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#moral grey area
thevoidstaredback · 2 months
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Morally Grey in a World of Black and White
"Every villain is a hero in their own mind."
-Tom Hiddleston
Face down in the dirt was not an ideal way to wake up at all. Chuuya would argue that there were a million other ways an places to wake up that were better than face down in the dirt. One such example would be in a bed, maybe on his side, in a hotel. The best case would let him know where he was. As it now stood, he had no idea where the hell he was.
Normally, in a situation such as this, the logical thing to do would be to get a proper bearings and stock of the situation at hand. Gathering intel should be top priority. How one goes about doing that varies from situation to situation. However, a groan on Chuuya's left had him turning to see what was going on.
Also face down in the dirt, a few feet away, was a kid he'd never met before, but that didn't stop him from recognising him. The kid had a very monochrome colour palette for being a part of the Armed Detective Agency. Chuuya had seen the kid's picture before because of the bounty that had been on his head, and he'd seen an illusion of him at the hospital not even a week ago, but he'd never met the kid. Jinko, for that was what he knew the kid to be called, was Dazai's new protegee. Was that a good thing? Probably not, but that also lead him to hold high expectations of the kid. He was being taught by Dazai Osamu, so the kid had to be at least as skilled as Akutagawa had been when he was under Dazai!
Much like a cat, the kid stretched out on the grass as if basking in the sun before he stiffened and looked over at Chuuya. He didn't make a sound.
Chuuya smirked smugly, "Have a nice nap, Jinko?"
The kid flinched ever so slightly at something before shaking his head, "Where..?"
"No idea."
"Hm." The two let the silence take over again. They'd never interacted before now, so they didn't have much to go off of.
A quick scan of the area alerted the two to no other human presences. There didn't seem to be any animals either. It was weird. Not weird in the way that Yokohama could bost, but weird in the way that there was probably something happening around them that they couldn't figure out yet. It was kind of like the feeling that they both got when Dazai was scheming, but this was somehow worse.
Still holding the distance between themselves, the two made no move to face each other. Chuuya quietly noted the use of common sense in the detective. They'd been enemies not a week ago, but they were the only familiar thing around. Better to have their backs to each other than to the unknown around them.
Jinko hissed something that Chuuya couldn't quite make out before he was pulling him into the tree line. "What the hell?" Chuuya glared.
Jinko shushed him before whispering, "Someone's coming." And wasn't that just swell. Though, Chuuya had to admit that the kid had good instincts. He hadn't even heard anyone coming yet!
A few minutes of hiding in the bushes, there was a break in the plants opposite where the two hid and a kid with - was that green? - green hair stumbled into the clearing. They were obviously injured, but not bleeding. Honestly, they didn't look like a threat at all. As they fell to the ground and pulled out a notebook, they were seeming less like a potential threat and more like and injured bunny.
If Chuuya was confidant in his intel on the ADA, then he knew that the kid beside him would not let this injured bunny be.
Predictably, the were-tiger left the bushes to talk to the kid. Unpredictably, he kept his distance and seemed guarded in a way he hadn't been before. Was it because this green haired kid was a new variable in a new equation? Probably, but that didn't make sense. Jinko was guarded against the kid like he was ready to run, but he'd left his back open to Chuuya, a known enemy.
Enemy wasn't the right word. The Port Mafia and the Armed Detective Agency had a truce, but it was shaky at best. It would take a while for all parties to get out of the headspace of what was basically an attack on sight order. Hostile was a better word to use when describing their current relationship.
"Hey," the were-tiger said, his voice soft but his stance was ready for a fight.
The green haired kid startled and looked up at the grey haired kid with wide eyes. They looked ready to run and cry at the same time. It was pathetic. It would get them killed in Yokohama.
"Hey," the were-tiger tried again, this time he lowered himself to the ground with his hands up in surrender. It was a compromising position should he need to fight or run. Chuuya shook his head. Maybe Dazia wasn't doing a good job teaching the kid. "I'm a bit lost, could you help me?"
The kid relaxed a bit when Jinko didn't come any closer to him. "Y-yeah. You're in Musutafu in the Chubu Prefecture of Japan."
That...was not where Chuuya last remembered being. He was fairly certain that that wasn't were Jinko last remembered being, either. The situation just got a bit more complicated.
To Jinko's credit, he took the information in stride. "Huh. Cool. I've never been here before," he said, "Could you tell me more about it?"
