#every concept in it's executed so well and it makes me go a little bit insane (good way)

[stealingpotatoes]

fanart of @spell-cleaver's fic the protégé!!! it's so so so good and I physically NEEDED to draw some of Empress Amidala's outfits

[libraford]

I know I’m a rando so apologies if this is over familiar but your work situation sounds a lot like what my friend was going through in grad school. She had been doing really well the first year, then the second year her advisor suddenly started finding all sorts of “fundamental issues” with her research project. He discouraged her from applying for grants and said her submissions were too poor to even consider. All sorts of really harsh criticisms that often contradicted each other and were hard to follow. She felt like she was going crazy. Then she learned he found a different student that he would basically be able to pay much less to do all his lab work for him, and he was clearly trying to force her out to make room for the newer cheaper student. Trust your gut, I don’t think this situation is your fault at all. Something fishy is happening with your company for sure. I’m sorry for all this trouble.

Yikes that's harsh.

Part of the reason that my crits have been so numerous and harsh is that this year I was expected to learn something new. And I understand it in concept, but I have been making mistakes that are typical of new learners. But because there was no SAFE place to make those mistakes, the pressure is on to do them correct the first time and every time.

Like with groups, right?

My first groups job I was doing really well, I thought. Up until we got to the football team, which was 45 minutes late to the location. And they lined them up by number even though we asked for tallest to shortest. And the coach said he wanted to do them by number. So I did them by number. When we got to the end of it, he saw how terrible it was to do them by number and we had to redo it by height. At this point, they're frustrated with me for not doing it right the first time. I am frustrated with them for not listening the first time and also being 45 minutes late. The tennis team was waiting for me on the other side of the school, so I did my best. I showed the photo to the coach before leaving. Boss didn't like what I made for the football team and had to go back and do it again because I fucked up. I told her all of this and she said that I should have accommodated them because they're the football team and they have to have the best, even if that means waiting 45 minutes for them to arrive and making the tennis team wait 45 minutes.

My second groups job was a middle school that was asking me to do the team photo AND in between teams do candids for the yearbook. The kids were not behaving well and did not seem interested in taking a good photo, so I did my best even though the kids were fighting. Unfortunately, I made the completely reasonable mistake of leaving my aperature on too low between tasks and they ended up a little bit out of focus- which was not apparent in the camera but WAS apparent on the computer screen. This is a mistake that other people have made. I showed each photo to the coach before letting them go.

My third groups job was a class groups job, which all I had to do was follow the guide given to me. Which I did, up until about the 4th grade classes, which had their special classes going on at that time. Because of this, the number the teacher gave me was incorrect and I had to add students to rows in ways that did not reflect the guide because the other option was to disassemble the class group and reassemble it so that it reflected the guide. Teachers were rushing me to hurry up, so I made executive decisions. This was unfortunately the wrong decision. I also posed them in a way that was consistent with what my boss wanted, but not what the district specialist wanted.

On my fourth groups job, I was told all of the mistakes I had made in the previous jobs and that I need to take consideration all of the details and guides that were there for me to use because my previous jobs required her to go back and do them again, so I had better not make the same mistakes (all of which were different mistakes each time). I am upset. So to make it easier on myself, I asked the coaches if they had a specific way they would like to have them posed. The coaches, delighted that I asked, gave me their feedback on previous years and what they would like to change. And I, delighted that they had preferences, obliged. I showed the photo to the coach before leaving. My boss said I did well! She was very pleased with my work. The district specialist was not! He said that I needed to follow the guide because the numbers were incorrect and that I needed to follow the numbers. He tapes a guide to the back of my slate to use. I ask my boss if she could help me next time.

On my fifth groups job, I am disheartened by the amount of criticism I've gotten but I am determined to get it right this time. My boss is present. I am placing the students with the order given to me by the specialist. I walk away to double check. She tells me that its wrong- that I shouldn't have 9 people in front. I tell her that I was using the guide. She shows me her guide. The guides are different from each other. I ask her which guide I'm supposed to use and she says 'whichever one is correct.' I ask her how I'm supposed to know which one is correct and she tells me the theory of how the placement is supposed to go instead of giving me an answer. I get a little shirty. She tells me that this is my 5th job like this, I should know how to do this by now. I start crying. She goes away for the rest of the day to do admin stuff and I handle the rest of the day fine.

My critique says that I am unable to adapt to change and I am inflexible, struggles to take criticism well or think under pressure.

So I'm expected to do well because its my third year. But I have two different supervisors who don't agree on what 'doing well' is and my progress is not seen as progress so much as 'another mistake.' If my mistakes were consistent, then that would be indicative of refusal to take criticism. But because the mistakes are different every time, that's not the case. I WANT to learn. But I would like everyone to be on the same page about what they want from me.

And when I pointed this out, I was told I was being confrontational.

So I am feeling the rage right now.

