STARBREAKER

adrian malcolm's curry entry

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thread summary: Howard, nearly succumbed to his injuries, is visited by Adrian. They talk about the dynamic of life and death, while Adrian tries to provide reassurance. They cement a freshly struck friendship, and Howard demonstrates insight into Adrian's nature.[break]

why is it important?: Draws on new and old story elements to give a sense of gravitas. Helps bring character directions and motivations into the current setting, specifically Adrian. Highlights a key moment in a developed relationship. Lays the groundwork for future development between them, but especially for Adrian, if the author should choose that direction.

CONFRONT

Josh Devlin 's curry entry

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thread summary: As part of ameena abadi 's SLEEP STUDY: GEMINI, Josh Devlin and Eris Halla relive their lowest moment in time: when the now-Champion attacked and nearly killed Eris with his vicious Beedrill, King Zing. In this dream, kyle lopez 's voice echoes in his mind, and the outcome of the dream is totally different from reality. He stays his Beedrill and tries to make amends with the person who had transformed his life. In the dream, the RAINBOW FEATHER appears above Eris, seemingly choosing her until Josh reaches for it, crumbling in his hands.

Seeing the vessel of his precious Beast crumble to ash, he becomes powerless. The invigorating electricity in his body is replaced with a paralyzing chill that makes it impossible for him to move. The only muscles he can use are the ones powering his voice. He appeals to Eris with genuine regret and a plea for forgiveness from the bottom of his heart. He desperately wants to make amends with Eris and be friends.

Eris Halla stonewalls him, Josh feeling the very same helplessness she did when King Zing pinged her down. He accepts that if Eris wants his blood, he had no regrets. Expecting to be murdered, he recites the Great One's Prayer. With his life in her hands, Eris asks him what truly matters. Josh admits that he once wanted to be Raikou's Avatar above all else. Now, what matters are his family, his city, and his region, and keeping them all safe against the DRK Triad. It is in this moment that he renounces his desire for Avatarship with Raikou.

Eris also brings attention to the corruption and lack of accountability within the League, which Josh agrees with. As a Gym Leader, Josh was harshly punished for his misdeeds. Matias committed far worse crimes and many of his were swept completely under the rug. It took the perceived murder of the Top Champion for Matias to be placed under house arrest: a slap on the wrist by comparison to what the Mauville Leader was punished with.

In his last words before the chilling paralysis takes even his voice from him, he asks Eris what he can do to make amends with her. Eris provides Josh with an equally chilling answer:

Nothing.

There is nothing Josh can do to make amends with Eris. But if he wants to try, he can start by protecting those within Rocket who wish to leave.[break]

why is it important?: This thread is the culmination of a number of threads with characters such as MATIAS SILPH , Laurence Anderson , and Melody Miro . Long ago, Josh felt that Avatarship was the only way to bond with the Beast of his dreams. In his last moments, kyle lopez and Ho-oh blessed Josh with the companionship of a Beast he could not bond with. The entire Corrupted Red Shard arc, as well as The Sulkfest and The Signer and the Composed, have instilled into Josh's mind that Avatarship can be a one-way relationship, where the Avatar is at the Patron's mercy.

Josh's stance on Avatarship has changed. Despite pressure from Melody Miro in the thread Forte, he no longer has a desire to be one and join AQUA. Why?

Because he is afraid his Raikou will change.

Josh now realizes how much his mind had been poisoned by the corrupted MATIAS SILPH . So poisoned by propaganda that he failed to realize he had an understanding of how Rocket works. This will draw him to the Amnesty program, working with those who wish to escape Rocket, thanks to his new perspective from Eris.

Two major changes have occurred in Josh's character as a result of this thread:

1) Josh's unwavering, unconditional faith in the League is starting to crack. He is slowly being exposed to the corruption within the League's upper echelons. This has been accelerated by the war bulletins revealed to be similar to the ones posted in Kanto Rocket long ago. A PR stunt to weed out the weak and expose those who remained truly faithful to the League. Such a stunt has only instilled how out of touch the League truly is with the people they govern.

