#crystalelemental

[alphakuriboh]

Here’s the candy options, @crystalelemental when you got time. Hope you don’t mind handwriting, I’m at work so this was easier. Don’t worry, it’s a slow day XD

After this part could I also request some sync grids off you? Some might be repeats, I’ve lost track a bit…

[patchun]

WBaWC Deep Dive Part EXTRA

There was a line in my first draft of that Part 2 that I ended up leaving out because I felt it wasn't all that significant. But after reading @crystalelemental 's post, I realized something. They talk about how, regarding Eika, Mayumi, AI, and labor, "it’s only when the concept of labor has been so thoroughly decoupled from its reward or enjoyment that the human response becomes “I want nothing to do with this.”

Which of course brought to mind Yachie and her neoliberal philosophy. "In the Animal Realm, everyone is driven by selfishness." Many people nowadays think of labor like this! Without the threat of starvation, they say, people would not work! So no unemployment, no safety net! Of course, this is because they've been spoon-fed racist, anti-poor propaganda by America's ruling class.

But the thing about WBaWC is that for all we know, Yachie could be correct. Maybe it IS the case, especially considering the view of animals as being instinctual and acting only on selfish desires that Buddhism's animal realm has, that those in the Animal Realm act only on selfishness! Sure, I can say that's just what the Animal Realm ruling class' narrative is, but I don't have any proof, because we don't have any regular beast spirit perspectives.

Except... that's not true, is it?

We have at least three. Surely you didn't forget about the Wolf, Eagle and Otter spirits that possess our protagonists!

The thing about those spirits is that they say very little. For that reason, it can be difficult to get any new information from them. But there is one line.

First, some background:

The wolf spirit organization, led by Saki, excels in raw strength. When referring to the human spirits, they use the term "our prey".

The eagle spirit organization, led by someone we haven't met yet, excel in surprise attacks from the air and water. When referring to the human spirits, they use the term "our slaves".

And the otter spirit organization, led by our very own Yachie Kicchou, excel in traps, poisons, and other sneaky methods rather than strength at all. When referring to the human spirits, they use the term "our tools".

Initially, I wanted to find out if ZUN really thought animals acted only in self-interest. I ended up deciding Kutaka was enough evidence that this wasn't the case, so I left out this next line. But still, I had already read every single route, every single line from these spirits. For the most part, there isn't much difference, nothing new to tell us about Yachie's statement. But then... there's Marisa (Otter)'s Extra.

The otter, the specialist in sneak attacks such as traps and poisons, is faced with the strongest enemy they are away of. In it's voice, fear. The otter spirit suggests running away. Marisa, though, says "no, we need to fight." And the otter responds:

"Human....... No, Marisa Kirisame."

For the entire game, this otter spirit has referred to Marisa ONLY by "human". And what are humans to Yachie's organization? They're tools. Here, the otter spirit sees Marisa, a human that it has spent so much time with, the very thing that it viewed previously as only a tool - and recognizes her as something beyond that.

And then? It has been established in all Wolf Extras that these spirits could stop possessing the player at any moment if they wanted to. This otter spirit could have done what it does best - run away, and create a sneaky plan. But instead, no!

"You're courageous! I shall cooperate with you!"

The otter spirit fucking stays with her! Fully able to leave, fully able to choose to run away, faced with pure raw strength, and it stays! Here we see this otter spirit perform an undeniably selfless act.

So then, that line from Yachie? That was yet another narrative from the ruling class, and the ultimate irony is that the spirit that we learn that from is the one from her organization.

This one line seems to tie this whole analysis together. The otter, recognizing the human as having value. Choosing to work with her for altruistic reasons. Disproving the narrative of labor established by the ruling class. It's... beautiful!

[crystalelemental]

“@crystalelemental kanako, murasa, joon+shion, okina, flandre”

OKINA PLAYABLE, FUCK YEAH

[randomnameless]

@crystalelemental someone made some translations on SF, maybe that's why jp!Rhea refers to the harvest festival?

[shimamoyo]

Steve my boyfriend has opinions on the jelly roll pan

I don’t remember any of them but apparently he disagrees with you and he had to let you know.

[alphakuriboh]

Alright, let’s see. @crystalelemental here comes a mess of an assessment. Gonna focus on EX’s and Candy here, but I’m probably gonna do a separate post for who to bump to 150 and some sync grid help because my Orb count is capped rn.

I have on hand enough material for 7 EX’s. The units I am considering are

Ash (Move Level 2)

Summer Gloria (Move Level 1)

Maxie (Move Level 1)

Archie (Move Level 1 - Needs Grid)

Bea (Move Level 5)

Costume Diantha (Move Level 1)

Ingo (Move Level 1)

Sygna Cyrus (Move Level 1)

Anni Skyla (Move Level 3)

Anni May (Move Level 3 - Needs Grid)

Emmet (Move Level 1)

Halloween Iris (Move Level 1)

Gloria (Move Level 1 - Needs Grid)

Sonia (Move Level 2 - Needs Grid)

Lucas (Move Level 1 - Needs Grid)

Palentine’s Bea (Move Level 1 - Needs Grid)

Sygna N (Move Level 1 - Needs Grid)

The Units I have already EX’d are N, Skyla, Blue w/Pidgeot, Cynthia, and these

For Candy, the units I am considering are

Strike (At 1): Steven, Summer Gloria, Emmet

Strike (At 2): Cynthia, Ash, Sygna Leon, Sygna Hilda

Tech (At 1): Costume Diantha, Lucas w/Dialga, Sygna N, Halloween Iris

Tech (At 2): Champion Iris

Support (At 1): Ingo

Support is an easy decision I guess, just checking it’s worth it lol.

There are several units I definitely need some ideas for Sync Grid but we can come back to that, aside from the ones I already mentioned.

[alphakuriboh]

@crystalelemental is this good out of 30 cause I have no idea what I’m doing.

[alphakuriboh]

@crystalelemental first off, Happy New Year! Second, need an opinion on the second select scout. Raihan is already at 3, I just candied Ingo, I don’t care about Red and Snorlax or Blue and Aero. Lucas as you said before doesn’t really need the move level. Is May and Blaziken really worth it at what would be Move Level 1, or really should I just save my money since I already have Anni N and Victini Hilda and Lucario Cynthia and Bea?

I took Ingo on the other one because I didn’t feel like I needed the units I didn’t have or really want the move level on Brendan (and I have enough Support Candy for him if I change my mind but didn’t have enough for Emmet - now I do tho so I probably will if you can also maybe pretty please toss me a grid? )