Quote:Emrakul and Usagi are both thieving magpies, just in different ways. Emrakul is a corruptive force that spreads through bodies and minds and twists them both until they're more like her. She's Colorless, a force that's so alien that it can honestly take control of others without realizing it, because she's not wholly certain that anyone else is real*. In terms of mechanics, this is perhaps best exemplified by her cards; she takes extra turns or she takes control of your turns; when she takes possession of things, it's a madness, a terror, and a loss of control.

Usagi's the opposite. She's a purifying, empowering force that makes people more of what they are--that turns them from base matter to persistent magical effects, until there's magic in every motion and deed. Where Emrakul's taken are a part of her in every way that matters, Usagi's are a part of her the way things you love are a part of you; separate in many senses, except several very important ones. She's not Colorless, she's every color. She's Red when she's freedom, passion, and love, and her Red spells, such as they are, aren't really about her temporarily taking control of someone, but rather giving someone the power or inspiration to temporarily resist the control they're already under. She's Blue when she's the clarity of mind and vision and dream, when she frees someone and saves them and gives them those things back in a permanent way. She's Black and White and Green when she stands before those who are lost and gone beyond saving, and saves them anyway, because it's what she wants, because it's right, because she gives them life. She knows everyone and they know her, and that's why they follow her. When she takes control of something, it's as a restoration, a realization, a second chance, and a return.

When they fought one another, it was a battle to see who could take--and keep--control of everything around them, up to an including themselves when Emrakul finally broke through and attacked in person. Usagi won that particular battle with time/mind shenanigans** and won the war by having lots of loyal subordinates that she protected from Emrakul's touch and who also weren't crazy. They shielded her in turn until she found what she needed to stop Emrakul for real.

*With the exception of Usagi, which is why she's so focused on her.

**My mental image of exact how that would or could have gone down in game terms is a bit amusing, at least to me. The idea is that Emrakul broke through and was all ready to take control of Usagi's mind and utterly demolish her on her next turn by doing everything wrong--and Usagi promptly going 'Taking turns is for pussies anyway'*** and casting Meditation and whatever she hadn't already cast from Awakening/Intruder Alarm, Leyline of Anticipation, and Burst of Speed, and just relying on that, Cryptolith Rite, and Tamiyo's emblem to play the rest of the game in Emrakul's turns with repeated Meditations. And just generally being a bitch with 'Until your next turn' effects like Chronomantic Escape, Comply, Conjurer's Ban, and Inaction Injunction until Emrakul was left frustratedly waiting for Usagi to just take her turn and die already and she just refused to.

***Which is kind of the equivalent of replying to someone saying "I'll control your thoughts." by saying "Then I'll just stop thinking!" And it working.

(02-23-2018, 04:17 PM)Shepherd Wrote: I believe Ryuugi indicated in another post that Black is selfishness (among other things), and that Usagi is technically being selfish when she warps the universe to protect her friends and bring about a happy ending NO MATTER WHAT.