Comment on They're Sticks, Probably (Anima Virus)

  1. DragonMaster66 on Chapter 34 Mon 19 Feb 2024 03:17AM UTC

    I'm so used to an elytra being linked with purple I had to pause after the metaphor section and reread because purple was... not referenced, nor in this chapter, why is it here 😭.
    (It was very good!! and I liked it a lot! And I mean I figured it was Sec, the whole chapter's about him, but it took a minute to fully See it. ...Despite you pretty much nailing my personal HC for him- "weight of the world" is a good way to put it.)
    (purple is a heavy character on my mind too tho lol)

    anyways!! Wonderful chapter. The description of Maddie's room was really nice, it feels like the room of a 12y/o girl & I could vividly see it <3. (Alan's such a dad hgrsffsoghyddbfdd melts.,) I also loved how Orange never really changed his room; that fits him. He appreciates the simple things, and he doesn't need anything besides what he has.

    hope you're having a good day/night :)

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    1. HakureiRyuu on Chapter 34 Mon 19 Feb 2024 01:08PM UTC

      lmao I know, this was a bit of an unexpected thing to do with the prompt, but a long time ago I read a variation of this exact metaphor in another fic (entirely different fandom) and HAD to use it here. we'll see Purple again in the finale, don't worry!

      thank you for commenting!

      edit to rant: okay so the original metaphor I repurposed was someone thinking about how one character has a shell but no wings (metaphorically), while another has wings but no shell, and the pov character has both. but with the pov character being second that doesn't entirely work. sec is the winged character, if he had to choose he would pick wings every time. he wants to experience the world, he doesn't want a shell. but it's nice that he doesn't have to be quite THAT vulnerable, that he can sometimes go into dangerous situations without fear of losing everything, that he doesn't have to sacrifice realism to maintain his optimism. victim is probably the one with a shell but no wings. he tried so, so hard to grow them, but nothing he did worked, especially when he carried the weight of his bitterness everywhere he went, wearing his trauma like armor and sealing himself inside. but there's hope that victim can actually open up one day (hatch, to use the previous chapter's metaphor) and join his siblings in the sky. so, ultimately that means TCO is the character with both, with wings AND a shell. his trauma is his armor, yes, but he has a decent (and improving) sense of when to let his guard down, when to let his fragile wings out and trust that they won't be broken. chosen is a creature of freedom who was forced to grow strong, but even with that shell he can still fly. flying is his favorite thing to do, actually. oh and also this metaphor was harder to pull off with dark in the mix as a fourth character, idk where exactly she falls on the spectrum but that's my rant okAY BYE-

      Last Edited Mon 19 Feb 2024 01:22PM UTC

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      1. DragonMaster66 on Chapter 34 Mon 19 Feb 2024 06:12PM UTC

        pft no it's a great use of the prompt! The metaphor made perfect sense; it just took me a second to apply it properly. It's very well integrated into the chapter & prompt, you shouldn't worry any that.

        (Edit to rant is such a mood. Thank you for explaining more in-depth! <3)

        Ah so it's all of them.
        I actually still do see mainly Second as both; yes he would choose flight every time but I feel like he hasn't been able to for a while. Stuck, to some degree. He gets very worried for his friends (both possible aggressions from Alan that never got resolved until recently, AND all the wack stuff they get themselves into) and this also works well with my longrunning headcanon that he drastically changes after AvA5. He's always been incredibly curious, but he gets a lot more reserved about exploring new places- especially in seasons 2&3 (he literally goes home without them before Skyblock; he gains a definitive distrust of purple/almost breaks from the group AGAIN before parkour; *gestures to lush caves*... etc.) A bit of a difference from the stick who was the first to run headlong after Chosen through a weird glowing portal. (hey wonder if that's specifically why he hates portals. huh.)

        anyway uh that got away from me but TLDR I think orange definitely has a little trauma shell of his own, even if it's not quite as unbreakable as Chosen or Victim's. And I think it works well in this case, because he's allowed to have both

        (also something something metaphorical differences between regular orange and superpowered unbound second coming)

        Last Edited Mon 19 Feb 2024 06:15PM UTC

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        1. DragonMaster66 on Chapter 34 Wed 28 Feb 2024 05:45AM UTC

          hello! it's me again. I just wanted to say that my phone browser now has this specific fic in its little automatic "recents" section & I found that absolutely hilarious & wanted to share <3

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          1. HakureiRyuu on Chapter 34 Wed 28 Feb 2024 05:24PM UTC

            lmao love that for you. I'm not afraid to say I had "namesake" on my recents for MONTHS.

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            1. DragonMaster66 on Chapter 34 Wed 28 Feb 2024 05:25PM UTC

              An appropriate place for it. That fic is a masterpiece. (as is yours <33)

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