Living my best Teenage Life at 25: 2023 Hyperfixations ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
Are they really “hyperfixations” or am I just winning at my hobbies?
My diagnosis last December changed nothing but my awareness of my experience tbh. So much good came into my life from unabashedly engaging in my interests thriving online community and totally new creative outlets being the biggest ones!
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Legendborn Cycle Books, Spider-Verse Movies, and Percy Jackson TV Series all have Black characters that I deeply relate to.
The things I was inspired to create this year—deeply immersive narrative playlists, character analysis and theories, cosplay, fanwork challenges—all came from seeing my personal experience in brave, smart, rebellious characters.
I am Bree Matthews, I am Hobie Brown, and I am Annabeth Chase. Their stories all resonated with me so much that I’m inspired to do things I’d never done before, and I’ve had the good fortune to see the ripple effect it has on my community, online and offline.
Art doesn’t have A Reason™️ but if it did…I think that’s it. I’m excited for what new things will find me in 2024, and the new parts of me I’ll discover along the way 😊
How Persona 5 Nails The Missing Piece of Superhero Games
I would have written something sooner, but Persona 5 happened.
After years of fighting and coming up with excuses not to do so; I finally ran out of options. My friends forced me to sit down and play Persona 5 Royal on Steam, a game that scared me with its 100-hour length. After getting to Hour 50 with no sign of stopping however, I had to accept that I liked Persona 5. Probably due to it’s mixture of being a really good game and the inevitable Stockholm…
So, I don't too many in depth ideas for Strikers, but I've got two that I think are pretty good, one new and one older one.
Obviously, spoilers ahead. If you haven't played Strikers, GO PLAY STRIKERS DANG IT seriously it's my favorite game ever made
The new one is the simplest, but it's one I can't believe I never thought of until now.
Konoe
Aaron idolized Akira Konoe before the events of Strikers. He's got a few personal idols in the mechanical engineering world, one of the biggest being Akio Fujiwara (aka the AU's version of Doc Ock), but Konoe on the surface is everything Aaron wanted to be before the bite. He's genius, who runs a massive company that tries to improve as many lives as it can, doing everything for the greater good. But of course, that isn't the full story.
So when the signs begin pointing to Konoe's true nature, he rejects it outright. It just couldn't be true. Maybe someone at Madicce is messing with Emma to cause this, but there's no way Konoe could be in on it, right? It just couldn't be.
Then they explore the Okinawa Jail... and over and over again, he finds evidence proving Konoe's hand in everything... and it really gets to him. He tries not to let it show, but it's pretty apparent. After that revelation, he gets a bit more aggressive with their enemies (excluding Akane for obvious reasons), and he'd likely stay that way until Makoto (or whoever he is dating/closest to on the team at that time) decides to check in on him, where he'd just... break down.
He'd be mostly back to normal after that... but that rage would come back tenfold when dealing with Konoe himself.
A big theme in the adaptation would be technology. Konoe is of course, an Iron Man parallel, with Futaba even basing her armor off schematics she stumbles across while hacking into his servers much earlier on. Not only that, but a lot of the tech Konoe uses for his plan, including the Jails which as established in an earlier post, make Aaron's powers much weaker in the real world as long as he's within range of them. And no matter the verse, this version of Strikers requires a bit more real world action.
But over the course of the game, Aaron overcomes these obstacles, either pushing through with his willpower, or inventing new tech to combat these new problems. So when it finally comes time to face Konoe, it's pitting their tech, as well as their resolve against each other.
Aaron tears into Konoe, both physically and verbally, pointing out how wrong what he's doing is while also trying to beat the crap out of him. Though despite his immense power and the aid of his friends, Konoe has the upper hand throughout. It's only when Aaron realizes that because of Konoe's engineering knowledge, his Shadow's armor and weapons are built realistically, allowing him to use that to his advantage and finally bring him down.
Adaptation
This is probably the coolest one. Given the wide variety of powers his team has, or in closer-to-canon's case, how strong Phantom Spider is, E.M.M.A begins to prepare a failsafe, something to take care of the problem, or at least delay them long enough to enact her (their?) plan.
