brainstorm – Page 29 – JackSGreyson Says

If you could cross DoS over with one other fandom, what would it be and why?

February 1, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

OMG! Anon, you do not know how happy this ask made me 😀 … but also, very conflicted. Because–just one? How could I possibly choose? O_O

I guess it depends on how you mean by “crossover.”

Like… the DoS world and a different world are actually the same (via different continents or time travel, perhaps)? Or take the characters of DoS and transplant them into a different world (aka a “fusion” as I call them)? Or even, keeping in mind how many derivative fanfiction of “the second reincarnations of Shikako Nara,” in which world would I choose to have her reincarnate yet again? (Also, I’m assuming you’re not including the canon Naruto world…)

So, just to cover all my bases, I’m going to answer ALL THREE! And three times over at that!

—

1) Crossover worlds (same universe)

In no particular order, the three fandoms I would choose as crossovers are: Star Wars, Final Fantasy VII, and Akagami no Shirayukihime. Why? Well… because in my mind each of them have different ways to be within the same universe–now whether or not that means the characters of DoS actually meet the characters of the other worlds would depend on what kind of story I’m going for.

With Star Wars, at first I thought it would be absolutely thrilling to Shikako to realize that the Naruto world was in the same universe (specifically, the same far far away galaxy) as the movies from which her beloved lightsaber originated. But then the more I thought about it–when in the Star Wars timeline this is, would make Shikako absolutely horrified.

Because it’s one thing to help prevent the (many numerous) excess deaths of certain people–essentially tweaking canon to be a little bit better–but it’s another thing entirely to… let’s say… prevent Anakin Skywalker from turning to the dark side. Not that that’s necessarily the storyline I would go for, but it would up the stress levels to ridiculous levels.

Of course… now that I think about it even more, it’s far more likely that all the shinobi in the Naruto world would be considered Sith which would make the Jedi (or at least, some Jedi) question what exactly is good and evil, etc.

I’m cheating a little bit with the FFVII decision, only because I’ve explored this crossover before in my FFVII series, “Into Thin Air,” with my own SI!OC character Windy Strife, but the reasoning remains the same. There’s something about both fandoms’ mythology which almost resonates with each other and makes it seem like they are the same world but maybe a few millennia apart.

In my “Into Thin Air” series, I have the Naruto world being the distant future of the FFVII world with my SI!OC somehow being summoned and mistaken for a Namikaze. I also greatly hint at Kaguya being a remnant of Jenova. For a DoS crossover, however, I think I would still have FFVII being the past but… I think Kaguya would actually be a sort of failed Ancient 2.0? (For those of you who don’t know–in FFVII there is a race of basically Tolkien’s elves but by the main game, there is only one left aka Aerith and she dies before the game ends so…)

Like… the giant tree with the chakra fruit is meant to be the Planet bestowing Ancient powers onto whomever eats it to restart the Ancient race but the Planet has been showed to be pretty bad at judging things? So it’s no wonder why Kaguya went berserk. It also draws parallels between the bijuu and WEAPONs which, as far as I understood, was the Planet creating giant monsters to defend itself from humanity.

Unsure how exactly Shikako would get involved with this all? I’m thinking most likely Gelel–because that’s the only thing that she would have had that no one else has had access to and which her reincarnation from “our world” doesn’t explain. So the Gelel stones were probably derivatives of materia (FFVII magic stones), and the voices of Gelel speaking to Shikako during her possession were actually probably the original Ancients.

Okay so, now that I type it out, the plot I would most likely go for is that Kaguya was meant to be Ancient 2.0, which backfired horribly, and Shikako gradually becomes Ancient 3.0 via exposure to her Gelel stone. So the Planet is urging Shikako to, basically, clean up their mistake (of Kaguya). Which, she was going to do anyway? But there’s some resistance because Shikako doesn’t appreciate being told what to do 😡

Akagami no Shirayukihime is now an anime! 😀 I primarily know it through the manga–but either way, it’s super cute. For this crossover, I do actually see the characters interacting with each other more directly. The lands/kingdoms mentioned in AnS would probably be a different continent than the Elemental Nations but still the same world and point in time.

Given the lack of world-ending melodrama in AnS, this crossover would probably be the most mild. As in, it would at most be similar to one of the filler episode missions that take up maybe two or three chapters and ends with no one almost dying or grievously injured. Frankly, the shinobi are just too strong for it to be a matter of battling between the two worlds, so the crossover plot would probably be something more political.

—

2) Fusion worlds (transplanted characters)

In no particular order, the three fandoms I would choose as fusions are: Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Harry Potter, and the DC universe. Mostly because they aren’t as compatible as the previous three fandoms with the Naruto world, but I do like the world structures inherent or at least implied in each.

So KHR is about a “normal kid” who turns out to be heir to a mafia famiglia in a world where organized crime also sort of has magic “Flames” based on the rainbow? Sort of. With this one, I would actually consider doing both a fusion and a crossover–in the sense that the characters of DoS are transplanted into the KHR world but they also get to meet the KHR characters. I think I’ve seen a fanart which kind of… let me see if I can find it… HERE IT IS! OMG, it’s been many a moon since I’ve seen this, but the bare bones of the idea still fits. The KHR characters would make a cameo but they wouldn’t necessarily be vital to the story line so…

So Tsuna, the main character of KHR, is the Juudaime of the Vongola Famiglia and I would have the DoS characters be yakuza members–in that similarly odd way that the mafia works in this world. Probably the Hokage position (and doesn’t that name work well given the magical Flames) is not actually the head of the yakuza so much as a Champion?

I guess it would be… the Clans of Konoha are actually separate yakuza clans, but they are all subject to the Hokage. Except there isn’t always a Hokage? Like… there are a series of challenges which a person must undergo in order to become Hokage–and each one corresponds a different Flame type/clan. Obviously, Naruto’s goal is to become the next Hokage and the various Konoha Twelve are his Guardians.

The Harry Potter series, as most everyone knows, is a fascinating world which is hindered by the titular character’s lack of knowledge of the world. While I have done a series of character analyses for which DoS characters would go in which Hogwarts House, I wouldn’t actually put them in Hogwarts. Given that… well… they are not British so why would they? And this would be an interesting exercise in adapting the Naruto world into the HP world.

Right off the bat, you have who are “pure-bloods” and “muggle-borns” being clan members versus non-clan. You can actually go further and do something like… Neji is a half-blood while Hinata is a pure-blood which makes his skill all the more damning for her. I dunno, something like that. I’m not sure what the storyline would be here, though? Beyond just, again, adapting the DoS/Naruto plot into the HP world.

DC universe, again, is an interesting world that suffers from its US-centric POV. Mostly it’s just an excuse for superpower AU which, again, would be fun to adapt. Take the clan specialties and crank them up into full-blown superpowers.

Actually, the plot for this one comes easier to me–probably something like… the Konoha Twelve have to form a sort of Teen Titans to take down Orochimaru/Akatsuki/Madara. Or… maybe something like… Ra’s al Ghul takes one of the Big Bad’s place and you get some character crossover from DC as well–most likely Tim Drake (because he’s my favorite) and the other Bat family. OR maybe the League of Assassins aren’t just nameless cannon fodder and are in fact the shinobi of Konoha, but some members (basically, the Konoha Twelve) rebel against him–basically taking Danzo’s place?

