#compared to the heroic chosen one story of other ones

[duckiemimi]

what i find particularly interesting about geto is how compared to gojo, he’s the typical type of main character you’d see in any other action-based coming-of-age story. think spiderman, ben10, naruto, etc.—this heroic trope of the quintessential ordinary teenage boy finding out that he’s more than what they say he is, that he’s special and a part of a bigger world. “with great power comes great responsibility,” is something so inherent to pre-defection geto.

it’s why geto is more comparable to yuuji or yuuta, despite us not being introduced to him from his “very beginning.” he’s familiar, in that sense. writing through the eyes of a character just as new to the story as we are allows us to understand why they do the things they do. it’s an intimate point of view because it’s ours.

which is why it’s so interesting to see that instead of geto, gojo is one of the main protagonists in the story—unlike geto, who is the antagonist. we’re forced to see the story through the eyes of the “infallible” best friend, to empathize with gojo and all the hardships he’s been through despite the advantages he’s been handed in life.

it’s also interesting because geto is a peek at the “chosen one” trope gone wrong. this isn’t the first story to do it, but i think the comparison to someone like gojo, who’s seen by his surroundings as a pillar but who’s more than that, is neat! true foils, i think!

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #geto #gojo #geto suguru #gojo satoru

[darkscorpiox]

Utena - Analysis on the opening

I don’t know if someone has already done it, but here’s my interpretation of the opening.

Warning: very, VERY long post and mention of scenes from the show, enough to be considered spoilers (sorry 😅)

Edit: I’ve made an analysis on the first ending as well

Let’s live heroically, let’s live with style. (Just a long, long time.)

The opening starts with our two main characters naked and in a fetal position, indicating their status of “newborn” in the story. Then, they are clad in the garbs of their respective roles. Interestingly, despite facing and leaning toward each other, their eyes remain close. In the case of Utena, it symbolizes her inability to see beyond her own narrative of the heroic prince saving the princess. As for Anthy, it’s her resignation to not see anything beyond her role of Rose Bride which she has played for decades/centuries, hence the long, long time.

Even if the two of us are torn apart… (Let go of me…) …take my revolution.

In the next sequence, not only are they not looking at each other, but they are also back-to-back, another indication that they are positioned to be at odds with each other, whether they want to or not. Still, despite the obstacles thrown at them, despite Anthy’s attempts to make Utena give up on her (“Let go of me…”), the latter doesn’t stop telling her to take her hand (revolution) and that’s what she did.

In the sunlit garden, we both joined out hands.

Miki’s sunlit garden is an idealized memory, so it makes sense to compare Utena’s goal of becoming a prince to the former. Also, the tower, where her journey is supposed to end with her heteronormative “happily ever after”, is where she and Anthy join hands and the latter’s revolution begins.

The sequence where Utena walks with the male students has a “one of the boys” kind of vibe and that might have been the intent. The tomboy character may appear progressive by refusing to conform to traditionally feminine gender norms, but that’s instead a sexist concept because it implies that Utena’s gender, her femininity (and by association, anything branded as “girly”), is the one thing that makes her less than her fellow male schoolmates. Also, she looks over her shoulder, something or someone (Anthy?) catching her attention which stops her from blindly following the other boys’ lead.

Drawing close for comfort, we both swore…

In Anthy’s case, due to her hair and skin color, the vibe she emanates as she walks with her fellow female schoolmates is “not like other girls”, another trope which hurts women by marginalizing the few “different/special ones” from the “normal/average ones” or vice versa. However, the reason she turned around (Utena? Her perspicacity?) is what helps her preserve the part of her identity which is still deep within her. So being different isn’t a bad thing as long as every person, especially girls, are given the same courtesy.

If you read the Japanese lyrics, you would know chikai (from chikau, meaning “to swear/vow”) is at the beginning of Anthy’s sequence, when we see the gates of Ohtori, where she swears to find Utena again.

(Also, did you notice that their respective sequences begin with a shot of where their story in Ohtori ends?)

…never again would we ever fall in love. (Every time.)

This line is sung as our two protagonists stand face to face in Anthy’s cage-like greenhouse, where the cycle of the quest for revolution always (re)starts. That vow of never falling in love again, along with that Every time, makes me wonder about how many games had taken place before Utena. How many times had Anthy been engaged to a “chosen one”? How many of those “chosen ones” did she grow to love, yet still choose to betray? How many times did she swore to never love another again only to do so despite said promise to herself? Utena, by ending the cycle, makes the vow mentioned before much sweeter: she and Anthy choose to never fall in love again because they have pledged their love for each other till death do them part (like a married couple 🥰🤵🏻‍♀️👰🏾‍♀️🥰).

I see that photo of us standing cheek to cheek… …and place a bit of my loneliness in our smiles. (Revolution!)

At this moment, the past represented by Utena and Anthy lying down, facing each other, and the future represented by the lyrics paralleled each other.

Past: a (naively) smiling Utena and a (falsely) smiling Anthy -> Anthy gives the white rose, the symbol of the Prince and by association, patriarchy, the source of her eternal pain, to Utena who is unaware of the dark history connected to it -> (failed) Revolution by dueling (transition to the dueling arena)

Future: the photo at the end of Episode 39 -> Anthy’s longing for Utena -> (successful) Revolution by leaving Akio

Even if I dream, even if I cry, even if I get hurt… …reality keeps on coming recklessly.

This sequence is about the Duelists.

Utena being the one who dreams is self-explanatory.

Saionji, if you pause at the right time, is seen with tears in his eyes. Behind his arrogant attitude is nothing but a mentally weak and insecure boy who throws violent tantrums when things don’t go his way.

Juri is no doubt the one most hurt in the series, not only because of her gender, but also because of her sexual orientation (I’ve made a post about it).

Miki and Nanami being the ones hit by reality makes sense due to the knowledge they idealize the relationship they shared with their respective siblings when they were children.

But what about Touga? Maybe it’s the confidence that he could get the power to revolutionize the (his) world if he emulates the system which had hurt him only to realize that such way of doing things won’t get him closer to his goal. Or, since he’s the first antagonist of the show, giving us a taste of what Akio, another male character whose inside is the opposite of his princely front, could do to girls, maybe he represents the reality/truth of the (imperfect) world.

All these Duelists, these teenagers, fight each other for a purpose and that later turns out to be futile after they find out that the rules they play by are a cover for a much more sinister plot.

I wanna find my own place, the value of being…

The first half, we focus on Utena who raises her sword with a determined look as the blue sky turned golden and the dueling arena crumbled. Utena rejects the narrative Akio wants for her and in the process, breaks the world he has created (and kept Anthy in).

While we zoom in on Utena, symbolizing her will to move forward, it’s the opposite with Anthy. Expression blank, she put some distance between her and Utena/the viewer(s), letting herself (her true self) disappear with Akio’s self-made world.

This sequence foreshadows what will happen in Episode 38.

…the person I’ve been until now…

But as it is shown in Episode 39, Anthy didn’t disappear in the fall of Akio’s world and stood up against her brother (riding a horse), mirroring Utena.

Also, we see Dios opens his eyes as the dueling arena crumbles to dust.

In Episode 13, Akio is conversing with a “sealed” Dios who “glare[s] at” him for wanting to bring the Prince back into the world. Dios had been “sealed away” because playing Prince had been killing him. Anthy had become the world’s sole target of their hatred so that he would no longer carry that great burden on his shoulders ever again. Dios is angry at Akio for not only trying to turn her sacrifice into a fruitless endeavor, but for also taking part in her eternal torment by making her an accomplice in his scheme.

Akio has internalized the teachings of patriarchy. He now idealizes the Prince, forgetting that his current self isn’t the result of Anthy sealing the latter’s power away. He had, of his own volition, casted away his “nobility” and enjoyed the privileges of his gender. He was free of the duties expected from the Prince yet chose to not use that freedom to search for a way to save his sister without taking on that mantle again. Protected by a patriarchal system, Akio is in fact afraid of carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders again despite his desire to return to his “glory days”. He wants to be the Prince again (regression), but also doesn’t want to give up his life of privilege. There is no step toward self-improvement. And that’s why his quest for revolution is nothing but a pretext to play people like a fiddle, especially the vulnerable ones like children and women. I think he subconsciously knows he’s maintaining a perpetual cycle meant to end in failure, but he’s too lost in his self-centeredness to take a third option, to destroy the limits of his coffin. In other words, Akio must let patriarchy (manifested through the game and the dueling arena) disappear in order to regain the lost part of him that is Dios, because what the latter really wants is to live in a better world, one where Princes aren’t needed anymore.

Let’s find the strength to throw it all away. Strip down to nothing all.

Utena having the strength to throw everything away references her decision to give up on the heteronormative “happy ending” given to her at the cost of Anthy’s well-being.

Anthy being stripped of everything references her true (naked) self within her coffin.

Become like rose petals, blowing free!

Honestly, that part was a bit difficult to interpret. We do see petals blown in the wind when Utena beats boys at basketball, but the only time I saw them concerning Anthy (and by association, the duels) was when the Duelist gets “deflowered”, and I didn’t get a feeling of freedom from it. Or so I thought at first. Knowing that the duels are part of Akio’s plot which is nothing but a wild goose chase, it makes sense in the context that losing means some time away from Akio’s control and thus, a chance to reflect and for self-improvement. Also, if the dueling arena is like a groomed flower, then its rubble is the petals. This might be foreshadowed in Episode 9, when Anthy falls with rose petals scattered everywhere as Utena tries to catch her.

Even if the two of us are torn apart… …I swear that I will change the world.

We have a return of Even if the two of us are torn apart… (Let go of me…) / …take my revolution. This time, there’s no request to let go of the other party and Utena is taking the next step toward (self-)improvement. If you pause at the right time, you can see she is not in a fetal position like at the beginning of the opening. Now, it looks like she is opening herself to the real world.

