#—his majesty's compositions

[emperasnake]

forever

pairing: mikage reo x gn reader content: fluff to angst wc: 0.9k event: @https-true-egoist's 'love me not' valentines collab

You woke up to darkness. Various thoughts scrambled around in your head. They were in a rush, as if they'd woken up late, and they kept bumping into each other in the process.

When they finally came together, they reminded you of the delightful day you'd had yesterday.

You sprang up in excitement, then immediately laid back down, your giddiness and racing heart making you dizzy.

You shot Reo a quick good morning text, telling him you'd be opening his gifts soon.

Throughout your relationship, Reo had shown he was the type of partner to go all out. From buying you presents, cooking for you, helping you clean, and consoling you when you felt down; he'd been there for you in every way he could. He promised he would forever.

You didn't believe him at first. Nothing lasts forever. Maybe you'd be together for a long, long time, but forever? It was incomprehensible, like infinity. How could he promise you something that couldn't be understood?

But Reo turned it into something you could grasp. Like your favourite teacher would, he explained it at a pace suited for you, paying attention to your reactions and slowing down when he thought you needed some time to process.

'forever'

You started to see it as a beautiful concept. You even began to believe you and Reo would last that long, however long it may be.

It seemed everything he did only solidified that belief.

Yesterday, for Valentine's Day, Reo had snuck into your apartment to make you breakfast. He cooked up your favourite dish and served you with a dazzling smile, telling you to get ready for a day you'd never forget.

He drove you around town, calling it a drive down memory lane. You went from place to place, reminiscing and gathering memorabilia of previous dates. He'd put all the gifts in a woven basket and asked you to open it the next day.

Your favourite gift was the teddy bear. Reo had insisted it be the opposite of the one you two had made together—green instead of red, with a matching bow tie around its neck.

A warmth spread from your chest at the sight of the gift basket, covered in translucent pink plastic and decorated with hearts and ribbons. You grabbed it and sat down, plastic crinkling as you pulled it off, allowing a card to fall to the floor. A flap on its back piqued your interest.

"Goodbye," written in a beautiful calligraphic script.

Goodbye?

A nervous laugh slipped past your lips. What did he mean by 'goodbye'?

As you stared at the word, your confusion slowly melted into an uncomfortable panicky feeling.

You turned over the card, scanning over the "Happy Valentine's Day" on the cover and Reo's scrunched-up script inside. He'd tried to fit a lot within two pages, and it all seemed like compliments.

The goodbye must've been a joke, you convinced yourself.

You took a deep breath and started slowly reading from the beginning. Reo had written about his favourite memories with you, the habits you had that made him smile, the times you'd taken care of him when he hadn't been well and that he appreciated everything you did for him.

As you neared the end of the card, you let out a sigh of relief. Yeah, the goodbye must've been a joke.

Your mind half-soothed, you read through the rest. But as you came upon the last few lines, your heart dropped.

I'm sorry.

I loved you.

And on the back, hidden behind the flap you'd opened too early, goodbye.

How long? was the first question to pop into your head. How long had he been pretending? He loved you, past tense.

He'd loved you and he'd left you.

He'd left you with so many gifts to remind you of him. Did he realise how much that would hurt? Did he realise he was stabbing you in the back, then twisting the knife?

Your mind and your heart raced, jostling with each other, trying to figure out what you were feeling, trying to figure out some sort of logic to your situation.

You grabbed for your phone, wanting to text Reo, though you had no idea what you would say. With shaky hands, you typed out a message asking if you could talk.

Message not delivered

Your stomach churned.

Exiting your texts only made you feel worse.

Reo stared back at you from your home screen, wearing a sweater you'd gifted him. It looked great on him, but the word scrawled across the front dug claws into your heart.

'forever'

Where had those promises gone? What did Reo suddenly not like anymore? He was the one who'd made those promises. He was the one who'd worked so hard to have you believe him.

Tears rolled down your cheeks onto your phone screen. You had to fight the urge to throw the damn thing to the floor.

Reo's laugh mocked you, the word on his sweater making it all the more painful. They taunted you together, first from your screen and later that evening, when your tears had slowed.

A package arrived at your door. It contained everything you'd left at Reo's place, with the sweater placed on top.

'forever'

It meant nothing to you.

a/n: happy valentine's day!

[telleroftime]

Little Melody ||| Bowser x Reader

King Bowser struggles with a certain part of a composition when playing on his piano. You, his captive, chime in with a chord suggestion that ends up working.

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Pairing: Bowser x Gender Neutral ! Reader

Relationship: Platonic

Tone: Gen

Word Count: 2.8k

Bowser Masterlist

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Being held captive for ransom was certainly an experience, especially when the person kidnapping you was most definitely not penurious.

From the towering doors edged with polished silver - the surface of which was decorated with engravings depicting bones and beasts and fire - to the cascading walls of glowing lava that had to be suspended using tedious magic, the castle you were taken into was truly quite fascinating. The architecture was different from your home, making you feel like a helpless little mouse trapped in a giant's den instead of a spark of musical might that kept you alive. Everything was plus sized. The ceilings reached too high. The corridors were too long. But there was less fear behind the anxiety blooming in your chest and more so a sense of wonder. This place was different, inspiring almost.

And, if the outward appearance wasn't enough to settle that, the stark disparity between court ethics made the slight culture shock that more obvious. There were no ladies in elegant garb wandering in search of rich lords and famous musicians. The castle staff was kept to a minimum of a few Shy Guys dusting random corners instead of bustling maids and palace servants. There were no princes or princesses causing immediate havok amongst the stationed guards. The court was quiet. Too quiet.

It was a silence that did not falter even as you were led towards the throne room during your first few days there. You could remember the sound of your dark chains as they clanged against one another, their heavy alloy creating minimal discomfort, surprisingly not irritating the skin of your wrists at all. With the two magikoopas keeping you walking - one in front and one behind - you had to steel yourself before you could actually come face to face with your kidnapper.

Your steps echoed loudly down the halls. One step after the other, like walking to the set rushed pace of a metronome, you forced yourself to remain confident. You were more than aware of the hanging cages decorating the more fortress-like areas; the skeletons brushed to the side were not that far out of view.

Scratches disrupted the perfect surface of the rock below your feet, telling tales of struggles that were overshadowed by the huge statues of a giant beast. You remembered how the stone was cut, chiseled with finesse to mimic the shapes of a raging monster. The pointy teeth. The sharp claws. The horns of a bull curling up like a laurel wreath. Even then, when looking at the hovering black flags that wore the emblem of this foreign kingdom, you had pieced together that the statues must have depicted the king himself.

You were right.

At first, when standing in front of his throne and having to crane your neck up to witness the true potency of his glower, you had hoped you could reason with His Majesty, King Bowser. You wanted to plead your case. You wanted to reason that this was all a misunderstanding. It was all a wreck of a symphony that could yet be fixed. However, with an arrogant upturn of his snout and the flick of his decorated wrist, you were quick to realise it was all just wishful thinking.

For the first few days trapped in this unknown world, you were kept locked within the dungeons. You were given a simple cot, the pillows flat and uncomfortable and not at all what you were used to back at home. The food was given to you as tasteless, uninspiring mush. The only light you were allowed was the dull glow of fire that filtered through the iron bars. You were held like a convict within the small cell.

All until you weren’t. The cold stone slabs turned to polished wood. The rationed prison food turned to exquisite three course meals. Instead of the now-dirty clothes you wore when you were taken in, you had been dressed in white fabric, edges of the garments trimmed and lined with colours of flames and gemstones mimicking the glimmer of embers. You don't know what brought about the change. Maybe the people of your home agreed to the king's conditions. Maybe the giant koopa had a change of heart. Whatever it was was definitely not to your benefit when you were placed in a large, golden cage beside the king himself.

Despite your voiced complaints and near constant nagging, the king insisted on having you dragged after him. You dined with him. You sat idly next to him as he slouched back on his throne. You were trapped in every sense of the word, stuck in a cage like a little, doomed songbird. A musician with no thrill and a creator with no hope. The only thing you could do was sit on top of a small bar attached to the base of the platform - a little, worthless bench that allowed you to rock your legs back and forth - with your body leaning forwards on your elbows. Trapped with nothing to do but lazily hum your comfort songs as you daydreamed of home.

However, be that a stroke of luck or of misfortune, your boredom was temporarily sated when you were brought into a large, circular space surrounded by a glow of thick, molten lava. It was a new place, and now the heat of the glowing walls caused your palms to sweat and your skin to sparkle with moisture. It was arid, but not entirely unbreathable.

The king placed your cage down on a small stool next to a black coloured grand piano, the plaque reading 'Ludwig Von Koopa' informing you of the brand, and sat himself positively on the cushioned chair. Confidently, his claw pressed the first key.

You're guilty to admit that you would have never expected the large koopa, let alone your beast of an impolite kidnapper, to be able to play on such a fine instrument. It was tuned perfectly, the sounds echoing within the body with beautiful resonance. The king's claws glided against the keys with a practiced precision you couldn’t help but observe. With each note he played, his face of concentration morphed to fit the sound. It pulled and it twisted as if you were not there, passion for the craft evident even in the way he closed his eyes. He leaned his body in when the tune demanded a longer sound, and swayed backwards for the faster notes.

You gawked at him, your silhouette still as you simply watched him play. At first, you were certain that you recognised the chord progression. You thought you knew the melody, the kingdom you were from known mainly for its involvement in the evolution of music. However, you refused to be vain enough to say for certain. In some places it sounded familiar, though that was common within many compositions. In other parts the melody sounded original. It was unlike anything you have ever heard before, and it was something that would have never reached the shores of your homeland. It sounded like something born to this room, and the flex and twitch of the king's arms showed the truth to that.

You watched as his brows furrowed, then relaxed. Then they furrowed again, and His Majesty's playing took a pause.

One try after the next, King Bowser played and replayed a certain part of the melody. The composition was unfinished from the looks of it, and you readjusted your spot on the metal bar. You heard him huff as he glanced at your movement, but other than that he ignored it in favour of the piano.

Playing for a minute, he stumbled, then he tried again. Each time he started from the same bar, giving himself room to think. He tried, and failed. He tried, and failed again. After about the fifth time, your eyes flitted away from his general figure and turned instead to the entrance of the room. You stared blankly at the door, eyes unfocused slightly as you listened to him play.

F major seven, G major, F minor. You knew those chords, recognising them as they rang in the background of the sound. Then, the king faltered, the misplay making the piano ring an off tuned sound. A broken noise.

Turning your focus back to the koopa, you noticed the angle of his face no longer flowed with the wave of musical passion. You saw him bare his sharp teeth in anger, the smug grin from his confident playing wiped clean off his snout. His claws hovered with a twitchy tension above the monochrome keys as if he didn't wish to inflict the aftermath of his rage onto the instrument. His eyes twitched as his bushy red brows furrowed in spiteful annoyance, following a distinct streak of black smoke that pushed itself out of his nostrils.

Blinking, you turned your gaze forward to think again. F major seven. G major. F minor… and then another misplayed key that sent a growl echoing into the silence of the room that fought against the popping sound of lava. F minor… but what if…

"Try A-Sharp minor," you chirped, leaning your body forward on the hard seat as you looked up at him expectantly. His attention turned away from the piano, his head tilting up slightly so that he could more strongly look down at you.

Instead of the friendly acknowledgment you would have hoped for, the king gave you silence. His eyes were sharp and narrow, cast in a fiery glow that made his frown appear shadowed and menacing and arrogant. The look made you slouch back in your seat, watching as he huffed out yet another cloud of ash. This time you could taste the sulphur on the base of your tongue. "Be quiet," he instructed, turning his head back to the piano with an irritated swing of his tail. You watched as his hands clenched and unclenched above the keys.

"I'm only trying to help you-"

He snarled, the sound deep and guttural, causing your mouth to shut in an instant. It was a wordless instruction that made you cross your arms.

Sitting up straight, you grumpily turned your body away from him as an act of small rebellion. Your features lay low on your face then, a small pout twisting your lips. Though you refused to look back, you could feel his eyes on you as the silence hung like thick goo between the two of you. Then you heard him shuffle and you relaxed at the tentative press of one of the keys. The king went back to playing.

