling like Spiderwoman even before he chills out.There's a scene where Nora devastates that Miles will never look up to him like he used to but will make a great Spiderman and Miles is shocked speechless before he say he just didn't think he needed to say it anymore and got made fun of for admiring his big sister so much by his bullies because he talked about him at school a few times and tells him he never stopped being his hero and that he's 'the most awesome Spidersister in any universe' and that's what gives Nora the confidence to really be Spiderwoman as they rush off to the collider after hugging tightly and grinning at eachother.Nora is Spiderwoman(male)and Miles is Spiderman(female)

Nora showed bits of interest in punk culture in Into and goes full pastel punk/afropunk between it and Across and that's where his suit upgrade comes in and Itsv!Nora dressed like an afrolatina grandma tbh while Atsv!Nora dresses like a baddie and a huge faggot(complimentary).Spiderwoman is frequently seen at riots and charity events and Spiderman accoumpanies him when he's not too busy with school shit.Also Spiderwoman dosen't follow the no kill rule just for the exception of abusers and fascists

Nora becomes even more parental acting post Uncle Aaron's death for obvious reasons and there's direct talk of him in Across because of how important he was to the Spidersiblings.As Spider(wo)man,Nora naturally has something going on with all adult MJ's(meaning yes 1610 MJ and 616 MJ but not Em Jay because she's Gwen's age)and there's a joke of this when they sneak into the Kingpin party with the Mjnora interaction that implies bisexual MJ who loves all Spidermans regardless of gender

Atsv has a rework of it's intro sequence with a speech by the og Spiderfam(Miles,Nora,Gwen and Peter B)and same for the actual art/animation in it and Nora is the first amongst them to discover Spider Society,followed by him and Peter B reuiniting in a corny romantic scene that's interrupted by Miguel and Jessica and it cuts back and forth to them and Gwen as contrast and Gwen and Nora have an equally tender reunion as she frantically tells him what happened to her in a meltdown and he comforts her as they make it to Spider Society.Nora excitedly says he can't wait to tell Miles about it until Miguel says he can't just yet and refuses to tell him why so Nora just gives up and follows along because he's so fucking annoying about it.The movie is extended to almost 3 hours and there's a lot of Nora and Miles bonding in Earth 1610 and Peternora replaces Ghostflower as the love story of the movie and Gwen and Miles are platonic to not feel like it's only a thing because they're the other two main Spiderpeople

Hobie and Nora did the Spiderman pointing meme when they first met because they're both punk Spiderpeople and acted like they'd known eachother for years after only a few days of friendship and Nora basically adopted Hobie as his little brother and pseudo-son.They're platonic t4t black love realness and Margo gets in on it too since him and Nora have a shared special interests in video games and other matching tastes and Nora provides a shoulder to cry on when Mr and Mrs Kess are being extra toxic.He also helped Peni post Canon Event to cope and could relate from his own broken childhood that turned him into an edgecase too at the time and Pavitr and him are beyond unserious together and Gwen lives with Hobie fulltime on his boat and Nora visits them often enough to parent them it's pretty much his second house

This earns Nora the nickname 'Spider Manager' since they call themselves the Spiderband and he's their mentor/caretaker(Also George Stacy is Nora's canon event cop /hj.MURK THAT NIGGA!!!!!!)

Punkflower happens and their dynamic is the same because they're already so romantically-coded but there's more scenes and expansion due to longer run time.Ghostbyte also is together but there's tension going on not due to antagonizing eachother but due to Gwen's fated death and Margo's self-worth issues in regards to romance because of the 'disposable black love interest' trope.I wouldn't say they're on the same level because misogynoir is a very real thing but i think it's a good angle to work with in-universe and i'm a black woman myself so i'd say it's okay for me to since it's my territory

Jessnora is REALLLLLLL THEY'RE SO FUCKING GAY.Jessica still has a husband and is pregnant but they're polyamorous so it's okay with him them being a thing and Jessnora is that one trope where they're both chaotic but one's classy and elegant and smooth about it and the other's just a fucking menace with NO fanciness to them.Noraguel is also real in an enemies to lovers and rather angsty way as Nora actually changes a lot of Miguel's views by working with him and making him spend quality time so he unwinds but he's still scared to loose everything all over again and Spiderman and Spiderwoman in the same dimension makes them The Original Anomalies and it's a long while before he connects the dots and is too blinded by his trauma to see reason.He knows he loves Nora too but Nora has no clue on his feelings or Miguel's and it's torture because he can't figure out why he's so important to him but nonetheless dosen't hesitate to beat his ass and come for his entire life