Hm…

—

3) Reincarnated worlds

In no particular order, the three fandoms I would choose for Shikako’s second reincarnation are: the Tolkien universe, A Song of Ice and Fire (the Game of Thrones books, not the TV series), and… hm… it’s actually a bit of a toss up between Pokemon and Inuyasha. This is going with the same sort of set up of other recursive fanfiction in which Shikako has been reincarnated, yet again, into a different world by herself and a strange mixture of trauma and yearning for the DoS world. These worlds, though completely different from each other, all have an almost alien sociocultural mindset that forces Shikako to get some closure in one way or another.

Tolkien straight up has humanity not even the most important sentient race in his universe–hobbits are apparently where it’s at. Which I would actually have Shikako be–and, trying to hold on to her DoS roots, she’d try to be some kind of deer herder. Odd, but not that bad since she’d probably be a Brandybuck or a Took… or maybe a Proudfoot? I don’t think any of the LotR hobbits are from the Proudfoot clan and I wouldn’t want to overlap much… Either way, one of the genteel families so she’s forgiven for being a bit odd.

Of course, then Gandalf comes along and either whisks away Bilbo Baggins or Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippin and she’s just like: “No, these hobbits have no idea what kind of madness lays in store for them–I can’t let this happen,” and she goes along with them.

In Tolkien universe, regardless of which fellowship she’s part of, Shikako slowly integrates herself into the group and finally… not lets go of her DoS life, but comes to accept the loss.

ASoIaF will go in the complete opposite direction–I mean, the Tolkien one would still require Shikako to use her shinobi skills, but she is very much so just acting as a bodyguard for her fellow hobbits–here she has to actively embrace her ruthless side. Not even necessarily her training as a ninja but the constant lying by omission; she has to use every bit of her DoS earned cunning to not only survive but enact justice for her Family. Because, let’s be real, she’d be a Baratheon. Not sure which Baratheon, but definitely a Baratheon.

I’m actually guessing she’d be one of Robert’s bastards but, like Edric Storm, a noble-born, and definitely one of the older ones–maybe around Gendry’s age… Like–Cersei would definitely want to keep an eye on her as the oldest Baratheon noble born heir, but not necessarily consider her a valid threat. Unsure if she’d be in King’s Landing or not (and held semi-hostage like Sansa) or, instead, sent to the Westerlands or… actually. That might be best? Because then it’d be hilarious if Shikako has to rely on the Iron Island pirates to get her out of there.

ASoIaF will definitely make her miss DoS even more–especially the relationships she made, her family and her teammates and her friends–but she also has to let go of those memories not out of any healthy reason but sort of out of shame. Because she’s no longer the “Shikako Nara” that those precious people of hers knew and loved–she’s a Baratheon, and she’s playing the Game of Thrones (the thing is, she doesn’t even want to be queen–she just doesn’t want the Lannisters to win).

Pokemon and Inuyasha, despite being very different worlds, both have a wishing component. In either world, Shikako is trying to find the wishing component in hopes to return to her DoS life. Obviously, that’s not how it turns out in either world, but that’s what she aims for at first. In both she starts off very much so as an animal preferring loner–much like in her Tolkien incarnation–it’s not that she’s bad at human interaction it’s just that, in her mind, she doesn’t want anyone to erase her past relationships.

In Pokemon she’s known as a legendary hunter (not in a hunt and kill way, but more like a storm chasing way) and she contracts with the laboratories. Unsurprisingly she runs into Ash/Satoshi (because I’m pretty sure he has literally met every single legendary) and ~somehow~ realizes that she can’t really go back. She can only go forward. (Or probably even Pokemon who are gods in this world can’t reverse reincarnation).

In Inuyasha… well. Frankly, I’d like her to have been reincarnated into the “present day” and think it’s just the normal world, then be completely blindsided by the Feudal Era demon nonsense, but I guess that takes away from Kagome’s story. I’m unsure, then, who Shikako should be instead. But regardless, she wants the Shikon no Tama, actually realizes that it’s more ofa monkey’s paw than a legit wishing tool, and commits to helping the group take down Naraku (and doesn’t his name offend her).

A/N: Anon, I hope this giant sprawling mess was entertaining for you. It certainly was fun for me–it took me several hours, hence why it’s after midnight.

could you do a Descendants Hunger Games crossover?

January 31, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Hm… a Descendants x Hunger Games fusion…

Well, anon, it’s certainly an appealing idea, but I’m not sure how I would go about doing it. I actually haven’t read the books so my POV of that world is strictly via the movies (and… well… whatever shows up on my dash).

I guess the problem–from what I understand of both–is that the stratification of people in both worlds is very rigid. There are villains and heroes in one, whereas the other is separate districts revolving around a distinct industry or the capital. So the main obstacle is that I don’t really know how to transpose canon characters of Descendants very well into the Hunger Games world.

Most of the “heroes” we meet are royalty–and in the HG equivalent, they’d most likely be Capital citizens. That is, not fighting. I mean, I guess there’s also Doug, Lonnie, and Jane who aren’t technically royalty… and then it also seems wrong to separate the four Lost kids into separate districts.

Then again… maybe if I only take the bare bones of the idea?

Like… every year, Auradon demands four villain kids from the Isle of the Lost in order to “re-enact” the triumph of heroes over villains? So to Auradon it’s basically a pantomime, while of the islanders it’s literally sending off their children to slaughter. That way you can still kind of retain the same feel as the Descendants movie.

I mean, obviously, my “Predecessors” set (aka Jemma Hook; Uri son of Ursula; Querida the Princess of Hearts; and Anthony Tremaine) would have been the first Lost kids sent as tribute. Back when the villains thought that maybe if their representatives won, then they’d be released from the Isle. Except for how everything was stacked in Auradon’s favor.

So after that, they just sent minion kids for a few years… until the Descendants four decide that–hey, we can pull it off. We can win and end this farce once and for all.

Meanwhile, on the Auradon side, Ben has newly stepped into his role as king. And he is, frankly, horrified by the tribute system. But he, like his father before him, is hampered by the demands of the other royal families, so he can’t just straight out abolish it.

But he can help the Lost kids–even if indirectly, via Doug and Lonnie and Jane. Except, like in the Descendants movie, Jane betrays the Lost kids and notifies the the hero side of their plans.

And then I guess I have to figure out who the “heroes” will be: Chad and Audrey for sure…who else have we even met? (I haven’t been keeping up with the Wicked World shorts so…)

…

Hm… now that I’ve been able to articulate some brainstorming, I’m more fond of it than I was before. There’s still a lot that I’d have to figure out, but now it seems more doable than before. Of course, I can’t guarantee that I will do it… but the probability has definitely gone up.

This was pretty fun to think about–so thanks, anon! 😀

January 27, 2016December 5, 2018 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

alexander–ludwig:

Color version of Alexander Ludwig’s Fluant Magazine photo shoot (2015).

The Gaston twins, Gaston Jr and Gaston the Third.

Gaston Jr, who willingly and enthusiastically goes by the nickname “Deuce,” is ~~extremely~~ a little more confident than his brother. While he’s not as narcissistic as his father, he does think of his body as a gift to humankind and often flaunts it with casual semi-nudity and strategic lounging. He is, specifically, in pictures 1, 2, 3, and 5.

Gaston the Third, who prefers to be called “Theo,” is more reserved than his older brother. He is pictured in 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9. (He possibly also has a crush on a certain mad scientist, and brings Carlos interesting spare parts that he scavenges from barge runs. But without looking like he’s trying too hard. Deuce thinks its hilarious.)

January 25, 2016December 5, 2018 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

iheartnewt:

Kaya Scodelario for Wonderland magazine

Princess Melody, daughter of Prince Eric and Princess Ariel of The Little Mermaid fame, has already graduated from Auradon Prep and is now attending the University of Auradon with a double major in political science and oceanography.

