I did say I'd get around to writing Tainted Gestalt after expected updates. Which arrived last week. So let's talk about where it goes from there.
I would like to do up to the part Cross C mentioned in the comments, involving Lelouch confronting Clovis and everybody else going "Nuh uh!"
This would then lead into a discussion later on where they more fully discuss what their goals are, and agree to stay out of each other's way where it is possible.
So go on, discuss what you think should happen here.
I think the debate with Usagi and Lelouch would be interesting. Usagi is sweet and naive, but Clovis' actions are far more heinous than a Youma messing with a store full of people.
ReplyDeleteAlive, Clovis would have gotten away with ordering the deaths of hundreds of innocents sleeping in their rundown homes, with more or less a slap on the wrist at best. How could the self-proclaimed Champion of Justice accept something like that? The problem is making the distinction between Justice and Vengeance.
On that note what would happen to an evil human if hit by Sailor Moon's tiara attack?
Clovis’s fate aside, I really can’t see the others witnessing some of the other stuff Lelouch pulls and not intervening. Unless, of course, they’re in the middle of some serious stuff themselves at the time.
DeleteI wonder who will be the first to admit to someone else what exactly they’re experiencing. Tsukune seems the obvious contender at the moment with Inner Moka, but Usagi already almost told Luna, Kyon might be pressured into spilling something by Haruhi, and Lellouch might tease C.C. with some details to see if she knows anything about it. But the others? Probably not any time soon. Especially not Shinji.
I was actually wondering about the tiara’s effect on regular humans.
I know I’ve said this before, but I still think it would be appropriate for Usagi to be subject to the terms of Jusenkyo curse as well (meaning she would turn male when splashed with hot water). Though I realize I’m basically alone in thinking that makes complete sense.
Not relevant for this next episode, but I do hope the situation with Tsukune and that nurse doesn’t run on for too terribly long.
Look Usagi is still affected by the curse, we just wouldn't see any discernible changes unless she were to be turned into something other than a girl (either through magical means or if she were to say grow up into an old woman, cold water would always turn her back) which could come in handy if she were to fight an enemy with transmogrifying abilities.
DeleteOn the other hand, I remember at some point, Ranma got his hands on some Instant Spring of Drowned Man powder, in exchange for a date with Shampoo, that let him stay a guy for a few hours so it's not like Usagi can never turn into a guy, if only for a short, painfully awkward time. That and there's the shenanigans to be had with the Disguise Pen, that let the others transform into their normal male bodies for convenience, which would likely lead to the classic Ranma is Makoto's sempai scenario.
What I was more surprised with was that each of them possessed Lelouch's Geass though I don't think that was an unreasonable thing to do. I'm not even really sure what each of their Geasses would have been like; Usagi's makes others become kind? Shinji's allows him to hide from others/become brave? Ranma's gives bullet time/analytical powers to read attacks? Ataru's makes girls join his harem and guys respect him?
That would pretty crazy.
An interesting concept could be that they convince Lelouch to Geass Clovis again, whereby he learns that he can only use it on a person once. Then after that, someone else jumps into his/her body and accidentally Geasses Clovis themselves, showing that each one of them can put a different Geass on the same person, with interesting results (even if they don't want to kill him I can't imagine that Usagi and Ataru would let him off without some form of just/vindictive punishment for all the people (and potentially cute girls) that are dead because of him).
This route would also give them more reasons to interact with one another; "Oh no, I Geassed this person and bad stuff is happening! Quick, one of you help me undo this!"
The fact that they all seem to have the same expression of the powers that the original person has is *exactly* why I think it would make sense for Usagi to turn into a guy when hit with hot water. The other boys are not literally cursed by Jusenkyo, because they've never been there. It presumably doesn't even exist in their world. (And if their connection to the Gestalt were somehow cut, I assume they would cease to transform.) But they are experiencing the same *phenomenon* as Ranma, just as they're experiencing the same phenomenon as Lelouch and Usagi. Part of the phenomenon is *becoming male in hot water*. It’s what Ranma experiences, it’s what all of the others will experience, so why does that not make sense for Usagi as well?