2) Josh no longer desires an Avatarship with Raikou. Fearing how some Patrons have dominated their Avatars, such as MATIAS SILPH , Laurence Anderson , Cillian Quinn , and Elisabeth Fiorelli, he has come to realize the Raikou's nature is reflected deep within his own subconscious. Swift the Raikou is a Raikou exactly as Josh's subconscious desires it to be: a candidate for fastest land Pokémon in the world, but just as friendly and loyal as any of his other "ordinary" Pokémon. As his character stands now, he would turn down the blessing of a Patron if offered one. He loves his Raikou as it is. His love of Raikou has nothing to do with its legendary status.

For entering into a contract with a Patron runs the risk of said Patron treating their Avatar like a slave rather than an equal. A risk that Josh is too afraid will manifest into reality were he to pen his name on that metaphorical piece of paper.

TFW PRELUDE: PETALBURG SCENARIO B-10

Shalin Nariya 's curry entry

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thread summary: Shortly after transferring to Petalburg City, Shalin is responsible for defending it from a Rocket attack. She gets into a battle with Yamaguchi Himiko where she makes extensive use of her Sygna Suit. Perhaps a bit too much; while it is as much of a potent weapon as it is a source of thrill and amusement for her, she is not fully immune to the fierce vibrations her suit lets her withstand.

Though she inflicts serious harm upon Yamaguchi Himiko 's Pokémon, she wears herself out long enough for the Rocket's Salandit to steal her Beedrillite while the big bug is recovering from the storm of buzzing she put both Shalin and her foe through.

Recklessly drawing upon the Venusaur side of her suit as well, she uses her other Sygna Pokémon to go flying toward the Salandit at the speed of a whip strike. With Shalin in danger of collapsing from an overwhelming dose of Infinity Energy, her Type: Null takes action. Evolving into a Silvally, she unsuccessfully attempts to steal the Beedrillite back, but ultimately repels Yamaguchi Himiko and gives her a chance to breathe after giving the battle all she had.

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why is it important?: This is Shalin's first true test of mettle as Petalburg's Ranger Captain, defending her city much like a Gym Leader would. This thread also highlights Shalin's over-reliance on her Sygna Suit, as well as the nature of how hers operates. While Sygna Suits are designed to work with great amounts of Infinity Energy, Shalin's in particular is very spiky in its demands. The energy levels needed for Shalin to survive the extreme, otherwise lethal motion her Pokémon subject her to in battle still put her body under a great deal of stress if repeated too many times.

This thread also showcased the evolution of her Type: Null, a Pokémon who was created from the stem cells of eighteen of her other Pokémon. Those Pokémon, for the most part, had their lives permanently altered or even taken away from them in the creation process. Those Pokémon live on through her. After fourteen months of being trained to be a normal Pokémon instead of a weapon of war, their bond becomes strong enough for Lathiel to cast off her retainer and reveal her true form.

PRESSURE FROM DEPTHLESS MALICE

Cillian Quinn's curry entry

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thread summary: Interrupting Rocket's raid on a warehouse, Elaine finds they've almost cleared the place entirely, and not without casualty. When he spots her spying on him, Cillian offers a chance at mercy, but Elaine chooses to stand her ground and fight. Though she manages to down a couple of his Pokémon and even injure Cillian himself, he gains the upper hand and tries to kill her, stopped only by her Pokémon teleporting her away from the fight.[break]

why is it important?: It marks the start of a potential rivalry. Cillian didn't know who Elaine Highland was before this, but by standing up to him and escaping his attempt on her life, she's assured he'll never forget. It was also a very fun thread to write, and Kohaku is a great, collaborative thread partner!

