#WE CAN WRITE HUNTER BEING SLOWLY DRAGGED INTO GETTING ADOPTED AS FAMILY

[drabbles-of-writing]

Frothing at the mouth okay everyone I’m mostly speaking to myself but we need to put the Caleb and Golden Guards down for two seconds because oh jesus christ on a cracker do you understand how much content we can write now. In just two forty-five minute episodes do you understand how much we could create.

Look at the first ten minutes of Thanks to Them. Look at literally everything that happened off-screen in For the Future. Do you understand. This is not a tragedy but a silver platter of unfathomable proportions of writing material. We never got to see all those episodes of the kids learning to adjust to the human realm. We never got to see all those episodes of the Boiling Isles crumbling apart and people getting turned into puppets. I’m 95% certain we were never supposed to know the full story behind Caleb or the Guards, and so there’s physically nothing to miss. What could we possibly write, knowing the creators likely never had the intention of it being written in the first place?

But everything else? Oh baby that’s a GOLDMINE of content right there. There is no canon, therefore we can craft it with our own two hands. Do you see it. Everything we ever wanted the kids to do in the human realm, we can now create it, and canon cannot tell us it didn’t happen like that. Everything we thought would happen in the demon realm we can create, because canon cannot tell us it didn’t. We can write what didn’t get the chance to be completed. We can shape it. We can literally make our own canon. I’m going to start biting the wall

[l-lend]

Can you please write a Family-themed Nightmare prompt please, between Omega, Jek and Shaeeah? Needing Comfort Prompts 13 and 35.

(Also I'd love it if you included Jek or Shaeeah (Your choice) reference that Omega has basically adopted Jek and Shaeeah as her younger siblings.)

This one was interesting and I tackled one of the prompts, but I hope you'll enjoy my take on this scenario

Warning(s): kids in danger (no kids were harmed in the writing of this piece), angst, nightmares, comfort

Prompt: "Thank you for being here."

@locitapurplepink, @burningfieldof-clover, @writing-positivelyexisting, @rain-on-kamino

Foliage whipped against them as a pair of children scrambled deeper into a forest. The older of the pair dragging the younger by the hand. Her grip turning her knuckles white.

“We need to keep moving,” She breathed out in shallow huffs.

The cover of night pierced by search lights as muffled shouts called out to each other. Their voices drowned out by the hammering in her chest. Her heart urging her onward, incessantly pleading for her to flee. Her brain only registering three tasks: flee, protect, get help.

“Havoc - 4....this is Havoc - 5.”

Silence.

“Havoc - 3...Havoc - 5.”

The comm link remained quiet as the pair ducked into an alcove.

“What're we-”

Omega clapped a hand over the young twi'lek's mouth. A finger to her lips as she tried in vain to ease her sprinting heart heart. Her fingers shakily pressing the comm link's transmission button.

“Havoc - 2, this is Havoc - 5. How copy?”

She stared at her comm link as if to coax out a reply.

“Omega,” She looked to the twi'lek, the despair evident on his face, “I don't think they're coming.”

She pressed the transmission button again.

“Havoc - 1.....Havoc Actual.....H-Hunter..?”

Her teether dug into her lower lip to halt the break in her voice.

The snap of a twig drew her attention back to the tree line. The pair of children froze.

“Jek,” She whispered, “when I say so...run.”

No sooner had the words left her lips that he darted out from the alcove. Her heart in her throat choking any warning she could utter. The sound of blaster fire rang out.

Darkness met her vision as she bolted upright. Panic seizing her as she tried to untangle her blanket from her form. Her eyes darted to the entry way to her room at the sound of footfalls ascending the rungs. Her hand curling around her energy bow as a gloved hand reached inside to part the curtain.

The young clone's stance only relaxing when her eyes met a tattooed face. She exhaled a breath she did not even remember holding.

“You okay?”

She slowly nodded, bringing her knees to her chest.

The sergeant studied her for a moment. Her breathing appeared to be leveling out. He sighed.

“I'll be down here if you need anything.”

He soon began his retreat.

“Hunter?”

He paused, the curtain nearly separating them.

“Do they ever get better?”

He was quiet, weighing his words.

“Sometimes. But they don't ever go away.”

His gaze met hers, “We still get em,” the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile, “but that means we still have something worth fighting for.”

Omega held herself closer as Hunter slowly let the curtain drop.

“Thank you,” She whispered, “for being here.”

[goingmorry]

Hellooo I love your writing soooo much >>•<<

Could you please write headcanons of ASL sister introducing Smoker as her fiancé ? Thank you so much !

[One Piece Headcanons] ASL Brothers -> when you introduce Smoker as your fiancé

Characters: Ace, Sabo, Luffy, Smoker

Tags: female reader, overprotective brothers

Author's Note: Thank you for the cute request! I got carried away and added short scenarios for each brother's reaction and a little extra at the end. I hope you like it! 💖

PORTGAS D. ACE

Goes from 😯 to 😡 to 🤬

Ace.exe has stopped working.

