#and while i think terra is pretty there's a sort of balance to him- he's like in-between handsome and pretty

[mushroom-winners-proof]

terra lover syndrome is CRITICAL and i cannot recover and i do not want to

[sergeantsporks]

writing request: anything in the wild emperor au?

“Thank you, Darius, I’ll keep your suggestion in mind.” Hunter shut the door with a sigh of relief. Flapjack fluttered down from the rafters to his shoulder. “Dealing with him is exhausting.”

Luz kicked her feet aimlessly, sitting on the arm of her ‘ambassador from the human realm’ chair. “Why do you let him stay? Didn’t he kidnap you? And threaten Flapjack? And make you be the emperor even though you didn’t want to? You should just throw him in the dungeon.”

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose while Flapjack chirped in agreement. “Yeah, but he’s also, like you said, the one who made me the emperor. If I throw him in the dungeon, that looks… bad.”

“Good. You should just tell everyone what he did! He doesn’t have Flapjack anymore!”

“Yeah? And who do you suggest I put in his place as our leading abomination expert? The Blights?!”

“I’m sure Amity wouldn’t mind being considered an abomination expert,” Luz replied with a grin.

“Ahahaha. You’re so funny. You know who I meant. I don’t know, Luz. As long as he thinks he has any say, he’s pretty harmless. Mostly. I think. Just irritating. He and Terra are always scheming. I don’t know about WHAT, but they’re thick as thieves.”

“You should investigate that.”

“What a fantastic idea! Why, hello Mr. Deamonne! You’re looking particularly goopy this morning! And Ms. Snapdragon! Did you water your plant hair today? You’re positively glowing! Say, the two of you wouldn’t happen to be plotting to assassinate me in my sleep and assume the throne, would you? Asking for a friend.”

“Okay, okay,” Luz laughed, “I get it, your hands are politically tied. I’ll look into it for you.”

A jolt of terror ran down Hunter’s spine. “You can’t do that! What if they catch you?!”

“They won’t. In the meantime, why don’t you ask Lilith? Maybe she knows something.”

“Mm. Not the worst idea you’ve had today.”

“I know she can be difficult, too, but ultimately, I think she’s kind of on our side. A little bit sort of kind of.” Luz gave him a push. “Better get going, your majesty. Those court secrets won’t solve themselves.”

“Alright, alright. Hey. Seriously. Be careful.”

“My middle name.”

Hunter smiled at her, then left, traipsing through the hallways.

Darius wanted me to be a puppet. And I bet Terra was one of the monarchists in on the plan as well. I think I’ve mostly stayed out of their strings, but maybe they’re starting to see it as a problem.

Hunter knocked on the door to Lilith’s office, then pushed it open.

“Oh, yes, come right in, I’m not busy or any—Oh. It’s you.” Lilith gestured at the books and papers she had scattered around her and on her lap. “Apologies that I’m not getting up and bowing.”

“What’s up with Darius, do you know?”

“Wonderful to see you as well.”

Hunter rolled his eyes, making his way to the stove in the back of the office and starting to heat up some water. “You’d think I wasn’t the emperor or something.”

Lilith yawned. “And I’m the ex-empress and the only one in this titanforsaken palace making sure the budget balances, what’s your point?”

“Fair enough.” Hunter waited for the water to boil and poured two mugs of tea. He plunked one down in front of Lilith and gingerly moved aside a book on a chair, sitting down across from her. Flapjack fluttered to the mug, gingerly taking a sip. “Any news on your sister?”

“Mrgh.”

“Same as always, then.”

Lilith pushed her glasses up to rub the bridge of her nose. “So, Darius. What about him?”

“What’s his deal?”

“Oh. Hm. I went to school with him. He was always…” Lilith rolled a hand. “…a bit of a peacock. He got himself noticed by the previous golden guard, was always hanging out in his shadow, like a little puppy. Then after he died, he… you know, I don’t know what happened.” She sipped at the tea Hunter had given her. “He started hanging around Terra. Got weirdly obsessed with the monarchy. Started drinking, too.”

“Drinking?” Hunter echoed.

“Yes, drinking. Had a falling out with Eber over it. But he carries a little flask everywhere under his cloak, always drinking out of it when he thinks no one is looking.” Lilith chuckled. “He tried to go sober once.”

“What happened?”

Lilith snorted. “He came back with you and reinstated Belos’ bloodline as rulers. Congratulations, though, I think you’ve driven him back to drinking. Maybe he no longer trusts the decisions he makes while sober. I don’t particularly blame him.”

Well, that’s enough of my daily dose of venom.

Hunter gulped down his tea and set the mug back in the sink. “Alright. Thanks. Good luck with the budget.”

“Mhm.”

Hunter ran back towards Darius’ chambers. “The only time he was sober, he took me back. Why?”

Flapjack suggested that he might just be a jerk when sober who had nothing better to do than kidnap kids and threaten innocent palisman.

“Yeah, I guess that’s a possibility.”

The wall opened, and Luz ran into him. “Oof! Hunter! Hunter, hey!” she grabbed his shoulders. “Yeah, Terra is definitely up to something, I saw her making poison or something in her greenhouse, and she was cackling evilly, so I thiiiiiink she’s going to try to kill you. Maybe now would be a good time to get Eber to sniff your food for poison.”

Hunter blinked, then turned the opposite direction, sprinting towards the greenhouse. “Wow. That’s a lot more exciting than what I found out.”

Luz chased after him, falling in step behind him. “Which is…?”

“Darius is an alcoholic.”

“Oh. Yeah. Underwhelming.”

Hunter skidded into the greenhouse to find Terra and Darius talking. Terra was handing Darius a flask, and he jabbed a finger at the two of them.

“You’re trying to poison me?!” he yelped. Flapjack chirped in angry agreement, fluttering their wings to make themselves look bigger.

Darius snorted. “After the trouble I went through to put you on the throne? Do you think I want Lilith again?!”

“Then what’s that!” Luz said, gesturing to the flask in Darius’ hands.

The abomination head looked at the flask. “…Medicine?”

Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose. “Terra is giving you home brewed alcohol?”

“It’s tea, you brat,” Darius growled, “It helps with my migraines, which are a result of a head injury I got as a child, if you must know.”

Head injury?

Okay, so, what, he stopped taking medicine and came to put me on the throne? Wow, maybe I am here as a mistake.

“Did it happen when your mentor died?”

Darius uncapped the flask, tilting it back. “My who?”

What?!

Hunter glanced at the flask. Then Terra.

He came to get me when he stopped taking the medicine.

He was running for help.

“Don’t drink that!” Hunter yelped, jumping forward.

Terra moved faster than her age would imply, and huge vines shot up, blocking him. “This is most unbecoming, Emperor Hunter,” she purred.

Flapjack transformed into their staff form, and Hunter warped around the plants.

Too late. Darius was recapping the flask and tucking it into his belt.

“Darius,” Terra sighed, “The emperor appears to be overly stressed, poor dear. Could you escort him to his room?”

“Yes, of course,” Darius said, voice oddly distant. He reached for Hunter. Hunter heard a sharp inhale, and Luz appeared behind the coven head.

“Mildly sorry for this, Darius!” she yelped, smacking him over the head with a hunk of ice. He dropped with a groan, and Hunter warped back around to Terra.

“You’re under arrest!”

“No, I don’t think so.”

A plant snapped its jaws around her, and then burrowed into the ground. Hunter growled, then turned back to Darius. He grabbed the flask, and the dazed coven head snatched at it.

“Give that back, Little Emperor.”

Luz grabbed the bigger man’s arm, hauling him up. “I think maybe you should stick to potions that actual healers give you for your headaches. Which I may have worsened. Sorry.”

Hunter grabbed his other arm, helping her haul him down towards the healers. “Do you think he’ll be okay? I mean, just quitting whatever Terra was feeding him cold?”

“He’ll have to be,” Luz replied grimly, “I don’t think there’s a way to wean him off.”

Xxx

“…Elijah?”

Hunter blinked at Darius. The healers had cuffed him to the bed, just in case, but he hadn’t shown any sign of violence. Hunter wasn’t sure the cuffs would stop him if he wanted out. “Who?”

Darius shook his head, as if trying to clear it, pulling at the cuffs. “No—Little Emperor—” he squeezed his eyes shut. “Ugh, why is everything so fuzzy?!”

“Probably the concussion Luz gave you. Or… maybe the tea?” Hunter leaned forward, undoing the restraints. “Why did you come after me?”

Darius rubbed his temples. “I stopped drinking Terra’s tea after the fight with Eber, just to prove him wrong. But it didn’t. He was right, there was… I don’t know. Terra was planning on burning down the wilds until she found you, she wanted the emperor’s day of unity plan to go through, and she thought you might know how to make that happen.”

“I don’t,” Hunter said softly, his gut clenching, “He never told me.”

“Well, that might have been because it was no good,” Darius said bluntly, “My mentor—Elijah—he suspected something was off, and that’s when… I was on my way to warn you Terra was coming.”

“How did you know where I was?!”

“I had Graye sift through Lilith’s memories while she was asleep. I narrowed down possible places.” His face darkened. “Terra found me first.”

Hunter swirled the flask. “What does this do?”

“Best I can tell? Removes memories. Makes the drinker more susceptible to orders from Terra.” Darius shook his head again. “I can’t—I don’t know which me is—I am going to kill her! Trying to dull my mind!”

“I’ll let you have first dibs when we do find her,” Hunter promised, slipping out.

Luz peeled herself off the wall outside the door. “What’s the scene?”

“He’s confused. He was under her thumb for years, for nearly half his life. I don’t think he knows who he’s supposed to be anymore, or what to do with these memories now that he has them back.”

Hunter’s hands fidgeted, and Flapjack nudged his face. “I… I think he knows things about my uncle. Things I’m… not sure I want to find out. Things about his plans for the Isles, things about—about the golden guards before me.” He ran a hand through his hair. “And now Terra’s out there, too, doing titan knows what, and… I don’t know. It’s just… it’s a lot.”

Luz nudged his shoulder. “Hey. Look. It’s rough. I get it. But we’ll figure it out. Okay? All three of us.”

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, “I’m over here freaking out about this thing, and I’m still nowhere close to getting you home.”

“Hey. That’s okay. I can wait, don’t worry.” Luz gave him a small smile. “One thing at a time, Hunter.”

[youwontlikethisblog]

The Art of Subtlety in YSBTLF

Now I have yet to really talk about Betty and her development. Currently I'm on the episode where Betty goes to the bank to secure a loan through Terra Moda and it got me thinking.

Slowly we've been seeing the change from Armando's behavior towards her. Now it's been very subtle. One of my favorite scenes that display's the subtlety of his behavior is when Betty and him are being driven around by Don Hermes.

Right as they are leaving the building where they went to sign some documents to start the process of Terra Moda seizing Eco Moda Betty and Armando are talking.

She often jokes about her ugliness and as a person who in society has been outcaste by the mere fact I'm fat, I get that. We don't use it as a way to downplay our worth, better yet to find the humor in something that hurts us deeply. This is something Betty does often. Usually Armando agrees or goes along with it. The scene however caught my attention because after Betty jokes that she didn't get hired due to her ugliness she laughs and walks away and Armando stays behind and nods slightly, as if understanding that her ugliness could cause that BUT we then hear Don Hermes lovingly say "My beautiful daughter, did everything go well?" and Armando's face lights up. He sports a slight smile and stares at Betty as she laughs and tells her dad that everything went well.

The more I watch this show the more I realize that we see a lot of contrast between Betty and Armando's personal lives. While Betty's parents are very present in her life, constantly at the fore front of her ethics and morals as well as there to keep her grounded and realistic, though at times one can assume over baring and over protective, her parents love her deeply and you can tell. They treat her as their most precious possession.

However Armando's parents are a different story. His father always expects the worst of him, his mother coddles him but with conditions. His parents are only ever shown or involved when it comes to the company and/or his relationship with Marcela. Often when they do talk it's always about the company or again the relationship he's in with Marcela. It never goes more than that. We don't see them interact outside of that which causes that parental relationship to seem cold and distant. Kind of like a trophy child. Not really there to celebrate or show love when times are bad. Just there when things are on their terms. They show more interest in Daniel, Marcela, and Beatriz than they do to Armando and even then it's not saying much. In shorter terms, they suck.

So this scene in particular is one of my favorites for that reason. We see Armando, who at first was annoyed and being all pipirs nice to then engaging in conversation, joking, and letting his guard down and that's the thing. Often we see Armando with his guard up but around Betty slowly we begin to see him let his guard down.

Now in particular the reason why I bring this up is because from the get go I've always been interested in the complexities that Armando's character offers, but Betty is this different story. While Armando is complex in dark ways, Betty is complex is light ways. Her complexities aren't a form of harm rather a form of self preservation but still seeing the best in people, while Armando's complexities are in self preservation at the cost of others.

They both struggle in a sense with self worth. While Betty's self worth is rooted in her image and the way society treats her due to her not being societies beauty standers, Armando's self worth struggles are deeply rooted in his person's worth. Meaning that he doesn't find himself worthy as a human if he isn't succeeding, which makes him extremely arrogant. Betty's insecurities make her extremely humble and though being humble isn't a bad thing when there is no balance, her self worth is to the ground and due to this she allows people to step all over her and she often is a people pleaser because of this.

She lets people push her around and doesn't stand her ground when people are rude to her about her appearance. She does when it comes to her work but not as person and because of this she begins to idolize Armando because, unlike everyone before, he sees her as a person, when it comes to work.

This draws the lines, clean and crisp lines.

At work Armando defends her. He defends his decision to hire her. He defends her degrees and her experiences as an economist. This means a lot to her, because as mentioned before, she wasn't getting hired due to her "ugliness" and here comes a man that looks past that and hires her over the pretty one. We understand Betty's crush. We understand why she begins to idolize him even though he shows really crappy behavior at times.

First he constantly yells at her, laughs behind her back, allows his best friend to secretly see her as if she were this attraction in the tent of strange and ugly phenomena at the circus. To then being subtly annoyed when certain people mock her and make fun of her, though this gets him half points because he still allows his best friend to do this.

To end my analysis of Armando's behavior towards Betty up to this point I'll say that as this continues Armando begins to soften up towards her and while no one else picks up on it, Betty does. Which feeds her idolization of him.

Up to this point of the show Betty has been unconditional, even when she has needed to set aside her true feelings for him, she places his before her own. With Claudia, instead of ruining his night she stayed in the room all night long to which later we see Armando feel guilty over it but he gets no gold stars over that. That was a dick move.

Betty constantly shows loyalty, unconditionality, support, and most of all, team work. When he fails she always places herself to take the blame with him. She doesn't let him feel alone in his failures. Betty truly shows to love him. As a friend, as her boss, and as a girl who idolizes him and this moves him because to this point Armando hasn't had that. His parents do not show him unconditionality. His fiancé shows no team work or support and his best friend... he sucks. He is a terrible friend. Here is this girl who gives him all of this and for what? She doesn't ask for anything in return except to work for him. That's why we see the subtle change in him and Betty deserved that and more.

When they went to that cocktail with RagTela, where Armando started to hit on Ms. Colombia, I forgot her name, Betty doesn't seem jealous or hurt by that. In fact she seems unbothered and stayed in her lane, once again the lines being crisp and clean. However later on, when Betty tells Armando that they've got a meeting with Macro Textil and she sees Armando's face light up and ask how he looks, we see a subtle change, jealousy. She showed some of that with Claudia but Armando probably interpreted that as Betty being frustrated that due to that she had to sleep in the office that night. Here he doesn't pick up on it. She laughs dry only to cover her tracks and gets the man his cologne and throughout their meeting with Macro she shows to be a good wing-woman, minding her business of course.

Now let me skip some scenes. They're trying to negotiate a payment plan with Macro Textil. At this point what Armando has said isn't very convincing and Betty steps in, our bright Betty manages to say stuff that makes them think over their offer. At this point Armando has had all eyes on Ms. Colombia but he turns to watch her, with a slight smile on his face, a brief second of staring at her lips and completely absorbed into what Betty is saying and doing.

Now I want to bring us back to the main scene of this post. Betty sitting across her old boss. We have seen two scenes of her old boss and her interact before. Not only to drive the plot, but I believe to show the difference between a boss who was fond of Betty, after all he did say he was happy and pleased to help her with Terra Moda after being her boss for two years and a boss who is... more than fond of her but confused about it(to be fair Armando is so stupid when it comes to feelings the dude isn't even aware he's got them to begin with.) Betty's behavior is respectful and friendly towards her old boss. You can tell she's comfortable talking to him and so on and her old boss is the same. He's respectful and friendly towards her.

Why do I think this is important to the plot of the story?

It got me thinking. When I was working I got pretty close to my manager. He was married and older than me and we got along great. We talked, we joked, we had work discussions and we'd talk about life and stuff. However it was always very respectful and friendly, like a boss and their employee. My manager was very gentleman like. He didn't let me carry heavy stuff(As a fat woman I'm not used to that lol) however the line was there, Boundaries were there. Obviously we didn't have conversations that were too personal or even that personal at all. I could see Betty and her ex-boss being the same. A simple boss to employee friendship but if I had a... ship of sorts with my boss like Betty does with Armando my sensors of red flags would be blaring.

Think about your greatest friendship with one of your bosses. It's respectful and friendly but you don't cross lines, right?

Now I keep comparing their behavior to my manager's and mine.

That is why they show us, unlike with all the other Banks Betty has talked to, their interactions. To show a clear and distinct line of work related ships. Her ex-boss is truly fond of her but he doesn't cross boundaries and neither does Betty.

My ex-manager was respectful and we talked like an older brother and younger sister would. That was our work dynamic.

Betty's behavior has always been respectful and friendly towards Armando. Their work dynamic has been that she's the smart one and he's the pretty one and it works for them.

Betty's emotions start to blur when Armando's behavior towards her starts to blur. We go from seeing back to back scenes that show separate life styles and personal lives to having them blend in and once their personal lives begin to blend in so do their work lives.

During this day, before Betty goes to talk to her old boss, we are shown the scene when she tells him that Macro Textil was on their way to sign a contract with them that very day. Armando is between Betty and Mario and he talks to Betty. Constantly saying "Betty we did it!" and things along those lines but after each sentence he goes to Mario and repeats the same thing up until he goes to hug Betty.

[EDIT: This allows us to view Armando's personal dilema. Your brain often blurts the first thing that comes to mind and seeing as Armando isn't that bright when emotions are involved, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind and that is Betty. His first thought is to talk to Betty, to celebrate with her (since she is the reason why that business deal is even happening) but he is prioritizing her, picking up on it and then going to his best friend to celebrate it as well. It shows us subtly the change in him.]

He doesn't even do that to his best friend. Once again, the lines blur. Armando is the first person in this work related relationship to blur the lines and Betty follows suit.

Yes, the hug was work related. Yes he was excited over the fact they could release the new fashion collection they'd been working on BUT he hadn't done that for other deals that they had managed. He didn't do that with the first collection he launched. He's hugged her, up to this point, two other times. Once after the meeting with Daniel where Betty gave him lessons on economics and later when Betty was crying.

This is their third hug. I'm not reading into that hug but what follows before and after.

As I said when writing we're told to keep what drives the plot, character development, and overall story; everything else is thrown out the window. So these subtle changes, behaviors, and quirks we begin to see coming from Betty's interactions with Armando explain why it was so easy for her to be manipulated by this man. They are important because they are meant to show us what is okay and what is not. What is normal and what is not and in small ways their work dynamic begins to shift and the first person to do that is Armando.

because he didn't feed the illusion of love when that sinister plan was created, he fed it when he started to get confused about her. When he started to blur the lines.

Betty didn't just idolatrized him because he defended her work. She did it because he fed her feelings towards him. When Betty showed loyalty he showed to be more fond of her. He went from constantly yelling at her, being indifferent towards her, to trying to watch his tone and temper. When Betty showed unconditionality he showed kindness. When Betty showed support he showed loyalty and little by little we begin to see these two blur the line between personal and work.

The changes are really subtle that they fly over your head but when you pay attention to the actual story and not the romance you can tell when they start and that is one reason why I love this novela because very much like real life these changes are subtle.

Betty's love was really subtle and you can pick up on when she starts to fall in love, whereas with Armando his change goes from being so subtle that you're confused yourself to it being so bam in your face you can't deny it.

In any aspect their relationship begins to blur during these episodes and the clear contrast of that is with seeing Betty interact with her old Boss at the bank.

In the future episodes this theory is proven right when we no longer get clear cuts of scenes that show the difference between their personal lives better yet we get a very muddy and blurry view of their personal and work lives.

Betty's moral, ethics, and emotions begin to change when Armando begins to change. Up to this point Betty has been consistent with her morality, though close to stumbling her father has been there to keep her on the right path. She has been the sweet and loving person she's always been but her character has been consistent up to this point and it's important to note that and why everything that happens after this is the way it is because as an audience we have been warn over and over again and so have these characters but just like in real life we don't always pay attention to the subtle changes until their domino effect starts to make too much impact.

also sorry if this doesn't make any sense it's currently 6:40 am and I've been writing this since like four lol.

[popculturebuffet]

Ducktales: Terror of the Terra-Firmians!  (Lena Retrospective) (Commission by WeirdKev27): Launchpad Looses his Last Brain Cell and I Loose My Patience

Welcome back Weblena Warriors to the second part of my look at everyone’s favorite Emo Teen Shadow Lesbian Duck... and probably the only one but hey, semantics, Shadow Into Light, which was made possible by viewers like you, the ultra humanite and a commission from WeirdKev27. Picking up where we left off, we have our first episode that has a different intended order than airing order. 

