where should you be kissed?

palm. you give and give. you are a gentle heart, broken but still standing… always lending a hand for those who need it, expecting nothing in return. you deserve someone taking your hand and kissing your open palm, the hands which have selflessly helped so many others.

tagged by: @echomancerforhire
tagging: @waywardxmuses @bat-outtamontreal @jonvandernoorde and you!

what do you look like in someone’s memory?

The space where our hands almost touched. You exist in memory like the space between two people who never touched — close enough to feel the warmth, too careful to proceed. You are silence charged with meaning, glances that linger too long, words that stay in the throat. People remember you as a heartbeat away, the quiet ache of what could have been.

tagged by: stole it
tagging: @echomancerforhire @bat-outtamontreal @escapedartgeek @thrownsoul and you!

more notes for my rw anthro au v2

Monk & Survivor are siblings in their teenage years, Monk is obsessed with nature & animals. Gourmand is their older cousin.
((idk if I should make Hunter related to them in this au similar to my previous one- gotta work on something there))

Rivulet works as a marine biologist & is good friends with Moon.

Artificer works for the military, her specialty is working with pyrotechnics. She is married to Hunter, They have two children together; Periwinkle (the thief) & Misty (the scout) -> might rename these two for this new au once I come up with something- idk.

There is an on-going war with the slugcats vs the scavengers.
because of this war, Artificer is away from her home & family for great periods of time fighting the scavengers. (Scavengers are anthro in this au) During one of the attacks on the scavengers, a bomb was thrown by the scavengers’ side & Artificer lost one of her eyes, a good portion of one of her ears (as well as lost her hearing in that same ear) & a large portion of her head, neck, shoulder, & chest are covered in the scarring after the injury had healed.

New (but might not stay canon in this au): Nightcat & Watcher are two different characters. They are identical twins. (if I don’t keep Nightcat, the idea is going back to Nightcat & Watcher being the same; becoming Nightwatcher) Maybe If I do stick with this plan, I’ll have Watcher x Sofanthiel & then Nightcat x Survivor? idk-

Peach’s Anthro AU (Version 2) Notes

Some things that I’ve had in mind + are now coming to me now that I looked at some of my old notes from my first anthro au for rain world.
–
Iterators will be converted to slugcats
Some characters will have disabilities; either born with or developed later in life. Some Potentials being Five Pebbles/Pebbles, Looks To The Moon/Moon, Spearmaster, & Maybe Artificer?
A good portion of the characters will be LGBTQ+
Some characters will have jobs, relationships, siblings, new designs, & more.
Some characters will have minor changes while others may have an entire rework.
Maybe some new characters entirely?
There will be three types of lizards: Anthro Lizards, Domestic lizards, & wild lizards.
–
Artificer (She/Her) & Hunter (She/They) were high school sweethearts but broke up at one point. Artificer had her pups but then split up with that partner, reunited with Hunter later in life & they then married each other. ((or maybe Artificer adopted her pups? maybe she got a donor & her pups will be biologically hers but Hunter will function like a step-parent? idk yet))
(note: I headcanon that one year is around 120 cycles or so, or at this point in time at least)

Looks To The Moon or “Moon” (She/Her) & Five Pebbles or “Pebbles” (He/They) are siblings.
Moon is in a romantic relationship with Sliver of Straw or “Sliver” (She/They) while Pebbles is still exploring his sexuality.

No Significant Harassment or “Sig” (He/Him) is in a romantic relationship with Seven Red Suns or “Suns” (They/Them)

Chasing/Grey Wind (They/He) is the twin brother of Sliver of Straw.

Spearmaster (They/It) will have a PEG feeding tube (just like the previous anthro au) to represent how their spears work within the game.

Moon needs help with moving around; she walks with crutches. She also has long term memory loss. ((might develop something around Moon getting a brain injury & these were some of the results she now has to live with upon recovering))

Pebbles is on the autism spectrum. He tends to be independent, has a hard time apologizing to others after getting in a fight with them, he also has a hard time saying meaningful things to others & instead of trying to say said meaningful thing, he just bottles it up & tries to avoid the conversation all together. He’s also a bit of a history nerd.

Salutaries- Bits and Bobs

Terms: ‘Dead Skaro’ = the Skaro that Salutaries originate from

The Integrated Empire = the 'default’ Skaro that Arkreli answers to. This Skaro boasts the deepest gene pool of not just Daleks, but of Kaleds.

Salutaries= Bio-Cybernetic, female Kaleds meant to bolster the dwindling Kaled gene pool in the Thousand Year War. They have several sets of carefully moderated genetics that make them chimeras, even able to have children with different maternal sets of DNA. Bold hair and eye colors made them visually distinctive.

The life of a Salutary on the 'dead’ Skaro was regimented since day of decant as adults. Their lives centered around planned pregnancies, births, and their children going into the Kaled population. They lived cloistered away, most children conceived artificially. Some others, like Vess and Saan, were moved to other experimental tasks that a typical Kaled couldn’t (or wouldn’t) safely accomplish (Temporal experiments and caring for an alt-Davros (including making immunoglobulins for him), respectively)

Once in the Integrated Empire, the Salutaries were edited to have 'natural’ Kaled hair and eye colors. Their identities are kept secret from the Imperial Elites, especially Davros and his leading Daleks. They were married among the male Kaleds who came in.

[Picrew credit] Examples of an unnamed Salutary on the 'dead’ Skaro and assimilated to the Integrated Empire.

Uniforms:

The backs of the Salutaries are covered in waterproofed plugs and medical tattoos for various computer, medical, and other equipment. The uniforms on their old Skaro were meant to easily accommodate the need for these plugins.

Gray T-Shirt and drawstring shorts. These would be put with basic socks and clogs. Undergarments are also standard.

Over the T shirt and shorts

Over this are coveralls with reflective bands. Their serial #s are put onto the breast and arm band [Marked LOGO here]. Commonly worn open and sleeves tied around the waist when in the compound, at rest.

During pregnancy, the uniform is changed to maternity scrubs with serial # on a printed band.

[art by @the-composite-doll/mun]

Inspirations: https://www.about-goldfish.com/black-moor-goldfish.html and https://tardis.wiki/wiki/Dalek_mutant

Species: Dalek [Black River Variant]

Origin: London, England (Earth), Skaro (base species)

Shell Type: None- Live in an aquatic environment.

Preferred Biome: River. Can live in polluted waters and eat anything from food-based trash, small animals, food scraps, plants, algae.

Biological Defenses: Creating copious slime (also how they excrete heavy metals and pollution), stinger (modified Vestigial Claw), tentacles (incredibly strong)

Black River Daleks were a project to do the impossible- create a Good Dalek. This project was short-lived, running out of money until wealthy grifters took over funding and the direction of creation.

Black River Daleks were sold as pets, being advertised as cute, curious, and intelligent. They were to be kept in amphibious set ups with fun toys and puzzles. Most were bought when around the size of a golf ball to a baseball. They were sold in London pet stores, and trendy between 3022 and 3024.

However, these creatures did not stay “good”. The creatures’ ‘cute’ nature was actually an extended babyhood stage (in standard Daleks, this stage lasts anywhere from a few minutes (lowest castes) to a few days (elite scientist castes). This 'babyhood’ stage of neuroplasticity and endless curiosity was to allow the Dalek time to fully develop its intellect. In the Black River Dalek, this stage lasted 3-5 years (Earth).