Starting from the very beginning, you closed your eyes as you let the sour taste of tension dissipate with the sound of the notes. You were lost in the sound of the piano, only hearing the sound of King Bowser's breathing whenever a pop of lava snapped you back to reality. Any stolen glances you permitted yourself revealed not a face of anger, but instead one of contemplative concentration that did not affect the quality of the piece. He wordlessly continued, note after note, chord after chord, until he returned to the end of the section.

The first chord sounded. Then the second. Then the third. You were certain that he would hesitate again, but to your surprise he played your suggestion, minimally delaying to play the starting chord again. A minute or two passed as the giant koopa finished with the piece. Then he stopped and you opened your eyes.

Slowly, his eyes scrolled to meet yours, brows raised lightly with his lips parted. He stared at you with those brutal red eyes, his hands playing the chord again, and again, and again causing you to shrug. Letting his features relax, it was as if the aimed annoyance had completely dissipated from his body.

"I wasn’t expecting you to actually play it," you mumbled. However, your surprised tone was lost on him as he tilted his head up, side eyeing the piano before looking back at you.

“How’d ya know?”

You hummed, kicking your feet slowly in the air as you balanced on the metal seat. "I thought about it."

Your kicking stopped as a low growl rumbled in his chest, his snout pulling back incredulously, "you saying I didn’t?"

"No," you turned your entire body to face him, stradling the seat to match his show of arrogance, "I'm just saying that I did."

“It doesn’t explain how you knew the chord.”

“It does.”

He grumbled, “does not.”

“Does too.”

Huffing, the king childishly tossed his arms in the air, turning his attention back to the piano with a pout evident on his snout, though he didn't seem to notice, or at least he didn't seem to care. You observed him intently as he froze in his spot, thinking. Then his clawed hands pressured down on the piano in favour of a different tune. It was a lively one, a melody that originally belonged to a much larger, angry symphony. However, when singled out the tune almost sounded happy. Hopeful. It was also a composition that you definitely recognised, and one that King Bowser played with an expert's touch.

Your intrigue had returned, and you subconsciously leaned your body in. It was honestly beautiful. His hands fluttered across the length of the piano. The movements were muscle memory, the skill seemingly engraved into him.

Tilting his head from side to side as if he breathed the music itself, you almost missed the side glances he threw your way. Every once in a while, after every enunciated chord, you saw his downcast, amber gaze turn to you.

Whether it was him showing off once again - probably what the original purpose of coming to this room was - or it was a test, you did not care much. You listened, then you took the bait. You allowed your hands to flow in a familiar motion, as if you held onto a conducting baton. Every other moment, you listed the key or the chord he had played. You saw his fingers twitch at this, but he continued and so did you.

Sometimes he would slow down the tempo, sometimes he would speed it up. Most of the time, throughout the course of the piece, his eyes remained on you, bar from the few glances back at the keys. He played the piece to its end, exhaling a loud breath before his attention turned to you. You were still humming, in your mind finishing the parts that the very much missing ensemble could not. When you looked back at him, his eyes were glowing flames, though it wasn’t in any form of wrath. It was a curiosity, one that silently egged you on.

"I know how to play," you offered with a grin, your finger pointing at the piano through the bars of your cage. However, your hands were quick to dart back to your face to cover your grin. This was your kidnapper. He no doubt wanted to butter you up to use for ransom or he wanted to use you as a tool in a political war… and yet even knowing that fact, the grin refused to leave your face. Especially not after you saw His Majesty gawk at you with a smirk of his own.

He blinked a few times, eyes twitching from you to black shell of the piano. Then they closed, the grin dropping. You waited, and after a moment he opened them again. "Prove it."

Your lips thinned slightly and you tilted your head to the side. You ran your hand down one of the golden bars of the cage, your brows raised, "from in here? Or will you let me out?"

The king huffed then, and just as his lips moved to respond, the doors to the room creaked open and your collective attention turned to the single magikoopa that entered the room. He looked startled and unsure. Frightened almost. It was a dull reminder of who exactly you were sitting with.

"Your Majesty, Kamek requires your presence," the magikoopa said with a prominent waver in their voice.

Poorly masking the forming anger, King Bowser blew out a steam of flames at the unwelcome interruption, standing from the piano stool. His eyes looked to you before he shook his head, once again flicking his wrist with a disinterested persona. "Take them back to their room. Make sure they're fed well."

Your eyes widened, "what? Hey!" But the king ignored you, stomping angrily out of the bright room. He ignored your shouts, and you had to bite your tongue into silence as the mage awkwardly lifted you cage with a mist of purple magic.

Though it had an inconvenient end, that was not the last time you sat in that room.

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A/N: Get rickrolled all of you.

Bowser Masterlist

[empirearchives]

Napoleon and Mary, Queen of Scots

Okay @isthenapoleoncute I don’t think this is exactly what you are looking for. But there is an artist, Jean-Baptiste Vermay, who made a painting in 1808 about the death of Mary, Queen of Scots. Title: Marie Stuart, reine d'Écosse, recevant sa sentence de mort que vient de ratifier le Parlement.

Napoleon was Vermay’s patron. He granted Vermay an award for the painting, and he and Josephine requested a replica of it.

Here is some info about the painting published in 1808: Annales du musée et de l'école moderne des beaux-arts: Salon de 1808, par Charles-Paul Landon. There are some really interesting parts. It talks about the long exile and injustice at the hands of the English queen. Also important to note that Mary was apparently Queen of France by marriage (according to this. Idk much about this part of history). So there is a French connection as well; an English ruler exiling a French ruler.

My (loose) translation:

The artful Elizabeth, Queen of England, held Mary Stuart prisoner for eighteen years. Her cruel policy demanded the sacrifice of this illustrious victim; she had Mary, her equal, judged as if she had been her subject. Forty-two members of parliament and five judges of the kingdom went to question her in her prison. She was sentenced to death: parliament confirmed the sentence and requested its execution. Elizabeth signed the fatal order, and the earls of Kent and Schrewbury, responsible for having it executed, accomplished it with a barbarity worthy of their ministry. Mary Stuart received her sentence with tranquility, and even with joy. A long captivity, violent sorrows, early infirmities made her regard death as the end of her sufferings. In her last days, she added to the exercises of courageous piety the most tender care for the people attached to her service; after having written on their behalf to Henry III and the Duke of Guise, she asked that they be witnesses to her torture. “Remember,” she said to Kent, who stubbornly refused her, “remember that I am a cousin of your queen, that I am of the royal blood of Henry III, that I was Queen of France by marriage, that I was crowned Queen of Scotland.”

Inhumanly deprived of all religious assistance, obliged to listen to the exhortations of a fanatic who threatened her with eternal damnation if she did not abjure the Roman faith, she opposed the outrages with dignity and gentleness, and preserved until the last moment a heroic firmness. She was beheaded in a room at Fotheringay Castle on February 7, 1588, at the age of 45.

This first work by a very young artist received the most favorable reception from the public. We noticed with what skill the author had arranged his scene and captured the character specific to each of the characters. The noble and calm attitude of Mary Stuart, the expression of her features, where both pride and righteous indignation are depicted, are perfectly consistent with the known sentiments of this unfortunate queen.

The hopes given by this painting, well thought out and wisely directed throughout its composition, are all the better founded as its execution announces a brush still little practiced.

His Majesty the Emperor awarded a medal to Mr. Vermay.

The painting of Mary Stuart was barely exhibited at the Salon when it ceased to belong to the author. A person of the highest rank even wanted to have a second one similar in every way to this one. It is an easel painting whose figures are approximately two feet in proportion.

[silverstark]

Heavenly Demon Baby Fever Snippet

Written for this:

x-x-x-x-x

Shang Qinghua was overworked at the best of times. This was not the best of times. He was the An Ding Peak Lord, the head babysitter for the Mobei Clan’s spoiled prince, and now he had been conscripted into the one role that worse than either of them.

“What is a ‘pumpkin spice latte’?” Luo Binghe was demanding of him from the throne.

Shang Qinghua stared.

“I beg Your Majesty’s pardon?”

Luo Binghe narrowed his eyes in displeasure. This was not an auspicious start.

“What is a pumpkin spice latte?” he repeated.

…Well this was no better.

‘System? System what is happening? Is this universe breaking?’

…

The System was, as always, unhelpful. Shang Qinghua cleared his throat.

“Why does Your Majesty ask?”

Luo Binghe raised an eyebrow and made no attempt to answer. Right, right, as if Junshang needed to explain himself. Shang Qinghua hastily continued speaking.

“My apologies, I only meant…well, a pumpkin spice latte is a…mythical concoction. As such, it is impossible to describe it -meaning its composition or history- with any accuracy.”

“And yet you seem to know what it is,” Luo Binghe observed.

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Tell me what you know about it.”

“…”

Shang Qinghua should have known that this would only be the first in a string of strange requests. Even Mobei-Jun got dragged in. Shang Qinghua had never intended for his shadow-teleportation powers to be used to go grocery shopping for Bing-ge! But such was their reality now. Shen Qingqiu had truly bent this world beyond recognition.

He didn’t know the extent of Shen Qingqiu’s guilt until they met by chance at a meeting of Junshang’s Court. The two lovebirds had walked in late, which was the only reason the court caught a glimpse of Shen Qingqiu at all. Luo Binghe was loathe to part from him at the door.

“There, this master walked you to the door,” Shen Qingqiu scolded quietly.

The ‘now go do your work’ remained unspoken.

“I will finish this business as soon as I can,” Luo Binghe promised. “Then I will try a new chocolate recipe if Shizun will allow me.”

“Mn,” Shen Qingqiu said.

Shang Qinghua, had been dutifully pretending not to hear this entire time, but at this, he couldn’t help but whip around to look at Shen Qingqiu. Shen Qingqiu looked happy and in love and rather more plump than usual. Of course. Of course he was the culprit. Everyone knew Luo Binghe was addicted to his shizun’s approval. That contented little ‘mn’ might as well have been an imperial edict.

He found some excuse toward the end of the meeting to rush outside so he could ambush Shen Qingqiu. As expected, Shen Qingqiu came a little early to wait for Luo Binghe. He looked completely at ease until Shang Qinghua jumped into his path. Then he looked offended.

“What are you—”

“Dude, you need to stop!” Shang Qinghua hissed.

“…Stop what?”

“Stop telling Bing-ge about hometown foods!”

Shen Qingqiu had the audacity to look confused for a moment. Then he blushed and lifted his fan to hide his face. So he was capable of some shame, at least!

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” he muttered. Then he lifted his chin. “Besides, it’s not my fault your world-building was so sloppy.”

“My world-building? This has gone so far beyond my world-building! Do you know how many continents I’ve had to teleport to lately?”

Shen Qingqiu blinked. “Did he really…send you to other continents?”

Except his tone was all wrong. Instead of acknowledging how ridiculous this was, Shen Qingqiu looked all soft and wondering. Shang Qinghua was speechless.

He had no opportunity to try to knock some sense into his biggest anti-fan, however: Luo Binghe loomed up beside them and he had to retreat with a terrified squeaked apology to Junshang. Luo Binghe whisked Shen Qingqiu safely away.

x-x-x-x-x

[i-am-the-oyster]

If you want people to @ you about Her Majesty, I'm only too happy to darken your virtual doorstep. Please expand on your statement that (quoting from memory) ending their recording career with Her Majesty is the beatliest thing the Beatles ever did. Also (optional) please tie this in with any thoughts on where Lennon and McCartney were at at the time, in terms of their creative collaboration. I'd be very interested in your thoughts; thank you in advance!

Ooh, thanks for this ask!

So first of all, is Abbey Road the end of their recording career?

I think so. It's weird to think that several of their most iconic songs are on Let It Be when it's such a mess in so many ways. But it was recorded first, and for me Abbey Road is a kind of thesis conclusion.

Well then, is Her Majesty the end of Abbey Road?

Someone in the notes of the post you're referring to called Her Majesty the post-credits scene of the album, and that is fair. But that's not how I think of it. Abbey Road is arguably the apotheosis of the album form. Flowing perfectly from one song to another, pulling together all their influences, their compositions mixing and blending until we reach The End. Guitar battle, drum solo, loveyouloveyouloveyou. And then Paul pulls down the band's collective glasses and says "it's only us!". Their humour and irreverence was such a key part of their charm, and it's important to me that they close their Magnum Opus with a silly ditty that got there by accident.

Where were Lennon/McCartney at?