As most of you probably remember, but some of you who joined later might not be aware of the broadcast order for the first half of season one is, in the academic sense, pretty fucked. It’s not Darkwing Duck’s entirely fucked by a web of badger spiders and a queen snake on top to make it some sort of train situation, but by just sorta airing whatever episodes they wanted to, Disney messed with the character balance so Huey got less focus, not that he got a ton of focus this season but still, as well as leaning into the episodes focusing more on the kids with less involvement from the adults which gave the wrong impression about the series. While it IS very focused on the triplets and webby, the show isn’t entirely about them, but as Frank has mentioned a few times, Disney Channel apparently has this WEIRD thing where they assume kids won’t like stories starring the adult characters. 

Yeah I’ve been wanting to talk about this for a while. Mostly how it’s so dumb I could swear Pauly Shore was an exec at Disney Channel. And he might be I don’t know what he’s doing these days and i’d like to keep it that way. For starters, the Scooge comics, while barely published in the US these days, are still popular globally and have appealed to kids and adults for generations and are mostly focused on him, with the kids in a supporting role and Ducktales, you know the thing your directly remaking here, was also mostly about him with the triplets supporting, if a bit less than the comics. Most of the Disney Afternoon was about adult characters, with any kids in side roles in the main cast. And it comes off entirely hypocritical of them to say this when the MCU is easily marvel’s biggest cash cow at the moment, and marvel properties have appealed to both kids and adults, like the duck comics, for decades. And if it’s because the marvel cartoons weren’t doing well , I’ll let you in on a little secret: Those didn’t do well because they looked bland and from what I’ve seen of them felt kind of bland, though I haven’t seen enough to fully judge. Kids LIKE adult characters as much as kid characters, and also like teen characters despite not being teens. Focusing on either is valid and while I LIKED Disney’s youth starring shows I also want another X-Men cartoon before I turn 50, and I bet kids would like that too, with the last one only failing because you bailed on it because you were throwing a hissy fit over fox having the movie rights, and do not get me started on that. Point is this argument is horse shit and should stay in the stables. 

So yeah I do think this episode came too soon and it’s placement effected it at the time and as such it dosen’t have the best rep with the fandom aside from the Lena bits and that includes me. The fact it was very early in the series and the characterizations hadn’t yet sunk in really hurt this episode in places but is it really that bad? Join me under the cut to find out

We open at the movies! Which scrooge apparently hasn’t been too since the 1930′s or seen any on video despite Della existing and being really stubborn. 

A rant for another episode. But the kids just got out of a Mole Monster movie, along with Lena, Beakly and Launchpad. Their reactions are as follows: Lena, Webby and Dewey really enjoyed it, Huey found it unrealistic... says the boy whose uncle fought a dragon made of gold a month or two back but we’ll get to that, and Louie was bored and felt it didn’t have enough of the ultra violence, kids these days it’s not about the gore it’s about the tension. And Beakly.. is just pissed Lena tricked them into seeing this and said it was educational. And the more I think about it the more this sounds like BEAKLYS fault than Lena’s. BEAKLY is the one who likely bought the tickets, who saw it was likely an r or pg-13 and who as we’ve seen HAS A PHONE, and ulnike scrooge probably isn’t so stingy she wouldn’t spring for a smart phone, so she could’ve just googled it, or whatever bird related pun is in this version.. gandered it.. yeah let’s go with that, gandered it, and SEEEN it wasn’t appropriate or walked htem out of the theater and ate the cost if she was that bothered by it. Sitting through a Horror Movie you didn’t research, didn’t pull the kids out of and dind’t bother to even check the poster for or use basic common sense is YOUR fault. And this could’ve worked fine, had Lena talk the kids into begging for it or had launchpad take them and have Beakly find out after, having driven to pick them up as she didn’t trust launchpad to take them home. Instead it makes the former super spy look REALLY stupid and feels really out of character for a SPY to not to do research. And it wasn’t like they decided on this later, Bentina being a spy was part of the character’s backstory from day one and its made clear as early as episode 2 in both airing orders. This is just lazy writing to justify the episode and I expect better from this crew. 

But an argument errupts between Huey and Webby over the Terra-Firmians, a hidden race of rock people living in Duckburg’s discontinued sewer system, allegedlys. So Lena suggest simply going down which gets a disapproving look from Beakly, despite you know this being their bread and butter, and the fact that if she had a problem with Scrooge not being involved.. she could just call him. Exploring fabled rock people is something he’d be into. I mean there’s a low profit margin but it also costs him almost nothing to walk to the theater or have launchpad swing around and pick him up. Just gas which given how much he pays for jet fuel isn’t a big ask. But Beakly soon gets distracted by Launchpad whose convinced the film is real and is attacking the poster a grim sign of things to come as while Beakly annoyed me in this one on rewatch, especially after realizing the above... Launchpad annoyed me both times and for VERY good reason we’ll get into. This provides a distraction and allows the trio to escape. Cue titles. 

After the title sequence, our heroes head deeper underground, there’s too much panic in this town... I mean props to Donald for trying something new but he really needs to rethink his cologne choices. Sex Panther is just.. not a good smell on.. anyone. 

So our heroes journey through the depths of the subway system, and we find out part of why Huey’s so skeptical, as he finds anything that isn’t in the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook to not exist, though the cracks in this already show as he’s added anything that does. We’ll get back to this later but as you can tell the basic dynamic for 24 minutes is Webby being a wholehearted True Believer and Huey being a Skeptical Sally. And Lena is just sorta “Eh gives me an excuse for shenanigans” about it. We also get a peak into webby’s mind as we see her notes .. which really just come off as Terra-Firmian fanfiction involving a war of succession between two sides, the terra’s and the firmies, something based on previous media, and also some doodles of a fictional candy called webby-dings and herself as a superhero, both things I want to see. 

But yeah the first third of the episode is pretty simple, just them journeying, the occasional shift in the firmament, and it’s not bad, and there are a few great bits: Huey nerds out about rocks, and finds them way more interesting than a possible rock monster.

Which leads to the best gag of the episode as when Huey tries to pick up a big sample Webby, annoyed at his hyperfixation on the JWG, asks him to ask his book for help.. which he does by reading it and actually manages to pick the large rock up. This is halted though when Lena screams.. though she really just did it to draw them to an abandoned subway car full of glomgold posters for glomgold products because of course a failed subway project has his name plastered over it. You can’t spell glomgold without failure.. the failure is silent. Glomgold is not. 

The fun is interuptted though by a livid Beakly who had realized they were missing in an earlier scene, after telling the Manager that McDuck Industries would pay for the poster.. and then found out Launchpad also destroyed the toilets “They come up thorugh the sewers!”. Launchpad that’s CHUDS, Ninja Turtles and Rats who raised Ninja Turtles like their own sons, mole people dig or use old mineshafts. It’s basic mole science. Also Beakly really shouldn’t sweat it, I just assumed the city has had a runnig bill witht he company for “McDuck Family and Employee Related Accidents, Mayhem and Shenanigans”. I mean he’s had Gyro on his payroll for at least a decade and a half by the series start, Gyro has leveled whole sections of city in an afternoon more than most giant monsters. Of which several have destroyed Duckburg. It got better. 

Point is she’s livid about them sneaking off with Lena pointing out their some sort of adventure family and Beakly.. saying she won’t see them again, or at least implying it hard. I’ll put a pin in this, as the train buckles and a bit of seismic, or rock men, activity means their stuck. So they divide into teams: Beakly will go try and unhook the train car from the busted cars so they can ride out, Launchpad will go try and fix it, and we get this lovely exxchange as a result

Launchpad: Cool never crashed a train before Beakly: Can’t you try driving it without crashing it? Launchpad: Wha? 

His face in that scene is priceless. He takes Dewey along. More on that in a second. Webby, Huey and Louie are told to stay put with Beakly only bringing Lena along because she dosen’t trust her. So since we have three split plots for a second... let’s split up gang, starting with the most aggrivating, middling with what you all came here for and why this is part of the retrsopective, and ending with the plot that directly heads into the final part of the episode. 

Launchpad and Dewey: GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Okay starting with the most infamous plot and easily the worst part of this episode, probably the worst plot in any Ducktales 2017 episode. That’s not hyperbole it’s really that bad and really pissed people off, as fans of the original launchpad felt they made him overly stupid. This is where the airing order’s a problem as putting an episode with a subplot where one of your characters is obnoxiously dumb right up front means they assume this is his charcter and not just one poorly written chapter in a very dumb but very loveable characters life, likely because the writers hadn’t figured out how to properly scale his stupidity with comptience. 

So as a result we get a good 3-4 mintutes if not agonizingly more of Launchpad assuming something he saw in a fucking movie film was real. That.. that’s his actual plot. Need I remind you, he’s in his late 20′s early 30′s. He’s not much older than me. While other episodes have him as dim this one claims he CAN’T TELL FACT FROM FICTION. 

There are lines you have to keep with your characters to keep the audience from hating them. They crossed it about 80 times with this plot and make Launchpad into a gibbering dunderhead who can’t do anything right versus a regular dunderhead whose good at one or two things and loveable enough for us to like him and not care about his numerous safey violations and child endagerment charges. Thankfully this is the ONLY episode that gets this bad and they clearly learned from this, but it dosen’t make it any less of a tough sit. 

Dewey spends most of the subplot with a look on his face that just screams that he’s as done with this bullshit as we are, as Launchpad assumes he’s a mole person and brought along a pipe to presumibly bludgeon him, because wanting to cave his best friends skull in over stupidity is a GREAT look> Thankfuly he does not. And when the lights come back on Launchpad.. assumes he’s a monster because of bright light, GAH, and locks him out before they end up outside and the plto resolves itself by Dewey pointing out by Launchpad’s utterly baffling logic that he could be a mole monster, so Launchpad.. assumes he is. 

The subplot’s later buttoned up as he claims “I love being a mole monster”, again diffrent subteranian creature launchpad, she says he’s not and my suffering is thankfully at an end. This plot just sucks, it’s bad, overly stupid and dosen’t work with an adult character. Someone like say Ed from Ed, Edd N Eddy, or someone who belivies in weird conspiracy stuff like Dale Gribble or Stan Pines. with either of them this plot would’ve been fucking great. I could buy it from Dale and it just comes off as his normal paranoid weirdness. With Launchpad it comes off like he seriously needs help because the episode frames it as if he can’t tell ficton from reality, and his splotlight episode later would directly contridct this and make this episode even more aggrivating, as he’s a fan of Darkwing Duck, and KNOWS it’s acted out by an actor, so why wouldn’t he get this? It’s just....

It sucks, it sucks and I thankfully get to move on to a better subplot

Beakly and Lena: What You Are in the Dark

Beakly tells Lena she’ll never see Webby again after this.. then chastises her when she won’t help despite you know having just said she’s going to force their friendship apart, which Lena points out. She then gets mad at Lena making a sarcastic comment at her. Okay she’s lived with Louie for at least a week in airing order and a month or two in actual order. She has to be used to this by now. She’s insolent.. because you show her no respect, blame her for something that while sure she talked you into, you should’ve known better, and top it off by saying you want to keep her from the kids because they have bright futures and come from good familes and asks who rasied her and her face.. well.

Yeah wheras Launchpad and Huey, more on that in a second, were hurt by this being some of their earliest big roles, Bentina wasn’t.. until later when we found out just HOW bad Magica is to Lena and how much she dosen’t care about her other than as a tool to use. At this point we didn’t know just how much Lena was playing webby, how much she was only manipulating her, and even with her heroic act here we didn’t know if she only saw Webby as her way to break free. The next episode makes it clear she dosen’t and genuinely does care, 100%, so in hindsight it makes Bentina come off as ghoulsih for horribly asssuming about a girl she dosen’t know, and even if she did know about Magica wouldn’t know the full story, just like us, and then BERATING her after already saying she’s going to rip her away from Webby, which itself is PRETTY bad as she’s the only friend the girl has and sh’es doing so on... talking them into a horror movie, which as I outlined was more Bentina’s fault than Lena’s, and leading the kids into a dangerous place whicha gain, Lena pointed out is something she lets Scrooge do. And trust me i know that she actually knows Scrooge, and we later find out, as we’ll cover next month, that she isn’t ware HOW dangerous things are with Scrooge. It dosen’t change the fact she knows they do dangerous stuff to a point and that Lena may just be acting out. It also dosen’t change the fact she drove three children, yes including launchpad, down here with her instead of sending them home with Launchpad.. granted that option isn’t the safest but it’s safer than taking her with them thena cting like it’s ALL lena’s fault when three of the children, again including launchpad, are down there because of HER. Not Lena, HER. I’m harder on her because she’s older, wiser and was “raised properly” apparently. Though given the way she treats a random teen off the street she again knows nothing about and dind’t bother to ask... it begs the question. 

IT’s a good question. I could see the classism coming from being raised in 40′s and 50′s britain, judging by the timeline.. but even then she’s seen the world, and while her nature is supscious, the classit bullshit makes no sense after presumibly working with, and later spymastering for, various agents of various backgrounds. How has she not dropped this in decades. Scrooge very clearly dropped the racisim and homophobia of his time, so it still stands  on her for not dropping this. And Lena’s hurt shows under hte mask for the first time, that beneath the snark and secrecy.. is just an abused teenager with nowhere else to go and no way out being bullied by an older woman whose cutting off the only light at the end of the tunnel nto for good reason but out of classist, overprotective mallice.  My issues, which to be fair probably were intentional in the episode but sitll are a bit overblown, aside we do get an absoluttley tremendous moment later as a car falls on top of Beakly.. and Magica, speaking once more urges Lena to leave her, let her die and let their plans progress. And while that iself is.. dumb, what if someone finds her or her corpse later, especially since Scrooge would likely perosnally want to retrive the body to give her a proper burial as she’s his only friend at this point, or the rest of the family questoin the story?, it fits Magica’s lack of foresight we see throughout the season. But Lena... saves her. While she later gives an explination, and a valid one at that, it’s clear from her expressoin, her actoins and how she does it... that this is her. Part of it is defiance, as she glares at Magica before doing it, her own stubborn nature mixed with her hatred of her “aunt”, meaning Magica just made it all too easy for her to do this. But the real reason is clear: It’s the right thing to do. While pissing off her aunt and getting away with it is the cherry on top.. the real reason is that unlike Magica.. Lena is not a killer, not a monster, and not a heartless vacum ofa person. Even if she doesn’t like Beakly, for good reason.. she can’t, she WON’T leave her to die and leave Webby an orphan again. She loves Webby too much to do that to her and while she may deny it.. she’s too good a person to leave someone to die for something so petty. Even if she never sees webby again and the plans ruined. It’s better than the weight of knowing she let someone who wasn’t trying to harm her and whose actions, while terrible, were out of misguided protection of her granddaughter, die like this. She saves her. And as we’ll see it pays off.. but before that. 

Huey, Webby and Louie: Into the Unknown This plot’s a bit shorter, as Webby and Huey continue their argument, with Louie eventually making it clear, and not even hiding it when directly asked by Huey, that he’s playing both sides with a delighted expression on his face as the movie was boring but this, this is interesting. Which it is. But it’s interupted by dings on the roof and while Huey assumes i’ts just a regular rock, it moves while their not lookiung.. and soon red eyed, horrifying beasts look out at them and the kids flee back to the car. This dosen’t pan out as the car starts to shake and is clearly going to collapse.. and while Webby and Louie are prepared to flee, rock monsters or no, Huey, in an utterly heart shattering image.. stays in place, terrified of moving. 

This is where this plot goes from mildly aggrivating, as Huey’s Skeptic shenanigans can get on the nerves.. to BRILLIANT. See at the time this was more annoying because it was assumed the skepticsim would be a part of Huey’s character and we’d get more episodes of him being annoying only to be proven wrong, as he semeingly dosen’t learn his lesson at this point, looging the terrafrimians in the guide book. But on rewatch.. this plot is amazing.  For starters the plot subtly introduced the defening characteristic of Huey’s personality, one that’s become more prounounced in Season 3: His need for Order. He needs things to make sense: He solves stuff because he likes there to be order in the world and something he can understand, he can put in a box in his head. Like a lot of neurotypical people, myself included, he struggles horribly when the clearly defined boxes of his life and things he undestand have wrinkles or complexities he can’t get. I for instnace easily got it when I was introduced to the concept of trans people or being non binary.. they just make sense in hindsight: given how our brains are messya nd complicated it makes sense some people would be born in the wrong ones, and tht with all the science and medicine we have to correct that, should be allowed to transition if they so choose. It makes equal sense that some people just don’t have a gender or are gender fluid, being both or neither. Despite struggling with non binary prounouns due to force of habit.. I get the concept with no real difficulty. But when it comes to accepting I don’t have to apologize for everything and that everyone is not angry or that anger is natural and people sometimes get mad and you can’t and shouldnt’ fix it.. it’s something I STRUGGLE with even knowing it’s not right, because my brain is just wired that way. 

That’s how Huey’s struggle comes off here.. he reveals he’s willing to stay and die.. because he’s SO scared of the unknown, that the idea of dying from something he at least knows what it is versus something he dosen’t.., so paralizyed by his own brain he can’t figure out the obvious.. it takes Webby reaching out to him figuratively and literally, to show him that sometimes you have to face the unknown. The unknown is fucking terrifying.. but it can be good and it’s better than sitting there, scared and unable to move. You have to try, to grow and take that risk that things may not go well to really LIVE. 

So he does.. and they reunite with the rest of the group.. and soon find the terrafirmains.. who as it turns out once we get some light on them... are actually just goofy looking,  brightly colored, each one matching one of the kids, kids themselves, and Huey reaches out and touches one, which by ET logic means their friends now, and the terrafirmians help them get out. And this lesson sticks. While sure Huey catalogues it and it seems it didn’t.. he’s never this skeptical again. This douchey skepticsim was only for one episode, his fear of the uknown replcaed with boundless curosity and from here on he’s CURIOUS about new stuff as long as it’s not trying to kill him. He loves taking in new experinces, maybe not to webby levels but he does actually try them and study them instead of just fearing them. 

Before we wrap things up, obviously we need to talk about the JWG not having entries on a lot of stuff. This would be corrected next season as it returns to being a big book of everything, but dosen’t completely contridct this as Timephoon! shows there’s stillcgaps.. which i’m fine with. While it knowing EVERYTHING was fine for the original series here, with things being slightly more groudned, it’d just be an obvious plothole if Huey didn’t use it every single time they ran into something and that’d get boring. Instead it’s simply that it dosen’t know everything, and really in the comics at times it didn’t and the triplets found out new things. It knew almost everything mind you, but having some gaps for dramatic tnesion is fine with me and Seasons 2 and 3 decided on that instead of just having it being a scouting manual which wa sfor the best. And even by later in the season hit has guides to getting a small buisness loan, so they already course corrected. 

So everything’s wrapped up and while Magica berates Lena for disobeying her.. Beakly interputps, thankfully not seeing magica and admits she was wrong and invites Lena for pancakes, even taking a crack about if their actually pancakes or english muffins with syrup, which sounds like my own living hell, in stride, having clearly grown. And Lena explains to Magica that this was the better approach: now she’s got the in theyw anted, and is above suspcison for now. Still not so much that an obvious act won’t be detected but enough that she dosen’t ahve to work actively around her anymore. Magica scoffs.. and while part of it is probably rage.. part of it is deep down both of them know she did it out of defiance.. and only Lena knows that she did it for the right reasons... she just dosen’t get why. She probably justifies it as playing the long game.. but deep down she knows something’s changing about her.. and she’s not sure if that’s a godo thing or not. 

Final Thoughts: This episode is as you can tell a mixed bag. It’s 2/3 of a good episode, with the Lena plot, my issues aside, being excellent and the Terra-Firmian plot likewise fun, even if Huey can get grating the payoff is worth it, and the jokes are really high quality. It’s just bogged down by that fucking launchpad plot that just crushed my soul in it’s palms every time it came back. I went on at length why i hated that one but boy oh boy was the hate of that subplot warranted and I stand by calling it the worst plot of the series. It is: it’s not funny, it makes no goddamn sense, and it drags down what’s otherwise a pretty solid epsiode.

Next Time on Lena: Jaws the shark, lurking in the dark, in the depths of the bin one day of a lark decides to get rowdy, get real violent takes a vacay out to Duckburg er.. Island.. also Scrooge faces his greatest Nemesis.. a PR Tour to clean up his image after an unfortunate giant Beanstalk Incident. Be there and be hip to be square. 

Next Time on This Blog: I Tackle a DCOM for the first time for another commissioned review as we take a look at racisim, specifically Apartheid and breaking indoctrination, with The Color of Friendship. See you next Rainbow. 

[kittydemon9000]

U got any ninjago ocs?

Oh boy. Definitly, I have so many.

But imma just info dump about my two most developed ones

First up, Bree

She’s actually my first ninjago oc, and also the one who’s gone through the most change. She’s a ghost who was summoned by some idiot college students and had been haunting ninjago for years when Morro found her on his travels to prove he was the green ninja and reluctantly got attached to her. Using the logic of the master of ice that they can chose who to pass their powers to, when Morro died his powers went to her, which sort of an extra stab in the heart since she feels like she failed him. She haunts ninjago for a few more years, really just traveling around, when she gets an invite to Master Chen’s Tournament of Elements, and if she wins her prize.....is getting Morro back. 

