madimpossibledreamer

( started running in the middle of the night )

*I literally just rearranged the letters of rage to get gear, because I. just. do. not. get. how. Gyro’s. ‘jokes’. work.
Given how many times I keep misspelling Gyro’s name, though, I’m guessing he probably uses Gry SMT spells.
Remember that thing about how I genderbend all the characters with PTSD?  ...Yeah, I have no idea what I'm doing at this point.
~Dreamer~

v  A Different Kind of Truth (Source: Fanfic.net)

Ø  https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9996283/1/A-Different-Kind-of-Truth

Ø  Persona 4/Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run

Ø  Warnings: Ongoing (& thus necessarily unfinished as of this rec)

Ø  Prereqs: Reading Steel Ball Run first is recommended (& bato.to is back, so there’s that…)

Wow. 

There are five different authors that have gotten me to just set aside everything I was doing for a day and a half to read, and as of today The Infamous Man gets to join that list.  This fic has it all.  Fights are a little more Jojo’s style, and it’s neat to have a different twist on the battles that occur.  This author has it all down, from Jojo’s excitable narrator to the social links.  There’s side characters you didn’t expect to show up (because, of course, the original social links don’t necessarily work with the protagonist chosen), Aika is as much of a Jojo’s character as she ever was, and it’s such an honest take on some of the problems of the original P4.  Guess you could say…this fic is Persona 4’s Shadow?  Nyohoho~.

It’s interesting and realistic.  Fights are portrayed as a lot more dangerous than in the game (because, well, if you fail, it’s just a game, and not even a roguelike…it’s not like it deletes your save file).  Everyone’s shown still battling their Shadow’s issues, both in and outside of their Social Links, and yes, you actually get to see them operating outside the orbit of the main character, which is just awesome.

This time around, it’s Johnny Joestar, former racing prodigy, who’s your main character.  I started reading the fic briefly at the time I started Steel Ball Run, and bookmarked it for later because at first, Johnny’s such a pain in the butt as a main character—he’s rude, sarcastic, he doesn’t have much interest in anything.  While reading SBR isn’t necessarily required, it is recommended, because you’ve got such a deeper look at Johnny’s character rather than just a surface impression once you’ve read the manga.  (And you’ll catch more of the references.)

What I find truly fascinating is that having your protag like Johnny isn’t actually all that unlikely given some of the conversation options (“Be an ass and leave” during Strength’s social link comes to mind, for instance), and even more so given some of the characterizations of Yu/Souji (Thawing a Frozen Heart from AO3 or my own in Innocent Sin Online…kinda), and yet, that actually does help form bonds (albeit different ones than canon).

The idea for this one is actually super old (it's saved under aurelius giles).  It mostly stems from the idea that Giles would make terrifying vampire lord, and how he would violate all his morals (like ‘don’t have sex with the girl who is basically my daughter’—if it’s your ship, that’s fine, it just wigs me out because above reason/how I interpret the ‘text’ so I don’t think it’d happen in most worlds).  I also feel human Spike would be very Watcher material (a vamped Watcher would also be interesting, huh?) and Ethan’s the other Watcher (taking Wesley’s place).  I have no idea where Willow is at this point, but Jenny makes a better counterpoint to Darla than she does.  (Incidentally, it means that both the two eldest of the Scourge have magic, which is Really Bad News.)  Giles is, unfortunately, more in control, aware of prophecies and all that, so he killed the Master and took his place as leader of the Aurelius clan.  (He probably was a Watcher way back when, or at least from a Watcher family, which terrifyingly enough gives him more knowledge with which to tear apart the Watcher’s Council from the inside.)
~Dreamer~

( love's bitca )

He’s Dead, Jim (Death/injury count): red shirt threatened with knife. Orion neck pinched.

KIRK IS READING and needs glasses.

We are supposed to save life if possible.

“that was strange” yes, good.

I can’t wait for the Mudd episode.  Assuming they have one.

Good advice.

“Weaponry often complicates negotiations.” –Spock

“Why does anyone have to be a slave to anyone?” –Bones

“I’m sorry if I hurt anyone” uh actually you killed some people. And yes, they were bad people, and didn’t, perhaps, deserve life, but you don’t go ‘oops, my bad’, you go with self-defense and run with it.

Freedom is huge for Kirk.  Also why the blank are you kneeling??

Does this crew ship spock and kirk?  Because that’s a decidedly jealous look from spock there.