Unfortunately, I think it had to be Paul who made the joke, because John had lost sight of the beauty of charming irreverence at that time. His humourlessness in 1969 is heartbreaking tbh. What humour he did have leaned into his cruelty (cf Sun King).

Warning: headcanon follows

John had lost faith in their collaboration, but Paul never did. John was afraid that Paul could produce something like Abbey Road without him, and even convinced himself that Paul had done so. But (as much as I love Wings) Paul could never produce anything on that level without those specific collaborators, and he never believed he could. (Though he hadn't yet recognised how vital George and Ringo were to the magic). Abbey Road was extremely collaborative, and The End captures that spirit in a deep way, even if John couldn't see it. And then Her Majesty says "lol".

[th3-0bjectivist]

Dear listener, I tried listening to six full hours of mainstream radio this week again. I tried, oh, sweet merciful Jesus, I tried. Lo, I have at this point all but confirmed that modern radio is a steaming pool of liquid dogshit. Given a second appraisal, it’s dogshit with a candy-coated hardshell for ease of ingestion! The disheartening repetition, the complete lack of cutting-edge creativity and genuine emotion, ten to twenty ass-ramming commercials in a row only to come back to the feckless frenzy of fail that comprises the vast, vast majority of modern music? It was all terribly grating, and somehow the music was even worse. As soon as I couldn’t take a millisecond more of the doldrums of modern radio, I went to YouTube and listened to two straight and comparatively blissful hours of immortal work by Antonio Vivaldi. So, get into the time machine again with me dear listener, and set course for the early 1700’s, a time when radio didn't exist! The social standards might not have been top-notch, but the powdered wigs were undeniably gorgeous, and the quality of the music… to die for!!!

As anyone who comes from a musical family has likely experienced, Vivaldi had the principles of composition fused to his DNA, and perhaps even down to the subatomic level with the help of his father. Having trained for priesthood in his early years, Vivaldi instead gradually gravitated toward a now celebrated career in music. Becoming an elite level violinist under the tutelage of his father Giovanni Battista, whom he regularly toured Venice and played duelling violins with, this legend of orchestra developed an immense capacity for transforming the basics of music into something so immensely interwoven and sublime that very few can or will ever dare so much as approach the legitimate majesty of his body of orchestral work. Known as something of an Italian religious dogmatist, his calling to the church and desire to be a priest secured him the nickname ‘Il Prete Rosso’ (The Red Priest) because he was a ginger, or in modern politically correct parlance… a natural red head. During a three-decade long gig serving as Master of Violin at an historical Vincentian orphanage, Ospedale della Pietà, Vivaldi managed to gather inspiration and organize his most emotionally powerful compositions. I could probably add a lot of unnecessary details here, but his greatest and most everlasting works are part of his ‘The Four Seasons’, a set of four violin concertos that are meant to express nearly the precise sensations and emotions of summer, winter, autumn, and spring. If you smash play on the above track you will be treated to Presto (from the Summer section), a song you probably know or have heard before. Presto means ‘quickly’ in Italian and is performed at one of the quickest speeds a human can possibly play music (second only to prestissimo speed, I think). Vivaldi also had a strange disease throughout all his life which many historians suspect might have been severe asthma. And with his penchant for taking numerous ‘leaves of absences’ to tour the world and develop an international reputation, this clearly mega-talented rockstar of yester-century ended up spending all the money he earned during his lifetime. Sadly, after approaching the end of his life and skidding through a decade’s worth of career decline, all accounts show that he died completely broke, having spent what little money he had left on multiple assistants that circumnavigated him through his now dire and at the time completely untreatable health issues. Vivaldi isn’t my personal favorite composer of all-time, I’ll leave that distinction to Bach (who himself was inspired by Vivaldi). But his works live on to this very day because he accomplished exactly what he strove to do; embody the excellence of execution in his craft to produce works that bring us together as human beings and sometimes inspire a rare spark of imagination to propel us to create the very best work we can possibly bring forth.

Right above this paragraph is a live variation of The Four Seasons, a classic musical work of art and transcendent beauty that I cannot recommend highly enough. Vivaldi sure did one thing that modern, corporately funded, concentrated and even desperate bands just can’t… and that is actually innovate. He had immense natural technical skills, had them brought to bloom by his family and his own efforts, and he ended up creating over 500 instrumental and choral works, plus about 40 operas. Have *you* created 500 instrumental and choral works and 40 operas!? Didn’t think so. So, get to work on that! And join me next time for some jaunty Brahms. Image source: https://www.craiyon.com/image/dPwZA5VRRTawSH1T9Sslcw

[blueiskewl]

HUBERT ROBERT The Farandole amidst Egyptian Monuments Oil on canvas.

Hubert Robert's classical education at the prestigious Jesuit-run Collège de Navarre made him an able Latinist and inspired his youthful fascination with the ancient world. However, it was his journey to Rome in 1754 in the entourage of the newly-appointed French Ambassador to the Holy See -- the Comte de Stainville, later Duc de Choiseul -- that introduced him first-hand to those decaying monuments of the past that would become his lifelong artistic preoccupation and win him the sobriquet Robert des Ruines. He remained in Rome for eleven years, and through his unofficial attachment to the French Academy met important collectors and artists, including Fragonard; the great Italian engraver, Piranesi; and the painter of ruins, Panini, who profoundly influenced his work. He was introduced to the Abbé de Saint-Non, an antiquarian who in 1760 commissioned him and Fragonard to make drawn copies of the Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities that Saint-Non later reproduced in his deluxe guidebooks of Italian cities and their works of art.

Although Robert, like virtually all Europeans, had never been to Egypt, Rome had important Egyptian monuments that had been brought to the city, as well as Egyptianizing structures erected during the late years of Roman Empire, all easily available for his study. Several of Robert's Roman views dating from the late 1750s are enlivened with Egyptian motifs -- the Sphinxes, fragments of pharaonic sculpture, obelisks and pyramids that were fast becoming the standard repertoire of European 'Egyptomania'. The present painting is a variant on Robert’s composition of 1798, Girls Dancing around an Obelisk, now in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (fig. 1; inv. no. 1964.1464). In both works the artist juxtaposes the majesty of the ancient ruins with lively staffage. Dressed in the fashion of Robert’s day, the young dancers are caught in the music, oblivious to the passage of time. Beside them the broken obelisk and fountain basin tell a different story: great empires will fall, this earthly life is transient. It is this contrast that lends the philosophical depth to Robert’s work that Diderot described as the ‘poetic of ruins’.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

Hello, Anon, this is your Oldie Chinese Diaspora Anon™️. I have to confess, I have some really heavy, mixed feelings after reading your post. It’ll take some time for your OCDA to sort them out; I am very sure that your mileage will vary far and wide from mine. But… if you’ll lend me your ears for just a little bit, I would really appreciate it.

For starters: No. Rîng Döll is -not- owned by Tencent. You may have come to that misunderstanding when you take a look at the latest MDZS IP-doll ad (https://www.ringdoll.com/products/yilinglaozu ) However, if you look at the new dolls that were also based on the same writer, Heaven Official’s Blessing, you do not see the same sponsors (https://www.ringdoll.com/products/xie-lian-2 ). This is because Tencent now owns the MDZS IP, who is an official collaborator of RD. That’s why other IPs that do not belong to Tencent do not carry their logo. Take a totally different IP doll, for example: https://www.ringdoll.com/products/zhao-linger, you will see the IP holder of this franchise Softstar (a Taiwanese game company) and CMGE (the Chinese company that took it over). No Tencent.

RD is a subsidiary of the holding company created by its owner, Mr. Hu4ng Sh4n. The company is called “YuZhu0 Culture” and was incorporated in 2012 (you can actually see the logo for the company in the same poster that mentioned Tencent). YZC holds Ring Doll (BJD) as well as another subsidiary, Ring Toys (figures, other collectibles) and also act as the holding company for Hu4ng’s fashion designs brand. You can find the company website here: https://h5.yoohso.com/?ym=Home and a more detailed breakdown of its composition and holdings here https://pitchhub.36kr.com/project/1678426749858822 (in Chinese, but online translators work.)

As such, your sentiment and your concern for Hu4ng, the owner of YZC, may be a little misplaced. His vision of “spreading Chinese culture” and the firm belief of “MiC’ was something that he had attached himself to over the years. I mentioned his mishaps in the past (see here: https://the-bjd-community-confess.tumblr.com/post/676741591427416064/post-on-why-ringd0ll-is-problematic-the-company and here: https://the-bjd-community-confess.tumblr.com/post/678836763019624448/ring-follow-up-i-was-the-anon-who-posted ) but he seemed to have come far and away from it. His own personal blogs and Weibo reflect his growing nationalism, which he seems to do unprompted. Most recently, he reposted something from the State-sponsored People’s Daily regarding 1931/09/18 with his own comment “We need to make ourselves strong” (https://weibo.com/1727191592/NjQD6ivRh ) In a recent interview with him (when he was invited as a Taobao flagship store owner, he once again touted the importance of digging into Chinese culture for the “ultimate win” (full article here: https://m.cyzone.cn/article/708080.html ) In fact, RD have also started to sue people who continue to make the connection that their old Hayato doll meant they were “Shaming China” (which is a lese majesty in the eyes of Chinese netizens. (https://weibo.com/1727191592/Nhysl8lcL )

This is a man who – pardon the language – drank the Kool-aid. He wanted people to know that he stands firmly on the side of China. In the last linked Weibo post, he even said “the subpoena from the courts is not the same as a ransom note from a gang; the courts will not harm your personal safety.” Well… let’s just put it this way: even I don’t believe him.

Which brings me to the last thing that made your OCDA stop and ponder. Anon mentioned that fear can be a great motivator – and heaven knows, there’s a lot to be afraid of. Some (one?) of the Anons here have mentioned more than once that I should set up shop somewhere and post outside of the relative anonymity of this blog. First of all: thank you very much for your approval; I am really flattered. But I also know that I speak of a lot of unflattering things about China. I am fully aware of what happens to people who – for one reason or another, in one degree or another – speak ill of the CCP, even if they are foreign nationals living outside of Asia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_police_overseas_service_stations as an example of their reach). So, the person who is actually afraid is yours truly. I am -that- sucker the OP Anon thinks Hu4ng was, being literally cowed to not speak up publicly out of fear. Until I can find a way to leave the old country out of BJD discussion (which is, well, impossible) or find a way to stay safe and at least (relatively) anonymous, I am afraid the only place you’ll find me is here, hiding here on this blog. I very sincerely apologise.

~Anonymous

[silentiaray]

Mojito

Masterpost

Meet Mojito - His Majesty's butler, the first who decided to test the properties of a new specie, allowing them to fully manifest themselves (and stood very glad with the result, because slimes love everything new and unusual). Algae are not only very demanding of external conditions, but also actively creates them itself, dominating other species. The fire (algae die from high temperatures) and phosphorus features (does not tolerate large amounts of sunlight, which is necessary for photosynthesis) get completely suppressed. Algae also makes the carrier’s body completely transparent, so that light reaches even those plants that are deep inside, and gets rid of all surfaces that could reflect it (goodbye, golden and quicksilver decor). However, the uneven allocation of algae may hint at patterns of other absorbed species. With a high degree of probability, algae will contribute to an increase in body surface area (the carrier will grow wings and a tail, if such features are present in the species composition).

Now Mojito is a clear example of how a slime who had absorbed algae would look like, if he was 6 lvl (or younger) and not yet able to control his appearance consciously.

[emyluwinter]

Since my birthday is coming up soon, I came up with one stupid but cute conversation.

Yuu there's a girl here

Yuu after the freshmen "attacked her with the whole composition" with a gift for good luck. Although it should be one from the one who was chosen by chance. It didn't really stop them.

Malleus is handing Yuu a towel to wipe off the remnants of the cream from she face.

-Be careful, child, otherwise some sweet tooth will intend to eat you to the last bite.

Yuu stops for a second and at first looks puzzled at her "formidable" friend, and then her smile spreads into a sly grin.

-Should I give it to you a dessert spoon?~

Malleus looks at Yuu in surprise for just a moment, completely not expecting that she will "return" his little joke in response. But she caught his mood. Their shoulders start to shake and they both try to hide their laughter at first, but eventually a duet of their merry laughter and giggling from the absurdity and absurdity of the moment sweeps through the room.