She, ofc, goes and has a fun time freaking out the other EMs. Most of their thought processes were “Wait, wtf why is there a kid here.....oh she’s a ghost, okay then....wAIT THAT’S EVEN WORSE-” and she even goes as far to show them the wound that killed her(a pair of bullet shots through her stomach that caused her to bleed out)

The ninja eventually adopt her and bring her into the fam, and this part is still debatable but I;m think of maybe giving her body back during DotD

OH WAIT ALMOST FORGOT, she’s bound to this tiny black box that can summon her from anywhere, even the Departed Realm, and while she isn’t 100% certain, she’s pretty sure if the box breaks she could disappear forever so she keeps it close

And second, Terra!

Aka, Cole’s little sister. She’d be introduced in the episode we meet Lou and is actually in on the whole Him Being A Ninja thing, since they’re very very close. Unlike Cole, however, she absolutely loves to sing and dance and wants to follow in her dad’s footsteps. She’s also very good at both, as well as having taken more than a few gymnastic classes. Because of this, eventually when the threats grow more and more, she gets Cole to teach her how to ninja so she can defend herself and their dad. And, because of the aforementioned classes, she picks it up really quick. Her most noticeable skills are her stealth and near perfect balance

When Cole turns into a ghost, she actually gets a small piece of his power because “okay, he’s dead, so give it to the youngest most immediate family” but doesn’t find out until after Lloyd is unpossessed, and when she accidentally uses it the first time, both her and Lou think Cole is dead. They are happily proven wrong...sort of.....but then he comes back so everything is fine

Her power though is much weaker than Cole’s, and she can really only control smaller stones, and more importantly, sand and dust, which sort of becomes her thing,

I love them both dearly, and I make them suffer much.

[themurphyzone]

Nova Ch 4

AN: Just in time for the A!countdown! Looking forward to those sneak peeks next month! 

Ch 4: Extraterrestrial 

New Selenian Date 3015.4.21

 Though our voyage through space was more volatile than I expected, we’ve successfully approached Terra’s exosphere. Under other circumstances, it would be cause for celebration, but…

 Well, Snowball has only spoken to me for essentials during the past few days. Usually so he can update me while he raids the pantry for maza or to catch up on sleep.

Our argument has only served as a reminder that we’re not…as united in our mutual goal as much I want to believe.

It must the length of the journey. Access to only four rooms in a one week period can give anyone a serious case of cabin fever. He’ll get better once we land on Terra’s surface, I’m sure.

Signing off for now, the Brain.

o-o-o-o-o

Was it really April 21? Pinky hurried to the Mickey Mouse calendar pinned to the wall next to his cage. He really loved that picture of Mickey giving flowers to a blushing Minnie. They really were the perfect couple!

Pinky imitated Mickey’s pose, dropping down on one knee as if he was offering a bouquet of pretty daffodils…wait, no those were lilies. He rubbed his head, confused by the yellow flowers in the picture. Maybe it was the type with the really long name.

What was it again? Ah, yes! A lovely bouquet of Chris-and-his-moms for Minnie!

Egad, the picture was so pretty that he’d forgotten about the reminder he’d penciled in the box for April 21!

“Granny Smith at 9 pm?” Pinky tilted his head, trying to make sense of what he’d written. He didn’t know any grannies that well, nor did he know any Smiths. Besides, Pharfignewton was leaving the ranch tonight at 9 pm, and he was going to see her off before she was off to the races. “Poit! Oh yeah, the apple! An apple a day keeps the vets away!”

Pharfignewton needed the energy for the journey too. Kentucky was a long way from California. About nine inches according to his placemat of the United States.

Before he left, he needed to leave a response for his space pen pal. But they weren’t exactly using pens. Maybe space radio pals was better.  

Pinky went back to the Walkman. It made a bunch of crackling noises, like the Brain hadn’t turned his equipment off yet.

“Hi, the Brain!” Pinky grinned. The was such a funny first name. “Glad you could make it to Earth! Or Terra! Whatever you wanna call it! Wherever you land, I hope you and Snowball enjoy yourselves. Definitely try strawberry cheesecake sometime. It’s delicious!”

The static continued.

“Anyway, Pharfignewton’s leaving for the Kentucky Derby tonight, so I can’t chat for long. Maybe tomorrow? I’ll spend twice as much time talking to you tomorrow! Fig’s been practicing super extra hard. She’s gonna win the Derby and get that Triple Crown! That’s her dream, you know! Dreams are a wish your heart makes, zort! Cinderella said so!”

Pinky put his hand over the Walkman’s speaker. “Your dream is taking over Terra, and mine is being surrounded by cheese from around the world! Or maybe that’s just my stomach. I can never tell for sure.”

The clock chimed eight, its little pendulum swinging to and fro in a dizzying pattern.

He had to say goodbye now.

And say goodbye again later.

“Alright…well, I’ll let you go. I bet you have some important Conquesowhatsit things to do. Bye, the Brain. Glad you could make it to Terra. You and Snowball are gonna love it. Ooh, there I go again. Bye for real this time.” Pinky slowly turned the dial down, past tinny classical and pop music stations, until the Walkman was off.

Dreams were always nice, even if Pharfignewton and the Brain had to travel far away to make them come true. Pinky’s parents were probably making their own dream of eating gourmet food pellets real as well. Sis didn’t have one yet. She was still torn between professional hairdressing and getting a cooking show on Food Network, but she was young and had plenty of time to grow up.

Now that he thought about it, maybe Sis was right. He didn’t have to decide on a dream for himself yet. Well, surrounding himself with provolone, cheddar, mozzarella, camembert, and all the other yummy cheeses was still a wonderful dream for now.

“A world of cheeses, deliciously made for you and me…” Pinky sang, the air conditioner providing a nice background instrumental as he went to the breakroom to fetch Pharfignewton’s apple.

o-o-o-o-o

Carting the Granny Smith apple to the ranch took more time than Pinky imagined. Running on his wheel along with those upper body strength VHS tapes helped him for most of the trek, but there’d still been one scary moment where he’d leaned back too far to see the pretty full moon. Luckily, the apple wasn’t too bruised from tumbling downhill.

By the time Pinky arrived, Pharfignewton was already in her horse trailer. Her owner sat on a nearby bench, his brow furrowed as his thumbs tapped rapidly on his cell phone. A white pick-up truck sat in front of the trailer, though the latch to connect the vehicles hadn’t been hooked yet.

The door to Pharfignewton’s trailer was wide open, the ramp still on the ground. Delays were good. It meant he could hold off on saying goodbye a little longer.

“Fig, I got you an apple! A sweet and healthy Granny Smith!” Pinky exclaimed as he ran up the ramp. Before he could get to the top, Pharfignewton bent down and grasped the apple in her teeth, nearly chomping down on Pinky’s hands as she lifted her head. Pinky’s feet left the ground, and he gripped the apple with both hands, almost sliding off the smooth surface.

He couldn’t resist a tiny nibble. Pharfignewton wouldn’t mind.

Pinky climbed onto her muzzle just as the apple was crunched into mush. Pharfignewton whinnied in delight, her eyes shut from sheer happiness. He stroked the fur between her eyes and hummed Camptown Races because it was her favorite song. She always got excited to race when she heard it.

Pharfignewton’s hooves clopped against the floor rhythmically, her head bobbing up and down.

“-gonna run all night! Gonna run all day!” Pinky sang, grabbing her soft mane and hauling himself up. He clung to her ears for balance. “I’ll bet my money here on Fig, cause she’s gonna win this May!”  

Pharfignewton neighed, her tail raised proudly.

Her owner looked up from his phone. His bushy beard quivered as he chuckled and waved at her. A van pulled up to the curb, the window sliding down to reveal a man in a funny white cowboy hat. The owner shouted and pointed to the newcomer’s hat.

“What a fashion icon, Fig! Rodeo style hats at the Kentucky Derby. Why didn’t I think of that?” Pinky asked. “Egad, I need to make my own hat for the Derby! A derby hat! With fancy ribbons and dandelions and those little beads on sombreros!”

Cowboy Man clapped the owner on the shoulder as he climbed out of his van, the owner playfully shoving him in return. The back doors of the van were opened, and they started loading the pile of heavy feed bags and horse care equipment into the hollowed out space, trading good-natured jabs while they worked.

Pinky glanced at the starry night sky, scratching the back of Pharfignewton’s ear. “I almost forgot. The Brain made it to Terra. He said so in his message tonight. Told him he should try strawberry cheesecake. I don’t know if they have that in space.”

Pharfignewton snorted.

“Oh, you and your homemade apple strudel,” Pinky grinned. “Tell you what. Win the Triple Crown and I’ll bake the most scrumptious, most mouthwateringest apple strudel you’ve had in your life! Oh wait, no, how ‘bout I just bake it when you come back? Whenever that will be. Maybe soon?”

However long she’d be gone, Pinky hoped she’d call or write or keep in touch some other way. Well, sending a postcard might be a little tricky with hooves. How was she ever gonna apply the stamps?

Pharfignewton neighed, her front hooves knocking against the floor in worry.

“I’ll be okay, Fig. I can wait ‘til August. There’s lots of fun things to do in the summer. Like playing water polo, air hockey, capture the flag...”

Except those games all needed two players.

And while Monopoly game pieces and dominoes made for great substitutes when he couldn’t round up the checkers and marbles, it just wouldn’t be the same without Pharfignewton.

Pinky’s tail started to cramp.

He hadn’t realized he’d wrung it between his hands so hard. It wasn’t the fun sort of pain either.

Outside, the men finished loading their supplies. The van doors were shut, and Pharfignewton’s trailer was hitched to the truck.

Their boots loudly thumped against the ground with every step.

Pinky slid down Pharfignewton’s long muzzle, his feet resting against the back of her nostrils. He gripped her face and looked at those gorgeous blue eyes. They were the same shade as his turquoise crayon. He wanted to remember that.

Pinky rested his jaw on Pharfignewton’s fur, trying to keep the tiny quaver out of his voice. “Well…guess this is it, huh?” he murmured. “You have a good trip now. You’re the best racehorse I’ve ever met. Course I don’t know any other racehorses, but you’re gonna win the Derby, Fig. I know you will. Just keep in touch, ‘kay?”

She knickered softly, her breath stirring Pinky’s fur as she lowered him to the ground outside her trailer. Her breath smelled just like applesauce. She carefully rubbed the underside of her jaw against Pinky’s head, nuzzling away tears that made his vision a little blurry, then slowly raised herself to her majestic height.

“Poit. Really, Fig.” Pinky tilted his head back so the tears just pooled in his eyes instead of trailing down his cheeks. “You’ve got a dream ahead of you.”

Pharfignewton stomped her hoof.

But Pinky shook his head. True, he could go with her, but who was gonna keep his cage clean and his wheel oiled if he wasn’t around? Besides, Pharfignewton would have so many new horse friends. She was gonna be a celebrity by association.

Pinky wiped a tear away with his tail. “I don’t wanna distract you or anything. Meet someone new! Who knows? You might even be fast friends!”

Then Cowboy Man and the owner walked past, too engrossed in their conversation to notice Pinky. Pharfignewton craned her neck, trying to see above Cowboy Man while he folded the ramp. Before she could reply, her owner gently shooed her further into the trailer while Cowboy Man finished up.

Once the trailer door was shut and locked, the owner and Cowboy Man took some time to stroke Pharfignewton’s face. The window bars were wide enough to allow almost her entire muzzle through.

They promised good things for her, win or lose. She’d be eating her fill of apples and carrots for sure.

She’d be happy out there, running like the wind to her heart’s content.  

Ten minutes later, Cowboy Man drove away in his supply van. Pharfignewton’s owner started up the truck.

Pinky quickly climbed up a fencepost and waved to Pharfignewton, wishing he’d brought along a handkerchief to blow his nose into or flutter in the air like a proper movie goodbye.

Pharfignewton stretched her neck as far as she could.

“Bye! Adios! Sayonara!” Pinky called, cupping his hands as the truck slowly inched onto the side road’s pavement. The trailer turned slightly with the movement, and Pinky quickly hopped to a fencepost within Pharfignewton’s line of sight.

She looked happy enough to get the show on the road, but her whinnies were still worried.

He had to cheer her up! She couldn’t travel to Kentucky with that frowny face!

“Camptown ladies! Sing this song! Narf!” Pinky panted, taking only a moment to catch his breath, the song choppy as he ran the length of the fence. But even with the truck’s slow crawl, he couldn’t keep up, and the truck disappeared over the hill, pulling the trailer and Pharfignewton along with it.

He didn’t slow down in time. Pinky stumbled over the last fencepost and fell into the springy grass below. The thud knocked his breath away for just a moment, but he shook it off quickly.

It was nothing really.

“Camptown racetrack’s fi-five thousand miles away…”

Pharfignewton shouldn’t worry.

He had the small, boxy TV that the lab couldn’t afford to upgrade to a flat screen. The NBC channel always showed the Derby.

And it was enough for him.

o-o-o-o-o

Had the stars always been that far away? They seemed much lonelier than usual.

Pinky tilted his head as far as he could, taking in the navy sky above. There was no moon and no way to spot the Brain’s old home tonight. He was probably somewhere on Earth by now.

Paris was nice at this time of year. Maybe the Brain would get all the cheese and baguettes he could eat. The city of light and love was absolutely splendid and heavenly. Pinky had never been there, but the landscape seemed so pretty at night in Ratatouille. Parisian rodents must be excellent chefs. Pinky would have to find one someday.

If only he could walk into a giant cabinet that would magically transport him to a riverboat cruise on the Seine. He’d only gotten a mouthful of cobweb the last time he’d tried that.

Oh dear.

Pinky twirled in place, taking in the enormous apartment complex to his left and the grassy hillside across the street, both of which he didn’t recognize.

“Narf! Silly me.” Pinky bonked his fist against his noggin, leaving a slight ache behind.  “One of these days, I’ll definitely remember that ol’ left turn on Albuquerque Street!”

Well, the only thing he had to do was retrace his steps.

But he didn’t have sidewalk chalk or a pencil.

Pinky scratched his head. This was a lot harder than he thought. He was outside, so he couldn’t exactly follow the left wall of the maze until he got un-lost.

His stomach growled, and he had a sudden craving for between-twilight-and-midnight food pellets.

“Hush now, tummy. You’ll get your food pellets as soon as I find the lab again,” Pinky said, patting his growling belly.

A bowl of smoked food pellets seasoned with paprika and rosemary sounded good right about now. With a side of smoked cheddar too!

Pinky laughed. “You’ve really got a craving for smoked food, tummy! Can’t blame you there. Those smoked chicken wings on Food Network were absolutely mouthwatering yesterday. I’m so hungry I can smell those food pellets!”

And the food pellets smelled delicious indeed.

Pinky took a deep whiff, standing on his tippy-toes to drink it all in.

Until the scent changed and it smelled more oily than the yummy sort of smoke.

Pinky’s nose wrinkled. A faint plume of smoke rose from behind the grassy hill, but it was still a little early in the year for anyone to hold a campfire sing-along with s’mores.

There didn’t seem to be a fire. Or slightly burnt marshmallows for that matter.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Pinky crossed the street at the crosswalk because he was a good pedestrian and not a jaywalker. That was just silly. He was a mouse, not a blue jay.

He ran to the top of the hill and perched on a tree root, heels rocking back and forth for a moment until he found his balance. Then his jaw dropped at the sight of a gray and silver futuristic-y UFO just beyond the hill’s base. It had to be the size of two cages combined, maybe a little more.

He wasn’t really good at judging size, but the UFO thingy was ginormous.

Dirt piled high around its battered surface, like it plowed right into the ground at Pharfignewton-like speeds. Smoke trailed from two long cylinders that arched above its back, though there were no flames.

At least Smokey the Bear wouldn’t have to worry about any wildfires.

Pinky approached the wreckage, circling it twice out of sheer fascination. He didn’t see any string though. No wonder the UFO crashed. It didn’t have any string to hold it up.

“Hello, Mr. Alien!” Pinky shouted, hoping his voice carried through the metal to whoever was inside. He leaned against the UFO with both hands, placing all his body weight on his tiptoes. It felt great. He hadn’t stretched his shoulders like this in a while. All his focus had been going to strengthening his thighs recently. “I just wanted to let you know that your UFO string is missing! But it’s okay! I have an extra long ball of yarn back at the lab! Will that do?”

There was no response, though Pinky heard a plip-plop of dripping water when he pressed his ear against the UFO.

Suddenly, the metal hissed and shifted under his palms.

“Narf!” Pinky yelped as he pitched forward into the opening. His jaw thwacked against the floor, and he giggled at the tingly sensations that shot to the top of his head.

Propping himself onto his elbows, Pinky found himself in a room that was just as big on the inside as it seemed on the outside. Except everything seemed a little smashed up. Broken computers tilted against one wall, the screens cracked and displaying a random string of numbers and letters.

Orange soda dripped from an open panel to his left, forming a bubbly puddle on the floor. Pinky almost drank it, but figured it was a terrible idea because of the little metal bits mixed in. Orange soda went with pizza, not metal.

Pinky stood up and dusted himself off, then walked over to what seemed to be a smashed-up bedframe. There was an upturned mattress and a crumpled white blanket next to it. When he tried to turn them over and arrange them into a less messy position, he found they were rather scratchy and definitely uncomfortable for sleeping in. Whoever used this bed must’ve woken up every morning with a backache the size of Alaska.

As he tucked the last corner of the blanket into the mattress, several tiny blue things slipped out from the folds and bounced off his foot. When Pinky glanced down, he found there were a lot of tiny blue things scattered throughout the room.

He picked one up out of curiosity.

No, it wasn’t a thing. More like a tiny blue star. He touched it with his tongue, a sweet flavor taking over his taste buds entirely. It really packed a wallop. His tongue hadn’t felt this tingly since the time he’d eaten two entire packs of lemonheads! He popped several more tiny stars into his mouth, hugging himself from sheer bliss.

For a moment, it seemed like there was another voice agreeing with him on how fantastically delicious these tiny stars were.

Then it cut into a low groan, which didn’t sound like someone enjoying a snack at all. Pinky quickly swallowed the tiny stars and listened for the source of the noise.

“Narf! Hello?” Pinky called. “Are you an alien ghost? Or a ghost alien, Mr. Alien?”

Another groan. Maybe Mr. Alien didn’t know how to play Twenty Questions.

One of the computers shifted and crashed onto its side, a blue screen flickering in and out of existence. Parts of the splintered bedframe laid among the mess. A small, black-gloved hand poked out from among the tangled wires before falling limp again.

Pinky poked the hand.

It twitched.

“Awful hard to sleep under all those wires, don’t you think?” Pinky asked. “I mean, it would be so electric-y under there! Unless you’re an android ghost alien! Electric sheep only works for androids, I think. The rest of us count woolly, fluffy sheep.”

The mass of wires trembled, the hand closing around Pinky’s wrist. Though it was probably meant to be a tight grasp, it wasn’t a very good hold. A single movement could shake off the alien’s hand.

But Pinky stayed still. Something didn’t seem quite right.

The alien lifted his head, a pair of antennae with bouncy red orbs perking slightly.  

Antennae was a good name now that he thought about it.

“N-no’all?” Antennae murmured, the wires slipping off his large, chubby head. His bleary pink eyes stared through Pinky with desperate hope. Soot stained his messy fur with varying shades of gray, his pointed ears drooping and floppy.

“Poit. Do you not speak English?” Pinky asked. Antennae continued to stare, not seeming to understand. “I could get my language book from the lab. It’s got Spanish, French, Sea Lion, and Legalese! I’m learning a lot! Maybe it’s got your language too?”

Then Pinky snapped his fingers. Why hadn’t he thought of this sooner? “Wait, no! Maybe kissing would be much faster? That way my English flows into your mouth and voicebox! Is that how it works? I’m pretty sure that’s how it works…”

Antennae’s grip tightened, his lower half writhing in the wires until he shook himself free. From the neck down, he wore a sleek black bodysuit with red highlights that really made the color of his antennae and tail orbs pop.

Egad, he was tiny. Even Antennae’s antennae barely rose above Pinky’s chin.

Something green and golden glinted in the hand that wasn’t holding onto Pinky. Antennae stumbled as he got to his feet, wincing as he tried to put his weight on his heels. His eyes widened in panic, and he quickly let go Pinky, breathing rapidly as he wrapped both hands around the weapon’s handle.

Balancing on his toes, he shakily pointed the weapon at Pinky. He was trying to shove the red bulb into Pinky’s nose, which was a little rude to be honest, but couldn’t do much more than a light tap.  

“Are you okay?” Pinky asked, lifting his head so the bulb wasn’t smushing his nose. “Soot’s not really good for your complexion. Gives you all sorts of pimples and zits. That’s what Dr. Oz says, anyway.”

There were several clicks as Antennae repeatedly pulled a switch on the handle, but nothing happened. It clearly wasn’t working the way he expected. He growled in frustration, lowering his weapon and opening a compartment along the top. Then his eyes flicked to the puddle of orange soda on the floor and back to Pinky.

For the first time, Antennae noticed all the tiny blue stars that littered the ground. He whipped around in surprise, staring since he still didn’t understand, but the sudden movement made him lose his balance. Pinky caught him by the arm before he fell flat on his face.

