#and it's really cool how much their dynamic changes throughout the story

[lno-x]

What about character design in Tristamp?

A person had a question for me, what is it about character designs in tristamp? It's like Vash from Tristamp and Vash from Trimax/98 adaptation are COMPLETELY different characters, and my answer to that is: they are REALLY DIFFERENT CHARACTERS, and I'll explain why right now.

To begin with, I would like to note that I have a great deal of trust in the Orange studio and its co-founder, Eiji Inomoto. Orange is one of the best CG studios in Japan, known for such acclaimed adaptations as "Beastars" and "Land of the Lustrous". These are not just some studio, but a really big guys, and by big I mean that Inomoto's experiments with the frame rate in the film adaptation of Lustrous at one time were a revolutionary thing in animation, which was picked up by the animators of the spiderverse and then that's all led to the beloved dynamic animation of the "Puss in Boots" sequel. I mean, these are THAT big guys. I'm not talking about the fact that Inomoto boosts the development of 3D in the anime industry as much as possible and literally shits from a high bell tower on the fact that everything is spitting with 3D animation purely out of principle.

Okay, the studio is cool, it is unlikely that they will make a bad product, we figured it out, but what about the designs? They don't even look like themselves! Vash does not look like a mop at all, he has lost his leather pants and berets, and looks like some kind of sucker in sweatpants and a windbreaker, and Meryl gives the impression of a schoolgirl who has strayed from the school excursion, instead of the stately lady in caprons, as we used to seeing her. Only Wolfwood hasn't changed much, except that he doesn't know how to tuck his shirt into his pants and has undergone whitewashing (which, by the way, I'm not ironically upset about). So, is that mean designs is bad as hell? Nope. Just because things look different doesn't mean it's inherently worse. Again, remember that tristamp is a REMAKE, and their task is not to stupidly repeat the same thing, but to breathe new life into the franchise, looking at it from a different angle. And I think they did a FUCKING GOOD job on it.

In interviews and at conventions, director Kenji Muto and producer Katsuhiro Takei have repeatedly said that they are big fans of the original manga and the film adaptation of 98, but it was important for them to touch and reveal those aspects of the story that their predecessors did not reach their hands on.

That is why, despite the fact that the Tristamp is very close to the original source (manga), the studio plays out many details differently or even saves them for later, so that the audience can fully experience the development of the characters. Therefore, in Tristamp, everyone looks much younger than their previous versions and / or very different from them.

The easiest way to prove this, however strange and unexpected it may seem, is by the example of Meryl. In the manga and anime 98, we immediately see her as a stately lady with a bunch of derringers under her cloak, but they don’t tell us how she came to this and what led to this. Yes, there is literally a page in the manga about some colleague who told her about self-defense and sort of taught her how to shoot, but finally he is drawn on one frame and, in general, we don’t give a shit about him.

While in Tristamp, this colleague has a name and is one of the most main characters - this is Roberto. Throughout the series, he acts as Meryl's senior mentor, protecting her whenever possible and pulling her out of trouble by the scruff of the neck like a kitten. That is why she looks so youthful and charmingly stupid compared to her previous version. Throughout the series, she literally hits herself with her heel in the chest, saying I AM!!! MERYL!!! STRIFE!!! I AM NOT NEWBIE!!! while Roberto calls her the same way, ignoring all her protests in this regard, and I think this was done for a reason. Specifically, in Tristamp we see her almost in the past, when she has not yet learned to protect herself and be fully responsible for her decisions, although she is very eager to do so. Although Roberto is a character, for the most part he is still a crutch and trigger for the development of Meryl. Through his death and the transfer of HIS gun to her, we see right before our eyes how she changes and from a shy "newbie" turns into the confident Meryl Strife. And after the timeskip, they generally show us the scene of exactly how she becomes the senior and takes Millie under her wing. And by the way, her image visually changes too.

I repeat once again, there was no such development of the character of Meryl in the manga, in the 1998 film adaptation nether.

Orange build her development completely differently and in their own way, despite the fact that she, in fact, is the same Meryl Strife no less than other versions of her. She just a little different character, which goes to the image already familiar to us, passing through kind of other events

The same thing happens with Vash! At first, he doesn't look like himself at all, but towards the end, we see how he takes on a more recognizable image. I think that in fact by the second season they will all mature and look much more "canonical", this can be seen from the concept art but in general

Tristump characters go a different way and get a different development, as happened with Meryl above, therefore, I I think we should perceive them rather as completely different characters that have common roots

And by the way, the studio Orange discussed everything very closely with Yasuhiro Nightou (author of the manga) and he gave her green light and creative freedom, because he saw how reverent people are about their job and want to develop the story. He even drew his and studio designs together!!!

All in all, the tristamp designs are really quite different from the original, but I don't think that's a bad thing, as the studio does it purposefully and cleverly to give them the development that the manga or the '98 film adaptation lacked.

Again, this is my personal opinion, and it’s worth notice here that I’m far from being an old fan and I flew into the fandom just a month and a half ago, so the character design initially did not cause me rejection, like many old fans.

But in this tirade, I tried to be as objective as possible and describe what was what, thanks to come in my ted talk

#trigun #tristamp #trigun stampede #long reads #long post #i love meryl stryfe if you dont get it yet #meryl stryfe #roberto trigun #vash stampede #nicholas d wolfwood #lno-x talks

[vforvalensa]

I got caught up with the Golden Kamuy's author new hockey manga, Dogsred, and I also took the opportunity to start reading through Noda's old hockey manga that got cancelled early on, Supinamarada.

For those unaware, Dogsred is effectively a do over of Supinomarada now that Noda has enough clout from Golden Kamuy to tell the hockey story he wanted with out fear of cancellation. Dogsred has the same premise, same characters, and same basic events to Supinomarada, but obviously Noda has changed as a story teller and manga artist since doing all of Golden Kamuy, and it's super interesting to see that side by side.

For one Dogsred is way more expedient, it manages to get through the story intro and the first hockey game in 8 chapters whereas the old series took 13. And I think one way in which Dogsred achieves this is by massively compressing the way information is delivered. This is super obvious in the first chapter of each series, in Supinomarada ch 1 there are a ton of flash backs and flash forwards between the lead up to inciting incident of the plot, the aftermath of that incident, and the tragic back story and takes about 15ish pages to set up the initial plot premise; the protagonist, Rou Shirakawa, is a teenage figure skating prodigy, before the series starts his single mother died in a car crash after falling asleep at the wheel due to exhaustion, and now Rou is competing in what might be his last figure skating championship because as a child he will no longer be able to support himself.

Dogsred is significantly more direct and just has some random background characters say all that shit and conveys all that same information and more within about 5 pages.

Dogsred also lets it's art do a lot more heavy lifting in regards to storytelling. The single panel of a car crashed into a pillar is way more dire and evocative than a whole page of a generically sad funeral, and we even get to see the dead mom in this one. I also find the handful of panels where Rou doesn't actually speak are really effective at setting up his character and mental state through expression and body language, and that's gonna be true throughout the series. Dogsred Rou is much more of a weirdo goofball than the Supinomarada version and he's got a ton silly little expressions and mannerisms in the style of the freaks from Golden Kamuy and it's lot of fun.

Overall it feels like a way more confident manga than Supinomarada. Noda isn't trying to over explain things to make sure the reader understands every single detail of the plot or the rules of hockey. He's getting the details on the page really efficiently, usually while also working in a gag, and going harder on the aspects that are the big draws for bombastic sports manga, like the expressiveness of the characters and the dynamic sports action.

It's super cool to see how Noda has evolved as a manga artist and storyteller with Golden Kamuy in the interim and I'm really excited to see him get to tell this story he's been holding on to for a decade.

#dogsred #supinomarada #supinamarada #golden kamuy #satoru noda #manga #sports manga #ice hockey #media analysis #manga analysis #valensa talks

[theo-grayson]

Anyone who's taken a look at my notes knows I Fucking Ramble, so don't look here unless you wanna see me share way too many thoughts about Our Life: Now and Forever (including way too much about my personal life)

Guys. Oh my god. Where do I even start. Maybe with just:

Little things I love about the demo

I am a sucker for character customization, and this game delivers that in spades. You can choose so many different things, from your appearance with a doll maker/picrew type thing, your gender and pronouns (with a BUNCH of customization), to what your bedroom looks like, to little stuff like what kind of drink you get at a restaurant. This was present in the first game too, Our Life: Beginnings and Always (OL:BA), but it's more in-depth here, and I love it. And I love that you can see your little avatar when your character speaks. I feel like it just flows so nicely, and it makes me wanna replay it with different characters. Of course, you also get many different dialogue choices, and there are so many choices to pick from. I LOVE it.

So, I absolutely adore OL:BA, and I love Cove with my whole entire heart. But man, inside of me there are two wolves: one of them is a Summer Disliker, and one of them is a rabid Autumn Pinterest Girlie. I ADORE fall, colourful leaves, mushrooms, rain, etc etc etc.

So seeing that Our Life: Now and Forever (OL:NF) takes place in a sleepy town in the AUTUMN?? With scenery like THIS???

I want to live here in real life.

The art style in general is just so beautiful. The colours, the softness of it all, the spritework, the cg art: everything is so stunning. The soundtrack is absolutely amazing too.

