#content with just an idea of a 'role' of a background character who is trying to support and be there for others

[fly-sky-high-09]

Yet another 4am staring at the phone

[lurochar]

Relief in Falsehoods

Background Alastor x Reader, One-sided Vox x Reader, One-sided Vox x Alastor

Just wanted to try writing Vox. Hopefully I didn't mess his character too bad

---‐---‐----------------------

This was a new low.

Even for him.

But how could he help it? He had no idea that old-timey prick and his companion (his lover? wife? Or in deer talk, mate?) had come back after a seven year absence.

It pissed him off.

Because deep down, he still felt that yearning that never extinguished, even after that oh-so brutal rejection he had gotten from Alastor.

Approaching you hadn't even been an option after that either, as Alastor had ‘kindly’ warned him to never step in your presence again.

And now here he was, standing in his penthouse suite, standing tall with his normal cold expression on his flat-screen face, but internally, he felt like the lowest of the low, a loser who couldn't get over his strange obsession over two people he should have forgotten about years ago.

Val had seen the anger and stress and provided him with a simple solution: he sent Vox two of his porn actors to give him the release he desperately needed.

And not just any regular porn actors, Val had gone out of his way to look for ones of this specific type and so Vox had damn better well be happy with it or–

“You're fucking joking, right?” Vox's eyes twitched. He glanced between the two shivering, scantily-clad whores already on their knees, waiting to take orders. 

Val had really sent him two deer demons, one male and one female, in an attempt to get him out of his pissy mood?

This just pissed him off more.

Had it been Alastor or Y/N, that would be a completely different story, but–

“I guess this is what role-play is for.” Vox muttered to himself before his eyes widened and it swirled with hypnotic waves and the two deer whores immediately stiffened as they fell under his trance.

“You,” Vox pointed towards the nameless doe, “until this is done, your name is now Y/N. Is that understood?” He moved to her, disappointed there wasn't much of a resemblance between her and you other than you both were deer demons.

“Yes, Mr. Vox, Sir! My name is Y/N!” She stated, absolutely beaming up at him and then shuddering when he reached down to stroke one of her ears.

“You always were such a sweet little doll, Y/N. Why you are with that radio fucker is beyond me.” Vox's screen glitched as he recalled the true you and how content you were at Alastor's side.

It could have been him.

It could have been all three of you.

Instead of Valentino and Velvette, it could have – should have – been him, you, and Alastor ruling as Overlords as a trio, owning thousands of souls, drowning in money, and just living a life of perfection.

But Alastor threw that all away.

Vox's screen turned red and he turned to look at the buck still on his knees, still looking blank under his hypnotism. “And you, your name is Alastor until I say.”

The buck quickly responded. “My name is Alastor. I understa–” Vox kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over, though Vox just lifted his head up by his (not red and black) hair.

“Y/N is the lucky one. I don't have much of a grudge against her. But you, Alastor,” Vox sighed, reaching down with his free hand for his belt and the buck began to tremble despite the trance he was under, “this night isn't going to be very pleasant for you. I can't even guarantee you'll leave here alive.”

Hmm, maybe Val was right.

Maybe he really did need this…

[purrpleowl]

I don't know if anyone has mentioned something like this already, but this thought has been on my mind for quite some time;

You know who I wanted to see having a duet with Alastor (song battle style)? Velvette.

Hear me out.

There's something similar between the two songs Alastor interrupts, Stayed Gone and Hell's Greatest Dad, especially when it comes to the duality between Alastor's part and the other person's part. Something that I admit I didn't notice at first, but I saw some people commenting on.

Let's talk about Stayed Gone first: all Vox has to say is that Alastor is old and Vox is new. He uses different words every time (fossil, barely audible, his medium is getting rare...), but that's his only argument. While Alastor attacks right into Vox's insecurities. He says that Vox's content is low quality and inconsistent, he belittles Vox's power, and pokes at the wound that was Alastor refusing to "join Vox's team" (whatever that means, not important for my point here).

In Hell's Greatest Dad, Lucifer talks about how he can be useful to Charlie. How he can give her Champagne fountains & caviar mountains without charging her. Alastor focuses on how his relationship to Charlie is (supposedly) very close. He says he's faithful to her, that he makes her laugh, that they have a special bond... Which is what Charlie values most.

ALL THAT TO SAY that Alastor is very good at reading the room, figuring out what people are on about. Now, what other demon we see that has showed to have those same skills and has used them to her advantage in the show? That's right, Velvette.

With a SINGLE glance, she was able to identify that Carmilla was the one that killed the exorcist because of her facial expressions and body language. And then she proceeded to poke Carmilla and Zestial until one of them snapped.

Also, just like I bet Alastor definitely doesn't believe a single word he's saying to Charlie in Hell's Greatest Dad, he just wanted to get under Lucifer's skin while manipulating Charlie, I highly doubt Velvette was serious about starting an actual war with the angels. She (and the Voys too, probably) had a suspicion that it had been an overlord who did it, and she went and tested the theory.

I just think it would be great to finally see someone publicly call Alastor out on all of his bullshit, and Velvette is (in my opinion, of course) a very good character for the role. Besides being very perceptive and good at reading into people's bullshit (she also does that with Vox when she is introduced btw).

She likes to annoy old people, she probably has some background on Al that Vox possibly provided her while lacking the insecurities that Vox has when it comes to Alastor.

It would be very satisfying (to me at least) to see her call him a coward in his face (because he fled Adam's fight when he got injured), or that he might hate Vox but he definitely loooves the attention because he's an attention whore (bonus points if she uses this specific term just to make him uncomfortable). Or even that he's trying so hard to keep this "ominous mysterious dangerous" persona while he's 1- not that powerful, 2- starting to get emotionally attached to the "good guys".

ALSO "you'd be powerless without the Vees" sir you can't convince me that 3 very powerful overlords can't beat 1 up. The Vees are powerful on their own but they're more powerful together and Vox's insecurities aside, they all know it. Alastor is alone, he might be friends with Rosie or the Hotel crew, but his pride wouldn't allow him to seek help in battle, or even emotional help.

Also 2.0 there's the fact that he's been gone for 7 years and while Velvette (and us) might have no idea what he's been up to, I bet the Vees have been growing and expanding their power while Alastor is the same since he left.

So yeah, I think she'd be so great on roasting Alastor. I don't know if I'll ever have a song battle between them but I sure think it would be interesting.

[asurrogateblog]

what do we know about Nobody Home?

like...in general?

well, for starters, the origins of the song is that during the later sessions for the wall in fall of 1979, david challenged roger to write a new song for the album. never one to turn down a bet, roger wrote nobody home overnight and brought it to the studio the next day. and unfortunately for david it was really good. roger employed his tried-and-true tactic: "just list a whole bunch of things", and it worked.

the actual lyrical content of the song is – if you are aware of any pink floyd lore – fairly objectively about syd. for instance, there are several references to his unique style of dress during the bands early days ("obligatory hendrix perm", "elastic bands keeping my shoes on", "gohills boots"). other imagery references syd's mental condition after his departure (the drone of the TV in the background, the "bag with a toothbrush and a comb in"...long explanations just trust me). in this context, "nobody home" can be interpreted in two ways. either it's referencing how syd was silently iced out by the band, or, it's referencing syd's dissociation – the idea of there being "nobody home" behind his "wild, staring eyes".

*(footnote: many people also interpret the lines "i've got a silver spoon on a chain / i've got a grand piano to prop up my mortal remains" as being about rick and his cocaine addiction at the time of the album's recording. I go back and forth on my thoughts on this)

however, obviously this song isn't just a standalone – it's a part of the wall. in that context, at this point in the story pink (the character) has locked himself up in a hotel room, in a prison of his own fame and self-imposed isolation. it's an especially sad song imo, because the "plot" of the lyrics is that he's trying to call someone (presumably his wife), and despite that real attempt to peer over the wall and reach out, no one answers him. he's already pushed away everyone who loves him. :(

of course, the syd interpretation and the fictional interpretation are not at all mutually exclusive. the character of pink is an amalgam of roger and syd – and this song feels to me like an attempt of roger's to show the parallels between them. although under very different conditions, roger too has come to feel like his success is like having a lead role in a cage, and that he's lost the ability to show his true self to the outside world.