ULTRA PLANT: JAH

june sleigh 's curry entry

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thread summary: June and Annalise find themselves wandering about in the Power Plant. June has doubts about her ability to actually capture the thing while Annalise reassures her that if anyone can, it's the delivery girl. Meanwhile, Howard is busy fighting Regieleki with its kin, and a wayward Hyper Beam nearly vaporizes the former duo.

This leads into charge into an all out brawl between the two groups beneath the conditions of a Trick Room. What June didn't take into account is that Regice is much faster than everyone under those conditions and threatens to drown them in snow. Annalise covers and helps Annalise by taking some of the pressure off while she gets onto the ground and gets chased by Howard. Thanks from the help of a Zap Cannon by Xurkitree and an ancient Hisuian ball, June manages to get the throw off before Howard can stop her.

She catches the Regieleki. But soon realizes that it was not the answer to her problems, the entire reason she was there. Then, a lightning storm incapacitates Regice and its owner, who soon finds himself face-to-face with the friend he threatened so long ago. If she keeps Regieleki, then Eternatus is now her foe and she will die.

After some back and forth dialogue, June realizes that killing him will not make her happy either. This gives Howard enough time to teleport away before Annalise can finish the job. The delivery girl asks the ranger what will make the pain go away, and Annalise responds the only way possible: with the truth. The thread ends with June breaking down and coming to vague terms of what this all actually meant. Her dad was dead and no silly fulfilled promises would bring him back to life.


why is it important?: Some would say Ouroborus is more important for June for... a few reasons. Avatarship, it plays off the threads with Naomi Sato and can lead to plots wit howard slayte over Eternatus. Gets her more involved with League affairs/Rocket 'transition'. But to me, I think there are only a couple of reasons why this one is more important.

But... importantly so (note to self: make this sound better). First off, it plays off the last communal curry and shows that the start of a pot did indeed go somewhere. June started off with a rocky relationship with Annalise, but managed to become good friends with the ranger due to the events in the power plant, as well as other threads off to the side. It feels natural and right that this thread is the one I pick for the next communal curry. Ouroborus was important, yes, but this one feels more important.

And that's the other main reason: the completion of the plot gives way to Ouroborus. It was the completion of one journey, one of realization and that grief is a very real and necessary process. While June does not get over her problem, nowhere close-- it is a very crucial step for it. The first step is Denial, and this thread is ultimately her ability, chosen or forced upon her, to accept that fact. A very critical part of her being is gone. What now?

And it will lead into the 'what now'.

(Also I want to give the biggest shoutout to Space for coming along on this journey with me and willing to throw herself into six consecutive power plants. And her willingness to help me with a major core plot for my character, which will allow her to branch further than she ever could before it was completed)

((Sorry June is going to be stupid and throw it all away now))

PROJECT TOWER: GH

Grigori Sokolov 's curry entry

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thread summary: What starts off as a hopeful training exercise quickly turns to matters that always seem to creep up whenever Howard and Grigori are together: June Sleigh. For once, Howard is unable to do much but be towed around by Grigori and listen to him as he counters every possible idea that the man comes up with. Half out of experience, half out of worry. They make their way to the armory, and then into the repair shop to work on a weapon.

Along they way, they discuss june sleigh -- ever important yet ever problematic to their relationship. Now that she has Regieleki, what do they do? Howard proposes to keep information hidden, but that's not good enough for Grigori. Howard assures him that he can deal with his bosses, and the grunt disagrees. Ultimately, Grigori posses the idea that they are unable to contain June. Not from their current places in Rocket.

But ultimately, Grigori poses an idea that will cost their already strained relationship a little more of the glue that keeps it together. If he were to command him to recruit June should the need arise, then they would be able to both keep an eye on her and away from pertinent danger. Howard vehemently disagrees and poses that there must be a better way.