Meanwhile, Lilia is watching all this and sipping her tomato juice through a straw, very enjoying what she saw.

-Her Majesty will kill me when she finds out, but it's worth it

San just wants to see how these two tease each other and just fool around together.

You know, everyone is used to fairies being so "formidable and serious"

Meanwhile, San-ha!And it would be a funny if Malleus' grandmother would have been that heartbreaker in her youth.

The current Queen of Thorn Valley. - Is my grandson and prince dating a simple man without magic?Fufufu…it brings back memories of what an affair I had with one of the ordinary mortal people..Oh, how hot his love and feelings were, hotter than our family green flame. Malleus is completely confused - Grandmother… ahem..Your Majesty…have you never talked about it?

Lilia-Eh?Why didn't I know about it?!

The Queen - I have had about 16 lovers in my entire long life, no one needs to know about my every romance.

Yuu took out a notebook and looked at the queen in complete delight - I want, I want to listen!And know the details.

[fumiku]

Chlonath wips

I have so many Chlonath art and fic wips… I am such a slow writer and I’ve had most of these written down for like 2 years, so I wanna share most of their premises now in case I never get around to them! For joy and prosperity and whatnot, if someone wants to write one of these just ask me first! Someone needs to feed the chlonath masses. My next fic is going to be the camping one I think~

My fave picks:

Your majesty: Despite his bright fiery hair, he was all too easy to erase, to fade into the background. Garish, but unmemorable. Talented, but lame. Chloe decides to change that, takes him on as a pet project as fashion coordinator. "Come on, look at yourself! That hair, those eyes. You were *made* to pop! Everyone’s eyes would turn to you when you’re in the room!" He flushes, was that how she saw him? "But I don’t *want* to be the center of attention..." She smirks confidently/slyly. "Well too bad! Chloe Bourgeois will make a peacock out of this ugly little duckling!". Much later there’s a much quieter, sweeter scene of him voicing not wanting to be that different or flashy and she takes out some accessories that suit and enhance his style, comfy and like him. Eventually oop! She rlly needs a date and it’d go with her pet project, "besides you could use this for networking". "Hm? Oh yeah, a half up half down ponytail would look cute on you, in a street kind of way. But bangs in your face can go for cool and mysterious too. It can give you some personality that goes with or contrasts with your outfit, I guess. But this *is* still a fancy event, so a simple well-groomed swept aside style would keep it prim and formal, and it *is* your first entry into high society... But I *suppose* if you do your big debut with the aesthetic you’ll keep with, it’ll probably help your brand long term, attract the right kind of contract for you right away-" "Wow, where was all this perspective when you were doing the analysis on the blue curtains?" She smirks, "I have more experience in keeping up appearances —and everything it entails— than you think, apparently"

Everything else under spoiler bc I have tons of prompts haha

Chloe becomes designer & coordinator, director, for marc & Nath’s comics! She loves outfit coordinating, set designing, composition etc. Marc handles the writing and Nath the drawing, Chloe helps with the visual design. It starts with Chloe suggesting lil things to Nath when she sees his drawings, like add a common accessory to all the team. And since she was queen bee she can fact check some things. He loses his sketchbook while walking and she picks it up, not in her usual mood, n she sees his sketches and starts rattling off about details and fashion. Nath: "oh I- I’m not very knowledgeable in fashion designing..." she looks him up and down, taking his garish outfit in. "That I could have guessed." He huffs, sarcastic "Well, *thank you*, Chloe. That’s not a half bad idea, I could ask Marinette for some designing help, actually!" He lights up at that idea. She grits her teeth, angry and snatches his sketchbook back. She starts drawing on another page and her drawing isn’t really good but the ideas? Wow, they work. Chloe knows her aesthetics. "Stupid Marinette would *not* know how to arrange queen wasp’s hair, thank you very much. Ugh, this is outrageous! Utterly outrageous! You can keep the changes, and keep your god awful awfully thought out designs out of my sight, next time!" With his open sketchbook shoved back into his hands, he stares down at it n truly appreciate it. Wow, this is some serious good job. He thinks about it, kinda smug, oh I can *definitely* play her. He starts leaving his sketchbook behind on purpose n she starts giving him more and more notes when sabrina isn’t around. At some point she comes to the art room and everyone is silent but she’s shy and makes an effort not to be mean. The art dude takes her a bit under his wing and she starts channeling her time n energy into art, peeps of the art room start tolerating her. She takes Marc under her wing confidence wise, and sabrina tags along and rediscovers a love for scrapbooking. Omll marc & sabrina besties qpr cuties?

Pas de deux: they have a random ballet class in PE and they get paired up for the project and chloe 1) wants a good grade for her dad’s rep 2) is goal-oriented 3) has much less barb when teaching. Also prob a sad side note about impressing her mother with ballet classes as a kid.

But Are the Curtains Blue or Just Your Tear-stained Veil: Nathaniel tended to notice things, notice people. To dissect them, as if they were a comicbook character. What was surprising about Chloe is that while her attitude was bolsterous and always seemed so heated, her eyes were like ice, distant. A deep blue, and curtained off, like she could not let anyone else see what they hid. But Chloe was mean and cruel, and sometimes, Nathaniel dug too deep at wasn’t there. Maybe, they were just blue. He always came back at the mystery of her, though, and was pushed and pulled in a one-sided dance with her like the come and go of waves. //Maybe they just weren’t any curtains, whatever that meant. Maybe he was making everything up. Tags: kinda like The Girl Of the Train tbh

Name ideas:

Buzz off

Sweet as honey: What chloe turns out to love in a man is how sweet he can be

Renaitre

Esquisse

Preen my feathers (peacock holder Nath + motif with Chloe & appearances)

Quick ideas:

"I’ve spent so long hoping to be saved, that it feels weird to save people."

Chloe realizes her mother will never love her, or even respect her. Everything changes. //She lets herself be and experience pain and failure

By fake dating chlonath can make adrienette jealous! A scene: chloe tightens her grip on his arm with a crestfallen gaze at adrienette, nath is like ...? and realize Chloe hated Marinette bc abandonment issues

Sabrina chews chloe out and is done with her when they were on an outing, chloe runs into the nearest building, a museum, to hide and cry her eyes out. She bumps into Nath, and a friendship goes from there.

Ever since nath learned chloe is queen bee, he calls her stuff like yes your stinginess.

Nath brings chloe to a emo concert to throw her off, all hell breaks loose. (She likes it)

Two works linked together, one from chloe pov about nath n the other vice versa. "It’s wicked how sweet you are" and "it’s sweet how wicked you are"

Impression, soleil levant: they have a run in in the museum. Chloe genuinely likes fine art. Nath likes popping color, lineart, contrast and stylistic appeal, more contemporary stuff. Chloe really like impressionism, it calms her down, she could spend a lot of time just watching a painting. When she was a kid her dad would bring her when talking business at the louvre so she ran off with Jean and she knows the museum very well.

Chloe’s dad keeps bothering her about rules and standards and finding a partner, so Chloe resolves to find the lamest lousiest boyfriend. To make a statement, of course, she tells herself so when her eyes keep flicking to the redhead sitting at the back of the class.

What better way to learn to be vulnerable with each other than ice skating, when you’re both awful at it? A date <3

She points out a panel with queen bee when he’s doodling it, she has no context she just chilling "why is her hair down?" Nath answers without missing a beat "It’s a metaphor for vulnerability".

Nath starts disappearing quietly to places more and more, now that he has a miraculous. Chloe susses him out. W-what?? How did you notice it? Nobody ever pays attention to me- Ugh, you’re *impossible* to miss with that fluorescent hair of yours. Well you’re the only person who pays attention to it, apparently. Hah, blame my superior eyes if you must. Well if *I’m* what your superior eyes choose to watch then- U-um, we’re getting sidetracked! W-what are you doing here! Reverse universe where she’s still denied being queen bee so she’s Nath’s sidekick? He doesn’t really have any friends besides Marc which not in this universe bc it comes before, so he wouldn’t have anyone else so lowkey he’s grateful. He notices her really truly changing for the better as they hang out more.

I dig my hole, you build a wall: As Chloe Bourgeois doubles down on being an irredeemable bully, Queen Bee continues to rise on a pedestral of adoration. It doesn’t help, nothing ever does, and it’s getting harder to make herself ignore how miserable she is. Chloe drowns herself in her superhero job, squeezes every drop of appreciation from her fans she can. Nath happens to be one of them, hardcore. She just needs someone to lean on.

26/11/‘22 Chloe gets akumatized into a dollhouse lover like with her teddybear mr cuddles, and she wants to kidnap some ppl and keep them like dolls to play with her and listen to her every want and choice of activities. Sabrina is mad at her so elle la boude. She picks Nath and they have a tea party isolated at Le grand paris etc etc. Maybe after Adrien cuts it off with Chloe so she freaks out amd wants friends, even if toxic controlling, but she’s not shooting for Adrien bc she’s upset at him and ignores him.

Outlined:

He forgets some comic pages behind, vs queen wasp, and goes back to get them and finds chloe reading them intensely, seeming genuinely invested. She’s lowkey having a panic attack n shoos off an akuma?? He’s shocked, but that requires introspection so in the moment he’s doubtful and bitter. She’s panicced and embarrassed about having been found out. He’s like, wtf was so upsetting about my comic?? Jealous of my art? Mad that something isn’t about you? Angry that I have talent and dreams, unlike you? she flinches. She upsetti "you wouldn’t understand." "Oh, try me. I have experience in being put down, after all." He bites coldly. She explains half-heartedly "Oh, here comes the self-pity." Her lips quiver, she looks down. "You’re right. It is self-pity. I’m miserable." The "and I have no one else to pity me but me" is muttered so quietly. Her fists clench, chin tucked in her torso. Then her gaze hardens and she snaps her head up. "Whatever." He blocks her way out. She grits dangerously "*Out*. Of. The way." Her eyes prickle with tears. He doesn’t even flinch "That won’t work today." She’s so close to snapping violently but instead just cries. Blabla "Yeah well, when you’ve dug a hole as deeply as I have, you can’t get out. Not without a miracle, anyways." She says, you could do one about queen bee next, please. N leaves quietly and he’s never seen her so... non-agressive.

Entracte/solo act: Picking on Nathaniel Kurtzberg when alone with him, Chloe found, was a much different experience than humiliating him in public. It turns out, he only unleashes his fury on the most deserving of private audiences. Notes: I headcanon Nath, bc of the reflekto ep, would stand up for himself more if he wasn’t being bullied in public. I feel like having all the eyes on him motivates him to shut up and try to make the ordeal as brief as possible & leave the situation, so when he’s alone and getting sass he has less qualms about snapping and ripping into ppl lol. Chloe goes to the art room and Nath is alone in it. He asks where Sabrina is, she rolls her eyes "She had *something important* to attend to." She goes to see what he’s working on and makes her snide remarks as usual but unlike usual he snaps and rips into her, she loses her haughty attitude real quick. The next time they make eye contact in class, she grimaces and looks away. He wins. But then she gets a fire and glares at him head on. Let the war truly begin. 

To Nathaniel’s and Choe’s horror, the class goes on a mandatory camping trip. It does not go well for either of them. "Um, I’m sorry mme Bustier but I won’t be able to come. I’m sick, yes, cough cough, how unfortunate." Bustier is not amused. She groans when it’s announced they’ll have a camping trip. Nath keeps his in, but for once they agree on something. Ugh.  Nath just wants to draw in his tent, that’s too much to ask??!

Royalties: nath finds out chloe is queen bee and threatens to tell it to everyone so that ladybug will take her miraculous away. In exchange for his secret, Chloe must praise him and his art on her social media, throw his name in at fancy soirées, become his "fan". To Nath’s surprise and Chloe’s horror, it backfires. Royally. Her "Nath is so cool" post was half advertizing half for public humiliation. Being the daughter of the mayor of one of the most famous cities in the world meant she has a lot of followers, quite a few in the elite sphere of Paris. The post’s a bit rebellious on her end because he doesn’t like her calling him Nath. Since Chloe *never* praises anyone and the tone was overeager/affectious, people start theorizing they’re actually dating. He takes the logical leap to be invited by her at an event, but as a plus one because it’s not her party to invite people at. Normally he wouldn’t want to have anything to do with a fancy party, but he begrudgingly has to admit networking is very important as an artist, plus he’d do it to piss off Chloe alone.