Anthy is not present, but that’s because she hasn’t reunited with Utena yet. Until that day comes, the latter will keep fighting for the world both deserve to live in.

In conclusion, the opening is a summary of the entire series and foreshadows how it would end.

#revolutionary girl utena #shoujo kakumei utena #rgu #sku #utena #utena tenjou #anthy himemiya #utena x anthy #anthy x utena #kyouichi saionji #juri arisugawa #miki kaoru #nanami kiryuu #touga kiryuu #prince dios #akio ohtori #revolutionary girl utena analysis #rgu analysis #revolutionary girl utena meta #rgu meta #rondo revolution #mine

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

PROPAGANDA

SAKURA HARUNO (NARUTO)

1.) 1.) It is repeatedly stated throughout the series the areas in which she excels. We are told over and over again that she is gifted (early on in the series) or tremendously strong (end of the series) and yet with the exception of of the Sasori fight, there seems to be a staunch refusal to actually SHOW her being competent in a fight. 2.) her backstory ties into nothing plotwise as far as the overarching world and history of the village and its families. The three other leads (Sasuke Naruo, Kakashi) all get their own relevant backstory that gets delved into. But Sakura? Neither has one nor goes off and embroils herself personally into one of these overarching plot points. She is constantly forced to just be a companion/side character to the stories of her male counterparts. 3.) She’s given so much potential for a great powersuite and those all either go unrealized or she gets shown up by other characters. idk if this is what was meant by propaganda but its what i got

2.) Despite becoming the world’s best surgeon and doctor at age 17 (including doing open heart surgery in the middle of an active battlefield), her achievements are routinely undercut and underplayed by the canon.

It’s all the more disappointing because in some ways, she’s a very realistic and humanistic depiction of a teenage girl. Unlike her teammates, she grew up in what we would consider a pretty average family situation (two living parents who love her, even if they don’t understand her choices), and has relatively average goals at the beginning. Compared to her teammates who are orphans from dynastic ninja clans, who were basically born to a lineage of massive amounts of powerful ninja magic; Sakura’s civilian family has given her no genetic predisposition to being powerful. Despite this, she’s shown to be highly intelligent, achieving top scores on exams and having a deep knowledge for theory and concepts.

She begins the story having a crush on Sasuke Uchiha, a boy who has no interest in her, and hating Naruto, their village’s Omelas Child. However, as she works with her team, she bonds with them on a deeper level, and works very hard to meet their natural level of skill and not be deadweight on their team.

However, despite the fact that trios are treated with deep cultural and narrative significance throughout Naruto, the narrative quickly abandons the “Team 7 Trio” framing in all the ways that matter, becoming the Naruto-and-Sasuke show in all ways that matter. When Sakura gets her time to shine, she’s always undercut. Her massive physical strength and strong sense of self in Shippuden are never treated with the same reverence as her teammates’. Despite the fact that she can easily shatter rock and manipulate the ground with her sheer physical power, and that she was originally presented as good at genjutsu (illusion magic); she becomes a field medic/doctor – a carer/support role, rather than a DPS. Her decisions to advocate for herself and the people she cares about (such as trying to kill Sasuke) are treated as foolish and naive, not a heroic choice to try and help her friends at a large personal cost.

She also basically never gets to fight a man, except for one important case: Sasori. This is important, because the female characters in Naruto are routinely presented as less powerful and less of a threat than male characters. While her fight with Sasori is a fantastic arc, it ends with Sasori undercutting her victory by being like “well actually I wanted to die”, implying that he’d chosen to let her win, not that her win is well deserved. This is at the start of Shippuden, she doesn’t get a solo fight arc after that.

Of course, the most egregious thing done to Sakura is that she’s married off to Sasuke. Despite the fact that Sasuke is never once shown to give a shit about her, and the fact that her character development in a large part was about her giving up the childish and misogynistic desire to be a wife to the cute guy in her class, suddenly they’re together. Sasuke is a deadbeat husband, however, and immediately fucks off, to the point where he doesn’t recognise their child when he meets her, and tries to kill her. Sakura-the-housewife-waiting-at-the-window-for-her-husband’s-return is again now deeply in love with a man who doesn’t give a shit about her. The only photo she has of them together is shown to be a cutout of another photo of Sasuke stuck on a photo of her. She’s again trapped in a housewife box, her achievements and skill sideline to her ability to rear a child for the male lead. And worse, despite the fact she’s a very confident person who otherwise has no issue advocating for herself, she doesn’t really seem to fight back against this awful status quo in her relationship, grateful for the scraps of affection Sasuke delivers to her once a decade.

3.) Despite being on a team of three, she’s always side lined for the other two. Her whole thing is healing, then in a major arc at the end of the main series a character gets hurt and when she goes to attempt to heal them, she is pushed aside so Naruto can do his amazing magic healing that he just learned and is already better at it than her.

HINATA HYUUGA (NARUTO)

1.) When Hinata was introduced she goals, weaknesses, interesting interactions and relationships with characters other than naruto and a personality of her own. Post timeskip in shippuden, however, she was reduced down to simply ‘naruto’s future love interest’ and little else. The entire Hyuuga plotline was dropped and she no longer had any relevance or personality outside of naruto. Part 1 hinata was shy and insecure on the surface but underneath that she was determined & hardworking, even to her own detriment. Her struggles were compelling. Her interactions with neji and her family are something you look forward to seeing more of. In shippuden she’s like a flat carboard cutout of hinata. Her shyness exaggerated, her relationship with her family suddenly perfectly fine and boring. In part 1 naruto inspires her to keep trying but he isn’t the reason she’s working so hard, in shippuden he’s pretty much all she thinks about. Her change in character design really highlights these changes - the perfect little wife for cishet men to fantasise about.

2.) Her entire personality and arc is boiled down to “shy uwu waifu in love with Naruto” and basically any development she gets, which is barely at all because Kishimoto hates women, is as attributed to NARUTO and Naruto only. Even her reaction to her beloved COUSIN’S DEATH makes her be like “omg I love Naruto” and serves to further NaruHina, which is absolutely insane she would Not react like that. Naruto only starts being romantically interested in her at the beginning of like, The Last movie, which is after 500ish episodes of her being treated as the sidelined love interest who is devoted to a guy who only cares about her when she’s a damsel in distress on a fight.

There are so many parts of her character that are/could be interesting, like her part in the Hyuga Clan due to being born as a superior and her dynamic with her cousin Neji as a result, (which could have had SO many great moments of reconciliation and standing up for each other grrr grrr) an exploration of the impact of her bullying & being looked down upon (even when she’s supposed to be a superior member, which adds to the shame) LIKE MANY OF THE CAST, seriously the people Naruto trauma dumps to are mostly consisted of people unfairly treated like that and it could have been used to further NaruHina WHILE showing her struggles

She is an incredibly capable fighter but the moment Naruto is there, she instantly becomes defenseless and needs to be saved by her crush, mostly as a “wow look at him isn’t he so brave and kind to do this for her?!”

There’s an episode where she is literally used as a defenseless punching bag for Pein by trying to sacrifice herself for Naruto and telling him she loves him, JUST so he can be more angry and have more motivation to beat Pein’s ass (aside of the yknow. Killing his loved ones thing) AND her confession is ignored by Naruto for the rest of the series. Just like any moment she shows her crush for him is met with obliviousness, which would be fine if they weren’t the main couple and didn’t go on for THE ENTIRE SERIES!!!!

In Boruto, the shitty sequel, Naruto is basically her deadbeat husband in her bland lavander marriage and Boruto is rightfully mad about Naruto’s distance from the family and even says he left her basically a single mom and barely pays time to the family, and Hinata’s role in the show as the housewife is being like “no you see Boruto you have to understand your father’s pov as the Hokage” and the narrative treats NaruHina’s marriage as a Good, Healthy Thing as if the characters are not miserable in this marriage.

3.) Man I don’t even like her that much but she deserved SO much better. She was introduced as the heiress of a really powerful and renowed clan with complex dynamics, yet the author somehow decided to do almost NOTHING with the potential she had, and gave her very little personality besides being shy and fawning over the protagonist. She gets slightly more active in Shippuden (part 2), but her character still pretty much revolves around her love for Naruto, which sucks because again, she has so much potential. It’s no secret that women in Naruto are badly written, and Hinata certainly is no exception. The male characters get dozens of episodes/chapters about their motivations, their backstories, what pushes them to keep going, and Hinata gets almost nothing besides her lifelong crush on Naruto that we are reminded of literally every time she’s on screen.

#polls #round 2 #week 3 #new

[kakusu-shipping]

Sorry to say that I am once again coming to bug you about the Swatchlings specifically jgufhgjgk

The mental image of them parading you around is just sooooo cute to me and I must know more about your dynamic!! Whatever you’ve got on them!!

Also you should share about Watanuki and Doumeki, if that’s not too much!!

NO THANKYOU FOR BUGGING ME ABOUT THE SWATCHLINGS I FINALLY HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THEM THEN JUST "Colors... pretty <3"

First of all I just found this term yesterday but it's perfect so; All the Swatchlings are Butler Caregivers.

They like to take care of a little like they're nobility. Bring them fancy desserts and finger clean foods and teas on silver platters. Button their shirts and tie their shoes just so. Follow them around exactly two paces behind, hands off unless absolutely necessary or directly asked for.

They like to use names like "Young Master/Mistress" or royal variations if requested, and play up the act of the cool collected butler who diligently watches over the house's perfect little bundle of joy.

They do tend to be. Pretty excitable though.

If their young master is looking particularly cute that day they can't help but squee over them. Cooing the sleepiest babies, or repeatedly pouring compliments over a little's hand chosen outfit that they put on all by themselves.