On a different note, the extent to which you can customize your relationships with Qui and Tamarack is so cool. You can go through a slow-burn romance, as neighbours to childhood friends to crushes to partners. You can have a cute love-at-first-sight childhood crushes story. You can avoid romance altogether and have a chosen-family dynamic. You can have a poly relationship and date both of them. Not ONLY that, but even the way that they interact with you can be customized;

That's so cool!! You can choose whether a character looks up to you or takes care of you, or whether they prefer to compliment you or tease you. And you can choose the same kind of thing when you interact with them in turn! A visual novel having this level of depth in a relationship is so awesome. The game will even remember things: like, if you react negatively to certain types of interactions, the characters can remember and act accordingly in the future. That's so cool!

I like that this story seems to be a little bit more serious than the last game. OL:BA has basically zero stakes, and very little serious conflict. That's not a bad thing at all, it's very much supposed to be a comfy, indulgent game. But OL:NF begins Step 2 by showing that the main characters have drifted apart as they've grown older. Not only is that nice realism, but it also adds both possible comfort potential (bringing your old friends back together and having good times) AND possible whump/angst potential (watching who used to be your best friends drift apart completely). The (optional) jealousy mechanic could also add to this. Obviously the game isn't finished yet and I could totally be off the mark, but even if this kind of thing doesn't end up happening, the fanfic potential is also there!

I really like how complex the characters are. Even as kids, they have wants and motivations and flaws, and they're so likeable. They change throughout the story, because not only are they growing up and older, but they have their own experiences and personal struggles. And speaking of characters:

Quick thoughts about Main Characters

> Tamarack Baumann

Oh my goodness. Ohg. Tammy. She is so so important to me. She is so sweet and supportive, and she's so pretty. Look at her. Oh my god I love her.

I absolutely adore Tamarack, and part of it is that I relate to her in a couple ways. I grew up as the insecure fat girl. I love frogs and toads. The cello is my favourite instrument, and I would love to learn to play one day. When she first said that she lived with her Omi and Opa, I literally gasped in real life, because I lived with my Omi and Opi for about a year, when I was her age.

> Qui "Autumn" Lin

QUI!!!!!! I love them so dearly, their mannerisms and the way they speak are so so endearing. They change a lot throughout the story, which is going to be so interesting to see. And they are ALSO so so pretty. Oh my god.

As a trans person myself who is definitely playing as a trans MC, I'm so curious to see the interactions with Qui, since they struggle with their own gender identity as well. Also, when they do figure out their identity in Step 3:

What??? That's so cool!!!

In which I get a little bit too personal:

This is probably tmi but I don't care. To make a very long story short, I had a really shitty traumatic childhood. Especially around ages 10-15. Even disregarding that, I was always a 'mature for my age' child, who followed all the rules and was terrified of ever stepping out of line. I never got the chance to be a normal kid.

So, getting the chance to go through this game, being able to experience growing up in such a beautiful area, with a supportive family and no trauma and friends that care about you. It's just. So nice.

-

Anyways. I'm gonna go now and make a bunch of OCs to play through the demo with and make different choices, because the hyperfixation is truly all-consuming

#our life now & forever #our life #olnf #ol:nf #olnf mc #olnf tamarack #qiu lin #tamarack baumann #gb patch games #theo rambles #long post #Youtube

[licncourt]

begin again COOKED as a post-qotd fix-it (fave fic! <3) but i need to know your thoughts on prince lestat/how you would re-do it in the correct way. to this day i still think LESTAT becoming prince monarch of all the vampires is one of the craziest decisions made during the novels. to me lestat is a prince in the same way that jack skellington was king of halloween (that includes the running away to cause delusional hijinks that ultimately jeapordize everyone)

Aaahhh thank you!! That fic is my child that I birthed so I appreciate it more than you know! It's actually BA's one year finished-iversary next week, my baby's all grown up.

I've talked about that before actually in this post about how I would rewrite the whole series, but I can expand a little here!

Firstly, this could've been two books instead of three. There was nothing going on in there that required three entire novels

Things that have to go entirely: aliens, test tube clone baby Viktor, Atlantis. Sorry, not salvageable

I think rather than the Amel thing, it would have been cool if the sacred core had started corrupting Lestat and altering his behavior as host, maybe changing him gradually into a animalistic, violent folklore-like vampire, making him slowly lose his mind like Mekare, or erasing his sense of self to become a blank host. Then it's a race against the clock and vampire magical biology to save him. This could be the first PL book

Ideally, I think this book should be narrated by Louis and focus a lot on his growth as a character as he finishes his personal. It would bring some happy ending closure to the IWTV version of him without being a jarring change. I also think having his POV for the best of his and Lestat's relationship would be a nice full circle moment from seeing him describe their worst. The idea of Lestat losing himself to the core and them potentially coming together too late would add good drama as well. Maybe this is Louis' follow-up memoir describing how they fixed things

The Rhoshamandes conflict can stay for the second PL and final VC book, but I think it could've been less boring if the drama between him and Lestat had been better fleshed out. They have a lot of similarities that weren't used to their full advantage. It would really highlight Lestat's growth to have him defeat what he could've become

When Lestat reunites with Louis, they would actually have some long, hard conversations about their past, ones that continue throughout the PL trilogy

Hopefully an explanation for why Lestat has made this 180 is included, even if it's just the crushing realization of his own loneliness and longing reaching critical mass after twenty years of who the fuck knows what

The cast is pared down to the strongest written and most interesting characters so the story isn't spread so thin, probably Lestat, Louis, Armand, Gabrielle, Marius, Pandora, and maybe a small handful of new characters with significance in the story. I think Seth, Fareed, Sevraine had the most potential to be good additions to the primary roster if she wanted to add on

Cool characters from the original like trilogy like Maharet and Khayman are expanded on rather than killed offscreen to make room for more Anne Rice NPCs. If we're going to kill someone from the trilogy, please God let it be David Talbot

This goes without saying I think, especially from me, but Louis would be restored to his former glory as a true main character alongside Lestat instead of relegated to lobotomized housewife. There was so much potential for him in an active consort role. We also don't get to see how he got to such a peaceful place at the end of PL, so I would like to see him work through some stuff on the page

I would either cut the Rhoshamandes/Benedict storyline because of how redundant it is with how it mirrors the Marius/Armand dynamic or do something to differentiate it as its own relationship. At the very least, maybe the similarity could be highlighted to become a character beat for Armand

As far as Armand in general, I would make him a much more prominent player. I think he's a great fit for a court setting and could create a lot of intrigue as well as adding coolness factor. I'm always torn about whether I like the reveal of his romantic feelings for Lestat, but in the interest of keeping SOME things intact, I would just play it differently. Primarily, I think he becomes way too agreeable (similar to Louis) in how he submits to and idolizes Lestat, so I would love to see him come into more conflict with Lestat in spite of those feelings. Maybe we can see him make some peace with their history and let go of that intense emotion for something healthier

If we're going to keep the sex injections (IVs, whatever), I think we should do more with it than have Lestat prematurely ejaculate into a random woman. I think there's potential for a very interesting new dynamic with Louis and Lestat. It would be cathartic and maybe an interesting part of their healing process and of becoming a real couple for the first time

That's what I can think of for now, but I might update later!

#btw the lestat jack skellington comparison made me laugh you're so right #louis is so sally coded #answered #vc #the vampire chronicles #interview with the vampire #meta

[partypoisonzz]

drowning innocent wolves (gerard way x reader smut)

Kinktober 2022 Day 2: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics

Era: Bullets (2003)

Reader Pronouns: None mentioned but Reader has AFAB anatomy

Content:

- A/B/O

- Knotting

- Biting

Word Count: 3,729

Disclaimer: This explicit story was written by an adult, for adults. If you are under the age of 18, please do not interact.

-

As soon as you leave work, you drive to Gerard's house. Normally, you would stop by your place first, — change into some better clothes, maybe freshen up your hair and makeup a bit, grab some snacks for the two of you to share. Today, however, it seems like timeliness is a priority, and you don't particularly think that Gerard is going to care much about makeup or food.

He started texting you long before your shift ended. After several minutes of your phone going off in your pocket, you informed your boss that you were going out for a smoke break. Once you stepped into the cool autumn air, you pulled your phone out of your pocket and read your boyfriend's messages. Your heartrate picked up speed as your eyes scanned over the texts and you put together the pieces.

G: You get off at 3 today right???

G: Can you please come over after work?

G: Sorry... I'm just really needy :( It's driving me crazy

Though you hadn't honestly come outside to smoke a cigarette, you were beginning to think you might need one. Of course, Gerard did get in needy moods sometimes, but not text three times, hours before you leave work needy.

You took the time to think about it. You had been dating for just under a year. In the time you had been together, he hadn't gone into rut. It was a totally logical conclusion, but the thought still made your head spin.

Knowing that you wouldn't be able to focus on work for the rest of the day without an answer, you decided to bite the bullet and call him.

He picked up on the first ring. As soon as you heard his voice, you figured you had your answer. "Hello?" Benign as the greeting was, you could hear something that sounded like a whine cutting through the word.

Fuck.

"Hey, sweet thing," you said. "I saw your texts. You alright?" You didn't exactly want to openly ask him if he had gone into rut in the parking lot of your workplace, but you imagined that he got the general idea.

"I'm, um..." Another whimper. You leaned back against the building, taking in a deep breath. Getting wet just from the sound of his voice wasn't exactly part of your plan, either.

"I'm in... a bit of a situation," he managed. "My, uh... My rut started yesterday. I think I need... I need you to come over after work. Please. I need you so bad..."