The green haired kid was almost completely relaxed now and Jinko risked scooting closer. The kid made no move to get away, so Chuuya made himself comfortable. He had the feeling this was going to be a long conversation.
~~~
Atsushi really wanted to wake up from whatever not-dream he was having now. He was certain that he'd fallen asleep in the closet last night after bid Kyoka a good night. So how in world had he gotten here?! And with Nakahara-san of all people! He was glad that the Port Mafia Executive hadn't attacked him when his back was turned. He was also a bit relieved to realize that they were both confused about what was going on.
The kid with green - honest to god, the kid had green hair! - hair was helpful, if not skittish. Not that Atsushi could blame them. Though, they were very forthcoming with information, so that was a good thing. It was a good thing that could get them killed in Yokohama.
Nakahara-san had stayed hidden in the bushes while he talked to the kid. He was glad for that. He'd never officially met Nakahara-san, but he'd heard stories from Dazai and whisper's in dark alleyways. Nakahara-san was a force to be reckoned with and Atsushi was beyond glad that they weren't currently trying to kill or otherwise maim each other.
To Atsushi, Nakahara-san was an intimidating person. He couldn't imagine how this kid would feel should the man come out of hiding suddenly.
Either way, he was gathering information from his only current source. He found out where they were, what time it was, a basic layout of the surrounding area, and some landmarks to look for. Most of it was tourist stuff, but it would be useful to him nonetheless. He wasn't anywhere near being a good detective and was still technically an intern at the Agency, but he'd read enough books as a kid - when he could - and asked Kunikida enough questions to know a bit of what he was doing.
He also was given some extra information that he hadn't been after. The kid's - male, he'd realized and quietly confirmed - name was Midoriya and he was in his final year before high school. Smart of the kid to not give away his first name. It was a Friday and schools in the Chubu prefecture had just let out for the weekend.
"I better get going," Midoriya gathered his things and stood up. Atsushi did so as well. "My mom will be wondering where I am soon.
"I understand," Atsushi smiled. He really didn't, but that would only bring up uncomfortable questions that he didn't really have enough training to lie his way through. "Have a safe trip home."
"I will, thank you, Nakajima-san," the kid bowed, "You as well!" Then he was gone.
It was quiet for a minute before the bushes behind him rustled. He didn't bother turning around because he knew who was at his back. Was this a good show of trust? He'd find out in a minute.
"Nice job, were-tiger." Nakahara-san walked closer to him, "I guess they are teachin' ya something at the ADA."
Now is when he turned to face the Port Mafia Executive. "Thanks, Nakahara-san."
The man raised an eyebrow. "How'd ya know my name?"
He shrugged minutely to feign indifference. "Dazai-san likes to talk when he's procrastinating."
Nakahara-san huffed a laugh, "Yeah, that sounds about right."
Another bout of quiet overtook them as the sun set. Finally, Atsushi said, "We're a bit away from home."
"Yeah."
Yokohama was their home. They worked against each other in the past, and are likely to in the future, but Yokohama was their home. It was their place to protect and serve in their own ways. Yokohama was also an independent city-state. It's boarders had been closed long before they'd even been born. Based on what Midoriya had said, they were very much outside of Yokohama. They didn't know what could get them killed here.
"Have you ever been outside the boarders?" Atsushi asked. He suddenly felt very small as he wrapped his arms around his torso and sunk into himself a bit.
"Never." Nakahara-san answered. He suddenly didn't seem as imposing as before.
"Oh."