He's the 2nd Division Commander of the esteemed Whitebeard Pirates; who in their right mind would think it would be a good idea for him — the son of the late Pirate King — to meet a Marine Vice-Admiral?

Cue war flashbacks of when Garp showered him, Luffy, and Sabo with his "fists of love" for sharing their childhood dreams of becoming pirates.

Goes through all seven stages of grief and complains to Sabo every single time.

Threatens Smoker every chance he gets. The Marine Vice-Admiral repays in kind when you're not around.

Doesn't warm up to the idea of you and Smoker as a couple except on your wedding day.

"Behave yourself," you whisper to your fiancé, soft hands tightly gripping his muscular bicep in warning.

"I'm on my best behavior. It's your brother who needs to behave," Smoker says bluntly, brown eyes observing the freckled pirate's reaction to you and your beau's interlocked arms.

Ace stares, and stares, and stares — at his little sister and the familiar white-haired man he encountered early on during his journey to Alabasta — dumbfounded at the scene before him.

"Fire Fist," the Marine Vice-Admiral calls out, breaking him from his reverie.

"You—" Ace yells, flames erupting from the tips of his fingers to rapidly engulf his entire first.

Before your fiancé can return your fiery brother's sudden display of aggression, you step in between their bodies, eyes alight with fury.

"Stop it!" you scold Ace, extending your pointer finger and thumb to pinch his ear in retaliation.

He frowns at you, but obliges, flames extinguishing from his curled fist. "We need to talk. Now."

Not waiting for your response, Ace saunters off toward his bedroom at the other end of the hallway, posture stiff and robotic. To anyone, outsider or not, it was evident from Ace's appearance and demeanor that the usually friendly pirate was clearly not in a good mood.

"Just wait here. I won't be long," you say to Smoker before dashing off in pursuit of your freckled brother.

When you close the door to his bedroom, Ace begins his tirade, arms crossed against his bare chest as he faces your more petite frame.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

You look at him in bewilderment but don't say a word, waiting for him to elaborate.

"Him! That—that big oaf! There are millions of men in this world! And it has to be him? I don't approve!" Ace doesn't stop himself from frantically gesturing at the closed door — the only piece of barrier, aside from him, of course — separating you from your fiancé.

You frown at Ace's insult, adopting a defensive stance. "Don't call him that! And I don't need your permission, you know. Why are you acting like this?"

"You're my little sister! Of course, I'm concerned!" Ace adjusts himself from the desk he was leaning on. "Do you know what he's done to Luffy?"

You shakily exhale at his accusatory tone. "I know! We've talked about this. He's promised to look the other way when it comes to our family."

"And you believe him?"

"Of course, I do! He hasn't given me any reason to doubt him."

"He's not exactly husband material," Ace interjects, to which you roll your eyes. At this point, it was apparent to you that your big brother was grasping at straws, finding reasons — however shallow they may be — to make you reconsider this marriage.

"He dresses better than you, that's for sure," you say childishly.

Ace's eyebrows furrow, taking great offense to your statement. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"Have you seen yourself? You're always strutting around like you own the place. Shirtless and all," you comment, scrunching up your nose in disgust. "Have some common decency at least."

"He's not wearing a shirt either!" Ace says indignantly.

"No, but he has a jacket—"

"That he leaves open all the time, which basically makes it useless," Ace argues, "Why bother if you're not even gonna wear it properly?"

"Argh, forget it. I don't want to talk about this anymore," you say, burying your face in your hands.

Ace takes the hint, feeling guilty as he walks over to your defeated form to rub circles on your back slowly.

A truce, for now.

- - - - - - - - - -

Sometime later, when you return from Ace's bedroom, you find your fiancé calmly sitting on the corner of the couch. Without a word, you plop down beside him and rest your head on the crook of his shoulder.

Smoker takes a deep drag of his cigars, observing your distraught appearance and the lack of a certain cowboy-hat-wearing pirate. "Well, that went well."

SABO

Goes from 😟 to 😩 to 😭

Dies a little bit on the inside.

His precious little sister finally finds love, and who's her betrothed? The infamous White Hunter himself.

He expected this behavior from Ace, but you?

Discreetly pulls you aside to express his disapproval.

Learns to cope and eventually warms up to your relationship with the Marine. How can he not when you look so happy?

De-escalates arguments between Ace and your lover every single time.

"Sabo!" You pull your big brother into an embrace which he reciprocates.

When the blond Revolutionary notices the white-haired man standing behind you, he stiffens, gloved hand reaching behind his back to clasp his metal pipe.

Noticing your older brother's sudden alertness, you nudge his side in reassurance. "This is the fiancé I've been telling you about."

Sabo quickly puts two and two together. All those conversations you've had with him, and not once did you mention that you were engaged to an officer of the Marines. And not just any Marine officer, you were engaged to the Commander of the notorious G-5 base.

In an effort to remain composed, Sabo forces a half-hearted smile — appearing more like a grimace really, but an action you appreciated nonetheless - and extends his right arm to your fiancé for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you."

Ignoring the daggers you were glaring at the side of his face, Smoker hesitantly grips the blond Revolutionary's hand. "Pleasure," he grunts out, letting out a puff of white smoke from his cigars.