This failsafe is a series of androids designed to mimic and replicate the powers of Phantom Thieves, called Adaptoids. In the AU, every member of the team gets one, aside from Zenkichi (since he hadn't joined the team at that point) and Sophia (since EMMA doesn't see her as worth copying). In closer-to-canon however, while the full line of Androids is made, only the one of Phantom Spider exists in reality, while the rest are limited to only acting in the Metaverse, much like the team themselves.
These are built using scans and analysis of their powers taken during the 4th jail in Okinawa (since you do technically find EMMA there), as well as the remaining cognitive psi-ence research Konoe acquired from Shido after his arrest, the most significant of which being AF-15, the same serum that gave Aaron (and the rest of the team in the AU, minus Makoto) their powers.
The Adaptoids kinda replace Akane's Thieves in her jail, which is where the first big fight with them would take place. However, the prototype for Aaron's Adaptoid actually tracks them down much earlier, at least in closer-to-canon. It works alongside the police to bring the Spider in, and thanks to Akane's jail limiting his powers, it nearly succeeds.
The Adaptoids though, even in the AU, aren't perfect copies. While they can mimic a lot of the Thieves powers, they can't copy their Personas outside of the Metaverse, meaning they're a bit weaker in the real world. In the Metaverse however, the Adaptoids use a sort of distorted hologram of the Persona, making their spells much more potent, and allowing the Spider Adaptoid to mimic Aaron's synergy techniques.
The team is able to beat them however, using the classic technique of switching partners, taking advantage of their weaknesses which the Adaptoids had also copied. But this wouldn't be the last they'd see of them.
The Adaptoids would return as the boss guarding the way to Konoe's cage, only this time the bots have all fused together, using the Noir Adaptoid as a base. In universe, this is because it deemed Haru to be the strongest of the team, and that all her weaknesses are made up for by fusing with the others. The actual reason I chose to do this is as a nod to the Mecha Haru fight in her dad's Palace.
This Super Adaptoid (or Phantom Adaptoid as it's called in universe) is able to do everything the team can, to an extent. In base form, it has all their resistances and none of their weaknesses. It also wields a staff that can turn into a perfect replica of any of their weapons, allowing it to perfectly mimic their fighting styles (It doesn't do the same for their guns, preferring to just stick with Haru's Rocket Launcher). However, in order to use any of their Persona skills, it needs to switch to it, just like a Wild Card does, which is indicated by the arrangement of its face plates (mimicking the mask of whoever's Persona it's using) and the lights along its body (lighting up in the color associated with that team member). When using that Persona, it becomes weak to whatever that Persona is weak to, but keeps all other resistances. Most importantly, even if you hit it with its weakness, it will not be knocked down. It will still do more damage, but this thing is a tank that will not stop until the entire team is neutralized.
Eventually, the team takes it down... but the plans for it still exist on Medicce's computers, including the data they acquired from analyzing the team. So if someone wanted to, they could easily recreate it, even upgrading it a bit for closer-to-canon so that the other Thieves bots could exist IRL.
Sophia Time!
Finally, some quick things for how Sophia would work in the AU (as I don't have anything for Zenkichi yet. Though someone did suggest making him Toxin, which I am considering).
First up, Sophia is actually discovered significantly earlier in the AU. After Futaba gets her powers, she discovers a bunch of thugs trying to break into someone's apartment, which she takes down easily. However, after looking around a bit, it appears no one's home, and that no one's been here in months. But seeing a computer, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she ends up interfacing with it. This is when she stumbles across Sophia, who ends up downloading herself into Futaba's suit, and is unfortunately unable to leave it, as integrating with the advanced operating system stored within has made her incompatible with anything else. And since her operating system is kinda her Persona, Sophia ends up sorta living in Futaba's head for the rest of the year.
However, when Strikers comes around, Sophia is able to manifest in the jails, much like she does in the game, and works with the team to help stop Konoe and EMMA. Though, her abilities are clearly influenced by Futaba's at first, able to fly around, shoot laser beams, and all the typical Iron Man stuff. After her awakening though, she gains Vision's ability to density shift, able to phase through walls or become an immovable object.
After they take EMMA down, Aaron, Ichinose, and Futaba work together to give her a body of her own, repurposing the Adaptoid tech, as well as left over parts from Konoe's Zephyr Man Armor. She then leaves with Ichinose, much like in the game, pretending to be her daughter and trying to lead a somewhat normal life. But if the world is ever in danger, she will rush over to aid the team.