42 Nora aka Nora J(Junia)is Venom's host who ran away from home post Jefferson's death because it broke him and is a vigilante like Miles G but much darker in his plots and sourer and meaner.There's a horror movie based reveal in the finale where Miles thinks he's safe because his Nora is with him but he turns and reveals himself as Venom-faced but has no actual intentions of hurting him contrary to his terror and his actual Nora gets Miles G and there's a dual frame reveal where the 42 Morales Siblings say the same thing:'I'm Miles/Nora Morales'

42 Nora/Nora J is also known as 'Venora',Nora has the trans pin on his Atsv costume to match Gwen's room flag,all Spiderpeople have special move the others can't do and Nora's being able to hack with his webs thanks to being kinda a criminal to get by when he was a homeless kid giving him experience beforehand and Beyond has Nora helping Miles G get that redemption-healing arc so at some point he asks him why he's so insistant on caring about him so Nora responds 'I'm gonna save you even if it kills me.You're my sunflower too'

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lampthehealthminister · 1 month

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An Aventurine-centric analysis of the HSR 2.1 Trailblaze Quest - Part 1

I recently finished the 2.1 Trailblaze quest while farming for Aventurine, and it literally fueled my brain rot about him so I have to share my thoughts. I’m just going to do some analysis of the parts that interested me the most (so almost all the parts with Aventurine lmao) because I felt like the dialogue was very well-made and full of symbolism and devices that helped build his character. I will do it quest by quest because I don’t think a single post can handle all of my thoughts even if I ignore some parts of the quests. I’ll edit the things that must still be verified when I finish the next post. If you have anything to add don’t hesitate to comment! I love hearing other people’s thoughts on stuff like that. Also I hope the formatting isn't too weird... I'm not yet used to how Tumblr works, especially in website mode, so if anyone's got any tips don't hesitate to drop them too!!

Warning : Spoilers for Honkai Star Rail’s 2.1 Trailblaze Quest “Cat Among Pigeons” (in case some people still haven’t played it yet)

Part 1 : Double Indemnity

Memory

???: Land of rock, but not water, lightning, but not rain, blood, but not tears. You beat us with your falling stars, you lash us with wind and storm, you chew us up with the cracked earth…

→ I think “Land of rock, but not water” comes up as some of the floating text when Aventurine is in Clockie Theme Park (Must verify)

2. ???: I don't ask for a peaceful death, just for you to tell me — does the baby swaddled sweetly asleep... does he dream of his mother's heartbeat and the sound of falling rain? Please tell me whether this life is all just a fleeting dream...

→ Appearance of the motif of rain, which is surely important (Explored in quote 4)

→ Talk about dreams and life, obviously a way to make a link with Penacony, but also probably to show Aventurine’s real character and views : he is not one to hide himself in a false world, which is probably also why he’s so fervently opposed to the Family. (In my personal opinion, maybe all this opulence coming from the Family disgusts him because it reminds him that some people live a carefree life while other suffer needlessly)

→ “Please tell me whether this life is all just a fleeting dream…” is pretty interesting when you consider that Aventurine was ready to sacrifice himself because he saw no point in keeping his life. But also, here Kakavasha’s life is referred to as a dream, something not real, probably to set the stage for his luck, which is also pretty unbelievable but affects reality, setting his existence in the real world. Basically it shows that Kakavasha’s life is solidified by his luck since his birth.

3. ???: ...Otherwise, why would this child be born to face impending death...?

→ Another link to Aventurine’s mentality towards the end of the quest. It’s precisely because he sees no point in being born to suffer that he wants to end his life. (It wasn’t said as brutally in the quest, but in my opinion Aventurine is basically suicidal, as shown by other examples that I will address later.)

4. ???: Darling, listen... this is the sound of rain. On the day you were born, the sky also sent down a gift like this from Gaiathra.

→ The motif of rain is back, yoohoo!! Just before that, Kakavasha’s sister says that the “outworlders”, the IPC probably, sent the rain, but Kakavasha’s mother seems to believe otherwise. Maybe it’s a hint that the religious belief wasn’t as strong in Kakavasha’s sister? However, I feel like this theory is debunked in the next memory. (In my opinion, the theme of religious belief and the loss of it is still super important to Aventurine’s character and I’ll talk about it when it comes up.)