Thank goodness for Vulcans.

WOMEN IN IMPORTANT THINGS!  (I don’t recognize the braiding offhand, but that might be an admiral??)

Okay, here’s a point where the Federation’s cultural relativism runs into issues.  “We have to respect other cultures, even when they have slaves that they rape and murder” I’ll also point out, here, that Tellarites are, I’m 90% certain, a Federation race.  They can’t even punish them for engaging in slavery?  (Of course, I’m also pretty sure Lolani is up to no good.  She’s like the terrifying part of ultra-feminists or whatever the term is.  The ones who’ve been under the heel so long they think all men deserve to be discriminated against, if not tortured and/or killed.  It’s still a criticism of the system—without it as it currently stands, it would never have hurt people to the point they, too, become monsters.  Like the Faunis and the White Fang.)

All right, then prove it.

I’m going to guess the random Blue Shirt on bridge, given that he isn’t Spock, is Bones, because if there’s one person who’s there when he’s not supposed to be, it’s Bones.

“Usually, everyone is working”  Yes, good, thank you :)

I’m going to guess this is why there was something about hormone suppressors for Gaila.

(Cambion!Jim’s similar, but he can turn it on or off.)

Oh, come on, you’re charmed too.

Oh, hey, this is a point where Kirk isn’t telling the others “this is work, flirt on your own time” but maybe that’s because they’re not in the middle of a crisis rn?

Have you met Kirk?  He’ll figure out some brilliant scheme to make it work, even if—

….

Uhh.

Is he going to buy her and free her?  Cambion!Jim feels that’s a perfectly logical strategy, right Spock?

“You’re new to this ship, so I’ll excuse you for not understanding that when I say I’ll do everything I can, I’ll do everything I can.” –Kirk (uh, yeah, what I said above about the ‘brilliant scheme’.)

Prreeeety much.  It’s a prereq for working aboard this ship.  We all do it.

…not just males and females, darlin’.

Flirting, occasionally, but it’s also not a 100% thing.

She is a smart female, so she’s his type, but she’s also not blond.

It’s also not 100%.  What you wear is what you wear.  If you like wearing that, keep doing it.  Personally, I think Starfleet uniforms are cool, but.

Kirk, keep your cool.  You have more self-control than anybody aside from Spock.  Use it.

(that book looks old.  Cool.)

(also what is he referring to?  War and Peace?  I haven’t actually read it, so…honestly, if that’s not true, it sounds more like the fall of Rome, but I don’t know any specific books that deal with the subject…)

In your nature?  No.  You were taught, presumably part of your ‘make you a good slave’ program.

Smiles with intent.  Man, your Kirk is growing on me.

“that story isn’t consistent with the facts” here we go with the ace attorney again.  Bet you figured that out from Lieutenant Shaw.  Also, I have to dig out the Ace Attorney music again.  (confess the truth, maybe?)

If we can prove, you know, important things…I don’t know what the threshold is, but if we can prove them, maybe, maybe we can get you off free.  Like this?  Nuh-uh.  Phoenix Wright couldn’t do it.  Mr. Cogley couldn’t do it.

He’s clenching his fists so hard.

This has shades of…whatever that one with the…Elaan of Troiylus, that’s the one.  I might’ve misspelled it.

You really should trust Kirk.  Then again, you might not be able to trust any men, so.

RIP Kenway.

That is a ridiculously good version of the Galileo.

“I’ll deal with you in a minute.”  Yes, you were under alien influence, but also, no.  Bad Red Shirt.

Female red shirt!  She looks interesting.

NONE OF THIS IS HELPING MY JOB BE ANY EASIER.  If I can show she was innocent in those deaths, if I can show she didn’t try to seduce me, if I can show she didn’t seduce one of my crewmen and try to get off the ship, I might have a better chance at all of this.

Inoculations are probably used when you can’t count on the Orion female to cooperate with suppressors (and not seduce the medic trying to give the shot out of giving one).

…

Headcanon: Dr. McKennah is having an affair with her behind the scenes of this one.

Spock hanging out behind Kirk as a support.

…you don’t know that I read this stuff in my spare time, what laughably little there is of it, and know that, do you?

MIND MELD

The ‘more emotions with a mind meld’ thing was played perfectly.  Before that, you’d been an adequate Spock.  Then again, perhaps it simply needed some time for you to get into the role.

Not likely.