A/N: Like Esteban “Zephyr” de Châteaupers, Melody is an already established Disney next generation. I couldn’t really change her name–given that there’s no way to misconstrue it as a nickname like Esteban “Zephyr” and her name is a fairly important part of her movie–nor would I really want to anyway.

I also figure that she’s actually one of the oldest of the next generation (why I have her at university instead of ambiguously high school). Say around the age of my fancast set of older Lost kids the “Predecessors?” And seeing as how Uri, son of Ursula, is one of them… 😀

She does have a younger sister still at Auradon Prep.

January 25, 2016December 5, 2018 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

vuittonable:

fka twigs in “wild child“ by patrick demarchelier for vogue us january 2015

Now presenting Esmerelda and Phoebus de Châteaupers’ twin daughters:

Phillipa “Phia” and Phyllis “Lizzie” de Châteaupers, younger sisters of Esteban “Zephyr” de Châteaupers

A/N: … well… seeing as how I did technically make it home before midnight (with thirty minutes to spare!) I figured I still ought to do something for a daily post, even if it’s not very much. So here we go–a Descendants Fancast!

I just sometimes spot really cool outfits or photoshoots and wonder who would this be in Descendants. Because I am still Descendants trash despite my dearth of writing. This photoset seemed like a “hero” side, but toeing the line of edgy and cool towards villain. And given how Esmerelda’s storyline almost went… well. They would be rather more accepting of Lost kids.

Why Phillipa and Phyllis? Well, given everyone in this world strangely seemed to be named after their parents and yet Zephyr exists in The Hunchback of Notre Dame sequel… well. That could be a nickname. And someone already came of with Esteban which is rather cool. So I’ve accepted that headcanon. So it seems fair that if the son is phonetically named after Esmerelda, then the twin daughters ought to be phonetically named after their father–hence “Ph” names.

Well… there aren’t exactly many of them. But I felt that Phillipa “Horse Lover” and Phyllis “Green” resonated well? Because Phoebus’ horse Achilles is a character in his own right–and no doubt would be the best guard/nanny horse for the twins–where as Esmerelda means “emerald” so in a way Phyllis is also named after her mother.

Maybe one day I will use these ladies in some fic! I’m guessing they’ll be Carlos’ age (since I headcanon Carlos to be 14-15 in comparison to Mal and Evie’s 16 and Jay’s almost 17) and probably be in a few of his classes (the ones that he hasn’t skipped ahead of, anyway).

I thought canon had Kyoko as Mist and Hana as Storm? Eh, your fic anyway…

January 13, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

esamastation:

hexastrose:

esamastation:

Canon doesn’t actually say one way or the other as far as I know. I made Kyoko Sun because evidence says that these things run in the family (Gokudera, Bianchi, Belphegor, Rasiel and Every Sky Ever) and Hana is Mist because.

Iirc in the manga Reborn shot Kyoko with a dw bullet and she showed a mist flame

I know she was shot with one but I’m gonna need proof on the fact that it was Mist flame she produced.

i wrote a thing about flame types here, but basically:

people can have more than one type of flame–in canon Gokudera, who is predominantly Storm, also has Rain, Lightning, Cloud, and Sun in order to use Sistema CAI

so it’s possible (probable, actually) that Kyoko has both Sun and Mist flames

[[personally i headcanon that women are more likely to have multiple flame types which explains why (besides blatant sexism, that is) there are so few female Guardians–because they don’t have a predominant type so much as a more stable blend of flames, and thus can’t be the (insert flame type here) Guardian]]

Fake Fic Summaries 11/?, the Final Pokemon Movie edition (2016-01-02)

January 2, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Hanging out at my BFF’s place for the New Year’s and binge-playing Pokemon X led us to many discussions about the culture/society/physics of the Pokemon universe–which, in a world-building way would be a fun post to make, but in particular this post is for a story idea. More specifically, the story for what would ideally be the last Pokemon Movie–the movies revolving around Ash Ketchum/Satoshi, at least.

Not really creepy past, but does include character death. But considering how horrifying the Ghost Pokemon’s descriptions have been lately, it’s not too bad.

So here goes:

Birth of a Legend (Death of a Hero)

A scientist tries to discover the origins of the only Ghost-type Legendary Pokemon, a trainer follows the footsteps of a Champion long-passed. But secrets are kept for a reason–the truth of one solves the mystery of the other.

Basically I were to write the screenplay for the final Pokemon movie, it would be something like this.

An ambiguous amount of time (think decades if not centuries) after Ash’s adventures, a trainer who wants to be the very best or has already become Champion and is looking for something to do, tries to complete what is now called the Ketchum challenge. That is: encounter every Legendary Pokemon (and battle if possible). This causes them to cross paths with a scientist–either accidentally or on purpose–with a scientist whose specialty includes the only Ghost Legendary, whose existence is mostly unknown and whose records are fairly sporadic. Unlike most other Legendaries, there isn’t much in the way of myths and stories about it, and it doesn’t really like to be seen.

But there have been a few encounters, and the scientist and trainer–now working together–follow the trail. Finally, they uncover what they believe to be a first hand account of the Ghost Legendary, a witness’ diary or a very old person who was a child during the encounter. The first sighting of the Ghost legendary, and the last of Ash Ketchum.

Then it flashbacks to Ash’s adventure–and it seems that he, too, is looking for a mysteriously strong Ghost Pokemon. The witness, a child at the time, is probably the younger sibling of one of his companions or a local of the town, near which the Pokemon is said to reside and which is terrorizes/pranks frequently.

Ash does his usual charmingly naive blustering about how he’ll find the Pokemon and make it stop messing with the town. The adults don’t really believe him, but the kids do–at least, the witness does. And so the witness trails after, sees Ash’s search and the way he fends off wild Pokemon. No doubt, without a Pokemon of their own, the witness is vulnerable to a wild Pokemon attack of their own. But Ash saves them, obviously, earning himself another disciple of sorts. Because they are so far from the town, it’s decided that the witness will stay with the camp overnight–especially since the nature is so dangerous at night.

And that’s when the first brief encounter with the Ghost occurs. Ash tries to battle, but the Ghost disappears, and when the sun comes up, everyone goes back to the town. The town is more welcoming now that they’ve brought back the missing child/witness, and so they begin telling tales of the Ghost’s previous attacks.

Ash and companions are unsure as to which Ghost Pokemon it might be since there’s conflicting evidence in the stories. They continue their search come nightfall, and return still confused.

This goes on [… I’ll be honest I’m not too sure about this part but…] until one by one, the companions leave–they signed up to travel with Ash, not stay in one tiny town that isn’t even being terrorized by Pokemon anymore. Ash considers leaving, too, but the townspeople/witness are afraid that if Ash leaves then the Ghost will come back and resume its reign of terror. So Ash, being the quintessential hero, decides to stay until he can figure it out.

Then, one day, Ash doesn’t come back from his night time search. Neither does the Ghost. But Pikachu does. And he never leaves the town, waiting for Ash until, finally, he dies from old age, and a monument is created for him.

Return to unnamed scientist and trainer duo, standing in front of the eroded/rusted remains of said Pikachu monument, after having finished the memory.

Now it’s their turn to encounter the Ghost, and they make a pact that neither of them will leave until they figure out the truth. And so they set out on a search of their own.

And history starts to repeat itself. They see glimpses of the Ghost, but can never catch up to it. It messes with their camp/stuff/research/Pokemon/remains of the town in conflicting ways so as not to be any known Ghost Pokemon, but still they remain determined.