"I'll be there as soon as my shift ends." You found yourself sitting on the curb at this point. When the fuck did you even sit down? You squeezed your legs lightly together in a futile attempt to take a bit of the edge off. "I'll take good care of you when I get there. Just wait on me."

"Yeah. Okay." The trembling accompanying those words made you wonder what sort of state he would be in by the time you finally showed up.

Knowing you would be expected back inside in a few minutes and you couldn't exactly walk in blushing bright red, you opted to cut the call short. "Alright. See you then," you said. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

With a shaking hand, you pressed the end call button. You tucked your phone back into your pocket, standing up on unsteady legs.

Throughout your shift, you considered what might await you this afternoon with a lump in your throat. You had wondered about how this whole rut thing would work since the two of you first started dating. You didn't exactly have anyone you could ask for various reasons.

For one thing, you were a beta. You were essentially average in all ways, — human. Sure, maybe you got a little extra horny around certain times of the month, but that was standard hormonal stuff. You definitely weren't bedridden for days at the time in a self-built nest, — which, if you had to guess, was exactly the position Gerard was currently in.

For another thing, Gerard was not a standard alpha. Sure, he told you all about the rut and the knot and such, but aside from that, he didn't quite fit the profile. He was so... submissive, for lack of a better term. Most every time the two of you had sex, you were the one in control. He would do anything you asked him to, but there was a hint of something else, buried underneath the surface. When his eyes locked with yours, there was a sort of spark that you hadn't seen with your previous partners. Something that burned like a flame in the night.

There was an unspoken mutual feeling of belonging between the two of you already. You could only imagine what it would be like after today.

When three o'clock rolled around, you rushed to collect your things and clock out.

You drive to the house in silence. When you get there, you take the time to halfway collect yourself, — fingercombing your hair, spreading some gloss over your lips, — before stepping out of the car and heading for the door, already readying your key.

Nobody else is home, thankfully. In fact, the entire upper level of the house appears to be empty.

That only leaves the basement.

Your footsteps echo as you walk down the stairs. "Gerard?" you call out. "I made it! Where are..."

"Oh, thank God." As soon as you step off of the final stair, Gerard is in front of you, pulling you into his chest. You let out a surprised shriek at the way he squeezes your waist.

You feel him pressing against your thigh, and you know.

"Well, hello to you, too." You manage to untangle yourself from him for a moment, taking in the sight of him in the dim light of the basement. Though you know it's far from the most pressing matter here, you have to ask... "Is that my sweatshirt?"

Gerard gives you a sheepish look. "Well, it was mine originally," he argues. "I wore it, like, twice before you took it. It smelled like you, and you left it in my car, so..."

You roll your eyes, giving him a playful grin. "Doesn't matter much, anyway." You lean in, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "You look so cute in it, I figured I'd ask..."

You don't expect the gentle kiss to turn into an intense collision of tongue and teeth. You gasp as Gerard's teeth sink into your bottom lip, just enough to scrape, before he pulls away.

"Please," he says, voice dripping with desperation. "I need you so fucking bad. I've gotten myself off five times since this morning. Nothing helps. I'm fucking miserable."

"Okay, okay." You regard him with a look of sympathy, though you would be lying if you said that his desperate state doesn't turn you on.

Though you know that it won't make it any better, you can't help but dip your head into the hollow between his neck and shoulder, pressing an open-mouthed kiss against the feverish skin there. He makes a high-pitched noise, gripping your waist hard enough to leave bruises.

You pull back with a smug grin. You press a gentle kiss against his cheek before leaning in to whisper in his ear. "Why don't you go lay on the bed for me?" you ask. "Let me see what I can do for you."

He gives you a jerky nod before obliging you.

You push the blankets to the side, taking a seat next to him on the bed. As soon as your hand gently comes to rest on his chest, he gasps, squirming under your touch.

You're unable to bite back your grin. "That sensitive, huh?"

"Shut up," he groans. "It feels like... Like my fucking blood is on fire..."

"Poor baby." Your hand travels down until you reach the waistband of his sweatpants. You yank them down quickly before running your hand across the visible outline of his cock in his boxers. He whimpers at your touch, rolling his hips into your palm. You pull away, frowning.

"All pent up," you say. "And you can't get any relief, no matter what. Must be awful..."

"Yeah, and you're making it worse," he snaps. "I thought you were coming over to help me."

You raise your eyebrows at him. He never lashes out at you like this. He's usually so gentle and sweet, so soft-spoken. Try as you might, you don't generally get under his skin this easily.

Then again, you're beginning to think that this version of Gerard is a completely different version than you usually have around.

You decide to test your limits a little more. Just to see.

"Temper," you chide him. "What happened to your patience?"

He laughs humorlessly. "What happened to my patience?" he echoes. "Let's see. I came down with a random fever the other day that just kept getting worse. Next thing I know, I'm hornier than I've ever been. It's never been this bad before. It's been happening forever, but I..." He trails off. Suddenly, all the color drains from his face.

"Holy shit," he murmurs.

Noting the shocked look on his face, you place one of your hands atop of his. "Gerard? What is it?"

"I think... Jesus Christ..." He sighs, reaching a shaky hand up to rake through his disheveled dark hair before meeting your eyes.

"I think it's because this is the first time it's happened since we've been together," he says.

You blink at him. You know there has to be some sort of connection to this information, but, for whatever reason, it doesn't compute. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Though you expect him to get agitated again, Gerard remains calm. He reaches out and threads his fingers through yours. "Because you and I could be a mated pair," he says. "That's why it's so intense. Basically, my body's telling me to..."

You smile at him, squeezing his hand. "Claim me?"

He freezes, just staring at you for a moment. Finally, he shrugs. "Yeah. I guess." His pallor disappears, only to be replaced by a bright shade of scarlet. "I mean, that sounds so... Possessive and creepy. You know I'm not like that. Only if you're alright with..."

You laugh. "Gee, baby. It's okay." Your thumb brushes lightly over his as you continue to speak to him. "The thought of it doesn't freak me out or anything. In fact, I think it sounds... Kinda romantic, in a weird way."

He sighs, turning several shades redder. "It isn't. Like, at all," he says. "Since I'm in rut, I'll definitely end up knotting you this time. And, if we actually do this whole... mating thing, I'll have to bite you."

He looks at you as if he expects you to be horrified. You just laugh. "Kinky."

He shakes his head. "You don't understand. If I bite you, that means you're marked, which means you're tied to me for pretty much forever. It's like a fucking... Biological marriage."

You chuckle. "Well, that does sound sort of creepy, but only because you put it that way." You squeeze his hand again. "In all honesty, Gee, I think I understand all of it. And it doesn't scare me at all."

He looks at you with wide, dubious eyes. "Seriously?"

You shrug. "I mean, yeah. I love you. I was kinda hoping we'd be a 'forever' thing, anyway. If you want to knot me, bite me, whatever, I say go for it."

"You're sure?"

"I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything."

The next thing you know, his lips are on yours again, hands cupping your face. He pulls away, resting his forehead against yours. "Thank you," he murmurs. "God, I love you so much."

You giggle, stroking the side of his face gently. "Same to you, babe."  You give him another quick peck before wrapping your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you. "Now, make me yours."

You don't expect these words to have much of an effect on him. Yet, he fucking growls in your ear before reaching for the zipper on your jeans.

Before you can really make sense of it, your clothes have been tossed aside. Gerard is still wearing your sweatshirt, but he really doesn't seem to give a damn. He's too focused on attacking your neck, sucking and nipping playfully but never sinking his teeth in. You figure that will come later.

Slowly, his mouth travels down your body until he's kneeling at the foot of the bed. Realizing what he's doing, you prop yourself up on your elbows and look down at him. "You don't have to," you say. "I mean... I know it would be easier for you if you went ahead and..."

"I'm not fucking selfish," Gerard grumbles, pinning your hips against the bed. He gives your inner thigh a teasing nip. The gasp this elicits from you causes him to flash you a self-satisfied grin. "Are you really about to turn down getting eaten out, sugar? God knows, it would be the first time..."

Holy shit. He really wants to do this. "No," you say quickly. "No. By all means, go ahead."

So he does. You throw your head back as soon as his tongue flattens against your pussy, licking a long stripe all the way up to your clit. "Fuck, Gerard."

He simply hums against you before focusing his undivided attention on using his tongue to its fullest potential. He's always been good at eating you out, but this... This is on a different level entirely.

He is quick, fevered. All you can do is tangle your fingers in his hair and pull, desperately crying out his name every now and again.

You don't think that anyone has ever made you feel so good, so fast. He falls into a quick, effortless rhythm. Before long, a sudden rush of heat washes over you.

"Gee," you whimper. "I'm gonna..."

As soon as he casts those hazel eyes up to look at you, it's over.

You come with a shrill cry. He holds you down despite your trembling, pushing your body into the mattress until you finally relax.

Panting, you throw an arm over your eyes and go limp. "That was fucking amazing, holy shit..."

Gerard gives a little chuckle of satisfaction, nuzzling your thigh.

Once your breathing calms down, you uncover your eyes. "C'mere," you tell him.

He climbs back onto the bed without argument. As soon as he's within arm's distance, you pull him in for another kiss. This one is even more blistering in its heat. The taste of you lingers on his tongue, intoxicating.

Just when you're beginning to wonder if either of you will ever come up for air, he pulls away, panting. "Can... Can I?" he asks.

You smile, wrapping your legs around his waist. "Do it."