….okay.  there is a plan.  Kirk just came up with a plan.

Bones’ face.

…your voice sounds like Andre the Giant.

HE’S BOUNCING.  ALERT THE…UH.  PRESSES?  I DON’T KNOW.

Getting the mannerisms down is a good start.

There’s a red shirt who knows her duty.  I like her.  She’s cool.  She better show up again.

GUYS.  THERE IS A PLAN.  Her, I can understand, but TRUST YOUR CAPTAIN YOU NINCOMPOOP. (is that spelled correctly?  Blah.)

Nope. He’s not.  Not if he can help it, and he’s pulled off longer odds before.

Accurate, but he’s not doing nothing.

Red shirt lady outside.  Why aren’t you doing anything about the obvious non-messagy stuff going on?

Matthew Kenway, what even is.

Scotty says as he’s drinking Scotch.

McKennah just “I need more alcohol for this”.

Everyone’s expressions.

Bones just stares at Kirk going “really?”

Is that really your big gambit?  (not that it’s not…I don’t know, I’ll wait and see.)

Slaps table.  Also yes, good kirk-like speech.

Cambion!Jim has an idea!  Come on, really?  No?

Kirk fighting style, yes, good.  Perfect.

From our point of view, right now, you’re all animals.

“Civilized people do not treat people as property” accurate  (and not only true of slavery…some people like to treat their wives or girlfriends as just property, too)

You…got to it.  A bit late, though.

What about over an entire slave system?  Because it’s never about just one slave.

Those are tears.

Uhura, why of all people are you upset by this?

…She blew them up rather than go back.

Note that most of his crew would follow him even against Starfleet.

Oh, it was the roman empire.  With their slaves, right.

Kirk, sending Kenway off to do great things.

Wait did that really just say someone’s last name was vroom.?  LOLANI’S ACTOR’S LAST NAME IS VROOM.  THAT IS AMAZING. 

Pleasebegoodpleasebegoodpleasebegood

At least the soundtrack stays awesome

He’s actually trying to be a diplomat!!!

(okay, less than successfully…seriously, competent!jim is awesome)

Also that alien race?  Completely believable, how much time did they spend on cgi/makeup???

You had no idea of the size because of perspective awesome

“Jim, you look like crap” “Is that your professional medical opinion, Doctor?”

I JUST SAID THEY NEEDED A CAPTAIN’S LOG AND THERE YOU GO

Three years?

That would be a personal log

COOOOFFEEE

Scotty drinks tea in little dainty teacups!!!

Shore leave!  Shore leave!

Is that another orion??

Episodic?  Is that a wink?

That’s no reason not to try.

THAT WARP THOUGH THAT IS BEAUTIFUL

Which is why I have it

Awwww this there is more character study

AND WINONA EXISTS

And bones is existing in a more important—seriously, the small character moments mean so muchhhh

Labeling you as Mr Sensitive from now on, Bones.

Ohh man that is beautiful.

And, importantly, not San Francisco.

Transportation booth, more aliens…that’s the future.

Please keep it in other words.

There’s Bones being a jerk.

Aaawww sulu and his kid and kirk just smiles proudly like “one of my crew members is happy yay” it’s a little sad but it’s mostly in the eyes not the smile.

Aaaawww nimoy ☹

This already feels like it’s treating the subject matter with the respect it deserved.

(I should go to sleep)

IS THAT MATT PARKMAN

That’s an alien in distress

Is that a fellow captain that’s an older female and Kirk just nods at her respectfully

And he’s just using tech offhandedly like the genius we know he is

(he wouldn’t want to leave generally though)

There’s still a little awkwardness but they’re dealing with each other better

And more female crewmembers?

IS IT THAT ‘NO SUCH THING AS THE UNKNOWN QUOTE’ now I need to know if it’s exactly the same

Also more shirt rippage, bit belated, but.

Awwwww Chekov you small thing that needs to be protected.

Bigger doesn’t mean better (nacelles—power)

This is tense tense is important it’s so much cooler

(the firing before you’re supposed to is a kirk thing)

So evasives.  Hide behind a moon, something.

(small unremarked on moments are important they show us this is just normal)

Bones to go help heal.

Scotty, managing the impossible since forever.

Why though

And bones is getting more screentime

Keenser is more than just the comic relief

(is star trek still on the ‘even is good’ thing???)

Oh man tech is beautiful

I’m surprised he didn’t argue

I get strangled soooo much you have no idea (realistic portrayal?)