→ I also feel like what makes this event all the more incredible is that it shows that everything Kakavasha dreams of, he can have, to a certain extent. Obviously it’s also to show that he’s the real blessing, but I feel like it’s pretty straightforward here. But what I mean by “he can have everything he dreams of” is that thanks to his luck, nothing is really impossible to achieve, whether it’s good or bad, which he probably realised as he grew up and helped fuel his gambler mentality.

5. ???: ...Welcome to this sad world, Kakavasha.

→ Again, another link to Aventurine’s mentality. The world has been nothing but sad and cruel to him, so why was he even born?

Meeting Sunday face-to-face

Okay little disclaimer here, I struggled a lot with that dialogue because right from the beginning, I felt like Sunday and Aventurine were both trying to one-up another, while also talking about two different things, so it made it very confusing for me, but I feel like that was on purpose. So I’ll try to share my thoughts as best as I can.

Sunday: I have come to know you very well as a person, Mr. Aventurine. You're diligent, generous, and willing to cooperate. The fact that you succeeded in overcoming many obstacles just to meet me gave me the reason to believe in your wisdom and courage.

→ I start off with the most hypocritical thing Sunday would have ever said to Aventurine’s face. Here, Sunday is very obviously buttering Aventurine up, maybe to make him (Aventurine) believe that he (Sunday) can be fooled. Or maybe also to mock Aventurine for thinking that he (Sunday) would let himself be tricked so easily. I think these lines set the tone of the discussion. We now know that this is gonna be a passive-aggressive discussion in which neither Sunday nor Aventurine will be honest. This is also most likely a hint that Sunday knows more than he lets on. Because he knows of Aventurine’s strategy thanks to Ratio and has nothing to lose, he plays the exact same game as him (Aventurine).

2. Sunday: But there's one thing I must ask you — that is, you've used your wisdom at the wrong place to meet the wrong person and put yourself in a situation where you shouldn't be... witnessing a tragedy that shouldn't have happened.

Aventurine: You don't look too well. Am I making you anxious?

Aventurine: ...If not, then it means I'm on your side.

→ First thing that confuses me. Here, Sunday is trying to tell Aventurine that he (Aventurine) has the “bad” role, that he’s doing everything he shouldn’t be doing, and is everywhere he shouldn’t be, but Aventurine just ignores him. I had to re-read that part to understand that he (Aventurine) is trying to steer the conversation in his direction. Sunday is telling Aventurine that there will be consequences to his actions and his behaviour, but he (Aventurine) completely brushes him off by being condescending. And although Sunday is only being subtle, I’m sure Aventurine understands the implicit meaning behind his words, since this is a way of talking he’s familiar with. However, whether he’s aware of the risks or blind to them is something I have no answer to. I struggled a lot with that part because it’s difficult to grasp their intentions, but I think that the deal here is that Aventurine wants to take the high-ground in the discussion by ignoring Sunday.

3. Sunday: If I wasn't mistaken, you'd just made a serious accusation against The Family.

Aventurine: You weren't mistaken, for depravity is creeping in around you.

Aventurine: There's no need for us to be evasive. Let's talk about your sister. Your sister's talent is unrivaled in the world of show business. As you know, her voice has been out of tune since she returned to Penacony. What's more disheartening, she can't sing anymore.

→ Another episode of Aventurine ignoring Sunday to lead the conversation his way. Here, it seems even more ridiculous to me, because Sunday is basically telling him that his actions won’t go unpunished, even if he’s once again not explicit, but he (Aventurine) doesn’t care. He justifies his actions by being condescending and looking down on Sunday, hence the sentence “for depravity is creeping in around you.”. What’s more, he wants to talk about a subject that doesn’t make sense. Why talk about Robin except to say she was a victim? Here, Aventurine is starting his tacting of “fear” that he mentioned to Ratio earlier. Also, more hypocrisy with “There’s no need for us to be evasive” even though he will be only that afterwards.

4. Aventurine: Who could be responsible for this? Many suspect the culprit is among the outsiders, but I know... you hold a different opinion.

Aventurine: Now, your noble status has become a shackle, preventing you from apprehending the murderer and avenging your sister's death. You're feeling anxious because you're out on a limb.

→ Here’s one of my favourite parts. Here, Aventurine doesn’t outright say there’s a traitor in the Family, because it’s too big of an accusation to say without any proof, so he resorts to being as implicit as possible. Here he’s directly contradicting his “There’s no need for us to be evasive” line that was only meant for show. Also, he assumes things about Sunday’s situation, clearly to try and make him afraid, while still being as implicit as possible. However, it’s very likely that he doesn’t actually know what Sunday is thinking or can/can’t do, he’s just bluffing. He’s also very very condescending in these lines.