These little pets became a nightmare. They outgrew their tanks, became outrageously angry, and became absolutely destructive and hateful. They had realized that they had been bought, and that their caretakers were their owners.

With the sellers long gone, people tried killing them, but no Dalek would die. Finally, people just threw them into the River Thames to live out their miserable lives.

A few humans, led by a middle-aged man called Thomas Perks, found their discarded pets and over time, hatched a mostly amicable plan: These creatures would hunt invasive species and bring them trash and artifacts, and these humans would give them medical care and advocate for them.

Thomas Perks is familiar with 'Old Bert’, a massive Black River Dalek he had as a child, and was “Devastated when I came home from school and Bert was gone!” and “Look how big he is!”

✧ ━━ 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐑 ; 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐄𝐒

• ⸻     𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

𝙽𝙰𝙼𝙴: Ayesha Kyle Schreiber.

𝙽𝙸𝙲𝙺𝙽𝙰𝙼𝙴𝚂: Mnemonic (codename), Mnemo (make a Finding Nemo joke at your own risk), Esha (and however else anyone feels like shortening her name; Ay, Esh, etc).

𝙳𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙱𝙸𝚁𝚃𝙷: March 19th.

𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁: cis female, she/her.

𝙿𝙻𝙰𝙲𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝙱𝙸𝚁𝚃𝙷: Ontario, California, USA.

𝚂𝙿𝙾𝙺𝙴𝙽 𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙶𝚄𝙰𝙶𝙴𝚂: English, some Spanish, some German.

𝙴𝙳𝚄𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: high school graduate, some college.

𝙷𝙰𝙸𝚁 𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙾𝚁: dark brown.

𝙴𝚈𝙴 𝙲𝙾𝙻𝙾𝚁: green.

𝙷𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃: 5'6".

• ⸻     𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

𝚂𝙸𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂: none biological, but she and her best friend Alex Wellton/Dragonryder refer to one another as sisters.

𝙿𝙰𝚁𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂: Shavonne Williams (mother), David Schreiber (father, deceased).

𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙳𝚁𝙴𝙽: none.

𝙿𝙴𝚃𝚂: none.

• ⸻     𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩  𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

𝚂𝙴𝚇𝚄𝙰𝙻 𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽: bisexual.

𝚁𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂𝙷𝙸𝙿 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚂: (storyline-dependent but usually) single.

tagged by: stole it
tagging: you!

Notes on the brothers’ various quirks and health issues:

• Redstrike and Spyder both occasionally go through a ‘shed’ where their various updates cause their frames to literally shed the older outdated frame to replace it for the new one. The process happens gradually, and internal mechanisms happen slower than external, but when it happens, they both appear to suffer from severe ill health, turning Grey, going temporarily blind, and growing lethargic. The result is they come out looking fresh off the line which is why they look FAR younger than they actually are and younger than Batgotti who is the same age.
• Batgotti doesn’t shed with his updates, but he can suspend his frame’s aging process by entering a hibernation stasis that slows his internal processes down to a crawl. Usually this is reserved for times of low energon availability or activity but it’s helped stave off his aging to some degree (though not as drastically as Red and Spyder)
• Redstrike has slightly below average hearing for the average mech and also suffers from audio processing issues at times. He makes up for this by feeling vibrations through the ground and replaying his hub feed at high speed but it does mean that he can be slower on the uptake when it comes to certain sound frequencies as well as occasionally misunderstanding what a mech has said. Part of the reason why he tries to be so deliberately vague at times.
• Redstrike is far weaker and less durable than a mech of his size should be and cannot turn off his pain sensors remotely (or at all) meaning that he usually deals with some level of pain at all times and is far more likely to suffer an injury. His joints are also extremely flexible, but this results in frequent dislocations, which he is adept at fixing himself and covering for even in the middle of a fight.
• Redstrike’s low fuel efficiency means he burns through fuel faster than most mechs, requiring more energon to maintain his frame. There are ways he can offset this but in general he requires about twice as much as a mech his size should. This can be further exacerbated by the power draw of the Triptych Mask which is why Spyder focuses so much on finding new ways to generate energon to ensure Redstrike never goes without.
• The reason for Redstrike’s various weaknesses is a result of his spark splitting at the moment of creation into Spyder and Batgotti. His brothers each took an inordinate amount of strength, durability, and normal functioning from him when they broke off. Red has had to compensate as a result, and he would technically qualify as 'disabled’ by Cybertronian standards as a result, though in an invisible way, meaning he can easily pass as “baseline”.
• Batgotti has a lower than standard capacity for empathy. While it’s something he compensates for by following ethical practices and gentlemech mannerisms, it does mean he isn’t always adept at dealing with the emotions of others and has a hard time understanding how and what they are feeling. He will grow frustrated and even angry if his usual tactics of politeness and ethical understanding don’t work and tends toward unhealthy obsessive behavior when he develops an interest in other mechs romantically or sexually. It’s also the reason why he can often appear to be detached at times.
• Spyder’s ultra-fast computing processor speed means that while he’s bright, he also struggles to maintain focus for too long or to break focus for long stretches of time. His processor is also inefficient in how it categorizes priorities, meaning he will often become blind to his surroundings and their state of disarray. When he does manage to maintain focus, it easily becomes unhealthy hyperfocus instead, blinding him to the needs of his frame until he reaches critical levels. He can essentially be classified as having 'adhd’.

Subaru | Character Notes

• ReZero: Starting Life in Another World • Subaru Natsuki • Up to only S1 Ep 11 •

✩ Super loving and respects women far more than he lets on. He’ll say phrases that’ll sound teasingly pervy, but he never expects anything and when it happens he malfunctions. But he’ll cherish what he’s gotten and will remember it forever.

✩ Has the craziest memory. He’ll remember words he’s said, even if he spits a million of them in a second. He remembers what he said and hasn’t said, in exact order. And depending on the reaction he got before time resets, he’ll modify it but say it with the same tone. The one he knows will give a familar reaction. The underlying context is different however.

✩ Is dead set on not making other people worry about him by playing things cool. At first, it’s because he’s naturally selfless, but later the way he acts is the one thing he knows will get a positive reaction out of other people. He clings to his wild antics to cling onto familiarity, to ensure things don’t change.

✩ Is very good at masking his emotions. Fear is hard to mask, yet he’s learned to play it cool and maybe reveal his emotions between the lines. It’s far more easier for him to vent his emotions cryptically than bottle it up.

✩ Clings to familiarity and proof of his actions. Be it scars or simple acknowledgment, they are proof that he has a lasting positive impact that return by death can’t erase. Nothing hurts more to him than being forgotten or hated by the people he’s gotten close to.

✩ Is super self-aware. He knows his limits, and isn’t afraid to show them. Nope, can’t do that, so why pretend? His natural honesty makes him more trustworthy, even if he’s blind to that.

✩ He doesn’t like to cry in front of others, but not because of societal expectations or because he thinks they’re a weakness. It’s simply because he thinks that he can still do more, so he shouldn’t be so broken when he’s not done with what he has to do. If he’s broken now, how will he ever find the will to pick himself back up? He’s afraid to lose his will, and afraid that his broken spirit will push other people away.

✩ He’s not picky. He knows the difference between things, so it’s not from assuming that two things are one. He just thinks that he could be completely fine with both of them, despite their differences. He’s not ambitious, and after all the stuff he’s been through, something nice and simple is all he could ask for.