For a moment, the two men clasp at each other's hand in a show of fake camaraderie.

Choosing to ignore the growing tension thick in the air, you clap your hands together in mock enthusiasm.

"Great! Let's meet the rest of the family, shall we?"

MONKEY D. LUFFY

Goes from 😁 to 😊 to 🥳

The only one who's okay with your relationship with Smoker.

He's survived having Garp, the Hero of the Marines, as his grandfather; he can certainly handle an additional Marine in the family.

Gets along with your fiancé the best, though Smoker himself denies this.

"Woah, what's Smokey doing here?" Luffy says in awe, looking back and forth between you and the Marine.

You tap your feet in nervousness, gesturing between Smoker and your youngest brother.

"Luffy, this is my fiancé. Smoker, this is my little brother."

"I know who Straw Hat Luffy is," Smoker says impatiently, barely glancing at the pirate standing a few feet in front of him.

"You haven't been formally introduced to each other, have you?" you say indignantly, hips cocked to one side as you stare at your fiancé's tepid behavior.

"In a normal setting, I mean," you clarify, "You chasing him and his crew does NOT count."

Smoker shrugs at your accusation, and you sigh.

Luffy laughs at your scolding, looking up at the Marine. "It's okay. I meant what I said in Alabasta. I don't hate you, y'know?"

You smile at your little brother's statement. You could always count on Luffy to be accepting of your partner, whoever they may be. Also, he wasn't the type to dwell on the past, preferring instead to live in the moment. And that moment was your engagement to the Marine Vice-Admiral, the same man who used to hunt Luffy and his crew throughout the Grand Line for being wanted criminals.

'Tsk' is all Smoker says to the straw hat pirate's proclamation, earning a disapproving pinch to his side from you.

"Be nice," you whisper harshly to your fiancé's ear.

The sound of your little brother's joyous laughter is enough for the normally serious Marine to let out a small smile.

BONUS BELOW LMAO

MONKEY D. GARP

Goes from 😌 to 🥰 to 🤗

T H R I L L E D that his grandson-in-law is a respectable Marine.

The epitome of Proud Father Figure™

Compares the ASL brothers to Smoker every chance he gets during family reunions.

"Y'hear that Luffy? Smoker just caught a band of no-good pirates terrorizing the local townsfolk." Luffy picks his nose in acknowledgment.

Garp points an accusatory finger at Ace. "You damn brat, why couldn't you listen to me and become a Marine like I told you to?"

Garp gives a disapproving glare to Sabo. "And you! Why'd you have to join the shady Revolutionaries and become a wanted criminal like my son?"

Garp proceeds to give the ASL brothers multiple rounds of his fists of love. Meanwhile, he smooches your forehead in happiness for finding a suitable husband.

You and Smoker live happily ever after. The end.

[destihellhound]

We Write Our Own Destiny

Canon-divergent ending to 15x19, ignoring 15x20. Also on AO3 | ff

Tagging @destielintheimpala because she’s my best friend and @ineffable-cas because I remember seeing them asking to be tagged in any fix-it fics.

"I won't be hands on," Jack told them. "Chuck put himself in the story - that was his mistake. But I learned from you and my mother and Castiel that when people have to be their best, they can be. And that's what to believe in. Well... I'm really as close as this," he said, placing a hand over his heart. Then he raised his hand in a stationary, dorky wave. "Goodbye."

"Wait!" Dean said, as Jack turned to walk away. "What about Cas? Chuck pulled Lucifer out of the Empty, you can save Cas!"

Jack raised his hands, palms outwards. "I'm hands-off, Dean."

"But it's Cas," Dean growled, taking a threatening step forwards. "We can't get to him there, and it's not like the Empty is just going to give him back if we ask nicely." When Jack didn't seem at all inclined to change his mind, he tried a different approach. "You owe me."

"Uh, Dean?" Sam said hesitantly. "Maybe not a good idea to piss off the new... Him."

"It's Jack, Sam," Dean said, glancing over his shoulder. "The kid who killed our mother." He turned on Jack. "You said you wanted to make it up to me? This is how you do that!"

"Dean, I—" Jack's eyes glazed over for a second as his attention seemed to be focused elsewhere. "She really does have a soft spot for you Dean," Jack told him before disappearing in a burst of divine light.

Dean stared at the space where Jack had stood, just a moment before. What the hell did that mean? Had Amara persuaded Jack to change his mind, or was he still against interfering?

"Hello, Dean."

Dean froze at the familiar voice, almost afraid to turn around. The last time he'd heard Castiel's voice, it had been Lucifer. He swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. What if it was just another trick?

"Hello, Sam."

"Hey, Cas," Sam said warmly, and his brother's voice was enough to have Dean turning.

Cas was smiling at Sam, though still visibly confused as to why he was back on Earth. When he turned to Dean, however, his smile faltered.

Dean wished he could say something, anything, to wipe that insecurity off Castiel's face because the angel was back where he belonged. He was always better with actions than words, however, so he strode up to Cas and wrapped his arms around him, hands clenching in that god-awful trench coat.