(this is entering tinhat territory, but I am personally convinced that roger is directly and purposefully paralleling syd's song "bob dylan blues". listen to them back to back and tell me I'm wrong)

I hope that's enough!

[jacksmusesdrv3]

Since this is nagging at me, and the point of contention in Shuichi's background and 'style of detective' is being... kind of a pain in the arse, to put it lightly, let me try to lay out the odd situation with his detective background as plainly - and, as fairly - as I can. Here goes:

He did detective stuff as a favour to his uncle, that is, was not a formal detective but an apprentice to one. It's likely he wasn't constrained to roles, in this respect.

His tasks involved catching out cheating partners, finding lost pets and eventually, finding runaways. The latter of which - according to his uncle - was a 'preventative measure', to stop them before crime occurs. Shuichi's job was, explicitly, to stop them before it got to that.

He picked up a motto from his uncle, the 'coffee stains on someone's shirt' metaphor. Extraordinarily vague, and one he used in the context of a 'heavy burden' when talking with Ryoma, but the phrasing can imply 'stains' of a person's (perceived) guilt. You could infer that this is a matter of catching out people who are cheating, but you can also generalise it to crime. What's more, the mixed ideas with this motto - that Ryoma was faintly amused by, thinking it strange - makes it feel like something is not communicated adequately.

He read a psychology study, whether purely of interest, what his uncle taught him etc. is unknown, but the key component of said study was how it tricked people- that is, into believing cold water was hot (this is especially interesting to me given that this kind of extreme trick was a theme for DR2's shtick likened to a 'fictional world', and he brought it up in the Virtual World, which DR2 was based in, and Shuichi declares the game 'fiction' by the end, so it really does feel significant, even if not directly related to detective work). So, we're talking some applied psychology, here. Hold that thought...

Shuichi is a good liar- at least, one of his skills is to sway a group into believing him, sometimes with emotion as well. In that sense you could say he's a good actor, which seems unusual for someone who's mainly a sheltered character. That said...

His uncle's policy on runaways was that it was 'necessary to follow up with runaway and client both', and Shuichi explains the policy as 'making sure both parties are happy'. If Shuichi is involved in this process, he is - to some degree - trained to work with people. Is de-escalation part of this? You would expect so, at least. What's more is Shuichi could not confirm if this was a typical detective's policy, just that it was his uncle's.

Shuichi solved a murder case. We don't know how he happened on it, only that it was 'by chance'. We know that lost-pet grade detectives don't solve murders, although the runaways part of the tasks was, at least partially, linked to crimes. What kind of crimes? We just don't know. You might assume however, that one such case could lead to a murder, particularly if a de-escalation attempt were to... fail (this is speculation as an example).

In summary: the extent of Shuichi's uncle's 'education' of him, is vague enough you can infer (as I did) uh... a mixture of things, with no clear idea of where the boundaries in those things are. You also don't know if this is 'above board' training that is typical of a detective, especially with the presentation of a murder case - something exceptionally out of whack for an apprentice to handle, although not an unthinkable consequence - and possible mixed communication going on between him and his uncle.

Also? You don't know how truthful Shuichi himself is being - to himself especially - since he's a known liar. While that's not proof he's lying about anything, it is at least a concern since at the least, he may have cause to lie to defend others based on feeling (and this is something he does in trial 2 for Maki regardless that she wasn't guilty of Ryoma's murder, she still had involvement in the situation, but the nuances of that aren't the point here).

Anyways, how this pans out in the game is up to you, but I felt compelled to clarify my own logic from the start re. this, since it does get kinda-

-from here in terms of my theory, so the 'making sense' can be hard to do. I hope this much is clear, though.

[shihalyfie]

Shihanne's 02TB FAQ

Here's a 02TB version of the Kizuna FAQ I made earlier, where I answer questions to things you may be curious about regarding the movie while trying to stay as spoiler-free as possible! This is, again, not a post made to convince anyone towards or against watching the movie, but rather just something to provide assistance for people who might be on the fence about watching the movie or want to know certain things before going in.

Like with the last post, I will be organizing this post in such a way that the story references to what happens in it will get more and more extensive as the post goes on. The more you read, the less "blind" you'll be going in, or the more there may be risk of you being able to figure out what happens in it. So if you want to stay fresh to a certain extent, you should just stick to reading the first few questions! (However, also as with before, I won't be including any major story beats in here, just generic allusions.)

What do I need to have seen beforehand in order to watch this movie? Are tri. and/or Kizuna necessary to understand it?

Perhaps surprisingly, I personally think you can still enjoy this movie even if you've never seen a Digimon thing in your life before (something I would not say about either tri. or Kizuna!). However, I do think you should at least know:

the basic concept of what a Digimon partner is

the context that the 02 group has known each other since they were in elementary school and overcome a lot of things together

the context of the proliferating Chosen Children all around the world and the epilogue it's going to be leading up to

...but other than that, you'd probably be fine even if you have no idea about anything else. Still, the movie will definitely be greatly improved if you've seen 02, because you'll have better surrounding context of what these characters are like, what they'd done together in the past, and what little things here and there are referencing.

Even then, the 02 main TV series (and possibly the second movie, Diablomon Strikes Back) is really the part that could be said to be most relevant. Adventure is largely relevant only for (very mild) context behind Takeru and Hikari's characterizations, and there are virtually no substantial references to Kizuna. tri. is actually downright contradicted by this movie's contents, to the point where the official timeline leading up to it straight-up omits it. So even if you've never seen anything past 02, you're still perfectly good to go.

(If you do see someone reporting that they referenced tri. by using the name "Homeostasis" at one point, note that the name was used in an Adventure novel from 2001; it doesn't actually originate from tri., and the way the name is used is compliant with Adventure lore.)

How 02-referential/fanservice-loaded is this movie?

Very little. Despite what the advertising might suggest, there really aren't a lot of references to things that were in the 02 TV series, other than the fact it has its characters and is obviously set in a point in timeline after it. (Of course, there's still the evolution sequences and all, but that goes without saying.) In fact, most of the "references" to 02 are vague and not explicitly stated, so it's a very "if you know, you Know" affair -- for instance, the Kaiser is not mentioned even once in the entire movie, but Ken and Wormmon's lines are very obviously written with that background in mind, and if you know what happened, their words carry much more weight.

The main character of this movie is Rui, and the story of the movie is about him (official media has been open about this), so you can think of it as a mostly original story that happens to be rather 02-flavored. Or to put it a different way, it's more like 02 episode 51 than it is a 02 tribute; it builds on 02's themes and characters, but more in terms of building on top of them rather than referencing past stuff.

How much of a role do the 02 characters play in the plot?

Since Rui is really the main character of the movie in practice, the 02 characters are "support characters", similar to the way they supported Wallace in Hurricane Touchdown. This is a good thing, and in fact most hardcore 02 fans I personally know agree that this is for the better; the 02 cast has a specialty in supporting others, and the best way to show off their character development is to show off how good they've gotten at reaching out to others like Rui.

Moreover, the movie also goes out of its way to portray the 02 group as a solid group that bounces off of each other, so it's less about each individual character getting any super-impressive moments and more about the way they interact and how deeply they know each other. The movie itself is also about relationships and connection, so it's thematically appropriate, both for the movie and for 02 itself.

Is the 02 epilogue retconned?

Hell no. The movie is very obviously building up to it (even more so than Kizuna was).

How are Takeru and Hikari portrayed in relation to the rest of the group?