They're also all big Commit to the Bit types. Give them a role in playing pretend and they will play it as straight as Shakespeare, as serious as the most committed stage hand. This is their life now. Should they be the biggest bad in all the seven kingdoms or just a humble guest to a tea party, they are committed, and they are dramatic.

Their favorite activity is painting with their little, though will have a moment of panic if the baby, or surrounding area, gets too filthy. Their least favorite is Hide-and-Seek, just because they're all very quick to assume they've lost the child forever and will never find them again. Also if one of them looks in a hiding spot and sees a Maus then everything goes to chaos.

Each Swatchling is a little different of course, and I just tend to break them into the 6 colors to talk about so for specifics

Red is overly romantic, they love a story to read bedtime stories about princes who save princesses from dragons, or better to act at the princess being saved by their heroic knight. They're the best cook of the six but get depressed if they're missing baby time because they're in the kitchen making all the tiny food, so they tend to shove their responsibilities off on the other Swatchlings. They get lonely easy and tend to be just a bit clingy compared to the other 6, they need more hugs, kisses, and gifts than the others by quiet a bit.

Orange is a perfectionist who loves to pick out his little's perfect outfit, button their shirt, and tie their shoes just so every morning. He'll also brush and style their hair with little ribbons and bows if he's allowed. They're the first to go hands off when a little gets too messy for them, opting to go find a change of clothes for someone else to put them in to, that they'll then adjust as needed after they're all cleaned up. The most he'll do is gently wipe his little's face with a napkin while they're eating, but even that they may have to change gloves afterwards

Yellow is a lot more about the stuffie parties, especially ones he made. Serving over tea parties with all his little's stuffies, setting up movies and placing every guest so they can see the screen. He enjoys a good pillow fort with soft blankets and hot tea and quiet sleepy nights. What she hates is being the one who has to clean it up because she's the Caretaker so it's up to her to put everything back where it goes when blue eventually comes in and carries the baby back to their big plush bed. He just wants to go to bed but he's gotta take all these pillows back to their original rooms...

Green loves to be outside with a little. She wants to set up an easle and a canvas and watch her young master sit peacefully in the rose garden weaving flowers together to make wreaths and bracelets and crowns. She enjoys the babble of the brook and the rustle of leaves in the wind and the warmth of the sun. All idealized versions of the outside she adores. Heavy forbid though her little prefer to dig in the dirt, or stomp in puddles, or run and be loud and messy. She's more of a nice calm picnic in the sun outside type, not so much tag and red light green light red rover play outside type.

Blue's a music lover, they love to sing to their little or play the piano for them, write them little songs about how great they are or how fun it is to do basic chores like brush your teeth or eat breakfast. They're more of a bedtime caregiver, they love a sleepy little to listen to their lullabies, to rock gently and tuck comfortably into bed. They're the shortest of the six Swatchlings and just a little touchy about it, so little things like not being the first choice for carrying the little or struggling to place dangerous things out of a baby's reach would get to them. They're also the only Swatchling to place and uphold rules like Bedtime, Clean up, and Time Outs (if need be). They're the leader when Swatch isn't around.

Purple is the odd one out of the Swatchlings. She LOVES a chaotic baby, she loves a mess, splatter paint and mud and food fights. She loves bath time with an entire bottle of sudsy soap and lavender lotion. She loves toys all over the floor and snacks on every surface and open but not yet finished juice boxes. She comes across a lot more like an older sibling CG than a butler. She tends to get scolded a lot by Blue and is usually more on clean up than play supervision, however she's the only Swatchling willing to deal with a messy baby meaning she eventually has to be the one to step in and change her little's clothes, help them wipe up a spill, or get them ready for bathtime. She's the oldest of the six and the most mellow (but she still can't handle Maus)

#Emile's Writing #Deltarune Agere #CG Swatchling #Proship Agere #Thankyou for asking #This was supposed to be about my specific dynamic with them but it just turned general sorry kfjhkfkgfd #To be FAIR #This IS my dynamic with them it's just #Very removed from the actual Deltarune video game #Sorry. dskgfjdskjfk #I'll ramble about Watanuki and Domeki in another ask this post is too long #And has been drafted for FIVE HOURS #I had niece duties and then some food shopping to do fdkgjkfdjkg #I tried to make each Swatchling more about certaint art styles/types #So Red is Writing specifically Poetry #Orange is Photography #Yellow was at first Watercolors but now he's more Textiles/fabrics like sewing crochet knitting etc #Green was originally more broadly realism in general but now she's more still life/nature paintings #Blue is music #And purple is Childish. Splatter Paints and just scribbling on the paper and using the bucket tool between messy lines #So this is like. Those artstyles as CGs I guess #With additional silly Swatchling behavior like their excitement to see someone all dressed up and such #They are like cheerleaders <3

[bluest-planet]

A KH newbie's take away from BBS and how Ven, Aqua, and Terra are each coded as part of a typical 'tragic' Fairytale, as Princess, Prince, and Villain. Before they're able to deconstruct those molds in KH3.

I think it's so interesting how Ventus, Aqua, and Terra are so like. Weirdly coded lol. Like bare in mind this is personal opinion/hc, kh newbie here, and what I've seen so this is mostly just spitballin' since I haven't really seen anyone else say anything about it (could be wrong) but like.

First things first a personal view- they are siblings to me lol, they make me think of myself and our siblings sm it's kinda insane. Not in a perfect parallel way, but an understanding. That in mind though,

Ventus is so princess coded??? Like. First, he's a pure light (albeit made rather than naturally like that compared to the actual princesses of light), he's super sweet and and has a lot of faith in his 'princes/heroes' (Terra, Aqua), has a dream of making friends where ever he goes and budding independence (again, kinda like those 'i want' Disney princess), hes kept away in a castle (both in the Land of Departure as his Mentor/Father Figure doesn't want him to leave, AGAIN, ARIEL?? and later when he's in Castle Oblivion.) Again, the whole sleeping in Castle Oblivion also paralleling Aurora, in an actual throne... Waiting to be woken up.

Then you have Aqua, who has so much prince coding. Always helping the princes of each world, slaying monsters and chasing after her 'princess' (Ven) to bring him back/'Save' him from the 'villain' (Terra, and not actually, more as in like, Terra being not a bad influence but def not Ven should be following after rn, metaphorically being dragged along the villains path and needing to be saved, but also from the actual antagonists of the game), her heroics and selflessness always being out on display as a literal master and her huge sacrifice in the end of BBS to try an save Terra and facing a dark path/obstacle like the princes and princesses she helped before. The whole thing with Cinderella, her promise to wake Ven up paralleling Snow White.

Then you've got Terra who is villain coded. I'll be the first to admit I think he's wasn't as bad as everyone was making him out to be (Maleficent and I think Hades saying he's literally too chicken/good for him to willingly give up to Darkness and his choices more of a product of manipulation and self doubt?? And trying to do the right thing in the wrong way idk it's weird.) But he's more painted as this villain who leaves crumbs for Ven and Aqua to find, and tries his best but still causes harm to the other princesses and people he meets. Eventually succumbing/loosing to darkness to be sealed away like another great evil biding it's time to break out again after it is sealed away by the 'Prince.' (Aqua saving him with her armor but not succeeding in the long run).

Anyways, what I'm trying to get at is that BBS to me just comes off as a 'tragic' fairytale, just like the old Disney movies they use as world's in game. Although Disney always gave them a happier ending, and BBS, though a tragedy ends in a happy reunion it's not without its trauma that each of its protagonist had to go through and endure till then. Almost like how original Grimm fairytales ended sadly. It just carries that.

By the end of their story, they no longer have to play thoughts parts however, as much as Kingdom Hearts uses old fairytales and their story structures, it also deconstructs em in a way. With Eraqus gone, the Wayfinder Trio are some of the last vestiges of this 'traditional' way of Keyblade wielding, and history. Their game uses older and more old-fashion Disney movies, with a typical villain, prince, and princess to tell a story with that the other games don't have necessarily. (Not with Riku becoming a redemption, or Sora technically not being the chosen one) so the Wayfinder Trio doesn't have to follow that narrative anymore either by KH3. Just as stories allowed for more complex characters and themes as skill, budget, technology, and ideas grew so did they. Aqua's heroics and light weren't infallible and fell to darkness after so much time trapped in it, Terra was freed and allowed to have a happy ending, Ventus went off to have, in its own way, his own agency in following and helping Sora in his heart, then saving Aqua and Terra as they tried for him. Each a reversal of what they were initially set up for and coded as in the beginning.

I just... Think it's super neat and cute! Obviously they've outgrown these codings, but in some small ways they remain or are shared between them, Terra becoming more prince, Aqua more villain and Ven retains his position as princess, but now all together they're all royalty in some way. Awoken from his slumber, and helping the people he loves, and letting those people get the chance to join him in become like princes (heroic) or princesses (light) again.

In a lot of anime and manga there's this theme of Princess and Princehood. A good example of this would be Revolutionary Girl Utena, in that being a prince is more of a code or way of living rather than a thing you are born as. Something to strive to be in a abstract way. It's not extended to being a Queen or a King however; those still being very much rooted in its realistic counterpart's roots. Like bing a good ruler (A La, Ling Yao FMAB). Prince and Princesses have a layer of separation because they are not yet the rules of their kingdoms, there's an element of youth there, sure, but it's more that a Princess and a Prince can be symbols for something greater to be of service to a larger society and part of their community. Utena wants to be a prince because she sees them as kind and chivalrous and a symbol to people, like the one that saved her (I haven't seen Utena in a while or even finished it pls bare with me but I'm sure this is it.) Or think of the 'prince of the school' archetype in shojos/slice of life type anime. They're seen as princes because they're kind and respectable and help their classmates like a good prince would do for his people.