He presses his lips against yours again and pushes inside of you. You immediately gasp at the stretch. He's always been big, but this feels different somehow.

"Oh, fuck, yes."

You look up, only to see Gerard's face formed into what you can only describe as an expression of pure ecstasy. His eyes are closed, his mouth hanging open. His hands grip the edges of the headboard behind you.

Though you can only imagine how good it feels to finally be this close to relief after an entire torturous day of desperation, he still opens his eyes again. He looks down at you with a look of genuine concern. "You alright, sugar?" he asks, voice strained.

"I'm good," you assure him. "You... You can move."

If you were overwhelmed by the feeling of him before, your head spins even more when he begins rolling his hips into you, setting a slow, tentative rhythm.

Your eyes fall shut as your arms tighten around him. You don't know how to describe the feeling that is currently washing over you, — don't know if the words for it even exist. You just know that it's different than how it usually feels when he fucks you.

Maybe it's the way that he moves against you with a natural, single-minded focus, as if this was what he was made to do. Hell, maybe it was. You've seen more alpha in him in the past half hour than you have... Well, ever.

He's making you his. Everyone will be able to see it. Hell, they'll be able to smell it on you. The mere thought of that sends another rush of heat coursing through your body. You're beginning to understand what Gerard meant earlier when he said he felt like his blood was on fire.

In the moment, everything feels so... right. You know that this isn't the way that this normally goes, — that you aren't one of the omegas that he's supposed to be drawn to, that you don't go into heat, that your scent isn't the strong, pheromone-laden smell that's genetically designed to drive alphas wild, — but none of that matters.

What matters is that he wants you, now and forever.

Without a shadow of a doubt, you return the sentiment.

There's the obvious physical element of it, too. It almost feels like he's growing inside of you. He hits all the right places with every single thrust, forcing breathy whimpers up from your throat. You want to dig your nails into his back, hold him in place, make him yours, too, but that dumb sweatshirt is getting in the way. You grip handfuls of fabric instead.

His name breaks up from your throat in a series of desperate cries, as if it's all you know how to say. Fitting, considering that you feel as though he is flooding every aspect of your existence. "Gerard..."

He makes that low growling sound again, sending your head spinning. The dizziness intensifies as he speeds up. Nearly every sharp thrust is punctuated by a low groan as his pace builds towards a crescendo and you draw closer to your climax.

"Gerard." You wrap your arms around him tighter, burying your face in the feverish skin of his neck. He manages to drive into you with even more ferocity.

That's when you feel it, unmistakable. The knot, swelling as he gets closer to his release.

You feel so full, every bit of him overwhelming your senses. It's all so much, — almost too much. You can't hold back any longer.

"Gerard... Fuck, I'm gonna fucking come..."

He doesn't say a word as he slams into you with a force you didn't know he could even possess, sending you over the edge.

You can't help it. You fucking scream as you unravel beneath him.

He lets out a loud groan, stilling inside of you. He's deeper in you now than you think he's ever been. The knot pushes against your spasming walls, filling you with the most divine pressure.

The sound that Gerard makes as he releases inside of you can only be described as something akin to a roar. His head falls against your shoulder, and then...

Pain. Searing pain to match the molten pleasure that is currently melting your insides. His teeth are buried in your neck as he fills you up with pump after pump of come.

You close your eyes, letting your scream die down into a pathetic whine. Not long afterwards, Gerard collapses on top of you, utterly spent.

You know that this is the point where it would all usually come to an end. Yet, it doesn't.

Gerard is still buried deep inside of you. The two of you are effectively locked together by the knot.

Under any other circumstances, you might find this scary, — or at least really fucking weird. Right now, though, you don't particularly mind.

You sigh as you feel his tongue running across your neck, lapping up blood from your bite wound.

He pulls away and stares down at you.

There's a faint smear of red beneath his mouth. His eyes look different, pupils blown wide. He's still breathing heavily.

Truth be told, he looks sort of terrifying right now, a far cry from the shy singer who you met at a basement show last year.

Nonetheless, when he reaches up to tuck a lock of hair behind your ear, you lean into his touch.

"You're good, right?" he asks, voice dripping with concern. "I didn't hurt you, did I? Christ, sugar, I didn't mean to be so rough..."

"Gerard. Stop," you manage to speak. "It was good."

He blinks. "Good?"

You chuckle. "Well, fucking amazing is more like it." You kiss him lazily before pulling away with a contented sigh. "I can't believe you kept that stupid fucking sweatshirt on the whole time. Kinda rude, considering you marked me for life and you couldn't even be bothered to get completely naked..."

"Wasn't really my top priority," he says. "As long as I took all of your clothes off, I was all good."

You laugh. "If you say so," you say. "I just think  your new mate deserves a little more respect..."

"Yeah, yeah."

The silence settles comfortably between the two of you, the room filling with the sound of your slowly-steadying breathing. Gerard traces gentle patterns against the skin of your shoulder, just like always. You could almost forget the monumental moment that just occurred if it wasn't for the stinging wound on your neck and the fact that you're literally stuck together.

You break the silence. "Kinda late for me to ask this, but exactly how long do knots usually last?"

Gerard gives a noncommittal hum, still tracing hearts against your skin. "Usually about thirty minutes."

You groan. "Jesus Christ. You better be hoping that nobody comes home."

"Trust me, sugar. I am." He pulls his hand away before pressing his lips to your shoulder.

"I love you."

He's said it a million times before. You're sure that this time is the most sincere one yet.

"Love you, too," you reply easily.

You can feel him smiling against your skin as his arms loop around your waist. "You're stuck with me."

You laugh. "Yeah. For the next twenty-five minutes and the rest of my life."

As much as you plan on giving him hell for it, you wouldn't have it any other way.

-

taglist (ask to be included!)

@mysunfishpeedinmyroom

#gerard way x reader #my chemical romance fanfiction #my chemical romance x reader #mcr x reader #mcr fanfiction #gerard way fanfiction #gerard way smut #my writing #kinktober 2022 #mcr imagines #gerard way imagines #my chemical romance imagines

[let-us-cultivate-our-garden]

Could you elaborate on your comment on Discord? I would specifically like to know why The Owl House is bad at consistency:

This is Dana [Terrace]'s first time as a showrunner (granted [Gravity Falls] was also Alex Hirsche's [sic] first show as well). But all of the writing mistakes we have talked about point to a team that struggled with basic world-building, character dynamics, consistency, etc.

So this one's going to be a two-fer since the questions are similar.

First off, writing in film and television is always a team effort; writers plan, storyboard, revise, edit, and bounce ideas off each other when creating the script. Second, any first time show runner will have difficulties helming their show by virtue of being inexperienced. That's not indicative of them being a bad writer but a novice one.

I don't believe it's helpful to classify anyone as a "good" or "bad" writer based on one piece of work because even a world-famous and world-renowned author can produce a dud. That's just the nature of the creative process.

So when you ask what went wrong in the writing process you really have to know what that specific writing process was. For TOH, I don't know what that was; looking at the list of episodes and the staff responsible, it looks like they pretty much had the same roster of people throughout the run of the show. So any inconsistencies in the plot, character development, etc. cannot be blamed on a changing staff.

If I were to hazard a guess as to why the show is so structurally flawed, I would guess it's due to a lack of discipline. TOH likes to speed run through character arcs to get to the big dramatic moments and not really put in the work to get there. Just look at how quickly Luz and Amity went from rivals to OTP in half a season or how quickly Lilith was forgiven despite being a major antagonist for pretty much all of season 1. They wanted to get to Lumity and Cool Aunt Lilith right away without putting in the work to get there.

And yes, the cancellation did play a role in the show speed running through season 3 HOWEVER the writers also added in the Collector as a secondary antagonist without dealing with Belos first. The result was a character that took a lot of time away from established characters and plot lines and his own subplot resulted in his character being stripped of anything interesting or unique and just another Sad Boy for the audience to coddle.

Again, this is due to lack of discipline and wanting to cram characters and concepts into the show without stopping to think if it is beneficial to the overall story or not.

In the end, what separates a "good" writer from a "bad" one is that good writers will acknowledge their mistakes and fix them while poor ones keep repeating the same mistakes or make even bigger ones.

I hope this answers your question because without knowing how the writers chose to approach their story and why they made the decisions they did, I can only point out the flaws and what that means for the show as a whole.

#asks #the owl house #toh critical #toh criticism

[pansear-doodles]

Actually I do have an ask of more substance if you don't mind another one from me! I'd love to hear your take on Saint and SOS. We've gotten hints of it from your comics but if you're willing to share any details that'd be really cool :0

hehe

as part of the "SOS made Saint" group, i can elaborate on their relations

keep in mind that my au has them as merged timelines with the other campaigns (or is a funny mix of the events folding)

Typically, iterators don't have sympathy for their creations and simply see them as that- their creations, but most overtime grow fond of them like Sigs with Hunter and Suns with Spear and Wanderer.

Sliver never developed a familial fondness for Saint, seeing them merely as a tool and treating them as such. Due to Sliver's circumstance and limited resource, they could only really create Saint as they are, so most things taught to them had to be from scratch and to be trained for. As a child, Saint was constantly starved and neglected as part of their training in order to open up that "gaping hole" to be a vessel- becoming the triple affirmative.

Slugcats are sociable creatures, so child Saint didn't really understand why they're going through it. Sliver has pretty much broke them. She makes a test run and sends Saint to the void sea to take in the ascension powers onto their body. Once Saint arrives back to her chambers and demonstrates such a power, Sliver was ecstatic from the discovery and starts telling the other iterators.