5. Aventurine: But don't worry. I am on your side.

Sunday: I'm immensely honored by your concern for me Mr. Aventurine — since you're so selfless and generous, I believe you wouldn't ask for anything in return, would you?

→ These guys literally cannot talk to each other normally. Anyway, here they’re both big hypocrites and super condescending with each other. Also, at this point we start noticing that Sunday’s pretty much not phased by Aventurine’s “fear” tactic, which hints at the fact that he expected it, or at the very least has enough control over his situation to not have to fear anything or anyone.

6. Aventurine: Naturally, you wouldn't incur any loss from this. I just want to reclaim what is mine: my liberty, and the personal items under The Family's custody — the bag of gift money, and...

→ I love the first sentence. Aventurine is particularly good at twisting words and sentences to appeal to the ears, and this dialogue really shows all of his prowess as a Stoneheart. He says everything to please, while also finding a way to turn the situation to his advantage, even though it doesn’t work in this particular dialogue.

7. Aventurine: I'm sure you're aware of the high level of risk I'll be undertaking to bring the truth to light.

→ Yet another sentence that makes no sense. In the dialogue, it doesn’t say anything nor serve anything, it’s another one of Aventurine’s tactics. He’s desperately trying to get a hold of the conversation, to have the desired effect on Sunday, so he says things that don’t mean anything, that just hint at things, that leave enough space for doubt to linger in the mind of the person in front of him. Unfortunately, Sunday is already one step ahead, and it doesn’t faze him at all.

8. Sunday: Mr. Aventurine, when you're out and about, do you always make adjustments to your appearance? Your tie should be on the center line, your shirt must not protrude from your vest, your trouser creases should be perfectly straight, and always aligned with the tips of your shoes.

Aventurine: Of course.

Sunday: But I don't, because it's not appropriate to do so in public — you should make sure everything is presentable and in order before leaving the house.

→ I know that this analogy is Sunday’s way of telling Aventurine that he (Sunday) doesn’t like to take risks, but I feel like it also serves another purpose. This seems like an implicit jab at Aventurine’s attempts to take control of the conversation once more, as if Sunday is mocking him for trying to tie the loose ends during the discussion, whereas he (Sunday) came completely prepared. (In my opinion, this is yet another hint that Sunday is one step ahead of Aventurine, but yet again, this is all very implicit.)

9. Aventurine: ...Sure. The gift money is good enough. I suppose you wouldn't mind that? After all, a merchant can't function without a bargaining chip.

Sunday: You compromised quicker than I thought. Unfortunately, it's a gambler that needs a bargaining chip... not a merchant. I can give you your gift money, but before that, I want you to tell me —

→ I don’t have a full answer to the question “What is the difference between gambler and merchant in relation to Aventurine?” but it dwells on my mind nonetheless. Aventurine refers to himself as a merchant again later (Must verify) but this dialogue is the only moment where he’s called out for it. So, why? Merchant here seems too… plain. Not risky enough for Aventurine. A merchant sells, but it’s mostly honest and without any lies, which matches with the image Aventurine usually gives out : he’s someone trustworthy, just agree to work with him and it’ll be good for you. However, Sunday sees through that facade easily, and denies Aventurine’s false honesty and care. Gambler is almost used as an accusation here, like Sunday is calling Aventurine out on his lies. And indeed, Aventurine does fit the image of the gambler : he’s reckless, enjoys the thrill of the risk, and doesn’t hesitate to play dirty. Even Ratio refers only to him as “gambler”. As for the bargaining chip… it probably fits the gambler more because a gambler is someone who’s in a difficult position and needs a way to escape, to change the tides, which will be Aventurine’s case soon.

10. Sunday: "Oh, Triple-Faced Soul, please sear his tongue and palms with a hot iron, so that he will not be able to fabricate lies and make false vows."

→ Nothing special here, except that it’s quite interesting that Xipe is referred to as the “Triple-Faced Soul” and Gaiathra Triclops is a goddess with three eyes. But it’s most likely just a way to make a parallel between Sunday’s and Aventurine’s beliefs and how the former pushes his Aeon’s creed on the latter. Especially since the Avgins believe making any offering other than saying the prayer is tainting Gaiathra Triclops’ name, whereas the Family is actively nurturing a dream city all in the name of their Aeon. Additionally, here Sunday associates Xipe’s name is with acts of torture nonchalantly, which shows that the Family probably commits horrible acts that they justify with the name of the Harmony regularly. (In my opinion this is another reason why Aventurine dislikes the Family and Penacony as a whole.)