Then Princesses are a bit more unique, I don't have a good example in anime or manga, but in the west we do something similar in framing Princesses as symbols of purity and goodness. Disney is a big perpetrator of this. We've got Queen Bees, or calling people princess teasingly. How they're good with animals, and young children, generous and kind. That myth that all little girls wanna grow up and be like a princess; partly because of the dresses and castles, but also because they represent being a good person to the people around them. (Yes this is also steeped in misogyny that girls need to be these things or strive to the other parts of princesses like the dresses and obedience to their royal families and such, but in reclamation of princesses as an idea- this is the barbies in fairytopia types, or twilight sparkles, who want to be friends and help people with princesshood being a reward for choosing to help their communities and cherish their friends.)

Villains are a little trickier, they're not seen as a good thing, but times change and the definition of a villain changes with it as attitudes change over what does and doesn't qualify under that label. It's oddly fluid like that, no one wants to be a villain but we're all villains in someone else's eyes, which kinda goes in line with the games in a way. The Guardians of Light are the Villains in Xehanort's eyes, preventing change though he doesn't begrudge them I don't think. Or Terra not seeing Xehanort as a villain at first, but his Master under the gaze that he was going to hurt Ven. And Terra looking like a villain to everyone else outside looking in. If you don't try to understand at first, then you're just going to keep thinking they're villains. (This doesn't apply to everything obviously; some things are cut and dry and you can see their actions plain as day, but Terra's actions are not something the other's bare witness to first hand and only get 2nd hand accounts or the after effects, which they refuse to believe are even real lol. They love their brother too much for that.)

Anyways, there's not much more to add other than I thought this would be neat to day and put out there. Totally don't want people to draw Ven as and Aqua as a Prince and Princesses sibling duo (and yes, VEN, as the princess let's be queer guys, put him in a tiara and holiday barbie esk gown lol) and again, when I say Prince and Princess they're as removed from their gendered connotations as I can get, more like, complimenting takes on the same idea of chivalry? This is coming from someone who is both genderqueer and genderless. And uses We/Us in reference to ourselves so like, I don't see princess as a girl thing or Princes as a boy thing. We can be both and neither as the same time.

Anyways it's 5:03 am. This has been a brief Moonie analysis ig. Have fun out there guys, and follow what your heart tells you to. 💙

#kh #kingdom hearts #kh bbs #birth by sleep #kh aqua #kh ventus #kh terra #wayfinder trio #kh analysis #blue speaks #planetary analysis #this is my genderqueer ventus agenda keyblade be damned my boy is a (artificial) princess of heart #not a prince of heart he IS a princess and takes pride in it #and aqua is his prince big sister looking out for him same with terra love em they are sibling ur honor #if they call kairi a princess at all i want ven to also be called princess as a title of honor to wear as a badge you dont need a kingdom #to be a princess. being a princess is a state of mind (and long sleepy nap lol) #a princess makes their own personal kingdom made from their friends and their community #BE THE PRINCESS YOU WANNA SEE IN THE WORLD. BE THE PRIMCESS OF YOUR COMMUNITY AMD CHERISH THOSE YOU LOVE #a princess serves their people humbled and kind and with joy and fun in whater way possible. be the light of your kingdom

[mrcompass]

The Antichrists of Beyblade (Part 1): Damian the Deceiver

Damian's character shares many similarities with the concept of the Antichrist found in the Bible as well as popular culture. This will provide another perspective on the character in relation to previous analyses I have made on him, as well as on other characters. The Antichrist is a concept that has been applied to many characters, but it is generally tied to the idea of an entity who deceives humanity in order to attain and usurp a position he doesn't deserve or wasn't meant for him. Damian embodies that concept particularly well.

The name Damian means to subdue or dominate, which is what he attempts to do during Metal Masters as he asserts his superiority over his opponents. It is also reminiscent of the purpose of the Antichrist, to dominate the minds of humans and subdue the world. Damian is also tied to Demeter, goddess of agriculture, whose daughter Persephone became the queen of Hell. Damian, unlike his team members, is more tied to Hell, and it is more difficult for him to escape this reality, the realm of Hades Inc. Finally, the name "Damian" sounds similar to the word "demon" in English, which is why it was apparently chosen as the name of one of the most famous fictional Antichrist, Damien Thorn.

Both are tied to Hell, possess a hellhound (Kerbecs for Damian), live with wealthy people (the Thorns and Ziggurat), and abuse their powers by harming others. Additionally, there is the chorus that plays each time they use their special abilities. Finally, the name "Damian" is also tied to the patron saint of doctors, Saint Damian, who shares this patronage with his colleague (and sometimes brother), Saint Cosmas. They used to heal people without asking for anything in return, which is the opposite of what Ziggurat does: he always tries to gain something from someone, and the results of his healing are somewhat dubious. What is interesting is that "Cosmas" (which means cosmos, synonymous with universe) can be tied to Gingka, who has (in the dub) Cosmic Pegasus and whose name itself means galaxy (something that is part of the cosmos). This illustrates Damian and Gingka's duality and the ties they have to each other as opposite figures.

Damian's design is very atypical compared to most characters; it looks closer to what a Burst character would wear. @mach-speed-spinh-speed already made a compelling post about Damian's design, which gave me ideas, here , I will not describe everything about his design, so I recommend you check the post.

Damian's cap and jumper suit are a little reminiscent of Ryuga's own design, who also employs black and white as dominant colors. Damian also wears armor, which makes him appear bigger than he actually is and more threatening. In a way, this design is made to lure us into thinking that Damian is similar to Ryuga in the sense that he is the main antagonist and the main threat, but in the anime, he is not. The color choice is interesting because the exterior is white and gold, almost heroic in a way; it seems like Damian tries to appear as a sort of hero or rather to eclipse the hero of the story by appearing as the incarnation of the concept of the chosen one. Indeed, his attire makes him stand out from the rest; he is not like anybody else; he is special. Or rather, that's what the writer wants us to think. His hair is quite peculiar; they look similar to Ziggurat's in terms of style. They look like horns or ears of dogs (fittingly, Damian has three pairs of spikes usually like Kerbecs has three heads, so three pairs of ears).

The Antichrist receives power from the devil and manages to miraculously heal itself. Damian received power from Ziggurat, who represents the devil, and he managed to endure many special moves throughout his fights (such as Black Excalibur, most of Kyoya’s arsenal, etc.). Everyone was surprised and, in a way, mesmerized by his power, even Gingka himself was shocked until they were told that it was the arrangement system. Furthermore, Damian managed to win against Julian, who called himself an emperor, the highest-ranking title of a monarch in Europe. And the Antichrist is described as a beast with crown, symbols signifying its power and authority. Damian's victory against Julian in a way establishes him as a threat but symbolically his authority and fake superiority over all bladers.

Finally, the Antichrist desribed as a beast in the Book of Revelation comes from the seas, and the first appearance at Hades Gate and Kerbecs (who is also a multiheaded beast) is at the same time the stadium is filled with the Cetus’s water, giving an impression of the gate rising from the sea. In the gates, a winged Cerberus is explicitly shown during its first appearance. Wings are often tied with Gingka's Pegasus in the series. However, this surprising association reflects an appropriation by Kerbecs of something that doesn't belong to him, almost like he is trying to usurp Pegasus. And that's what Damian is trying to do; by winning the match against Gingka, he would have officially become the strongest blader in the world, but he wouldn't have earned that position because of the fact he relied on the arrangement. Ryo and Hikaru also strongly insisted on the necessity for Gingka to win because they needed a true blader to show the world what beyblading means. Damian shouldn't have succeeded at any cost because it could have created a precedent which would have irrevocably harmed the world of Beyblade. Also, Damian, like the beast described in the Book of Revelation, insults people. It's not blasphemy, but he called everyone weak, even people as hardworking as Kyoya and Julian.

Despite his seemingly godly power, Damian is chained to Ziggurat and to a life he didn't choose. The Antichrist is merely a pawn to the devil to enact his plans; it cannot change nor deny its destined path. However, the entity finding another path is a theme that was explored in other works of fiction, such as the Good Omens series, in which Adam Young, the Antichrist of the series, is swapped with another baby and ends up living in an English village instead of inheriting a life of luxury as the son of a wealthy American diplomat (the name Damian was also put forward for him).

He ends up in a family with loving parents who put limits on his behavior; he has a bunch of friends whom he plays games within the woods. What is important is that Adam has had a fulfilling childhood with actual parenting, and in the end, he rejects his father (the Devil) arguing that Satan was never there for him, unlike his human father, and that he is obviously only concerned with using his power. The reason it ties with Damian is that he was (probably) raised by Ziggurat, who is by all accounts a sociopath, who hates children and, most of all, encouraged Damian's sadistic nature, calling the "results" against Excalibur "outstanding." Also, Damian is very pale, more than other characters, and he is only rivaled by Rago, who seemingly spent a significant part of his life in a closed room. He doesn't know what dirt is; in the Japanese dub, when dirty, he said: "What is this?". Damian lived in a very controlled environment, in total opposition to Gingka, whose father faked his death to send him on a journey. Damian's situation is best symbolized by Kerbecs's beast, which only appears when the gate of Hades appears or inside of it (except once, but very briefly in episode 94). He probably never really had a childhood and never experienced the outside world. He also doesn't seem to know what the concept of fun is and is more concerned with competing in his job, arguing that he is destined and chosen to do beyblade, like the Antichrist is destined to bring the world to its end. Damian can't escape Ziggurat or that path that was chosen for him because he obviously didn't have a choice and didn't question the doctor's motives. Damian doesn't have friends like Julian to support him and help him find a better path.