✩ When he does something, it isn’t for nothing. To him, a certain amount of effort should equal an equally significant reward. But those types of rewards to him are never flashy. Flashy is the least he cares for. As long as he got something good out of his efforts, that all his time spent hasn’t been for nothing, he’s happy.

✩ Not a serious complainer. He’s complained playfully, but never once does he actually complain with full irritation or frustration about things. Complaining will not only negatively impact his relations with the others, but it’ll most likely not be of any use. Being positive has helped, so he’s determined that when he’s serious, he’s looking out to the world with a positive note.

✩ Sees things for the way they are. People. Cats. The sky. Flowers. Happiness. Trust. He doesn’t sugar coat them nor downplay what they are. He simply appreciates them if it’s something or someone he likes.

✩ Makes references to things from his world. It doesn’t sound like he misses his old world, or his old life for that matter. He loves the world he’s in, no matter how cruel it’s been to him. Yet, things from his old world still shape the way he talks and views things, and he still finds a bit of comfort in them.

Thoughts on episode 124.

Completely out of order.

Starting with Amethio and Uruto’s conversation. Their conversation was something I was really looking forward to ever since PokeDoko revealed that they would be talking one on one. It felt special because Amethio only ever interacted with three characters from the RVT in an isolated setting (Liko, Friede, Landau). He had an interaction with Dot in HZ111 (apologizing to her because he felt responsible for Zygarde lacking in strength, and Dot thanking him for helping Liko and the others), but it wasn’t an isolated setting. Their conversation was unexpected, but this duo of characters really makes sense given their similarities (outsiders to the group who became allies later on, characters who can’t easily open up to others, etc).

I also really liked that Uruto mentions that he’ll trust Amethio because the others acknowledge him and trust him too. It’s reminiscent of Zir and Conia telling Liko in ep 104 that Amethio acknowledged her even when she was still his adversary. And it’s because Amethio acknowledged Liko that Zir and Conia were willing to put their trust in her and reach out to her, too. Uruto, Zir and Conia being kind of “outsiders” to the history and personal interactions/moments these characters share among each other but willing to trust their friends’ judgment all the same. This willingness to extend trust being something only Uruto could do, and this interaction in general being something that only Uruto could say, as someone who has no personal history or baggage with Amethio. Uruto doesn’t know Amethio much and only met him as an ally to the RVT, so he’s never seen him as an enemy to the others.. His perception of him is untainted in that sense. I feel like this moment really showed his levelheadedness and maturity. He can be abrasive, but he is perceptive too. Uruto can be so guarded and we get the feeling that he never really connected with many people before this, but he’s reached a point where he is comfortable enough admitting that he likes the RVT (which was cute as hell, I’m glad he can be open about this to a third party outside the RVT) and openly cares about others and willing to trust someone he’s just met because his friends do too. In turn, I thought it was interesting that Amethio was willing to talk to someone so casually and tried to see things from the RVT’s perspective. Observing the scenery and taking it in, reflecting on it and coming to his own conclusions about the freedom they enjoyed (leaving an implication that he didn’t have this freedom before and felt trapped, and that he can enjoy it currently as he is pursuing his own path).

The content of Amethio and Uruto’s conversation being a reflection on the current state of Amethio’s relationship with Liko and by extension, the RVT (the contrast between stormy/rainy and calm weather, reflecting how tumultuous and shaky his relationship with Liko used to be).

Uruto offering Amethio a place to rest and suggesting he uses the couch was really cute.. He has manners now and he is mindful of others. Amethio reminiscing his first time on the Brave Asagi and declining Uruto’s offer after remembering his moment with Liko in ep 2.. it was good (understatement). I love that we can infer that Amethio feels regret and guilt for his past actions towards Liko and refuses because he feels undeserving of using this specific couch.. internally feeling these conflicting emotions but it’s not outright expressed and it’s left unsaid. It reminded me of Dot in ep 103 remembering the events in Rakua and the fact that Zir and Conia stepped in to help them, which is what made her want to help Zir and give him a ticket to the Gurumin event.. Dot clearly felt grateful and wanted to pay him back in her own way. I love moments like these which assume the audience is clever enough to connect the dots and come to the right conclusions without outright spelling it out for us. It feels respectful towards both the characters and the audience.

Overall, it was such an enjoyable interaction to me. It showed off both characters’ charms and growth, felt poetic and nuanced (talking about the weather to refer to something else), and established a meaningful connection between two characters who had little history prior that. Trust and connections being formed in the most unlikely places, which is what will lead to Spinel’s downfall. In a way, this moment highlighted some of my issues with the way Roy is currently handled because Uruto is a character allowed to have vulnerable, meaningful interactions with other characters (Matiere, Taro, Mollie, Amethio now, etc) and have his emotional depth and interiority explored in a way that doesn’t happen with Roy.

The thing I mentioned about Uruto being abrasive but having moments of levelheadedness reminds me of Sango too, which kind of gives another layer to their interaction in ep 95 (which was when Uruto interrupted the battle and helped Liko and Roy and called the way Sango and co battled with the Strong Spheres “uncool”). Sango can be loud and explosive, but she’s had multiple moments where she surprised me by being perceptive or calm in general (the fact she was willing to listen to Amethio and doubting Spinel’s word when he framed him in ep 65, or that she is someone who actually wants to put in the work and line up to get her sweets instead of being handed things on a platter, etc). Something about both of them being gremlins, etc.

In terms of the matchups we got at the end of the episode, I need to think more about it but there is something to be said about Liko facing off Basagiri, while Amethio is stuck with Lapras, the two Pokemon among the Six Heroes who have an individual relationship (which has been emphasized, and the only two of the Six Heroes to share a unique bond) and who are rivals. Which could mean anything, or nothing. It’s funny because Basagiri and Lapras is literally my only Pokemon ship in Horizons. You will think about how Lapras’ memory of Lucius was the last moment she shared with him in Rakua as he promised he’d meet everyone again, in contrast to Basagiri’s memory of Lucius being his first meeting with him as Lucius accepted him and reached out a hand to him. And how upon awakening from her slumber, Lapras gathered friends, while Basagiri isolated himself, waiting for someone to meet him. And how Lapras will forever carry the physical mark of her first meeting with Basagiri, being willing to take a scar out of love for her trainer, and how they moved past that despite their tumultuous start.. which is a bit similar to Liko and Amethio, in a way, as they were able to form a unique bond despite the way their first meeting went down.

I think Basagiri and Lapras are also interesting choices for them because of the Pokemon’s individual traits. When Liko and the others met Lapras, she was fierce and led a group of Pokemon who didn’t mingle much with humans. Despite that, Lapras is also deeply loyal and kind underneath her tough exterior. Which is similar to Amethio (and even Liko, who shares Lapras’s traits). Basagiri was described as a lone warrior when the group first met him (it’s the title of ep 73), and I think his steady, quiet loyalty are traits reminiscent of Liko and Amethio.. I think the lone warrior motif is also interesting in relation to Onyx, who very much feels like one too. I’m still in the process of thinking about the other matchups, but I thought Dot and Agate being with Oliva stood out in the sense that Oliva watched over a forest.. something about Dot and Agate having educator roles (Dot making educational videos about Pokemon and Agate being a former teacher), and sowing the seeds of knowledge.

Btw, I think it’s neat that Liko is facing Onyx again one on one (seemingly) because it’s been so long. Uruto facing Rubella is fun (because they keep making him face girls). I am just looking forward to seeing more of the Explorers again in general.