The weapon slipped out of his grip, clattering to the floor. He cried out and swung his crooked tail into Pinky’s side.

“Zort!” Pinky yelped, more from the literal shock he’d received, than actual pain. His fur stood on end, like he’d just rubbed a balloon against it. When he pressed it down again, several tingling tickles lingered on his hand, making him giggle.

When he looked up, Antennae had limped over to the damaged remains of a shelf. But even walking across the room was too much, and he collapsed again.

The bodysuit had rips along the heels, exposing several painful looking cuts. Pinky couldn’t blame him for trying to stay on his tiptoes, even if it was a very awkward way to walk.

Antennae needed help. Pinky would have to carry him to the lab.

Pinky followed. He knelt and picked up Antennae, who weighed only slightly more than the small batteries Pinky liked to use as weights, since dumbbells were unfortunately too large for him. Antennae loosely held a baggie of the tiny stars close to his chest. There were several ripped baggies surrounding them. This seemed to be the only one that remained whole.

Cradling his head and back, Pinky set the baggie on top of Antennae’s chest, making sure the baggie was sandwiched between them before he set off.

Antennae’s head lolled against Pinky’s neck. The antennae orbs lit up with tiny sparks for just a moment, though Pinky didn’t get another burst of static. They faded back to a normal red within a few seconds.

He seemed…almost relaxed. At least his face wasn’t scrunched anymore.

As Pinky exited the UFO with his bundle, something bonked into the back of his head.

“Ouch!” Pinky nearly dropped Antennae and baggie in surprise. A tiny camera with a spinning propellor zipped into the night sky, recovering from its collision course quickly.

Some sort of alien tech too otherworldly for a regular genetically altered Earth mouse to understand? Pinky longed to ask, but he didn’t want to disturb Antennae.

Besides, he looked adorably pudgy while he slept.

Antennae made a small noise in the back of his throat, but he didn’t seem to be waking up anytime soon.

The camera didn’t matter as much. Not when he just discovered that aliens snored.  

Pinky set off for the lab, determined to get the directions right this time.  

o-o-o-o-o

Good thing the dark, narrow alley filled with dirty cardboard boxes had been there! Pinky never would’ve known it was a shortcut to the lab if it hadn’t been for that stray cat. It was a miracle that Antennae hadn’t woken up once, or that the baggie survived the chase without any rips or spilling tiny stars.

The cat had given up the chase, deciding that whatever was in the dumpster would be more of a yummy meal.

Really, Pinky didn’t imagine he’d taste too good. He tried to lick his elbow a few times and all he got was a mouthful of fur.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to try to climb up to the mail slot. The door was slightly ajar, just enough for him to squeeze past, even with Antennae’s chubby head.  

Pinky shifted his hold to one arm, then grabbed the handle of the nearest drawer to pull them up to the counter. He had to set the baggie down, but Pinky could easily grab it once Antennae was settled comfortably in the cage.

It took a few unsuccessful tries of hauling himself up while holding onto Antennae before he realized it wasn’t going to work.

“Psst, Antennae,” Pinky hummed, gently shaking the alien’s shoulder. It would be a lot easier if Antennae clung to his back. “Wakey-wakey…”

Antennae’s face scrunched again, then he yawned and nuzzled into Pinky’s chest instead.

He looked so peaceful. It would go against Pinky’s little shoulder angel to wake him up now. What had he been thinking?

After a few minutes of searching through bottom drawers, Pinky found a soft kitchen sponge that hadn’t been removed from its packaging yet. It would make a perfect bed. Pinky pulled it out of the package, carefully maneuvering it out of the drawer while trying not to jostle Antennae too much.  

Another drawer had several white, fluffy hand towels. They seemed clean enough, so Pinky slung two towels over his free shoulder and climbed out.

He laid one of the towels on the floor, then pushed the sponge on top. Cold feet weren’t fun in the morning nor in show business. Then he laid Antennae on the sponge and covered him with the second towel.

Antennae’s hand clung to Pinky’s fur, so Pinky loosened the grip and tucked the wayward hand under the towel.

“You’ll be alright,” Pinky whispered, stretching out his sore arms. Maybe he’d carried Antennae for a bit too long. But Pinky’s arms would be ready for more wheel-running tomorrow.

Now that both of his hands were free, Pinky grabbed a bandage roll which had been lying near a Bunsen burner. He’d have to thank Mr. Bunsen for letting him borrow these bandages later.

Pinky carefully removed the socks – maybe they were more shoes? Oh, well. He removed the shoe-socks from Antennae’s feet and laid them on the towel-rug. Since Antennae hadn’t been on his feet since the UFO, the cuts seemed to be healing just fine.

Pinky carefully bandaged the heels and folded the towel-blanket over Antennae’s feet once he was finished. Then he brought the baggie of tiny stars over and placed them next to the shoe-socks.

He climbed up to the counter briefly to wash his hands, humming Happy Birthday as he lathered with the honey-scented soap.

“Thank you, Silver’s Anatomy,” Pinky said to the TV remote, which teetered over the edge of the VCR. He turned to Mr. Button, still lying on his straw bed in the cage. “Sorry, Mr. Button. I’m sleeping elsewhere tonight. Here, you can have Nicholas so you won’t be lonely. Try not to keep him up too late, okay?”

He rolled Nicholas the Nickel into the cage and settled him near Mr. Button. They seemed happy. Mr. Button would no doubt be gossiping about the ballpoint pens again.  

Pinky yawned and went back to the floor. It had been an eventful day, and he was very tired.

The towel-rug seemed very inviting…

Pinky buried his face into the towel fluff. Antennae had been twitching throughout Pinky’s counter business, but he stilled again once Pinky curled up.

Pinky fell asleep, dreaming of cheese and Pharfignewton and a deep, faraway voice. It was a lovely dream, except the voice couldn’t join Pinky and Pharfignewton in their little cheese and apple picnic. It seemed unwilling. Pinky made sure to save a few slices of cheddar and provolone for him. Maybe he’d take it afterward.

o-o-o-o-o

When the sunlight hit his eyes, Pinky leapt with joy. Early wheel runs were the best! So were mid-morning runs, and noon runs, and evening runs!

Except he couldn’t move. He could still wiggle his fingers and toes, but his hands were tied behind his back, purple yarn binding his ankles as well. His entire tail was still free though. He swished his tail just to be sure.

He shimmied over to the drawer and pressed his back against it, managing to sit up. Though he wanted to run on his wheel, being tied up was a fun game too.

Antennae wasn’t on the sponge bed though. Where was he? He was missing out!

Pinky wondered if he should just untie himself and find Antennae. The knots didn’t seem that hard. Though it was hard to tell for sure if it was a slipknot or an overhand knot. He really should’ve paid attention in knot-tying class.

Five minutes later, Antennae stomped over in his ripped shoe-socks, though little strips of bandage poked out.

Pinky smiled. If Antennae was stomping, his feet must be healing fast. And then he’d be okay again.  

However, Antennae didn’t seem to think so.

“Wipe that ridiculous expression from your face, Terran,” Antennae scowled, his foot tapping impatiently. “Hand over all the information you know. I want answers, and I want them now.”  

AN note: I’d like to give credit to @pluto-art for her wonderful drawing of Brain as a cute little alien.  With the way she posed him, I knew I wanted to incorporate that somewhere and this chapter seemed like a good place to do it! I meant to credit her last chapter for the blaster idea but I forgot so I’m rectifying that now.  

Fig’s off to the races! Literally.

After the wringer I stuck him through last chapter, Brain seriously needed some cuddles. He’s a little touch-starved. Also, he’s a bad guest. Don’t tie your friend up, Brain. That’s just rude.

[masterfuldoodler]

Role Swap AU stuff

So idk I thought I'd share a sort of rough outline for the au since I haven't been drawing anything worth posting here. It's just for fun, and the universe it happens in is just different from the regular, so some weird stuff is in it that doesn't exactly make sense? but makes for a fun au.

There's still a bunch of keyblade weilders around, they haven't died out yet. Eraqus is one of the masters, but he didn't agree with some of their practices and broke out of the unions to do his own thing.

He moved to The Land of Departure with his young apprentices, Terra and Aqua, and continued training them there.

The rest of the masters didn't approve of this and have kinda shunned him.

The keyblade weilders still use the union set up from long ago during khux times. Five great masters running their own unions.

Although over time it's kinda slipped away from "dandelions" and turning back to the way it was right before the war.

Xehanort was also a master in this system, and also left to continue his studies of darkness. (Or got kicked out, depends on who you ask. They were really wary of his studying)

Xehanort goes evil and all the events of Birth By Sleep play out. Terra is possessed, Aqua lost in the dark realm, and Ven split and resting in Sora's heart

None of the other keyblade masters didn't notice/help because 1) busy with other stuff 2) it's Eraqus and his apprentices, we just leave them alone

During all this time Xehanort has also been culling keyblade weilders to make sure that only the best would be left for his war. (best not exactly meaning what keyblade weilders of light think) Which, yeah it's pretty distracting when you're coworkers are dropping dead around you.

One keyblade master couple found orphan smol Sora and adopted him into their small family.

Growing up with their biological son (Caelum) he knew he was adopted, because they wanted him to know the truth. But might not have gone about it the best way

With the troubles going on with keyblade weilders dying and darkness spreading in the stars the two masters couldn't spend all their time with their kids. So they left them home where they were safe and went to do their duty. (I think that's like,, illegal child abuse but like,,they probably left a babysitter so it's ok)

When Sora was four he meant Ven's heart and welcomed him in. After that he had a very good imaginary friend.

Caelum and him would play with Ven when he wasn't napping, even though Caelum couldn't see him. Sora just told him what he did.

Ven became very close to the two and kinda took care of the kids, stopping them from doing stupid stuff.

Their parents had them moving around a lot. Very much like a military family, where they're stationed somewhere else and so have to move there, but the difference being the kids would be moved to a different "safe" world, a quiet one where not much happened.

Things start getting messy as the organization slowly grows and their shadow lengthen. Maleficent seeking power makes a deal with them and they being collecting the Princess of light.

Of course she thinks she's got control over them and is actually pulling the strings, but nah, lady you're dealing with Xehanort. In multiple people at once smh

Kairi is, like she normally of course, a princess of light, but had grown up in Traverse Town with the other refugees from Radiant Gardens. (Leon, Cid, Aerith, Yuffi) and has picked up a bunch from them.

Riku grew up on Destiny Islands. He does fishing in his downtime and kinda hangs out with Wakka and Tidus but doesn't really have any friends. His dream of seeing other worlds forgotten in childhood .

When things start progressing and getting bad Mickey sets out to find the reason and sends Donald and Goofy to find the "key"

The Darkness spreads to Destiny Islands where it infects it and destroys that world.

Riku gains the Kingdom Key in the process and ends up in Traverse Town, alone and confused.

Donald and Goofy find the "key" that Mickey told them about and where able to get Riku to meet the keyblade masters, where they explained stuff to him and began teaching him.

Caelum turns 15 around the same time all this is happening. His parents come to pick him up because he's old enough to begin his training now. So he goes off with them to Twilight Town, their base world.

Caelum meets Riku during his training and the two kinda make friends, both being new to this.

Sora is left behind because he's still too young, his chance will come soon, he just had to be patient.

Sora is too dramatic about all this and feels abandoned and unwanted. (If you want more detail on this you can ask, it's just long) and is very hurt by it. Darkness visits him, and tells the poor gullible boy a few lies and half-truths and tells him to join him.

Sore believes all the lies about the keyblade weilders being blinded by the light and joins the organization to bring the balance of darkness back.

Darkness plants itself in his heart to wait for its chance to claim its vessel.

Sora changes his name to Roxas and turns his back on the keyblade weilders.

Roxas then helps them in their kidnapping the seven princesses and preparing their hearts to open the keyhole. That's how he meets Kairi, being one of the ones he captured.

Kairi tries to talk him out of all this and he kinda softens up to her, but still won't turn. Him being very much influenced by darkness whispering in his heart.

Finally seeing that he won't she's able to break out and get away. 1. Because this girl got a keyblade and can fite 2. Roxas is off his guard around her.

Kairi finds the keyblade weilders and explains everything she's learned. They get really worried about this and begin freaking about everything going wrong. They tell her to lay low, being a princess of light she's in extreme danger.

This really annoys her because um she can do things too??

Around this same time Caelum gets permission to allow Sora to train along side with him, even though he's not old enough.

Excitedly he goes to tell him the news, only to find him missing and his whereabouts unknown. He searches around the world for a while until he returns alone to tell his parents the bad news.

His parents search for their youngest son across the worlds but none of them are able to find him.

Caelum is told to not worry about it, and they'll find him eventually

Riku introduces Caelum to Kairi and the three hang out and train together. Kairi technically shouldn't be training because she's too young and a princess of light but the boys don't care.

Eventually Caelum gets tired of waiting, they aren't looking for him, they're too busy with the other important stuff they have to be doing. Sora is his little brother and it's his duty to make sure he's okay, and knowing him so well he'd have the best chance of finding him.

So he sneaks off against orders to go find him.

Kairi goes with him because she wants to help, not sitting around hiding. And she's itching for action. Riku joins them because he really wants to make sure they're safe, and he was feeling restless. He had keyblade that was sorely needed but wasn't being allowed to help?

Rebel kids run away and make a rebel gang :)

During their adventures through the different worlds Riku seals the keyholes to the world's hearts, saving them from the darkness.

Eventually they find Sora, and find him listening to darkness and on the bad guy's side. Kairi recognizes him and tells Caelum about what he's been doing.

They get in a little skirmish and part ways unhappy.

The rebel gang finds their way to The Keyhole and they're able to seal it and stop Maleficent from getting into the dark realm.

The three then in deep trouble for breaking the rules are no longer allowed back on Twilight Town so make base somewhere else and being figuring out what else they need to do.

So that's kind of how kh1 would go in this au ^^

[kingofdirtandnothing]

@polyfacetious big ass Christmas Drabble Extravagaza: Day Seven

Cloud has been working up to this for weeks now. 

He keeps having these run ins with the girl that runs the flower shop. (Aerith, there was no point in pretending he didn’t know her name. He did.) They would cross the street at the same time, or end up in line near each other at the bakery, or the donut shop. And once, memorably, even at the bar, though Cloud was only there to pick up a bottle for his boss’ meeting and Aerith had been chasing her puppy down the street. 

That was the longest conversation they had ever had, Aerith clutching a squirming puppy to her chest and Cloud trying to remember how to have a conversation like a normal person. At most, it lasted about five minutes. 

Which just went to prove that Cloud wasn’t meant for any sort of job that was tailored to orating. Though no one had told Professor Murdock that yet, which was how Cloud still had a job. (He didn’t know if he wanted it, but he was glad to still have it.)

But with even less than ten whole minutes of time spent speaking to each other, Cloud couldn’t get Aerith out of his head. She was beautiful, of course. Hauntingly so, if he was feeling dramatic while staring at the ceiling at three in the morning. But even in the heat of the day, when all the words inside of him shriveled up and rolled away like tumbleweeds made of syllables, she was still incredibly beautiful. 

It was more than that, though. Monte Carlo was full of beautiful women. Most of them wearing less clothing than Cloud’s mother would like. And sometimes topless on the beach. But Aerith was more than that. She was...vivacious. She had a laugh that echoed in the back of Cloud’s head for hours after he talked to her. 

She was kind, too. In every time that they talked, she never seemed to notice how awkward he was. And if she did notice, she just didn’t care. She still talked to him the same way he heard her talk to everyone else she encountered on the street. Not that he was stalking her or anything, he just spent a lot of time here on the Row. 

Professor Murdock had once lovingly called this place the ‘isle of misfit toys’ and it had stuck with Cloud ever since. On the most blatant surface level, the thing they all had in common was that they weren’t from around here. They were all strangers in a strange land. But to Cloud, it felt like there was something more to it than that. 

Every shop owner, every “regular” on the street would smile at him in passing, and ask him how his day was. Every single one of them would hold open a door for him, or for each other. There was a sense of family in this place that ran deeper than any place Cloud was ever stationed, and the military did its best to make a family out of you.

This family felt more natural, like something a shoot growing out of a seed left in rich soil. No one planted it, no one tended to it or watered it. But nature ran its course and there was new life growing there, just because. 

That’s what this place was. New life and new growth because nature intended it, and not anyone else. 

Which was why Cloud needed to do this for himself. Everything about this place, from the people to the paint jobs on ancient stones, to his actual job were about new growth. So he needed to take that step for himself, and finally man up and have a real, honest to God conversation with the pretty girl in the flower shop. 

He looks up at the striped red and white awning over the flower shop, watching the way the sun seemed to bounce off of the crisp lines there. It reminded him faintly of a painting his mother had hanging in her kitchen of a French bistro, little blobs of paint people passing under a similar awning as they went about their lives. 

But there were no little paint people with baguettes in the baskets of their bicycles here.

Just Cloud, standing out on the sidewalk like an idiot. “Come on. You can do this. She’s just a girl.” Just an incredibly pretty girl, who smelled like roses and smiled like sunshine and took up residence in Cloud’s head any time he wasn’t thinking too hard about anything. “All you have to do is take a deep breath and go inside.”

Cloud took a deep breath in, letting the cool air fill his nose and expand his lungs. He holds it there, just like the therapist taught him, for a count of four. And then he breathes it out slowly, letting his lungs empty fully. 

But his feet still weren’t moving.

“One more deep breath. Then I think you’ll have it.” If a person’s soul could leave their body from the sound of another’s voice alone, Cloud would be up by his namesake right about now. He hadn’t heard Aerith come up to stand beside him, her pale fingers laced together behind her back. When Cloud looks over at her, her smile is radiant. There’s nothing dismissive or sarcastic there. She’s really rooting for him. 

“Here! We’ll do it together. Ready?” Cloud didn’t have a chance to be anything but ready, because Aerith was already breathing in deeply, and audibly. Cloud’s lungs follow right along with her, a deep breath in. When Aerith exhales, it’s like a balloon deflating, a great big rush of breath. And through it all, she holds his eyes. 

Cloud is pretty sure you’re not supposed to feel a jolt of electricity every time that someone looked you in the eyes. But there was something about Aerith that got under his skin each and every time. 

“How about now? Feeling better?” Before he could even answer, Aerith takes hold of his hand and that jolt in Cloud’s chest explodes through his fingertips, up along his arm and through his chest to settle, inexplicably, in his teeth. Who felt electricity in their teeth?

That was a question for another time, because Aerith’s gentle touch was guiding him into the flower shop. The smell is what hits him first, faint and sweet but still riotous, in a natural sort of way. It felt like a cacophony of gentle scents, all elbowing and jostling each other to be first in line into his nose. 

Next was the colors. Sprung had sprung a while ago, but summer had pounced on the Midgar Florist shop. There were bouquets wrapped in butcher paper, all ready to be picked up and taken by anyone walking in. There were dusted with daisies and peppered with peonies, smelling like summer love and looking like what a laugh must. 

But those were simple, compared to the bouquets in vases on display behind the counter. There were sunflowers there the size of a tea saucer, along with red roses still curled tightly around themselves in a self hug, and tiger lilies, outstretched towards the promise of the sun. 

There were arrangements for births of babies and ones for congratulations. There was even a small, tasteful display in the corner with a card balanced in front of it that said sorry for your loss. 

Before today, Cloud would have never known how many things you could say with flowers. It felt like walking down the street in a new city, where you didn’t speak the language at all. 

“See? You did great.” It’s only then that Cloud realizes that Aerith still has a hold on his arm. Because she’s let go of his hand at this point to wrap her hand around his bicep and step in close. Even in the wash of flowers and scents spilling over him, Cloud would swear he could smell the kind of roses that always made him think of Aerith. “Is there something in particular you were looking for?”

Maybe they would have flowers the color of her eyes. Cloud doubted it, though. They were beautiful, the green of fresh summer grass. 

“Uh-” She always did this to him. Words never came easily to Cloud, but the mountain of his tongue and teeth seemed especially insurmountable when he was looking at Aerith. And it didn’t help that he wasn’t actually here for flowers. He just wanted to talk to her. 

Originally, the plan had been to come in and pretend like he was browsing, and then make conversation, But that plan was out the window now, and there was no plan B in sight. No exit strategy, either. 

“Something for my desk.” They were the first words to leave his mouth, and Cloud is relieved to find that they don’t have to be a lie. He could put some flowers on his desk. Professor Murdock wouldn’t care. “But it can’t be anything that smells too strongly. My boss is blind, and strong smells can give him headaches.”

Professor Murdock has never asked him not to wear cologne or not to keep flowers on his desk, but Cloud has seen the way he’s had to nap on his office couch after he dealt with freshmen and their need to bathe in body spray. 

“Hmm.” Aerith lets go of his arm to tap her finger against her lips. Cloud jerks his gaze away before he can spend too long staring at her mouth like some kind of creep. “Well, if you’re wanting something on your desk, then we need something potted. But not anything with a strong scent.”

Aerith drifts from display to display, her skirt brushing against her ankles and sounding like a whisper. After two full circuits of the store, with Cloud turning in a helpless, static circle to watch her, she makes a sound of victory, and actually fist pumps the air. “I’ve got it! One second.”

She ducks behind the counter and Cloud watches her go, his heart beating so hard in his chest that it’s hard for him to believe that she can’t hear it. But before he can think too hard about it, Aerith is back from the back room again, holding a small potted plant in both of her cupped palms. 