In a recent post, I put forward the possibility that Damian's flashback/backstory happened more recently than it seems, which would also mean he is younger than many think. I still believe in this since Ziggurat said he started the conception of the arrangement system after the end of Battle Bladers, Damian's physical changes can all be explained by the arrangement, he didn't grow taller... The reason I'm bringing this up is that even if true or false, this is another deception; we don't really know how old he is, and I genuinely think the writer made it unclear. Damian looks bigger and more threatening than he actually is, and even though he hurts people physically and mentally in the most horrendous ways, he is Ziggurat's victim as well as his creation; his behavior is the result of the arrangement but also of his education. In a way Damian acts a lot like the doctor. They both like to feel superior to others, they use others as test subjects for their inventions/power, they deny reality in equal measures, they are sadistic and manipulative... Damian is a child who doesn't know any better and who has a warped sense of reality because Ziggurat really believes in all the things he says about the arrangement. Which further deceives Damian and drives him further from the truth that he can't understand anymore. He deceives others into thinking he is strong, big, and powerful, but he also deceives himself. Ironically, he told Julian and Kyoya to stop their "tough guy act," but he is the one doing that.

During his final in episode 100, Kyoya managed to break the hell dimension before damaging the Hell/Hades fusion of Kerbecs and leaving the room full of cracks. This represents how this battle, more than the one with Gingka, impacted and literally shattered Damian's worldview, or rather the one that was forced upon him by Ziggurat. He escaped the fate of sinking to the abyss with the demoniac doctor and his city, but in a way, he is still punished for his actions. He who liked putting others in despair is driven to despair as he lost everything of value to him; he called people weak, he will become weak and powerless without the arrangement, he thought of being the chosen one, he will completely disappear, not even mentioned by anyone. This is Damian's tragedy; his bey is the only one whose constellation doesn't exist anymore; he doesn't shine like the others. Like Cerberus, the only world in which he belongs is Hades, but it was destroyed. Being freed could have been an opportunity for his character to build his own identity, but he wasn't given his chance.

Like the Antichrist, Damian seeks to subdue others with illusory through deception, but in the end, he was the one who was the most deceived.

#metal fight beyblade #mfb #damian hart #beyblade metal masters #gingka hagane #ginga hagane #dr ziggurat #kyoya tategami #Julian Konzern #damien thorn #adam young #the omen #Good Omen #beyblade

[margindoodles2407]

Hello Friends, here is my Glorious Almost-1000-Words take on the Fallen Timeline for Your Perusal

TL;DR: In the Fallen Timeline, it is not Link who dies to Ganondorf, but Zelda. Blinded by despair over his lost love, Link leaves Hyrule and becomes a wandering mercenary, changing his name to Raven and eventually ending up in the Kingdom of Labrynna. Because the princess died unmarried and without heirs or surviving relatives, after Ganon’s sealing away by the remaining Sages (which remained incomplete due to the loss of the Sage of Time, which is why the Imprisoning War took so long and was so devastating) the Bloodline of Hylia no longer exists. The people of this timeline also despise the Hero of Time (except for Odysseus’s family, due to knowing the whole story) and think of him as a deserter.

Alright break it down time:

Ganon kills Zelda and not Link for two reasons. Firstly, after studying the triforce and the mythos of Hyrule he has become aware that the Hero’s Spirit reincarnates, but the Princess technically doesn’t. Secondly, because he suspects that Link is, in fact, the chosen hero, were he to strike him down the gods might send a divine justice and have Link heroically kill Ganon with his final breath. However, if he were to let Link live but have to watch as Zelda slowly dies with nothing he can do, Link might give into despair and abandon his quest.

And this is exactly what happens. Link is too despondent to kill Ganondorf. He wasn’t fighting for some nebulous ideal, but for Zelda. And besides, Ganondorf also destroys the Master Sword (if you’ll recall, in ALTTP lore it was forged- or in this case, reforged- by the Sages during the imprisoning war). So he leaves the Sages to defeat Ganon themselves, and in shame flees Hyrule. He can’t bear to have his name- Link- connected to the Hero who Failed, so he changes it to Raven and becomes a wandering mercenary, trying to atone for his failure. (I always thought that Sir Raven from the Oracles Manga looked like the Hero of Time and also gave off the general vibes, so this is how I connect that.) After a time, he ends up in Labrynna in the service of Queen Ambi, and serves her faithfully. Shortly after the events of the past in Oracle of Ages, a horrible plague sweeps through Labrynna and Roperi’s father, her only living family, dies. Raven decides to adopt her, and when she is grown and he is old they travel back to Hyrule, where he tells her his true story. She ends up becoming the great-great-great-grandmother of the Hero of Legend, and that is why out of all the people of Hyrule, Link and his Uncle’s family are the only people in Hyrule who do not hate the Hero of Time. 

Because Zelda died without any heirs or living family, the Bloodline of Hylia no longer exists in the Fallen Timeline. This means that the family line of the New Princess Zelda (the Zelda from ALTTP and the Oracles) does not have the evil-sealing power of old. She does have some powers, however they were mostly taught to her by her Sheikah tutors or stem from her status as the Sage of Time (a duty that has no ties as to whether or not one is descended from Hylia). Speaking of, in the Fallen Timeline the Sheikah take their job from a 10 to a 10,000 in terms of security of the Royal Family- and that is why they are hardly mentioned in the Fallen Timeline Games. 

Additionally, because Zelda as the Sage of Time was killed and therefore unable to join the other Sages in sealing away Ganondorf, their seal on him is incredibly weak compared to the one in the endings of the Successful Timelines’ Ocarina of Time. That’s why it only lasts around 200 years or so, in comparison to the 500 year seal in Twilight Princess and the 350 year seal in Wind Waker (i made these numbers up). In addition, they had to Reforge the Master Sword, as it shattered in Ganon’s failed defeat, but without Hylia’s Blessing (since there’s no one to give Hylia’s Blessing) is is much much weaker than in the Unified and Successful Timelines- which is why in ALTTP and ALBW you have to temper it, and why in the Era of Decline (the era of the original zelda games) it is no longer referred to as the Master Sword, simply the Magic Sword. 

Finally, the people of the Fallen Timeline (with the exception of the family of Odysseus, Graffiti, and Genesis- who are all directly related to each other) absolutely despise the Hero of Time. Had he fallen to Ganon’s blade, they would have forgiven him- it wasn’t his fault, they’d say, he was merely a boy. But the fact that he abandoned his duties as Hero and fled to another country to escape his failure is completely inexcusable in their eyes- especially since they had lost their princess, as well. In the fallen timeline, children are not told the glowing myths of the Hero of Time that they are in the Successful Timelines. Instead, they are told the dark, cautionary tales of the Traitor Hero, who fled his country and left it to rot. 

#margin rambles #a link to the past #alttp #a link between worlds #albw #tri force heroes #(technically) #tfh #link's awakening #la #-technically- #oracle of ages #oracle of seasons #the hyrule fantasy #zelda ii the adventure of link #z2aol #the legend of zelda #tloz #hahaha :.( #look at me inflict pain upon my best boi and gorl :.(

[derekscorner]

Fated Rantings: Seiba Part 2

Zero Seiba, all Tragedy

For my second part of my Fate Zero rambling I decided to dedicate it too Saber herself because my first Seiba post was after the 2006 Fate Stay Night and mostly about her.

Am I obsessed? Yes, all jokes aside, I am to a degree because I grew up liking those king arthur legends. I knew very little as a child but I always loved a King Arthur or Robin Hood story.

And for reasons I won't fully reiterate I do find fascination (and humor) in how accurate Fate is to Arthurian legends despite gender bending the central figure himself.

Saber is very tragic due to these things. Lived as a man in an age that won't let women rule, chosen by a sword to be king, wielding another sword (alongside a holy spear and scabbard) that rendered her ageless, and raised on the idealism of the perfect king.

Her life was full of sacrifice and convoluted magic. When someone like Iskander says she was a "little girl who couldn't chase butterflies or fall in love" or when someone says she was a king who could not understand the hearts of men there is some truth to it.

In a lot of ways she was set up for failure from the start albeit not by intent.

Stark Differences

If you've read the first post then you're likely wondering what else I could say. If you haven't, here: Seiba Part One

I do not think you'll need it but if you're the type to see this and immediately try and draw me into "they treat that way cause WOMEN" then read it. It may not be to your standards but I explain my draw to this character well and my respect for her depiction. I also freely admit that I believe people project quickly at the cost of critical thought but that's a separate rant.

What is relevant here is how does Zero hurt or help how Saber is portrayed in Fate Stay Night... which is hard to answer because every fate work is it's own timeline. (including Fate/Zero)

When you watch Fate Zero you're seeing a slightly (or perhaps greatly) alternative take on the 4th Grail War that Saber mentions in Fate Stay Night.

Her own memories of the 4th Grail war aren't complete. Servants aren't supposed to remember things from one summoning to another either.

Even so I think Zero adds to her. It may be differing timelines but the character is the same at their core....I wonder how many I just pissed off by saying that.

While Fate Zero is praised it also has people who dislike her depiction within it. The Saber we see is very staunch about chivalry and honor and so on. To some this makes her seem overly idealistic compared to her other depictions.

It can even seem overly childish compared to her own past and how she used soldiers in warfare. I won't even disagree on that front, this Saber is idealistic.

But I think that is with intent. She was raised by and fell to the flawed idealism of mankind. Plus, I think that was to parallel her master Kiritsugu and his wife Irisviel.

They too were idealistic on what the grail could actually do and servants always have some form of parallel to their summoner. In FSN she parallels Shirou's heroic complex and sacrificial tendencies.

In Fate Zero she parallels Kiritsugu's flawed idealism.

Point A to B

If we're running on the assumption that FSN and Fate Zero had near identical events then I'd also argue that this depiction of her is meant to show how she got to her depiction in FSN.

Zero shows us how others such as Kirei, Gilgamesh, or Kiritsugu got to where they are. It only makes sense that this had similar effects on Saber who remembers some vague aspects of the 4th War.

In Fate Zero she tells her fellow kings that she wishes to save Britain but in FSN she wishes to undo the sword selection itself. In Fate Zero she a bit more laid back compared to her serious to business take in FSN.