11. Dr. Ratio: You'll have to speak more clearly than that.

12. Aventurine: ...You might as well explain yourself a little more clearly.

→ Adding these two together even though the first one was said during the flashback with Ratio and Sunday, because I thought the similarities were interesting. Put together, these two lines really make it seem like Sunday tricked Ratio and Aventurine by pitching them against each other. Still, Aventurine’s line is obviously less assertive because he doesn’t have any possibility to back out, unlike Ratio had.

13. Aventurine: Is this what the Harmony represents? Is it built upon constraint and coercion?

→ Here’s a line that convinces me that Aventurine despises the Family. He mimics Sunday, who says the Harmony’s name to justify his doings, and calls him out on his hypocrisy. It isn’t a real argument, it seems more like a sudden burst of Aventurine’s hatred for the ways of the Family, but it definitely sets the stage for the opposition between Sunday’s and Aventurine’s beliefs more clearly.

14. Sunday: Should you succeed, you will be able to coalesce into the Harmony and be with your Family. If you fail, you will suffer the wrath of the Eternal Centurion and fall into an abyss of doom.

→ That line… That line man… The first sentence is amazing. Throughout the whole quest, I feel like there's this recurring theme of Aventurine being stripped from everything he has, and this is definitely part of it. There’s something so oppressive and sickening about the fact that if he fails, then the last bit of himself, of Kakavasha, which is his memories of his family, will be overridden by his Family. And I say his Family because Sunday says your Family and not the Family. And while technically it’s the same, the fact that Sunday says “your” really makes the situation fully set in stone. Even if Aventurine is free, he has already been stripped away of all the connections he has to his true self. Even his belief in Gaiathra Triclops, which is unique to his clan, is going to be submerged by the words of an Aeon he does not believe in. Even worse, his beliefs will be overridden by the words of a faction that justifies their violence and lies with the name of their Aeon. This is a fate worse than death for Aventurine, because it wipes out his being, his existence, everything that makes him himself. This is literally akin to being a slave once more. Anyway these are the most hurtful lines in that dialogue I’m telling you.

15. Aventurine: Shameless hypocrites... You took everything from me and still demand the truth? That isn't fair. Your carnival reeks with the stench of cash. Nothing is achievable without it!

→ Last one for that dialogue, it’s not too complicated, but I love the raw anger that comes out from it. It definitely feels like this is what Aventurine feels at his core, and he finally lets it out now that he’s being threatened with the loss of his person. The “You took everything from me” references both material things but also himself. This line is so honest because he already feels as if he is caught, as if he is being stripped of his identity, all because of the Harmony’s effect on him. Also you remember how I mentioned that Aventurine probably hates the Family because of the opulence of Penacony. Yeah well that’s the proof right there. He says “reeks” and “stench”, which both have a negative connotation, to underline how horrible the Family’s dreamscape actually is. And since these words are very strong, I’m guessing that they come from his real feelings about the Dreamscape and the Family.

Memory 2

???: Look, this is just a necklace. But Kakavasha, you are my only family.

Kakavasha: …

Kakavasha: I'm sorry, Sister... I thought you'd be happy. Because mom left you this necklace...

→ These lines aren’t really complex, but they really show how Kakavasha probably had no knowledge of his worth, even as a kid. I don’t know why that is, but living on a dangerous planet and being a kid that can’t really fight or help probably is part of it. However, his sister reminds him that he is worth more than a necklace. Still there’s more parallelism between Kakavasha and the necklace. He says “Because mom left you this necklace…”, but his sister’s first line “you are my only family.” shows that Kakavasha is another gift that their mother left to her, one that is more important than a material possession, yet he fails to realise that.

2. ???: It is important, but not as important as you, my dearest brother... I don't blame you, but you must remember what mom said...

???: Pain and poverty are the trials of Gaiathra Triclops. SHE has also granted us a chance, and that's your good luck, Kakavasha. Your good luck is the most precious wealth we— all Avgin have.

???: You're a child blessed by Gaiathra Triclops and can lead the clan to happiness. So, always remember to protect yourself and never resent the pain and poverty you're going through... All right?