Storyboard Part 2
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joncronshawauthor · 7 months
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Lifelong Lessons We Can Learn from Assassin Fantasy Protagonists
When searching for role models to navigate the complex maze of life, who better to look up to than assassins? You know, those mythical beings who earn their crust by severing the life threads of others—often with a dramatic flair that would make even Shakespeare say, “Tone it down, mate.” It turns out, these dark, brooding figures from the literary world can teach us more than just how to don a…
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frodo-a-gogo · 3 months
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Let us be brutally honest with ourselves and with eachother for a moment. If he weren't obese you motherfuckers would be capable of percieving evrart claires sexy sexy moral ambiguity and complex charms
#i am (lesbian) sipping him like a fine DESSERT WINE#my evidence by the way is very simple and very damning. joyce messier. there i said it.#if you guys can appreciate the fact that Joyce is a complex figure worthy of disgust yes but also worthy of empathy#despite being a venal coward facilitating acts of violence and slaughter of the organized working poor of martinaise in the name of capital#if you can understand that she is a dimensional figure while also being an embodiment of the moral apathy and cruelty if capital owners#but you cant look at evrart and see that he is (while deeply flawed and morally suspect) also a dimensional figure#on top of the fact that his motivations are eminently relatable and dare i say it baser#and his greatest failing imho is in failing to advocate for the interests of *all* the poor of martinaise#opting instead to marginalize the inhabitants of the fishing village in favor of a power grab in the interests of himself and his union#though this is imo a bit of a grey area morally. undeniably a wrong and bad thing to do but done in service of clairs political goals#to gather power to advocate for the working class against ultraliberal monoliths like wild pines and fascistic orgs like krenel#still super wrong but i can follow the moral arithmetic there tho i don't like it#but like my point is if u can see that joyce is evil and pathetic but still cool and sexy but you consider clair flatly distasteful#thats cus hes not conventionally attractive#cus he is *every bit* as dimensional and interesting as joyce and he is not nearly as politically shite even if hes interpersonally a jerk
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forget-me-ghost · 4 months
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I may be delulu when it comes to Alastor but at least I'm not as delulu as those people who were genuinely surprised when the serial killer cannibal acted like an asshole. Like, really guys?
You poke the mentally unstable man, you get the mentally unstable response.
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lunarelly · 1 year
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i don’t think chuuya’s complexity as a character is spoken about enough honestly. one of the recurring themes in bsd is that good people do bad things, and bad people do good things, and morality is complicated and never perfect in any person because it is literally a concept of humanity.
to me, chuuya embodies this the most because while he has taken countless lives and doesn’t hesitate to do so, his most prominent lore centers around him protecting the people he cares about (the sheep in fifteen, his colleagues in storm bringer, the mafia in the cannibalism arc, he even shows concern for Dazai despite their complications).
there is no debate that he has killed and caused devastation with his ability, but he was also a child when he was burdened with the responsibility of protecting the entirety of the sheep, and was still a child when he was recruited into the mafia which would cause anyone’s moral compass to become questionable.
chuuya is loyal to and protective of the people he cares about, and his biggest moral complication is that he will do anything for them.
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stardust-falling · 17 days
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Having more thoughts about Shen Jiu because of course I am.
I don’t think he has the capacity for empathy or genuine selflessness.
He spent the entirety of his formative years deep in survival mode, and because of that, he evaluates people solely based off of how they might threaten or ensure his safety and/or comfort. As far as individual people themselves with their own perspectives… honestly I don’t think he even thinks of that.
Maybe a controversial opinion, but I don’t think even YQY is exempt.
Shen Jiu doesn’t have a moral code. When every day is spent on surviving, a moral code is a luxury.
And really, he just never got out of that mode. See, the thing is, once you’ve had enough adverse experiences it only takes a little bit to trigger you back into that mindset. Shen Jiu was used to being scolded and then beaten or abused, so for him, even a simple chiding is a precursor to abuse— even if he DOES recognize that nothing more will happen, his body and mental patterns will still go into that preparation time.
So of course he never left survival mode, because even if nothing is actively happening, your mind will keep reinforcing those patterns.
For someone with a normal upbringing, as far as I can tell, empathy is something you learn and develop from those around you. Many seem to think it’s something innate and natural and if you don’t have it then there’s something wrong with you from birth. I think Shen Jiu falls into exactly this category of thought— and so he doesn’t even consider that he could try to learn and develop it as a skill he can perform, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
Of course, would he even try? He hasn’t been given any incentive. Any time he has tried to do something good, he ends up getting hurt (saving Yue Qi leading to being taken by QJL) or misinterpreted and admonished (the well ghost incident, keep in mind my earlier point about scoldings perpetuating the same patterns).
So he stays in that same vicious cycle, perpetually in survival mode and unable to escape, even in a relatively secure position (see: his paranoia).
Now, this is all relevant to the discussions of SJ’s feminism, misogyny, and/or lack thereof. I feel like a lot of discussions aren’t really getting the full picture.
SJ sees people, no matter who they are, as solely how they can affect him. Just because this isn’t exclusive to women, or because if comes from a reasonable place, does that really mean it doesn’t play into misogyny?
Let’s take another angle.
I think his abuse of LBH and other talented disciples also is rooted, deep down, in this same issue. He’s not just hurting LBH only to hurt him, his aim is specifically to stunt his cultivation. There’s jealousy at play there of course, but there’s a bit more layers to it too— SJ doesn’t think he’s capable of goodness. So reasonably, he’ll be a bad teacher. He already knows what happens when someone becomes more powerful than their oppressor. LBH may be a child now, but a part of SJ whether he acknowledges it or not sees him as a future threat that needs to be treated as such.