But having her back turned, Saint, at a fit of rage, ascends Sliver, effectively wiping them off from the face of the earth.

Saint has nobody and nothing else they could care about, so they tried ascending themselves but... they were rejected, finding themselves back to the place they started.

They find themselves karmically misaligned once more, so they spent the next few years training themselves and meeting with echoes... During all that, Saint couldn't help but fulfill their duty. "If all creatures are stuck in the endless cycle, then maybe..."

Then they meet Arti, whom they heavily sympathized for (and was attracted to). They have these conflicting feelings or whether to tell them the truth, to free them of their cyclical curses so they'd no longer have to live on with these burdens, or to settle.

Heretic shows you how that went...

After reaching maximum attunement, Saint attempts ascension once more... only to unveil the horrifying discovery that they were echoing, and finding themselves at the beginning once more- the start of their karmically attuning journey.

They don't know what to make of this.

Throughout their various attempts to permanently ascend as an overall act of desperation to escape their own cycle, they befriended and engaged with the other slugcats and has ascended all of them before. They went through a lot of stories, seen their many angles and all ends with a tragedy and restarting their journey.

Eventually Saint got sick and tired of it all and find themselves on the current timeline we are seeing now. They do not make an effort to befriend all of them this time, nor ascend them. They used to, but they find no point in it, not being truthful about themselves, its all going to be reset anyway.

... But Monk remembers.

This haunts Saint. They feel obliged to be there for them more than ever. They fear of becoming Sliver themselves- and speaking of the such, would at times hallucinate and dream of her, mocking them in a calm motherly voice I'd imagine. Helm showcases that.

Of course, Sliver is dead dead. She can't ever return because that is before the checkpoint that Saint permanently put themselves in for every timeline reset. There are some set events that will happen no matter what Saint does, like Arti losing their pups.

As im writing this, the story rn- Saint hasn't told the other slugcats their deal, but once they do, I imagine a lot of change by dynamic.

#ask #my anthro au

[dats-hq]

I have been thinking about True Endings, partially because of a post by user sorryitisandy which you can read here, though be warned it contains endgame good route spoilers for Baldur's Gate 3. Anyway Digimon Survive...

I absolutely love the Wrathful and Moral routes. Truthful route... I have a complicated relationship with. In my heart of hearts, Moral ending is the real ending. It was the first ending I got, and it felt like a truly organic consequence of my decisions. I wasn't nice to Ryo at first. I thought he was annoying, and his panic felt malicious to me throughout most of Part 1. It wasn't enough that he was scared; he was mad at Minoru and Takuma for not being as scared, literally screaming at them and belittling them for expressing determination to save Aoi and survive the night together. By the time I came to understand Ryo's point of view better, it felt like it was already maybe too late, especially because I wasn't good at talking to him. My dialogue choices calmed him down maybe about a third of the time in Part 2. The song remained the same for Shuuji in Part 5.

To be clear, under the hood, the decisions I made in the first eight parts of Digimon Survive did not matter in exactly the way I imagined on my first playthrough, but I think it's fair to say that most players had a similar experience with Ryo and Shuuji. The game does a lot of legwork to make it hard to root for them and only very slowly reveal the complexity that lies within.

A lot of fans ask people with lingering animosity toward Ryo and Shuuji to play the Truthful route to see how much better they can turn out when you save them, but to me this feels like admission of a certain level of media illiteracy. Is it cool to see Shuuji grow into the leadership role while staying true to himself? Sure. But what is the core of Shuuji's story? A boy without an emotional support network is burdened with great expectations and forced into a mold he does not fit, and then thrust into an impossible situation where everything he has striven to become is actively detrimental to his goals. You get all of this from an attentive reading of the non-Truthful routes.

I think the thing that bothers me about the existence of the Truthful route is how it frames the other routes. It is Truthful. What does that make the more interesting timelines? Just a point of contrast. Shuuji didn't really die lonely and afraid in a dark corner of another world, but imagine how bad it could have been if he had! The inverse is the more interesting proposition. What a tragedy, what happened to Shuuji. Imagine what he could have become. If you consider the Wrathful and Harmony routes, this is the dynamic we discover with Kaito and Aoi, after all.

And of course the Truthful route feels like the "real" version of the story because of the structure of the game. It's the ending you have to work the hardest for. It's the ending that stands alone. It's the ending where everything is tied up in a neat bow. It's the ending with the most lore. And all we had to sacrifice was the emotional stakes.

To be clear, I'm not saying the game would be actively improved by simply removing the Truthful ending and changing nothing else. The game was designed from the ground up with the four main endings, so this is really something that would need to be addressed at a foundation level in theoretical Digimon Survive 2, the best game that hasn't yet been made.

Anyway after that long ramble, have a shitpost that sums up how Truthful route feels to me in a hyperbolic way that only makes sense if you hate the merchandization of Evangelion.

#digimon survive #digimon survive spoilers #digimon survive meta #meta #my posts

[deanismysavior]

Mileven has a beautiful story and ruining them in season 5 would be a shame. Byler is so toxic,mike and will fight all the time and Mike makes Will suffer all the time. That’s why i think it’s better for will to find another crush.

Listen, I'm not here to start ship wars, really. I'm just calling it like I see it, given what we have visually been shown throughout the season and the context clues we can pick up on.

If you want to continue to ship Mileven, great, cool, fine, but on my own blog, I'm going to share my own opinion, so here it is:

It seems, at least to me, pretty undeniable at this point that the writing is on the wall for Mileven. All we've gotten from them this season is lies, miscommunication, and a lack of understanding what the other needs. There was no real reconciling after the love confession, no real resolution to all of that strain. In fact, it was confirmed to us that El still wasn't really talking to Mike. To try to put them back together at this point with the fact that Mike has definitely not changed how he views El or gained any insight into how to actually love her the way she needs and deserves, it would feel forced, and I honestly want better for them both than to continue in a relationship where they're not feeling seen by one another.

Mileven, as a relationship, used to be a cute dynamic. It was sweet and innocent, but as they've grown up, they haven't grown together pretty much at all. Their relationship is not built on honest communication, but instead just physical affection, which isn't healthy or balanced. I'm sorry to say it, but I really don't think the writers would be ruining anything that's not already broken here.

Mike and Will might fight a few times over the course of the show, but to me, none of that displays toxic behavior. They are actively expressing their feelings around one another in moments where they come to a head. Mike's really unhealthy behavior shows up whether he's fighting or not: he deflects blame, but what's different about his relationship with Will is that he almost always takes full accountability afterwards and apologizes right away. We don't really see him display this behavior with anyone else. He has consistently always had to be goaded into apologizing to others, and it either shows up half-assed (like his apology to Lucas in s1) or performative (like his attempted apology to El post-breakup). He only really ever gives a genuine and authentic apology without prompting to Will.

Mike and Will's relationship is built on mutual trust; Mike and El's is not, as we see El spying on Mike (s3) or lying to Mike (s4), and Mike gaslighting her on multiple occasions. If you want to call anything toxic, I'd say that's pretty damn close right there.

The only reason Will is suffering is because he thinks his feelings are unrequited, but Mike doesn't "make him suffer," Mike makes him feel seen.

They've already addressed that they are not bringing new characters into the show next season, and it would honestly feel cheap at this point to have built up Will being in love with Mike and building more trust with him all of season 4 to then just have Will pursue a different romantic partner. If they wanted Will with someone else, they should have introduced someone else for him, but they didn't. They explicitly made him in love with Mike.

At the end of the day, we all just want our characters to be happy, but I don't think that that happiness is going to come from Mileven staying together. El needs to feel empowered and understood. Mike needs to feel like he's not inferior to his partner. Will deserves to be loved the way that he gives love to others. Byler endgame is just the way that I see all of them getting satisfying and happy endings for themselves.

But seriously, do whatever you want. Think whatever you want. Ship whatever you want. But don't come into my ask box and expect to prove me wrong about something I've thought very carefully about.

#byler #byler endgame #ask #mike wheeler #will byers #el hopper #stranger things #st #anyways might start deleting asks if i keep getting these becase WHEW

[t4llhum4n]

Wakey, wakey, eggs and Blake-y (I type at 6pm).

Seriously though, this guy is simultaneously the smartest and stupidest man to ever speak on Redacted's channel. And I want to talk about that.

Well, kind of.

Before I get into character motivations and all that, I wanted to point something out. This? This is how you write a static character and have them still be compelling. Dynamicism is appreciated in characters, sure, but to write a static character who isn't boring? So so cool.

When I go about theorizing for a specific character's future actions, I typically take into account what stage they're at in their development. For example, my thoughts on Hush and how I believe his future actions will play out are based on what stage of development I see Hush being at in that moment. With Blake? It's a whole different ballpark.

Blake's behavior is the constant in my theories about him. His nature hasn't changed at all throughout the course of his story, save for maybe becoming a little more desperate. Even then, that desperation is fueled by feelings that he's had since childhood. Normally, that would become stale in a character (at least in my opinion). Here, though? It's anything but.

Looking into why that is, I can only think that it's because of how his character is revealed to us. We get to see both sides of him, one from "Sunshine" and one from "Bestie." And because of this, we're waiting with bated breath for both worlds to collide. His duality isn't dynamic, but it's still so intriguing. From "Sunshine's" point of view, we're left wondering just how far he's willing to go and how violent he'll allow himself to get. Then, from "Bestie's" point of view, we see a softness that he holds (seemingly) solely for them, and we're waiting for "Bestie" to see his other, darker side.