→ There’s honestly something a bit messed up about Kakavasha’s family’s adoration for his good luck, to the point the lines almost make it seem like he’s more important than the necklace because he’s lucky. Obviously I don’t think Kakavasha’s family’s love for him was dependent only on his luck, and nothing tells us that these memories are completely true either. Since it’s all Aventurine reminiscing, he could be an unreliable narrator, especially with his super low self-esteem. However, all about his life is said to be related to Gaiathra Triclops and her divine influence, whether it’s the hardships or the good things. There’s definitely some form of fatalism in Kakavasha’s sister’s words, with pain and poverty being justified with a sort of “everything happens for a reason”, which probably fueled Aventurine’s vision of life, death, and hardships. Especially since these lines also show how difficult Kakavasha’s role was. He’s both the saviour of the Avgins, a blessing from Gaiathra Triclops that can help everyone, but he also has to be selfish and protect himself to keep the blessing alive. This probably fueled his bad view of his luck, but also his self-hatred : because he’s lucky, he has to stay to the side and let everyone die, meanwhile he gets to stay alive, but does he deserve it? Also, in the previous memory, I suggested that maybe Kakavasha’s sister’s beliefs weren’t as strong as their mother’s, but her words here prove the opposite. Kakavasha’s birth and luck probably reinforced her beliefs, since he’s the hope all the Avgins have been searching for ; it’s like their goddess is finally answering their prayers, so why stop believing in her now?

3. Kakavasha: ...Okay. I will swear to Gaiathra Triclops to protect this "wealth"...

→ Not much to say here, except that despite swearing to Gaiathra Triclops in the past, currently he sees his luck in such a bad light that he doesn’t think it’s a blessing, and doesn’t want to protect it anymore. Obviously this fact is related to how much he’s been isolated from all the other Avgins because of his luck.

4. Kakavasha: But Sister... If Gaiathra Triclops was really watching over us...

Kakavasha: Then why did SHE not protect Dad when he was swept away by the quicksand...? After all, Dad went to the Katicans' land only to prepare for Gaiathra Triclops' offerings…

Kakavasha: And where was Gaiathra Triclops when Mom was shivering in our arms? Mom was still pleading for Gaiathra Triclops' forgiveness under her breath until the moment she closed her eyes…

Kakavasha: Sister, everyone praises me for being smart, but I don't get it... If every rainpour was Gaiathra Triclops' forgiveness and grace…

Kakavasha: Then how bad were our sins? ...So much so that we were born in this world of death...?

→ I’m putting this whole speech together because it makes much more sense as a whole than separated. Here, we really see Kakavasha’s doubt towards his clan’s religious beliefs, but also the uncertainty he feels about his role. But because he still believes in Gaiathra Triclops, this leaves him with only one option left : wondering what these trials are an answer to. The last line pretty much confirms that his role as the saviour of his clan and all the bad things that happen despite his luck created his point of view on life and death. He doesn’t blame Gaiathra Triclops, but thinks that maybe there is no point in hoping for her forgiveness if there are so many trials thrown their way. But also, it probably made Kakavasha wonder what was so special about himself, and eventually if he even had anything special, considering his luck can’t help anybody except himself. Because of that, I also think that these words are a mix of Aventurine and Kakavasha’s thoughts. I’m not trying to undermine Kakavasha’s ability to understand the world, but the “where was Gaiathra Triclops when mom was shivering in our arms?” seems so accusatory that I’m thinking that it could be a thought that Aventurine has now that he grew up. Also, the fact that there’s no image when this text is on screen supports this theory : Aventurine can’t link these thoughts to a precise moment he had with his sister, because they’re his current thoughts about his memories.

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sweetvoicecafe · 3 months

Text

Welcome to the Sweet Voice Cafe, a HLVRAI AU!

The cafe serves ice cream, hot drinks, and a few options of pastries! Their special includes different themed ice creams with sweet voice ingredients that give actual effects. (Calming, kindness, sleepiness, love, etc.) The decorations are loud and bright, driving away most “karens”. Sunkist is the mascot! The science team has a large apartment upstairs where they reside. It’s basically a collection of Outcodes. This is an AU where Black Mesa, aliens, and powers don’t exist. They simply exist in the Half Life video games. The government has taken notice of this establishment, but are so frightened by the unknown powers of these entities, that they don’t take action.

Information about all characters below!

Benrey (Benny)

He/It/They (He preferred) Nonbinary Omnisexual

He messed around and found out, escaping his reality for but a few minutes. The universe didn’t like that and hard reset, replacing them with an identical Benrey. He can visit his old AU, but if he ever tries to interact with someone he gets teleported out of distance. He eventually found the Sweet Voice Cafe. In his free time, he enjoys working there (it supplies sweet voice or works the cash register sometimes), playing video games, or traveling the multiverse, usually the latter.