Dot personally thanking Zir and Conia was really thoughtful of her, and I liked that she spontaneously did that.. I love seeing the ways she is so considerate and openly mindful of others. Zir being excited that Gurumin thanked him was cute! In general, I liked that this episode highlighted that every character’s contribution mattered and was important. Amethio thanked others multiple times, everyone thanked each other and acknowledged/uplifted each other. It’s something I also liked in ep 120. Dot got help from Crave to infiltrate the Exceed Museum. Crave isn’t a typical fighter, and he is portrayed as someone with contributions only he can provide. Similarly here, Zir and Conia have roles and things only they can do. Everyone shares the burden and there isn’t a single person who can do everything by themselves, it’s a collective effort. (Just like with Uruto’s scene, I feel like this ep also indirectly highlighted another issue I have with Roy currently. While this one stresses everyone’s achievements, we got an ep recently with Roy’s achievements blown out of proportion for things that were collective efforts, diminishing everyone else in the process in order to elevate one single person at everyone else’s expense.)

The subs having Amethio call Indy and Rubella Spinel’s “pets” was funny and also kinda insane. They are making it easy to joke about Spinel and his many adventures with his subordinates. Whatever shall I do.

Indy and Rubella calling Amethio a traitor, and the fact he questioned who was the real traitor was interesting. Something about the narrative being manipulated/perhaps Spinel seeing that as his “truth”, and Amethio trying to shed light on the truth by sticking to his own path.

I feel like we never got to see Roy’s room on the ship before this ep..? I was happy to see it. Other than that, Dot’s Pokemon sleeping on her bed is cute, I do like how the Pokemon are always included in everyday life scenes like these. Same with Liko’s Pokemon. I think Liko was drawing or maybe writing on her tablet in her room, I thought it was neat. Carbou wanting to wear the armor was such a cute scene, and the fact Liko let Carbou do as he pleases, despite commenting on how it might be hard to move in, was good (the whole respecting a Pokemon’s wishes and agency, etc).

I think Spinel is hot as hell on his Gibeon-like kind of throne and petting his cute loyal Pokemon (the fact that this is the one thing that’s remained consistent about Spinel is so interesting too, especially since he breaks bonds).. Why did the PR account post a gif of Spinel petting Blacky right after the episode aired, and how do they know so precisely what the audience wants. They know exactly who they are targeting with Spinel, and I will be saying this every time because it’s true. I love Spinel bait and falling for it every single time <3 If Spinel locked me up in the Explorers basement, I would simply let myself get beaten by the Six Heroes so he could wear the prettiest smile on his face <3 RIP to Liko and the others, but I’m different.

Anyway, Spinel emulating Gibeon to some extent and standing where he would have been is so compelling- trying to fill the void of his absence, recreating his presence, defiling the original purpose of the Explorers, and chasing someone who isn’t there anymore. I like thinking of Spinel as the monster created by Gibeon and who was left behind by him, someone who reflects his most extreme sides (and unlike Gibeon, he never had someone like Lucius), the widow lashing out in grief.. Spinel, Gibeon isn’t going to [redacted] and [redacted] you, king.

Now, onto Liko and Amethio, and their battle.. many things happened and I might not mention everything here.

I liked their battle because it’s generally how I like them being implemented in the story. Battles as a means to develop characters, relationships, Pokemon, and as a storytelling tool to convey something specific.

Amethio referring to Carbou as “stubborn” and teasingly wondering “who it takes after” was a lot (his voice was so gentle).. And something I want to mention is that both Diana and Amethio have basically referred to Liko as “stubborn.” When Diana met Nyahoja in ep 24, she told her to look after Liko and said Liko was “more stubborn than she looks” and now, 100 eps later, we get Amethio commenting on one of Liko’s Pokemon being stubborn and thinking this trait comes from Liko. Diana and Amethio didn’t use the same words (Diana used 頑固 iirc, and Amethio used 強情, their meanings are the same though) but the fact that Diana and Amethio have the same assessment of Liko..? Diana knows Liko the best and inspired her. I think it’s interesting that they describe Liko the same way and came to the same conclusions about her. Gaining insight into Amethio’s perception of Liko’s character was enlightening.

The emphasis on Liko and Amethio doing things “together” and combining their powers was so nice.. it stood out to me when they both used different words to say “together.” Liko saying 一緒に and Amethio 共に, using different words but the endgoal being the same, ie doing things together. It reflects their differences and similarities.

I loved how creative Liko was with Carbou’s armor during the battle. The armor had drawbacks to it (it was difficult for Carbou to move in it), but Liko using it as protection and telling Carbou to hide inside was such a clever move. I especially liked Carbou taking the initiative to use the armor to reduce the damage from the recoil of his own move. It shows that Carbou is a full independent being and can think on his own. Love when Pokemon are full characters on their own and treated as such.

The way Liko used Clear Smog and Fire Spin was really cool. She is just the coolest and so resourceful with her moves. Using a firestorm as defense to lure in her opponents (and Amethio being impressed at that!!) and telling them that /they/ had nowhere to run.. I love how tricky her strategies are, not just relying on brute force but making the most of everything she has. The way this battle utilized Pokemon’s abilities, too. Liko and Amethio both knowing how the other works and making the most of each other’s Pokemon’s abilities, the Pokemon themselves acknowledging each other’s strengths and acting on their own.. just impressive and strong stuff all around. The callback to Carbou’s training in ep 118 was also neat to me, because we can see exactly how Liko and Carbou got to the point they are now. Carbou was training and learned to fire Ember rapidly in ep 118 and this was brought up again now.

I thought there was something about Carbou’s evolution not being shown and the moment it happened being engulfed in the fire. I’m still thinking about it and trying to phrase it. But there is something about the fact that it was hidden that stood out in a good way.

Overall, I just loved Liko and Amethio’s teamwork. The way they deeply respect each other and admire one another. Amethio complimenting Liko and her Pokemon. Liko thanking both Amethio AND Soublades (the Pokemon are full beings that are considered with as much respect as the humans are). The fact that none of this is something natural to them. It’s not something taken for granted. They had to work to get to that point and this is the result of the bond they forged by themselves by reaching out to each other and opening up to each other. It’s the fact that their communication is what changed things, and it’s why it’s so deeply satisfying to see them work so seamlessly and in such harmony now. Because it could have been different, but because Liko and Amethio are the way they are, things are the way they are now. Their bond is their own and unique, and the result of their compatibility and respective personalities. And it makes me insane ok. None of this is unexpected because it’s literally been set up from the start and it’s just the logical continuation of things and the way things were meant to develop but it’s still so satisfying. Because this is really the story they want to tell.

Anyway, when the story is peak because it naturally focuses on the two core characters the story is about and the narrative pillars who carry the story’s themes, and when it fully leans into its thematic strengths and when the Pokemon get to shine. And when Spinel shows up, etc etc.

I could write more, but I gave myself a time limit.

Messy chart to redline some Ilphaer notes I’ve been discussing.

She runs her sect out of Waterdeep. Her sect isn’t immediately connected to Dark Dagger (Though, she’s not personally opposed to dealing with them.) Largely, this is because she’s uninterested in running her sect with the larger kind’s of raiding and underdark subterfuge others do, and fortunate enough to be in a position where she does not have to. She’s aware that position is a luxury, and is taking full advantage to it while they have it.

This is also because she thinks the leader of the largest stem of influence of Dark Dagger is a clown boy.