It's not necessarily Blake as a person that's interesting to me. It's how he acts around others that really gets my character analysis-prone brain whirring. I'm not interested in seeing his growth, because from where I'm standing, it doesn't look like he's going to grow. He's rooted in his obsession with "Bestie," and that, in his own words, is the reason why he's doing all of this. And nothing, not even threats from a being far stronger than him, seems to be able to change that. When his first reaction to a line like, "Watching your lover's death will feel like a mercy in comparison," was a snide, "Charming friend you've got there," I knew any hope for change in this man was lost.

So, with that said, let's talk about the brains on this man. Does he have any? I mean, he must. He got an entire major branch of a multi-establishment political hate group under his thumb, and that doesn't happen on accident. Blake is an intelligent person, no doubt, but he's also (ironically) a very blind person. He doesn't see anything beyond his lover, and he's confident that he will change their fate.

I honestly can not fathom how deep his feelings for "Bestie" are. Call it selfish, but if I were in Blake's place, I would've given up trying to change my lover's fate a long time ago. Instead, I would've cherished and made the most of the time I had with them, until ultimately I had to let them go. Blake, though, is not having that.

This brings up a point of discussion that I really love looking into when it comes to Blake. "Does he want to save 'Bestie' for their sake, or his?" I'm not going to share my stance on that just yet (mostly because both sides make a very compelling argument idk where I stand), but the fact that there's so much to talk about with a character this unchanging is astounding. It's not every day you see a static character who has so much compelling mystery surrounding them. He doesn't grow or evolve, nor does he show signs of ever wanting to, and yet we're still enthralled by his journey.

And the way his obsession is written? It's so good. I don't believe that he was always obsessed with "Bestie." Did he always have a thing for them? Sure. But I really don't think it grew into an obsession until he saw their death, and then he saw that nothing he tried could save them. See, Blake isn't just obsessed with "Bestie." He's also obsessed with changing their fate. Which leaves even more potential for character analysis.

We know that he wants "Bestie" to live. That's the main motivator behind his desire to change a seemingly unchangeable fate. But.. what if there's something else there, too? Can you imagine besting death? Overcoming something that haunted you as a fixed point in a world with no such thing as "fixed points?" The power you would feel getting the better of something like that would be nigh unmatched, and we know that this motherfucker has a god complex.

Blake wants to save "Bestie" so that they can live longer. At the same time, I think part of it turned into a challenge for himself. He's testing himself because if he can pull this off, then he's unstoppable, at least in his eyes. And what he sees in his eyes is the only thing that matters to him.

Could I say more? Yes. Will I? In a future theory, yes. But for now, I'm leaving it here. I really love diving into Blake. Characters with insane amounts of hubris and a god complex to match are some of the most fun to dive into. I hope you enjoyed my little analysis-turned-rant! Writing these is always super fun :D

#it's incoherent. it's messy. but it's also my thoughts :) #god this freak is so fun #redacted audio #redacted asmr #redactedverse #redacted blake #redacted bestie #redacted the balance #unrelated but i just ate the saltiest “meat”loaf (i'm vegetarian) and now my mouth feels like it's creating sand

[nokistar]

I keep seeing a bunch of revisionism regarding Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (and it's followups), so let's do a quick review/recap of it and see why the rest of the Apollo Justice Trilogy was spent trying to get rid of Apollo Justice.

This is written by Shu Takumi, who wrote the original trilogy. It was also written with the hand of Capcom on his shoulder, kind of ruining everything.

Originally the game was going to focus on Apollo alone, with no involvement of Phoenix at all. They also wanted specific plot points to be implemented like the jury system in the final trial. They also gave him absolutely no time to actually write anything.

However, this doesn't excuse the game we got from being bad. It just means it didn't have the chance to be good, no matter how hard the creators tried. It's not a reflection of their abilities, it's a reflection of Capcom being terrible.

Plot-wise, Apollo Justice begins with the victorious ending of the original trilogy pretty much instantly being undone and Phoenix being disbarred because everyone in the courtroom is an idiot (a recurring theme with this game, especially in the third case). Phoenix takes evidence from a strange little girl, his defendant runs away in the middle of a trial leaving his daughter behind, nobody looks into the circumstances of the forged evidence presented, and so on.

It feels like an incredibly contrived situation to hoist a new character into the spotlight.

Apollo Justice is a guy. He's supposed to be a more straight-laced version of Phoenix, but that and the rushed writing of the story lead to him just kind of going along with the story while leaving no mark on it of his own. I the original trilogy, Nick and Maya would barge in to confront culprits outside of court, investigate old cases they think are relevant, and just generally being proactive. Apollo and Trucy are just kind of there, but at least Trucy has her magician stuff going on and a fun dynamic with her adoptive father.

Our prosecutor this time around is Klavier Gavin, a rock star. Other games in the series have prosecutors who whip you, attack you with birds, condemn you to hell, drink wine in court... and yet Klavier is somehow the most baffling one of all because his whole gimmick is... he has another demanding job. It has nothing to do with his character journey (it actually causes a plot hole because he shouldn't be prosecuting a case he has a personal stake in, being a possible witness to a murder case that happens at one of his concerts) and just feels like they needed to spice up his character in some way.

So what exactly is his character journey?

Nothing.

Klavier is an antagonist in the strictest terms, as he isn't a bad guy. He's simply opposing you. Even when you're the one who got his brother sentenced to jail. Even when his own brother is on the stand for murder, he keeps a cool, boring head. He has an unwavering sense of justice in his heart.

In other words, he's just there to give you evidence and question prompts. He has no character arc despite how close he is to the plot. He's even the one to go up against Phoenix on the case he got disbarred because plot contrivences.

Speaking of plot contrivances, Apollo and Trucy are half-siblings now. It doesn't affect the story in any way shape or form (other than giving Apollo his awful gameplay gimmick) and is just a last second plot twist for the sake of a last second plot twist.

If I were to be generous, I'd guess future games Takumi planned to write had a larger theme of family and this would impact that. Even in AJ, the theme of family is all throughout it. You have the 'mystery' of Phoenix suddenly having a daughter, you have the second case being about a Yakuza family, you have the Gavins. If the team had the proper time, this could have been important even just thematically.

But as it is, it affects nothing. As it is the game is bad. No amount of what ifs can change that.

And, this is where I really toe the line of being controversial, but I don't think it would have been good even with those what ifs. Why?

Because the Great Ace Attorney duology reran a lot of these problems over the course of two games.

A jury system with no effect on anything. A pointless family relationship reveal. A defense attorney who is pulled along at the whims of his mentor figure. A mountain load of plot contrivences.

So it's no wonder when a new writer came on board afterward, they pivoted so hard away from it.

However, with Dual Destinies, they do follow up on the biggest theme of AJ: the corruption of the justice system. The game is about bringing an end to the Dark Age of the Law. Undoing Phoenix's disbarment, weeding out corruption, focusing on a new generation of attorneys and judges. Even if you think the cases are weak, the thematics are strong. There's a reason why the final trial takes place in a ruined courtroom aside from it being a cool setpiece.

It also introduces Athena Cykes, who is her own character. She has her own motivations, her own way of doing things. She's bold, she can lose her temper. She's a fun character that contrasts Phoenix and was brought into the agency through Phoenix's character motivations.

Apollo, meanwhile, they didn't have anything to work with. A big theme with Apollo as a character is the wild contrivences they have to make to keep him relevant and I think that with the characterization and backstory given to the team by Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, this was all they could do aside from making him Athena's straightman.

This is why they spent Spirit of Justice getting rid of him. If he's got nothing going for him, they might as well write an entirely new backstory just to resolve that hanging plot thread because his backstory has to be something.

I don't want to dislike Apollo, but he wasn't introduced well and that introduction gave him no ground to stand on in future games. He's too straight-laced to work in a cast and world that's always been as vibrant as Ace Attorney's. And most importantly EVERYBODY hated this game when it came out.

That's why Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice, despite their new tone, saved the series after Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. The only reason people are so willing to fight for AJ is because these two did their best to fix what AJ broke.

#ace attorney #apollo justice #phoenix wright #analysis I guess

[bitacrytic]

Real Fear, or Part of the Plan?

We know what Kinn is like when he's in love.

He goes all in. The only time he resists Porsche is when Porsche pulls his hand away. Besides that, Kinn pretty much let's Porsche do whatever. Which is romantic, right?

Until we remember that in his previous relationship,

Which would have also been alright because people in relationships lie. They don't always do the right thing. And if we're to believe Tawan's story, his family was in danger.

Cool.

Except, when we add the dynamics between them. Because Tawan is all cool and calm with Porsche.

But the moment Kinn shows up,

And then as soon as he has Kinn's protection, as soon as he notices the familiar chinks in Kinn's armour, he changes.

His words get curt. His voice is deeper. His smiles disappear. He makes Kinn know that he isn't budging and Kinn relents.

Also, this scene.

Kinn tries to set a boundary. But the moment Tawan says,

Kinn, once again, obeys.

It isn't even like Kinn has one second where he considers, "hmm, maybe I feel something for him." Nope. Because look at his face throughout the whole thing.

Kinn wants to be anywhere else.

AND YET,

Powerful, stern, boss Kinn can't do anything about it. He hates being there but he just sits through it, allowing Tawan to rub his head on his crotch.

