Chapter Text
“Wow, Freddie. Subtle much?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. Do I really have to spell it out?”
“That I am but a follower of Father’s guiding light?”
“Ugh. Father, say something, please.”
“…”
“I really didn’t need to know that. Someone go find me a beer or something, I can’t design this shit sober.”
“What? What’s this all about? I don’t get it.”
“Pay no heed, Comrade. Fleeting is your innocence. Shame upon you all!”
Notes:
In honor of Kinktober.
Yes, I went for the lowest-hanging fruit first.
I spent too long staring at the emblems and now have too many thoughts about them. Inspired by Entirely Canonical Armored VI Quotes (proofread by Masaru Yamamura), I am a huge fan.
Chapter Text
"Rokumonsen, I was editing your emblem to fit the RLF’s standard template, and I just wanted to check if you meant to flip the image?"
"Hm?"
"I mean…I’m not fluent in the language, but the red character looks like it’s been flipped horizontally."
"…"
"Correct me if I’m wrong though, you’re the one who speaks it."
"…"
"Rokumonsen?"
"Once but a ronin, now I raise my blade for you. Ah, duality."
"…Got it."
"Yeah, there’s no way he speaks it."
Notes:
I love writing bad haikus.
Chapter 3: Rubicon Liberation Front
Chapter Text
"Hey, is there any way you can increase the resolution of our logo?"
"Why, what do you need it for?"
"We're gonna put it on the STRIDER."
"Oh, boy."
Chapter 4: AC: Tsubasa
Chapter Text
"Oh, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I loved that novel, too."
"Finally, someone who understands."
"It's a good design, Uncle."
Chapter Text
“Father, will this be our flag?”
“I’m sorry?”
“Is this not the future you envision for Rubicon? Justice on our soil, at last. The Coral, flowing as plentifully as it did before the Fires. The sky unfettered, the stars no longer out of our reach.”
“…Yes, I see how it could seem that way. But I’m afraid I intended this solely for personal use.”
“Of course, Father. I apologize for presuming.”
—
“I’m sorry, Seria. But man is not meant to cross that river. I made my choice, and I’ll fight for it for as long as I draw breath.”
“You understand, don’t you? You said you’d understand.”
“Tell me that you understand.”
“…”
“Seria, speak to me just once. Just once. Anything. Judge me. Curse me! Haunt me in my dreams…”
“…”
“…”
“Forgive me, Seria. Forgive my sin. Forgive me.”
Notes:
The more I thought about his emblem, the sadder I got
The design is pretty great. I think there being nine stars, with three in the river and six in the sky, could also mean something, but I haven’t figured it out.
Chapter 6: AC: Steel Haze Ortus
Chapter Text
"So...you really were a spy all along?"
"...Yeah."
"Son of a bitch."
"Sorry..."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"...I don't know..."
"...Whatever. Anyway, let me see the sketch."
"..."
"An unmuzzled, snarling wolf? Unsubtle as always."
"Guess not even spy work could beat that out of me."
"Well, you know what they say: subtext is for cowards. I'll have the emblem ready for the Ortus by tomorrow. Go fuck 'em up, Rusty."
Chapter Text
“Arshile!”
“Hey, Ziyi. What’s up?”
“I did it, I passed! I’m gonna be an AC pilot!”
“Oh…oh, congratulations!”
“Uncle said I’ll get my own AC soon! Wanna help me paint it when I do?”
“Of course! Oh, what about your emblem? Have you started thinking about it?”
“Actually…I have.”
“On Earth, there’s a fish called salmon — Uncle told me about it when I was a kid. They’re born in the river, then migrate to the sea. But in the end, they return to the river where they were born. That’s where they lay their eggs, and that’s where they die. No matter how hard it is to swim upstream, they come back home.”
“Ziyi…”
“I know you’re worried, Arshile. But I promise, I’ll always come back. I’m a Coral Warrior too! Trust me.”
“…I do. And I’ll do my best to support you.”
“What about you, Arshile? Your emblem, I mean. Have you thought about it?”
“Oh, I’m not going to be an AC pilot. I don’t think I can handle it. I don’t know how you do it, Ziyi.”
“Aw, it’s really not a big deal! But you’ve never thought about a design? It’s pretty fun, you know!”
“I’m not that special, really, I’m just happy to help out however I can behind the scenes.”
“I don’t agree with that first part, but…I get it. Hmm….then, what’s your favorite color?”
“Huh? I guess it’s red. Pretty typical Rubiconian, right? Haha. Why?”
“You’ll see!”
Notes:
Ziyi’s AC is mint and yellow. Ziyi’s emblem is mint and red. When you kill her, her last words are to Arshile. Am I delusional? Probably.
Chapter Text
“What’s the story behind my emblem, you ask?”
“Once, I was a leader. A patriarch to my men. My Feng Shui Pharmacy was poised to be the greatest business venture of the millennium.”
“But one day…Balam came after me. It was Nile. We had a fierce battle, man-to-man, fist-to-fist. It was close, but in the end, he got the best of me. The man had the strength of a tiger, and he dropped me to the floor.”
“It was like a bomb had gone off. My dreams, up in smokes, and my fortune, scattered like loose bills in the sky...”
“But Nile gave me a choice. It’s either join the Redguns, or ten years in the joint — is what he told me. So I did what I had to.”
“…”
“What, you think you’re better than me? I may be but a carp now, but someday, I’ll jump over the Dragon Gate.”
“I’ll rise to the top, and become a legend…like a dragon.”
“…”
“I feel like there’s something I’m not quite getting.”
“It’s just your imagination, Red.”
Notes:
If you got the reference, I’m sorry, I had to do it.
Chapter Text
"Hey, Volta. Got any ideas for the emblems?"
"Nah, I’m drawing a blank. You?"
"Same. Never was the artistic type."
"Should’a guessed from that scarf you always insist on wearing."
"Man, fuck you."
"…"
"Iguazu, you remember that bug fighting ring? Basement of the shady noodle place."
"…Yeah, of course I do. Dammit."
"What, you still mad about losing? I told you, the rhinoceros beetle just has a natural advantage. How’s the stag beetle gonna beat the range on the horn?"
"Are we starting this again? It was close! If that grapple worked it would’ve been over."
"Yeah, whatever. My point is, how ‘bout we commemorate that night? On our emblems."
"The night of me losing to you? Fat chance."
"…"
"Yeah, I know, I know. Our last night as free men. Not half-bad, Volta."
"Heh. Where would you be without me?"
"..."
"Honestly….dunno."
"Don’t get sappy on me. That’s not the Iguazu I know. Weren’t you saying you were gonna sock Michigan in the face and get the hell out of here?"
"Damn right I did. We’re gonna get out, together."
"Cheers to that."
"Cheers."
Notes:
Iguazu’s English arena profile says “In his new life, he quickly began to quarrel with Volta,” while his Japanese arena profile says something along the lines of “along with Volta, he threw himself into a life of fighting.” I like the latter more since it’s clearer there that the two were genuinely close.
Then there’s also the rhinoceros and stag beetle trope, where the two typically appear together, whether as friends, allies, or rivals. Their emblems are the most obvious symbolic pair I can think of. Add to that the fact that Iguazu’s emblem isn’t actually a stag beetle, but ants pretending to be one…
I will never emotionally recover from this
20_9 on Chapter 1 Mon 09 Oct 2023 03:05PM UTC
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