Instead, her interests lay in the realms of business and as a larger information network. Her biggest money maker is her weapon’s making, but she’s got a foot in the door of cosmetics and childrens toys ( < Not a massive money maker, but a personal side project that she picked up during her time in Eilistraee’s church in the Masked Lady era.)

She’s funding drow coming up from the underdark, and has an interest in putting her money towards performers and creative endeavors.

+ Her tattoo design.

The weekly Pokedoko show featured a few snippets from HZ124.

The scene shown and the quiz about the next episode have something to do with Amethio.

I watched some bits from Pokedoko, so I’ll go over what was shown before next ep airs.

So.. Amethio is on the Brave Asagi, and he hasn’t been on it since HZ002 which was when he boarded it by force. I wonder if he’ll think about those events or not. Back then, he wasn’t an ally but now, he is.

I wonder why he is on the Brave Asagi in the first place. Maybe he tracked the RVT to spontaneously offer help, or maybe they stationed somewhere to wait for him. I’m not sure they have his contact information, or if they are going through a third party to communicate with him. Perhaps they’ll have a strategy meeting before enacting their plan, which would be why they need him to be there.. we’ll see.

I wonder if we’ll see Amethio inside the ship or just outside on the deck. Either way, it’s interesting to see him casually show up there because of how different the context is from the first two episodes. This is Liko’s second home too, so in a way, he is getting to witness a part of her life, just like Liko did with him when she got to see his house with Zir and Conia in ep 104.

Anyway, the bits shown in Pokedoko are Amethio and Uruto talking. The Pokedoko hosts referred to it as just the two of them having a talk. Uruto’s room is in the observatory deck so maybe he saw Amethio outside and decided to go talk to him..? This is an interesting combination. I’ve been curious about their potential interactions since the preview for ep 111 where the two of them talked. Uruto panicking, Amethio telling him to calm down and command his Pokemon with composure, etc. I liked Amethio and Dot’s small exchange a lot in ep 111 (showed their acknowledgment and mutual respect towards each other), so it’s neat that he gets to open up to more people. Something quiet and soothing about characters talking at night and getting to know each other, too. I wonder if their talk will be interrupted/someone will see them talking, or if it’ll remain just between them.

Also, the weekly quiz is about the content of their conversation. It seems that Uruto will be telling Amethio something about the Rising Volt Tacklers. There are two potential answers (that they are his henchmen, or that he likes them a lot, very rough translation that doesn’t convey the speaking patterns used).

Anyway, it seems like a conversation focused on emotions! Which I like. Focus on characters’ interiority and thoughts. Both of them were kind of outsiders to the RVT too (Uruto came in later, and Amethio was formerly an enemy before becoming their ally). I wonder what compels this conversation in the first place..? Either way, I currently think the answer to the quiz is the second one. It’d be cute.

I look forward to this scene a lot, probably the one I’m most curious about along with the developments between Liko and Amethio and their Pokemon. Something about Amethio and Uruto being two characters who opened up to Liko around a campfire, and the contrast between one of them growing up in wealth and the other in poverty, and their main Pokemon are purple.

I wanna start exploring my version of some of the abstracted characters so expect a rp starter for that sort of thing soon.

Context though

Any ribbit text will be green

Queenie will be purple

Anytime i need to use Caine ill use red

And although i don’t plan to use him, i think if i do , kaufmo will likely be yellow.

:)

𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄’𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 go here and find a font which resembles your muse’s handwriting the closest.

Ayesha spent a lot of time in the past taking notes that would be read by others later, so her handwriting had to be something she could put on paper quickly but still be legible. The end result is mostly cursive with a handful of print letters (usually capitals) thrown in.

Tagged by: nobody! found it, stole it, ta-da!
Tagging: @echomancerforhire, @alleyspat, @gentle-hearted, @thrownsoul, and you!

Hi again and Happy New Year! December has been busy for me but I promise I didn’t forget you. I wrote you an essay, anon, so get ready.

Who should Damian date?

If you scroll through my blog, you’ll see I’m an adamant JonDami shipper. HOWEVER, I think Nika is pretty cool too and I don’t think I’d mind too much if their relationship became canon.

What do you think people in the comic book universe think about Robin Fifth?

I think Damian, in general, has a reputation of being prickly, mean and arrogant. I also think Tim, specifically, has a big hand in said reputation. I talk about it a bit in the relationships questions. Basically, since Tim is the senior hero in terms of being older and there first, it means he met everyone else first. Tim actively talks negatively about Damian, so a lot of heroes have some (bad) preconceived notions about Damian.

Damian isn’t friendly. Damian doesn’t BOTHER to be friendly. I think he only cares about what a small subset of people (his family, his teammates, his friends) think of him. Everyone else can go fuck themselves. If they’re wrong, they’re wrong. It’s not worth the effort to change their minds. It does start to bother him, though, when people start talking about him being a bad influence on the people he loves.

At some point, the winds begin to shift a little as more people work with Damian as he gets older. Eventually, the opinion of “he’s prickly but he’s an alright guy” becomes the more prominent one, but it does take a while.

A side tangent about Jon under the cut:

So, my favorite version of Jon is a Jon that still has a temper, who grows into a Superman with a temper. It’s a big part of why I dislike aged-up Jon so much (The other reason is I think teenagerhood is a good time for people to mature and figure out who they want to be, hence every teenage coming of age story. The fact they skipped that for Jon feels really stupid for me. Like, let him grow up organically! Also I think aging characters up because you don’t know how to write kids is even more stupid.)

Anyway. Jon keeps his temper growing up. It’s not uncommon for people to blame Damian for Jon’s temper. Like “oh, Jon’s like that because he’s friends with Damian,” as if Damian’s a corrupting force. Now that is what really hurts Damian’s feelings. It’s the idea he has a negative effect on the people he loves just by being loved by them and loving them. It gets to him, even if he pretends it doesn’t.

Jon, meanwhile, is throwing hands. I think it’s a common opinion of outsiders that in the relationship between Jon and Damian, Damian is the one who benefits the most, or even the only one who benefits. Like, oh look how Jon has changed Damian for the better, he’s less prickly and more willing to work with others. They think it’s an uneven relationship– Jon doesn’t really get anything in return and he stuck around because he’s nice.

Now Jon is REALLY throwing hands.

People are always talking about how Jon made Damian better. They never talk about how Damian made Jon better. Damian is a safe space for Jon to have a temper. Jon can say “damn I wish I broke all that guy’s bones” and instead of being scolded or the listener being intimidated, Damian will be like “Yeah he deserves it.” I think Jon’s powers scare him sometimes, but you know who they never scare? Damian. Damian, who doesn’t flinch away. Damian, who was shown a vision of future!Jon killing him with a power that present!Jon just developed and can’t control, making the choice to STAY. Damian, who watched himself die and was never afraid.

Veering into pure canon for a bit, there’s a part where aged-up!Jon is going around trying to figure out what kind of Superman he wants to be. He goes to Damian (I think this may be same issue with the ‘I know your heartbeat’ line) for advice and Damian says something along the lines of “get another identity.” And I was pondering that for a while, and what I think that means is: be someone outside of Superman. Because Jon deserves to be his own person outside of Superman, separate from Superman, separate from the whole legacy he’s heir to.

Anyway. I know you didn’t ask me about Jon. Getting back to the questions–

Sango and Onyx in ep 109.