Why is the enterprise always getting destroyed?

Not quite

Chekov trying not to cry

He knows his crewmembers by name and isn’t just like ‘random female crewman’ where were you Kirk?

And fighting by thinking

*laughs* Scotty remote-controlling a ship.

UHURA GETTING TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING AND BE AWESOME

And her uniform now shows rank!!!

And she just looks ticked off.

Indian lady 😊

I love how they didn’t immediately accuse her or try to interrogate her or anything it’s just ‘we’ve got bigger priorities rn’

And they acted to protect her despite the fact that she was probably involved because life is important

shut uP SHE IS A BEAUTIFUL LADY AND WE LOVE HER

I’d say that would be out of character.

But his ship was just destroyed, some of his crew members were killed and a lot captured, of course he would react like that

Also the thing that gets him to lower his weapon is the lady saying she was protecting her crew and the realization “she could be me” beautiful

Okay I should really go to sleep now

Also baby Chekov :(

That’s pretty and alien

There’s a lot of people being herded in places therES A FEMALE WEARING PANTS YESSSSS I would never wear a dress or skirt.  Just saying. Or a kilt.  (I have a feeling even genderbent I'd feel too exposed to skirt I mean I hate wearing shorts)

(I like the alien subtitles too)

Nyota being awesome and just kind of ticked off that she was taken captive.

BOOOONES bones be medic and get more screentime pls

That’s why I’m gonna be awesome and save your hide.

Good point on that, although I feel it has relevance to racism/xenophobia as well

BEING AWESOME

Goodbye communicator

Muda?  As in, useless?

HTAT IS COOOL

Scotty attempting to be angry too

She is awesome.  (too bad carol couldn’t be) that’s what, three female characters that have been more awesome than anything we’ve seen thus far, plus awesome normal character moments

The look of heartbreak on kirk’s face seeing the Enterprise down.

Spock’s just like *glance* do you really think everything’s going to kill us doctor?

Spock’s also more Vulcan than previously

USS Franklin.  I…don’t know the history of that ship sadly

The way those guys move is very…I don’t know.  I want to say Dead Space but I don’t think that’s right.

Then again my heart’s breaking right now.

He’s a genius, you know

Ooh, Keenser even being awesome

Magellan probe?  …that sounds…that sounds like I should know it.

DOOOOOM? Mebbe?  IDK

The crew is all geniuses.

Maybe you shouldn’t have trusted her.

Ohhhhhh! See, outsmarting her.  That’s how you do it, Kirk.

That’s creepy.  And almost always a bad idea.  Like, whenever they say that, it’s not good.

He knows every bit of this ship like the back of his hand.

Now, that?  that he wouldn’t have messed up.  Mr. I could probably put back together every single console on my ship

Interesting female villain(?) too? Niiice

Okayyy, dead female villain.  Still.  She was interesting.

And see, this?  Also looks alien.

WE’VE BEEN MISSING ALIENS IN THIS SCIENCE FICTION FRANCHISE SO LONG OMG

We’ve also got the captain who sacrificed his life to save his ship.  We know sacrifice.

SULU’S AWESOME

Strength in unity!! :)

Jerk is literally killing diversity.  That’s…that’s a thing.

They’re having an actual conversation and WE’VE BEEN MISSING CONVERSATIONS AS WELL

Please have an actual good ending I want to love this movie sooo much

And Spock knows he’s lying.

Usually by running into it but you know

…I.  I recognize that music actually.

That would be Kirk managing to have issues.  Probably.

Problem.  Fix with rock?

“handsome bastard”

Saving you, you know.

Just being professional this is amazing

(that

SORRY I HAD TO PAUSE TO FLAIL

SCOTTY IS GOING ON ABOUT THE HISTORY

AND KIRK GOES ‘I REMEMBER THAT FROM THE ACADEMY’ AND REMEMBERS THE DETAILS AND THE LOOK OF AWE ON HIS FACE AS HE LOOKS AROUND AND SEES HEY THIS IS HISTORY I AM STANDING IN HISTORY

I

ICANNOT

…uh, I entirely forgot what I was saying before, but that might be because I just had to restar t my brain

Ugh

I wish I’d known about this movie sooner (literally, I had no idea it even came out last year.  Dunno if I would’ve been interested after the mess that was Into Darkness, but seriously.)