It’s rooted in fear— because everything is with SJ.
So does that mean it’s not actually abuse?
No. The behaviors he shows are still abusive, the reasoning just gives a lens for understanding.
Now, with his views on women— I mentioned in the tags of my original post that I don’t think he views women as people. This is based in that earlier idea of how he interprets others based off their risk and benefit to him. For women specifically, though, there’s another layer.
Shen Jiu grew up in a society where women are inherently lesser— and he grew up in an extreme version of this. He saw women being treated as property firsthand(both as slaves, as well as QJL’s views on his sister). Your worldview is shaped by the world that you view during those early years. Whether he agreed or not, SJ would still take on the patterns of his environment. This, though, is just the same as general societal misogyny and ingrained bias. I don’t think he’s any different than anyone else in this way.
But where SJ’s particular flavor comes in is that to him, women are a source of comfort. For various reasons— positive past experiences, less threatening (or at least don’t carry the dangers men do). He craves comfort— needs it really, because he doesn’t get it and his cortisol levels are always so high they’re poisoning his body. Women are the best source of that comfort for him.
It’s not that he likes them— at least, not any more than someone would like drinking water, or a coat in the winter. They’re fulfilling a survival need for him.
That is what the objectification is where SJ is concerned.
So… is it misogyny?
I’d say yes, in a way it still is. It’s not violent, and it doesn’t come from some inherent sense of “superiority as a man” but at the core of it all, he’s still not viewing women as people, and he has no interest in changing the status quo, because it benefits him to be able to go purchase comfort at a pleasure house, even if it’s not what people usually do there. The picture is bigger than just misogyny, but the traits taken as themselves are misogynistic nonetheless.
I could go into his specific relationships with women and how that informs his character, but this post is already long enough. We know that he mentally divides people by sex, and that distinction has a lot of weight in his judgment of them. Even if it comes from a place of trauma, even if it comes from a general worldview that applies to everyone, he still views women as a commodity— so on some level, and from an outside perspective, he is misogynistic.
In the end, though, it still all comes from him being stuck in survival mode. His lack of empathy, his viewing others as risks and benefits— these things themselves aren’t moral failings— it’s just a consequence of his environment. He’s a bad person because he won’t confront this, develop a moral code, and act on it, not because he doesn’t experience empathy.
But in his circumstance, there’s not really a chance for him to choose to be good. Because he’s still trying to survive, and goodness is a luxury he doesn’t realize he can afford now.
He’s scum, but pitiful, you know?
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pommegrantaire · 2 months
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It’s a “Save The World” thing.
This is what happens when you watch Kim Possible while you’re still hyperfixating on Good Omens… probably could’ve been more true to KP, but my own style will always creep in!
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cock-holliday · 1 year
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THE funniest take I saw about yellowjackets so far was that the ambiguity of the wilderness is "laziness" on the writers' part and that it is "clear" the writers "can't decide if there is something out there or not." Hello? Are nuance and ambiguity and lack of brightline answers engaging storytelling? No, it's bad writing. Did Jonas survive in the end of The Giver? Was Nick 's perspective trustworthy in The Great Gatsby? Was Will Graham a good guy? Are the characters in Squid game? Idk, it wasn't blended up and fed to me gerber style so I can't tell.
Is something controlling the girls? Are they doing everything entirely themselves and pretending it's something else because they are just evil? Are they trying to survive and they assuage their guilt with the idea that something is making these decisions, not them? Is it somewhere in between?
Thank you Lottie Yellowjackets for stating the fucking thesis, "Does it matter?"
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hiyyihrts · 2 months
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I’ve only recently got into the bridgerton fandom side of things but making an entire blog about how much you hate one ship/character is actually kinda crazy and obsessive 😭 if you don’t care about them or don’t even like the show bc of them why keep entertaining it and talking about it… maybe unclench and log off for a bit idk
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starrynightarchive · 5 months
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you know what's so disappointing? the way people keep saying 'don't be afraid to portray mental illness and disability in media!! in your art and writing!!! normalise it and don't shun it!!!' and then the MOMENT you bring up a symptom that's too messy and uncomfortable to handle, they take a fuckin u-turn and go "UM no that's bad. like. you're a bad person if you do that. that's weird and it makes me uncomfortable so it's wrong."