I haven’t talked about it at length yet, but I think there is something to be said about Sango and Onyx playing an act during both chapter 3 and chapter 5, and growing to appreciate and enjoy the “lie” of their school days while resenting the act of being an “idol” trying to entertain others. Two people who seem/are implied to struggle to be themselves, or maybe look for themselves, and keep being put in situations where they have to put on a facade and an act.

I thought it was significant that they grew to the point where they felt comfortable enough to admit that they weren’t content with their lives as “idols”, which was a step forward from the time they couldn’t be honest about the fact that they actually enjoyed being Sandwich and Onigiri at the end of ep 67 (which was, btw, one of the few rare moments in Horizons which made me go “why am I watching this? why am I here, invading this private moment?” because it truly felt like the viewer was intruding in their private time and wasn’t meant to witness such fondness). I think part of it could be that it’s easier to complain rather than being honest. It’s harder to open up and bare your heart, and it’s easier to just vent about unpleasant situations. But I’d like to think they are willing to be a bit more honest around each other, because well, they kinda only have each other as company at the moment and it’d be growth from their days at school to be willing to talk about their true feelings to each other openly. Something about them experiencing the highs and lows of life together, etc.

Other things I thought were meaningful were Onyx just letting Sango do her thing and battle Dot… He reminded her of the mission but he was much more insistent about following orders in ep 43, when he literally dragged her away from fighting Liko and Roy as soon as they got a call for the mission. In ep 109, he kinda just let it slide, maybe because he wasn’t as invested in the mission as usual. He even entertained her a bit by joining her in the battle, which had another interesting moment because when he sent his Pokemon, it took on a protective stance and was in front of Sango’s Onigohri.. Something charming and specific about this continuous desire to help/protect someone who doesn’t necessarily need help that way, but he’ll still do it anyway. (Also a bit funny to me because Onyx has this noble side to an extent where he wants to protect his allies, and the object of his devotion is this gremlin who’ll blow up if she is angered enough. I think it’s peak btw.)

Obligatory mention that They Truly Were Sitting Next To Each Other on that Armorga taxi, which is something they did for me, I think. Shout out to the two artists who made art of this scene, and to their manager for pushing them and making them fall on each other. Sango complains a lot, but the fact she didn’t complain about the taxi being too narrow or something surprised me in a good way. She really does keep surprising me in good ways because you’d think she’d complain about stuff like that, but she doesn’t really do that? She made no mention of feeling too stuck, and didn’t even start a fight with Onyx. They both truly feel comfortable around each other, and I keep forgetting that fact, or rather, I keep being surprised by it.

Something about them having similar hobbies (food, but in different ways) is really endearing, because I really wonder how much they influenced each other in this aspect. Something, something, they are independent enough that they can live their own lives and enjoy time by themselves, yet still gravitate around each other and want to spend time together regardless. Onyx was so funny when he tried to pretend he was someone else and spoke in a highpitched voice, btw. So unserious, and for what.

Anyway, I like them a lot and I miss them a lot too, and I’m going to lose it (negative) if they don’t appear soon. They provided other facets and sides of the Explorers whenever they appeared and I want to see more of that. At this point, I’m not sure where their characters are headed. Sometimes, I wonder if Hamber feels a bit responsible for the paths they took, because he is the one who chose them and trained them.. I still think he may have recruited Sango so Amethio could have a friend(?), which is funny to imagine. Also something about how Spinel or/and Agate are having them be idols together.. Like, there is just something about literally everyone seeing them as A Set That Cannot Be Separated (Hamber, probably Spinel or Agate, the official side of things).

I hope you all noticed that Sango was flying on Onyx’s Ptera together with him when the Explorers left in ep 111 (which is yet again, a change from the time where he used to drag her away with Ptera).

End of the year.

A few notes for future reference.

Now that the year is wrapping up (and we’re not getting any new episodes until next year), let’s look back on it..

I’ve been writing about Horizons ever since the series started and tried to keep notes of the episodes every week, but I stopped doing that around last summer. I am busier these days, which is why. Last ep I fully wrote about was 103.. just before 104. Which was lifechanging and so emotionally resonant that I’m still in disbelief and at a loss of words that it really happened at all in my Pokemon of all things. It was good (understatement) (lightheaded just thinking about it). I got to listen to the scriptwriter talk about the episode and its themes at length right after it aired, which was interesting. One of the highlights of the year in terms of Horizons. I hope to write about it eventually.

In terms of the current direction in the series.. I’m still chewing on a lot of things and thinking about them, but Mega Evolution hasn’t really convinced me. It’s a gimmick that feels wildly preferential to me compared to Z-Moves or Terastal. I do have some issues, and they can be boiled down to Lucario and Roy in general. Which is a shame because Lucario is actually one of my favorite Pokemon (because of movie 8, which made Lucario an actual character with struggles and interiority), but we haven’t really gotten anything thematically relevant the way every single other team addition is (and in contrast to Yamirami, a recent addition, who has an endearing, meaningful bond with his human partner and lots of other things going on). It doesn’t help that the new DLC gave Lucario another Mega Form, which is probably going to show up in Horizons somehow and that we got a new scene with Lucario vs Luchabull in the updated opening. It feels deeply aggravating to me. As for Roy, it ties in with how much more battle-centric things have been post timeskip (when battles in Horizons were more selective because they were more meaningful and conveyed something specific), exacerbated with the fact that the amount of battles he does get lately (in Rising Again) vs the actual emotional substance they hold feels jarring (ie, the actual emotional beats in Blueberry were centered around Liko and her Pokemon and Uruto, the battles weren’t as meaningful in terms of emotional exploration imo yet they took much more space in terms of focus). Not a fan of how characters have to be diminished in order to elevate Roy either (Liko and Dot, but even characters like Uruto) (Liko and Dot reformed the RVTs as much alongside Roy, and the adults acknowledged it as such in ep 100, yet he was the only one who got the credit.. a reflection on how girls’ labor is diminished? Either way, it felt artificial and jarring.) It feels misplaced. Anyway, my gripes are promotion over meaningful storytelling and misplaced focus for compensation sake. Terastal Debut would never.

As for other things that happened this year.. lifechanging moments were definitely the Rakua act. My beloved Greek tragedy or whatever. I wrote a lot about it already, but it was really great all around, and I loved the payoff. I do like the direction they took with it and Friede falling from the sky (which was so poetic and I’m glad they went there at all), and Spinel shaping false narratives about others.. The fact they went and actually said “Amethio died in Rakua” is insane in a very good way. I love when the evil stepmother tries to kill the son, or when fratricide, or whatever the hell is happening between Spinel and Amethio. Lots of thematically tasty stuff happened, which made me insane (positive).

I liked the team additions for Liko and Dot. Yamirami was a pleasant surprise too, and I like the little dude. I was apprehensive about Carbou, but there was lots of development and focus (the focus on Carbou’s noble side at one’s own detriment, which was nuanced and compelling) (and Carbou fits so well with the rest of Liko’s team, I cannot get over how cute they were in ep 118). I just love Liko’s team in general (it’s my favorite) because of how diverse it is and how each of her Pokemon reflects a side of her and says so much about her character? There are so many layers to it all. I look forward to Carbou’s evolution and the narrative around it the most.