DeleteLike I said, I realize I’ve failed to convince anyone of how that makes sense, but that’s actually why I’m bringing it up again. *Why* does it seem so utterly obvious to me when you and presumably others think it’s completely wrong?
That's because you seem to think that the curse is: Cold Water = Girl, Hot Water = Boy. When in reality the curse is: Cold Water = Girl, Hot Water = back to normal. The Musk for instance capture animals, turn them into women, lock their curses, and sire strong children with animal traits with them, if they were to be splashed with hot water before being locked, they'd still turn back into an animal rather than say a boy. If a panda fell into the Spring of Drowned Panda, it likely wouldn't even notice a difference.
DeleteIt's also why Ranma is so keen on getting water from the Spring of Drowned Boy, he'd still be "cursed", just not in a detrimental way, heck as he grew older, cold water would likely return him to his prime teenage body.
No. That’s not what I think the curse is. Moreover, I keep saying that I’m not talking about the curse. I’m talking about what Ranma *experiences*. The curse itself can’t really be said to have carried over, because they *aren’t cursed*. They’ve never been to Jusenkyo or been splashed with cursed water.
DeleteBut just like they experience one another’s feelings in addition to their thoughts and memories, it seems entirely reasonable that their powers carry over on the same basis: Replicating what the original person experiences. Hence why they all have the same Geass and—judging from Tsukune, at least—the same set of abilities as a magical girl (even the same trigger phrase).
And actually, there are any number of stories that do interpret the core of Ranma’s curse as the transformation itself rather than the second form. (See: Female Ranma’s tendency to turn male again at highly inopportune moments.) But again, that’s not even what I’m saying. I’m talking about *what* Ranma actually experiences, not *why* he experiences it.
Various interactions with non-Gestalted characters that interest me:
ReplyDeleteLum/Ami/Yuki/Ryoko/Rei A. being able to analyze/perceive the multidimensional bond of souls.
Ami and Lelouch having a relaxing game of chess.
Haruhi/Sakura/Rei H. become convinced that they're possessed by spirits and either try to exorcise them or bother them endlessly (guess who).
Nunnally, instantly knowing that "Lelouch" is not Lelouch and that Luluko is Lelouch, simply by holding hands. (Big-sis Usagi is also a heartwarming thought.)
C.C. tries to tease/flirt with Lelouch but is constantly thrown off-balance as their various personalities bounce back and forth randomly (going from a leering Ataru to a timid Shinji, stoic Kyon, ditzy Usagi, etc.). (As the others are not from their world, does that mean that they aren't part of the Collective Unconscious? Could C.C. tell that, being a Code Bearer?)
Mao.
All of NERV after Shinji inevitably changes gender. A side effect of syncing with the EVA?! (Yui's soul/AT Field interacting with her son's?)
Kurumu and Fem!Tsukune/Usagi being immune and Ataru being too rebellious to control.
Good call on how they could explain away Shinji’s transformations. I had worried about him on that front.
DeleteYeah, I could see Gendo or Fuyutsuki absentmindedly commenting on how Yui always did want a daughter. She could look /similar/ to Rei A. which could lead to interesting interactions between the pilots.
DeleteLelouch is the one that has me concerned as to how he/she is going to adjust since Geassing everyone just seems to be a waste, though I think having a waterproof suit could prevent Zero from transforming at inopportune moments (if waterproof soap works then a specially designed suit should as well). Having his female form act as his second in command could also help him integrate with the Knights easier with them knowing that this young woman knows Zero's identity and trusts him?
Kyon may be helped by either Haruhi who thinks he/she is too interesting to let others take him/her away, or Yuki and the others intervene to prevent Haruhi from noticing anything is out of place.
Ataru has crazier stuff happen on a daily basis.
Keitaro has the other girls to help him/her adjust and keep his/her secret and not many people go up to the Inn other than the tenants and Haruka.
Tsukune is in a school of monsters.