Finally, during a new moon, the actually confront the Ghost. The scientist is quick to confirm that it is in fact the Ghost Legendary they seek. The trainer follows with their own (honestly unsurprising, but cinematic “plot twist”) confirmation–the Ghost legendary is Ash Ketchum.

But Ash hasn’t been human in a long time, and he’s mad. Mad that his companions abandoned him, mad that these two people won’t leave him alone, mad that no one bothered to do something like this much earlier. He had tried, earlier–his other sporadic appearances in other places–trying to get people to follow him and, essentially, lay him to rest. But no one would come. And so now that he’s been awakened, he just wants to make the world burn (turn everything to ash, one might say).

The scientist and trainer cooperate to try and stop him. No doubt some stuff about friendship and loyalty and their promise to each other, etc. etc. Ash doesn’t really care because he’s been betrayed. Or so he thinks: because right before Ash can kill the pair (during a dramatic night time storm), lightning strikes the Pikachu monument. The spirit of Pikachu is released, and Ash remembers all the good times and, essentially, lets go of his grudge. The storm abates, the scientist and trainer are not killed, and the number of Ghost Legendary Pokemon increases to two.

The scientist and trainer promise to keep the events a secret and remain companions, Ash and Pikachu resume roaming around having adventures as it should be, and somewhat happy endings all around.

The end?

—

So yup. This came from yet another rehashing about how Ash is somehow forever young, has probably met every Legendary Pokemon, is ridiculously strong, apparently has Aura powers (which look exactly like the powers of certain Pokemon), etc. etc.

But then we remembered that in Pokemon 2000 (the one with the Mew/Mewtwo thing) Ash got turned into a statue. He probably actually died from that.

Given how strange and, frankly, terrifying the latest Ghost Pokemon are, we figured that. Hey, what if Ash is actually a Ghost possessing his own body. It would explain a lot–his eternal youth, his powers, and his inability to defeat the Normal type Gym leaders since Ghost-type attacks can’t affect Normal-type Pokemon (I am only partially kidding about this last one).

And then, given a previous still unsolved debate regarding human-Pokemon relationships (as in, why do Pokemon listen to humans. Are humans actually Psychic Pokemon, etc) we figured that a Ghost capable of possessing a human body–to the point of basically being human–would probably have to be a Legendary. And given that Ash has met most if not all of the Legendaries, wouldn’t that be interesting if it’s because the Legendaries sensed something about him–a sort of potential to match their rank.

I’m frankly unsure how Ash’s “true nature” as a Ghost Pokemon was revealed to himself. But the Ghost that he was chasing was actually a group of multiple Pokemon, overlapping their skills in order to seem like one singular powerful Ghost. Possibly their was a fight of some sort and he and his team got overwhelmed, and so he put himself in harms way to protect them and sort of got… exorcised out of his own body. Maybe?

As for the scientist and trainer–depending on how much time has passed, I would like for them to be descendants of Ash’s companions–either the ones that were with him last or the ones that were with him first. But not obviously? Like, if it were Gary’s grandchild, I would want it to be another scientist Oak. If the Oak kid is the trainer, then I would want the scientist to be Misty’s grandchild. I dunno.

A/N: Anyway… that’s about it. Happy 2016!

Cross-Post: Richie Todd Wayne Goes To Paris, Brainstorm (2015-10-06)

November 27, 2015 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

jacksgreysays:

A/N1: I guess I bit off more than I could chew for this story, it’s collapsed under it’s own weight. Rather, there’s too much set up for not enough plot in return. So below is the brainstorming/outlining/ranting of my thoughts regarding this fic. I dunno. Maybe I’ll come back to it, but probably not? I was a little overeager yesterday.

Again, Richie Todd Wayne is from @mgnemesi‘s babyfic verse.

Technically, this is a cross-post, only because when I thought I was going to write it I transcribed all of my thoughts onto an lj post for safekeeping.

So, original here. Dated 2015-10-06.

—

Because babyfic verse didn’t explicitly go the route of JayTim (though mgnemesi wanted to) and there was some consideration for JayKon, at least temporarily, my brain extrapolated and went–what if that’s because Tim leaves?

So it starts with the dysfunctional first impressions take two with baby– the fact that Jason trusts the baby with Damian of all people. And sure it’s actually because Jason and Damian have history, but to Tim it seems like “I would rather hand this baby over to a literal assassin than trust him with you.” And maybe Tim takes it as a remark on himself–I wasn’t really going to nerve strike him, but am I so suspicious/untrustworthy that you think I would do that to a baby?

And of course Alfred wants Richie to be raised in Wayne Manor, but Jason obviously has issues with the family. But this is even before Bruce has been brought back, so it’s only Dick and Damian in the Manor (because Tim has moved out–he’s not going to live with Damian)… so maybe it’s like. Jason is more comfortable in the Manor when Tim isn’t there–so Tim interprets it in a way that says, he is not trusted with the baby.

Since it is during the Red Robin arc, Tim is out of Gotham for the most part, anyway so it’s not a deliberate avoidance. During which, Jason and Richie are already pretty settled in the manor. Until he brings back Bruce.

Obviously it’s tense at first, but then it becomes clear that Jason’s not killing people because he’s got a baby! And, really, that’s all that Bruce wanted so it’s fine. So Bruce welcomes him back (never mind that it’s Bruce returning). Jason is also tense, but being a father has given him perspective–he’s not so angry or out of control–so they reconcile.

Meanwhile, Tim is like… they’re a happy family now. Without me. So he just jets. Since Bruce is back he doesn’t need to be Wayne Enterprise’s CEO/poster-boy. But he thrives when he’s necessary, so he tries to come up with more jobs he can fulfill.

So he starts with expansion of WE and Batman Inc into Canada, sees how everyone gets along without him. How quickly they are to take over/distribute his territory/patrols. How utterly unnecessary he is in Gotham.

Likewise he’s not needed with the Titans because they’re a Robin thing and he’s not Robin anymore. Sure they didn’t like him at first, but everyone collectively mellows out and begin to get along. Especially since they are JLA light. And while Tim never wants to be Batman, the others are still in line of succession and it just makes sense for Batman in training to be on a team with the other JLA in training.

So there’s really no need for him to go back (which he interprets as, he can’t go back).

While Tim interprets the family as not needing him, so he does other things elsewhere, the family interprets his actions as him being so swamped/busy. So they try to lessen his load. Like, Bruce took back the CEO position for WE because he thought Tim was being overworked–instead Tim saw it as, of course, I’m just a placeholder. Now I don’t have WE or Robin, I have to make a place for me. It’s a spiral. Everyone thinks he’s moved on from them, when in fact it’s Tim thinking I should leave before you kick me out.

And a lot of that mentality spills over. Once he establishes a team in Canada (as both Batman Inc. and JLA International, because he knows there are some metahumans and he does not discriminate, also, double the financing), he sees that they’re functioning well, that they can run without him. He’s unnecessary again [there’s definitely some influence from saccarines’ fic Correspondence].

He goes back to Gotham after establishing the Canadian team, sees how well they function without him, decides to go where he’s needed–i.e. establishing teams in Europe.

Europe does weird things to Tim–he broke a lot of laws there, it’s an older place, and the ways of world are different. Magic, not metahumans [Ladybug and Chat Noir?!]. The teams he assemble aren’t as wide-eyed innocent and stalwart as the North American teams. They’re darker, somehow–not that Gotham, world capital of the criminally insane isn’t dark as well, but the vigilante culture is so controlled by Bruce’s lofty standards that, in comparison, Tim’s European Batman Inc teams are more shades of gray and subtlety.