Vampire au!! Summary: Beyond her humanity, which Chloe had never truly cared about anyway, becoming a vampire hadn’t really, concretely, taken away anything from her. She was still rich, loved by all of Paris, and beautiful. And yet, she realized then that she had lost herself without knowing when.  //Chloe has been a vampire for a lil while, very upset. Mr cuddly is also a reminder of her past life. She longs to see herself again, she has had to keep out of the spotlight because she has no reflection and can’t be taken a picture of, she asks Nath to draw her like in Mirror, Mirror the awesome fic which I recommend! Nath finds out her new identity so he becomes tied up in it all, he’s the only one who knows so he becomes who she feeds on. "I can pay you. What do you want? A thousand euros per night? The latest drawing tablets? A gallery showing? Publishing deal? Just help me." Right from the start she feeds off from his neck despite his hesitance. She goes "a wrist? Are you kidding me? I settle for nothing but the best." But the reality is she just wants to feel close to someone, one time the bite turns into a hug crying session. -"... Does that mean my blood is the tastiest?" She’s shaken at that, "That- was *not* what I was implying. It’s not like I would know, anyways." She huffs n looks away. "Your blood is... satisfactory." He smirks, from her, that’s a huge compliment. He can just hear it in his mind "My taste buds are only the most refined!! I can tolerate only but the best!!" She does tell him he’s sweaty n stinks the first time tho. He has to hide his neck bite, ppl tease him about hickeys. At some point a classmate figures out it’s chloe that gives him his hickeys and Nath has to damage control and people start sussing they’re a couple.

No lullaby: No one liked her, but she could dream, couldn’t she? The delusions she lulled herself to had never really been dreams, but maybe to reborn anew she could find a lullaby in someone new, too. // based on the song No Lullaby by Siamés. Also La la la by Jason Chen Akuma that calls itself Lullaby, it was made because they have to move away from their parents or smth like that, so it lashes out and makes all kinds of kiddy & wholesome parenthood stuff. It turns people into happy kids/babies by tapping into childhood memories of parents(something like that), but doesn’t affect Chloe. Because Chloe never had her parents be around much, or them being much like parents at all. Chloe is fighting as Queen Bee, of course, in an AU where people know who she is but Ladybug still trusts her to want not to smear her family name by being a bad superhero. "I could be a superhero and my mother still wouldn’t blink my way... Oh, sorry, that actually happened, not much for an hypothetical." Everyone stares at her in shock. "What? I can have a smart vocabulary!" People look at her with pity and sympathy. "T-that’s not it..." Chat says. Anyways they’re fighting it and a lot of other miraculous holders get hit and she does too but is immune bc it taps into their happy parents childhood memories, meanwhile it’s only able to conjure up her plushie for her. Anyways so she gets swinged up to a rooftop where Nathaniel is sitting and drawing Queen Bee, he jolts and goes "Q-quee-Chloe?" but they don’t have much time since the akuma comes swinging in too and gets Nath under its spell. She carries around baby!Nath around because for some reason she feels a sort of duty to people she knows irl. She goes to the building the other holders are in or something but still ends up alone with Nath since everyone got affected, she panics as her miraculous beeps and she’s alone to fix everything, but Nathaniel draws with his fine art colored pencils like kids use crayons and does tons of kiddy imaginative drawings, and starts humming, bringing her out of her torpor. As the tune calms her, she does a “what would Ladybug do?”, "Ugh, I could have used Evillustrator right about now." She strategizes on how to break the spell over Ladybug for purification, and goes in to break the akuma item holder. When Nathaniel comes to, he’s mad to have ruined his pencils, now with blunt deformed tips, but then he looks at his sketchbook in utter confusion he sees pages and pages of kid’s drawings, recognizing his own infantile style, but the most curious are that some drawings include Queen Bee. His feelings are conflicted and he wants to know what happened, but dreads asking her, but he laughs at a drawing of him pulling her ponytail, and stills at the one of her hugging him. End notes: Next time Queen Bee gets swung onto his rooftops by an akuma, Nath jolts but responds to that adrenaline by crossing his leg over his other knee and raising an eyebrow over half-lidded eyes: "Somehow, I’m not surprised." You know, like sometimes when people flirt as fight or flight response lmao.

22/2/‘23 Chloe was trying really hard to be kind like a true superhero now, and with the birthday of her classmate Nathaniel coming up she would have to, painstakingly, do everything in her power to give him the best gift ever. One problem is, she doesn’t really know him, like, at all. She asks him what he likes. She thinks of supherhero stuff and art stuff. She doesn’t know about drawing tablets so she’s like, what about this professional drawing desk I’ll have my bodyguard carry? As if everyone has the privilege to have the space for a new furniture on a whim. She asks Sabrina for help like this close to a meltdown, maybe even Marinette: "The fool was in love with you, don’t you know anything about him that could help??" And then at the end shes like "omg. I can get him an interview with Queen Bee!" Ooh does she get akumatized with some gifter gimmick? Would be neat but naaah. Maybe two parts, idk what the end should be! Copic markers maybe

[emperasnake]

content warning: gn reader but reader is wearing heels

imagine aryu teaching you to walk in heels. you wobble across the length of your room while he watches you, ready to steady you if you seem like you'll fall.

your eyes light up once you finally make it across without stumbling, and you can see a glint in aryu's eyes too.

he doesn't indulge you with praise; after all, you only managed to make it across once, but he kisses you on the cheek, just a light peck.

those kisses slowly move to your lips as the last time you stumbled moves further and further away, then get deeper as you begin to strut, enjoying yourself and no longer worried about falling.

but you get careless, falling right into aryu's arms. (he was still paying attention to your movements; there's no way he'd let you get hurt.)

"what ever shall i do with you?" he heaves a dramatic sigh, drawing a laugh out of you.

"maybe a few more kisses could fix me."

"a fantastic suggestion," aryu leans in closer. "we'll have to try it out and see."

[princess-of-the-corner]

Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix Recap: Hollow Bastion (Battle of the Thousand)

After the post-Demyx cutscene, you are taken to the pause menu.

This reveals that Goofy’s been removed from the party, and that all of the items, armor, and accessories that were equipped to “the departed party member” have been returned to your inventory.

What follows this?

A reverse boss rush of sorts in the Ravine Trail, where Sora teams up with the residents of Hollow Bastion to fight off waves of Heartless.

First up is Yuffie. She is not a party member, instead an invincible NPC who attacks with her Shurikens and Ninja skills.

When the last Heartless falls, Yuffie departs as the invisible barriers drop.

When Sora progresses to the next section of the trail, two more barriers are raised to box him in as Leon provides his aid against the Heartless. He attacks with his Gunblade, fighting more or less identically to how he did in KH1, except he pulls the trigger and activates his Gunblade’s super form IMMEDIATELY.

Further down the trail, Tifa comes to the rescue, rushing forward and taking out a couple of Heartless during the spawning animation. As the “monk” of Final Fantasy VII, she fights unarmed. One of her more powerful attacks has her throwing a punch that produces a shockwave. She can also perform sweeping kicks to hit all Heartless around her.

Once the last one falls, Sora comes close to the base of the trail, where he is once again ambushed, and Cloud comes to the rescue by diving in from above and creating a shockwave that knocks all the Heartless away.

He fights with his Composite Sword from Advent Children, but his fighting style is otherwise identical to KH1, minus anything that would require the use of his now-missing wing.

Continuing on leads to the Crystal Fissure, a small cave lined with massive, glowing crystals, where Sora finally catches up with Mickey and Donald.

“Are you okay?” the King asks as Sora pauses to catch his breath.

“Yeah, I’m fine, but…” his voice trails off.

“Oh, Goofy…” Donald mourns as he and Mickey hang their heads in sorrow.

“Hey fellas!” Goofy hollers.

“Goofy!” Sora, Donald, and Mickey call out in joy.

Goofy runs up to them.

“You know, that really hurt,” he declares as he rubs his forehead.

“Aw, Goofy!” Mickey declares as he jumps up and glomps his friend.

“Gawrsh, Yer Majesty, I get bumped on the head all the time,” Goofy reminds him.

Sora chuckles as Donald sighs.

Donald then marches right up to Goofy. As soon as Goofy puts the King down, he WHACKS the Captain of the Guard’s leg with his staff, prompting Goofy to yelp and hop around while clutching his leg.

“That hurt, too,” Goofy remarks.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” Donald shouts.

Sora lets out a sigh of relief, but the happy music fades out as he looks out the mouth of the cave, towards the Great Maw, and Villains’ Vale beyond it.

Sora receives the Cure Element, upgrading Cure into Cura.

Additionally, Goofy has rejoined the party, requiring you to re-equip all his armor, accessories, and items.

Also, you have to reassign all his AP to re-equip all his abilities, since that was ALSO dequipped for some reason!

In the Manga, Goofy’s “death” was handled differently. Instead of being merely hit in the head by a rock, he shoved King Mickey out of the way of a rockslide, and was seemingly crushed to death, only his hat left behind in the two-page spread showing everyone’s reactions.

Plus, as he didn’t JUST get a Max HP boost in the Manga, the interface didn’t spoil his survival.

Ahem, regardless, this Save Point is you LAST CHANCE to settle your affairs in Agrabah, Halloween Town, and the Pride Lands. If you’ve not handled that, do so NOW! You will thank me later!

Additionally, the Large Chests here contain a Torn Page and the Great Maw Map.

You can also talk to Mickey, Donald, and Goofy here as they’re all NPC’s.

Continuing into the Great Maw kicks off the climax of this little “episode” of Hollow Bastion’s story.

The King leads Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they charge into the Great Maw, only to find that all the Heartless are paused.

“Hey!” Goofy shouts and points to a cliff overlooking the Great Maw, where the Unknown, Xemnas, emerges from a Corridor of Darkness and lowers his hood. He reveals a face very similar to Ansem’s, just with lighter skin (in this game at least), and shorter (yet still long) and spikier hair.

“It’s the guy who’s NOT Ansem!” Donald shouts.

“You mean it’s his Nobody!” Goofy corrects.

“The Leader of Organization XIII…” Sora comments.

Realization dawns on the King’s face.

“Wait a second,” he remarks, “Now I know!”

Fade to black as the flashback begins.

“Wise Ansem,” Mickey opened, “I’m here to seek your advice.”

Ansem’s study was far neater and tidier in the past than it is in the present.

Aside from the fact that portrait on the wall was of the REAL Ansem, those broken jars all held a bunch of cartoony hearts.

Ansem himself held a stick of sea-salt ice cream while sitting at his desk.

“I’m glad we have the opportunity to speak like this, my friend,” Ansem replied, “I’m intrigued by your hypothesis… and I’m finding it difficult to stave off the urge to test it.

“Still, I’m concerned about the stability of the worlds.”

“Yep, that’s what worries me too,” King Mickey admitted.

“The doors that appeared,” Ansem remarked, “The place the Heartless seek.

“I fear my research may have brought this upon us…”

Someone knocked on the door, and the false Ansem entered and bowed respectfully.

“Master Ansem,” he opened, “Regarding the experiment I presented the other day…

“With your permission, I’d like to proceed –

“I forbid it!” Ansem shouted, “Forget this talk of doors, and the heart of all worlds. That place must not be defiled!”

“But Master Ansem!” the fake Ansem protested, “I’ve been thinking…”

Ansem shook his head.

“Xehanort…” he opened, “Those thoughts are best forgotten.”

The fake Ansem, Xehanort, clenched his fists, but quickly regained his composer and bowed before leaving.

Though not without one more grunt of frustration.

End flashback, as “Showdown at Hollow Bastion” starts playing.

“Now I remember!” the King declares as the camera zooms in on Xehanort’s Nobody, “Xehanort! Ansem’s apprentice!”

The Organization’s leader merely grins in response.

“The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort’s Nobody!” the King declares as the camera cuts to him and SDG. He summons his Keyblade and rushes Xemnas.

“Let’s go!” Sora declares, before the Heartless army surrounds him, Donald, and Goofy.

Sora summons the Kingdom Key as Donald and Goofy brandish their own default weapons.

The camera spins around our trio and zooms out to reveal just how MANY Heartless have surrounded them.

“Move it!” Sora shouts at the Heartless.

“We can’t let Xehanort get away!” Donald declares.