Even when Kinn tries to raise his voice, Tawan laughs in his face.

He laughs in the face of someone who's shot him before. He mocks Kinn's temper because he's seen it before he knows how to get around it.

When Kinn yells, others scramble. When he yells at Tawan, Tawan reminds him of their history. He's not scared of Kinn.

Which makes me wonder, is Kinn playing up his insecurities as a way to fool Tawan into old habits, or is this really how he feels, how he's been pushed to act around Tawan, because of their past?

Because, regardless of whether Kinn's behaviour now is fake or real, the truth still remains that Tawan recognises this behaviour. And if he does, then that must mean that this was how Kinn used to act when they were in a relationship, scared, obedient and unable to truly be himself.

#kinnporsche #reminds me of beloved in house #how when the ex showed up #the top became a timid little boy scared to initiate eye contact #I used to want Porsche to punch Tawan #but I think I will very much enjoy Kinn shooting him again #yes

[doingproblematicmedia]

“Oh boy! Like Lion King!” - Africa, Pop Culture, and The Book of Mormon

I think we can all agree that The Book of Mormon hasn’t aged well.

It’s been twelve years since The Book of Mormon opened on Broadway, which is crazy to think about. Twelve years ago we all thought Mitt Romney was the worst thing that could happen to the US. 

Two years ago the US took another look at racism. The Black production members spearheaded an effort to review the show. The goals of this review were to address the way the African characters are portrayed and to center them more in the work.

I’m not familiar with the outcome of this effort. It’s hard to find details on the show’s new look, apart from some little tidbits regarding the main female lead and her actions in the show.

But I think there is one element of The Book of Mormon that critics have been failing to address for a long time - an element that is built into the bones of the show, yet goes unnoticed.

When Elders Price and Cunningham are told where they’re going to go on their mission, we get our first glimpse:

VOICE: And your mission location is...UGANDA!

[Music stops.]

ELDER PRICE: ...Uganda?

ELDER CUNNINGHAM: UGANDA? Cool! Where is that?!

VOICE: Africa!

[Price looks visibly upset, but then bucks up and tries to rally himself.]

ELDER CUNNINGHAM: Oh BOY - like Lion King!

and few pages in the script later:

PRICE’S DAD: ...You’re heading...TO AFRICA!!!!!

[The families make it offstage. The lights go dark and a spot comes up on a Lion King-like character who enters stage.]

LION KING CHARACTER:  Hey na da hey na! Aya bubbu taya tayaaaaaa! Haiyaaaa tayaaaa mala ennyaaaaaa! Hey naaa naaa naaa da hayaaa!

[Finally the lights come up, the families are back, and we are STILL at the airport.]

PRICE’S DAD: How did you like THAT, boys?! A real LION KING SEND-OFF! We got Mrs Brown to sing like an African for you.

ELDER PRICE: That’s great dad, thanks.

LION KING CHARACTER: [Waving] Good luck, boys! I’ve never been to Africa, but I’m sure it’s a hoot!

The only thing Americans know about Africa is Lion King. The show is hammering this point home to us.

We’re immediately set up to think of Africa through a pop cultural lens. And as soon as the Elders get to Uganda, we’re immediately shown a different image of Africa: poverty, militia violence, and AIDS.

This is another idea of Africa rooted in American pop culture. Yes, these things exist in Africa, but Africa is a much more diverse and dynamic place that American pop culture gives it credit for. 

And yet, we’re presented with two takes on Africa heavily rooted in American pop culture. The Africa we’re shown in The Book of Mormon is not authentic. I don’t believe this is an accident! I don’t believe this is a lazy American team failing to understand what really makes Africa. 

Pop culture is a theme woven throughout the show, besides the constant Lion King jokes. When Elder Cunningham forgets his Mormon theology, he falls back on pop culture, like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. By weaving pop culture into his missionary work, he finds himself successfully getting through to the Ugandan villagers where the other Mormon missionaries have failed. 

And in the end, the converted villagers present a new story of Joseph Smith, one built with the pop culture they’ve been introduced to.

After all, the show asks, are religious stories not just another form of pop culture? Our myths, our legends, the stories that inform our lives - whether they be out of a religious document or owned by Disney, it’s the stories we tell that make life meaningful. And when we no longer find meaning in these stories, we can adapt and change them to make new meaning.

It’s the stories we tell that are powerful - powerful enough to inform Americans’ view of a whole continent.

In The Book of Mormon, we’re presented with a pop cultural version of Africa. But unlike most American media that depicts Africa in this way, we’re asked to examine our conceptions and where they come from, and how they do not reflect reality.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the show is successful in asking this question.

The Book of Mormon is frequently called out for its depictions and treatment of Africa and the African characters. And rightfully so. The African characters come off as primitive, disease-ridden, and sexually violent. In many ways, I think, the show is trying to critique these stereotypes. But it does not speak loudly enough against them in order to do so.

The problem with offering up an Africa that is built on American pop culture, is that we aren’t given an alternative to this lens. We aren’t given any material to compare against a pop cultural depiction. Why would we question the stereotypes when the show doesn’t give us any reason to? Telling us that we’re in a world informed by pop culture isn’t enough. We need a way to break through this depiction, and come closer to something resembling authenticity.

After all, this show talks about the power of communal story-telling. But theatre is another form of communal story-telling. And when they’re telling us a story about an Africa that is dirty, brutal, and desperate - we have no material to build a new story out of.

The reason all the missionaries before our protagonists failed - they offered nothing new, nothing that is relevant or can speak to the villagers.

And the audience is being offered nothing new either.

Is it even ethical to depict people based on how American popular culture views them? I don’t have a great answer to this. When it comes down to it, The Book of Mormon tries to tell us that we don’t know anything about Africa by showing us what we think we know. All we know are tired stereotypes. 

One of the songs leading up to the finale, “I am Africa”, ridicules this:

MISSION PRESIDENT: Elders of District 9! You have truly honored the church by your success! Congratulations on becoming ONE with the people of Africa!

ELDER MICKINLEY: I am Africa...

I am Africa.

With the strength of the cheetah,

my native voice shall sing.

ELDERS: We are Africa! We are the heartbeat of Africa!

With the rhino, the meerkat, the noble lion king.

We are the winds of the Serengeti,

we are the sweat of the jungle man,

we are the tears of Nelson Mandela -

we are the lost boys of the Sudan.

All this time in Africa, and the missionaries and the audience still know shit about Africa. This song is laughing at the audience as much as it is laughing at the missionaries.

The curtain falls, the audience smiles and leaves, and we still know shit about Africa. The show has pointed this out again and again. But this message gets lost. I know it’s gotten lost because I’ve never seen this offered as a critical lens. To viewers, the show is either fun and weirdly wholesome, or it’s offensive. 

Is it ethical to offer up a depiction based on American pop culture, when we’re missing the fact that what we’re being offered is inauthentic?

Nobody was asking these questions in 2011. But that was twelve years ago, and our expectations for media are changing. The Book of Mormon was a product of its time. I don’t think it could become an unquestioned hit today. That’s ok. There will be more media. More chances to ask:

How can American media truly do Africa - a giant, bustling, diverse, whole continent - justice?

And more chances to answer.

-

[All show dialogue is taken from the script book, published by Newmarket Press in 2011. A lot of the dialogue is written in caps, which I have frequently removed to improve legibility.]

#the book of mormon #other media #I've actually been wanting to write this essay for years cheers guys #I promise that the projects in the works are coming soon!

[moralitas]

Sonic Prime Patterns

It doesn't seem that Sonic Prime has a specific pattern/relationship dynamics that they're investigating. So far we have three worlds that we've seen and I truly believe the next coming episodes will reveal more. I think that while the prism itself doesn't corrupt people it seems that Sonics friends are more easily corrupted/led astray without him or with the scenarios that these worlds create. They're not al dystopias but they all become dystopias. I keep remembering what Amy says, that she may be the one who brings them all together, but he's the one they follow. But Sonic's character development isn't just about leadership too. Shadow tells him 'he never listens' and he realizes that for himself when he's remembering how the prism shattered. There's so much of Modern in this Sonic, the self assuredness and especially the fighting style, but unlike Boom he's not rattled by insecurity he's introduced to them. Learning that this Sonic is Modern!Sonic is really... something. For one he feels like a younger/earlier iteration though i think a lot of it can be chalked up to limited writing within the games and the fact that Sonic’s character needed to primarily be ‘cool’ and the way that is defined has changed throughout the years. A plausible reality I don’t mind indulging in or separating depending on the story you wanna tell.

#sonic prime #sonic prime spoilers #sonic the hedgehog #One of many posts im sure i have many thoughts this is only what i could quickly get down

[lesbienbys]

so I recently just read all of the trigun manga in like 2 days bc I'm mentally ill (which I don't recommend bc my head hurt from crying all day) and it's literally changed my life. The characters, the themes, the story, everything was literally perfect and tailored for Me.

Spoilers for the whole manga series from here!

One of the first things that left me stunned about this series was the first two scenes in trigun of vash in his angel form. The panels are just so stunning and had me devouring the beautiful yet kind of fucked up concept. I love how the angel form isn't just *insert pretty angel wings* but is kind of all over the place and weird, but still really cool looking (for me anyways). Also the whole being a plant is SO dope and vash's hair getting darker as he uses his form more is just *grips table* I love.