He’s pretty established as the voice/face of Batman Inc in Europe. London, Paris, Berlin, Athens (WE stimulates economy, Batman Inc protects the people). He’s not really the boss, but he has the most experience and he is the one who established them. He made them to function independently of him… mostly he floats between them, acting as an intermediary between HQs or them and mafia. He can’t get a foothold in Italy because the mafia are so established, but maybe he makes deals with them occasionally (more of that sketchy gray area). He probably does have some dealings with Ra’s al Ghul, but that’s really minimal to the story.

He very rarely goes back to Gotham–less and less frequently as time goes by–and definitely never the Manor when Jason and Richie are there. Because he doesn’t want Jason to feel like his home is unsafe, not realizing that the Manor should also be Tim’s home. He makes himself busy, makes himself necessary elsewhere. Avoids the entire family.

ANYWAY

Richie goes to Paris when he’s thirteen because he’s frustrated. When is he going to be Robin? Damian has officially become Batman and Richie was always going to be his Robin. He’s already had a lot of training because he literally was raised by all of the Batmen, Robins, Batgirls (Aunt Cass visits AT LEAST once a year, which is more than Tim does, because she’s not a neurotic mess of self esteem issues).

It’s been over a decade since Tim has come home/interacted with the family not in a professional capacity–either WE or BI [although, he did have Cass come over and help train his Europe teams].

Richie’s a little nervous around Tim because, with everyone else, his other “teachers” are just his family. He’s grown up with them–Aunt Stephanie was the one to buy him waffles before teaching him how to stitch a wound closed. His Dad taught him how to wire a bomb but still makes sure he doesn’t watch R-rated movies. But with Tim, it’s this stranger. And the thing is, they don’t really talk about him in the Manor. You don’t really talk about people unless they’re present in some way… maybe Richie grew up on stories of Red Robin/the third Robin (what, with Jay and Kon having had a thing a few years ago) but it’s not prevalent in his life. He’s a lingering ghost in the Manor, and even in the Titans Tower.

So Richie’s nervous, but Tim of course interprets that as “Oh, he hates me.” Because why wouldn’t he? As far as Tim knows, this is Richie, the son of Jason who hates his Replacement. The boy who’s in love with/going to be Robin of Damian, who hates his predecessor and literally tried to kill him.
But of course Jason doesn’t hate Tim, he’s just really fucking awkward around him. And… well, I don’t necessarily want it to also be DamiTim, but that is a possibility (and I’m always a sucker for DamiTim, or at least theoretically DamiTim–Tim is building Batman Inc, and Batman is now Damian. He’s building Damian’s empire).

But Richie has a crush on Damian… I want Richie to have a happy ending, but having your first love requited, especially when it’s for a man who will be your mentor/vigilante partner isn’t exactly going to lead to a happy ending for Richie… definitely one-sided Richie x Damian.

Richie is a good boy. He’s all of the hope of Robin within him. He is loved by his family and is all of their good traits. So when Tim is feeling low, saying that he can learn better from someone else, Richie replies with “They’re not you.”
Tim doesn’t think he’s part of the family, while Richie is the baby of the family. So there’s this gulf between them–the one who (thinks he) is unloved and the child who is most loved.

Richie is a lovable boy–and Tim doesn’t have any problem with training this boy. He’s going to be a Robin that Damian Wayne needs. That Damian Wayne wants. And Tim will do anything in his power to help make someone needed/wanted. Dick was also very lovable–loving and being loved, as was Jason whose love burned and was passionate and invited reciprocation, Stephanie loved easily, strongly, and it was easy to love her in turn, Damian of course would be loved. Tim thinks he wasn’t loveable–he loved but wasn’t loved in turn.

Training starts with undercover stuff, because it is the one thing that Tim is the best at amongst the family. It’s something that the European branches take pride in because they are more subtle, and it gives them a way to seem more than they are (each team is really three or four people, but each person has multiple identities so they seem larger), it’s their specialty. So at first Tim teaches Richie that, because he doesn’t know what else to do.
And after a week, Tim expects Richie to be bored and want to go home. Except, no Richie wants to stay, “I still have so much to learn from you.” And Tim’s just like… “Really? Like what? But… okay?” And he’s scrambling around trying to find what else to teach Richie–he doesn’t want to teach him the wrong thing, doesn’t want to ruin this Robin to be.

But he’s good at this. He basically raised Kon and Bart, he’s been training teams since he was a teenager himself, his self made job is to create and train teams to independence. He’s good at it. So long as Tim doesn’t get distracted by holding himself up to the ideal of Robin, he’s a really good teacher. He get’s more comfortable with Richie and vice versa, and then a month passes.

And Tim really doesn’t have anything else to teach him. But then they stumble upon this conflict. Because Tim thought he’d be gone after a week, and the family thought maybe a month but definitely after he’s done with training. Whereas Richie is like–I’m going to stay here forever, or at least until they let me be Robin.

At which point Tim is like… are you holding yourself hostage? And they discuss the philosophies of Robin. It’s something that Tim has been different about in regards to the role. With Dick it was “I want to help fight crime.” With Jason it was “I now have the power to do good.” With Stephanie, she was going to fight crime regardless, as Spoiler, but as Robin she’s Bat-sanctioned, Bat-trained, “I am getting the authority.” With Damian, Robin was a step to Batman–a Batman in training role.

But with Tim, he stepped up to be Robin because someone needed to step up to be Robin. Robin needs to exist as a complementary role to Batman–regardless of who fills the suit or what comes after.

It helps Richie understand Tim. Because it’s about being whatever Batman needs. And that’s why Tim is so messed up, because when he had Robin taken away from him he took that as a sign that he was not needed. Whereas Richie is raised with all these people, constantly reassuring him that he’s loved and that he doesn’t have to join the family business. And if he doesn’t he knows he will still be loved. His place is solid in the family, and that’s something that Tim doesn’t realize about family.

Tim tells him to go home. Don’t be so eager to be Robin right now. Or rather, be the Robin that they need. Right now Damian doesn’t need someone to fight beside him. He doesn’t need a Robin on the streets, he needs someone who will be there for him. It’s his first year as Batman and he needs to establish himself as a hero in his own right before he becomes a mentor, he needs time. So maybe what he needs from Richie is to give him that time… and Richie accepts that. He’s not as desperate to be Robin, he’s patient.

But Richie personally still needs to learn. Which Tim acknowledges as true. After all, Tim did a training trip with Shiva and so maybe Richie needs something similar. So Time is like… how much time do you have until school? Another month? Well for this month, you’ll be operating in Europe. It’ll be a taste of what it’s like to be an operative. Then the adventures of Richie Todd Wayne as Egg. And afterwards, Richie goes home, settled and stronger. Ready for Robin, but willing to wait.

… Except he bonded with Tim, and he knows how lonely Tim is, how unsure of his place in the family is. So he wants to bring him home (which is, basically what Alfred was trying to do from the start by sending Richie to Tim)… so Richie pulls a Parent Trap for Jason and Tim… or something like that.

—

A/N2: Uh… so yeah. I actually did all of brainstorming verbally in an hour long voice recording while I was stuck in traffic. There was a lot of cussing… and me yelling out OBLIGATORY TIM FEELS like… six times. Basically… I had a lot of feelings yesterday.

OH NO! So I was delving into the Miraculous Ladybug wiki (as I am wont to do when getting sucked into new fandoms) and I stumbled upon the Quantic Kids aka the original superhero team concept before the creators settled on the idea of the kwami and having only a Ladybug and Chat Noir duo.