“Right!”

Sora shares a glance with Donald and Goofy, and the trio takes off, each one taking on a third of the army on their own.

Welcome, to the boss battle that was at the center of this game’s marketing: The Battle of 1000 Heartless.

Here, Sora fights 1000 Heartless on his own.

While the promotional materials had 2 Behemoths and a dozen Wyverns as part of the army Sora would be fighting, here, only Armored Knights and Survey Robots are present.

As Sora is alone, he only has access to Limit Form, and the Crowd Clearing Reaction Commands these Heartless offer.

Any Heartless who isn’t currently participating in the battle will be rendered as a 2D sprite to save on space.

In spite of what the cutscene will have you believe, Sora is not locked into only using the Kingdom Key, he only wields the Kingdom Key because the cutscene was pre-rendered to avoid melting the PS2’s Kingdom Hearts II was originally made to run on.

There’s a counter in the upper right corner of the screen that tallies up how many Heartless you’ve beaten, going up by one for every Heartless that falls.

If using Limit Form, remember that it has the MP Rage Ability, so getting hurt on purpose before MP runs out and then healing back up with a Limit is an option.

Additionally, all of the Heartless have less HP and lower stats than their standard counterparts do, meaning that they’ll fall even quicker than in a normal battle while dealing less damage.

The point of this fight isn’t to be challenging, it’s to make the player feel powerful.

(Also, the music that plays here is called “Sinister Shadows”. It plays a couple more times in the game, but this is its most famous use.)

Once you’ve defeated the last one, you’ll see that there were indeed 1000 Heartless that Sora just killed.

Winning this battle earns Sora the Guard Break Ability (ground combo finisher that activates if Sora is fighting a single enemy, or by default if Explosion isn’t equipped. Sora unleashes a powerful, guard-piercing attack).

After the battle, Sora rushes through the Great Maw to reach the Dark Depths, the outcropping that’s closest to Villain’s Vale.

He poses for a moment to catch his breath.

Donald and Goofy run up behind him.

“Where’s the King?” Sora asks.

Donald and Goofy look around.

“There he is!” Donald declares as the King takes down an Armored Knight.

“C’mon!” Sora declares as the screen fades to black and the Battle of 1000 Heartless’ theme fades out.

The camera fades back into reveal Mickey confronting the Organization’s leader, who isn’t even acknowledging him.

“Your Majesty!” Donald quacks as Sora, him, and Goofy run up to the King.

Mickey turns back to the Nobody.

“Xehanort!” he shouts.

“How long has it been since I abandoned that name…” the leader of Organization XIII comments.

“Out with it, Nobody!” Sora snaps, “Where’s Kairi? Where’s Riku?”

“I know nothing of any Kairi,” the Organization’s leader answers, “As for Riku…” he finally turns to acknowledge them, “Perhaps you should ask your king.”

Sora curiously shoots a glance at the Mickey.

“Stop!” the King shouts as he charges Xehanort’s Nobody.

Xemnas disappears into a Corridor of Darkness and the King dives after him.

The Corridor closes before SDG can follow.

“He’s gone…” Sora laments, before falling to the ground.

He bangs a fist on the ground until Goofy places a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Sora, Goofy,” Donald opens. Whatever he’s about to say next is cut off by the realization that there are no more Heartless around Villain’s Vale.

“What’s goin’ on?” Goofy questions.

“Way to fall right into their trap,” Axel answers.

SDG run up to him and brandish their weapons.

“C’mon, it’s a set-up by Organization XIII,” Axel continues, “Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless – that’s his big master plan.”

“Xemnas?” Donald questions, having not seen the pre-Demyx flashback that reveals Xehanort’s real name or the name of his Nobody that Final Mix added, even though both had far better reveals here.

“The guy you just saw,” Axel answers, “He’s their leader.

“Got it memorized? X-E-M, N-A-S.”

“Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless?” Goofy questions.

“Man, you’re slow,” Axel replies, “Every Heartless slain with that Keyblade releases a captive heart. That is what the Organization is after.”

“So what are those guys gonna do with the hearts?” Donald asks.

“I’m not telling,” Axel taunts.

“Tell us!” Donald demands.

“You… you’re the one who kidnapped Kairi!” Sora realizes.

“Bingo,” Axel replies, “The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?”

“Where is Kairi?”

Axel actually looks guilty for the first time.

“Please, just tell me!” Sora begs.

“Look, about Kairi…” Axel begins, “I’m sorry.”

“Axel!” Saïx shouts as he emerges from a Corridor of Darkness.

Axel sees the writing on the wall and flees through his own.

Saïx keeps Sora from chasing.

“We’ll ensure he receives the maximum punishment,” the Nobody promises as Axel’s Corridor closes.

“I don’t care about any of that,” Sora declares, “Just let me into the realm of darkness, okay?”

“If it’s Kairi you’re worried about, don’t,” Saïx orders, “We’re taking very good care of her.”

“Take me to her,” Sora asks.

“Is she that important to you?” Saïx questions.

“Yeah,” Sora admits, “More than anything.”

“Show me how important.”

Sora, desperate, bows before Saïx. Not just any bow, either, but the dogeza position specifically. In Japanese culture, this bow is reserved for when you ROYALLY fuck up, as it’s basically heaping great amounts of shame on yourself and saying you’re equal in value to literal garbage.

“Please…”

“So, you really do care for her,” Saïx remarks, “In that case – the answer’s no.”

Sora leaps to his feet.

“You rotten…!”

“Are you angry?” Saïx asks, “Do you hate me?

“Then take that rage, and direct it at the Heartless.”

He snaps his fingers, summoning four armored knights.

“Pitiful Heartless,” he remarks, “mindlessly collecting hearts.

“And yet they know not the true power of what they hold.

“The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free, until they weave together to make Kingdom Hearts.

“And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist.”

“What in the world do you think your prattling on about?” Maleficent questions as she teleports in, “Kingdom Hearts belongs to me!

“The heart of all kingdoms, the heart of all that lives.

“A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be MY dominion!”

“Maleficent, no!” Sora calls out, “No more Heartless!”

“I do not take orders from you!” Maleficent scoffs, before summoning more Heartless around Saïx.

“Fool…” Saïx scoffs, before snapping his fingers, calling in Dusks to destroy the Heartless Maleficent summoned. The Dusks then turn their attention TO Sora.

Suddenly, Maleficent teleports in between Sora and the Nobodies, before summoning a wall of green fire behind herself to keep the Nobodies from reaching Sora.

“While I keep these creatures at bay, you devise a way to vanquish them – forever!” Maleficent orders.

“Maleficent!”

The Dusks dogpile onto her.

“Do not misunderstand me,” Maleficent continues, “I shall have my revenge on you yet.”

More Dusks pile onto Maleficent, forcing her to the ground.

“Maleficent!” Sora shouts.

“Leave! Now!” Maleficent orders.

“I don’t take orders from you!” Sora replies, before attempting to charge in.

“Sora, c’mon!” Donald interrupts as he grabs his hand.

“But… What about…”

The green flames die down.

“Now then,” Saïx remarks, “Where did we leave off?”

He snaps his fingers, and the Dusks vanish through Corridors of Darkness, Maleficent seemingly vanishing with them.

With them out of the way, there’s now room for a group of Emblem Heartless to Corridor in and surround our Junior Heroes.

“Which side are you guys on anyway?” Sora asks.

“The Heartless ally with whoever’s the strongest,” Saïx answers. With a wave of his hand, two of the Heartless lunge forward, and are cut down by Sora’s Keyblade.

The hearts they release float up into the air, prompting a smile from Saïx.

“Yes Sora!” he praises, “Extract more hearts!”

Saïx departs through a Corridor of Darkness.

The two hearts Sora freed are wrapped in darkness and spirited away, collected by the Organizations.

“No!” Sora realizes as the Heartless tighten their circle around SDG, “The hearts!”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy are forced on the defensive as the Heartless close in on them.

Fade to black.

“Maybe everything we’ve done… Maybe it was all for nothing.

“What am I supposed to do if I can’t use the Keyblade!?”

“Imbeciles!” Maleficent snaps, “You can’t be trusted to do anything!”

“Huh?” Sora remarks as a bright light begins to shine.

You now receive Secret Ansem Report 1:

My efforts these many years have come to fruition, with the world I govern having become a paradise worthy of being called “Radiant Garden.”

Nurtured by the pure water that is the source of life, fragrant flowers bloom in abundance, and the people face each day with hopeful smiles.

But where there is light, darkness also lurks. As noted in my earlier reports, I must solve the mystery of this “darkness of the heart.” This paradise depends on it.

I shall perform an experiment to probe the depths of a person’s heart. One of my own apprentices, Xehanort, has volunteered to be a subject.

The young man has served me ever since I nursed him back from death’s door some years ago.

He had lost all his memories at the time, but later showed remarkable intellectual curiosity and readily absorbed my teachings, gaining deep wisdom. Any mental immaturity is surely due to his young age.

If I explore Xehanort’s heart with psychological tests, I may be able to recall the past locked away within. My apprentice Even has also shown great interest in Xehanort’s memories.

But is he really the right subject? Xehanort does indeed exhibit extraordinary talents…

Too extraordinary…

Perhaps they are even superhuman.

And now, we cut to Leon and Cloud, who are reacting to the massive ray of light from clear on the other side of the giant crevasse.

“Sora! Donald! Goofy!” Leon calls out.

“Relax,” Cloud tells him, “Those three aren’t going down that easily.”

Cloud turns and walks back to the town.

“The Keyblade’s chosen one…” he remarks, “He’s a lucky one.”

A beam of light shoots out of the ray and into the sky.

“See you soon,” Leon remarks as he looks up at the beam.

The Battle of Hollow Bastion is over.

Evil may have triumphed, but the world was saved regardless.

Cue Final Mix exclusive cutscene, wherein Saïx returns to Where Nothing Gathers, where Xemnas, II, Xaldin, and X have already gathered.

“Sora knows the truth now,” he notes, “The more Heartless that he defeats, the closer he is to becoming our perfect puppet.

“This new knowledge will make him harder to control.”

“What does it matter, really?” II asks, “Whatever his circumstances, Sora has never been able to help himself from saving people from the Heartless. It’s what his pure little heart wants.”

“There–” X declares as throws and catches two dice, “the dice have been cast. Things are in motion. He can’t stop this.”

“Nothing is set in stone,” Xaldin reminds him, “If the dice aren’t in your favor, you will share Demyx’s fate.”

“The fun is in not knowing, isn’t it?” X replies, “What is the point of betting on something if you already know the outcome?”

“Are you sure that defeating him won’t derail the Organization’s plan?” II asks.

“If he is to die so easily,” Xemnas states, “he is of no use to us.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Xaldin states, “It’s not in my nature to hold back.”

Fade to black as we return to content from the vanilla game.

On the Gummi Ship, Sora remarks about how help comes from unexpected places sometimes.

Donald agrees.

Flashback to how exactly SDG got out of that pickle.

We get Sora’s despair as SDG are so boxed in by the Heartless that they don’t even have move to walk, followed by Maleficent’s irritation that our Junior Heroes didn’t bolt when she giftwrapped a perfect escape route for them.

A Corridor of Darkness opens beneath their feet, and the trio falls right in.

Fade to black.

The camera pans down to Sora laying face-down in a pitch-black void. He regains consciousness and pushes himself to his feet, looking around until he sees Donald and Goofy walking up to him.

“What’s this place?” Goofy asked.

“This must be the Realm of Darkness!” Sora realizes.

He shouts into the void, calling out to Kairi and Riku.

No response.

Donald and Goofy look around, and Donald spots a man in a black coat holding a box.

“Who’s there?” Donald shouts.

The man in the coat Corridors away, leaving the box in midair.

When the camera cuts to a new angle, it’s on the ground at Donald’s feet, without having moved at all.

“What’s this?” Donald questions as he picks up and inspects the box.

“Are you sure you wanna open…” Goofy’s caution is interrupted by Donald opening the box, finding a stick of sea-salt ice cream and a photograph of Roxas, Hayner, Pence, and Olette posing in front of the Old Mansion, “that?”

Donald takes the photo out of the box and hands it to Sora.

“Gawrsh, it’s the gang from Twilight Town,” Goofy remarks, “There’s Hayner, Pence, Olette… and uh, uhm…”

“Roxas,” Sora completes.