Outfits include blues, purples, and pinks, plus sort of 80s aesthetics. Comfy clothes like hoodies and sweatshirts. It does have some casual hats, but his helmet is a comfort item.

Powers:

- Sweet Voice

- Multiverse Travel/Portals

- Glitching/Clipping

- Fast Healing/Immortality

- Flying/Floating

- Size Manipulation

Mr. Coomer

He/Him Trans Bisexual

He’s from an AU where he became self-aware way too early on and panicked. The game didn’t like that and expelled him from the universe. He floated in the void for a bit, but luckily not long enough to go crazy, less than a couple of days. He was rescued by Bubby and they ended up traveling together for a while before meeting the others and settling down. He became a co-owner of Sweet Voice Cafe, but enjoys working alongside everyone, usually greeting customers. He’s a very fun and extroverted manager, but takes harassment of his employees very seriously. A look alone can scare off the worst of customers.

Outfits include collared shirts, Hawaiian shirts, and rolled up sleeves. Likes green tones and bootleg brand logos.

Powers:

- Sweet Voice

- Advanced Biotech (extendo arms/legs, rocket launcher arm, artificial colon, etc.)

- Sometimes unable to feel pain and others times feels it to the extreme (not allowed to work with the hot items)

- Glow in the dark eyes/Night vision

- Can eat anything (he’s considered the trash disposal lol)

Bubby

He/Xim Agender Pansexual Demiromantic

Bubby’s world was dismantled very quickly by a virus, only a few minutes into gameplay. Bubby had only met Tommy for a short moment. When the world glitched out of existence, his body went into overdrive to protect him. Xe floated through the void for a long time in a coma. He finally awoke when a faceless NPC let him out. After exploring his powers, Xe traveled the multiverse alone at random for quite a while, a couple years at least. He met Coomer and they settled down in an unknown AU after about a year. He’s a co-owner of SVC, but prefers to work more behind the scenes, ordering people around in the kitchen and making hot drinks (no need to pay for machines yippee!). Although he’s strong enough to pick the AUs he goes to now, he only uses it to visit rage rooms lol. He has a couple pet Snarks named Pyro and Ember.

Fashion-wise, he would wear any type of outfit and SLAY. But his preferences include leather jackets, turtlenecks, and flowy skirts. He prefers cyan, black, red, and neon colors, especially if it has flame motifs. Xe doesn’t wear pastels unless it’s blue.

Powers:

- Ultimate Lifeform

- Pyrokinesis

- Controlled Multiversal Travel

- Turning into a car (and speaking to/controlling them)

- Translation of any language

- Telekinesis

- Pretty much any power you can think of. You have no idea what he will do next and he likes it that way.

Tommy Neapolitan

He/Him Cis Asexual Panromantic

Tommy hails from a world where he chose his last name based on ice cream, and loves smoothies instead of soda. He experienced the entire game before he was taken during his birthday party at Ben and Jerrys. (SVC) Gman, grieving from his loss, saw Tommy and embraced him, taking him with him to the next AU. With the lack of Tommy, his original world was overwritten to fix it, effectively replacing him. Gman and Tommy didn’t get along for the longest time, but now they’re on speaking terms, albeit tense. Tommy manages most of the ice cream department because of his expertise in flavors. He also does the bookkeeping.

Tommy wears mostly soft colors, usually yellow, orange, and pink coded. He prefers loose clothing, but ties it back when working with food.

Powers:

- Time powers

- Glow in the dark eyes/Night vision

- Sweet voice (better at reading than speaking it though)

- Semi-photographic memory

Gordon Martinez

He/Him Trans Bisexual

Because he hails from a “it is a game” AU, you can imagine how shocking it was when supernatural stuff happened in his OWN home, not in the VR set. To this day, he’s still unsure what exactly happened. Aliens? The government? Fairies? He doesn’t know and doesn’t care. When they started getting attacked, his first instinct was of course to protect his son. Soon enough, Bubby rescued them and brought them to SVC. He is divorced, but luckily Gordon has full custody and is just grateful his son is safe. He was more than happy to settle down, despite Joshua’s grumblings. He helps with the miscellaneous baking in the kitchen. His bestseller is his croissants! In his free time, he enjoys streaming or binge watching tv.

He’s drawn to warm colors for his outfits, usually oranges and browns. He likes sweaters or shirts with funny dad jokes. He has a couple of hoodies as well.