They're regular members of the group, and there's no real separation between them and the rest of the group at all.

Does the movie resolve Kizuna's lingering question regarding partnership dissolution?

For better or for worse, no. It's a completely self-contained story, and its only connections to Kizuna are the fact it takes a lot of elements from the worldbuilding/setting it added. (For the record, I'm of the opinion that there's no need for anything new to answer Kizuna's question, but that's a digression.) The movie does give you more lore about Digimon partnerships that you could potentially apply to figuring out the situation in Kizuna, but it leaves the question untouched.

The movie prioritizes its own integrity as a standalone story first and foremost, so (again, for better or for worse) it doesn't have too many connections to other things.

How much of a role do the Adventure characters play in the plot?

Taichi and Koushirou have an extremely short background cameo in the beginning of the movie, and they're also briefly namedropped. There's a quick scene depicting a flashback/past representation of young Taichi and Hikari, but it has no plot relevance (the PVs were probably overselling this a bit...). Koushirou is namedropped later in the movie. Other than that, there's nothing relevant to the Adventure characters (sans Takeru and Hikari, naturally) at all.

Is there time travel in the movie?

No, or at least nothing that would be outside the range of what's effectively a vision/flashback. The PVs probably suggested that more aggressively than what had actually happened, and it seems to be a common misconception about the events of the movie, but there are more than enough context clues in the story that indicate that the "past" shown in the movie is more of a representational space than literal time travel.

Is it true that some really messed up stuff happens in this movie?

There are two major content warnings I would give the movie: one for a clear depiction of child abuse, and one for mild body horror (not super-graphically depicted, but definitely something that's very uncomfortable to think about). Neither depiction is particularly unusual for Digimon standards, and if you've played some of the video games like Cyber Sleuth or Survive, it's not even remotely near that level. (And besides, 02 itself certainly had its fair share of psychological horror, even if it was comparatively more subtle in order to accommodate for kids' show network restrictions.) Still, it may be something you want to know about before going in.

There is also a mild amount of blood in one scene, but it's not any worse than the equivalent scene in Kizuna, and in fact, the animation framing is clearly trying to prevent it from getting too graphic; the blood is mainly there in a "with that kind of injury, it'd be weird if there weren't blood" sense, so it's definitely not trying to come off as a violence fest or anything.

For all it's worth, despite the above factors, and despite the fact the middle of the movie definitely starts getting into some serious psychological horror territory, I would say that overall, this is actually a very sentimental, feel-good movie. There's nothing that feels like it's there for shock value, and in fact, there aren't even any real surprising or shocking plot twists or anything; the main core of the story is about talking about relationships and what's important for a good one, and it takes that theme and commits itself fully to it.

Why is there a new version of Target when the opening is the original version?

So, you know how Target also happened to be the evolution insert song for Imperialdramon...

How much of a lore retcon is in this movie?

There are definitely things that seem contradictory to anyone who has a passing casual knowledge of Adventure lore, but in fact, if you know it deeply, there isn't really a hard contradiction at all.

It's actually a plot point that the 02 group isn't sure what to believe is the right lore, and that they're making their best guess as they go along. The new things they learn in the movie ostensibly seem to be contrary to what they'd learned earlier about how partnerships work, but this contradiction is directly pointed out in the movie itself, and there's a very clear sense of uncertainty as to how everything works and what the true mechanics are behind everything.

For what it's worth, even in the original series, entities like Homeostasis and the Holy Beasts were not portrayed as all-powerful, and were depicted as also trying to figure out this whole thing as they went along. So while the new introductions to lore are probably outside what Kakudou would have liked (yeah, this has been getting kind of awkward...), just speaking from a detached perspective, there's nothing strictly contradictory.

On the other hand, the entire existence of Rui as the first Chosen Child from 1996 makes tri.'s plot pretty much entirely impossible, so that's probably why the aforementioned official timeline actually omitted it. That said, Wallace has a cameo, so even if the part about him meeting Chocomon and Gumimon in 1995 doesn't work anymore, he's definitely still canon. (Note that Mochizuki Meiko appeared in Kizuna, and one of the novels explicitly describes her as having met the Adventure kids in high school, so just because tri. isn't in the timeline as-is doesn't mean it's as simple as "the series isn't canon anymore".)

Are there romance depictions in the movie?

Nothing overt, but there's definitely something that's practically the absolute embodiment of "if you know, you Know."

[stayandot8]

The Listener

Genre: angsty-fluff i guess

Relationship type: established boyfriend/girlfriend

Important Contents: reader has a bout of a depressive episode and pushes Chan away, Chan won't take that lying down

a/n: every angst I write turns fluffy again, I don't know why lol. I guess I don't like the idea of either him or the character in my mind that I'm writing about (me?) in pain for very long. I was also inspired by The Trick by AJR when I started this and then it developed into this but I still might use my original idea! Just some background

WC: 2.5k

“I don’t think you should come over tonight.” I never thought I would say those words to him, but they were out before I could stop them. Our phone calls were fewer and far between, Chan’s busy schedule playing more into my unconscious plan than I thought. But this particular phone call was happening more and more often lately. 

“I haven’t seen you in weeks. Just for a few minutes. Please?”

“I’ve got so much going on and I know you do too. Just focus on that, okay?” I hung up before he could see through my lies. If I saw him face to face, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I might not let him leave and that was just as dangerous as the alternative; the opposite. What I didn’t know was that he would come over anyway. 

I was flickering through my TV from my spot on the couch, trying to find something, anything that would take my mind off of him. I was thinking about him more and more often nowadays, which scared me even more. See, here’s the thing. I have always been the type of person who didn’t need to depend on anyone. I made my own life for myself, I’m always the friend that people relied on and the person they went to for anything. When they needed advice, they would come to me. When they wanted to rant about something, I was the sounding board. If they wanted to gush, I was the one they ran to because they knew I would be happy for them, no matter what. I never had that person. I was just bothering them when I would need to return the favor or the subject would turn back to themselves and I found myself slipping into the familiar role of The Listener. 

Now, there’s someone who wants to hear everything I have to say. Every question he asks, he wants the real answer, not the one he wants to hear. And this is new for me. Which is why it’s terrifying and also the reason I've avoided his calls, texts, and apartment for the last couple weeks. 

I hear keys jingling from the hallway outside my apartment door along with heavy footsteps. I make nothing of it until the shuffles stop just outside my door and my door knob jiggles. My head snaps to the door as I sit up, ready to run for my bedroom. Then Chan bursts through my door, his eyes wild until he finds me. His brows raise in a slightly annoyed expression, his once excited posture now dropping.

“‘So much going on’, huh? Yeah, really seems like you’re busy these days.” He drops his bag by his shoes that he’s just taken off and casually strides halfway between me and the bedroom door my shoulders are leaning towards. He leans on the wall, crossing his arms as he sets his jaw and mouth in a tight line. “Care to explain?”

My shock that he had just showed up was quickly replaced by annoyance that he had in fact just showed up. 

“You can’t just walk in here-” He held up a hand before I could finish.

“You gave me that right when you gave me your spare key. Now why did you lie to me?”

I sat back into the couch facing away from him and crossing my own arms, knowing he was right. I couldn’t bring myself to say anything so we just existed in silence for as long as he could stand. 

“Okay, fine.” He left his place on the wall to sit on my coffee table in front of me, trapping me there unless I wanted to physically climb over him to run away from the eyes I knew could get me to do anything. The thought had occurred to me, what route I wanted to take when I eventually did run away from his gaze. My eyes roamed to every possible way I could go until he forced his finger under my chin, forcing me to look at him. The annoyance in his face was still present but his eyes only held concern now. “Why did you lie? Did you really not want me here?” I bit my bottom lip to stop the trembling I knew was coming. I shut my eyes and shook his finger out from underneath my chin. When I opened them again, the concern was replaced by pure sadness. 