"Dean," Castiel began, unsurely.

"Later, Cas," Dean murmured in his ear. "Let's go home."

Dean felt like a great weight had been lifted from him as the angel hugged him back; a weight he hadn't even realised had been dragging him down.

"I'll make burgers. You love burgers."

"Everything tastes like molecules to me."

"Not the point," Dean said, leading them back to the car. "You are a part of this family, Cas - don't ever forget it."

"Hey, Dean?" Sam asked, a sudden thought striking him. "Do you think Adam... Michael was destroyed, but do you think Jack brought Adam back?"

"I hope so," Dean said. "That kid deserves to catch a break. We'll reach out, make sure everyone we know is back, and put out the word that we're looking for him."

"Okay."

As they got nearer the Impala, Dean saw Miracle sitting patiently beside the rear door.

"Oh, hell no..."

"Do you think he's got an owner around here?" Sam asked, looking around.

"We're not keeping the dog, Sam."

"You've changed your tune."

"That was different, okay?" He'd just lost Cas. "It was supposed to just be us, and then there was this little miracle and—"

Miracle barked, as if recognising his name.

Dean sighed. Looked at Sam. Ignored his brother's puppy-dog eyes. Looked at Cas. Took in the angel's hangdog expression.

"Oh, for..." He trailed off in defeat. "I am not feeding him. I am not walking him. And I am not vacuuming the hair out of Baby! That's your job," Dean told Sam. "And if you don't keep her clean, I will shoot you, and then I'll shoot Mir— the dog!" He turned to Miracle. "And you are not riding shotgun!" He got in the car and slammed the door.

"Do you want to ride up front?" Sam asked Cas, failing to hide his amusement at Dean's feigned dislike of their adopted four-legged friend.

The angel responded by getting in the backseat with the dog.

As they began the long drive back to the bunker, Sam texted Eileen. His relief at getting a response was nothing compared to the relief and joy that wiped years off his face when she answered his video call and he saw her face.

His relief echoed the feeling flooding through Dean for getting Cas back, and he glanced at the angel in his rearview mirror.

"I love you," Sam told Eileen, doubling down on his feelings by communicating them through ASL as well.

"I love you, too," she said.

"Get a room, you two," Dean teased them.

Sam called him a jerk as he dug his headphones out.

Dean didn't think Sam had said those three little words to anyone since Jess, and Dean himself had never said them; could never bring himself to say them. He glanced at Cas in the mirror again, chest constricting at the thought of losing Cas again. He'd lost him too many times, and was terrified that he'd lose him again.

Sam arranged for Eileen to meet them at the bunker, but in the end Dean volunteered to take a detour to her house so that Sam could ride home with her. Thankfully he took Miracle, too, and Cas moved into the front passenger seat.

"Is it later, yet?" he asked, once they were back on the road.

Dean swallowed. He had meant later, once they'd eaten and he'd had a chance to figure out what the hell he wanted to say. "I guess it is."

Cas sat there silently, minutes dragging by, until Dean realised the angel was waiting for him to speak. Cas had said everything he'd had to say before the Empty took him, and now it was Dean's turn.

"Look, uh, I've never... Guys aren't something that... If you know me, then you know that..."

"I am a multi-dimensional wavelength of celestial intent," Cas reminded Dean patiently. "It is the vessel that I am possessing that presents as male." He squinted. "I could take a female vessel, if that is something you would—"

"No!" Dean exclaimed quickly.

Cas swallowed. "It's not my vessel," he realised sadly. "It's that my feelings for you are not returned."

"Dude, that's not what I'm—" Dean trailed a hand down his face. "Losing you, it hurts. It hurts as much as losing Sam, only it's different, and I don't know what that means."

"I think," Cas began carefully, "it means that you love me. But you need to decide what kind of love it is that you're feeling. Familial, platonic, romantic..."

"What?"

"Do you love me as family, as a friend, or as a romantic partner? I loved you as a friend, then as family, and I grew to love you romantically - but I don't love you because I have a desire for sexual intimacy with you. As an angel that would be as disappointing as eating - merely experiencing the physical and hormonal sensations without feeling the accompanying pleasure. Though if that was something you desired I would be more than willing to oblige, but I don't see that as being something you would have an interest in. At least, not in this vessel. Yet you are unwilling for me to change vessels."

"It wouldn't be you, then."

"I would still be me, Dean."

"I know, I just mean..."

"You've gotten used to seeing me as Jimmy Novak."

Dean coughed. "Way to make it weird, Cas."

"All I want is to spend your life with you," Cas told him.

"You've always been welcome to do that, Cas. But you leave."

"Or you send me away."

Dean swallowed, knowing that Cas was thinking about his time as a human - when Gadreel, pretending to be Ezekiel, had insisted that Castiel could not be around him. "I'm sorry," Dean apologised. He'd apologised before, and would keep apologising. "You needed me, and I should have been there for you."

"You made the choice you did out of your love for Sam," Cas acknowledged. "And that love is one of the many reasons that I love you. I would settle for living your life with you as your friend, as family, if that was all you desired. But I hope for you to desire more."