Mostly, I saw the three/four “abandoned” characters and mourned because they had pretty cool character designs. In particular, I really liked Sparrow and how “normal human trying to fight crime without magic/superpowers” he looked. As in, a perfect candidate for Batman Inc–even his superhero name is thematic.

Basically, given that Mercury is a speedster, there is a Kid Mime with (most likely) telepathy power, and Melodie whose outfit and weapon frankly look super badass, I figure the “abandoned” Quantic Kids members would be almost a blast from the past for Tim; a lot of Young Justice vibes. It probably explains why he’s more fond of the team and prefers his Paris apartment even though–numbering at six with Chat Noir and Ladybug included–their team would be the largest and wouldn’t need Tim as an auxiliary, part-time member.

I mean, I guess what I’m trying to say is that if I were to revisit Richie Todd Wayne Goes To Paris it would definitely be a DCU x Quantic Kids crossover sort of thing more than it’s original DCU with some Miraculous Ladybug cameos. Like, Richie would be an outsider POV for the team, and they would be an outsider POV for the whole Wayne family drama thing.

Could you do a ShikakoxKakashi that is completely accidental? Like somehow, out of no where, Shikako seemed very pretty? And Kakashi’s horrible habits somehow become endearing and charming? And it’s all very WTF on both sides?

November 26, 2015 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

I don’t sh– hm… well… I mean, I guess if it’s–but they– hm…

HMMMM…

Okay, so I am a multi-shipper at heart and, unrelated, I am always fascinated in trying to mesh two different fandoms into a cohesive crossover/fusion. So it’s not entirely out of my interests to ponder how two people would function in a romantic relationship.

That being said, I’m also extremely wary of ships that have inherent problems–such as a teacher-student pair becoming lovers (long story short, I once played with fire and sort of shipped a thing which I knew going in was problematic, but didn’t realize until after I clawed my way out of the fandom just how problematic it was)

It’s not the age difference that bothers me ~~(because, if I’m going to continue being candid, I’ve shipped things with bigger age gaps)~~ but rather the power imbalance that a teacher-student relationship represents. Even if Shikako is no longer Kakashi’s student, being promoted to tokubetsu jounin, that’s still the basis which their relationship is built on–he’s teaching her kenjutsu and helping with her sensing, etc.

Like, not that I do ship it, but I’m less squicked with the idea of ShikakoxAoba than I am with ShikakoxKakashi, even though they’re the same age. Because Aoba, while taking a mentor-like role, is more of a “senpai” than a “sensei.” Yes, he helps her out and yes, he’s teaching her the way of an Intel ninja, and yes, she does follow his lead. But she could and has refused his orders (arguably, if you consider him asking about her missions as orders) and it’s a very finite mentorship–it’s more like on the job-training than an open-ended teaching of life skills like Kakashi. ~~(Oh no, have I convinced myself to ship ShikakoxAoba?)~~

THAT BEING SAID, while I am reluctant to ship ShikakoxKakashi as they are in DoS canon, I am wondering at the possibility of shipping them in a AU/alternate dimension/time-travelling sort of situation.

Now that I ponder it in a non-DoS-canon context, I can immediately think of two ways to do it:

1) older!Shikako x canon!Kakashi (via diagonal dimension travel)

Shikako falls diagonally into a different Naruto dimension, possibly canon so she doesn’t exist, and preferably aged up enough to about… Anko/Shizune’s age, maybe? (A little like @ladyhallen’s DoS Switch) She doesn’t land in or anywhere near Konoha, but she does end up thankfully close to where Jiraiya currently is; a Jiraiya who is a month away from heading to Konoha because the Chuunin exams are going to be held there.

With some persistence and hella ridiculous amounts of fuinjutsu discussion, Jiraiya believes her and agrees to take her on as a sort of apprentice in order to stop all of the horrible shit that will otherwise go down without her there. So they get there, a little earlier than Jiraiya would have done by himself, and so Kakashi meets Jiraiya’s newest student–the woman who dared to take the place of his idolized sensei.

At first, they do not get along. Kakashi because he can be an immature jerk and Shikako because she has literally never been on the wrong side of Kakashi’s ire. But it does differentiate canon!Kakashi enough from her sensei DoS!Kakashi, that I don’t feel weird about shipping them (even though, at first, Shikako probably is greatly bewildered by these sorts of feelings for someone who is literally a carbon copy of her sensei). Obviously, Shikako shows how much of a total badass she is and saves a good chunk of Konoha lives in general, but his students’ lives in particular that Kakashi just kind of drops all of his hostility towards her.

And thus begins the weirdest courtship between two mostly apathetic people in existence.

2) Shikako x younger!Kakashi (via linear time travel)

Insert fuinjutsu experiment gone horribly awry, Shikako ends up back in time. Specifically, during the Third Shinobi World War. Even more specifically, when certain teenaged Konoha ninja are being attacked by adult Iwa ninja. Acting mostly on instinct, she saves them and only later realizes that she has greatly shifted the timeline by preventing a) Rin’s kidnapping, b) Kakashi’s eye injury, c) Obito’s almost-death… so on and so forth, Madara no longer has a convenient Uchiha body to do his bidding, and so no attack during the Naruto’s birth, no Kyuubi rampage, no Uchiha almost-coup and subsequent massacre, etc, etc.

But before that, all she knows is that she’s landed in the middle of a war and the only person she trusts is an asshole teenager who has no idea who she is.

Given her obvious Nara looks, and some more persistence+fuinjutsu discussion, and the fact that she saved his students’ lives Minato totally (re)instates her as a Konoha ninja, in particular as a fifth member of their team. Anyway, it’s actually more like the fourth member of the Kakashi+Obito+Rin team since, being the Yellow Flash and all, Minato is called away to missions completely out of his students’ league and most solid teams have four members.

Cue a bewildered and stranded-out-of-time Shikako interacting with Team Minato and there are definitely opportunities for shipping there.

(Although, I’d be a little concerned that it overlaps too much with @langwrites’ Catch Your Breath. Not that Shikako and Keisuke are the same, but rather if you want to read about an SI!OC kicking ass and taking names in the Kakashi Gaiden era, you really should be reading that. It’s great)

edit: i’m weak and began writing this idea in “Gambling Away The Past.” it may turn into a series–i don’t know.

There are probably many more, but those two are the ones that spring to mind right now as ways I would be comfortable in even trying. I know this doesn’t really fill your prompt, but I don’t think I can do a proper one–both the ideas above are pretty big fic as I imagine them, and I don’t quite have the chops to pull either one of them off yet

However, if anyone else would like to adopt one of the ideas and run with it (or even further discuss what these potential fic would entail) then I would be more than happy to help out with that. I love brainstorming fic and would honestly be happy to see anon’s prompt get filled by someone, even if that person is not me.

Character Analysis: Descendants, The Lost Kids (2015-11-11)

November 11, 2015 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

A/N1: Because I missed Descendants, even if the Wicked World series kind of messes with all my head-canons from the movie… So as far as I’m concerned, the movie is alpha canon while the book(s) and animated shorts are beta canon. Not that canons necessarily correlate with head-canons buuuuut…

Anyway, the lost kids!