“Just go home, Chris.” I stood, my stomach now directly in front of his face. He kept his eyes forward, now leaning his head against me.

“What did I do?” His voice cracked, breaking my resolve that much more. I looked to the ceiling, my lips trembling violently. 

“You didn’t do anything.” My voice was just as quiet as his, breaking in its own way. I finally climbed my legs out from between his and made a break for my room, knowing he’d follow me. I shut my door just in time to see him stop in the hallway, three feet from my door and with that sad look still painting his features. I turned to slide my back down the door and sat, curled up on the floor and trying to keep my sobs from coming out too loud. I felt the door thud, him doing the same as me. I heard his voice through breaks in my cries. 

“Are you trying to break up with me?” I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. 

“No.” I said quietly. I heard him sigh, his frustrations catching up to him.

“I can only ask so many times before I give up. I have my limits too.” I heard him get up after a long few minutes, his footsteps receding down my hallway. I never heard my front door close though, so I assumed he was still there but it was the ‘why’ I couldn’t put together. I crawled to the foot of my bed, not yet strong enough to climb onto it. I grabbed a random sweatshirt from the floor to act as a pillow to cry into. I didn’t know I had fallen asleep until the sound of snoring woke me out of a dazed half slumber. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a nose, followed by the rest of his face coming into sharper view as my vision focused. I wondered why he was still there, especially on the floor with me. 

As I unstuck my tongue from the roof of my mouth, I couldn’t help but notice the tears I had cried were causing the dryness that I was currently feeling there. My aching limbs were punishing me for trying to use them, rising from my place. I made sure not to wake up the sleeping boy next to me as I walked out to get some water from my kitchen. 

Leaning against the sink gave me the space I needed to think clearly about what had just happened.

 Do you want to break up with him? 

No. Plain and simple.

Then why are you pushing him away?

Because I’m getting too close.

No, that’s not it and you know it.

But I don’t know the actual reason.

Yes you do.

Now tell him before you lose him.

That annoying voice in my head was always right. I imagined it was that voice that stopped me from doing all of the stupid things my brain had wanted to do throughout the course of our entire relationship. I downed two glasses before I got the courage to retrace my steps back to my room. I found Chan sitting on the bed, back against the headboard. He eyed the glass of water I had brought with me for him. My feet padded against my rug to where he was, silently handing him the glass. He took it but didn’t drink. I sat down on the edge, giving myself and him the space to think. 

“Why did you stay?” I fiddled with the string of my hoodie, waiting for his answer. It was a full minute before he spoke. 

“I thought you would need me.” He said simply. “So I slept on the couch but it was so uncomfortable so I checked in here to see if you were asleep. Then I found you on the floor. You looked so sad, I couldn’t leave you like that. You had this deep frown that I couldn’t ignore so I laid down beside you and watched you sleep. I was wondering if I was the one who caused it when I drifted off too.” He took a sip of his water. I did the 180 spin to face him but not meet his eye. I picked a spot on my blanket to stare at. He took several deep breaths. 

“You can’t even look at me, can you?” My blanket was all I could see. It was the only stable thing I could focus on, a constant I could rely on to stay present in the conversation we were supposed to be having. But I wasn’t saying anything. Why am I not saying anything? I tried to move my mouth to speak but my tongue was glued to the roof of my mouth. I couldn’t move. 

“Why are you pushing me away? What did I do?” The pain in his voice caused me to finally meet his gaze, the familiar tears coming back. I could only make out those eyes, begging me to tell him the truth. That closed off space in my heart was begging to be let free, just waiting for someone with the right-shaped key. And that person was sitting right in front of me, imploring me to let him in. To let him see everything, every ugly thing I had ever said or done, every thought I had he wanted to know. The moments I paused, running every possible way that this could go wrong in my brain, gave him the impression that I was closing him out again. His shoulders sagged in defeat, the sad look in his eyes hadn’t left since he crashed through my door. He looked to the floor, unsure of what to say next. He shifted his weight to leave, leave me behind. Suddenly everything went in slow motion. The worst possible situation was happening in front of my eyes, every good thing I had known was grabbing his belongings to desert me like they all did. My breathing came quicker, panic fully setting in. No. Not this one. 

I grabbed his wrist before he got too far, forcing him to stop and turn back to me. 

“Please don’t go.” I whispered. “I don’t know who I am without you.” My voice was so low I could barely hear it myself. I still wonder how he heard what I said but he did. I know he did because he kneeled in front of me.

“Every relationship I have ever had, romantic or platonic, I’ve had to pretend to be people that I thought they would want to love. I wanted to be loved so badly that I would transform into different people to please them. I would like things I don’t, do things I never thought I would do in the worst way just to make people happy. I’ve done that my whole life. Except… when I met you. I found that when you were asking me things, the only answer I could give was the real one. You would ask me what I wanted to do and for the first time, I wasn’t secretly thinking ‘what do I think he wants to do?’ You never made me feel like I had to be someone else. I feel like I’ve never met myself until I started hanging around you. And that terrifies me.”

“But why? Why does that scare you?”

“I thought you would notice that and push me away. So I did it first.”

He sighed, his shoulders drooping as he rested his forehead on my knees. That’s when the shaking started, the vulnerability of this moment starting to take over.

“I’ve always been the one people depend on. I’m not used to having someone like that. I feel like I can’t breathe without you. And I’ve never felt that before. I’ve never needed anyone like I need you. All the time, everywhere.”

“Well, I don’t know if you know this, but I’m the same way. I have seven kids that I have to be strong for. That I have to be stable for. And you keep me stable. I have millions of people who rely on me because I bring them strength and comfort. I don’t know how, but I have to believe what they tell me. I feel like I put too much on your shoulders because I’m in this relationship with you. I know I can only be around so much and my attention has to be split between so many things. But you have been such a breath of refreshment every time. I can relax around you.  I don’t have to be anyone else with you. I don’t have to put on a mask or be a professional or someone else. You make me appreciate the simple things about myself. You remind me that I don’t have to be Bang Chan all the time. With you, I can be Chris.” He stood only enough to be eye level with me, bringing his hands to catch my tears from falling all the way down. “Sometimes I think I’m a little too obsessed with you. I feel like I crowd you too much. I know I can be very clingy but it's just because I can’t possibly be around you enough.”

 I chuckled through the remainder of the tears, simply for something else to do. 

“I never had to depend on anyone before you. I was the one people depended on.” 

“Even the dependable people need someone to lean on. The listeners need someone to listen to them.” The way he whispered it against my forehead sent a shiver down my body. “And now that we’ve established that, can we please sleep on something other than the floor? I know you’re exhausted.” I nodded, looking longingly at my pile of pillows, exhaustion taking over my limbs. I knew this conversation wasn’t over but for now, I just missed him too much. We both moved to our respective sides, his arms opening to invite me in. I let myself be pulled up into his chest, his warmth surrounding me as his chin rested on the top of my head. 

“I missed you.” He sighed, his breath tickling my hair on my neck. I had no more words left so I just did the only thing I knew could express my feelings at that moment. I just hugged him tighter. My last thoughts before I drifted off were the ones that had been going through my head since I met him.

 Please don’t leave me.

[crackedmosaic]

I really didn't like Zahra's reaction to Vex'ahlia's death and how she was presented in episode 4. It just seemed so cold to me, especially since Zahra took an active part in the resurrection ritual in the original stream and it felt so out of character in general.

The series had set them up as old acquaintances and Zahra was clearly angry about the twins' betrayal, but her dynamic with Vex was more of 'bitter ex who got their feelings hurt but there's still a spark there' than outright hatred. This was obviously different to Critical Role, but felt like a good move to make due to time constraints and a different way to approach Vex and Zahra's catty rivalry evolution to flirtatious affection. This felt reinforced by the pair actively protecting each other in episode 3. Yes, they were trading barbs and trying to one up each other, but if Zahra really felt nothing for Vex then she could have easily done nothing and would have had no blame thrown towards her.