Powers

- Does being an absolute nerd count?

Joshua Martinez

He/Him

Joshua is 6 years old. He doesn't understand what happened, but whines to Gordon about missing his friends and why they can’t go back. He’s happy he gets a big room to himself now at least! Gordon eventually enrolled him in a nearby school. He enjoys cowboys, dinosaurs, music, and video games. His least favorite class is math. He very much enjoys the free ice cream he gets from the shop. Benrey had to be scolded for giving him too much one time asdgfhjkl.

Tshirts with logos! Doesn’t have a color preference yet, but does enjoy his cowboy hat and assorted bandanas the team keeps getting him.

Powers:

- Puppy dog eyes you cannot resist (but should learn to)

George Mantle (GMan)

He/It Agender Aroace

George lost his Tommy in a freak accident that also wiped out his entire world. He wandered the multiverse aimlessly, unfortunately not finding any AUs with a Tommy either. It met a Slick once, but noticed how differently they sounded and acted, so he didn’t pry. The first Tommy he saw was Neapolitan. He immediately hugged him, and the universe decided “oh hey, angst” and kicked them both out. It took a very long time for the two to get on good terms. It tries its best in forming a connection though. Gman focuses on keeping the establishment running and secretly watches the government to make sure they don’t do something… unwise to his friends. He wants nothing to do with multiversal travel anymore, no siree.

He wears lots of suits. They’re just the most comfortable to him. They do end up varying in color and pattern. One time Tommy got him a long sleeved shirt with a pattern of a fake suit on it and he nearly cried. (Tommy took it to mean the gift was bad, but Gman was just moved his “son” was trying to make a connection.)

Powers:

- Time manipulation

- Clipping/glitching

- Teleportation

- Invisibility

- Glowing eyes/Night vision

- Could breathe in space/underwater but has no interest in doing so.

Forzen

He/She Bigender Abrosexual

Forzen doesn’t quite remember where he came from. She just woke up here one day, I guess. He doesn’t live with the science team and only shows up every once and a while as a customer. He only orders original Rocky Road ice cream. In reality, the government asked her to keep an eye on SVC. Since this is a world where aliens and supernatural occurrences don’t exist, they’re very unsure how to handle the situation. Frozen is laid back and bored over the whole thing. She’s just happy he gets a free living space and unlimited pizza and textbooks at his disposal. The government asked what he wanted to graduate in, and he never ever elaborated.

He mostly wears baggy t-shirts and jeans, sometimes cargo pants. Dull colors or funny phrases.

Powers:

- Teleportation

- Super Speed

- Indestructibility (this greatly frightens the government, especially after he denied wanting to fight for their military)

Darnold

They/He/She Genderfluid Asexual Demiromantic

Darnold is from an unknown AU. Maybe. They either remember and don’t want to talk about it, or don’t care. She very quickly adapts to the new place and the science team welcomed him into their apartment. He very much enjoys his place in the cafe, able to experiment and mix flavors and sweet voice combinations in his lab. Tommy tried to help gather sweet voice, but he’s not good enough at it himself, and Sunkist wouldn’t listen. So Darnold has to stock up on the sporadic times Benrey returns. They enjoy flying kites and playing TF2 in their spare time.

Their favorite outfit is sweater vests and she enjoys darker warm colors, like maroon and purple. She collects various bow ties.

Powers:

- Fast Healing

- Flying

- Not much else, but can invent stuff easily from scrap metal and spare parts

Sunkist

She/He/It

No one knows where Sunkist came from because, well, she can’t speak. As he is the perfect dog, he doesn’t shed, and is allowed to freely roam the cafe, or wherever else she’d like to wander off to. As the mascot, it is well beloved by the community. It can change his form from a flat (and slightly glowing and transparent) png to a human-sized dog at will. Very quickly bonded with Tommy and became a support when he was struggling with the situation. It cares for everyone on the science team, regardless of whether it listens to their demands or not.

Sometimes wears bandanas, collars, or bows with soda motifs. No one gifted it to her, she just appears with them sometimes and they may change when you blink . . .

Powers:

- Sweet Voice

- Immortal and indestructible

- Clipping and flying

- Teleportation

- Glowing (including in 3D form, but it's by random)

#hlvrai #hlvrai au #Sweet Voice Cafe #SVC au #benrey #dr coomer #dr bubby #tommy coolatta #(kinda)#gordon feetman #joshua hlvrai #gman hlvrai #forzen #darnold pepper #hlvrai sunkist #HarmonyTRE

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