Even if she doesn't fully remember that 4th War it scarred her like the others. The idea that she was a bad king and other negative ideals started to internalize somewhat. Now, we all know there's only some truth in those statements but what we know vs what she believes is different.

I am not saying Fate Zero did it well but I am arguing that this may have been the intention. Her acceptance and growth in FSN's Fate Route benefits from it I'd argue.

It's not necessary since FSN can be read/watched as is but I do appreciate the attempt. I do not consider Saber naive but I do think she was made into a king based on naive ideals.

A King that doesn't know mens Hearts

Another line that I've seen some disdain for. I do not fully agree with it either but there is something to be said for the few times there's some truth in the statement.

The show makes Lancelot the pinpoint of that negative thought process but I feel that's where the other fans get offended. Yes, she didn't fully understand her knights or people but that's more to do with her denying herself her own humanity throughout life.

When I see that fight I saw no confusion on Lancelot's part. He fully understood Arthur, his issue was that he couldn't handle that truth. He deserved the punishment that Guinevere was given in his mind.

Arthur was a perfect king for a horribly imperfect people.

No, the moment the show highlights truth in that line is with Kiritsugu. They never got along and after episode 16 I did not think that highly of him either. He did things so dirty in that episode that I had a visibly disgusted reaction, I can only imagine what she felt as he ruined a fight between two true knights.

She could never understand her master and that was the recipe for ruin from the start. She said it herself in the finale how could "she ever understand a man through three command spells"

The Banquet of Kings

I can't end this without mentioning the infamous Banquet of Kings. The start of Saber's spiral into self doubt.

There's a lot of talk about this scene, the good and ills of it, I wrote a lot about it when talking about Iskander in the previous post. That's not a plug like the first link, it's just a scene with that much to discuss.

For Saber specifically, this was a banquet with demeaning outcomes. Her role as a king was discarded quiet harshly albeit for two differing reasons.

For Gilgamesh she is just a fool. To him she becomes an interesting toy to objectify and own, all the negatives that people get from that talk come from him. That is within his character though, I do not say that as an excuse but because there's no other outcome.

For Gilgamesh to even respect Iskandar as a king/conqueror by the end of Zero is more than I actually expected of him. In his mind he IS the king and anyone else is a joke.

Iskandar was a bit more nuanced. He never disrespected Saber for being female nor as a warrior. She does lose his respect as a fellow king but only after he hears her wish. To him, it's an insult to all those that served her to undo their work and sacrifices.

He also, correctly, identifies her as someone raised trapped in ideals that didn't get a chance to be a person. He words it as "a little girl that didn't get to chase butterflies or fall in love" but the thing he finds sad about her is that lack of choice period.

Ultimately, there is one other key factor that the two actually agree on. Although they differ on why a king stands above other men they do at least agree that they do so.

Saber, in contrast, has a less archaic view that kings serve the people. Now is this wrong? That's hard to say since I'm from an age where monarchy is largely dead.

However, I do think Iskandar is right to the extent that kings inspire. They don't always lead or inspire for good reasons but there is a core logic of a leader present.

I also agree that the lack of childhood or basic human wants hurt her reign. You can make all the jokes you want about a 35yr old woman acting childish in FSN or Ataraxia, that makes sense to me and, it's something she needed more of.

If she had more of that core human experience earlier she may have been able to lead Camelot to a less tragic end. If nothing else, perhaps more of the ones that should've understood her would've.

One of the better retroactive connections here is her accepting things in FSN's Fate Route. She no longer desires to undo it all finding value in her and her comrades efforts. Something that only comes from the normalcy she gains from living with Shirou.

Conclusions?

All in all what I mean to say is that I appreciated her depiction in Zero. It's not flawless but I do see some of the things reflected in her original depiction. I see the attempt to explain some of it.

More than anything else, it helps me appreciate more her growth in FSN's story. All she really needed was someone to let her be a person rather than an ideal king or weapon. (like kiritsugu)

I have no deeper meaning, I just wanted to ramble and discuss the banquet scene. Also, no, I did not forget the amazing Iri & Saber dynamic. I just do not know what to say.

It was wholesome, Saber rocks a suit, and never let Iri drive. Goodnight everybody!

=====================

For my other experiences with Fate go here: https://derekscorner.tumblr.com/tagged/fated-rantings

#fate zero #fate stay night #fate series #fated rantings #fate saber #artoria pendragon

[mejomonster]

Oh shit oh no. Li xianyis choices got his sect absolutely fucked...

I'm really impressed with the choice to show the consequences of sect conflicts in the jianghu in episode 3. Early as hell. Again, I haven't seen many wuxias so I have little to compare it to. But the small amount I've seen, if anything people don't learn their lesson about blood spilt until it's the end of the world or they've fallen off the rails and their sect is torturing and killing several to dozens of innocents (see the sects in Love and Redemption, The Untamed, Word of Honor). So to show the cost of conflicts made out of anger or impulse, the consequences of choosing to fight when you could have not, in the THIRD EPISODE? Wild to me. A choice that works. I'm not even to the point where li xianyi clearly left this life

But I can already see why he would. Picture you're 25. You somehow became a sect leader. Your sworn brother was second in command. He dies. You do what a prideful leader who loved him does: you don't tolerate his murder (I'm assuming the other sect killed him if they went to conflicts over this). In most any story, you're justified in this. People would understand why you went to war: the sect killed your sworn brother (its personal), killed the second in command of your sect (so it's politically significant and can't be ignored without looking weak and bad), the sect that attacked you has a reputation for doing bad things (so the wider jianghu will support a decision to fight them), you're the gem among your peers (so you have a good chance of winning and you'd look like a completely spineless cold-hearted trash if you refused to go get payback). So you go fight the sect.

Then you almost die. You come back and half your sect is dead. It's your fault. And you couldn't really have chosen differently. But you don't want to have to choose this awful situation again. So you leave. You don't want that life anymore. It wasn't heroic. It didn't improve anything. It made you responsible for the deaths of loved ones and people who followed you thinking you'd protect and help them.

#mysterious lotus casebook #lb

[picaroroboto]

Having just cleared Dragon's Dogma, there's this meta level to the story that I find really fascinating. From the start, you have the Pawns - with their stock personalities, repetitive behavior, and lack of any desire or ambition save faithfully serving the Arisen, they're as is if video game NPCs, or what how we think of most NPCs like, actually existed in the game world. They're more like "NPCs" than any other NPCs, the other human characters in the world.

(the rest of this post concerns spoilers for the latter part of the game)

The Seneschal sort of acknowledges this when he compares the people of the world as being little different from Pawns, again in their repetitiveness and static-ness. He doesn't fully break the fourth wall - he is not aware that the world is a video game - but he leans on it pretty heavily when he talks about the state of the world. It is a perpetual cycle that never changes until acted upon by a person of strong will - an Arisen, in other words a player character.

The player character might not be someone powerful and important whom the story revolves around, in every single game, but in most every game things do not change without some intervention of the player, whether that's through major decisions or simple triggers like the passage of in-game time affecting other things.

I believe that through their use of choices or lack thereof, video games can make better mediums for stories with themes of free will vs fate than any other medium with a non-interactive story. Similarly it seems a natural connection to make games with existential themes, to connect the question of "why play this game?" to "why live life?" (because you care about the world and it's people, because you feel you have an obligation to see the story through to the end, because it's fun and you simply want to), or the cycle of dying + respawning + new game plus to real life religious and philosophical ideas like reincarnation or eternal recurrence.

(Aside here - NieR: Automata approached the same analogy by asking players to delete their saved data in order to get the best ending of the game. Breaking the cycle of conflict in the game story and breaking the cycle of replaying the game with the same action, which is symbolic of escaping the cycle of samsara.)

The final quest of Dragon's Dogma, to continue watching over the world as the new Seneschal, can never be crossed off your quest list because, as part of this endless cycle, the objective can never truly be completed. (I guess maybe you could use the Godsbane Blade on yourself, I haven't tried that,) else make a new save with a new Arisen to replace your old one - thus continuing the cycle once more.

Back to that fate vs free will point, that's also one of the biggest themes of Dragon's Dogma of course: the plot of the game is the traditional Chosen One fantasy trope, but the game hammers it in harder than a Mystic Knight's mace swings that your choices are important. There are times in the story when things are bigger than you or outside of your control, like being drawn into the politicking in the Duke's court when you're just here to slay the dragon, but it was your choice to stand up to the dragon that set all of this in motion. As you reach the endgame you are offered choices to give up and turn back if you don't want to face your destiny - namely Grigori's deal of sacrificing your beloved in exchange for immortality and worldly power, and the Seneschal's offer of a peaceful death and dream of peace, When you don't choose those options and instead press on, it makes the choice you do make even more powerful. It's a tragic thing for a Chosen One to never have the chance to escape fate, and another, more beautiful, heroic, thing for them to be given that chance but still choose their fate.

#dragon's dogma #dragon's dogma dark arisen #DDDA #dragon's dogma spoilers #meta posting on my art blog #I get all of my knowledge of philosophy from wiki-ing concepts I hear about from video games

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Saw this review of MoM and compared it with Loki and thought of you.

Ugh I hate the layout of the submissions, I swear, this is so weird.

Thank you @i-sudoku! Loved it, they're so right.

I agree with most parts but I disagree that MoM is WandaVision 2. The series took the time to address her issues and her past, they even had an entire episode that tackled absolutely everything: from the murder of her parents, to Hydra experimenting on her and Pietro, to losing her brother and falling in love with Vision, then EG and seeing what Sword were doing to his body... MoM never cared about any of that, they just took the post-credit scene and ran with that.

Elizabeth Olsen does steal the show as Wanda though, I hate the story they had with her but damn if it wasn't pleasant to see her doing it.