With any of my character analyses I am open to alternate interpretations, so please feel free to reblog with your own analysis. 🙂

Carlos
Phlegmatic – Apathetic/Conflicted
IS(F/t)P = Artisan = Composer/crafter
Air
Slytherin-Gryffindor

Evie
Sanguine – Optimist
EN(F/t)J = Idealist/Rational = Teacher/field-marshal
Water
“True” Slytherin

Jay
Choleric – Realist
ESTP = Artisan = Promoter
Earth
Slytherin-Hufflepuff

Mal
Melancholic – Cynic
INT(J/p) = Rational = Mastermind/architect
Fire
Slytherin-Ravenclaw

Reasoning under the cut.

The Four Temperament / Four Philosophy Ensemble

If you’ve read my previous character analyses, you’ll know that I’m relatively new and not very fond of this trope. That being said, it does have some redeemable insights, so I decided to proceed with it anyway. The links above lead to the TVTropes pages but, like Wikipedia, TVTropes is not the authority on these.

Here’s a really quick break down of what the ensembles are and how they correspond to each other:

Sanguine – extroverted, emotional, people-oriented – Optimist
Choleric – extroverted, unemotional, task-oriented – Realist
Melancholic – introverted, emotional, task-oriented – Cynic
Phlegmatic – introverted, unemotional, people-oriented – Apathetic/Conflicted

The two obvious ones for this were Jay and Mal. I consider both of them to be more “task-oriented” than the other two–to them people are either obstacles or means to an end (especially the Auradon students who are then subjected to their respective charm/intimidation). They may know how to manipulate people, but that doesn’t mean they necessarily care about other people’s feelings. Then when you compare the extroverted and unemotional traits of the Choleric temperament with the introverted and emotional traits of the Melancholic temperament, it seems pretty clear to me that Jay is Choleric and Mal is Melancholic. Their corresponding Philosophies match as well, with Jay being the Realist and Mal being, in comparison, the Cynic.

Then for Evie and Carlos, the two “people-oriented” temperaments–Evie is undoubtedly an extrovert; while Carlos isn’t as definitively an introvert as Mal is, I do think he is one, especially what we see of him in the movie. As for emotional versus unemotional, it could be argued that both of them act emotionally during the events of the movie (unsurprising, considering how big a change it is for all of them) but I think, in comparison, Evie’s character arc is more about becoming more in touch with herself and her feelings whereas Carlos’ is making decisions despite his feelings.

I ultimately had to fall back on the Philosophies to choose. Hence, Evie as the Optimist–looking forward to Auradon, even if it was a big change, believing in herself even after Chad’s actions. And Carlos as the ~~Apathetic/~~Conflicted–~~both because, basically, once he had Dude he literally cared about nothing else for the rest of the movie,~~ because, as I said before, most of his story arc is making decisions despite his feelings, leaving the Isle despite/because of his conflicted feelings about his mother, reaching out to Dude despite being afraid of dogs, etc. The corresponding temperaments are then Sanguine for Evie and Phlegmatic for Carlos.

—

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Here’s the basics of the MBTI: it’s a set of four binaries which combine to produce one of sixteen distinct personality types. The binaries are:
Extroversion vs Introversion = self/society
Sensing vs iNtuition = learning/information
Thinking vs Feeling = decision-making
Judging vs Perceiving = planning/(re)acting

And so with that in mind, here’s the Lost kids:

Carlos – IS(F/t)P
As I’ve previously stated, I do believe Carlos is an introvert–not as much of one as Mal, but he doesn’t need people. More so in the book, he’s easily satisfied so long as he has stuff to tinker about with–in the movie, his story doesn’t revolve around people, it revolves around his own fears (of dogs, of his mother, of getting hurt) and him overcoming it. Sensors focus on facts and details more than the bigger picture, they inherently trust what they’ve experienced or what can be proven more than what could be (he’s quick to overcome his fear of dogs when presented with proof that Dude isn’t a rabid monster even though his mother told him otherwise). Feeling vs thinking I figure he is in the middle of the spectrum–given his book background of enjoying technical and scientific fields he is a little bit thinking, but the decisions we see him making in the movie are feelings based. For the most part, Carlos isn’t decisive–he goes along with other people’s plans–in addition, he’s adaptable (getting the alarm to shut off during the failed heist) and likes to mix work and play (literally playing video games before helping Mal plan the heist), hence Perceiving.

Evie – EN(F/t)J
Evie is the most extroverted of the group, she enjoys being around people and gets energized in group situations. Unlike Carlos, she is a big picture kind of person, always having the idea of meeting her very own Prince Charming, to the point where she trusted him even though she had no idea what kind of person he was (which, unfortunately for her, ended up being a heartbreaking asshole kind of person). Like Carlos, she is in the middle of the feeling vs thinking spectrum, though for slightly different reasons–for the movie she is mostly a Feeler due to her generosity, even excluding her crush manipulating her, she genuinely wanted to help Mal feel beautiful for her date with Ben. But there’s some pragmatism within that–wanting to impress her crush could lead to her fairytale ending, and when Lonnie wanted a new hairstyle Evie sought payment. As for Judging, well, her whole life has been following the large plan to find and marry a prince. Even without that, she’s constantly working (making absolutely gorgeous dresses and, at some point, a sleeping potion, when she’s not doing Chad’s homework), very decisive, and organized.

Jay – ESTP
Jay was, again, pretty easy to decide on. Despite his father’s “teaching,” Jay is both a team player and fond of groups–whether they be tourney players, princesses he can flirt with, or his friends. He is more on the sensing side, focusing more on what is tangible than not, and due to his task-orientedness almost to the point indifference he is more of a thinker than a feeler. Like Carlos, Jay is more of a reactor than an instigator (he follows, he doesn’t plan) and given his thieving spree early on he likewise believes in play before work.

Mal – INT(J/p)
Similarly, Mal was also pretty easy to decide on. She is an almost textbook case of introversion, and while some of that may be due to her misanthropy, she honestly does not need people or like crowds–she works best one-on-one. Like Evie, she is a big picture kind of person and her method of problem solving isn’t a single track method–in order to get the wand she sees and considers and even sort of implements multiple methods, she knows the wand is the Fairy Godmother’s so she cultivates a “relationship” with Jane, when that doesn’t yield anything, she plans the museum heist, when that fails, she seizes on the opportunity that the coronation presents–hence intuition (N).

The thinking vs feeling was a little tricky, not because I think she’s in the middle of the spectrum like Evie and Carlos, but because a lot of this movie was disguising her “thinking” tendencies for “feeling.” Let me explain–as previously mentioned, she is very task-oriented like Jay; people and their feelings are obstacles/tools, not something to be considered when making decisions–but basically the entire movie is about her emotional journey from following her mother’s orders to being her own person. Her decisions are in line to maximize benefit to herself–yes, even her “cure brownies” because she didn’t make them for Ben’s benefit but rather to alleviate her own guilt. Even her speech about the Lost kids staying in Auradon, it was a very logical breakdown of happiness–this makes you happy so you should stay here, this makes you unhappy so you shouldn’t go back, even though emotions don’t necessarily follow cause and effect like that.

It’s actually the the Judging vs perceiving spectrum which I think she falls in the middle for–ultimately, since she is the major decision maker of the group and her penchant for focusing on her work over play, I did decide on Judging more than perceiving. But she is still a little perceiving since the decision to get the wand was originally her mother’s and even though she was the planner of each of the different attempts to get the wand, they were pretty loose plans created as they went. Get to the museum, okay, now what? Can’t get past the forcefield, now what? Become Ben’s girlfriend before the coronation.

—

Keirsey Temperaments

The Keirsey Temperaments are somewhat based on MBTI, in that it splits the types into a set of four temperaments and then gives fancy titles to the types within the temperaments. You can go to the link above to check out the individual titles for the MB types (they’re pretty interesting reads).