Before he walks of, Grigori reminds him that he has until the situation arises but also that the fault lie with one of them more than the other. [break]

why is it important?: To me, this thread holds importance for a few reasons. Its no secret that my characters are intertwined in such a way that both supports and nurtures one another plot wise. If an issue arises on one side, then it's likely that it'll happen on the other. This dynamic creates potential with both Rocket and League, and this is mere a continuation of such a relationship between them. Doubly so, since Howard is intimately involved with both parties.

But what makes it important is the shift from Grigori, June's supposes guardian. Not only does he no longer believe that Howard can handle the issue at hand, he feels the need to try and recruit her into the organization he grows to loathe by the day. In my mind, this is the slow cultivation of the idea that Grigori no longer loves or respects the Rocket he once knew and supported. Further supported near the end, when he suggests they only have to wait until her problems are solved.

The aftermath is left in the air, but its implied that she leave Rocket and never return-- just how her father ultimately ended up dead by the hands of Grigori. Once such a tabboo thought, now not only realized but vaguely supported by the man. It goes against all he believes, but June's safety and the promise to her father now start to become more important than anything else.

Even if it means getting her involved with terrorists. Even if it ruins her relationship with one of her best friends.

WILT

BARNABY FINCH's curry entry

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thread summary: Post-Prismatic Penitentiary, BARNABY FINCH is faced with a choice. Having learned of Elisabeth Fiorelli's betrayal from Zev Harcourt during their stint in the poisoned prison, he is forced to revaluate his relationship with the underboss.

Does he confront her? Or let this slight pass?

A man of many masks, Barnaby relies in part on his anonymity to operate within ROCKET and to interface with the LEAGUE. When his identity as 'Admin Bee', including a general physical description, is relayed to MATIAS SILPH by Elisabeth Fiorelli, he knows that his grip on her isn't as tight as he'd once thought. Recognizing that her loyalty to him is in question, he decides to play the long game.

Their encounter ends with the dissolution of their relationship. In the end, Elisabeth finally admits aloud that she loves him, but he lets her go nonetheless — for now.

why is it important?: This thread marks a turning point for them as Hoenn heads for its War Arc. What better way to lean into Ruination than 'ruining' a longstanding relationship?

Except it's not ruined, at least in BARNABY FINCH's estimation. He knows Elisabeth Fiorelli. Her anxiety, her desperation, her yearning for validation and acceptance. She wants him, needs him. But she's crossed a boundary with MATIAS SILPH that can't go without consequences. It's a tactical gambit on his part — pushing her to the periphery — but one he's confident will pay dividends.

In the meantime, he focuses on THEO BECKETT next.

All my love to Scarlet MWAH ♡ Here's to another fun chapter ahead!

OUROBOROUS

shred's curry entry

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thread summary: Cycles, cycling. On and on. Forever and forever.[break]

On the eve of war, atop the draconic leylines, a chance encounter changes two lives forever.[break]

Shred and june sleigh are not strangers. Once, they were allies of circumstance, brought together to the Sky Pillar to work a delivery on behalf of howard slayte. Then, they were enemies, clashing against one another in the depths of Great Chasm. Now, for a third time, they meet again. Upon the shores of Mossdeep, they fight again. And, as truest war comes to Hoenn, bonds are broken and remade.[break]

But while one feels themselves sink further into the mire of their life, another ascends to the pinnacle. From the ashes, a bright light burns beyond this universe and into a million others. Here and now, the world bears witness to the apotheosis of an anomaly.[break]

The birth of a New God.[break]

why is it important?: OMG Shred is now the Koraidon avatar and is going to kiss June Sleigh and Howard Slayte and Lulu Flint and Annalise Henderson and Terapagos and--[break]

It's like the culmination of a seven month long Burnt Shred arc and the prelude to an extremely drastic change in his demeanour, you will not get a tl;dr, shrimply read it :ratgun:

GARDEN OF AVALON

character's curry entry

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thread summary: During a battle between Navy and howard slayte in Eternatus's core, Zacian intervenes. The Hero of Many Battles's appearance, along with Navy and Howard's emotional states, cause the tera crystals in the chamber to go haywire. Navy and Howard awaken in another world and realize they are in the Galarian dream shared by many outside the Ancient Tomb. They journey out of the slumbering weald, encounter an armored swordswoman named Zaria, and learn that the land has once more fallen under Eternatus's spell in the absence of heroes. Recognizing there is only one way home, Navy and Howard gather their companions and set out on a grand quest through Galar.[break]

why is it important?: I try and make every thread I do for Navy matter in the grand scope of his story or give some revelation about his character. Ergo, the first full raid I completed, Goodbye Galar, had an incredible impact on Navy as a character. I think his heart is a fatal flaw as much as it is his greatest strength, and he has long been forced to bear the weight of memory in a world that has moved on. Getting to explore Galar again and give him closure on the Galarian chapter of his life was a lot of good fun.[break]
I also used facsimiles of other characters on the forum (PENELOPE LIVY, jayden cross, and Elisabeth Fiorelli) to explore different aspects of Navy's psyche. Within the dream, they are not so much the people they are in the real world as they are aspects of Navy's repressed envy, grudges, and hatred. Zacian bonding with Navy marks him as a hero and a warrior, but I hold the philosophy that a hero is made and very rarely consider themselves a hero. I used this thread to show that he is a flawed man who, through an unnaturally long life in a dream world, has had time to understand his own flaws, accept them, and strive to be better. Though he fails and his heart makes him blunder, the attempt is always there.[break]
His relationship with Zaria and Howard made the thread for me though. They're all mirrors and foils for one another. Zaria and Navy are remarkably similar people who both made the choice to take up the sword. They were both hotheads tempered by time. Both of them lose a bit of who they are in the way people around them perceive their actions as their legends grow. Howard and Navy are two people not quite happy with their sides, but both have pledged to see the fight through until the credits are over and the lights come on.[break]
Very simple no-nonsense 60k word thread.

HAGAKURE

Hitoshi's curry entry

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thread summary: Hitoshi and Yumi Hasegawa have a conversation where both sense their relationship is shifting. There's growing pains, but ultimately affirmation that they very much still care about one another and will stick it out through thick and thin together.[break]

why is it important?: I love Hitoshi and Yumi's dynamic. Proto-Hitoshi (when he was first made during PD) felt like a much different character. It wasn't until right after, when Gunsmile and I wrote the initial Hitoshi/Yumi threads, that the character really clicked. They're two characters that were both trapped in roles others decided for them, and through Hoenn they have both found liberation and the people they want to be. Though those people are certainly very similar to the people they were before, both are empowered by them actively making the decision to be those people.[break]
In this thread, we see the tension that's been building from Hitoshi gaining independence. He hasn't been around Yumi as much. Both the dialogue and the inner world (particularly Yumi's) really show there's a gulf there, which is quickly addressed. Hitoshi speaks about friendship, and love, and gods, and Yumi tries to reassure him. Hitoshi questioning that attempt is pivotal to his growth as a character, and something he would never think to do before. It's another step on this dog's path to humanity.[break]
I always stan platonic knightly/samurai devotion too, and this has that in spades.

CARDIAC ARRESTED

character's curry entry

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thread summary: chu-e is dressed in nurse themed lingerie, kisses howard, forces howard to take his medicine, and then they have a heart to heart about the meaning of life, death, rocket, and being empty shells (not necessarily in that order)[break]

why is it important?: i get to lord it over mag's head that choward kissed ic

i'm very slow on chu-e rn but i like howard and chu-e's complicated relationship. this thread is a callback to their first thread, where chu-e tried to get howard to kill him except in an inverse. when offered the chance to spill more blood on his hands, chu-e passes and joins one of the cavalcade people trying to convince howard that his life is worth living.