Then again, maybe things (even online calc) happened for a reason

Because I went and saw Wrath of Khan and jumpstarted my interest in Star Trek and got wrapped up in TOS as opposed to being a casual fan

So I can just flail over this

(giant green space hand??? :D heheheh)

I guess you can have the Captain’s chair, yes

(how was the script more Star Trek before this?  How did it have to be less ‘trekked’?  I’m seriously curious about the answer)

Pats it like *already nostalgic, want to be Captain*

this is Kirk.  I want to hug him.  This is.

The movie is halfway over and already I cannot.

CLOAKING

Kirk just blinks, but seriously, he should be used to this by now.  Scotty’s the insane “I can push everything just a little farther” guy

Also can I say I like the new communicators

“Shut up we’re saving you” “Yes, Captain McCoy”

They’re friends.  They got to friends.

*starts laughing out loud at Spock getting transported out after*…you know, Bones, the universe hates you.  Presumably because you hate it back.

Great, I have to use ancient tech.

Better than the twentieth century.

Wait he’s watching Kirk’s captain’s logs.  I’m pretty sure the fragment of the first one is actually from the previous years, since it didn’t sound familiar.  I’d love to know what it said.

Nnoooo syl :( (I mean, interesting character, but nooo)

There’s an Indian lady, someone who looks almost like the Thing…maaan.

You’ll say that until our unity kicks your alien butt.

Speaking with eyebrow.

Transporters sometimes not working is pretty common.

Also the triumvirate

It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve accomplished the impossible.

And can I say how awesome it is that the bike skills are being used?  LIke, you give a character skills, and sometimes they show up on screen, and sometimes they’re used again, later, because you set it up.  That’s doing it right

Why are you picking on the females Kraal?

She’s good at reading intricacies of speech

Nooo

Why are you showing off to her?

Hey uhura.

This is actually really clever, not just action for action.

Also SNIPER man!

Uhura saves the day!

You know.  Obvious.

They look kinda similar to Klingons but I don’t know if that’s what they’re going for

No, we made a promise.  Crew.

That almost grin :)

Not taking off from ground, that’s a direct reference too.

SEATBELTS

Welcome to the crazy crew of the Enterprise

See, this is science fiction done right.  Explain things, follow up on things.

If anything we can make this all through sheer willpower ‘cause that’s how we roll

UHURA TRANSLATING SPOCK that is adorable

Also this is kirk you think he’s gonna risk someone else?

This is as ridiculous as whales and yet it is perfect.

Just.  Kirk’s hands as he grabs on to the arms of the chair

It’s classical by this point.

Whoops we messed up

That’s pretty

Yorktown is pretty

Whoops

See colonies are important too

The architecture of this place though

There’s that imagination.  Why Earth when you could beautiful colony?

Yo Starfleet

Well, you could always try water.

There’s a dead red shirt.

Uhura, don’t wander off.

Or do.

Language lady.

Ohhhboy

“We’re not a military agency” you understand this so well scotty

Never meet your heroes.  They all turn out to be freaking nutbags.

I keep forgetting Kirk’s in blue

How often do you get choked seriously

You say ‘can’t’ I say ‘you don’t have enough imagination’

Were you going to help or…last minute he changed his mind it looks like

Thanks scotty bones for the ride

STOP THANKING SPOCK IT’S NOT JUST SPOCK BONES HELPED TOO

Who—wait.

Wwww-waitwaitwaitwhat

SHE’S THE LADY FROM THE EXPANSE.  THE AMBASSADOR LADY THAT’S WHY I KNOW HER

This

I still can’t

I am going to hug all of you to pieces that is it

Hope is just as necessary for life as food.

And now you’re going to make me cry whyyyy you do this

Yeah, doesn’t it sound like fun? (snorts, two seconds early)

I LOVE YOUR SHIRT

KIRK KNOWS AND IS JUST GIVING HIM AN OUT

Of course

She is a beautiful lady and we love her so, so much

This is beautiful

I can’t

Oh they made it better o okay I  am crying I cannot handle that was beautiful let me just

Amazon list this now

And apologize for ever having doubted

Okay, letter to JJAbrams now.  You finally got to a 100% beautiful thing.

DO NOT MESS THIS UP NOW.

(continue to give everyone awesome parts.  Continue to have better writing.  Continue to focus on more than just spock.  for goodness sake give bones more to do.  Give us hope.  Give us Star Trek.

And make me cry.)