Which is why I was shocked by Zahra's reaction to Vex's death was surprise and then.... Nothing. Just annoyance that Vox Machina got to the vestige first. Arguing that Vex was dead and that was it. What??? I expected her role to be reduced, but I still thought there would be some emotional response, some outcry for her fallen friend. Then Zahra doubles down after all that and sets a monster on them, acting more like a villain than an ally, which just gives massive whiplash at the end of the episode when she gives Vex the necklace because obviously this version of Zahra doesn't give a fuck about her.

Vex and Zahra's friendship was so important in the original show, their similar backgrounds made them really connect in a way that was different to Vex's other friendships, because they really saw themselves in each other. They're both survivors who were traumatised by their fathers, knowing that they have to take what they can get because nothing is ever just given to them, but they care deeply for others and are willing to put themselves at risk to protect anyone in danger.

We get no semblance of this in TLoVM and it's reasonable to not get that depth since they have way too much content as it is, but I still expect to see the same characters we all know and love. To make Zahra capable of such callousness while smoothing out Kash's character (who is supposed to be a cynical grumpy asshole) is just frustrating to watch and first time viewers would have no idea why these characters are so loved by the fandom. It really makes no sense to me why Mary or any of the others went in this direction.

Now, I'm not saying that Zahra and Kash's actions shouldn't have been antagonistic. Going after the vestige makes sense and I honestly loved it until episode 4. A better idea would have been to set up the monster fight as an ambush when Zahra and Kash first left the group with the intention to get the vestige from VM rather than try to find it themselves, return to find Vex dead and both try to help bring her back, then realise that the monster was a mistake when they went to leave in an "Ah, we fucked up" moment. This wouldn't have changed much in terms of the events, but it would have made so much more sense to the characters.

All of this is to say that I'm deeply disappointed in how Zahra's characterisation progressed, especially since I was so looking forward to seeing her in the show and before episode 4 I was so happy with what we had.

[cipheramnesia]

hey I'm curious about the switch to Pathfinder! could you go into how your group decided to change & what the process of switching over is like?

(I've started running 5e for my friends last year and the idea intrigues me. I'd love to hear your thoughts)

Just a quick summary up top because I've been thinking about this post awhile: Pathfinder 2e has the most readily available free system content and the Pathbuilder 2e app helped all our players with an easy creation process.

In what probably comes as no shock, the Wizards of the Coast open gaming license controversy was the prompt to change. We have a game that's been recording with the goal of being a podcast, and after we all talked it out we decided we couldn't stay with D&D for that specific game.

The choice to go with Pathfinder was ultimately convenience and availability. Because the majority of the resources for Pathfinder are free online with the blessing of the company owning the system, it meant everyone could access the basics. The similarities also made it easier to transition over for most of us, and our DM had the books already available. The majority of the group also wanted to do more with the characters which meant the move had to be something where we could preserve them as best as possible.

I think what really cemented it for the whole group were two apps:

Second Edition Character Sheet - This is a simplified Pathfinder 2e character sheet that does not have many features or all the options in the game, but gives a great feel for how the creation system works. Most descriptions of it I find labyrinthine or counterintuitive, and this app made it much easier to see how various skills and stats are assigned in the game.

Pathbuilder 2e - I think everyone is using this app now because it has basically every single option in Pathfinder 2e you can consider for a character, and a very easy to use system for editing and tweaking your concepts, or just playing around to see how the system works. My nonbinary wife who generally hates mechanics and stats jumped right in and made a super good character almost immediately, so it's very new user friendly too. We do end up needing to use the Pathfinder website in conjunction for a lot of the process, but realistically it's no different than being new to 5e and using DnD Beyond, other than that it's not trying to get you to shell out extra money all the time.

So far all we've done is the character creation process, although as I understand it the main difference in game play is critical roles are more common in 2e. However, as creation goes, Pathfinder is very difficult to create outside the box compared to 5e. For example, in 5e I was able to make my orcish sprite as a Ranger with negative strength and intelligence but thanks to high dexterity and some judicious use of spells allow her to be the party tank with the capacity to immediately charge into danger further and faster than anyone else.

This is more or less impossible in 2e until higher levels, which I don't like because I need my character to be both ignorant and irresponsible because I think that's hilarious. Fortunately I was able to more or less jury rig something, but in general I find the creation process a bit less diverse - despite the fact that 2e has a huge number of background and class options compared to 5e.

Additionally, while 2e has a reputation as having more rules, many of the specific features have not been as well defined as 5e. This means you'll need to somewhat define functionality between yourself and your DM in some situations.

Something everyone noticed during creation, even our DM, was that 2e offers a great deal more options for building a campaign around intrigue, politics, crime, science fiction, or basically any other number of options that aren't combat focused. I think our campaign may end up more city oriented just to take advantage of those options, and because some of us love that style of story.

Overall, I think I like Pathfinder just a bit more for the point distribution and character design. If you're planning to start fresh, it's a very exciting system, either if you want a stand up knock down slugfest or if you want to play a scheming vizier plotting the king's downfall. However, the base characters lack some variety and if you plan to move a 5e character over expect some tradeoffs or potentially for it to be flat out impossible.

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Ramin Karimloo

full name: Cyrus Amani

nickname(s) / goes by: Cyrus

pronouns & gender: Cis man, he/him

sexuality: Bisexual

birth date: May 19th, 1984

birth place: Tehran, Iran

arrival to merrock: December 2023

housing: The Suburbs

occupation: Cardiothoracic surgeon

work place: Merrock Hospital

family: Mother and younger siblings in Toronto

relationship status: Single

PERSONALITY

Cyrus is a generally goodhearted, community-oriented, and witty man, always wanting to be there for people, regardless if he has a connection to them or not. He makes sure to be considerate of others (especially regarding patients, who he has an immense soft spot for.) Despite this, he is rather headstrong and irrational (and in that area, a bit hard to read), often thinking about things and jumping to conclusions without seeing the bigger picture. In addition, he is rather secretive, and has difficulty opening up to others about his past.

WRITTEN BY: Dove (they/them), est.

BIO / BACKGROUND

triggering / sensitive content: parental death, mental health

Cyrus Amani was born on May 19th, 1984 to a young Iranian couple who wanted the best for their son. When he was 3, they relocated to Toronto, Canada, for Cyrus (and later, his two younger siblings) to have better opportunities. His father worked part-time as a volunteer firefighter, which inspired Cyrus’ interest in helping people. Of course, being a firefighter seemed a bit overwhelming, but the idea of working in the medical field piqued his curiosity. While he had many hobbies growing up, medical work had always been his top interest. He would spend hours researching the field and all the different career paths on end, and his family was incredibly encouraging whenever he brought the topic up.

After high school, Cyrus attended university in Toronto, though was less fortunate when it came to applying for medical school. He eventually decided to go down to the US but was stuck between several states before deciding on Portland, Maine. When he arrived, he was immediately captivated by the scenery. Despite this, he was unsure if he could ever really call Maine “home,” because for so long, Toronto had been his home. After graduating, he decided to stay a bit longer in Portland to get a feel for the area better. He completed his five-year general residency program in the city and began his three-year Cardiothoracic program there as well.

After a few months, he received a call that nearly changed the course of his life. His father had been critically injured due to an accidental fall, and things weren’t looking so good. Cyrus rushed home to Toronto to say goodbye and was especially devastated due to his father being his top role model in life. His mental health plummeted greatly, and he was heavily conflicted about returning to Portland to finish his residency because of it. He stayed with his mother and siblings for a while to ensure their well-being and went back to Portland later that year. He figured would never really get over his father’s passing and would just have to find ways to cope with it.