“Here you go!” The terra cotta pot was wrapped with a bright pink ribbon around its base. And in the pot was a cactus. It was squat and mostly round, with a small pink flower blooming on the top of its curve. 

Cloud has to lean in close (but not too close, he’s fallen into a cactus before) to catch a whiff of the flower on the top of the cactus. It’s faint, but sweet. It wasn’t familiar, and there was something pleasant about that. It was almost exotic. 

“So. What do you think?” There was something teasing and sing-song in Aerith’s words, and she was rocking back and forth on her toes, eagerly awaiting his answer. Cloud is pretty sure that even if he hated it, he would lie to her right now.

But luckily for him, he doesn’t hate it, so he doesn’t have to lie about it. The plant is perfect. Easy to care for, easy to look at, and it wouldn’t be overwhelming for Professor Murdock. It showed a lot of care on Aerith’s part, and Cloud’s already sky high opinion of her ratchets up a few notches further. 

“This is great, thank you. How much do I owe you?” Cloud shifts the pot to his left hand, holding it against his chest so that he can try and pull his wallet from the front pocket of his trousers. He didn’t actually plan on buying anything today, but how much could a cactus really cost?

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Aerith’s laughter was like the crystal on a chandelier. Bright and tinkling. “This one’s on the house.”

[sorcererships]

oak, peaches and pond for Lyon and Terra, please, if that's alright!

oak - who’s the more emotional one? how do you balance each other out in this aspect?

hmm i would have to say that lyon is probably the more emotional of the two. honestly the balancing aspect isn’t even super intentional, terra is a bit more collected in some situations and lyon finds it very calming and it balances out that way. terra is also pretty good at noticing when lyon wants to leave/get out of a situation without lyon having to tell him and lyon really appreciates it. on the other hand, i feel like terra is really hesitant to do certian things or express certain emotions so lyon kind of shows him that its ok to feel that way!!!

peaches - how did you and your f/o meet?

im still working on an official timeline/au for this but its more by chance than anything else. sora discovers lyon in traverse town and brings them back to radiant garden, and so lyon ends up living there with ienzo and the others while they try to figure out exactly what’s going on with him. terra doesn’t have much of a reason to go to radiant garden after kh3 im thinking, but he goes with riku once or twice to go say hi to everyone, and lyon is there! terra was sort of aware that lyon existed, because riku has spoken with them a lot and basically said that they were considering having lyon move to land of departure for training. but that’s mostly an idea at this point in the timeline. so their meeting isn’t really big or anything like that, it’s mostly just riku going “oh, terra, this is lyon, the person i was telling you about before.” their first meeting they don’t even talk that much, its kind of in passing, but they begin to talk more when terra visits again and it sort of develops from there!

pond - how do you get along with your f/o’s friends?

i think that lyon gets along really well with everyone honestly! they’re a bit more reserved than many of the other keykids i think, BUT they really like aqua as a friend and get along especially well with ven. tbh if lyon didn’t get along with aqua and ven it would have been a deal breaker, so terra is really glad that they get along so well. lyon is also fairly close to riku, because he visits them a lot in radiant garden

[mattgambler]

Phoenix Point and why I want it to live

No TLDR this time. I said in the past that I could write pages over pages about this. I guess its time to see how many pages we are actually talking about here. Phoenix Point is currently rather mediocre. From the soundtrack to the many bugs and rather rough implementations, the missing features that were envisioned in the kickstarter campaign, the 5 scheduled DLCS, the epic store exclusivity, the inferior graphical polish in comparison to Firaxis’ XCOM reboot, the inferior complexity in comparison to Longwar, probably even the inferior Idontknow in comparison to the very first XCOM games from way back when, I didnt play those. If you are looking for something to hate in this game, you dont have to look too hard, there is something here for everyone. The reason Ive been a determined defender of Phoenix Point is not simply because I have a different taste in games than the mainstream however, but because I feel there is a way deeper underlying problem at work here. I’ll come back to that later. Btw starting now, when I say XCOM, I mean Firaxis’ XCOM. Personally I want more games like XCOM. More games like Battlebrothers, Mordheim: City of the Damned, Invisible Inc, hell, even Bloodbowl, even though I dont dig the sports angle. Games with permadeath, nameable characters, dynamic overworld systems and missions and situations that are created ideally by circumstance, not by simply playing mission 1, then mission 2, until you reach what the devs decided to be the last one they would make for the game. I thoroughly enjoy that concept of progression and many turnbased strategy titles just dont do it for me because they are too linear, even when they are otherwise nicely crafted experiences. Druidstone: The Secret of the Menhir Forest is a nice example of this, the game looks nice, sounds nice and is very well made, but it lacks the one thing I enjoy most in all the games I mentioned earlier. Along comes Phoenix Point and the moment I look at this game I know that it is all about scratching that specific itch. Not only that, it also brings with it a variety of creative features to even improve the established turnbased squad tactics formula. I didnt lie when I said I think that it is in many ways better than XCOM. Just that... WHAT?!?! ...the overall game doesnt compare well if we look at the sum of their parts at the moment. YOU CANT BE SERIOUS!!!!! About Phoenix Point being better in many ways? Sure, let me make a list. 1) Aiming In XCOM you aim, you have an x% chance to hit, you either hit or you dont. While widely accepted because of the quality of the overall games, its a pretty simple system that becomes especially frustrating when your guns model on screen is touching the enemies forehead and you still manage to miss. Or when a flashbanged and suppressed sectoid crits you in full cover after rolling a natural 20. In Phoenix Point bullets get simulated and trace a path from the barrel of your gun to a target that they then either hit or miss. Smaller enemies in Phoenix Point are hard to hit not because the game designers arbitrarily decided so, but because smaller enemies are simply smaller. In comparison, in XCOM you roll dice. 2) Modular enemies Similar to Battlebrothers, Phoenix Point has you encounter the same brigand thug (crabmen) over and over again. The enemy itself doesnt matter as much, its more about the number of different variations you can encounter. Brigant thugs can come equipped with simple helmets and/or armor as well as different weapons that have different abilities. They also have different faces on top of that. They are by far not the only enemy in the game, but even if they were, by the time you encounter the exact same thug a second time you wont be able to tell anymore because you have seen so many others inbetween. The same goes for most enemies in Battlebrothers (with a few exceptions), it becomes way more about your opponents equipment than about his actual type or class. Phoenix Point goes for the very same approach, but falls short because of  a variety of reasons. To name just one, the first time you encounter New Jericho as a faction, you fight four New Jericho soldiers and all four of them have the same armor, the same weapon and even the same face. To hammer it home the mission also always takes place on a variation of the exact same map. It is an absolute travesty. The ambition is there and in random encounters on the map you can see where it is supposed to go, with every enemy type in the game being designed in a way that allows for as many variations as the devs can think of, from paralysis tentacles and bloodsucking arms to mist generators and everything inbetween. The possibilities are endless and from the standard crab to the giant bosses every enemy is designed with this modularity in mind. In XCOM in comparison, you have a variety of different enemies, but for the entirety of the first month (what is that, 3-7 missions?) you only fight the sectoid. Or maybe the drone too, I havent played vanilla in forever. Longwar tries to spice that up by using preexisting models and assigning new abilities to them, making some models bigger and giving others new abilities, but at the end of the day the sectoid looks the way the sectoid looks. I love what it looks like btw. But modular enemies are decidedly cooler. 3) Scale In XCOM you control 4, later up to 6 soldiers at the same time. In Longwar it goes up to 8, or 12 in that one mission. In Phoenix Point you start out the same way, but to my knowledge you can bring as many soldiers to any mission as you can get there via aircraft. Meaning that as soon as you get a second manticore you can theoretically have up to 12 soldiers in a mission, or 18 with a third. Naturally you would probably want to split your forces instead and be in 3 places at the same time (and you can), but this sort of thing being possible, both the 18 soldiers in one mission as well as the 3 different squads doing missions in 3 different places of the planet, is something XCOM simply does not offer.  4) Other features Be it vehicles, giant enemies, diplomacy or the amount of control you get on the overworld map, Phoenix Point does (or attempts to do) a huge number of things that in XCOM are simply nonexistant. In XCOM you dont get to decide were to fly, missions are simply spawned in popup fashion, the skyranger is on autopilot, “diplomacy” is managed by talking to top secret bald guy representing the council and by sometimes fulfilling a councilrequest. The only opposing faction apart from the aliens is EXALT which can be regarded as more of a separate mission type with human enemies and not really as a faction that contributes in any diplomatic way. Dont get me wrong, I dont think XCOM needs diplomacy in order to be good. XCOM is already good, fantastic in fact. But if we compare based on features alone and not the quality of their implementation, then Phoenix Point is doing A LOT of things that XCOM never even touched. This is in no way me trying to trash XCOM. I love XCOM, especially Longwar. However for the sake of an at least somewhat fair comparison the only games we should compare Phoenix Point to at this Point are XCOM Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2, both at launch. Bringing Longwar into the mix is something I do for the sake of providing a third angle, not because I am blind to the fact of how ludacris it would be to compare a newly launched game with an extensive overhaul mod that was in the making for years after the vanilla game and even its expansion were already released. As I was saying, along comes Phoenix Point doing all those very ambitious things. And it gets DESTROYED. To quote Beaglerush, the probably best known XCOM streamer out there: “But honestly, for anyone with experience in the XCOM genre, anyone who likes XCOM games, and anyone particularly who likes XCOM games at a harder difficulty or likes to obviously, like, play well, I do not think it is possible to enjoy this game unless you are getting a big paycheck and you are a good actor.” To be clear, I didnt watch the entire footage that made him come to that conclusion and I dont want to comment too much on what “playing well” means, but i have played Longwar on the highest difficulty in ironmanmode for 2000 hours (without beating it, but also always with Training Roulette active) and I have beaten XCOM 2 on highest difficulty in ironman mode. I do consider Longwar as one of my favourite games of all time and I do consider myself as someone who has experience with the genre, likes games and likes to play them “well”, or at least on highest difficulty. I dont agree with Beagle (duh), but I can of course see where he might be coming from. In its current state Phoenix Point is not finished. Playable, but even for an early access game its still pretty rough, with many mechanics not or only sometimes working (leanout, aim and aimsnapping, end turn, details, you get the point), features missing, performance issues, lackluster soldier customization, lackluster diplomacy options, a rather simple skilltree, questionable balance, etc. Don’t look at me like that, if I wanted to I could jump that hatetrain any time! But if I was to do that, where would that leave us? The XCOM genre, as Beagle calls it, is a niche genre at the best of times. Not only regarding the playerbase but also regarding game developers willing to invest time and money into creating something new. Xenonauts 2 is a year or more behind its originally panned release date with not much news to speak of, Terra Invicta is a distant memory of a game that will maybe one day still be released and Im still waiting for the XCOM 3 announcement and who knows if it will even come. Especially after we, the players, completely demolish Phoenix Point to the point where I would just cancel the 5 planned DLCS right now if I was in charge of the devteam. The main reason I defended Phoenix Point was not because of what the game currently is but because of what the game could be after 5 more DLCs. Ive played every backerbuild of the game and statements like “the game is still what it was 2 years ago” are simply and factually false. Especially between backerbuild 4 and 5 there was a huge jump in quality and between 5 and the release version that same jump has ocurred again - with an entire game that is now playable and completable. Yes, it could have more voiced lines instead of text, yes, it doesnt have the sexy “alerted sectoid” animation sequence when you run into a new enemy pod (pods dont exist in PP but you get me) and sure, the epic exclusive sucks I guess and I dont care much for the soundtrack. But after Backerbuild 5, who knows where the game will be after the next DLC? And the next? If you compare XCOM Enemy Unknown with XCOM Enemy Within, the difference was breathtaking. And here we have a game that has so much work already done, so many assets created, so much code already in place, and we, the players, punch them in the face and shout “NOT GOOD ENOUGH!”. You wanna go back to the drawing board, have somebody else start fresh on something that could be better in a year or two if we are lucky? Ive been looking for a game like XCOM for literally years. Battle Brothers was the closest I found. Tens, if not hundreds of others inbetween failed hard, from “Warhammer 40k: Mechanicus” to “Legends: Viking” to “Wildermyth” and basically everything inbetween. And here we have a game that seems to have the right idea, the right amount of ambition and a good amount of the work already done and we are bitchslapping them left and right just so we can go back to getting hyped about the next mediocre linear story experience. Sure, them releasing already is a shame. But if I was the one to decide, I would give them the same amount of money again and triple it and tell them to finish the job instead of spitting in their face when they come to us and lowkey tell us that they ran out of money. And I would send them flowers and tell them that Im sorry. Anybody can polish a game with extra cash, but getting the core idea right is something that even Firaxis almost failed to do with XCOM 2, as far as Im concerned. I said earlier, that there was a deeper underlying problem here and that I would come back to it and here it is, ladies and gentlemen. Modernday gamers are an ungrateful, hateful bunch of whiny spoiled brats, who think they are entitled to only the best of the best while in fact they “deserve” nothing. The entire concept of a kickstarter campaign is that you provide funds and trust so a bunch of people can try to realize their vision. If you dont like the outcome, then that doesnt mean they betrayed you, it means you have poor judgement. Notice how I say judgement and not taste. You dont have poor judgement because you dont like the outcome, but because you gave them money in the first place. I should maybe add at this point that my anger is mostly directed towards the public reaction and the phoenix point subreddit and not towards my own viewership. (hello) Phoenix Point is not the first game that has had me feel like the entire gaming landscape is slowly spiraling out of control. 5 years ago I thought quality means sales. At this point Im worried that a high marketing budget means sales. And I dread the possibility that 5 years from now I might be convinced that a high marketing budget means quality. Some of the best games this year were literally destroyed by players. Artifact wasn’t only boykotted, but actively brutalized, with people at some point purposefully streaming porn and torture under the Artifact tag on Twitch. Pathologic 2 had the devteam almost go bankrupt after poor sales and unfavourable reviews by people that barely grasped the basics of the game. All the while people feed money to the ginormous immortal that is Magic The Gathering and praise Hideo Kojima for his “unique vision” for Death Stranding. I didnt play Death Stranding and Magic can be pretty fun, but does nobody see the smothering double standards in play here? Im not saying that Phoenix Point has no problems right now in terms of quality. Some of the issues player encounter are in fact inexcusable, at least longterm. But XCOM 2 also had a bumpy launch with long loading times and tons of bugs and then they were fixed and today there are people that think XCOM 2 is better than Longwar. Incomprehensible to me how anyone could think that, but time and some postlaunch fixes did clearly change peoples minds. I think the main reason Phoenix Point got so much hate on launch in comparison to XCOM 2 (which also released 3 DLCs ,or was it more) is because its drastically different and more ambitious in many ways, not because it is half as bad as people make it out to be. XCOM is just like Phoenix Point, just dumbed down I guess. Kappa. (I hate it when people use the term “dumbed down”. This is a joke. Ffs why do I have to explain this)

[sokaiweek]

Day One Sokai Week (Quote)

Quote

(Day 1)

AN: Decided to participate in Sokai week this year because KH3!!!

“Not one More Second.”

Whenever Sora went on a adventure with his friends, more often than not Donald and Goofy being his constant traveling companions, it would feel like their mission would take months, maybe even years when in actuality it was merely a few weeks. But this one, after the Keyblade War and stopping Xahanort once and for all? Only to have to pay the price for using the power of waking to save all his friends, to save Kairi? It felt like eons.

It had to be only a couple weeks though, it had to be, however with the unending night of Shibuya, it was hard to tell when days passed. It was only now, face down on the ground covered with cuts and bruises with the concrete around him from the half wall he had been thrown through, that he really gave it much thought. He remembered waking up here, a teardrop hitting his hand being what woke him, and wandering the city streets for a solid hour before being attacked.

Ever since then, it was a constant fight.

The Keyblade wielder tried to push himself off the ground, but it was no use, his arms were plain tired from the constant swinging of his blade. But his forehead hit the ground a second later, the sounds of battle echoing in the air as Riku fought against the man in the black cloak. The one who insisted he be called Master, and Sora wasn’t going to lie, the way he had been easily beating him and Riku senseless was proof of that. I just…..can’t, I can’t even hit him. Sora relented internally. It wasn’t a matter of difference in strength it was sheer skill. Every slash was counted, every charge dodged, every move he had, Strike Raid, Ragnarök, Sonic Blade, even his and Riku’s team up attacks were useless.

Gathering what little strength he had left, he pushed himself over onto his side, his right arm stretched out against the ground, there was a deep cut across his wrist that was bleeding, the gauntlet of his new outfit was dangling off his wrists with the straps having come undone. That’s not good…..really wish Donald was here…or anyone really…..except her….. Sora thought sadly.

Kairi.

She was his entire inspiration for getting out of Shibuya, all his friends where of course but Kairi……she was different. Dear god she was different. He thought of her whenever his determination wavered, whenever he was knocked down, her face would come to mind, the way she titled her head with a cute smile and offered him a paopu fruit the day before everything went wrong. She was his light……and it took him far too long o figure that out. Riku was important too, he couldn’t stress that enough to his oldest friend but he understood.

He heard a pained yell of Riku as the ground shook from an impact.

…e…p….S…a…..

Riku…..he was the last person he expected to come across here, but that wasn’t the case for him. He embraced Sora as though he….well he did die. Right in front of Riku and everyone……in front of Kairi. Holding her hand while he did it. He remembered the tear go down her cheek, God what did you do? You did it again, you abandoned her again……after everything……what is wrong with me? he thought weakly. I remember when I came home the first time after my adventure, my mom….she cried so hard….I can’t remember if it was from joy, sadness, or just….anger…..I wonder if Kairi did that….cursed me for leaving her again….dying because of her.

And not just Kairi, he left everyone, Roxas and Ven, two people who Sora could almost call family with what they three shared. He wished that the three of them could have spent more time together. Donald and Goofy, they were almost like pseudo parents to him, they loved him like a son and he felt that. He wanted to make them proud, he wanted to see the looks on their faces when he returned with his usual beaming smile on his face and just surprise them…….but he knew that they must have wept harder than most for his death.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a bright light suddenly washed over him, when his eyes adjusted to the sudden light he saw it….just a couple dozen feet away. A door to the Light.

G…t…up….Sor….

He heard boots on the ground walk towards him. The shadow of a tall man passed over his turned over form, “Still alive? Well alive is…..semi-accurate.” he heard the cloaked man say. Sora’s half lidded eye slowly moved to the source of the voice, it was him, the Master of course. Worry began to bubble in his heart, where was Riku? Was he ok? Did he-

A flash of Darkness circled around the Master, Riku appearing from it with his keybalde swinging. The Master ducked his torso back enough to give his hand enough time to reach at Riku’s chest, an blast of dark aura sent Riku flying though the door to light. “He is very, very, persistent. Which can be annoying, but I find it oddly endearing.” the Master mused to himself before his cloaked face returned to Sora. The sky blue irises flickered red for a moment, “You know that’s not going to work, you and your shadow friend tried teaming up and well…..” he did a gesture to Sora.

Sora hated that he was right. His shadow…..Vanitas. Despite his defeat during the Keyblade war, he remained to be a equal part of Sora. At first he was a pest to say the least, but over time….they found a sort of understanding. But still seeing his own face on someone else? It still was an adjustment, but using darkness that Vanitas was able to provide saved his life in the city. Riku had encouraged it with caution, but deep down he knew that Sora would never succumb to darkness.

Get up Sora.

“Don’t feel too bad about it, this has been a long time coming. Literally years, decades in the making! You get trapped here, saving all your friends, and they all scramble to try and save you. But that’s friendship isn’t it? Doing whatever you can for someone whose heart is connected to yours……yeah…..you should be proud Sora.” he admitted sincerely. He turned on his heel and began walking towards the door to light. Passing through the threshold, Sora closed his eyes.

Aqua….Terra…..Ven….Donald…..Goofy….Micky…..Lea….Roxas…..Xion…Namine….Kairi…..I’m so sorry……but I don’t think I’m going to come back. he thought, a tear seeping out of his shut eye. He knew that he was the last one who deserved any pity, he cause them so much pain. He felt it, he dreamed of Kairi mourning him, crying at the small island while his friends tried to console her while dealing with their own grief. He felt terrible about it, he said as much to Riku but he assured him that no one, especially Kairi blamed him. She would blame herself more than him but that honestly made him feel even worse.

Maybe…..maybe it was better this way?

His time here had given him time to reflect, how many times had he almost died? Heck how many times did he actually die and come back somehow? He knew that he wasn’t the most wise of all his friends, and he never would claim to be, but maybe…this was fate? A balance of the scales, he’s come out of the frying pan and fire so many times now, maybe this is how he gets burned?

Get up Sora!!!

His eye cracked open at the voice, he didn’t know if it was his own internal voice or the small one that echoed from his heart, the one that came to him in moments of doubt. He could see through the doorway, the Master was fighting Riku, the Keybalde Master fighting with everything he had despite his state being only slightly better than Sora’s current one.

Then he saw her.

A blur of pink and black charged at the Master’s back, Destiny’s Embrace in the princess of light’s hands as she brought it down towards the cloaked man’s head, only for him to grab the keyblade and swing her around into Riku. Rage filled Sora, just as when Xahanort had struck her down in front of him he felt a flurry of emotions, anger, sadness, relief, joy, but above all else……fear. He had seen her die once before and that was NOT going to happen again!!