As an adult, which is something she kinda chose to be after a while so she wouldn't stand out too much, she reveals her identity as a Self Aware AI to the world, and works with her mother to improve Human and AI relations going forward.
There's a bit more, but I think that's enough for now.
"you're not seeing less tonight?" your room mate asked in surprise as you appeared in your living room in your pyjamas. "no she has a big game tomorrow, part of our agreement is that she gets a good nights sleep beforehand. otherwise we stay up talking for hours and i get the blame if she plays bad!" you chuckled collapsing onto the sofa.
the two of you bickered about what to get for dinner for awhile until you eventually settled on chinese, your roommate stepping out to call and order as you browsed through your shared netflix to watch list.
"rom com?" you called out, the girl giving you a thumbs up as she continued to order, ending the call and joining you again on the sofa. the two of you agreeing on a movie you patiently awaited your food to arrive, commentating through the film to one another as usual.
but no sooner had you paid and thanked the delivery driver did your phone ring, your girlfriends contact popping up as you shoved a spring roll into your mouth and clicked accept.
"hi baby!" you greeted once you'd swallowed your mouthful, nodding as your roommate dished you up a plate adding in a little bit of everything. "lessi whats wrong?" you asked, her lack of returned greeting causing you some concern.
"can you come over please?" the girl requested as your eyebrows furrowed. "why whats happened?" you stepped out of the room as your roommate gave you a questioning look and you dismissed it with a wave.
"theres an intruder."
"what!"
"yeah, can you just come over please?"
"of course love i'll call the police on my way. are you safe??"
"police? i don't need the police." alessia spoke as you paused, frown deepnding even further. "lessi im a little confused here." you entered your room and shrugged on a puffer over the top of your hoodie.
"a spider babe, theres a huge fucking black spider and i need you to come kill it please." alessia clarified as you sighed in relief that there was no real danger. "just hit it with a shoe less you've got about a hundred pairs." you chuckled, pausing with one arm in and one arm out of your puffers.
"no! please baby its massive like im talking enormous and its in the bedroom so i won't be able to sleep!" alessia whined much to your amusement, the taller girl often boasting how much stronger and faster she was than you and making fun of your notable height difference.
"thought you were just so big and strong and athletic babe? euro winner can't kill a little itty bitty spider?" you cooed mockingly, shoving your other arm in your jacket. "shut up! just get here and help me please." with that the call beeped that she'd ended it.
"just put mine in the fridge, i'll be back in an hour tops." you sighed to your roommate quickly catching her up on the call as she let out a laugh, wrapping up your plate for you as you called out goodbye and grabbed your car keys.
ignoring the three calls from your girlfriend you drove over to her flat which was about twenty minutes from your own, pulling up in the driveway to find her stood on the front steps with her arms wrapped around herself.
"alessia its freezing are you stupid?" you huffed at her lack of clothing as she rolled her eyes. "all my jackets and hoodies are in the bedroom." the blonde frowned as she let the two of you into her place, taking your puffer for you.
"right. where is it then?" you sighed tiredly, stomach rumbling as your girlfriend handed you a shoe and a can of bug spray, pushing you toward her bedroom. "thanks babe." you grumbled flicking her a glare over your shoulder.
carefully pushing open her door you stuck your head in and looked around, stepping properly inside with a frown as you looked around but came up empty handed.
"it's gone." you shrugged returning to where your girlfriend sat waiting on the sofa. "you killed it?" the striker perked up with a grin, balling your hoodie in her fists and tugging you down on top of her. "i love you i love you i love you i love-" she started to kiss all over your face making you blush.
"no baby, it's gone as in i can't see it anywhere." you clarified as she stopped, pushing you to sit up with legs straddling her hips. "what! well go look for it then." the blonde ordered pointing back to her room with a huff.
"no! alessia its probably gone back outside again, i am not turning your entire room upside down to look for a spider. i love you very much but i've got dinner waiting for me and i'm starving." you leaned down to kiss her sweetly before standing up off of her.