Dot’s Collecurei was also interesting because it reflects her passion for entertainment to an extent, and I liked that Dot got a “selfish” Pokemon. It showed her growth really well, since she went from Kuwassu taking care of her, to being able to take care of someone else (Kanuchan, who showed the tender and caring side of her character), to being able to handle someone like Collecurei (the little guy was annoying and self-centered, but it’s interesting because early Dot probably could have never handled someone like Collecurei, but she grew to the point of being able to do so and wanted to help it gather enough coins).

I think what I miss a lot right now is focus on the Explorers because in general, HZ is a story that shines the most when it focuses on the mystery and characters. The antagonists are a strong driving force, so we need to feel their presence because they impact the main characters. I hope we’ll see them all soon.. I’m nervous about the upcoming focus distribution and focus on mystery because we probably only have one cour left for this arc? And so much left to cover (the Explorers, Nanjamo also appears so I wonder in which context she’ll be brought up etc).

Also curious (and nervous) about the direction of the narrative as a whole to conclude the story.. It’ll come down to Liko, Amethio and Spinel for me, I think. Others don’t have the same hold on the narrative. There is so much at stake with them and the balance is tipping a bit more on Spinel’s side and so much is laying on him specifically. The way they’ll handle him will impact the story as a whole. This single twink has too much power. Gibeon was interesting as a mirror to Liko because he was about (mis)communication and isolation and a kind of cautionary tale of how it can impact someone (the whole “we should have talked more” which was Lucius’ regret in Rakua and Gibeon’s agony at not being understood vs Liko and Amethio who managed to communicate and talk and bridge the gap between them in ep 65.. poetic cinema or whatever smh <3).. Liko started off the series being unsure on how to put her feelings into words and struggled to communicate (the first ep literally starts on her being unable to talk to the girls at the bus stop), but grew thanks to her Pokemon. So if Gibeon (first antagonist) reflected these themes in Liko’s story.. Then, what can we expect from Spinel, the final antagonist of Horizons? What will Spinel’s character have to say specifically, and how will it relate to Liko? Which is why it’s so critical and important to me that he slays until the end. It’s crucial. Genuinely, I’ll lose my mind (negative) if he isn’t explored meaningfully.

I probably could write more because a lot happened this year in Horizons. I think the parts I’m most invested in are intact, but I’m ambivalent about some aspects. Can we focus back on the shoujo aspects.

I intend to keep writing about Horizons at my own pace, and about the things I am interested in. My priorities haven’t changed and Liko is my favorite, and her, Dot, and the Explorers/RVT in general are what I’m invested into. I love the Pokemon a lot too and how they feel like characters. I go insane at thematic trios in the series too (Liko, Friede and Amethio being my favorite in the series, but I also enjoy thinking about Liko-Friede-Spinel or Friede-Spinel-Amethio, Friede-Gibeon-Spinel etc.. the parallels are too interesting).

I look forward to more Liko and Dot, esp the context for Carbou and Welcamo’s evolutions. The Explorers coming back next year is also something I’m waiting for. Very much invested in the Blacky vs Masquernya in the opening too, because it’s everything I could have wanted, and Liko vs Spinel is such a compelling duo.. Hope they are going to do something interesting with this.

what kind of “i love you” are you?

love you! it’s the “i love you” we use every time we finish up a call with our mom, every time we want to offer our friends a bit of encouragement, the welcome home kiss on the cheek we give our lover every day. it’s sending them pictures you know they’ll laugh at, buying them strange little nothings that you know they’ll like. it’s having their bagel order memorized and setting their birthday as your password. somehow, their name weaves its way into almost every funny story you share with others. it’s brief, casual, it’s a habit. we aren’t even aware we do it. it says that love is cradled lightly in your heart, generously given, spilling out into the world unbeknownst to you, making up the web of delicate threads that hold us all together.

tagged by: @alleyspat (thanks 🩷)
tagging: @echomancerforhire, @bat-outtamontreal, @southern-belle-outcasts, @gentle-hearted, @jonvandernoorde, and you!

what flavor is your soul?

rosemary. ah, the old soul, nice to meet again. the time of ages is etched into your bones, you see clearly. you’ve watched the heartache in this realm and sworn to solve it. but kindness without limits is self destruction. oh little leaf, strong and wise, you seek to bring peace with your presence. I’d be wrong to say you fail at this effort, but you mustn’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm. you wish to please everyone, to protect them all. but if you shield the saplings from the sunlight they will never grow, and you one day will wither. protect yourself too. you know there are no happy heroes, so don’t be one. be a friend. your loved ones will not forsake you for not being perseus slaying all their demons. you have your own monsters, why not meet them first before you conquer anyone else’s nightmares. oh true-hearted paladin you are brave, and you are good enough. you know that right? be true to yourself, one cannot do anything saintly if they did not tend to their own wounds first.

tagged by yoinked from: @alleyspat
tagging: @echomancerforhire, @bat-outtamontreal, @southern-belle-outcasts, @gentle-hearted, and you!

list of canon themes, visual motifs & symbolism that has been placed on isagi & kaiser

isagi

• puzzle pieces — his body are made of puzzles, his brain is made of puzzles, his ego is basically puzzle. The Main motif. going hand in hand with this ‘reconstruction’
• 3D mesh — he shares this with reo, with the big distinction that isagi’s doesn’t unveils & deconstructs (that’s his puzzles job) while reo’s does. also isagi’s is more on the field & space, with manshine city match being the exception
• two guns — gold for the right one and silver for the left one. in one art, they have rose vines/thorns patterns around them. also in isetan collab exclusive acrylic isagi’s name is written in silver, kaiser’s in gold.
• isagi’s metavision eyes pattern — has extra puzzle shapes. when zoomed in, it is divided into 3 layers (the outer one tends to be the thinnest) + 8 equal slices. so far, he and charles are the only ones to have modifications to the visual representation of metavision
• the metavision’s “god” — a round ball creature(?) made of puzzle pieces, one-eyed, basically, but also has been drawn with many eyes + one main eye.
• black hole — from kaiser’s pov in 262.
• his kanjis 潔 世一 — funny considering some nicknames he got, but you can’t say “isagi yoichi” without “isagiyoi” (潔い ;  just check takoboto yourself for this one, im not copy-pasting all that). honestly isagi’s kanji is so straightforward and loaded. 潔 (undefiled, pure, clean, righteous, gallant) ; 世一 (kanji for “world” and “one”).
• his whole parallels with ego, noa, and kaiser. his contrasts with nagi.
• isagi and being a “machine”
• “winning” — i don’t even know how to elaborate on this. it’s the whole manga, honestly.

monikers & nicknames:

• egoist (エゴイスト, often written as rubi on top of his name’s kanji) — multiple people, i’m not listing all that
• striker — himself, also multiple people but the one i remember distinctly is nagi. also bachira, but i can’t remember when did bachira do that??? so i’m not sure.
• demon king (魔王) — coined by rin, is currently used repeatedly by many others
• neo egoist (it’s written in katakana on 293, but it also got kanji that literally means new hero 新英雄)
• heart of blue lock, hero of blue lock — sae and noa, respectively. jp side also likes to call isagi 'child of blue lock’ but i don’t remember if there is canon mention of this one

extra

• a god, a demon (it’s yukimiya who called him this)
• thief (to aiku’s cop), puppy (deadass 子犬ちゃん, who also has some of ex-U20 national teammates with dog nicknames too. isagi is his new dog?? in this team ig?????)
• clown, little clown, super rookie, (blue lock’s) ace, “game master masking as a clown”, flunky A (bandit’s subordinate) — all by kaiser. i feel like i will pass from elaborating for this one. it’s literally the term pierrot that is used though, with the katakanas. ness used クソピエロちゃん with the kanji form too once (translated little clown, officialy), but the rest is yoichi as far as i can remember (could have missed some stuff. do not take my word for this one, it could have been more)
• shitty yoichi — ness uses this A Lot
• yoichi — take a shot every time kaiser calls him yoichi. you will end up with alcohol poisoning. ness also uses this name, bachira used this name once. issei, isagi’s dad, also called him this.