GET UP SORA!!!

It was her voice, her heart echoing within his, it was her deepest wish…..to come back.

Sora gathered his strength, picking himself up off the ground slowly as the fight continued, he heard Donald call down a Meteor and the howl of Goofy’s battle cry. He was finally back on his own two feet, looking down at the ground he took a few deep breaths, he was in no shape to fight. Ignoring that his legs felt like cement blocks, the fact he could barely hear anything out his left ear, and the cut on his arm was bleeding a lot. He must have looked half dead……which was pretty accurate as to how his current state was.

Looking back at the Door to Light he saw her once again, her bright azure eyes locked on the Master with a fire he never saw before. She was saying something to him but he couldn’t hear it…..but he still knew what she said, “You are not standing between him and us!! We made a promise…..and I’m going to keep it!”

My promise…….right….she’s right. he thought, his feet planted on the ground he lifted himself up into a hunched over standing position. Looking down at his bloody arm, he reached over with his other to the strap of his gauntlet. Grabbing the yellow strap he adjusted it over the cut and pulled it tight, hissing out at the sharp pain radiating out from his arm. I vowed…..we wouldn’t be apart. Not for One More Second. Sora thought, his eyes locking on the door of light before summoning his Keyblade.

Kairi panted as she took a minute to compose herself, “Alright I’ll admit, you have potential.” she looked up from the ground to the man who called himself the Master. She glanced over to Riku on the ground. He wasn’t moving but that was more or less due to exhaustion than his wounds. Looking over to her other side, Donald and Goofy were keeling over, a little bruised up but they were hanging in there. The court mage looked between her and Riku, he was obviously debating who he could cast a Cure to, but she shook her head, she could at the very least hold him off for a few minutes more.

“It’s clear though that you don’t have much experience, well compared to your friend at least. Still though can’t say that’s your fault, I mean old man Sid did send you and the other redhead to train against furniture in a forest.” he mocked, his tone sounding good natured like a friend but only felt like an insult to Kairi. He hadn’t even used a weapon for crying out loud! He was just using his bare hands! She planted her feet firmly, holding her Keyblade pointed up with her hands near her hip, Your form isn’t bad, but if you lift your Keybalde more-oh sorry, sorry, force of habit. My other student would do that all the time.”

She sprung forward, the tip of her blade grazed against the ground before slashing up right before the Master, a arch of light coming out and shooting at the hooded man. He Pivoted to the left where Kairi’s Kayblade jabbed at. Her small victory turned when he presented his palm out to the tip of her weapon and stopped it dead. Her eyes widened at the display, “Nice feint. But you-“ he was suddenly cut off as something came flying at him from behind towards his head.

He jumped over to the side to avoid the attack, the Keybalde flew past Kairi into the ground behind her, turning her head to fallow it her breath caught in her throat. It was Sora’s! Her head whipped back as the blade was summoned back to its owner in a flash of light.

Sora held the grip tight as his trusty weapon materialized within his hand, his gaze locked on the Master’s as for the first time in what felt like decades, light passed over him. He didn’t recognize the world he was at, all he noticed was the rocky terrain with only a few spots of green on the ground with mountains in the distance. “Well, well, well, look who has some fight left in him.” the Master mused as Sora let out something akin to s curt growl.

All the while, Kairi had cased all movement, it was Sora….he was alive…..

His clothes were dirty and torn in a few places, the right side of his face had a series of bruises and a cut above his left eye. His left arm was caked with wet blood, he had bags under his eyes, and his hair was even more frazzled than ever before. She tried to say his name, but it wouldn’t leave her lips. He looked horrible, Riku had been roughed up but Sora was a whole different shade of worse.  Her eyes locked on the Master with fury behind them, And he’s the one who did it! she spat internally before charging at him again, Sora  doing the same.

The Master sighed, “Really?” he asked, ducking beneath Sora’s attack and rolling out of the way of Kairi’s, he held up his hands and created two orbs of darkness, “Look let’s end-“

“Cure!!” Donald shouted out, drawing the Mater’s attention momentarily.

Neither Sora nor Kairi received the blessing, I took a second for him to realize who received it, “Oh crap,” he said dryly before leaping into the air out of Riku’s bombardment of darkness from behind. Sora lunged at him in midair only for him to flip out of the attack way before the Keybalde wielder turned in midair and threw his keybalde at him. “You really think that’ll wor-“ before the Kingdom Key stuck the back of his head, sending him down towards the ground as Kairi came down after him with both her’s and Sora’s blades in her hands.

Raisng her own over her head to plunge it down, Sora summoned his back to him as the Master blocked her finishing blow. Sora’s blade slammed into his back and knocking him into Riku who slashed at the Master’s chest and knocked him away. Looking around he saw that the trio had surrounded him, “Ngh….took you long enough. Finally got me on the ropes.” he said, making the tree look at him in disbelief. “Hey, I’m man enough to admit when I’m cornered……..also to run away.” he said before he began to shimmer away, his hood turned to Sora, he still couldn’t see his face but for a brief second he could make out a lone eye beneath the hood, one he’d seen somewhere before. “Nice work kid.” he applauded before disappearing in front of the three.

The next few seconds were tense, Sora’s eyes darted around, expected a surprise attack as soon as he lowered his guard. But it never came, and when that realization hit him so did everything else. His keybalde disappeared, his vision blurred, his legs gave out, it all happened at once and he fell, but instead of what he expected to be fairly hard ground he was caught in someone’s arm’s.

She choked out a noise that sounded like a garbled version of his name, “S-Sora!” she sobbed out, tears spilling out of her eyes as she held him up as she stood on her knees in front of him. His head was buried in her shoulder, her aroma of coconuts and saltwater, the smell of home, reach his nostrils. He let out a shaky breath, he was back…..he was back…..he was back!!! Lifting his non bloody arm, he placed it on her other shoulder and lifted himself back to get a better look at her.

Her hair was still short like it was after her training, some of it sticking to her sweaty forehead but it still looked beautiful. Her blue orbs looked into his as tears split from his own eyes and choked sob escaped his lips, “I-……I….I’m sorry I-…” he cried out.

She shook her head, “Don’t just……don’t….it’s not your fault….” she sniffled, her hand reaching up to the side of his face and gently laying her palm against the bruised skin. Her other interlocked with his limp arm. She didn’t care in the slightest that it got her hand bloody, he was here, he was safe, that was all that mattered right now.

His forehead dipped forward a little bit, “I…..made a promise…..I…I’m not gonna leave you again….not one more second….I swear…” he said tiredly, his eyes feeling like they were being weighed down by anvils.

He felt Kairi’s forehead touch his own, “I know you won’t.”

Sora slumped against her, his entire body exhausted from the fighting, but he had done it yet again, he made him way back to Kairi. Deep down he knew he would but for the longest time it felt like a pipe dream…..but it was real. He was back.

He came back to her.

[avatarconner]

Sokai Week 2019 Day 1  (Quote)

Quote

(Day 1)

AN: Decided to participate in Sokai week this year because KH3!!!

“Not one More Second.”

Whenever Sora went on a adventure with his friends, more often than not Donald and Goofy being his constant traveling companions, it would feel like their mission would take months, maybe even years when in actuality it was merely a few weeks. But this one, after the Keyblade War and stopping Xahanort once and for all? Only to have to pay the price for using the power of waking to save all his friends, to save Kairi? It felt like eons.

It had to be only a couple weeks though, it had to be, however with the unending night of Shibuya, it was hard to tell when days passed. It was only now, face down on the ground covered with cuts and bruises with the concrete around him from the half wall he had been thrown through, that he really gave it much thought. He remembered waking up here, a teardrop hitting his hand being what woke him, and wandering the city streets for a solid hour before being attacked.

Ever since then, it was a constant fight.

The Keyblade wielder tried to push himself off the ground, but it was no use, his arms were plain tired from the constant swinging of his blade. But his forehead hit the ground a second later, the sounds of battle echoing in the air as Riku fought against the man in the black cloak. The one who insisted he be called Master, and Sora wasn’t going to lie, the way he had been easily beating him and Riku senseless was proof of that. I just…..can’t, I can’t even hit him. Sora relented internally. It wasn’t a matter of difference in strength it was sheer skill. Every slash was counted, every charge dodged, every move he had, Strike Raid, Ragnarök, Sonic Blade, even his and Riku’s team up attacks were useless.

Gathering what little strength he had left, he pushed himself over onto his side, his right arm stretched out against the ground, there was a deep cut across his wrist that was bleeding, the gauntlet of his new outfit was dangling off his wrists with the straps having come undone. That’s not good…..really wish Donald was here…or anyone really…..except her….. Sora thought sadly.

Kairi.

She was his entire inspiration for getting out of Shibuya, all his friends where of course but Kairi……she was different. Dear god she was different. He thought of her whenever his determination wavered, whenever he was knocked down, her face would come to mind, the way she titled her head with a cute smile and offered him a paopu fruit the day before everything went wrong. She was his light……and it took him far too long o figure that out. Riku was important too, he couldn’t stress that enough to his oldest friend but he understood.

He heard a pained yell of Riku as the ground shook from an impact.

…e...p….S…a…..

Riku…..he was the last person he expected to come across here, but that wasn’t the case for him. He embraced Sora as though he….well he did die. Right in front of Riku and everyone……in front of Kairi. Holding her hand while he did it. He remembered the tear go down her cheek, God what did you do? You did it again, you abandoned her again……after everything……what is wrong with me? he thought weakly. I remember when I came home the first time after my adventure, my mom….she cried so hard….I can’t remember if it was from joy, sadness, or just….anger…..I wonder if Kairi did that….cursed me for leaving her again….dying because of her.

And not just Kairi, he left everyone, Roxas and Ven, two people who Sora could almost call family with what they three shared. He wished that the three of them could have spent more time together. Donald and Goofy, they were almost like pseudo parents to him, they loved him like a son and he felt that. He wanted to make them proud, he wanted to see the looks on their faces when he returned with his usual beaming smile on his face and just surprise them…….but he knew that they must have wept harder than most for his death.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a bright light suddenly washed over him, when his eyes adjusted to the sudden light he saw it….just a couple dozen feet away. A door to the Light.

G…t…up….Sor….

He heard boots on the ground walk towards him. The shadow of a tall man passed over his turned over form, “Still alive? Well alive is…..semi-accurate.” he heard the cloaked man say. Sora’s half lidded eye slowly moved to the source of the voice, it was him, the Master of course. Worry began to bubble in his heart, where was Riku? Was he ok? Did he-

A flash of Darkness circled around the Master, Riku appearing from it with his keybalde swinging. The Master ducked his torso back enough to give his hand enough time to reach at Riku’s chest, an blast of dark aura sent Riku flying though the door to light. “He is very, very, persistent. Which can be annoying, but I find it oddly endearing.” the Master mused to himself before his cloaked face returned to Sora. The sky blue irises flickered red for a moment, “You know that’s not going to work, you and your shadow friend tried teaming up and well…..” he did a gesture to Sora.

Sora hated that he was right. His shadow…..Vanitas. Despite his defeat during the Keyblade war, he remained to be a equal part of Sora. At first he was a pest to say the least, but over time….they found a sort of understanding. But still seeing his own face on someone else? It still was an adjustment, but using darkness that Vanitas was able to provide saved his life in the city. Riku had encouraged it with caution, but deep down he knew that Sora would never succumb to darkness.

Get up Sora.

“Don’t feel too bad about it, this has been a long time coming. Literally years, decades in the making! You get trapped here, saving all your friends, and they all scramble to try and save you. But that’s friendship isn’t it? Doing whatever you can for someone whose heart is connected to yours……yeah…..you should be proud Sora.” he admitted sincerely. He turned on his heel and began walking towards the door to light. Passing through the threshold, Sora closed his eyes.

Aqua….Terra…..Ven….Donald…..Goofy….Micky…..Lea….Roxas…..Xion…Namine….Kairi…..I’m so sorry……but I don’t think I’m going to come back. he thought, a tear seeping out of his shut eye. He knew that he was the last one who deserved any pity, he cause them so much pain. He felt it, he dreamed of Kairi mourning him, crying at the small island while his friends tried to console her while dealing with their own grief. He felt terrible about it, he said as much to Riku but he assured him that no one, especially Kairi blamed him. She would blame herself more than him but that honestly made him feel even worse.

Maybe…..maybe it was better this way?

His time here had given him time to reflect, how many times had he almost died? Heck how many times did he actually die and come back somehow? He knew that he wasn’t the most wise of all his friends, and he never would claim to be, but maybe…this was fate? A balance of the scales, he’s come out of the frying pan and fire so many times now, maybe this is how he gets burned?

Get up Sora!!!

His eye cracked open at the voice, he didn’t know if it was his own internal voice or the small one that echoed from his heart, the one that came to him in moments of doubt. He could see through the doorway, the Master was fighting Riku, the Keybalde Master fighting with everything he had despite his state being only slightly better than Sora’s current one.

Then he saw her.

A blur of pink and black charged at the Master’s back, Destiny’s Embrace in the princess of light’s hands as she brought it down towards the cloaked man’s head, only for him to grab the keyblade and swing her around into Riku. Rage filled Sora, just as when Xahanort had struck her down in front of him he felt a flurry of emotions, anger, sadness, relief, joy, but above all else……fear. He had seen her die once before and that was NOT going to happen again!!

GET UP SORA!!!

It was her voice, her heart echoing within his, it was her deepest wish…..to come back.

Sora gathered his strength, picking himself up off the ground slowly as the fight continued, he heard Donald call down a Meteor and the howl of Goofy’s battle cry. He was finally back on his own two feet, looking down at the ground he took a few deep breaths, he was in no shape to fight. Ignoring that his legs felt like cement blocks, the fact he could barely hear anything out his left ear, and the cut on his arm was bleeding a lot. He must have looked half dead……which was pretty accurate as to how his current state was.

Looking back at the Door to Light he saw her once again, her bright azure eyes locked on the Master with a fire he never saw before. She was saying something to him but he couldn’t hear it…..but he still knew what she said, “You are not standing between him and us!! We made a promise…..and I’m going to keep it!”

My promise…….right….she’s right. he thought, his feet planted on the ground he lifted himself up into a hunched over standing position. Looking down at his bloody arm, he reached over with his other to the strap of his gauntlet. Grabbing the yellow strap he adjusted it over the cut and pulled it tight, hissing out at the sharp pain radiating out from his arm. I vowed…..we wouldn’t be apart. Not for One More Second. Sora thought, his eyes locking on the door of light before summoning his Keyblade.

Kairi panted as she took a minute to compose herself, “Alright I’ll admit, you have potential.” she looked up from the ground to the man who called himself the Master. She glanced over to Riku on the ground. He wasn’t moving but that was more or less due to exhaustion than his wounds. Looking over to her other side, Donald and Goofy were keeling over, a little bruised up but they were hanging in there. The court mage looked between her and Riku, he was obviously debating who he could cast a Cure to, but she shook her head, she could at the very least hold him off for a few minutes more.

“It’s clear though that you don’t have much experience, well compared to your friend at least. Still though can’t say that’s your fault, I mean old man Sid did send you and the other redhead to train against furniture in a forest.” he mocked, his tone sounding good natured like a friend but only felt like an insult to Kairi. He hadn’t even used a weapon for crying out loud! He was just using his bare hands! She planted her feet firmly, holding her Keyblade pointed up with her hands near her hip, Your form isn’t bad, but if you lift your Keybalde more-oh sorry, sorry, force of habit. My other student would do that all the time.”

She sprung forward, the tip of her blade grazed against the ground before slashing up right before the Master, a arch of light coming out and shooting at the hooded man. He Pivoted to the left where Kairi’s Kayblade jabbed at. Her small victory turned when he presented his palm out to the tip of her weapon and stopped it dead. Her eyes widened at the display, “Nice feint. But you-“ he was suddenly cut off as something came flying at him from behind towards his head.

He jumped over to the side to avoid the attack, the Keybalde flew past Kairi into the ground behind her, turning her head to fallow it her breath caught in her throat. It was Sora’s! Her head whipped back as the blade was summoned back to its owner in a flash of light.

Sora held the grip tight as his trusty weapon materialized within his hand, his gaze locked on the Master’s as for the first time in what felt like decades, light passed over him. He didn’t recognize the world he was at, all he noticed was the rocky terrain with only a few spots of green on the ground with mountains in the distance. “Well, well, well, look who has some fight left in him.” the Master mused as Sora let out something akin to s curt growl.

All the while, Kairi had cased all movement, it was Sora….he was alive…..

His clothes were dirty and torn in a few places, the right side of his face had a series of bruises and a cut above his left eye. His left arm was caked with wet blood, he had bags under his eyes, and his hair was even more frazzled than ever before. She tried to say his name, but it wouldn’t leave her lips. He looked horrible, Riku had been roughed up but Sora was a whole different shade of worse.  Her eyes locked on the Master with fury behind them, And he’s the one who did it! she spat internally before charging at him again, Sora  doing the same.

The Master sighed, “Really?” he asked, ducking beneath Sora’s attack and rolling out of the way of Kairi’s, he held up his hands and created two orbs of darkness, “Look let’s end-“

“Cure!!” Donald shouted out, drawing the Mater’s attention momentarily.

Neither Sora nor Kairi received the blessing, I took a second for him to realize who received it, “Oh crap,” he said dryly before leaping into the air out of Riku’s bombardment of darkness from behind. Sora lunged at him in midair only for him to flip out of the attack way before the Keybalde wielder turned in midair and threw his keybalde at him. “You really think that’ll wor-“ before the Kingdom Key stuck the back of his head, sending him down towards the ground as Kairi came down after him with both her’s and Sora’s blades in her hands.

Raisng her own over her head to plunge it down, Sora summoned his back to him as the Master blocked her finishing blow. Sora’s blade slammed into his back and knocking him into Riku who slashed at the Master’s chest and knocked him away. Looking around he saw that the trio had surrounded him, “Ngh….took you long enough. Finally got me on the ropes.” he said, making the tree look at him in disbelief. “Hey, I’m man enough to admit when I’m cornered……..also to run away.” he said before he began to shimmer away, his hood turned to Sora, he still couldn’t see his face but for a brief second he could make out a lone eye beneath the hood, one he’d seen somewhere before. “Nice work kid.” he applauded before disappearing in front of the three.

The next few seconds were tense, Sora’s eyes darted around, expected a surprise attack as soon as he lowered his guard. But it never came, and when that realization hit him so did everything else. His keybalde disappeared, his vision blurred, his legs gave out, it all happened at once and he fell, but instead of what he expected to be fairly hard ground he was caught in someone’s arm’s.

She choked out a noise that sounded like a garbled version of his name, “S-Sora!” she sobbed out, tears spilling out of her eyes as she held him up as she stood on her knees in front of him. His head was buried in her shoulder, her aroma of coconuts and saltwater, the smell of home, reach his nostrils. He let out a shaky breath, he was back…..he was back…..he was back!!! Lifting his non bloody arm, he placed it on her other shoulder and lifted himself back to get a better look at her.

Her hair was still short like it was after her training, some of it sticking to her sweaty forehead but it still looked beautiful. Her blue orbs looked into his as tears split from his own eyes and choked sob escaped his lips, “I-……I….I’m sorry I-…” he cried out.

She shook her head, “Don’t just……don’t….it’s not your fault….” she sniffled, her hand reaching up to the side of his face and gently laying her palm against the bruised skin. Her other interlocked with his limp arm. She didn’t care in the slightest that it got her hand bloody, he was here, he was safe, that was all that mattered right now.

His forehead dipped forward a little bit, “I…..made a promise…..I…I’m not gonna leave you again….not one more second….I swear…” he said tiredly, his eyes feeling like they were being weighed down by anvils.

He felt Kairi’s forehead touch his own, “I know you won’t.”

Sora slumped against her, his entire body exhausted from the fighting, but he had done it yet again, he made him way back to Kairi. Deep down he knew he would but for the longest time it felt like a pipe dream…..but it was real. He was back.

He came back to her.

[star-shapedfruit]

A sort of KH3 review.. thing

Well dang that was a wild ride wasn’t it? It’s been about 2/3 weeks since I finished the game (took me 5 days which is record time for me considering it was a pretty big game) so I’ll try my best to condense my thoughts on it below

Please note this is my opinion so you may agree or disagree with me on some parts and that’s totally fine!

And it’s gonna be long

Alright let’s get the bad out of the way:

-The pacing

I’m not the first and I definitely won’t be the last to complain about the goddamn pacing. Kingdom Hearts in general is pretty bad when it comes to a well balanced pace and this was the same. Everything felt rushed and crammed towards the end with it feeling like ‘quick let’s wrap this up ASAP!’.

It was literally Disney world after world with bits of important story in between and then the actual plot of saving everyone kicked in and probably made up of about 3 hours of the whole game. It could have been better if we’d have rescued Aqua and Ven earlier then towards the end save Roxas, Xion and Terra (and Namine) but nah.

Even the ending itself felt rushed and half assed at times. We didn’t get to see Sora save Kairi it was just Keyblade Graveyard ending- everyone being happy at the beach- credits. That was... kinda dumb? Also when you’re wrapping up a 17 year old saga you don’t tend to end it like that. You know what I’m talking about.

-Characters

They gone did Kairi dirty again. AGAIN. How many times are we gonna do this? My poor girl got shafted right at the end just to fuel Sora’s anger and then didn’t explain how she got back to the islands anyway but who fucking cares y’know.