"you can't leave me like this!" your girlfriend hurried after you, snatching your keys off the hook and holding them out of your reach. "less!" you groaned, smacking her chest and stretching for them but it was a fruitless task given she easily stood head and shoulders taller.
"you can't leave me alone what if its just waiting for you to leave before it appears again?" alessia challenged with a raised eyebrow. "its a spider alessia i don't think its got a personal vendetta against you." you chuckled, keys still held out of your reach.
"what if it comes back though? i'm not sleeping in there with it in hiding!" alessia decided firmly as you sighed and dropped your arm. "then sleep on the sofa baby, please gimme my keys im hungry!" you groaned, poking her stomach with a hufff.
"good. you can stay here tonight and i'll cook you something now while you go look for that little eight legged intruder." alessia dropped your keys on top of her book shelf well out of your reach. "what? no!" you protested, trying to reach for the keys.
"yes. or you leave the spider to its business and we sleep on the lounge together." you let out a yell as your girlfriend suddenly grabbed you, hauling you over her shoulder and wandering to the kitchen.
"you know this display of athleticism really doesn't do anything to erase the fact you're scared of a tiny weeny spider and forced me to come over and kill it." you smacked her behind before she sat you down on the counter.
"well you didn't even do that, some girlfriend you are." alessia sighed with a shake of her head as she moved to look through her refrigerator to cook you something as you scoffed at her comment.
"where you going? you can't leave love." alessia chuckled with a smug smile as you narrowed your eyes.
"i'm gonna go and catch that spider and then i'm gonna throw it on you while you sleep."
So here’s the latest update of this little series on my blog where I assign official voice actors to characters that don’t have them. I also did this with the previous title, Legends: Arceus.
I have to reiterate the same points every time, but it’s just so we’re all aware -
This is NOT CANON. These are HEADCANONS and are unofficial. It’s just a hypothetical situation. If the characters were voiced, this is who I imagine would voice them.
Every major character in both games is included here, so there are HEAVY SPOILERS for the game’s main storylines. DO NOT READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THE GAME OR DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED.
The only character I did not include in this is Jacq. He already has an official VA thanks to the Pokemon Go Gimmighoul Trailer. I don’t know who it is though because they go uncredited.
So without further ado, I hope you enjoy my ideas. Or don’t. Your choice.
Nemona - KAYLI MILLS
Also Voiced:
Emilia (Re:Zero)
Alice Synthesis Thirty (Sword Art Online: Alicazation)
Keqing (Genshin Impact
Katy - DOROTHY FAHN
Also Voiced:
Konan (Naruto)
Tsumugi Shirogane (Danganronpa V3)
Mercedes (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)
Brassius - ROBBIE DAYMOND
Also Voiced:
Goro Akechi (Persona 5)
Hubert (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)
Prompto Argentum (Final Fantasy XV)
Iono - IRONMOUSE
Also Voiced:
Herself (On her twitch videos and Speak of the Devil)
Tanith (An Incorrect Summary of Elden Ring | The King & The Serpent)
Kofu - CHRIS RAGER
Also Voiced:
Hercule Satan (Dragon Ball)
Marshal D. Teach/Blackbeard (One Piece)
Gahuko Asano (Assassination Classroom)
Larry - XANDER MOBUS
Also Voiced:
Joker (Persona 5)
Master Hand (Super Smash Bros)
Rokuzo Taguchi (Bungo Stray Dogs)
Ryme - REGINA KING
Also Voiced:
Huey and Riley Freeman (The Boondocks)
Kreela (The Ant Bully)
Dynamite (Planes: Fire and Rescue)
Grusha - ALEJANDRO SAAB
Also Voiced:
Cyno (Genshin Impact)
Yuri (Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Three Hopes)
Izumi Miyamura (Horimiya)
Tulip - MELANIE MINICHINO
Also Voiced:
Alice Hiiragi (Persona 5 Strikers)
Anya Corazon/Spider-Girl (Spider-Man (2017))
Yan (Indivisible)
Director Clavell - KIRK THORNTON
Also Voiced:
Kisame Hoshigaki (Naruto)
Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Jade Curtiss (Tales of Zesteria)
Penny - AMANDA CELINE MILLER
Also Voiced:
Toko Fukawa (Danganronpa/Danganronpa Another Episode)