“You know him?” Donald asks.

“No…” Sora answers, “The name just popped into my head… This is Roxas.”

“Are you sure you wanna eat…” Goofy’s caution is cut off by Donald biting into the ice cream, “that?”

Donald flinches.

“Salty… no… Sweet!”

The ice cream glows and floats into the air, producing the gateway for this space SDG have found themselves in, producing the bright light Leon and Cloud saw.

“Not yet!” Sora protests, “I gotta look for Kairi!”

Fade to black as we cut back to the Gummi Ship.

The Ice Cream and Picture are added to your Key Items.

With that, the darkness covering Hollow Bastion is gone!

Goofy wonders if the photo and ice cream are a clue.

And if they are, who left it for them to find.

Sora suggests it might’ve been Riku.

Donald remarks that they’re “almost there”, and Sora asks what they should do if the Heartless are back, since he can’t use his Keyblade without helping the Organization.

Goofy reminds him that they kinda HAVE to use the Keyblade, because the alternative is letting the Heartless eat people.

There are new episodes added to the Land of Dragons, Beast’s Castle, Olympus Coliseum, and Port Royal.

Agrabah, Halloween Town, and the Pride Lands have vanished and won’t return until you clear all the new episodes.

Additionally, the Battle Levels in all available worlds have been raised, thanks to the Organization flooding the worlds with stronger Heartless.

Neoshadows and Nobodies will now start to appear as regular enemies. (Don’t worry though, the Neoshadows in this game are nowhere NEAR as difficult as the Neoshadows in KH1 were.)

For now though, lets head back to Hollow Bastion.

Going back to the Postern will reveal the Gullwings are present as NPC’s.

If you talk to Rikku, you’ll see she’s being herself.

If you talk to Payne, she’ll tell Rikku to stop singing.

If you talk to Yuna, you get one more cutscene (which I thought you couldn’t get until later).

“Liars!” she accuses.

“Wha-” Sora remarks.

“Leon doesn’t have any treasure!” Rikku complains.

“And we fought for you guys,” Payne deadpans.

“Donald…?” Goofy prompts.

“Well, I had to tell them something!” Donald weakly defends.

“I don’t see how we’re going to work this out,” Yuna explains.

The Gullwings discuss amongst themselves.

“We’re just going to take YOUR treasure,” Yuna decides.

“But we don’t have anything!” Sora protests.

“You sure?” Payne presses.

“Hmm… let’s take a look!” Rikku states as she inspects Sora.

She then checks out Donald.

“Ooh!” she remarks as she inspects Goofy.

She whispers about her findings in Yuna’s ear.

“Okay, we’ve decided!” Yuna declares, “The Gullwings are taking all your items!”

“You gotta be kidding me!” Sora protests.

“Oh, foofie,” Yuna remarks.

“This stinks!” Rikku complains.

“So not cool…” Payne comments.

“Look, sorry we tricked you,” Sora apologizes, “but…”

“Forget about it,” Payne interrupts, “Leon told us the whole story. He said your journey’s been pretty rough.”

“So it wouldn’t really be right to take your things,” Yuna explains.

“We’ll root for you!” Rikku promises, “Here, this is from us!”

She summons a large treasure chest.

“Bye! Good luck on your journey!” Yuna bids, before the Gullwings strike their version of the Charlie’s Angles pose and sparkle away, having done their job of promoting Final Fantasy X-2’s then-recent release.

The Treasure Chest Rikku summoned holds the Gull Wing Keyblade (+2 Attack, +3 Magic, Experience Boost: doubles experience earned from defeating enemies when below 50% HP).

And with that, all that’s currently left to do in Hollow Bastion is putting that Torn Page back in Pooh’s Book.

See you then!

(Credit to KH Wiki and Mudarrow, as always.)

-

GOD THE PLOT

Axel being questionable as FUCK honey please!

Fuckin Xehanort I know enough about this binch and also that everyone’s fcuking Xehanort at some point

tbh maybe it lasts longer in-game compared to the recap but I feel like Goofy’s ‘death’ should’ve lasted a touch longer ya know?

[nazukisser]

➺✧ ┅ CHAPTER 00 | PROLOGUE

SYNOPSIS | "Duke, will you marry me?" You never thought you'd be saying these words until now, when you've realized you've been reincarnated as the first side character to be killed in a series of tragedies in a novel series called "Trails of Misfortune & Misery". As a lady forced into an arranged marriage with the greedy son of Duke Drakos who aims to use your power as a sorceress to gain the Emperor's favor and is eventually is killed as a sacrifice for his schemes, it seems the only one who can truly assist you is the Duke of Suou, Tsukasa Suou.

WARNINGS | mentions of: arranged marriage, death, reincarnations, abusive relationship, double standards for genders

PAIRING | Suou Tsukasa x fem!reader

LINKS | series masterlist | taglist form | next chapter

As the musicians played their compositions, nobles’ shoes tapped on the dance floor, and chatter echoed through the palace walls, there was but one thought on everyone’s mind: which of the heirs to the current dukedoms would be favored by His Majesty today? Some believed it was obvious; one had already recently ascended to the dukedom, but others believed in the rapid growth of the other’s reputation as the Crystalline Summoner- the greatest summoner of the century.

Those were the two in question: Duke Suou, Tsukasa Suou, and the son of Duke Drakos, Erebus Drakos. It was perhaps both a blessing and a curse that both would be attending the Royal Ball today, the one held in celebration of the Nation’s founding. Although, if one of them were unable to, it would be quite the shame. It was an opportunity for everyone, and usually not including them, but that would be changed today, for Duke Suou. 

You’d missed your chance earlier to see him; as always, he was surrounded by nobles, who attempted to form a relationship with him. After all, if one could receive the favor of one of the most noble of all families in the Empire, their standing would rise substantially. It was only natural. Perhaps you felt bad; the amount of marriage offers from fathers about their daughters to such figures were more than anyone else could imagine, and having to even sort them out would be quite the hassle.

If there was one thing that all the noble ladies gossiped about these days, it was about Duke Suou. He was young, handsome, and dreamy- just like that, all of high society was swept away. He had been popular as a child as well, but as soon as he had ascended to the dukedom, you could only imagine the number of marriage offers doubling, tripling in the mail. 

You wanted to believe that you were different from the rest of them. Actually, you knew that you were, but it was quite the wonder if he would catch on before he refused. He was quick to do so, much to many’s dismay- but it couldn’t be helped; after all, if that many were after you, it was tiring. Promises of love, those were fickle- you would’ve thought it was a lost cause if you didn’t have something else to offer.

The moon shone brightly tonight, and you hoped that he would be there in the gardens. It was a beautiful time to see the flowers- red camellias, those were quite popular these days. The palace had been decorated with such flowers for the recent birthday of Duchess Suou, and the garden could absolutely not be excluded. Bushes of camellias lined up to create the image of various flowers. They were most probably her favorite, her son’s as well. 

You hoped to meet him out here; perhaps he could be seen strolling in such an area. After all, if he liked such a flower, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume that he’d see it himself. As you walked through the gardens, you noticed that there were few people to be seen, perhaps having a moment that you felt you probably shouldn’t be aware of. Nonetheless, you kept your eyes out for Duke Suou. You would need him today. 

You wandered throughout the perimeter of the insides of the palace, within the confines of the party, from entrance to entrance, one window after another. After clicks and clicks of the heels of your shoes, countless times, you released a breath as you saw the Duke exit the hall and enter the garden. Today, you were going to propose something he’d heard dozens- no, hundreds- of times in his life, all of which had been none of his gain and all of theirs. Today, you were going to make it clear that it would be his gain, as well as yours. Today, you were going to mark yourself as different. 

The shoes were old but its clicks on the stone pathway were familiar, as you made no haste in approaching him. It was all too often that the noblewomen ran and tripped on their long dresses to greet him, and even then, it was a sign of nervousness. There shouldn’t be any nervousness. After all, you had the upper hand. As you approached him, you kept your chin up. It was important to do your best at times like these. After all, your life was on the line, though nobody else knew that.

He seemed spaced out, and he had failed to notice you before you had already approached him. His purple eyes shone brightly in the moonlight, and perhaps you understood all of the hype around him; he had a regal aura to him, dependable and strong, just like the rumors had said- an aura that could save your life. You swallowed one last time. You looked up at him, straight in the eyes.

“Duke, will you marry me?” 

WORD COUNT | 830 words

NOTES FROM QIAN | hi this series is extremely self indulgent. if you would like to join the taglist, please fill out this form, thank you!

series masterlist | taglist form | next chapter

[goblinbugthing]

Gentle Angel — Metagala Oneshot

The air was cool and breezy, typical of winter in southwestern Dreamland. A large group of people were gathered around a giant Christmas tree, right in the center of the Cappy Village plaza. There were Waddle Dees, Cappies, and friends from many different planets, ranging from Earthfall to Halcandra — his royal majesty King Dedede was there as well, along with his subordinates.

Hundreds of gifts were stacked up around the tree’s base, lit up with shimmering glittery ornaments and bright Christmas lights and other such decorations. The atmosphere was full of joy, happiness, and Christmas cheer.

Before they knew it, it was time to open all the gifts. Everyone got what was gifted to them; toys, tools, clothes, snacks, among many other things. Kirby could barely hold himself together. He loved getting gifts from his friends and family, especially from Meta Knight and Galacta Knight, and this year, they got a bunch for him!

As the others had finished opening their presents, the only ones left were for those living at Castle Dedede. Fumu and Bun went to grab theirs, Kirby got his, Meta and Galacta gave their gifts to each other, and Dedede decided he would open his last. For the moment, he sat back and simply watched the villagers enjoy their Christmas afternoon. Bandana Dee stood by his side, and conversed with him casually.

Fumu got art supplies for the most part, as well as a calligraphy set, and various other things. But got an electric guitar, an amplifier, a skateboard, and many other little trinkets. They loved their gifts from the bottom of their hearts. They thanked the givers, and continued on doing their own things, conversing with friends, and using their new items.

Kirby opened his gifts quickly. One of his favourite things about Christmas was ripping off the wrapping paper and unboxing his presents. He absolutely adored surprises. The first two gifts was from Fumu — she got them a large tin of butter cookies, and a hand-sewn sweater. They put it on immediately, thanking her profusely. The next two were from Bun — he got them a ton of candy from the local sweets shop, and a duo set of action figures so they could play together. They thanked him, hugging him, and even gave some of his snacks to him!

From Dedede, he got food and toys. From Bandana Dee, he got food, toys, and a spear. From Hano, he got food, toys, art supplies, and a full set of armour! From Meta Knight, he got food, toys, custom hand-made clothes, and a pastel-pink-and-gold sword! From Galacta Knight, he got food, an old white-and-gold Dimensional Cape (that Galacta apparently used to own himself), and an alarming amount of weapons, ranging from simple hammers to actual firearms. Meta Knight was… very concerned, to say the least.

Now it was time for Meta and Galacta to open their gifts to each other. It took a bit of convincing, but Meta eventually decided to open his first. “Go on, open ‘em up, Candy!” Galacta said, seeming impatient. Meta chuckled at his behaviour, and opened the first gift. It was a golden chain necklace with multicoloured gems, jewels, and crystals attached to it. “Wow. This is… gorgeous. Where did you get this?” he asked, holding the jewelry in his clawed hands. “Used to be mine,” Galacta responded with a bright smile. “It doesn’t really fit my style anymore, and I figured you’d like it, so I gave it to you. Same for this one.” He handed Meta another present. It was smaller in size. He opened it carefully, making sure not to tear the black-and-gold wrapping paper. It was a bracelet of similar composition.

“They used to go together,” Galacta said, gently taking hold of Meta’s hand. “Put them on. They’d look good on ya.” His expression was soft and full of love. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he was this happy; it must’ve been eons ago.

Meta did as his lover requested, and put on the golden jewelry. He was very correct, it seems — he looked absolutely stunning. Galacta’s smile only grew wider. “I was right,” he said. “Fits you better than they did me.” Meta shook his head. “They’d look just as wonderful on you, Angel,” he said before picking up the last gift Galacta got him. It was a great bit larger than the others. “Goodness, that is quite a size difference.”

“That’s what—“

“Hush.”