Dean frowned. "I thought you said you didn't want sex?"

Cas stared at him for a long moment. "Commitment, Dean. A promise to spend your life with me, faithfully."

And Dean nearly drove the car off the road as he realised that 'commitment' meant no more one night stands, no more casual flings. He was such an idiot... But the more he mulled over the meaning of Castiel's words, the more he surprised himself to realise that he was okay with the idea. Sure, sex was pleasurable and fun, but without a meaningful, emotional connection to the other person involved it lacked something that always left him feeling physically satisfied but otherwise empty.

"Would you ever have told me how you felt?" he blurted out. "If you hadn't been trying to save me from Billie?"

"I don't think so," Cas admitted.

"Why not?"

Castiel stared out of the window, looking away from Dean. "Because to hear you tell me that my feelings were not returned, or worse, for you to ask me to leave, is something that would hurt too much."

"The Empty's definitely not coming back for you, right?"

"No, Dean. Our deal was fulfilled."

"Then say it again, Cas."

Castiel turned to him, slowly, with hope in his eyes. "I love you," he said quietly.

Dean shot Cas a meaningful look. "I know."

Hurt momentarily crossed Castiel's face, before realisation dawned and he beamed. "I understand that reference."

Dean laughed, and pressed his foot down on the accelerator.

"So, what now?" Sam asked, once they'd all pushed their plates aside, stuffed full on Dean's homemade burgers.

"Everything we've ever done has been because Chuck wanted it that way," Dean said. "From before we were even born, Heaven was manipulating Mom and Dad into a relationship. Hunting has been my life, but I don't want the job title to define me."

"Job title?" Sam echoed, amused.

"Yeah. 'Hunter' - I want to be more than that."

"Such as?"

"A teacher," Dean said. "I was thinking about it on the drive home - the next generation of hunters are growing up fast, and they need help just like Bobby helped us. And you were doing good, running that network of hunters from here. That could be our future - making our own way. Not hunters, or Men of Letters, but combining that into something that is ours. From now on, we write our own destiny."

Sam nodded thoughtfully.

"And I want to retire. At least partially. I want to live a life. I want to live my life. I want to be a brother," he said, looking at Sam. "Maybe even a brother-in-law?" he asked, giving Eileen a look that caused her to blush and Sam to kick him under the table. "And a... partner," he finished, looking at Cas. He wasn't sure what the right word was to describe what he wanted with Cas, but he had time to figure it out.

Sam cleared his throat. "You cooked, Eileen and I will clean up," he said, gesturing at their dirty plates. "Why don't you and Cas go, uh, watch some Netflix. And maybe chill." He chuckled to himself.

"Sure, that sounds like a great idea," Dean said, standing up and dragging Cas out of his chair. He failed to understand what Sam found so funny. "Maybe we can finish Game of Thrones - I hear that show had a terrible ending..."

[yeonchi]

Obscure Gems - Kingdom of Paradise

Aside from Dynasty Warriors, there was another game that influenced my childhood years. Americans may know it as Kingdom of Paradise, Europeans may know it as Key of Heaven, and Asians may know it as Tenchi no Mon (天地の門/天地之門).

This is a pretty old game as it was originally released in July 2005 with a sequel being released in October 2006. While the first game received a localisation, the second one, sadly, did not. As a result, while I have played both games, I have a better understanding of the first one than the second (despite me being able to extract the game’s texts from within the ISO, don’t ask how I managed to do it).

I remember when my family bought a PSP and my uncle had it downgraded (upgrading would have been better if you look at it from a present-day perspective) so we could play games from the Memory Stick. This, along with the first Dynasty Warriors PSP game, Lumines and Ape Escape On The Loose, were some of the first games that we got thanks to my uncle. I remember my dad was so obsessed with this game (and Lumines, besides not letting me play on it because school) that he would end up hogging it because he had to defeat the bosses, which were, in his eyes, hard to defeat. I did make another save for myself and after initially giving up when my first boss was too hard to fight, I eventually managed to clear the game altogether. Looking at gameplay videos of it now, I noticed that fighting the bosses was easier than I had thought, or maybe it’s because they got gud.

About the developers

This game was created by Climax Entertainment, who were also famous for the Runabout series, Steal Princess, Dinosaur King and Element Hunters. Sorry, who were those guys again? Oh wait, they’re a bunch of nobodies in today’s words.

Climax Entertainment was founded in April 1990, developing games for Sega consoles. In 1994, some members split and joined with former members of Telenet Japan to form Matrix Software, known for joining with other companies to create games, such as Square Enix for the Final Fantasy series.

Sadly, Climax Entertainment never grew significantly and they eventually fell off the grid by 2015. Apparently, by following an archived page from a source on their Wikipedia page, it was because the company went bankrupt. Oh well, let’s move on.