What stood out to me and was the positive light in this series when shit got really heavy, was vash's connections with humans. You realize that he's been alone for 150+ years and many people who he connected with either died from non-natural causes or grew too old. And he's always left surviving on his own. And even if he has people who he connects with in the present (his home with his sensei or lina and her grandma) he doesn't stay for very long. With the exception of meryl, milly, and wolfwood who we see with him throughout the story. I personally would have liked to see a bit more from the girls, especially milly, but let me say I adore them so much. They are so swag.

Now let me get into wolfwood. This fuckin' guy has literally jumped to being my favorite fictional character of all time. 90% of the time when I cried it was because of this dude. I'm not good at explaining why I like certain characters, but his dynamic with vash just hit a certain way. The fact that he was able to click with someone like vash, who he both admires and dislikes because of his persistence with his ideals, is such a good way to show the difference in their characters. In the beginning wolfwood didn't care about shooting people if it meant he survived, and then near his death you can see him not taking the kill shots on his enemies. And one of my favorite things in media ever is seeing someone change because of another person. Also speaking of change, when wolfwood in the beginning is like "I don't think I'll ever change" when talking about murdering people and then later on vash is like "you can change" HDKFJSHD I'm in pain. How are they so good.

More on wolfwood, I think his death scene is one of the most beautiful death scenes ever. Like of course I didn't want him to die (tbh he had so many death flags that I was pretty prepared for it) but if I had to make him go out?? That's exactly how I would've done it. The confetti raining down, knowing that he saved his family, getting to finally treat vash to a drink even though the whole knives thing wasn't over yet.... like he got what he wanted! And I can't really complain about that because he deserved that (and so much more). But also wdym he died I just saw him in starbucks yesterday.

So yeah I think the connections that vash has with others is my favorite part of the series. The fact that he's more human than many actual humans. The way he loves humans with all his heart and believes in their existence. There's so much hope wrapped up in this funky little piece of media.

#trigun #trigun maximum #long post #I talk about wolfwood way too much #also I just finished the og anime #and caught up with stampede #this all happened in the span of 4 days #my brain is melting but in a good way

[toomanyfandomsthings]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

OOOO thank you so much for asking, I've never been asked that before! ✨️😃✨️ It's not a top 10 in any particular order (except for number 1, that one is number 1 😂), but mostly the characters who have impacted me a lot or have a special place in my heart right now. Also I'm terribly ineloquent, so please bear with my while I try to make sense -

1.) Aki Hayakawa (Chainsaw Man)

Oooooh my God, where do I start? XD This one was easy because Aki is like my favorite of favorite characters in anything 😁 Such a sweet, caring, protective figure who doesn't see himself as any of those things. He's such a heartbreakingly realistic portrayal of how someone can be self-destructive and I love seeing his dynamics with the cast start to change the way he views and values himself. I love how his instinct to be a big brother shows itself in small ways that don't get directly pointed out - to avoid manga spoilers, I'll point to the scene with Denji in the hospital where Aki makes him the apple bunnies - and just the little ways that he shows he cares for people. I think stuff with him later on in the story is some of the most well written and heartbreaking stuff I've ever read, and I genuinely think he's a wonderfully different take on the revenge plot line. I also have like...way too many figures of him...and plushies...and acrylic stands...and key chains.....and a snow globe I got from Hot Topic- I just love him a lot! 😂💕

2.) Ken Kaneki (Tokyo Ghoul)

I have a little less to say on this one because I haven't read Tokyo Ghoul in a long time so I'm a bit fuzzy on plot details. 😅 But I read Tokyo Ghoul in college at a time where I really needed it and saw a lot of myself in Kaneki. He's such a sweetheart and such a deeply lonely character, and the ways he changes over the course of the story, for better and for worse, are absolutely brilliant and tragic 🥲💕 And I love how, throughout all of these shifts in personality and role in the story, he still feels so distinctly Kaneki. Like, in spite of how cruel and difficult things get, the sweet, book-loving college student is still recognizably there. Kaneki Ken did nothing wrong 😂 Also I wrote a far more eloquent 35 page paper on Kaneki as my final thesis paper for college, soooo that speaks to my affection for him 😂

3.) Felix Hugo Fraldarius (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

There's gonna be a lot of Fire Emblem characters here, I'm so sorry XD But I love Felix so so much! He's a tough personality and admittedly can be incredibly harsh when it's not called for, but he's given so much reasoning as to why he has this attitude and it makes him such an engaging character to watch. He cares so much for everyone around him and just for the life of him cannot communicate that, nor does he want to admit it to himself for fear of losing them like he did his brother. He works so hard to be stronger than his brother so he can protect everyone, to the point where, definitely post-timeskip, he's long since reached that goal but still refuses to believe it. He's a caring soul who's taken on a lot at a young age and has suffered a lot more than he cares to acknowledge. He's also insanely smart (which he is never given credit for in-game which is a crime) and an absolute monster of a unit and is good at basically anything you try to teach him, so he's also just objectively cool 😂

4.) Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Same as Felix, I love Dimitri so so so much 🥲 I think his character arc is so beautifully written (if you couldn't tell, I favor the Blue Lions quite a bit XD) and he's just such an absolute sweetie who's been through entirely too much. I love how protective he is of his loved ones and how the weight of all that he's been through wears on him in big and small ways (I think of little things like his lack of a sense of taste, which you only find out in his support with Flayn, which then recontextualizes little moments like Felix commenting on Dimitri acting like he dislikes the food at meal times and ahhh the character writing in 3H is so good). Also, I am partial to sweet characters becoming absolutely unhinged (see #2 😂) so I knew I'd like Dimitri almost immediately XD Didn't know he'd break my heart as much as he did though 😂

5.) Kaoru Sakurayashiki/Cherry Blossom (SK8 the Infinity)

Cherry is so great, what a truly insufferable person (affectionate) 😂 He's such a brat and I love his dynamic with Joe so much. They argue in the kind of way you only could with someone you've known your whole life, and they clearly love each other and always look out for one another. Also, the interviews with Utsumi which say that he's also anxious and a generally lonely person break my heart, and also inform why he's *always* at Joe's restaurant. He also clearly cares for the little skateboarder family they've made and i love that he takes on a sort of mentor/parental role for the kids. Also what an absolutely chaotic idea for a character - a formerly emo/punk, professional calligrapher who also designs robots and helped establish an illegal skating competition to which he attends in a ninja costume with his AI skateboard - I love him 😂💕 He's also got an amazing character design, like, I want to be him 😂

6.) Zelkov (Fire Emblem Engage)

ZELKOVV I love him so much, he is the character currently occupying my brain the most. 💕 Much of what I've said before, such a sweetheart. I love the way the portray his mental health struggles through his need to constantly have a pursuit or task or hobby to keep his mind occupied, and how it eventually resolves with him opening an orphanage (which is such a perfect resolution for his character 🥲) He's such a caretaker at heart, and I think it's so interesting how that is juxtaposed with his past as an assassin. Plus I think coming into a revenge plotline 10 years after the revenge has been had is just such an interesting take on it. I dunno I just love him so much I could go on for ages but I'll stop here...kinda

7.) Kagetsu (Fire Emblem Engage)

And I say kinda because Zelkov and Kagetsu are inseparable in my mind 😂 I love Kagestu, what an absolute cinnamon roll! 💕 Such a sweet, silly little friend! He's so eager to make friends, almost to a fault. I'd hazard a guess that after leaving his family, not knowing if he could ever go back or if they'd even want him to come back, the eagerness to make friends is sort of a coping thing - trying to reaffirm that he's not alone and that there are people who like him. I love his dynamic with Zelkov and Ivy - he draws the two of them out of their shells and gives them the direct and clear love and affection they need, and in turn they reassure him that he is cared for and give him a place where he is truly content and happy 🥲 He's just a genuine ray of sunshine with more depth than you'd think at first glance.

8.) Yuki Soma (Fruits Basket)

Yet another character that I feel directly called out by 😂 I love him so much, I love that he's such a kind person but doesn't view himself as such because he way overthinks about the nature of what "being kind" is. I love his arc about learning how to better yourself little by little and taking small steps to change; I really find it so inspiring 💕 His backstory episode ruined me for the rest of the day, I literally couldn't sleep that night after I watched it.

9.) Lukas (Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia)

This is my weird pick, but I still think about Lukas and the game came out when I was just starting college XD So kind and so caring, but still very pragmatic and reliable. I think his self reflection on how he feels he may be emotionally broken is so fascinating and relatable, and I love how his support with Python and his ending resolve it in a very satisfying way (I teared up when I saw his ending when I beat the game, though I also may have been going through something at the time XD) His big brother energy to Alm and the kids is also very endearing (especially him and Alm in the Drama CD oh my God) I'm not explaining it well, but I need to give this sweet depressed fellow a hug! 💕

10.) Megumi Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Ahhhh my son, my sweet boy who can't catch a break 🥲 So kind, so caring, so unable to see his own self worth 🥲 Like Aki, I like how the show points out his character flaw maybe once or twice, but it's showed off in dozens of more subtle ways if you pay close attention. I love how kind he is, how much he cares even though he struggles to display it, how he's got a self-admitted flawed sense of what justice is and how, like Kaneki and Dimitri, he's also sliiiightly unhinged XD

Hugs, hugs for all of these characters 😂❤️ Also sorry, I kind of went off, iiiiii got excited 😂 I also left out a bunch of characters because I didn't want it all to be Fire Emblem characters 😂 Thank you so much for asking!!

#thank you so so much this way fun! 😁