After finishing the program, he became officially licensed in 2018—yet he chose to stay in Maine due to his license only applying to the United States. A few years later, he adopted a golden retriever puppy, Charlie, to help take his mind off stress (and to have company in his apartment), and he trained Charlie to become his psychiatric service dog when she was old enough. He worked in the city hospital up until late 2023 when he took Charlie and moved to Merrock to give the whole small-town life a try.

[fatherramiro]

Living Without Shame: Looking at the Ramiro/Ángel/Krester Triangle in 1899

I'm prefacing this with the statement that I'm a huge Ramiro/Ángel shipper so you can guess where my conclusion is heading, but I think that the most interesting part of the Ramiro/Ángel/Krester triangle is not the idea of whether or not Ángel and Krester have the same instant connection that pairings like Clémence and Jérôme or Ling Yi and Olek have and what that means for Ramiro and Ángel as a couple, but rather the way that Ramiro and Krester -- who are deeply similar characters in certain ways -- represent two very different paths for Ángel as a character. The three of them are written in such a fascinating way when it comes to their respective "masks," as Ángel puts it, and the way the three of them approach their sexualities. The story is less about who will Ángel choose and rather more about who will Ángel choose to become, and what would that mean for his romantic or sexual relationships. This is not to say that Ramiro and Krester are not equally important and fleshed out characters (I would argue that of the three, the one with the most narrative importance is Ramiro, which makes Ángel his Assigned Love Interest By Narrative, but I digress), but this specific triangle is less about a love story and more about identities.

I want to begin by discussing Krester and Ramiro's similarities, especially when comparing them both to Ángel. Ángel talks a big talk about being fearless/a wolf and not hiding who he is, but by the end of season one we know that that was all bullshit. There is a huge difference between Ángel when he thinks he has his life under control to a degree and Ángel when the chips are down and everything he has to give him privilege has been taken away. However, at the beginning of the show, Ángel acts like a spoiled asshole. He lashes out at Ramiro who urges him to be more cautious (let us not forget that they're both not only hiding the fact they're on the run from a murder charge, but also that even if that fact stays hidden, if they're discovered as being gay they will both be in extreme danger) and flirts publicly and shamelessly with Krester. His tryst with Krester is carried out in public where anyone could see. It's only when Ramiro calls him out on his behavior that he begins to show any signs of vulnerability or softness; before that, he's more than content to play the role of spoiled bachelor for as long as he wants.

That obviously stems from the fact he has privilege over both Ramiro and Krester. This is not to say that he has a "fetish" for lower class men (which some have put, which is gross and whoever thinks that should feel bad). This is just to point out that Ángel comes from a place where his mask being someone who's careless and nasty would make sense. His performance of masculinity is very much the stereotypical rich guy, and he shows very little vulnerability as he puts on this show. He is allowed the freedom to act out and be loud in public or yell at the captain or in general behave like a brat. This is not the Ángel we see by the end of the show though, and there's a reason for that.

On the flip side, Ramiro and Krester both come from lower income backgrounds. We know Krester is the son of a farmer, that his family lived under the thumb of some landowner who felt comfortable doing horrible acts to them, and that the last time he acted on his romantic and sexual desires that he was punished for it (and so was the rest of his family). We know little about Ramiro's childhood but we do know he was a servant for Ángel's family, so we can assume he also did not come from money. Both of them, in the early episodes, have complicated relationships with drawing attention. Krester might burst into the dining hall to find a doctor, but only because Tove is in danger. After that, he comes across as being quiet and trying to make himself small, which is understandable given his trauma. Similarly, Ramiro very much tries to make himself and Ángel as unnoticeable as possible. Ramiro has probably made it as far as he has in life by making himself smaller and quieter -- it's simply the role he's had to play as a servant. To draw attention to himself would, at best, make it impossible to find work.

Neither Ramiro or Krester come from backgrounds where they are afforded the luxury of acting out. Their masks and personas have to be quieter, smaller, and far less noticeable. However, and this is where their differences are important, both of them have very different reactions to their own sexualities. Whereas Krester has a lot of internalized homophobia (as well as fear of his mother's homophobia), Ramiro's fears stem from others finding out his sexuality. He has no shame over being gay.

The best way to illustrate their differences in terms of shame come from their respective sex scenes. In episode two, Ramiro initiates sex with Ángel. The sex scene is very much about both Ramiro and Ángel being equally into what's happening; neither of them seem to be shy or unsure of themselves. Ramiro is eager to touch and be touched by Ángel, and at one point they are both smiling at each other as they rip off each other's clothes. It is also worth noting that Ramiro also never expresses in any episode that he is ashamed of being gay through actions or words; his fear is only that they'll be found out by outsiders. He has accepted this part of himself, and he acts out of desire and love for Ángel rather than shame that he loves who he loves.

In episode three, the sex is vastly different. Krester and Ángel are shrouded in fog with a gate between them. We know at this point that Ángel could make it to third class if he wanted to, but he clearly is fine to touch Krester with barriers between them that prevent full vulnerability. Krester rejects Ángel touching him as well, pulling Ángel's hand out of his pants and making it clear he doesn't want Ángel to touch him during this act at all. He's fine to take on a more "dominant" role but he rejects the idea of having another man's hands on him. Again, we can trace this back to his trauma before the ship, but it is also important to his relationship with Ángel in the moment itself.

I'd also consider the filmmaking choices in these scenes as well. We end the episode two scene (or rather, the last time we see them both in the scene) on an extreme close up of Ramiro and Ángel. We end the episode three scene on a wide shot of Ángel coming as Krester's face isn't shown at all. One of these endings implies desire and intimacy, and the other does not.

Ramiro and Krester are also on different arcs throughout the show. In episode three, two pivotal moments happen for each character. Krester returns to third class to see that his younger sister is dead, and that shapes his decision going forward to help his mother find and attempt to kill Elliot. Ramiro, upon finding out Ángel cheated on him, takes it upon himself to do "the right thing" in helping Eyk, despite the personal risk to himself. While Ramiro steps up as a heroic character throughout the season and is motivated by his compassion, Krester ends the show on a much darker note even before episode five. He actively chooses to give up Elliot's location to Franz, and he stands by as his mother literally throws a child off the ship. When Tove begs him to see reason, he throws her rape back in her face and says she's killed before. Krester is, as ever, motivated by his own shame and his need to find love and acceptance. This is not me judging Krester -- his actions are deeply understandable given his character and what he's been through -- but me saying that Krester isn't some sad woobie who has no agency. He has agency, he just exercises it in a negative way.

Which brings us finally to Ángel's story, and what his two romantic options mean to him. Ramiro challenges Ángel in a way that Krester does not. Ramiro represents a future where Ángel is allowed to express vulnerability and compassion in a way that he has not before; this is made clear by the fact that Ángel's romance with Ramiro in the later episodes is defined by their mutual love. Ángel's final moments on the show are him being openly vulnerable to say that he feels like he's failed Ramiro as a partner. This would not or could not happen without Ramiro pushing back against Ángel's mask earlier on in the show and saying he'd promised he would change. On the flip side, Krester and Ángel are defined by their differences. They are always separated by something in a way the other "instant connection" couples aren't. Whereas Ling Yi and Olek seem to understand each other despite not having a common language, Krester and Ángel never seem to understand each other. Whereas Clémence and Jérôme are vulnerable with each other, there's always a distance between Ángel and Krester. Even in the one moment where we could argue that there is a vulnerability between them, it ends on such a sour note and the door literally closing on the idea of them having anything more in that season (even before Krester's death). Krester does not offer Ángel any sort of freedom in the same way that Ramiro, who has accepted who he is, does represent.

Obviously, your mileage may vary on this and as a Ramiro/Ángel shipper I've got a specific angle I'm looking at. However, I do think there were deliberate choices made that show that Ramiro and Ángel were going to be the endgame pairing, or at least as endgame as one can get in a Bo and Jantje show. I also think that the triangle is far more interesting examined from this angle rather than solely through a "who will Ángel choose" lens, because there's so much more going on with these three than just romance!