We keep seeing that Dr. Strange and Christine Palmer don't work out in any universe, which we already knew, but they keep repeating it for some reason

Mikey might have seen DS1 many times but he didn't understand that both Stephen and Christine had already moved on in that movie. So instead of having them as friends who clearly still love each other, since he thinks the only relationship you can have is romantic, he acts like instead of a mutual understanding this was an unilateral decision from Christine who chose to dump Stephen, she even has a scene in which she tells him she didn't love him. Excuse me?!! They always loved each other, just because you love someone it doesn't mean you have to be with them. But hey, Mikey doesn't get that.

Dr. Strange realises that he's really no different from the other versions of him [...] But he also realises that he can choose to be different from the other versions of him. [...] Which one is it? What does he learn from the other versions of him?

He could have learned something from them but since he only met one of them and spent more time fighting him than talking to him... and the others were given a couple minutes each so we didn't learn anything either. He's the same but he can be different but also being him is not bad. It's perfectly not confusing!

I gotta say though, I do believe they were trying to show him as being different from them because 1) He kept rejecting Wanda's offer to move to a universe where he could be with Christine, 2) He let America save the day unlike Defender, 3) He took the Darkhold and used it only to get to America, once he was done he left it on the floor and never bothered with it again.

So he does learn, it's just that the execution of the story wasn't exactly a good one, but what do we expect, this was Mikey writing it.

There are times when it felt like the writing room had an extensive Q&A session where they tried to cover every possible viewer doubt, concern or plot hole, but instead of weaving the details in naturally, they just made the characters parrot their explanations verbatim, which sounded contrived and awkward.

This is a huge problem with Marvel these days. They got rid of "show, don't tell" and it hurts the narrative.

But this part comparing MoM with Loki is so good (purple annotations are mine):

Waldron was chosen because of his experience with multiverse stories, especially Loki. This sounds great until you realise that Waldron has already run out of ideas and just wrote the same story again:

Main tension: The powerful protagonist is put in cuffs and deprived of his powers.

He is brought before a powerful tribunal of celebrity cameos with AI assistants to account for crimes against the natural order. [Just adding this to say that both Stephen and Loki are blamed for something a variant of them has done]

The tribunal has some heroic story for the public, but they are hiding a sinister secret. They turn out to be staffed by imbeciles who couldn't catch a shoplifter.

Main plot: A female character is being pursued because she has powerful abilities to transport herself across time and space and keeps evading everyone.

Main threat: A female character possesses the minds of other people to attack.

Lazy and blunt exposition technique: Protagonist uses a machine to bring his memories to life.

Lazy and blunt character development: Protagonist is forced to encounter an alternate version of a significant female character from his life to make him realise something about himself. She otherwise serves no story purpose.

Eventually, protagonist finds a deranged man who lives alone inside a castle in a post-apocalyptic realm. He knows more about the vaguely defined dangers of the multiverse and must be dispatched.

In short: Waldron is a terrible writer.

#submission #anti waldron #loki negativity #Doctor Strange

[ardeawritten]

Present analysis of my ever-evolving ever-the-WIP YA Comfort Series Project headworld series thing, in more or less book elevator pitches:

-Book 1 is David's coming-of-age story and him going from 13-year-old hoodlum to 14-year-old honest kid who wants to grow up and take his family name and fulfill the legacy his heroic father left behind

-Book 2 is him putting that choice to the test as he learns his friends' true identities (no one is what they look like on the outside) and his mother's ~problematic~ backstory, especially as those identities start causing rifts, tension and violence within his peer group

-Book 3 is a small revenge plot as he and his peer group solidify around a common tragedy and take 'justice' into their own hands, and realize their conflicts are mirroring what's going on in the adult world around them. Specifically, they are being used as surrogates to play out adult political tensions and it's starting to cost lives

-Book 4 is him and his rival going on a road trip so things can cool off, with the narrative following them as they find out what the world outside their country looks like and decide what future they're fighting for

-Book 5 is him and his rival, now allies, taking the fight back home and deciding if they're going to be made pawns then they're going to run the game themselves. They launch a 'silent war' within their peer group to break up a political juggernaut that is forcing their country towards civil war

-Book 6 is everyone in the group realizing the political capital they need is going to cost them all on a personal level- every choice to forgive and every new alliance is a betrayal to someone else- but the cost is worth the progress towards lasting internal peace and social safety and that whose flag flies overhead matters very little compared to the life and freedom of the people you love (and then they 'crown' the wrong person, cause mass political chaos and declare their country a free confederate of all peoples or some-such and roll off to present a unified front to the encroaching army next door etc. etc.)

This is more or less the same six-book plot I wrote fifteen years ago, but the adult perspective is taking the Dragons! Swordfights! Action! plot points and turning it into a story about kids learning to value people over symbols, seeing past the surface in each other and accepting what they find there, and choosing to protect the rising diversity of their homeland, as represented by the friend group, over the 'rightful ruler/rightful people' vision that has dominated their ancestors.

Everyone in the cast has secrets, has lied to each other, has made mistakes and caused pain. Their parents are warriors, assassins, criminals, murderers, lawyers and slavers, but their parents also love their kids and want the best for them, and all those 'best' visions are incompatible with one another. It's about looking at that parent generation and saying "we will not grow up to be you and we will not repeat your mistakes, even if that means burning the things you valued most; those are acceptable losses to build a better future for the people you hate but whom we've chosen to love."

(All this happens in a 'progressive fantasy' setting where dragons build airships, each people group has different hereditary magic powers, there's a parallel universe that is getting awfully close for comfort and an evil demon is plotting to take over the world...)

#book 1 is done and a bunch of content for all of them has been written #if I can pull off the political maneuvering and also the character development #then I can be proud of this #check back in in like two decades and maybe I'll have book 2 done... #writeblr #writblr #original writing #original fiction #can you tell i'm a 9/11-gen kid #so much easier to talk about the project than it is to actually do the project #its' abt looking at your parents cancel culture and saying this is stupid and dangerous and Id rather have friends #but your parents are elon musk ted bundy tom brady and donald trump

[cosmicjoke]

Hello! Hope ur doing well.

I noticed a fellow anon's post here talking about that Smartpass regarding Levi's dream. I too relate with that anon about the fact some ppl really misunderstand his character after reading that short story. For example, Levi tells himself "I just need to protect them. They were prepared to take this step forward and I should at least defend that." , right? I've read manu fans' analysis posts regarding this specific line where they'd be like "Notice how Levi uses 'I should at least defend that?' it looks as if it isn't his dream to free humanity at this point and he done this only for the sake of his friends' sacrifices+Erwin's, Hanji's, etc orders. As if he's excluding himself from having the same wish" I personally find this interpretation very faulty. First of all, it's always been Levi dream to rid the world of titans both for the sake of the rest of humanity. We can see that clearly in the final battle where he fights tooth and nail to defeat Eren. On the other hand, Levi said it himself back in the uprising arc that he's ready do anything to wipe the titans and bring peace because the air outside the walls always felt different than that of which inside them. Lastly, we have Levi's monologue, where again he says The ideal world WE dreamed of didn't include trampling the lives and hearts of others (once again proving Levi compassionate side btw). So yeah, I don't get why this part of the smartpass brought certain arguments in the fandom. I would like to read your thoughts about those fans claims. Thanks in advance and sorry for the long ask 🙏

Hi there,

Well, I feel like I've pretty much already covered this to exhaustion, lol. Of course Levi wishes to free humanity. That shouldn't even be up for debate, and why it continues to be boggles my mind. I've spoken about how I think, because of the harshness of Levi's life growing up, because of the blunt and bleak reality he was faced with from a young age, idealism, and belief in idyllic dreams isn't something that comes easily to him. I think Levi knows, better than anyone, that what they (he and the SC) are fighting for is, in all reality, unlikely to ever be truly achieved. A peaceful world where no one has to die a meaningless death isn't, realistically, an attainable goal. And because of the brutal experiences of his life, I think Levi knows and accepts that, and always has, from the very beginning. What makes Levi so heroic, though, is the fact that he knows these things, he knows how cruel and ugly and violent the world really is, he knows what they're fighting for is an ideal dream which has little chance of truly being realized, and yet he still fights for it anyway. More than ridding the world of titans specifically, Levi wishes for a world in which people are able to live for themselves and decide for themselves. He tells his squad during the Uprising arc that even if people end up killing each other, that's better than them being eaten by titans, because at least then it's their own choice, their own chosen path.

Levi has no delusions about the nature of humanity, he has no fanciful notions about peace. He knows what people are. You can compare him to Jean and Connie and the rest of his squad before and after the fight with Kenny's crew. We see all of them devastated because they've suddenly been exposed to this ugly, horrific reality of having to kill other people. Up until now, despite the combat they’ve seen, they’ve actually lived very isolated, sheltered lives, away from that harsh reality of the world.  And now they're suddenly faced with having to question their own heroism, to question what it is they're fighting for, whether they're in the moral right or wrong. It was simple for them before. They saw themselves as heroes, and Jean specifically made the bold claim that he would never kill another person, no matter what, and condemned and criticized Levi for doing so. But then he was forced to see that the issue isn't anywhere close to the black and white morality he was peddling, and that Levi's actions weren't so easily dismissed as "wrong". Levi by contrast is calm and compassionate as he explains to them the concept of killing. He doesn't try to claim it as right or wrong. He doesn't try to moralize it, or justify it even. He simply states the facts, which is that if Armin hadn't killed that MP, then Jean and all the rest of them would likely be dead now. Levi is intimately familiar with the complex reality of the world, of human nature and violence. He's deeply aware of how moral questions of right and wrong rarely apply to that complex reality, because he grew up exposed to the ugliest that people have to offer.