extra note: isagi never actually vocally protested being called yoichi, but he is visibly almost always pissed and never happy whenever this happens. possible reasons: 1) ongoing match means a very very serious on-field isagi 2) his antagonism with kaiser and ness, especially 3) considering Everything that happened during his first meeting with kaiser, now adding the fact this guy he barely knows starts going all yoichi yoichi in a belittling manner? yeah

• yocchan — nickname from his mom, used from childhood to this very day
• isagi — on default, people uses his family name to call him. some adds -kun (i.e., hiori), some -chan (i.e., aiku has done so). and of course shitty isagi [read in rin’s voice]
• light — by nagi, funnily enough, isagi has appeared as a phantom to several different people: nagi, barou, yukimiya (many isagis), rin. rin’s imaginary isagi has multiple forms. the other character who has shown becoming a phantom that haunts others are: hiori’s parents, ego (to hiori too), and sae.

kaiser

• blue rose: petals and thorny vines, literally his tattoos. his tattoos has two, with a bigger one on the neck and a smaller one a bit more to the back and rarely visible with his uniform & manset on. the two blue roses, and a bit of vines were his first tattoos, along with the red ones near his eyes (resembling the reds near his mother’s eyes too). the vines around his arms + the crown with key keyhole that also resembled an angel silhouette with three star-like decorations are added later, though the exact time hasn’t been elaborated. his thorns are also blue in the full color edition. hand in hand with his petals, 'rebirth’ & 'going back to zero’.

- extra notes: the design of the rose on his tattoo has changed from his first appearance. but it has been consistent since uber (if my observation is correct, extremely unsure, please check by yourself)
- extra notes: his father’s rose, the one left behind by his mother, is red. while the colors weren’t mentioned, in the report from his full color edition, kaiser used to pick up roses to burn them — he also said he wants to buy a garden full of roses if he got 100 million yen with a 'i don’t really care’ before this answer in ego bible 2.
- extra extra notes: about the vines, blue roses + vines are growing entangling ness’ chains on ness’ volume cover. it’s also on kaiser’s volume cover, albeit more subtle — the glass chain’s shadow on his uniform resembles a thorny vine shadow more, especially when compared to the shadow that falls on his tattooed arm (that also has thorny vines as the tattoo on that particular part) that looks like chain’s shadow more.

• emperor — his last name, the name everyone calls him by, with lorenzo being the exception (lorenzo calls him mihya).
• fairytales — his colorings is very similar to the arguably most popular iteration of cinderella (blue-yellow); 'naked emperor’ which is a fairytale; 'beauty and the beast’, though this one is personally more obvious with how his father’s rose was inside a glass dome, again resembling the (again) arguably most popular iteration of beauty and the beast. also a ruler, king or emperor, having a court magician or magician as a right-hand man of some kind, is also a pretty classic fantasy troupe.
• stageplay — scripts, director, protagonist. strongly connected to: nel arc’s overall theme about entertainment, exhibition, presentation, values in these, etc. ; his father being an ex-theatrical director, his mother being an actress; also “superstar”. but the one who got a chapter called 'director’ dedicated to him is hiori yo
• The Shitty Thing aka his old soccer ball — クソ物, just know the kanji there is used for “products, goods, loots, etc.” ; kaiser got called this by his dad, kaiser called his ball 'the same as him’. kaiser still keeps it, and this is his most important possession to this day, probably.
• sky & contrails — his (and, sigh, his father) eye colors being sky blue, also in isetan fansign kaneshiro mentions kaiser likes watching contrails. also he repeatedly reaches out to the sky
• moon — it’s not overt, but there is a panel of a cresent moon when kaiser got into jail (most probably a juvie or a holding cell, though, considering the high possibility of the short amount of time passed and the fact kaiser is still half-naked) and there was a full moon for when he declared he wants to be loved (this one got a lot going on, so just: ch 266)
• obsession (& tenacity) — kaneshiro said in the isetan fansign that this is kaiser’s driving force. noa also has used this term, albeit the report that told the story of the fansign used a different second kanji (the meaning is still almost identical though). kanji noa used: 執着 (attachment, adhesion, insistence, tenacity, fixation, obsession, clinging) ; kanji report used: 執念 (tenacity, persistence, obsession, implacability)
• dogs — stray dogs (野良犬) are his favorite animal, ness is called a dog a lot (once 'stray dog’ with the same kanji, though in official translation it’s 'feral dog’; afterwards the word kaiser used on him for the rest of pxg is 犬コロ). there are also fan analyses from both en & jp side about how some parts of kaiser’s behavior & psyche also resemble stray dogs’, but i wouldn’t go into that here.
• rebellion — he mentions “rebelling against 'god’” and also his last known interaction with his father, being kaiser kicking him in retaliation because his father almost ruined his soccer ball.
• love & malice — kaiser the whole pxg arc, especially 261 forward, these two words are mentioned A Lot. his upbringing and dynamic with his father (and by extension his connection with his mother). his absent mother’s last name, the woman who abandoned him, is also “love”.
• his whole parallels with noa, isagi, and ness. also, his father. — his father, especially. at least a part of kaiser is self-aware how he emulates his father, but (good gosh) he does this A Lot. but while this veers into character analysis territory, kaiser is a very very resilient individual and this is one of the traits that make him differs from his father. also about noa, do you know that their favorite movie are both oscar big 5 winners?
• his identity, “humans”, and “shit”
• cycle of abuse, power dynamics, and control — this one is overt with his father, the previous people he sends to despair, ness, and how he faces challenges/people he can’t easily take down (noa, chris, and then isagi, ultimately). kaiser and seeing people lower than him, despite his inferiority complex.
• restrictions & freedom — concept kaiser repeated a lot in pxg match.
• his name — 'god chosen emperor’, with his first name being a biblical archangel’s name (one of the more infamous one too). in relation to god, kaiser did say the thing about rebelling against god & also 'god’ has also been mentioned in blue lock narrative too (in relation to luck though 'goddess’ was the one used and pictured (a depiction of fortuna, most probably), isagi and his spatial awareness + metavision described being 'god-like’)

nicknames & monikers

• shitty prince, shitty emperor, genius, a wide variation of fucking bastard, naked emperor, my best pierrot, pierrot/clown, superstar (also “are you god” has been said but not exactly the moniker 'god’), — isagi, some to kaiser’s face, some in his mind & monologue only. phew. unknown if isagi is also following kaiser, who used stageplay terms to mock & taunt him, but isagi does use fairytale terms that closely parallel that. the clown term is used by both isagi and kaiser for each other.
• shitty rose, shitty blue rose, blue rose — by multiple people. i’m not listing all that.
• ace — noa and lorenzo
• mihya — lorenzo, my goat. funnily enough, the closest thing kaiser ever got to “being called by his own name”
• “the boy” — the narrator, the whole 260 chapter. not kaiser, not michael. then later at 261 it switches to first-person narration by kaiser himself.
• kaiser — his last name, the default name everyone calls him by