The game itself

The game is set on a fictitious feudal Chinese-inspired continent named Ouka, which is split into five territories ruled by each of the five clans, namely the Eastern Seiryu, Northern Genbu, Western Byakko, Southern Suzaku and Central Kirin. The main character is Shinbu, a former Seiryu disciple and aspiring swordsmaster who was expelled from his clan after learning their Chi Arts before his master thought he was ready. When Sui Lin, another Seiryu disciple, manages to escape from their temple after it was (apparently) ransacked by the Central Kirin, she encounters Shinbu and tells him that his master was killed and that they need to rebuild their clan. Upon hearing of this, Shinbu’s adoptive father, Seidatsu, gives him the Ginmei Sword, which originally belonged to his father, and the first piece of the San’yuan that he was obsessed with reviving. From there, he sets off on an adventure around Ouka and discovers secrets about the clans and his family.

As you journey around Ouka, you can fight enemies and monsters along the way. Using the Ginmei Sword, you can unleash various types of bugei, made by equipping kenpu into bugei scrolls, or create your own bugei with the freestyle scrolls you can collect. Additionally, you can use the Chi Arts and unleash attacks that can clear enemies in one hit (you’ll have to spam it sooner or later). Enemies have a stronger or weaker resistance to a certain clan’s kenpu or Chi Arts based on the five Wuxing phases. While you can overcome enemies that way, you can also chain kenpu together in a generating cycle to deal more damage. You can learn all five clans’ Chi Arts as you play the game, though the caveat is that you learn the final one just before you fight the final boss, so the time you spend mastering it before you fight the final boss just seems very protracted, particularly if you’re at the maximum level by that point.

The background context of the game’s story arcs revolves around the Seima-Ouka Great War, which occurred 300 years prior to the start of the game. Invaders from the neighbouring continent of Seima came to Ouka and waged war with the five clans, but they were defeated. While there were some that managed to escape with the army, some of Seimans surrendered and remained on Ouka, where they suffered discrimination following the war. Their currency, the taichi, was widely used there as a result. The San’yuan had been burned during the war because the Seima feared its power.

Looking at the English and Chinese scripts, I could spot some differences between them and personally, I prefer the Chinese script better as it is closer to the original Japanese script. Alone, both scripts are good, but after having seen both versions, some parts of the English script doesn’t make sense in review.

Some of the mysteries of the game are basically explained in one line without deeper context. Certain characters aren’t as prominent as you may think they are. In the end, after you defeat the final boss, you get an opportunity to play the game again with the True San’yuan bugei, harder enemies and a carryover of the Chi Arts you learnt. There was a rumour on 2ch about another bugei you could get after clearing the game five times, but that, of course, is fake news.

About the sequel

The sequel takes place 25 years after the events of the first game and is set on the continent of Seima, the instigator of the Great War. Its capital is named Seimabolm and is split into three districts based on caste. Translating the names in the game is going to be an absolute nightmare because it was never localised to the West, but I’ll do whatever I can. If you want to see gameplays of this game, you’ll have to find them on Nico Nico Douga or Bilibili (for the Chinese version).

The main character is Liju Roh, a glorified military officer who went missing for a year when he was 5 years old and came back with no memory of what happened during that year. At the start of the game, he was accused of attempting to assassinate their empress and sentenced to execution by Gikyo Altai alongside another female, Maltamil Chiena. Suddenly, Altai’s sister, Shunka, jumps down to defend Roh and they manage to escape to the third district along with Chiena. As a result, they are forced to work as mercenaries in Chiena’s agency in order to hide from the imperial troops. Roh’s mission is to fulfil his late father’s request to stop Ejen Zern, a man who Roh saw as a brother, from performing the Great Judgement a second time; the first time it happened, a big fireball hit Seima and halved the population, cutting the island into the shape of a crescent moon and creating the Banko Sea.

In this game, you can have a companion travelling with you (usually Shunka for most of the game). As Roh, you can use three weapons, a sword, a spear, or gauntlets, and set kenpu and bugei accordingly. Some kenpu are performed slowly while others are performed quickly, which can cause gaps in your fighting. Other companions you travel with can use only one of those weapons, while Shunka fights with spirit discs and spirit dancing. Yes, spirit dancing, and that’s a plot point in the game. I find the dancing movesets ineffective when fighting enemies, but there are missions where you will need to use Shunka to perform a dance.

Unlike the first game where the story advances as you travel, the story in this game advances after you complete a number of missions from the agency. These include defeating enemies and monsters, buying or collecting things or even writing messages on noticeboards. Some missions are a pain to complete, such as with the collecting missions where you need to harvest a certain part from a machine or animal and they don’t instantly drop it upon defeat. As a result, it would take you forever to collect the amount required so you can complete the mission. There are also small flying drones that you can fight in underground tunnels and they are a bit hard to fight if your kenpu doesn’t make you swing your sword or spear up or down.

The travelling companions in the game (including the ones that appear after you’ve cleared the game) have significant relevance to the story, except for a drunkard monk named Sutta Monda who becomes your companion after you complete a mission that involves fighting him outside the agency for being drunk.

After you clear the game, you can just do missions ad infinitum, whereas in the previous game, you could play the game again and again. At least replaying old storylines or sparring with your companions could have been additional options.