[chronicallyonlinewriter]

I love your fics so much. I wish we got more of Texas in it is all, the settlement there and their government. It kind of felt like you were setting that up to be bigger but then they just left but I WANT MORE because I love fics about what other places became after the outbreak. Are you going to write more about that? Because I would read it!

Hi! I'm happy you're enjoying my lil' fic.

Moreno was supposed to have a slightly bigger role, as the settlement leader, but he works just as well as a character working in the background, always busy. (Fun fact, I had something of a Diego Luna-ish vibe in mind when picturing him.)

There were things about Galveston that I wanted to fit in the story, and then didn't, but I also think that's just the nature of writing - you can't always get all of your ideas onto the page, unfortunately. I would have loved to flesh out The People's Galveston a little more, but I'm also content with what I managed to fit in around the main story.

Also in the Texas chapters, we were supposed to meet a character named Cameron - who was mentioned briefly in GYOW, the brother of Wesley (Benny's deceased former partner). But I just ended up not having the time or space to bring him into things in a way that would have done him justice, either.

At the moment, I don't have any plans for any Galveston spinoff fics or etc. I have to be honest that ALaYF already takes a lot out of me to write, and as we come to its conclusion it also gets less and less engagement, so I just don't think the effort would be equal to the interest anyone might have in it (which I promise is not me whining about it, I'm just trying to be pragmatic).

[synergysilhouette]

This'll sound wild, but I kinda want Disney Animation to make their own Kingdom Hearts movie. HEAR ME OUT.

It definitely felt like a good film to make to celebrate 100 years, but I've got several stipulations:

Rather than relying on fanservice, I'd want to focus completely on the original aspects of this. I know it's ironic for Disney to make a film based on a video game series featuring many Disney movies and remove all of them, but it's better to focus on the original characters here, given that they already have A LOT going on. I don't mind Disney references, though! (Honestly, after KH2, the series relied mostly on it's own story while the Disney worlds felt like pit stops in the main plot, so in retrospect, it'd be better to stick to original content.)

2. Sora, Riku, and Kairi would be the main characters in lieu of Sora with Donald and Goofy, while the villains would be Xehanort (who can change shape, allowing us to see him as younger versions of himself, and shapeshifting as other characters to mess with the group's minds), Marluxia, Terra, Vanitas, Xigbar, Larxene, Axel, Saix, Demyx and Luxord. The rest would simply be assistants/guards for Ansem the wise, as they were in the games before becoming nobodies. Regular monsters would not exist here, except for the Unversed, since Vanitas summons them himself, and the fact that most of O10 are nobodies. Xehanort would manipulate darkness, while the other O10 members would use their magical weapons as usual. The villain backgrounds outside of Xehanort's are explored, albeit briefly. This shouldn't be a problem; Axel/Saix, Larxene/Marluxia, Vanitas, and Terra's don't have an immense amount of details in their backstories that have to be explained. Xigbar, Demyx, and Luxord may need some extra time to explain, though. I'd also remove Namine and give Kairi her powers over memory; I'm kinda mixed about this since we have so many characters, but I did want to improve the female-to-male ratio.

3. Have Terra join Ansem of his own volition after Xehanort sends Aqua into the realm of darkness and Vanitas "kills" Ventus (he's actually been hidden away by Aqua beforehand, but Terra doesn't know this). He joins Ansem the Wise as an apprentice, furthering his research into the nature of hearts without the latter realizing his malicious intentions.

4. Give Ansem the Wise the role of Yen Sid, making him much more altruistic (and magical) than in the games. His investigation is tied with creating life and controlling others--moreso curiosity rather than actual plans to utilize it, largely encouraged by Terra in order for Xehanort to learn better how to control the hearts of others.

5. Terra serves as a cautionary tale for Riku, but Xehanort manages to break his mind and enlist him into the ranks. Unlike Terra, who sadly obeys, Riku is much controlled, becoming cruel and condescending, similar to his arc in KH1 and Sasuke Uchiha.

6. Flashbacks are given to the Wayfinder Trio, but nothing to take up too much time. Just give us the idea: they fought Xehanort, and they lost. I do like the idea that Ventus and Vanitas are his sons--well, Ventus is his son while Vanitas is the darkness taken from him and raised alongside him, until Xehanort abuses him once Xehanort kidnaps Ventus to get him away from Xehanort. It's better than expanding on the lore with the Foretellers (though I'd probably have them mentioned as the founders of the kingdom the film is set in without involving them too much), and we can still keep the reason why Vanitas looks like Sora. I'd also like their colors to be more apparent in their outfits (Ventus in green, Terra in red, and Aqua in a more vibrant blue). Plus explaining how Eraqus was Xehanort's childhood best friend until Xehanort was forced to kill him is a good way to explain how far our villain has fallen--I do want to nix Eraqus trying to kill Ven, though; instead he's the one trying to hide Ventus, before Vanitas and Xehanort intercept him. Xehanort kills Eraqus, and Aqua fends off Vanitas while she hides Ventus.

7. Neither Roxas nor Xion exist. Axel just befriends Ventus and Kairi instead. I feel like it creates more confusion (Sora has to become a nobody for Roxas to exist, and Xemnas to capture Sora in order to get his memories of Kairi to make Xion) to include them. These friendships make him question working for the Organization, hurting Saix. In fact, Vanitas and Kairi's pure hearts of light is what makes them uniquely strong against Xehanort, which is why Xehanort wants to capture them (plus to prevent Axel's swaying allegiance). Ventus is also of pivotal importance once Xehanort corrupts Aqua, as he becomes concerned that seeing him will break his control/influence over them.

8. Xehanort's goal is clear. I'm super confused in the game what he wants, and something that I'd love is his quest for equality with light and darkness; as Fairy Godmother said, "strong rays of light create long shadows." Perhaps his world is consumed in darkness, or his home was filled with light, creating disproportionate corruption in other parts of the world. Plus this is reflected in his sons, Ventus and Vanitas: Vanitas is the embodiment of darkness, while Vanitas is pure light. Plus he'd keep his ability to see into the hearts of others, explaining his interest in Ansem. I'd nix the time travel abilities, though.

9. Make it a musical. No, I'm not kidding. I love Disney musicals, and I'd love for it to have amazing original songs to go with the score. Hikaru Utada co-writing the songs would be nice.

I know a lot of people will bash this, but I hope you at least indulge me! Lemme know if you have any questions. I may tweak this later.

[outrunningthedark]

Not you necessarily but a lot of the time when I see people complain about it being "the Buck show" what they actually want is "their fave character (normally Eddie) show". And Buck's screen time is often highly exaggerated by people imo.

when I see people complain about it being "the Buck show" what they actually want is "their fave character (normally Eddie) show