here's the thing!!!!!!! it's not convenient!!!!! it's not simple!!!! i can't be honest and keep writing about how depression paints your whole world blue and all that shit!!!!!! because guess what!!!! depression and disabilities and borderline personality disorder and SO many other things are just. not neat and clean or easily consumable. they WILL make you uncomfortable and sad. they WILL make you feel bad. honesty is not easy. it's not meant to be.
and dehumanisation of sociopaths and psychopaths is genuinely distressing. not all of them!!! are!!!! bad people!!! it's a medical condition!!!! a mental illness!!! a person's illness doesn't make them bad. their actions and the decisions they take decide that and I am SO sick and tired of people watering down every complex human trait and toxic behaviour as good and bad and right and wrong. don't you see!!! some things are simply just. human. that's all. people fuck up. badly, sometimes. but that doesn't mean they are not people. I'm not saying you should forgive everyone and become a full time saint. you are entitled to your anger. i'm just asking you: don't take away a person's right to err and still be considered human. not all actions fall in the neat divisions of right and wrong. some things just are. grow some balls if you want to see true suffering in media. because it is Not easy or pretty. not even close. you will be conflicted and uncomfortable and troubled. make peace with that fact.
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thevoidstaredback · 2 months
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"In any story, the villain is the catalyst. The hero's not a person who will bend the rules or shw the cracks in his armor.He's one-dimensional intentionally, but the villain is the person who owns up to what he is and stands by it."
-Marilyn Manson
The night was spent getting a proper hold of their bearings. They knew where in Japan they were, but no idea how to get back. They also had no idea on how they got there, but that was a problem for later. For now, shelter and food were to two most pressing issues.
Chuuya and Atsushi had never worked together before, so they were stumbling around each other the entire night. Atsushi had been hell bent on them finding shelter before anything else, and Chuuya was insistent on getting money first. Atsushi was willing to break a few laws to keep them safe, but he was very vocal about not hurting anyone. Chuuya was willing to break every law he could think of in order to get his way. They could both agree that they'd rather avoid working together ever again after they've gotten back Yokohama.
It's terrible, working with someone so different from yourself. Stumbling over each other and getting in one another's way. It could cost a life. It could cost many lives.
"That'd be terrible for being undercover." Atsushi said. He was still holding himself under a mask around Chuuya.
Chuuya scoffed. "Since when are we undercover?"
"Since neither of us know where we are or what's going on."
"Oh? Is that snark I hear?" Underlings who sassed him never got out of it unscathed.
He was suddenly confidant in his answer, "Yeah. What about it? You can't attack me."
Atsushi isn't Chuuya's underling. "Who says I can't?"
"The truce between our two groups." Damn it. "Besides, I could go to local law enforcement and report you for assault and battery."
"But you won't." Good point. "If you did, then you'd be alone in unfamiliar territory. When you get back, the truce would be called off and you'd have the entire Port Mafia after your head."
Atsushi didn't respond, falling back into the mask of self preservation.
Chuuya sighed. "Fine. In order to keep a low profile, we'll do things your way."
Still not saying anything, Atsushi took a step ahead of Chuuya and went in search of an abandoned building to set up a temporary base in. It was late, probably near midnight, so not many were out. Those who were out were sniffed out and avoided. Despite everything, Atsushi made himself ignore the calls for help. Getting involved would mean being seen. Being seen would do no good at the moment.
Chuuya was reluctant to follow Atsushi, but he had to admit that the kid wasn't acting at all like he expected him to. He'd expected a coward or someone who would go running to help at the first scream, but he did no such thing. The kid kept sniffing at the air as they walked, leading through back allies and staying out of light.
"I can say for certain that nothing has happened to the ADA." Atsushi spoke softly.
"What makes ya say that?" Chuuya asked. He was genuinely curious. How did this kid know anything like that? Could he determine anything about the Port Mafia?
Atsushi's eyes seemed to be glowing when he looked back at Chuuya, the gold and purple covered in an almost not-there film. Eyeshine, Chuuya noted, is a thing all cats have. Helps them see in the dark. "I haven't lost control of my Ability." Was that supposed to be a reassurance? "The President's Ability is still working, so I can confidently say that he - at the very least - is okay."
"Based off of that," Chuuya added on, "Everything should be okay with the Port Mafia, too."
These were only assumptions and they both new that.