The temperaments correspond to the MBTI binaries as such: _S_J = Guardian, _S_P = Artisan, _NF_ = Idealist, _NT_ = Rational. The temperaments are sort of like two binaries as well–focusing on Communication and Action, that is: Concrete vs Abstract communicators and Utilitarian vs Cooperative actors. So Guardians are Concrete Cooperators, Idealists are Abstract Cooperators, Artisans are Concrete Utilitarians, and Rationals are Abstract Utilitarians.

Surprisingly, unlike my previous character analyses, the Lost kids aren’t arranged so that there is one of each type of temperament. Or perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising; given that, for all their differences, they are all villain kids and from the Isle of the Lost, certain temperaments simply aren’t practical on the Isle.

From the above types for the Lost kids, we get Carlos as an Artisan (specifically Composer/crafter), Evie as either an Idealist or a Rational (specifically Teacher or field-marshal), Jay as an Artisan (Promoter), and Mal as a Rational (Mastermind/architect). For the most part, on the Isle, I do think that Carlos, Evie, and Mal are their lowercase designations–on the Isle you have to be careful with your feelings, and given that Mal’s mother basically rules the Isle Mal is subject to Maleficent’s plans, not her own.

Artisans and Rationals are both Utilitarians–both act pragmatically, ignoring/bending rules in order to achieve their goals. While Artisans generally focus on quick, effective payoffs, Rationals want to fulfill their objectives as thoroughly and efficiently as possible. On the Isle, that kind of utilitarian mindset is not only encouraged but also, possibly, literally cultivated by their parents.

Since most of the movie isn’t on Auradon, however, a lot of what we see of Carlos, Evie, and Mal are their uppercase designations. Carlos and Evie both have the freedom to use their emotions whereas Mal has to step up and be de facto leader of the group. It doesn’t really change much for either Carlos or Mal–Carlos is still an Artisan whereas Mal is still a Rational, but Evie jumps from Rational to Idealist. Idealists are Abstract Cooperators–they focus mostly on their hopes and the possibilities for the future, and try to reach their goals without breaking their personal code of ethics–which also matches pretty well with Evie’s Sanguine/Optimist designation.

—

Avatar Elements

Like Hogwarts Houses, which is the next section, I believe that the Elements from the Avatar series does provide some nifty looks into characters’ personalities as well as having a convenient numerical match up. The above link sends you to a list of bending arts in the Avatar world, but if you follow through to the main articles of the Elements you can find more in-depth descriptions on the spirituality behind the respective elements.

I actually did some brainstorming regarding a Descendants x Avatar fusion in which only the Lost kids (and Fairy Godmother) are benders. I stand by the elemental designations I gave to each of them there, but I’ll go into more detail here (character-wise, that is). So, I posit that Carlos is Air, Evie is Water, Jay is Earth, and Mal is Fire, and here is why:

Air is the element of freedom, pacifism, open-mindedness, and adaptability. In a symbolic sense, Carlos’ character arc is about him freeing himself from his past, his mother’s abuse, his fears. He’s never the one to instigate conflicts, is more likely to run than fight, and the rare cases when he stands up against his mother (in the video call) and Maleficent (at the coronation) it’s in defense of his friends not himself. He was willing to give Dude a chance, despite his phobia of dogs, and in a larger sense he was open to going to Auradon even though that’s where dogs are. As for adaptability, I’ve already mentioned it above so…

Water is the element of change, generosity, balance, and emotions. As previously stated, Evie is–especially amongst the Lost kids–generous and the most in touch emotionally; she knows her emotions and knows how to use emotions. Her story throughout the movie is about her achieving an inner peace, a balance between what she thinks she wants and what she actually needs, between expectations and being true to herself. All of them change in the movie, but with Evie it’s subtle. Visually, you see her outfits changing, yes–becoming softer and blending in more with the Auradon style–but character-wise she gains self-confidence. She goes from someone who sees her talents as a means to get a prince to someone who sees her talents as what makes her inherently amazing; she doesn’t need a prince to be complete, she already is.

Earth is the element of substance, determination, stability, and straightforwardness. Earth is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the least spiritual of the elements and is treated very pragmatically. Similarly, Jay’s character arc isn’t as emotionally wrought as the others’–sure, he does doubt the plan to steal the wand way before anyone else does, but it’s as much logical take on emotions much like Mal’s speech on happiness is–for the most part it’s just him shedding his father’s misanthropic lessons to reveal the literal team player that he really is underneath. But, he never really accepted that to begin with. When his friends are being threatened, he steps forward to protect them–even when it’s by Maleficent’s dragon form–he is, almost literally, the rock the others rely on.

Fire is the element of power (though it may be better to say that it is the element of energy), industry, creativity, and drive. As previously stated, Mal is hard working and artistic. Like in the Avatar series, Mal’s drive is at first twisted for her mother’s nefarious gains, whereas Zuko at first only knows how to power his bending through anger and hate. But, ultimately, both Zuko and Mal discover good and wrest control of their life away from their toxic parents and societal expectations. In AtLA, the Fire Nation only sees their bending as a way to destroy and consume, but as the Sun Warriors and dragons explain, that is only when they are out of control. When in control, fire isn’t destruction it’s creation which parallels Mal’s story line.

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Hogwarts Houses (surely, no link is necessary… :P)

I greatly enjoyed @kisapandemonium‘s lovely GIF edit and, frankly, agree. The tag “#finally a group of slytherins we can all get behind” basically sums up what I loved so much about the Descendants movies. Because all of the Lost kids are Slytherins (and not because of the “Slytherin=evil” bullshit)–cunning, ambitious, pragmatic–and I’m so fond of that fact.

However, I also enjoy the idea (I don’t know where the original post is, sorry, but it’s not mine) that each of the Golden Trio represent another House–with Harry being Slytherin, Hermione being Ravenclaw, and Ron being Hufflepuff. I also enjoy the implication that follows, in that Neville is a “True” Gryffindor (I also don’t remember the original post, but I believe it was something like… Neville was a Hat stall only because he kept arguing against being a Gryffindor and the Hat was pretty damn sure he was a Gryffindor. Because the fact that Neville argued against the Hat). And so I kind of want to mix those two together.

While I do believe that all of the Lost kids are Slytherins–if we were to have “secondary House alignments” then Carlos would be Gryffindor, Jay would be Hufflepuff, and Mal would be Ravenclaw, while Evie is the “True” Slytherin. Carlos’ story arc is about facing his fears–dogs, physical confrontations (on the tourney field), his mother, Maleficent–hence, Gryffindor. Throughout the movie, Jay shows such utter loyalty to his friends that he even willingly throws himself in front of a dragon to protect them. As for the “Slyther-claw” vs the “True” Slytherin, that was a bit of a toss up. But, ultimately, Mal isn’t all that ambitious, certainly not in comparison to Evie. Mal was content on the Isle, graffitiing her symbol wherever she could put it and committing small acts of evil. Evie, in comparison, has always wanted more out of life–while that no longer includes a prince to marry, now it’s a desire to be more than what other people expect from her.

And that’s all, folks! If you got this far then I hoped you enjoyed 🙂

A/N2: It seems kind of cowardly to hide this in the author’s notes of a separate post, but I think Ain’t No Rest is officially going to be on hiatus. It, as I feared, collapsed under its own weight and lack of direction.

That being said, that does free me up to do other non-ANR Descendants fic. And I’m not saying that means I’ll do Once The Always, but I am planning on re-watching the TCoN movies soon so…