Meta crouched down and laid the gift horizontally on the ground, gently peeling off the tape that held the paper together. After removing the wrapping paper, he opened the box in which he presumed the gift was contained. He used his claw to slice through the tape, and unfolded the cardboard flaps, pulling out the present.

It was a guitar case.

“Woah.”

Galacta smiled wider.

“You— no way. You got me— you— Angel, you got me a new guitar?” Meta said, genuinely surprised. Galacta nodded. “Yep,” he said. “Had enough extra cash to buy it for ya. I also made you a custom pick, I put it in one of the pockets.” Meta stood up and pulled Galacta into a hug. “Thank you so much Angel! God, I’ve been wanting one of these, but I don’t get paid enough to fund both my caffeine addiction and a guitar… thank you so much, again!” Galacta hugged him back. “No problem, Candy.”

Meta pulled away. “Now it’s time for you to open your presents, doll.” Galacta turned his head, flustered by the nickname. “‘Doll’?” he echoed. Had he not had any fur, his blush would’ve been very visible. “What, do you not like it?” Meta asked. “I won’t call you that if it makes you uncomfortable—“

Galacta interrupted him before he could finish his nervous rambles. “No, it’s fine. I just didn’t expect that. You can keep calling me ‘doll’. It’s sweet,” he said, grinning happily. “Anyway, the gifts. Which one first?”

“I don’t mind,” Meta responded, pulling his coat up on his face a bit higher in order to warm up. “Any one you want.” Galacta shrugged and turned to the three gift boxes. He decided to open the largest one first.

He pulled the box out from underneath the other two. It was rectangular in shape, wrapped in red wrapping paper highlighted with gold and silver. A multicoloured gold-and-black bow was stuck on the top left corner. Galacta pulled it off, looking at it for a few moments before sticking it on Meta’s exposed forehead. “Oh my god, best gift ever! A hot boyfriend!” he joked, and Meta laughed in response. “You’re such a dork,” he said through chuckles. “No you,” Galacta responded with a smile before turning back to the present.

He kneeled down, and adjusted the gift’s position so that it was upright. He haphazardly pulled the tape off, accidentally ripping the paper in the process, but he didn’t necessarily care. He continued opening the gift until the box was revealed. It was platinum white, with a few hand-painted designs of the front, seeming to resemble snowflakes and stars. There was some text too, and to his surprise, Galacta could actually read it. It was written in the standard Galactic alphabet.

“Merry Christmas, my Angel. I love you,” it read, in shockingly neat handwriting.

“Candy, did you write that?” he asked. Meta nodded. “Yep. My Mama taught me how to write in standard Galactic.” Galacta looked back and forth between Meta and the gift box with a huge, dopey smile on his face. “Oh my lord, I love you so much.”

After a moment, he cut through the tape with his claw and opened the box, revealing… fabric?

It seemed to be some sort of clothing, mostly black with silver and golden stitching. He lifted the cloth and unfolded it, revealing it to be a jacket. It was lined with silky gold on the edges, with embroidered stars falling from the shoulder seam in shades of gold and silver. The buttons mimicked each phase of the moon. “Oh, this is so cool,” Galacta said, admiring the work. “I made it myself,” Meta spoke up. “All hand-sewn. I also made the buttons.” Galacta looked at him, eyes shimmering. “You made all of this by yourself? Candy. Oh my lord, you are the best.”

Meta smiled. “There’s more, Angel,” he said, gesturing to the now opened box which still had items inside. Galacta looked back at it, folding the jacket and setting it onto the box Meta’s guitar came in. He took the next item, letting it fall unfolded.

It was a long lace-sleeved turtleneck shirt, completely black aside from embroidered silver-and-gold stars and roses, as well as a bleach-painted drawing of a full moon on the front, and a new moon painted on the back. Galacta was awestruck, and his jaw dropped in amazement. He whispered something in a different language, presumably Galactic, before speaking directly to Meta. “Candy, this is incredible. Did you make this too?” he asked, still admiring the artistry. “Mhmm. All of these gifts are hand-made by me. It’s Draconic tradition — giving loved ones presents made by hand. I’m sure you’re aware.”

Galacta chuckled, completely at a loss for words. Meta knew full well that he loved it — he didn’t even need to say anything much. His expressions told him everything.

He set down the shirt on top of his jacket and pulled out the last thing from the box. It was a pair of pants, composed similarly to the jacket. The cuffs and waistline had silky gold lining, and stars and roses were embroidered, falling from the waistline and growing from the cuffs. The midnight black fabric was soft and warm, perfect for the winters of Dreamland. “Awesome,” he said, standing up and twisting the pants around in his grasp, studying the back, which perfectly mirrored the front, save for two roses embroidered in gold on the back pockets.

He folded the item back up and set it down with the rest of the outfit, then hugging Meta. “Thank you, Candy. This means a lot.” He hugged him back, kissing his cheek before responding. “You’re welcome, Angel. Remember, though, you still have two more gifts.” Galacta suddenly pulled away. “Oh, right!” he exclaimed, walking back to the two remaining boxes. He went straight for the second largest, moving the small box off of its top. He sliced through the top of the wrapping paper with his claw, no longer caring if he ripped it or not. It didn’t really matter, anyway.

He opened the box containing the gift, and found various different accessories. 10 bracelets, 10 necklaces, 4 belts, 10 sets of earrings, 15 keychains… multiple little additions to his outfits. “Oh. My. Lord. Candy, you have outdone yourself completely,” he said, lifting a couple bracelets out of the box and putting them on. “You made all of these completely by yourself? You’re crazy, babe.” “No, not completely on my own,” Meta said, folding his arms inside his coat. “Mama helped me out. She is the blacksmith, after all.” Galacta hummed and nodded. “Ah, alright. Now it’s time for the last one… this tiny li’l’ thing.” He picked up the final, smaller box. It fit perfectly in his hand. He turned it around slightly, looking at the bottom so he could pull the tape away, revealing the present.

It was a black velvet box, with a golden rose on the lid. “Oh.” Galacta moved to hold it in both hands. “That’s a bit… underwhelming. It’s pretty, though.” Meta shook his head. “No, no, look inside,” he spoke with a light chuckle. The warrior looked back at the small box, contemplating for a second, and attempted to open it.

…

It didn’t budge.

“Uh.” He tried again. Still, it didn’t open. “Candy, it’s not opening.”

Meta sighed quietly, ending it in a soft giggle. “Hold on, give it to me,” he said, walking up to him and reaching out to take the box. Galacta reluctantly handed it over, and Meta positioned his hands so that his right was holding the bottom of the box, and his left was pinching the lid between his index and thumb. “You have to squeeze the sides, like this,” he explained kindly, doing as he instructed.

He opened the box slowly, and seemingly out of nowhere, he crouched down.

“Huh?”

The small box opened to reveal a velvety red inside, with something small and shiny placed carefully in the center.

It was a ring.

The body of it was silver and braided, with small diamonds adorning it. On the very top was a small, purple-black stone of obsidian.

Galacta was speechless.

All surrounding citizens went silent

“Galacta Knight,” Meta began.

“You have been here on Popstar for over a year. For eight months, we have been together, as romantic partners. It hasn’t been exactly long, but still — every time I see you, I fall more in love with you. You, my gentle angel, mean the world to me — no, the entire galaxy. I love you more than the night sky, a blue moon, the dawn sunrise. I love you more than anything. Therefore, I ask you…

Will you be mine, by my side, for the rest of eternity in marriage?”

Galacta didn’t say anything for a while. He was surprised. He did not expect this in the slightest. A proposal? This was the last thing he expected from today. In fact, he never thought he’d ever marry again! He figured that, even after the crystallization wore off, he would never even find someone to love him.

And yet, here he was, standing in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, with his lover of eight months crouched down in front of him, ring box in his hand.

In truth, it took him a bit to properly register what was happening. But even when he finally did, he could only say one word.

“Yes.”

Applause and cheers erupted from the crowd, and Meta stood, letting Galacta fall into his embrace. He couldn’t remember the last time he was happy; it was likely before his crystallization. He didn’t want to let go, but he did, so his love could put the ring on his finger.

It was a perfect fit, and it looked absolutely wonderful with the rest of his outfit.

The two went right back into each other’s arms, and the surrounding citizens clapped and shouted, congratulating the soon-to-be married couple.

Kirby, Fumu, Bun, Memu, Parm, Bandana Dee, all of the Halberd crew, and even King Dedede himself were clapping up a storm. Everyone was cheering for the couple as the sun slowly began to set, making a truly beautiful scene.

This was truly the best Christmas of all.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone! Especially my fellow metagala enthusiasts :}

I hope you have a good day today. See ya next time I decide to binge reblog!! :} :D :} :D

[crystalflygeo]

Introducing my teams Pt1 - Mono Geo

disclaimer: I build my teams mostly based of a certain thematic and just for fun, they are not fully "meta" oriented and while I'm sure they can be improved upon I'm generally happy with the compositions.

Zhongli - Main DPS/Burst DPS Geo!Traveler - Sub DPS/Burst DPS Gorou - Support Ningguang - Burst DPS

"Whaaat a team made out of 3 burst DPS???" yes. Listen I am aware Gorou doesn't really shine here but I love him and maybe if I get Albedo one day he'll replace Gorou or Ningg but for now this is it.

The deal with this team is quick constant heavy damage. Geo doesn't have offensive reactions but I noticed early on when I started playing that Zhongli's stone steele resonance does constant passive damage and lemme tell you I. LOVE. THAT. Much later on I learned that what I was doing is an actual strategy called the "microwave comp" Rotation usually goes Zhongli E -> Lumine Q -> Lumine Ex2 -> Gorou E/Q -> Zhongli Q -> Ningguang E -> Ningguang Q -> Go wild with Zhongli on field

My pride and joy. This is a hybrid Zhongli build and the one I use the most when coop-ing and stuff. Yes he is my main DPS and stays on field as much as possible while also working fairly well on his own. Sure Vortex is not optimal weapon but THE DRIP <3 2pc AP/ 2pc Glad HP/Geo/Crit dmg to get as much offensive power as possible with the sands main stat balancing VV being an Atk stick. Golden majesty only works on the user so it's a good thing he's my main DPS eh? I can usually get all stacks fairly simple. His crit rate may be a little low but that's where Lumi comes in, and when his burst does crit it does a pretty decent 100k+ dmg I am also incredibly proud of his resonance dmg sitting at a respectable 6k-8k per tick.

"Geo traveler is the worst traveler element" Ok but hear me out: There is a limit of max 3 geo constructs on field at any time EXCEPT traveler's burst that somehow doesn't count while also counting as 4 individual pieces.... so in short I can place Zhongli's pilar, Lumine's burst and two of her starfall swords and suddenly I have 7 geo constructs on field doing intermittent constant dmg at 6-8k dmg per tick each and isn't that just beautiful? again 2pc AP/ 2pc Glad Atk/Geo/Crit dmg to get that offensive power. Sac sword not only so she's the team's battery but also for the Composed passive allowing me to place 2 starfell sword right away. Lumine's burst wake of earth has the added bonus that every character inside it's radius will get a boosted crit rate so she helps the team as it is in my best interest to keep enemies within the geo resonance warzone lmao. Her starfell swords do a solid 20k+ dmg upon placement.

Sadly the weak link of the team for now. He would benefit the team much better if he was C6 but alas... his job is to buff the team with that sweet geo dmg and atk bonus 4pc Noblesse Def/Def/Def simply bc his bursts scales off of it and to get that buff after each character uses their burst which is... all the time . Fading twilight for ER (not that this team doesn't have enough already) not much else to say he's a quick EQ switch.

Ningg doesn't stay much on the field but she hits HARD. The trickiest part comes from placing her Jade screen without disrupting the other geo constructs or have it break but it's usually a place and burst ordeal. Good for aerial or elemental only dmg being a catalyst. 2pc AP/2pc Glad Atk/Geo/Crit rt because she's a DPS of course, likewise skywards atlas for raw power. Each gem projectile does a solid 9k dmg or so, can't complain. Also, going through her jade screen can be another buff for Zhongli sometimes, just saying.

That is quite a lot of geo res sir...

The first ever team I built, I love them so much <3 Praying every day for those Gorou consts and maybe one day I'll swap Lumine's sac sword for the Summit shaper just for the drip, after all I do have C3 Zhongli... Also did you notice all 4 have Masks of Solitude Basalt? That's their signature ehe <3