It was quiet as they kept walking, still out of light and still away from humans. It took another thirty minutes of wandering until they found a place to hole up. It was a very rundown building, but it was still standing. It didn't seem to have any other occupants, so that was a point in their book.
The interior was as rundown as the exterior. The floors had no holes, but every other board squeaked when stepped on. The lights didn't work, so it was safe to assume nothing else did either. While there was no holes in the walls or broken windows, the place was starting to show signs of life in the graffiti and plants creeping in. The stairs leading to the second floor weren't rotted through, but enough weight would cause them to collapse. Much like the first floor, the second floor squeaked on every other step. The paint and wallpaper was peeling at the corners, and the doors were falling of their hinges.
Chuuya didn't like getting dirty. He'd spent so long living on the streets that the thought of staying in this building was barely digestible. Regardless, he picked a room on the second floor and went in. "I'll be in here for the night. Don't bother me." He doubted he'd get any sleep, but it would be a good place to think.
Atsushi nodded and left the man on his own. Part of him said it was a bad idea, but the rest of him knew that they were forced to trust and rely on each other. He choose the room next to Chuuya's and curled up in the far corner. He was used to sleeping in places like this. The cellar in the orphanage was much worse than here. Colder, too. Less bright.
~~~
The new first order of business, Chuuya decided, was to sort out his thoughts. Based on the maps of Japan he'd studied when he first joined the Port Mafia told him that Yokohama was near the Chubu Prefecture. It had once been a part of it, but had declared itself independent a long time ago. When exactly, he wasn't sure, but that wasn't a pressing thing to know at the moment.
He'd gone to bed on Friday night had woken up Friday afternoon. He had a whole week missing from his memory and that was never a good sign. At least, the best case suggested a week. Without knowing the exact date, he had no idea how big of a blank was now taking up his memory.
The next thing Chuuya did was search his person. He was fully dressed in his uniform, so that meant he had woken up and gotten dressed somewhere during the missing blank. He was still fully armed with a gun under his vest and the hidden knives on his person. His phone was in his back pocket, but was dead. His wallet was inside his coat, but he had no cash. At least he still had his gloves.
The next thing to do would be to set out a plan of action, but that would have to wait until Jinko woke up. Getting their story straight was the next pressing matter, but he was gonna let the kid get some rest. God knows they both need it.
Part 1
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elevensbian-moved · 2 years
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the doctor's moral compass is so funny to me bc they're like 'NO i hate guns i am so moral dont you DARE even THINK about shooting the murderous alien that is trying to brutally kill ur whole family' straight off committing some sort of horrific mass murder and locking 50 people in an eternal state of mental and physical anguish and being like Ah yes another day another slay 👍
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agentc0rn · 5 months
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A list of Indigo Disk Revisions
Typed down a rough batch of ideas, which I won't be able to put into complete writing or drawing, but can't stop imagining (will keep editing and adding stuff as some thoughts are some incomplete).
Made a pretty long list lol so get some snacks ready if you have time to spare. Disclaimer: did this just for fun, bunch of indulgent thoughts. Indigo Disk is a whole lots of fun, but I think its potential could have been explored more.
Each time you beat the elite four, there is a brief flashback of them interacting with each other and Kieran.
Lacey = bumps into kieran while organizing stuff at the League Club Room, Kieran orders her to make sure that everyone follows the new rules and stuff since he became president.
Amarys = notices Kieran's change and asks if he is okay, to which he replies coldly with "yeah, I'm fine." She states his sister's concern, but he brushes off with a cold shrug.
Crispin = asks kieran if he wants to hang out at the cafeteria, but kieran declines, saying he has stuff to do. Students pass by them, whispering about Kieran.
Drayton = congratulates Kieran for beating him, but he goes up to and him says: "Was that all you really got, ex-champion?"
You get to meet Briar in a small class event (invited by her), and there she discusses terastal energy and its history. She's not only a history techer but also the one in charge for assigning students to test their strengths with terastalization.
As you progess, you can visit a lab room in blueberry academy where you can find Briar's research, books, documents about terapagos, Heath, and such.
Once the second elite four is defeated, Briar asks you to come, taking notice of your rumored streak of success. She begins to recount her time at blueberry academy and her travels across different regions before introducing the origin of the terastal energy orb as a whole and Terapagos. At some point, she gives you a reason why she wanted to be a teacher, part of it is her interest in the terastal phemenon and its connection between Unova and Paldea, the other is to bring the truth through education (her family name and reputation became infamous and she is determined to bring the facts to the surface - hence the publication later on). She has some grudge against the public for that and becomes increasingly hellbent as we would soon encounter the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero.