Essentially, Levi is a realist fighting for an idealistic dream. It isn’t that he doesn’t care about freeing humanity.  OF COURSE he wants to free humanity.  It’s that he isn’t certain of its realistic chances of happening.  He's surrounded by comrades who believe in that dreams possibility 100%, and seeing that idealism, seeing that belief, Levi feels it's his duty to fight for them and that dream too. He wants to use his strength to help them achieve that dream, even as he himself has trouble believing in its attainability. He wants peace and freedom for humanity, and gives himself to that cause completely. Again, what makes Levi so heroic is that he does this even while struggling with the question of whether that dream is truly within reach. The freedom to live their lives as they choose is what Levi wants for humanity, and he deems it worth fighting for, even if it's an impossibility.

#Levi Ackerman #shingeki no kyojin

[smugbugunderarug]

Smug Bug Reads: Fleetway’s Sonic the Comic’s Tails; The Nameless Zone Part 1

         After a long teased possibility of Tails getting his own shorts, it’s finally here. In it, we see some of Tails’ own thoughts on being left behind by Sonic, as well as some exploration of The Nameless Zone, a zone that he (and perhaps others?) look at with caution and even fear...

         Script: Nigel Kitching          Art: Dave Windett          Lettering: Elitta Fell

         It’s no secret by now that this continuity’s Sonic isn’t exactly friendly. While yes he is no doubt a hero, he seems easily annoyed and very blunt about what he thinks. Unfortunately, Tails is treated no better. This miniseries starts off with that; Tails tries his best to keep up with Sonic, but the hedgehog - in summary - tells him to beat it, and that he’ll see him some other time. Tails, now dejected, walks off. He’s confident he can be helpful, even if the he has made a few blunders in the past...          I really gotta ask why Tails adores Sonic this much, especially with his sour attitude. Heck, the critters too don’t seem to mind it either. I guess they don’t pay it too much attention since he keeps saving their hides on the regular. Continuously doing that alone and not asking for anything in return shows that he really does care about them, but the guy could stand to learn to improve his conduct. Poor Tails is all down because of that.

         Before said fox can mope further though, a voice calls out to him from beyond...

         The Nameless Zone, huh? Is this their version of some sort of boogeyman or something? But it’s not a boogeyman, it’s a place, and instead of it being fake, it’s actually real? Maybe it’s some sort of legend, myth, or story passed around. Anyways, really got to wonder what makes this place so bad to be considered Tails’ number one fear after facing threats from Robontik and his creations more than a couple times by now. Despite being his greatest terror, he approaches and enters the portal.

         ... He makes it sound like some sort of daily chore. Not quite as fearful as I thought he’d be assuming the Nameless Zone is his biggest source of dread, but I guess this was done to save space, time, and pages within the comic.          Moving on! Upon entering the portal, he comes across two curious characters:

         Who? Who are these dudes? Both foxes(?), maybe? How much does Tails know about them, and what are they capable of? Clearly quite a bit since they were able to open up a portal to another zone.

         Perhaps those questions will be answered another time, but right now they answer why they brought Tails over...

         There seems to have been quite the misunderstanding.          If it wasn’t obvious, the Enchanter King was referring to Sonic, who in Tails’ letters seems to not be as heroic compared to his real counterpart. Rather, he’s described as an “assistant” instead. Tripping over his words, Tails tries to explain that Sonic is actually the real hero, but the Enchanter Kings think he’s just being humble. They are really sold onto the idea that Tails is a real big shot, so much so that they made an enchanted battle armor just for him. What’s this armor for, you may ask?

😬

         TL:DR; Tails is ✨the chosen✨ because of a fake reputation uh oh-

#sonic the hedgehog #tails the fox #fleetway sonic #sonic the comic #fleetway tails #the enchanter kings #tails the nameless zone part 1 #smugbugreviewsathing #localbugreads #sonic the comic issue 16 #7/9/2022

[karolinarodrigueswrites]

When I was 14, in an attempt to not be racist, I decided that, in Chosen & Damned's world, people of color have their own saviors in their own people, regardless of if others, including white people, step in during the necessary violence

And on the long term this really impacted my brain in learning that the attitudes that are usually deemed as heroic (beat the villain, free the hostages, etc), are not even half the story

If a woman who was kept in a basement and abused for years managed to kill her captors and escape back to society, that's one trigger for change compared to the years of healing and recovery that must follow

Once someone is rescued, it is still necessary that more than surviving, they can live again, and live well

Plus, this decision, as poorly thought out as it was in that moment, kept me from somehow being sure that the way to make characters of color more important as "chosen ones" was to make them more violent

I still did and do a lot of mistakes in unlearning the bigoted biases around me and how they can warp the conclusions I make in efforts to learn better, but that random decision still ended up having repercussions on myself that I'm not sure how I would have acquired them had the idea never occurred to me

#kr rambles #Cdwip

[companionofthetimelords]

Snatched from Ingdal's Arm

So I never write but decided I would take a crack at it, sorry that this is probably bad, I haven't done any creative writing since high school about 13+ years ago, research papers are more my bread and butter. I tried to edit it best I could but probably missed a lot.

This story is for the #BG3 February writing/creativity challenge! I'm 5 days behind, but oh well I'll try and catch up or at least do what I can.

Prompt 1 sfw: What was Tav doing when they were abducted?

Wordcount: 1101

Female named Tav, bard, draconic sorcerer, just story, no smut or anything of that nature, fighting and a battle mention but nothing violent?

The sun was setting as an elven figure stepped out into the spring air after a long day hanging around the tavern, not that she would get much of a break from it, she had promised to perform in a few hours. It had been a productive day for her work and research. Ingdal's Arm had been a village of conflict until about 450 years ago. The settlement was the site of the Battle of Ingdal's Arm in 1065 DR and of the subsequent Peace Talks of Ingdal's Arm. Fennibal "Thunder" Bale was the hero of the Battle of Ingdal's Arm. Fennibal was a one-man wrecking crew which is rather impressive for a half elf, and he used his strength famously to charge into the enemy infantry, and single-handedly pushed all the humans back. Fennibal sacrificed his life in the heroic deed allowing his side – the half-elves win the battle and eventually gain independence. Songs and stories about Fennibal are often sung and told locally despite the centuries since, but aren’t widely known elsewhere and as the town has grown the songs and stories more and more are being changed and lost to time as is common for such things. Time causes things to be lost and forgotten and new people bring their own songs and stories which is great but sometimes the new replaces the old instead of joining it, and that’s where Taelia came in.

Archivist, preservationist, researcher, and protectress of songs and stories from throughout Faerûn, and as a silver dragon Taelia had plenty of time to do her work. She’d only been in the field with boots on the ground for the past 27 years as she had only gained the ability to shapeshift when she turned 300, but she had long been fascinated by humanoid mortal tales. Their lives are so short compared to her own kind. Even elves don’t live even half as long as she likely would, but they do so much with their time and leave such wonderful songs and stories behind. She had spent much of her youth combing dusty tombs and histories and while they were informative they often lacked the spicy and fun details and very mortal moments that make stories and songs feel alive so she decided she would hunt down such stories and songs and ensure they are kept safe for future generations. At some point she had even taught herself several instruments and to sing so she could perform the works she gathered. That was in fact why after spending the last few days collecting stories and songs from the people of Ingdal’s Arm she would be repaying them with a night of performances of not only the songs they had newly given and taught her but ones from the many cities, towns, and villages she had visited over the years.

First though she wanted to stretch her legs and get some food from somewhere other than the tavern she had been staying at, it wasn’t that it was bad, but she really craved something different. As she made her way down the rough cobblestone street almost tripping several times, through to the center of town she smiled and greeted people as she passed to mixed reactions. She was used to the not always enthusiastic reactions by now. Her chosen appearance was a bit odd, she had silver scales on her face that made her instantly identifiable as a silver draconic sorceress despite living the life more attuned to that of a traveling bard or minstrel, the visible scales helped her feel less like she was lying about who she is, but made people nervous. With great magic comes great responsibility or something like that, she thought. Telling people she’s a dragon can lead to a lot of problems and while silvers very much liked humanoids unlike most dragons, getting dragged into their squabbles and affairs was best avoided, she had learned that the hard way once and the large scar going through her nose and cheek breaking her scales was evidence of that. She also had faded teal dots tattooed on her face. They had been part of a custom in one of the first villages she had visited when she had begun her work and they made her feel tied to her work, but they were unusual in pretty much every other place she had ever visited. Her eyeshadow in turn matched the color of the dots and the main color of her eyes a vivid teal surrounding a light purple near the pupil, so her face causes some looks, but her bardic nature allows her to embrace it and take it in stride. Besides, the rest of her was boring enough. A pale high elf with freckles and auburn hair, hardly noteworthy, and in a town like this with lots of half elves she didn’t stand out nearly as much as some other places she had visited.

She at last had made it to the market area, and was eager to pick a food stand when suddenly the ground began to shake and the sky darkened all at once. Smoke filled the air, scream rang out from all directions. Taelia looked up to the sky and saw a strange tentacled ship flying overhead, her years of reading though wasn’t summoning up much in terms of what the ship could be, her knowledge was more terrestrial, not astral. She glanced around at the people in the market, many were trying to flee or hide, a part of her wanted to do the same though part of her wanted to shift into her true form and fly up to investigate, it would draw a lot of attention but may be worth it. Just as she went to transform the sky filled with astral portals with red dragons emerging from them. Taelia instantly changed her mind about transforming. Red and silver dragons don’t get along, they prefer the same sort of territories and while silvers like all the mortal races for the most part, red dragons served the githyanki. Then it dawned on her, if the Gith were here that must be an illithid ship as the two were mortal enemies. She needed to get to safety, but realized that wasn’t likely to be. The fishmonger cowering under his stall just feet away to her left suddenly vanished as did several others who, like her, had been standing cowering in fear stupidly in the open. She turned to run back towards the tavern when she tripped but before hitting the ground she felt weightlessness and then nothing…

#BG3FicFeb #bg3 tav #silver dragon #Ingdal's Arm #bard tav #draconic sorcerer tav