She was hyped up after being confirmed to be a guardian of light and in training with Lea and they did fuck all with it. It’s like you’re so excited to see Santa and you get up on his knee to ask what present you want this Christmas only for Santa to laugh and smack you in the face.

I could go on and on about Kairi but I’d probably be saying what everyone else has already said. I was expecting more character interactions ie the famous Roxas and Ven one we’ve been looking forward to for years but we got a funny glance and that’s it. Again, probably due to pacing but there was so much potential for some great new friendships to blossom and they just... didn’t.

-Worlds

Ok this is mainly Twilight Town being so teenie weenie. Come on, in KH2 we had TT, Hollow Bastion, TWTNW, Yen Sid’s Tower but for 3? Two sections of TT that’ll do. ??? Why??? It looked gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to explore the whole town but for some reason we were reduced to it being two rooms. Also missed out a good opportunity to have RG playable again but nah.

I get the feeling Disney we’re very pushy with this title? Like they had more input than usual and Square couldn’t really argue with them which would explain why the OG worlds were kinda dull? Idk I hope they learn to butt out a little and let Square do their thing. I’m not saying get rid of Disney god no. I just think there needs to be less Disney and more OG in the next title.

Alright the good stuff now!

- The graphics

Holy shit this game was BEAUTIFUL

Everything was gorgeous to look at and Unreal Engine made all the worlds look unique and specific to their Disney world. Like o can’t fault how this game looks it’s just that pretty

-Voice acting

Hayley, Hayley my man you did fantastic. I was getting worried that he’d sound off like in DDD but the man delivered. Everything was spot on and his emotions came across so much better? That scream? The crying?? The joy?? Beautiful. And Vanitas sounded so goddamn evil and Hayley sounded like he was having a blast voicing him 👌

Jesse did amazing as always with Roxas and Ven making them sound different. Just wish they coulda talked to each other xD I really liked Alyson’s Kairi too! I miss Hayden but for the most part Alyson pulled it off great along with Xion.

Like everyone sounded so much better I could go on and on. Can’t really fault much of the voice acting tbh. Xehanort grew on me but Nimoy will always be the better Nort

-Minigames/side quests

I absolutely SUCK at the cooking mini game but I still found it loads of fun. The only one I could do properly was the salt and pepper shaker one 😅 The 100 Acre Wood stuff was very samey samey but still cute and fun regardless.

I only did one flan mini game (the one in Toy Box) and that was awesome too! Hunting for ingredients and lucky emblems was tricky in parts but I loved the satisfaction when you finally find the damn thing! They were just a nice little touch and even though I only got 17 out of 90 I enjoyed looking for them.

Also that Tangled dancing game. My FAV IDK HOW MANY TIMES I’VE PLAYED THAT ITS JUST SO WHOLESOME AND GOOD

-Attraction Flow

LOVED this gimmick. What can I say I absolutely love Disneyland and being able to use the rides to fight in battle was a blast. I especially loved the mad tea cups (“Bring it in!”) and the pirate ship they were loads of fun :D shame I only got to use Thunder Mountain twice because it’s one of my favourite rides xD

-The gummi phone

Who doesn’t love this. Finally I can take selfies with Disney characters! It was so cute I’m glad they added it. I’m definitely gonna use it more on my next gameplay at inappropriate times during the final battles 🌚

-Final battles

Being able to fight alongside Riku, Mickey, Aqua, Ven, Kairi, Lea, Roxas and Xion was at the top of my wish list for 3 and it finally happened ;-; Ok we’re with Kairi and Lea for two minutes but I ENJOYED THOSE TWO MINUTES. Kairi actually does some decent damage too so she can fight. You did amazing sweetie. And how OP is Roxas? You can just sit back and let him do all the work while you and Xion chill out. Granted they weren’t difficult bosses but I don’t care I got to fight with my sons and daughters by my side <3

I’m nearly done now promise. Just wanna say my favourite worlds ❤️

Corona: Gorgeous and (mostly) tranquil. Rapunzel and Eugene make great partners and the hair swing thing was awesome to jump to different areas. Also the little quests with Rapunzel were adorable and made the world feel more alive.

Monstropolis: I think what made this world for me were the character interactions and the music. The world itself was just inside the factory but the way everyone played off each other and dealt with Vanitas at the end was amazing. And Sora doing his funny face again. You little treasure <3

Toy Box: YOU. ARE. A. TOYYYYYY. Everything was so gigantic and interactive and gsjsksksla it was just loads of fun! Loved Woody and Buzz as partners and the whole world was such a treat- nothing like we’ve ever had in a KH game before. Can we also talk about Woody absolutely wrecking Xehanort though? Iconic.

Well I think that’ll do me for now. Overall I’d give it an 8.5/10 with the major issues being plot pacing and lack of character development. Also the camera sometimes did this weird thing in attraction flow mode where it’d just zoom into a rock or a tree :/ I really enjoyed KH3 despite its flaws and what was done well was done really well

Maybe get some more new writers and let Square properly take the reins for the next one yeah? And let Kairi finally have her time to shine. You’ve set up a rescue mission after all, Square 👀

[zdbztumble]

But What About Kairi, Or: Today’s KH Ramble, Part II (KH III Spoilers)

Meanwhile...

My play-through of KH III has taken me through the last of the Disney worlds, Big Hero 6. Besides reminding me of why I’m not the biggest fan of that movie, its day/night options make for a fun mechanic, and the layout of San Fransokyo is great. Baymax has some cute battle dialogue, and Donald’s reaction to “Keyblade Hero 3” was a good laugh. Of all the non-Pixar worlds, it’s also probably the best-integrated into the main plot. The reappearance of the Replica Riku, and the revelation of yet another plot, this time a burgeoning rebellion inside the real Organization XIII, nearly made my head explode, but on balance, it’s a solid level. The unorthodox beginning to the last Gummi zone was a pleasant surprise too, though I’d say that the Gummi ship sequences were at their best in KH II.

But then we come to the Badlands of the Keyblade Graveyard, and...ooh boy.

The battle that opens this level is fun, and a worthy successor to the battle with a thousand Heartless in KH II. I may have been a bit over-leveled for it, but it was still a good time. The cutscenes that followed, on the other hand, had me sputtering in disbelief. To begin with, the fact that all of that was a cutscene is baffling. All seven Keyblade Wielders facing down Terranort doesn’t sound like a good boss battle to anyone? Or hell, just Terra and Aqua? They’ve got the real stake in that fight. And Donald’s surprise spell, which I gather was a big Final Fantasy Easter egg, made for a cool moment that would have been much cooler as something that appeared in the course of battle. But that cutscene was also baffling on a story level. The Demon Tower becoming a Demon Tornado certainly made it bigger, but all the characters reacting to it with such despair was hard to follow when the distinction between the two isn’t all that great. Sora’s total collapse was especially out-of-character. The staging of this cutscene, it’s choice of camera angles, action, and pacing, all failed to sell the supposed magnitude of this threat. Coming off of a single battle, massive though it was, didn’t help.

And then...there’s Kairi.

I’m struggling to think of another series where a character supposedly of the main cast has been so consistently mishandled the way Kairi has since the end of KH II. The writing for her has been absolutely abysmal. And it’s in abysmal in a way that, rather than souring me on the character (which has happened in other series), I’m increasingly sympathetic towards her in a critical sense looking at Kingdom Hearts as a story.

That sympathy doesn’t come from Kairi being a favorite of mine. I don’t see how Kairi could be considered a favorite character, because I don’t consider her a complete character. The best way to describe Kairi IMO is as a potential character. She has tremendous potential to do great things in this series. Her wholesome, “girl next door” personality gives her a charming if rather conventional starting point, and the fact that she’s a freakin’ princess - one of the Princesses of Light, no less - who can’t recall her past offers a wonderful hook into stories. I said before that I’d revisit the idea of a KH prequel game, and IMO, the best choice for a prequel story is to explore Kairi’s past. Imagine that; a BbS, or equivalent game, that explored her life as a princess in Radiant Garden, how she came to lose her memories and end up on Destiny Islands, and why she could wield a Keyblade at the end of KH II. Was her personality still the same before she lost her memories? Could the confederation of Disney villains been aware of her and the other Princesses even then? If the prequel must expand on the Xehanort saga, then could Kairi have had anything to do with Ansem the Wise’s research, and could that explain her amnesia?

KH III has, so far, suggested that’s going to deal with at least some of this. Eventually. Maybe. If it gets around to it. But the point still stands that fleshing out one of the main characters of the series instead of inventing three new ones and pulling a third twist with the villain seems like the much more sound storytelling choice to me. A prequel game that focused on Kairi could also contain a hook that, combined with Maleficent’s unresolved fate at the end of KH II, would’ve provided a much more organic segue into a KH III story than pulling all sorts of stunts to re-open the Xehanort saga.

But that didn’t happen, and we’re left with the reality that Kairi’s backstory has barely been touched upon since the first game. Kairi herself is barely present for Coded, BbS, or DDD. In the latter case, that being a game primarily focused on the Destiny Islands gang sans Disney battle partners, Kairi’s absence seems a terrible wasted opportunity. That could be made up for if the revelation that she was training as a Keyblade Wielder had a payoff, but so far, KH III has yet to provide. She’s had two cutscenes with Axel, neither of which actually show any training, and then what little you see of her in the Badlands (more on that later.)

Once again, this feels a wasted opportunity, because this series has a precedent that would allow for Kairi to have more of a role early on in the game. Remember the Roxas segment at the beginning of KH II that served as an extended tutorial? Why not have Kairi’s training be the tutorial of KH III? It would make sense story-wise for her to be the player character as you learn or review basic controls, there would have been opportunities for cutscenes to flesh out her character (and Axel’s, much as I hate to admit it), and a clever bit of writing could’ve passed the torch on to Sora right on time for the story to begin in earnest. And why not turn the swarm of enemies battle that opens the Badlands into a multi-party affair? Start off playing as Sora with Donald and Goofy, switch after a certain stage to playing as Riku with Mickey, then to Ven with Aqua, and then to Kairi with Axel. You could go back to Sora for the finale, but this way, everyone gets included, and the character in most need of material gets to shine for a moment.

Instead, Kairi is probably the least-featured member of the party in all those cutscenes. In the moment when Aqua directs her, Mickey, and Goofy to get the wounded to safety, Kairi isn’t even in the shot. Pretty much the only time she’s in frame in that cutscene is when she’s either being saved or reaching out to Sora.

And here’s where we come to a tricky part of the issue, because I’ve seen some rather strange commentary on Sora and Kairi’s relationship. One school of thought seems to hold that Kairi becoming Sora’s love interest is what costs her any opportunity to stand as a character unto herself. I can’t follow this line of thought, for several reasons. The first being that Kairi can’t exactly “become” a love interest when it’s clear from the start of the first game that Sora has a thing for her. Being a love interest and a solid character in your own right aren’t mutually exclusive either. But I also don’t understand this argument because Sora and Kairi’s relationship has been neglected just as Kairi herself has, and that’s a real problem given its importance to the series.

In KH I, Kairi serves as the stakes and as the prime motive for both Sora and Riku. While she herself doesn’t have much to do, she is pivotal to the story, and her bond with Sora being so strong that her heart takes refuge in his, that she can restore him from a Heartless, and that they somehow find a way to promise to see each other again even as they’re separated in the finale, is the reason why. Kairi indirectly serves as the prime motive in CoM too, with Sora’s memories reworked to replace Kairi with Namine. And while she shares the role of motivation with Riku in KH II, Sora is still mindful of her throughout the game, even slipping into romantic thoughts at least twice.

Now, lest you think I have nothing but praise for the early games in the series: in those games as in the later ones, Kairi is still underdeveloped as a character. She is basically there as the love interest and little more. Being a lifelong huge sucker for first love/young love subplots in fiction, I’ve been taken by Sora and Kairi’s relationship since my first playthrough, but it works as well as it does almost entirely because of Sora. Sora is developed as a character throughout the games, as well as being the protagonist and the player character. Because he is such a charming and likable character, and because he cares so much about Kairi, that carries over to the audience, or at least this member of it. It would be a stronger relationship if Kairi were more developed as a character, which is all the more reason to do so.

But even if you accept their relationship remaining on the level of “hero and love interest,” there’s been a terrible case of neglect since KH II. It wouldn’t be a factor in BbS, naturally, but by leaving Kairi out of nearly all of Coded and DDD, the relationship drops out of the story. Cut to KH III, which does want to present that relationship as being as important as it’s ever been, and the long dry spell is felt. It doesn’t help that KH III is so densely packed with other material, much of it devoted to Organization XIII either taunting Sora or sniping at each other. Several of the Disney films selected offer parallels to Sora and Kairi’s relationship that aren’t noted, even as previous games did so and this one draws parallels in other relationships.

Which brings us back to the cutscene in the Badlands. Sora’s desperation to save Kairi is evident, and an earlier cutscene where they finally share paopu fruits was adorable, but neither has the same impact as they would have had if Kairi had remained prominent as a character, and if her relationship with Sora had remained relevant in previous games. It speaks to how well that relationship was presented in the first three games that it can still exert some sway over the heartstrings despite that, but there has been real damage done to one of the central bonds of the series by the neglect, and nowhere is that damage more apparent than when the story stresses Kairi more than anyone else when the Demon Tornado swallows up the party.

Now, I left off just as Sora emerged in Olympus after literally putting himself together, so perhaps some of this will be addressed by the end of the game. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. And in the meantime...that whole Final World sequence was trippy as all hell and those Soras damn hard to catch, but I loved it. Absolutely no idea what that cat thing is supposed to be though.

[voyages-extraordinaires]

C:R ~VE~ Chapter 32

I hadn’t realized how tense the atmosphere between Cardia and Barbicane had been until I saw them again. It was like a cloak of pressure had been pulled off, and all that was left were their smiles.

The both of them looked so happy. They looked ‘complete’ together, partners who would one day conquer gravity and the atmosphere itself to ascend to the moon.

Well, that’s how I felt, anyway. The whole thing was terribly romantic.

“So, Nemo tried to teach you how to drive, huh?” Barbicane’s barely looking at me as he speaks. All of his attention is on his angel, who’s still trying to eat her flummery with an exasperated smile.

“’Teach’ is putting it very loosely, I’m afriad,” I say, pushing my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose. “He stepped away from the wheel and I had to grab it. I thought I was going to get us all killed!”

“Well, we all have to start somewhere,” Barbicane finally looks my way and gives me a wink. “I should thank the two of you, though! When the Harper began rocking, I had to hold on super-tight to my princess!”

Cardia sighs and shakes her head. Eventually, though, her embarrassment seemed to melt and she said, “I remember how much fun I had when I first piloted Impey’s Ornithopter. I guess I was lucky to have such a good teacher.”

“’Guess you were lucky’? Luck had nothing to do with it, Cardia-chan! Wasn’t I the best teacher out of them all?! Didn’t you look at me with sparkly eyes and cry: ‘Teach me more, sensei!’“

Cardia sets her fork down. “I’m fairly certain I didn’t do anything like that...”

“Well, just as long as my driving lessons are kept below the sea or on terra firma, I’m fine. I’ll leave Ornithopter piloting to you, Cardia.”

Cardia smiles slightly. “You can count on me.”

“H-Hey! Who owns the Ornithopter, here?! Come on!”

Cardia’s laugh is joyful. I want to give the lovebirds more time to themselves, but I did come here for a specific reason. 

“We’re headed towards the continental shelf now. Nemo said that once we get to shallow enough water... we’ll be able to walk on the ocean floor, deeper than man has ever gone.”

"Heh, you’re usually pretty cool, Polly-chan, but you sound like you’re about to burst!” Barbicane gives me a wolfish smile.

I put a hand to my throat. Was my voice trembling that much?

“Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about! When I’m about to set foot on the moon, I’ll be leaping for joy! Maybe I’ll carry my angel across the threshold of the ship-- she’ll be so beautiful in her suit!”

“The suits are on the bridge, right?” asks Cardia. “How are we going to get outside? I know we have an escape pod, but I don’t think that would work. If we open the hatch, water will come pouring in, won’t it?”

"You wouldn’t have to worry about that even being a possibility,” I say. “The ocean’s pressure is so great that we wouldn’t be able to open the hatch while submerged, no matter how hard we tried.”

“Oh yeah,” Barbicane sighs. “Nemo has a super-secret plan for getting us out there, but he said that if I told you he’d make me his...”

He wrinkles his nose and shudders. “His ‘cute guinea pig’...”

I hide my laughter behind my hand.

-----

About half an hour later, the four of us are gathered in the bridge.

“We’re at about 50 fathoms,” says Cardia.

“Excelleeeeeeeeeeent! This-- maaaany fathoms below the limits imposed upon man by nature herself-- will be a suuuuuuperb demonstration of my genius!” Nemo throws his head back and cackles while Barbicane lunges forward to catch the steering wheel that Nemo had let go of in his throes of science-induced hysteria.

“Oy, oy, Nemo! Can you cut the hyena laugh while you’re DRIVING?!”

The two scientists do an awkward sort of tango as they fight over the wheel, leaving Cardia and I to muse to ourselves.

“My god... we’ll be walking 96 meters under the water’s surface!” I breathe. “I-- I thought it would be maybe 50 meters at most.”

I can feel excitement bubbling inside of me as I clasp my hands in glee. “I’ll finally be able to be a part of that submerged world, lovingly embraced by the most primal element, the place where life began!”

Barbicane somehow wrestles the wheel away from Nemo, fending him off with one of his feet while balancing precariously. How have we not crashed yet?

“We’re going in teams of two,” says Barbicane. “It’ll be a double date, you know?”

Nemo grimaces at the redhead. “Pleeeeeeeaaase... don’t disrespect this momentous moment with inane babble... try to be serious, hmm? Do it for meeee?”

“I DO NOT NEED YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, TO TELL ME ME TO BE SERIOUS!”

Each couple will be limited to an hour outside. The Harper’s spotlight will illuminate a distance great enough for us to explore to our heart’s content. Each of us will carry one of the rifles specifically designed for this expedition. Each of us get twelve bullets that are already pre-loaded. Only one shot is needed for each enemy, thanks to the electric miracle that each bullet possesses. Quick, painless, and deadly.

“While the first team is out there, the second team will be standing by to make sure that everything goes well. There’s an emergency transmitter in each helmet, but it should really only be used if you absolutely, positively need it,” says Barbicane. “So no screeching. Got it?”

“Hmmm? Whateeeever are you talking about...” Nemo trails off.

“The divers won’t be able to communicate with each other?” I ask.

“Sorry, Polly-chan,” Barbicane smiles at me. “I know you were probably really excited about fish talk, but pressure resistance and the emergency communicators were a higher priority.”

“It’s fine, Barbicane. If anything, it will add to the serenity.” I pause to shake my head. “So, how are we doing this? Shall we pick lots to see which team will go first?”

Barbicane shoots a glance at Nemo before looking back at me. “You’re kidding, right? That’d be like drawing lots to see which one of us will take the first steps on the moon!”

“We had already decided back when the ship was being built,” Cardia smiles.

“Fwee hee hee... of coooooourse it only makes sense that a genius as great as myself would be the first to walk on the ocean floor at this depth!” Nemo laughs loudly, but it soon dies down into a hum. “But to keep you away from the sea of your heart would be like clipping a bird’s wings! Ahhh, how needlessly cruueeel!”

“Nemo... everyone... being able to walk out there... be a part of that world for just a moment... I can’t even begin to thank the three of you enough. But, please... humor my attempt! Thank you!!”

“Geez, so formal,” says Barbicane. “Come on, lighten up a little, will you? We’re your friends! I can’t let go of the wheel right now, Cardia-chan can you go give her a noogie for me or something?”

“A what?” Cardia stares at Barbicane.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” I say quickly as I notice Nemo’s goggles flash with wicked intent. “I am curious about something, though... Nemo.”

Nemo stops, his fingers twitching with what I can only imagine is a childish desire to get me in a headlock like we were schoolchildren.

“Y-Y-Yeeees...?” He looks like a praying mantis, reared back and ready to pounce. The posture is... definitely more intimidating on the insect...

“Cardia raised an interesting point. At this depth... even if it weren’t suicide, it would be impossible for us to open the hatch thanks to the ocean’s pressure. How do you plan on us getting out of here?”

“Ohhh...? Impeeey Barbicane didn’t tell you, after all? Such a shame... what a shaaaaaaaaaame!! He would have made such a cute little guinea pig, don’t you think...?”

Barbicane sounds like he’s choking.

“But, no matter! Come, come, coooome with me! I will shoooow you, my daaaarling---!!” Nemo takes my hand and begins to lead me towards the salon.

“You two better not do anything too creepy out there while my honey and I are watching--!” Barbicane yells after us.

“Heheheee... don’t teeeempt me!” Nemo flashes a smile as he shuts the salon door behind us. He gives my hand a squeeze before approaching his pipe organ and flicking open a small compartment. He presses a button, and the pipe organ... it’s almost like the mouth of a living creature as it jolts to life and opens with a roar. Beyond the instrument is a room so small that the four of us would have trouble cramming inside. But the most interesting part of it is the trap door and some valves nearby.

“Water will come in through here,” Nemo points to the valve. “And the pressures will equalize. Then, we will drop into the seaaaaaaaaa!”