After beating the last elite four, Briar invites you once more to the lab room and divulges a secret with you - she has the indigo disk (entrusted by Geeta who recieved it from the OTHER PROF who bailed out from the research years ago, having no need for its use any longer even from a remote distance) and mentions a mission that you are formally invited to, but she would only explain everything about it after you defeat Kieran.
She briefly explains about The Indigo Disk; it is not just some mere storage item but a special object imbued with the power/properties of Terapagos that enable the activation of the elevator to the lower level of the area zero. That disk was made by Sada/Turo but the other parent took off with it in hopes of diverting the obsessed prof from their grand project, but failed anyways. (this idea is half-baked tbh but still put it there cause i like it)
Then Carmine and others meet you, asking what Briar told you about. You explained to them until midway, Kieran comes and does the thing where he expects you to battle him soon and leaves, etc.
Briar observes the championship battle match alongside Carmine.
Afterwards, issues emerge in Terrarium - the terastal core thing begins to destabilize or something (it reacts to terapagos' awakening)... Overgrown crystals slowly take over, causing people/wild pokemon to evacuate. Cyrano requests an emergency meeting with the Elite Four, Kieran, us and Carmine. Briar joins also.
We met additional support, consisting of Geeta and the other parent (who also introduce themself). They report that there is an influx of paradox mons flying out of Area Zero due to a strange phenomenon (gradual awakening of terapagos). After the meeting, you recieve a call from Nemona, Penny, Arven and Clavell who all wanted to check in with you.
Briar proceeds to delve into mission(just like in game) of exploring the deeper level of area zero and investigate the source at hand. She invites the Elite Four, but they all declined due to the reason of attending to their duties and keep watch over the terraium dome, thus leading to the formation of the same group in the game.
Before they leave, they all give you some parting words - advice, encouragement - you name it.
Once you arrive at Area Zero, you will meet Geeta and the other parent. They explained that Terapagos' awakening is partly caused by various factors - ecological ones mainly the increased population of the paradox mon (time machine), seismic activity, Glimmora eating off the crystals (the protective covering) and arrival of people (Heath, the profs, and now us). You will then engage in some double battles with the squad as you encounter some paradox mons - including the new ones - and continue your descent down to the deepest level of A0.
Along the way, Geeta recalls her venture to area zero years ago when she went to check in with the prof's research. She does not remember all the details but remembers finding and treating an injured Glimmora (her own), before falling into a trance of sorts and seeing someone, which she informed the Prof about. She also answers somewhat the mystery of the plate and symbols - there was once a a small civilization, "theorized" to be survivors of the expeditions during the age of exploration who chose to remain there. The steel plate was made likely to record their presence and memories of the empire they long served (landmarks/settlements aka the towns) as a we-were-here or a warning message for those who would come by it in the distant future (again, half-baked idea but wanted to put this out there). Additionally, the four symbols may have been reference points of the four seals (based on the theories on youtube).
The other parent then asks you about Arven after hearing about your part in saving Paldea and admits their fault and regret for abandoning him. More dialogue ensues (you, Kieran, Carmine, etc). Carmine mostly talks to you, asking you about area zero and your life at Paldea.
When you go to the area where the crystalized tree stands-you and Briar undergo a trance and meet Terapagos (?). It reacts at Briar due to her resemblances with Heath as well as you for holding the indigo disk (yes you can eject it rather than it being stuck in the machine); it needs the indigo disk to recover parts of its power. Once both of you recover, others come along and asked what happened out of concern. This only fueled her ambition to seek out terapagos.
Briar forces you to keep going despite going against the guidelines and plans of letting Geeta and the prof go first and deal with terapagos, claiming it was crucial for her to obtain information firsthand while using you and the kitakami siblings as her dirty assistants (and reckless as Kieran says).
Then like the game, Kieran, sees an opportunity and pulls at the gem, which Briar nags on, convincing him that she understands how he feels about being misunderstood. Carmine and us try to interfere, but then terapagos awakens. Same thing happens. Boom. Kieran captures it in a master ball.
You battle it and Briar encourages Kieran to terastalize it, causing it to go berserk. Crystals slowly emerge as well as crumble from the ceiling.