If you haven’t noticed this by now, Shinbu or anyone else in the first game is not featured, though there are homages scattered in the script. One particular homage is that Seima is apparently planning a second invasion of Ouka, but Roh believes that stopping the Great Judgement is more important than stopping the former.

Summary

For its time, Kingdom of Paradise is an amazing game, whether it be the battle mechanics, the graphics or the story, though for the story, I prefer the first one better because I can understand it better after much analysis (which was also helped by that game being localised). While the second game does have its good points, it’s a bit more complicated than the first game and the missions can seem a bit of a drag to do.

Some people would probably say that the two games have potential to be expanded upon and I would say that I agree, though instead of expanding the games’ universe, I adapted it into my universe for my personal project. I adapted the first game into two 15-episode arcs, then after struggling to decide whether or not to do it, adapted some parts of the second game into a two-parter. I’ll elaborate on my adaptation at a later date.

Sadly though, Climax Entertainment is dead and the games never left much of a legacy to be admired. The only way its legacy can stay alive is within the hearts of the people who played those games, particularly the people who were inspired by it.

[luccie-eclair]

Support (Renora Week: Life or Death)

Warning: Death, life support (is that too much of a spoiler… It is in the title and the prompt. I just don’t want anyone getting too upset. Whatever, just read if you want).

He’d been sick for weeks with a disease that was undergoing research and, as of currently, incurable. It started with light coughing, then came the shortness of breath that used be rare becoming a constant. Ren never had the most stable lungs, but they were better than other hunters. No one ever considered him to have an illness, though.

It had been late in afternoon when he collapsed, struggling to breathe, and Nora dragged him to the nearest hospital. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the doctor said. Incurable, he said. Something about a breathing machine, IVs, a heart moniter.

Life support.

After almost a month, they were running low on funds. Since when did medical bills get so high? Nora tried everything she could to get extra lien to keep him alive. She took an extra mission, she assisted her friends whenever she could, and took odd jobs around Patch in between watching her three children and visiting Ren everyday. It wasn’t enough. 

“Nora,” he called to her one afternoon under his ventilator.

She looked up from the paperwork she all but wrangled to make sense of. He looked miserable with pale skin and sagging eyes, but she’d never see him as anything but amazing even when he lay sick and drooping. “Yes, Ren,” she chirped with a bright smile that she forced a little more these days.

“Cut it.”

There was a pause. She knew exactly what he was talking about. “Cut what? The air conditioner? I can turn it down or-"She was already up and across the room to turn down the air.

"You know what I’m talking about, Nora. Cut the support.”

“No,” came the simple reply.

“Yes. There isn’t anything they can do. We’re dragging it out-”

“Ren, they could find something to help you any day now,” she whispered. She had yet to face him. If she did, the meltdown that she feared would rear it’s ugly head and with Ren in this state, she couldn’t be helped.

“We both know that isn’t true. We’re delaying this. I already know this is draining our bank accounts.”

She had enough. Nora turned around and instantly felt her eyes sting. “No, it isn’t. We’re-”

He held up an envelope that said “NOTICE” in large, red letters. “Please,  Nora. Bring the kids tomorrow, so I can see them. And let everyone know for me.”

“But…” her train of thought trailed as she looked at him. His eyes were pained, brows scrunched, and clear streaks ran down to his chin. It was hard for him, too. She nodded and went back to his bedside. A chaste kiss met his cheek and a warm hand enclosed his and squeezed. “I have to go run a few errands, but I’ll be back tomorrow. Should I bring Jaune and Pyrrha?”

Ren nodded and stared at the wall ahead of him, his thoughts drowning out the overhead television. He wanted some time alone, she could tell.

Nora got in what would soon be her car, pulled out her scroll, and went to her messenger app. She spotted the exact chat she was looking for: Rainbow Buddies, aptly named by Ruby Rose. “Hey… Ren wants to cut the support tomorrow… I can tell he doesn’t really want to, but-” She erased the last sentence. “Can you guys please call him and talk to him, even if it’s for a few minutes? I think he needs it right now.” She clicked send and shut her scroll off. She’d no doubt be flooded with calls and messages, but she just wanted time to think.

She decided to take a drive around the island before picking up the kids.

~*~

The door opened to a tear stained Jaune who immediately engulfed her while she clutched onto the back of his shirt. She felt a hand rubbing her back and she turned to see Pyrrha with red, puffy eyes and flushed cheeks.

The small woman pulled away. “He wants to see you tomorrow. Are you free in the afternoon?”

The couple nodded and each took one of her hands leading her inside. Five children, one just entering his teens, sitting in front of a television watching a happy, Disney movie. How fitting. They each turned around and their eyes brightened. “Mom,” three of them called. “Aunt Nora,” exclaimed the other two.

Her three, Kensley, Ming, and Iman ran to her to greet her, but stopped short noticing her saddened eyes. She got on her knees to look at them, though Kensley, at thirteen was already reaching her own height. “We need to talk when we get home. Go get your things and say bye to Louise and Eros and say thank you to your godparents for letting you stay the today.”

The trio exchanged a worried glance and got their bags. After exchanging hugs with whom they called cousins, they bowed to their godparents, gave them hugs (Jaune and Pyrrha practically held them), and quietly headed to the car. 