It's true and I'm glad you said it because some people don't want to admit their real reasoning. 😜 Yes, it sucks that the fandom fleshes out Eddie storylines better than the showrunner. (Fic exists for a reason, but fandom should not always have to do things themselves. The story should be sufficient enough that you aren't constantly filling in the gaps, that you don't feel you need to because the outcome was just that good.) Yes, it sucks that Eddie isn't considered to be on the same level as Buck re: catching the audience's attention (I won't get into why that could be because people get very testy when I use certain words, but I'm sure you all can figure it out.) Yes, I know it sucks that people make Eddie scenes about Buck. And yes, I know that the people who feel most strongly about that no longer like nor appreciate Buck in the way they did prior to s5 (especially 5B). I think (understandably) much of the frustration is coming from the show's handling of Buck's storylines vs. Eddie's in relation to Buddie. When you think there's gonna be more content...Eddie's role is reduced or nonexistent to make room for someone else. The hostage episode? Buck is worried about Eddie, and a moment where Eddie was supposed to scream for Buck (for whatever reason) was omitted. (But we got Buck going home to the concerned gf!) Eddie has a breakdown? Buck's there through it all...and then in the very next season (this season) they're not talking about what's plaguing Buck because there's no need for that convo right now when there's still the back half left. (The flipflopping is annoying af. We all get it.) Things the show did right that get overlooked/"forgotten": - Buck's concern when Eddie is in danger vs. Eddie being the first to get to Buck in the sanitizer factory fire + "Are you hurt?" (a way around his demeanor as the cool, calm, collected one). - Buck calling Eddie out on not being honest with Ana vs. Eddie telling Buck the longer he avoids Taylor in the aftermath of the Jonah report the worse that first conversation is gonna be for him. - Buck noticing something's off about Eddie (3A & 5A) and eventually getting Eddie to talk about it (the fighting arc/Ana/panic attacks) vs. Eddie sensing Buck's keeping something from him in 6x04 - we're just waiting to see if that comes back around in 6B. - Buck trying to look out for Eddie by questioning whether going to see the Diazes is a good idea (he doesn't need any added stress!) vs. Eddie trying to explain that Buck is entitled to feel how he feels about his parents and doesn't need to take back his words back for their sake. (TL;DR They both understand that each other's parents are a sore spot and offer support when possible.) Sorry, but, Buddie isn't the problem here. The show's refusal to commit to Buddie in canon is why we get Buck scenes along with Buddie scenes. Too much of Buck (the one main left without a life of his own outside of work) going to Eddie when there's a problem or he has free time won't help Tim & KR's efforts to push the "just friends" agenda. (I mean, when they're a couple, we're not gonna be dealing with anymore background relationships whose inclusion highlights why Buddie is the superior partnership. That's one win!)

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

This or That tag

I was tagged by @silvertalonwritblr - this looks fun :D

Historical or Futuristic

I don't write in our world settings, but I stick more to historical-ish vibes in mine. Like, I'll take a castle over a spaceship :D

Opening or Closing Chapter

Gonna go with the closing chapter. There's something so satisfying about it - especially when writing in order.

Light and Fluffy or Dark and Gritty

Nope. No. This one I won't pick. That's my whole issue I keep whining to my friends about. I want dark shit, but I want a fluffy ending, and I can barely find it, and I am losing readers on either end of it, and I'm gonna cry.

Animal Companion or Found Family

I'll be honest, I have one (1) char with an animal (not a special one) and I am already annoyed because I keep forgetting the dog exists. Nah, gonna stick to found family here. I can leave them outside the door without getting accused of animal abuse.

Horror or Romance

Isn't that the same? /s

I guess if I HAD to - romance. Because I am easily scared. But the thought of a pure romance without any fantasy elements (and let's be honest, without a disproportionate amount of blood) is not very exciting.

Now the romantic subplot between angst, drama and the world ending? Gimme gimme.

Hard Magic System or Soft Magic System

Soft magic system, mostly because I am so over worldbuilding, and I just cram in whatever I need in the moment. Oh, I need a healer who can't control his magic? Done, because I said so. Next!

Stand-alone or Series

I love stand-alones that tie together. In the same world, perhaps with recurring chars, either in a major or minor role, but each story stands on its own.

That kinda solves the problem of barely finding the motivation to read one (1) book without subscribing to a series, but also having more if I love it.

So I try to write what I love as reader.

One Project at a Time or Always Juggling 2+

I guess I have one main project, usually, but that doesn't mean there's not several others in different stages lurking in the background.

One Award Winner or One Best Seller

Ok, honestly, looking at what I write, what award should I win LOL

Also, I like money, and there's a selling in best seller.

Now for that I would have to sell instead of just uploading the files for free, but uh, let's not look into the details, let's move on...

Fantasy or Sci-Fi

Fantasy all the way. Not only do I love it, and always have, Sci-Fi also has a too high chance of coming across tropes I, uh, let's say, dislike.

Character Description or Setting Description

I guess setting, because I don't know how to describe characters. Most lists of "words you can use! :)" make me wanna cry. He has a... face. A human face. And hair. Let's move on.

For the setting, I can at least sneak little details in, and sometimes people get distracted and don't notice I have no idea what I am talking about.

First Draft or Final Draft

First draft here, because getting that done is an amazing feeling - editing, not so much. Especially because I never feel like I have a real, final, never gonna touch again draft. There's always... something.

Also, since I ignore all the advice about not editing while drafting, my first drafts aren't that bad. I rarely change content, just fix the prose.

(Do you know how many "again" fit in a manuscript? Many.)

Aaaand I'm gonna tag @starlit-hopes-and-dreams @winterandwords @serotoninshift @poetinprose @whump-me (no pressure, and ignore the ones that don't apply <3)

[muse-soup]

Epic Mickey Verse 2-for-1 Special

((So I've been kicking these ideas around for a few years now, but they've been smacking me over the head with a broom since Epic Mickey: Rebrushed was announced.

Gyro

Basically, Comics Gyro and 2017 Gyro are the current, popular incarnations of the character. So where does that leave 1987 Gyro? As far as I know, other than the occasional collectible (lol hello there 2023 limited edition enamel pin), his last appearance was in the DuckTales: Remastered game that came out in... *checks Google*...2013.

So he's not quite forgotten, but the Wasteland is also home to scrapped characters and content, and the 1987 version of him is really only brought out for special occasions.

So anyway, '87 Gyro finds himself in Wasteland, not being quite as classic and evergreen as his comics persona, and having been fully replaced on the animated front by his modern counterpart. He doesn't hold anything against the guy-- times change, you know, especially when you're a toon in a science or tech related field-- and he finds himself in good company among other toons whose designs, roles, and personalities have been updated over the years.

Not everybody from the '87 series has ended up there, however; Scrooge, despite also being updated, is too iconic and still makes appearances in Kingdom Hearts and other media. The triplets are similar, especially since their '87 designs didn't stray too far from their classic comic designs. Even Launchpad has managed to hang in there, as his role in Darkwing Duck is simply too big to let him slip away just yet. It really comes down to background extras, a handful of one-off characters, and, more recently, Gyro. Doofus is probably there as well, considering he also got a complete overhaul in the '17 series.

So, Gyro spends his days helping out around Wasteland, shoring up the crumbling infrastructure and assisting the Gremlins with repairs. In timelines where the Mad Doctor is reformed, they're not quite friends, but they do meet up sometimes to discuss methods and swap notes. He's made a little home for himself in a corner of the Wasteland that sits between OsTown and Tomorrow City, far enough from town to not bother anybody when his inventions and experiments go awry, but still near enough to relative safety.

Starchy

Lord Starchbottom, meanwhile, despite being a more recent character, has fallen into obscurity. The 7D was moved from time slot to time slot until it was eventually cancelled after two seasons, and while he was a fan favorite, he was still a tertiary character at best since most episodes focused (rightfully) on the 7D or their antagonists, the Glooms. Fan support for the "Save the 7D" campaign has waned over the last few years, and the dedicated few who remain simply weren't enough to save Starchy and the rest of Jollywood from the Wasteland.

Witnessing the classic Snow White memorabilia scattered around, as well as the early concepts for The 7D, has been a sobering experience for Starchy. After an extended period of existential dread, he's slowly coming to terms with his new reality and trying very, very hard to not be bitter about... everything.

He still remains loyal to Queen Delightful, though he acknowledges that the two of them are no longer royalty here-- they're just everyday citizens. When he's not by her side, he spends his time getting involved with the community and trying to carve out a new niche for himself with his experience in event organization and management. So far he's encountered... mixed success; his already paper-thin confidence has been shaken by the whole ordeal, and the citizens of Wasteland already seem to have things well in hand.

He's managed to secure a tiny apartment on Mean Street, and can sometimes be spotted drowning his sorrows in an oversized sundae down at Paulie's. Things aren't completely terrible, however, as he's managed to make a few friends among the other scrapped and forgotten toons.))