By the time Geeta and the other prof come to aid as they finish battling the stella-type mons, Terapagos transports all of you into another room, not the chamber, but rather, the same place where Heath met - an out-of-the-world, temporally and spatially displaced setting. It takes your indigo disk, absorbing it and transforms into the stellar form, overflowing with tera energy. You now engage in a tera raid style (like in the game).
Briar goes nuts by going on a rave, something like this: - "finally, the Hidden Treasure of Area Zero reveals itself at last! You cannot fathom how long I have been waiting for this! I can share the truth and prove how wrong the world was!"
Then, Kieran has his shining moment and helps us beat terapagos. However, the earth continues to rumble and crack underfoot. Briar stands there, continuing her tirade or something as the cave is collapsing, but Koraidon helps us get out of it and back to the elevator site (at the end, she departs her role as a teacher and faces some legal consequences for endangering the kids and receives some help, all off-screen).
(the crystals from the terrarium also stop and "dissappear" due to the end of terapagos' rampage).
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crxzysawfangirl · 9 months
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Something I really like about the saw franchise is that the antagonists also function as the protagonists.
Like yes there is the cop plot portion of the saw movies where we follow them trying to catch whoever is jigsaw at the time but they never stick around for longer than a movie or two. Rigg,strahm,tapp,kerry, matthews and Perez all die either the movie or the movie after they were introduced( except for Lindsay but she wasn’t in like two movies after she “died”so shhh)
You know who is all seven of the saw movies? John.who’s story is the one we follow throughout the main timeline? Johns. We also follow Amanda throughout the first three movies and Hoffman through the other four.
Also yes Lawerence and Adam were the protags in saw 2004 along with Diana,tapp, and Allison but tapp and Adam are dead(90% sure on adams demise) and we never see Diana and Allison again; Lawerence also only pops in the last 15 minutes of saw 7. Like most of the ppl we follow throughout the saw movies die at the end of the movie they were introduced in except for the villains.
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lost-tardis-room · 7 months
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the minisodes and Aziraphale's understanding of moral grey areas
ok so i was explaining the entire plot of s2 to a friends yesterday, and realised something about the minisodes that is so obvious in retrospect-
in a companion to owls, Aziraphale spends most of the time wondering about what is actually right or wrong and what god really wants and so on - of course, by the end he sees that you can do something 'bad' (like lying to thwart the will of god) and not be entirely a bad person for it - starting to see that moral greys exist, but Crowley has to really really encourage him to do it
in the resurrectionists, the first half he's on 'this is entirely bad', is presented with a grey situation by Crowley (& Dalrymple), but immediately goes straight to 'this is all good' - by the end, he sees that really it was neither (sort of) - but once again, crowley has to really prompt him into seeing the nuance
but, by the end of the 1941 minisode, he says 'well, maybe there is something to be said for shades of grey' - almost completely umprompted by Crowley. he doesn't need convincing, or Crowley to tell him that he can't do bad things cos he's an angel (which Crowley doesn't believe, surely, but he can convince Aziraphale into doing most things by telling him that), he just. accepts the moral grey of everything that just happened. (and presumably apologises for making Crowley shoot at him. or something. he does the dance at least)
this is showing the progression in Aziraphale's character - he goes from being fully convinced he'll become a demon for lying one (1) time to save the lives of children, to at least trying to see how something as initially 'completely bad' as bodysnatching can be an attempt to, in his words, 'alleviate human suffering' (good, even if he missed the point), to being able to say that he, an angel, can do things that aren't purely good. seemingly without any major anxiety over it either. and largely unprompted.
his character is not fully developed yet, and he's still pinging wildly between viewing everything as good/bad heaven/hell demons/angels, and moral greys, nuance, and 'our side'. but he is getting there. slowly.
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ineffectualbookseller · 9 months
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"How much trouble can I get into just for asking a few questions?"
There's something about angel!Crowley's naivete that just hits me in the chest when I think about how the Crowley we know is so concerned with protecting Aziraphale from his own naivete - or what Crowley thinks of his naivete
"How can someone as clever as you be so stupid?" / "I think I understand a whole lot better than you do"
Both these moments are about Crowley trying to protect Aziraphale from this and Aziraphale refusing to back down, because what Crowley understands to be naivete, Aziraphale understands to be faith (faith in God in s1 and faith in his and Crowley's ability to Do Good in s2)
Crowley is so scared of this because he knows his own faith didn't protect him but he knows that it is a fundamental part of Aziraphale.
The thing is, it's not acutally a weakness - it gives Aziraphale so much strength. But Crowley can't see that because of his own past
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