He looks at me with a leer. “Are you frightened? You can hold onto me if you neeeeeed~”

I laugh and turn away from the open pipe organ. “I’m not afraid of the sea... but I just might take you up on your offer anyway.”

His smile widens, and I quickly look away before adding: “You know... just so we won’t take any unnecessary risks.”

Despite our banter, getting undressed is surprisingly uneventful. We have bigger things to think about. We drag our diving suits over to the trap door and begin to suit each other up. Our boots are weighted, so it’s much easier for us to dress directly above where we’ll be dropping.

The suits are beautiful, rubber and canvas with a strange metal vest to protect ourselves from the pressure. There’s also a strange box upon our backs not unlike the one Nemo usually wears. I can only assume that these are our breathing apparatuses.

Nemo looks delicious in the technology he’s created, hair falling temptingly over his shoulders as ties it back so it will fit in the helmet. Overcome with excitement and desire, I pull him down to my height and kiss him.

“For luck,” I say with a shrug.

“We have science on our side, which is faaaaaaaar more reliable than luck! So if you want to kiss me, do it in triumph of this moment we will carve into the annals of histoooooooory!”

Separated by the weight of our suits, I can’t hold him as tight as I want or kiss him as deeply as I want, but it is still an embrace carved into my memory forever.

It takes a little while for us to screw our helmets into place, but I’m pleasantly surprised by the amount of visibility I have. Nemo, too, looks absolutely delighted and decides to demonstrate this by affectionately thunking his helmet against mine. It would have been cute if the impact hadn’t made my teeth rattle.

There’s a light, mechanical hum and a pulse not unlike a mechanical heartbeat before I realize that I can breathe normally. With this, I know that we’re ready for the true expedition of our voyage.

Nemo holds an arm out towards me and I try to shuffle in my boots to get closer to him. It doesn’t really work, and the two of us look more like we’re dance partners being scrutinized by chaperones.

Still, with an arm around each other and guns in our free hands, I feel like I’m ready to take on the world!

Nemo reaches up and flicks a switch, and we’re surrounded by darkness. There’s a loud rumble before I feel a coldness surrounding me, enveloping me slowly from my feet upwards. But in that coldness is freedom, and once we’re submerged in the water I’m able to pull Nemo in by his waist.

A moment passes, and Nemo presses another switch. The floor beneath us opens into a square of blue twilight, and we begin to sink a short distance down to the bottom of the sea.

How can I possibly describe the marvels before me? The sand beneath our feet is even and dusted with pieces of shells, and I do my best to avoid the unfortunate mollusks that have made their home here. They were truly radiant, lining the ground like a path in the Count’s gardens.

It’s so easy for me to move now that we’re submerged that I’m able to bend down to take a closer look at the shells. I immediately recognize the angel wing clam, and it takes all of my self-restraint to stop myself from picking one up to get a better look at the magnificent shape. After all, here I am merely a visitor. Nearby are various bullmouth snail shells, and I find myself climbing carefully to get a closer look.

Nemo observes me side-stepping the creatures, and for a moment I fear that he might not have the same regard for the ocean life. I’m relieved, though, to see him apparently realize the significance of this untouched landscape-- or maybe he just knows it would upset me-- or... perhaps he just wants to show off, as he jumps over the groups of mollusks like he’s playing a game of hopscotch.

Either way, I show my approval by taking his free hand and giving it a grateful squeeze. He returns the squeeze, clearly glad that I noticed his attempt to spare the lives of dozens of helpless invertebrates. Nemo thunks his helmet lightly against mine multiple times, trying... apparently... to mimic an excited flurry of kisses.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

He doesn’t let go of my hand, leading me through the kaleidoscope of wonders before us. The light fading in the deep casts a reddish glow over us as we enter a forest of seaweed blooming in more hues than I could even imagine.

An underwater forest... the site of many of my childhood adventures. Surely as we tread through this place, I can push away the kelp and catch a glimpse of my beloved Atlantis!

But it’s not Atlantis I see as I push aside stalks of kelp: Squalus cuvier, renamed Galeocerdo tigrinus in 1837, and more commonly called the man-eater shark.

I take a step back in the sand, telling myself it’s to get a better view of the shark in its natural surroundings. My quaking legs say otherwise.

I love the creatures of the deep, all of them, truly. ... But god, what terrible and fearsome foes sharks are!

I mean, I don’t have much reason to think so... sharks are usually docile creatures who show curiosity with their teeth. With their many, many rows of teeth... and their inky black eyes...

I shudder, hoping that the motion was hidden by my suit.

Nemo looks at me, then at the shark, then at me again. I can practically see him squinting in confusion.

It’s perfectly natural for a marine biologist to be nervous around sharks! In fact, we should know better than anyone what these creatures are capable of! Like removing limbs and things like that.

He points to the shark and looks back at me, tilting his head. It’s strange to see him pantomiming his usual outbursts... and it’s even stranger how he still manages to slouch so distinctly in his diving suit.

But my observations are cut short when he cocks his rifle with a flourish and takes aim at the shark.

I quickly begin waving my arms, shaking my head vigorously. I might be frightened by these creatures, but that is certainly no reason to kill it! It hasn’t even noticed us!

I should have known guns would be a bad idea, almost as bad as handing him explosive material! He’s like a giddy child, if he has a toy he simply has to show it off-- tenfold if it’s one he created!

Nemo looks over at me, his gun still raised, and tilts his head in the opposite direction.

Damnit, he doesn’t understand! Why don’t we have any way of communication?! If only I could somehow convey that this creature is a precious specimen, a precious piece of the ocean’s biological community! Think clearly, Pauline!

I worriedly look back at the shark and freeze-- my hand signals must have attracted it, because it’s headed this way! And if it heads this way, Nemo will certainly kill it!

The shark swoops down, and I shove the both of us to the ground. Of course, Nemo being Nemo, he begins to flail in a panic. Being a rational woman, I quickly climb on top of him and lay still, hoping to weigh down his limbs.

Sharks have terrible vision, and once we’re on the ground it doesn’t seem to notice us, even as Nemo continues to attempt his kicking.

Once the shark meanders out of sight, I slowly roll off of Nemo and onto my back, staring up at the surface of the ocean as my heartrate begins to go down.

Nemo’s probably very confused as well, but hopefully he’s able to realize how closely we brushed against death. He leans over and peers at me, his lips pursed in confusion. But when I shake my head, he shrugs and flops back down, sending up a cloud of sand.

The sun seems so far away down here, and the ripples of the water give it the appearance of a stained-glass window. It’s peaceful, almost solemn, much like the church I visited as a child.

Nemo reaches over and rubs my hand for attention. Such a needy man! But I can’t help but smile and thread our fingers together.

Holding his hand, I look back up at the surface as a denizen of this wonderland that lies fathoms below.

[themurphyzone]

PatB: Nova Ch 2

Insert funny one-liner here. Cause I can’t think of anything. 

Ch 2: Space Cadet

New Selenian Date 3015.3.12

Terran satellite conversations are useless drivel! Nothing but pomp and circumstance about trivial subjects that don’t help us plan our global domination! All this curiosity about planets and star systems beyond your own, yet you actively sabotage your own progress in space exploration! Hypocritical morons. When Snowball and I rule Terra, we shall usher in an age of science and rationality, because you obviously cannot be trusted to run your own planet without blowing it up several times over! Why, you have less intelligence in your collective brains than I have in my pinky!

Alright. Just inhale…exhale. Inhale...exhale.

I needed that tirade. Progress on the Conquistador has slowed and is approaching an impasse of the highest caliber. The outside paneling requires special attention and shielding because we do not wish to burn upon entering Terra’s atmosphere. However, the thermal protective system we’ll be developing will likely be rudimentary at best, fatal at worst due to lack of top of the line equipment. The Selenians managed to conserve enough fuel in their ships to leave the colony and presumably return to their original planet, with the exception of one ill-fated vessel which experienced a malfunction when they first arrived on New Selene.

I have no choice but to visit the crash site of that particular ship with Snowball. If fortune is on our side, we’ll have a ragged version of the paneling we need, but…I will be in close contact with the electrical firing of Snowball’s neurons. An unfortunate side effect of my genetic enhancement from a mos’s natural inclination to electricity. The distance from Penumbra doesn’t help matters either.

Ah…I’ll cut this transmission off here. Snowball’s calling in, for once.

Signing off for now, the Brain.

o-o-o-o-o

“He called my name,” the mouse whispered, awestruck by the deep voice that crackled through the chipped Walkman radio. He rolled his skinny tail between his paws, joyful tears swimming in his vision and making everything blurry-whirly. “He said my name!”

He had many names alright. From Gouda to Zort to No, We Don’t Know Why That Subject Says Narf. From what he remembered of his parents and Sis, they called him Chchchrree mixed with sniffy noises. It was hard to say for everyone else though, even him. It was the sniffing part, really. It tripped everyone up.

But none of his names fit him quite like Pinky.

Oh, he was being rude, wasn’t he? He may be a sliced gene lab mouse, but he was a sliced gene lab mouse with manners!

The newly named Pinky fiddled with the slider on the Walkman. There were a lot of numbers, and he didn’t know which one let his voice through, so he eeny-meeny-miney-moed between all of them until his finger landed on 92.

92 was a good number. Nice, funny, and a pretty figure.

“Haha, narf! Hello, the Brain!” Pinky laughed into the Walkman. “I know you’re probably busy with the Conquesowhatsit, so you can just listen to this whenever you’re free! Anyway, I’m Pinky and I’ve been listening to your messages for months! And you said my name just now! It made me so happy I cried!”

Nothing but crackling static answered. A click came from the hallway, the aircon kicking in and blowing a cool wind through the lab. Machinery hummed, screens flickered, squeaks from other mice echoed.  

Pinky waited. He would wait however long he needed to. The voice would reply, he was sure of it.

“Brain, is it…is it lonely up there?” Pinky asked. He was very bad at the waiting game. He lost to himself every time. “You sound sad. And grumpy. Grumpy-sad, even. What makes you happy? The stars? I’m happy looking at the twinkly stars. They must be even prettier from space.”

Pinky waved at the gorgeous night sky. Countless stars and a silver moon to watch over them all. Pinky loved having a cage with such a view. The Brain might have a big telly-scope he could see Terra with! Terra, a lovely name for a lovely world! And to think Pinky had been calling it Earth like a silly-billy goat gruff.

Though the Brain might not be able to see him…he was practically the size of a mouse after all. Unless Pinky climbed to the highest point of the Great Mall of China! Everyone knew the Great Mall of China could be seen from space! And he could eat yummy dumplings there too!

Pinky twiddled his thumbs. He shouldn’t keep the Brain away from his super important work much longer. “Tell Snowball I said hi, okay? And thank you for the name. Same time again tomorrow night, right? Good night, the Brain. Sleep tight and don’t let the spacebugs bite. Cause then it gets itchy. Poit.”  

There was no answer. There wasn’t usually. Maybe the Brain was shy. It was okay though. He was probably saying good night too, in his own grumpy shy way.

Pinky turned off the Walkman and yawned, stretching his arms above his head. Then he slipped back into his cage, the bars spaced wide enough for him to slink through. He was still working on opening the cage door. TV always made escaping cages look so easy.

His straw bed was bathed in a patch of silver moonbeams tonight. That was good. Light always helped him sleep easier. Pinky flopped into the straw and pulled Mr. Button close, like his parents had done for him and Sis when they were babies. Mr. Button was hard, round, and green, but he was still a good cuddle buddy.

He had a big day of wheel running, maze running, and running to Pharfignewton’s stable tomorrow. Best to get some shuteye now and be bright-eyed and floppy-tailed tomorrow. He fell asleep with Mr. Button cradled loosely in his paws, dreaming of a land filled with delicious cheese.

o-o-o-o-o

Pinky ran on his wheel for his pre-breakfast exercise, finished off the remaining food pellets in his bowl, and even squeezed in a little pampering time before he was scooped up by the tail and dropped into a maze.

It was routine, and how he loved all sorts of routines! Bonking into walls nose-first was always fun, especially when he saw dizzy circling stars until he fell over like a limp noodle. Of course, he never could finish a maze, which made many of the humans puzzled and confuzzled while they scratched their heads and snapped pictures with their smartphones.

Mazes were hard. If he bounced high enough and clung to the wall like a Spidermouse, he could see the yummy cheese at the very end, but he wasn’t very good at getting there. He even tried the summoning spell he’d seen in one of the Harry Potter movies so the cheese would come to him instead, but his comes-and-goes telephonetic magic skills didn’t help him either.

The day passed like normal. Get lost in maze, lunch break, try another maze until he got more lost than the people stuck on an island in that one very confusing show, until he was finally brought back to his cage before the lab closed for the day.

Today, the lab had closed in the mid-afternoon, the sun still shining brightly in a pretty blue sky. Pinky could spend several glorious hours with Pharfignewton before the Brain’s nightly message over the Walkman.

Pinky squeezed through the cage bars, taking a flying leap off the counter and landing belly-down on the squishy seat of a spinning chair. He giggled as the chair slid back and spun a little, then dusted himself off and bowed to an invisible crowd. He’d been improving his landings lately. One of these days he’d definitely perfect his swan dive!

He jumped down to the floor and ran into the kitchen, wrinkling his nose at the bitter scent of leftover coffee in the pot. He’d always been a tea sort of mouse himself. Grabbing hold of the cherry-print towel that hung on the handle of the refrigerator, he counted to three (he probably put too many Mississippi’s between one and two again) and hauled himself up. All those upper body strength videos were coming in handy.

Pinky balanced himself on a thin sliver of handle and the fridge door, then shoved his feet against the handle and stretched himself as far as he could.

“Narf! C’mon, Pinky!” he wheezed, feeling the strain of his tummy and leg muscles. “It’s not bagel warmer science!”

He took a quick breather and gave one final shove. The door opened with a pop and Pinky lost his balance, landing somewhat painfully on the cold bottom of the fridge.

“Just like Iceland in here! Or was that the green one?” Pinky said, picking himself up from the floor and pushing the fridge door open all the way. He didn’t want to be locked in again. Besides, he’d promised Pharfignewton he’d come by today. He’d feel really awful if he broke his promise. “Now if I were a horse, what would I like to eat?”

Pharfignewton couldn’t eat cheese. Something about her tummy being intolerant. It was a little rude of her tummy to be honest, though she’d definitely eat cheese if she could.

Pinky peeked into each drawer, searched through every condiment bottle, but none really caught his eye as something he could bring along.

The leftover club sandwich wasn’t vegetarian. Condiment bottles wouldn’t fit through the mail slot.

Pinky found a box half-filled with sugar lumps, but Pharfignewton was very insistent on watching her figure in preparation for the Kentucky Derby in two months.

And then he spotted a celery snack pack with peanut butter dip on the topmost shelf.

“Egad, that’s perfect!” Pinky exclaimed, shimmying up to the snack pack. He pushed a red Jell-o cup aside and snagged his prize, hugging it to his chest. The only way to make it even tastier was to find raisins so they could make ants on a log, which didn’t look like real ants on real logs at all.

With the snack pack in hand, he hurried to meet Pharfignewton.

o-o-o-o-o

Pharfignewton galloped through the field, her gray mane flowing behind her like a beautiful river. No matter how many times he’d seen her practice, it never failed to amaze him. Her hooves flew like the breeze, her sky blue eyes shining in determination as she pushed herself a little further every day.

Pinky pulled himself up the fence’s wooden boards, kneeling on the flat surfaces and hauling the snack pack up with him. Once he made it to the top of a wide fencepost, he opened the pack and scooped one end of a celery stick into the peanut butter, then waved the coated end in the air.

“AND THERE SHE GOES! IS SHE A BIRD? IS SHE A PLANE? NO, SIRREE BOB! SHE’S PHARFIGNEWTON, THE BEST AND FASTEST RACEHORSE IN THE WORLD!” Pinky shouted, waving the celery stick like a flag.

Pharfignewton whinnied loudly, pouring on the speed as she galloped through a space between two trees and slowed to a brisk trot until she reached Pinky. She swept out a hoof and bowed to an invisible camera, her tail flicking happily.

“Hi, Figgy Pudding! You look amazing out there! Guess what? The Brain gave me a name! I’m Pinky now! Actually, I’m Pinky. He never said Pinkynow, did he?” Pinky grinned, holding the celery stick up to her muzzle. Pharfignewton neighed in delight, and it didn’t take long before all the celery sticks and peanut butter were gone. Practicing always made her work up an appetite.

Pinky licked up the remaining peanut butter, swiping his tongue along his mouth for the lingering peanut-y taste. Then he climbed onto Pharfignewton’s muzzle, her eyes sparkling as she tossed him into the air. Pinky threw out his arms, laughing and sliding down her long neck. He came to a stop at the base of her mane, then flipped himself over and gave her a ginormous hug.

Pharfignewton craned her neck, a blocky smile stretching her muzzle before suddenly rearing up on her hind legs and whinnying triumphantly.

“Zort!” Pinky cried, grabbing fistfuls of her mane to stop himself from falling off. Pharfignewton took off like a firecracker, and Pinky’s body lifted off her neck completely. “Hi-ho, Pharfignewton! Yippie-ki-yay!”

The ground and sky blurred together in a swirl of mashed colors, and the nearby stables were nothing more than thin brown lines in the corner of Pinky’s eye.

“The pack, Fig!” Pinky yelled. “We’ve gotta keep the environment clean!”

Pharfignewton raced by the fencepost, snatching up the plastic lining of the snack pack in her teeth and dropping it into the garbage bin by the stables. “Whoo! Nice and tight turn there!” Pinky said, leaning forward and planting his feet against Pharfignewton’s back to keep his balance. “You’re gonna win the Derby for sure!”

Pharfignewton neighed, leaping over a fallen branch with room to spare.

“Right, and then onto the Triple Crown! Live your dream, Pharfignewton! Live your dream!” Pinky shouted above the roar of the wind.

o-o-o-o-o

Pharfignewton’s owner, a friendly looking fellow with a big bushy beard, called for her as the sun went down. Though Pharfignewton was tired out from all her running, she eagerly trotted over to her owner and accepted a pat on the nose and a carrot. Pinky buried himself in her mane and pretended to be a tiny horse with pretty hair while the owner refilled her feed bucket and penned her in the stall for the night.

Once he was gone, Pinky sat on a wooden post next to Pharfignewton’s head, kicking his feet in the air while she ate her dinner.

“Camptown ladies sing this song! Doo-dah! Doo-dah!” Pinky sang, twirling a long piece of hay in the air as his baton. He pointed the hay at Pharfignewton, who paused in her meal and neighed out the next lyric. “Oh, that was gorgeous! You’re gonna be a real crowd-pleaser at the Derby!”

At the mention of the Derby, Pharfignewton stopped eating completely and rested her muzzle in the space next to Pinky. She nickered, ears pinning against her head. Pinky rubbed his nose against hers, smiling so she wouldn’t worry as much.

“I’ll be alright, Fig,” Pinky whispered. “The Triple Crown’s been your dream since fillyhood. You should go for it. Don’t worry about silly ol’ me.”

Pharfignewton tossed her head back and whinnied, her hoof scraping against the dirt floor.

“I’ll see you off when you leave,” Pinky said. “And watch you on TV. I’ll cheer so loudly you’ll hear me all the way in Kentucky! That’s a promise! A Pinky promise!”

He placed both pinky fingers on Pharfignewton’s muzzle so she could have one as well. He knew she was still worried though. And it was nice to know she cared, but really, he’d be alright in the lab. He had his wheel, food pellets, and the dusty VCR that ACME hadn’t gotten around to replacing yet.

“Poit. The Brain’s message is gonna be coming in soon,” Pinky said. “I’d best get back to the lab. Really wish you could listen him too, but the Walkman won’t fit through the mail slot. I already tried.”

Pharfignewton let him cling to one nostril as she gently lowered him to the stable floor. Pinky gave her muzzle one last broad stroke before setting off, waving goodbye until the stable was out of sight.

The moon rose, the first twinkling stars of the night coming out to play.

“I think you’d like her, the Brain,” Pinky said to the sky. “She’s amazing.”

But he spent too long admiring the stars and missed the left turn on Albuquerque Street. By the time he got back the lab and turned on the Walkman, the message was already ending.

-and traveling to the crash site tomorrow. I hope this venture will yield something useful. Out there, it will be silent. Not even my proximity to Snowball will help. He’s ambitious, I’ll grant him that. Our desire to rule Terra…it’s what keeps us going. Perhaps a little too much, at times. It occasionally gets in the way of…certain things.

There was no sign off. Sometimes there wasn’t, if the Brain felt strongly about something.

Everyone seemed to have a faraway dream that made up their entire being. And while the land of delicious cheese was pretty far from the lab, just touring through it and buying all the refrigerator magnets he could carry didn’t seem to make up his entire being. Not in the way racing was Pharfignewton’s life. Or how the Brain always spoke of a desire to rule Terra.

“If you have a faraway dream, I guess you have to be far away,” Pinky said to Mr. Button, who only wobbled in reply. “It’s okay. I’m happy they have dreams.”

He had his wheel, food pellets, and the dusty VCR after all.

AN: I never made the promise about silly Pinky things. Shhh….

I wanted to keep Brain naming Pinky cause it’s cute (also it’s practical for writing but mostly cute).

To win the Triple Crown achievement, a racehorse needs to win the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont, and the Preakness. Pharfignewton’s got a lofty goal, but Pinky believes in her!

ACME is really bad about updating their tech.