get fucked mag howard slayte

celebrating freedom

Cassandra Kubrick's curry entry

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thread summary: cass visits Ettie in her home in the meteor falls! they share some cake that cass promised during the end of the prismatic penitentiary event, and just have a nice time unwinding from all the shit that happened during that kidnapping.[break]

why is it important?: cass made an unexpected friend during the pp event, which is highlighted with this thread once more! she follows up on the promise of cake that she made after the loyal three were defeated, also bringing in some more of her pokémon that i haven't gotten to hightlight too much yet. she has a good time relaxing with ettie and seeing her lifestyle since it's hugely different from her own. they're unlikely friends but work really well together i think! in addition, we also touch upon the fresh wounds of the kidnapping in subtle ways, though they both still need more time to maybe see if those mental injuries can fully heal.

it's a first step towards friendos!

TFW PRELUDE: SOOTOPOLIS SCENARIO B-3

Rhea Armistead's curry entry

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thread summary: On a nearby island, Rhea Armistead and Gym Leader Josh Devlin engage in battle. However, the "Master of Faster" is weakened. Still recovering from the experiences of Prismatic Penitentiary, the man refuses to stay behind. Out of his own volition, he contests a fierce, new face who's arrogance is no facade.

As the battle wages on, this ancient island of the Draconids begins to crumble apart...

why is it important?: Okay so I know this is only like the third thread I've done on this character, but holy shit this was just an absolute blast to write lol

But, on a more relevant note, this was such a perfect chance to explore Rhea's perspective on the battlefield, and to really nail down her worldview as someone whose livelihood is specifically entrenched in bloodshed. Her love of legends and the grandeur of myth serves as the perfect means to facilitate the most violent of her impulses, and without this warped but kind of romantic worldview, I don't think she'd actually be able to stomach the work that being a mercenary entails, especially when it involves assaulting a target as unambiguously(?) good as Josh Devlin . After all, brawling or battling someone is one thing, but to tread into the realm of straight-up murder requires a little more than just the love of a good fight.

A huge thanks to RaikouRider for being an excellent thread partner and for facilitating a thread where I got to write a real goddamn villain, and to Shiv for providing some absolutely delicious prompts to work with. Stay tuned for more women's wrongs, coming to a thread near you!

STATE OF THE REGION 2024

Eduardo Hisakawa 's curry entry

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thread summary: In early June, a League press conference goes up in flames as terrorists siege the venue, much to the shock and horror of those invited to attend.[break]

why is it important?: Alright, so maybe this is kind of a weird pick for Eddie, since this is a larger member event rather than a one-on-one thread with a more narrow scope and focus, but hear me out!

Since Eddie has joined with the League's armed forces and has generally become more involved in major site conflicts and events, he's had this sort of cavalier attitude when confronting danger. He's a little "shonen anime protagonist"-coded, in that he leans toward this unwavering and uncomplicated sense of justice, easily motivated by the desire to protect others without any thought or consideration for his own safety. A lot of the challenges he's faced have also had pretty distinct "good guys" and "bad guys" (Prismatic Pen, Hyperborea, Hyperborea II his current prelude thread, ect ect), and more often then not, "good" has managed to more or less prevail with either minimal collateral damage, or with collateral damage that Eddie might not have to physically witness on a particularly personal level.

But this? This event really shakes things up for Eddie, and he's gotten to see some of the real human cost of conflict and violence. This was an excellent chance to have Eddie experience something genuinely horrific, simply due to the smaller scale and purely human threat posed by the 'terrorist' attack.

Also, the plotting potential in the aftermath of this event is kind of insane?? Like, who the fuck is the Eddie impersonator? How will Eddie react to the "crowd of support from those saved" when he feels like a failure to those who perished during the assault? And just what exactly does PENELOPE LIVY have in store for him in the future? 👀

The biggest of thanks to Captain for inviting me to participate in the event and for running the show, and for the banger mod posts for each round. I look forward to see how some of these plot points shake out!