The radio normally filled the silence followed by bickering over the station, followed by singing. The ride home this evening was still.

~*~

Nora sat them in the living room next to one another and took a moment to look them over. She saw Ren in every single one of them. Their thirteen year old son’s, calm, magenta orbs. Their eleven year old daughter’s olive skin and stark, black hair. Even their adopted ten year old began to take on some of his features, like his small, but passionate facial expressions. 

When she broke the news to them, she’d gotten the response she expected. Kensley looked broken and disappointed as quiet sobs racked his thin frame. The youngest, Iman, voiced nothing. She remained stoic and unmoving, but the streaks down her cheek gave her away. Ming reacted the worse. She screamed, she kicked, she cried, she called Nora a killer for turning off his life support, she said that she hated her and would never forgive her. Nora knew that she didn’t mean it, but it still felt like a knife had torn through her. She still felt like a failure despite her husband’s wish.

~*~

The next afternoon, the Ren Family made their way to the hospital. Ming gave her the silent treatment. The Arc’s were already there having seen the sick man before they arrived. Nora sent the kids in first, then blankly stared at the cream walls. She caught glimpses of the conversation: some yelling, crying, but many laughs.

“Promise me that you’ll be good for your mom and look after each other, okay,” she heard. Everything was muffled after that. The kids would be out at any moment and then she’d have to face him one last time. “Tell mom I want to see her.”

The three trudged past her and sat around Pyrrha and Jaune who happily lended them a shoulder. Nora slowly walked in and closed the door behind her. She turned and he greeted her with a small smile. She approached his bed cautiously.

“Do you remember when we first met?” Of course. “Looks like you’re saving me once again.” She huffed a small laugh. “Everyone came to visit yesterday. Not Weiss, but she did call me while she was away on her mission. Thank you.” Nora nodded. It was silent between them. She wouldn’t look at him, but all he did was stare at her. His dulled eyes boring into her, memorizing her once more. “Do you remember the orphanage and Miss Alice? Remember when you found your semblance? That scared the shit out of me. I thought I lost you." 

An inkling of a smile took the corners of her lips. "That was a crazy Thursday.”

“Remember our combat teacher, Tana? Or, when we first got into Beacon? You were so excited and nervous. I still think about the day Beacon fell. I was worried about you the whole time.” Her smile left as she recalled the same night. “Remember our first kiss? Once we got to Mistral? Your lips tasted like syrup, by the way.” She laughed again. “Oh, and at Kuroyuri, I discovered that polka dots look really great on you.” She laughed even louder. “I like to think back to our first time, and our wedding, and our honeymoon. You were so excited when you found out you were pregnant, but you were so miserable during it. I almost couldn’t keep up with your cravings. Then you got pregnant again, and Ming drove you insane. Iman was such a blessing especially since you didn’t want to go through another nine months of hell." 

Her laughter soon dissolved into tears. Their lives started out so horribly, but it melted away into something resembling amazing. It was as if all of that was being torn away yet again. She felt his hand, clammy yet firm, grasp her hand.

He’d taken the IV out of his arm. There would be no need for it soon. "I filled out all of the paperwork and everything yesterday. They said they didn’t want to move me into hospice then because so many people kept coming in and out, it’d cause confusion.” The salty liquid continued to pour as she looked at the bland walls above his head. “Nora, please look at me.” She shut her eyes tight and opened them.

His eyes seemed to brighten up, but they quickly got watered down. She wanted to say it, those three words. She couldn’t say them. A shaking hand went to tap his nose, but the mask…

“I love you, too. I miss you already.” Her forehead met his. Her teardrops fell and fused with his own. “I want to kiss you.”

“But the-”

“I know, Nora.” His vacant hand slid into her locks. His eyes all but begged.

She quietly accepted it and locked in their fate. She removed the mask from his face and pressed her lips to his. His hands clutched and clung to her hand and her hair. His last breath left him quickly.

Nora didn’t need to hear the elongated beep of the heart monitor to know that he’d left them.

~*~

Over a year later, a widowed mother of three sat in what used to be a shared master bedroom early in the afternoon dressed in an forest green dress. She reached for the drawer in the nightstand and pulled out a worn, pink box with a faded, yellow crown. It’d been given to her over 15 years before. She pulled out an enveloped near tattered from the amount of times they were separated on this day.

“Open when it’s our anniversary.”

A/N: It’s done. This actually broke me to write it and hit a tad too close to home. I’m too tired to do free choice, but I’ll try. Ugh, it’s a little too melodramatic, but I’ve never done a death prompt before, so let’s call this a work in progress. I considered killing off Nora and making this Ren-centric, but I’d already done quite a few from 3rd person Ren-limited POV, so I decided against it. I did as much research on COPD and life support as I could before I called it quits and just wrote, so a lot of stuff may be off. Geez, this fic legit left me emotionally exhausted. I had to stop every few paragraphs to cry 😒😒😒 I’m supposed to be a badass and this ship is ruining my whole shortie, bad girl persona.