[herbgerblin]

ipre theater thots

loosely based off of this poll. sorry, this got away from me. i was a theater kid for years (i still am, i literally made a bunch of friends larp as wizards two weeks ago)

Davenport: Producer and Stage Manager. Personally more experienced in opera than musicals, but answers the call when the need for a manager arises. Keeps everyone focused and on schedule. Has final word on what choices the art department gets to make. Sometimes does solo performances on his own time.

Merle: Choreographer and Director. Leads the ensemble into meditation every rehearsal before warming up. Talks with each member of the cast one-on-one. Sometimes leaves the script open to interpretation. His artistic vision sounds bonkers in concept, but illuminating in execution. Why are there so many plants? Don't worry about it.

Magnus: Lead Actor and Set Builder. He brings the energy every single night. He doesn't need to be micc'ed up because his natural voice projects well enough. It takes a bit of time for him to memorize the script, but he devotes his heart and soul to it. He claps loudly for the ensemble when he's in the wings. He cries at the emotional numbers. Built all the sets by hand.

Lucretia: Co-stage Manager and Supporting Actor (not for lack of chops, only because she spreads herself very thin.) Knows the script like a second language. Mainly reserves her Director Voice for backstage when things get chaotic. Enjoys performing the musical numbers because no one knows she can belt, until she does. Standing ovation girlie, but bashful about it.

Lup: Co-lead Lead Actor and Costumer. Only willing to do the role if Davenport lets her include cold sparks and fog machines in the set budget (he finds a way.) No one knows when she took measurements for the costumes, but they're ready by dress rehearsal and they fit perfectly. Helps the other actors figure out their groove. Great at engaging the audience.

Angus (special edition): Child lead and stagehand. The sweetest little singing voice you ever did hear. Everyone is going to rue the day his voice starts cracking. A heartbreaker of a performer and a speedy backstage assistant.

Taako: A MYSTERY. He's wearing a fancy scarf and roaming all over the place. He's talking about the Art of the Theatre. He's listed on the billing of lead actors and NO ONE knows what his role is. He remembers all the little things that everyone forgets: clothes pins, a hot glue gun, and electrolytes. He's got a walkie-talkie. Only the managers and tech are supposed to have walkie-talkies. Hello, this is Taako speaking, over.

Barry: Usually Tech. He's got a beautifully choreographed queue of lighting designs and stage effects. He's got an immaculately labeled pad controller and a ready-to-go Excel spreadsheet. But on opening night, Lucretia informs him he's in the orchestra pit.

Barry: ...But I'm lighting tonight.

Lucretia (via walkie-talkie): And our percussionist twisted his ankle tripping over a stage light. You're in the orchestra now, compadre.

Barry: (with increasing emphasis, decreasing conviction) But. I'm. Light. Tech.

Taako: E N T E R T H E P I T B A R O L D

Davenport: Taako, get off this line.

During intermission, Magnus asks him to help lift the ensemble dancers onto the set scaffolding, and hold it steady. Barry agrees, thinking he's in the clear after that. But the second the music number ends, Merle tells him that one of the support roles had to leave, so now he's the understudy.

Barry (longsuffering): I am just. the light guy.

Merle (gesturing to Taako in the balcony, having a ballgame playing with the lightboard): well, in two minutes you're the showstopper guy, so you need to go out there and stop the show

Lup (emerging from nowhere, slapping a red, hooded robe on Barold's shoulders): Knock 'em dead!

Barry: D:

[devsgames]

On AI-Driven Conversations In Games

The AI gang really shot themselves in the foot by leaning so hard into capitalist exploitation angle, because now whenever they present a use of the tech that is actually moderately interesting the baseline reaction people have to it is just going to be hate because it's associated to AI in any way shape or form.

I mean, obviously I understand why people react this way, because most of the practical applications of AI are just a veil for replacing of labour and increasing profit margins for the executive levels. But I feel like nowadays you'll also just see a lot of people hating an idea because it's implicitly tied to AI in any way, despite the core conceit of the idea actually being fairly interesting. (Remember when Spiderverse used Machine Learning to generate some of it's incredibly labour-intensive frame-by-frame effects and then a bunch of people got mad because it used Machine Learning for that?)

People have been pointing to the use case of "what if you could talk to an NPC in a game and have their reponses generated via AI", and laughing at it like it's the dumbest suggestion ever, but honestly in my opinion I think that's the exact kind of system AI was practically designed for! To me that feels like an excellent application of the tech that is now just marred by the mention of AI in the first place.

Anyway, to ruminate on the concept a bit: I see that use of AI enabling a dev to fill out a world with more NPCs who help it feel more populated, as well as potentially give them incredibly varied responses that are more relevant to the NPCs immediate context of the game. I imagine instead of replacing full-on player choice dialog it would instead replace the throwaway barks of awkward and out of place open-world NPCs who look at you and say "I have nothing to say to you" and giving them something to directly say about your adventure or the context around them instead.

Instead of having the intern narrative designers be forced to write little barks and blurbs like "I have nothing to say" (which I understand narrative folks usually view as grunt work and hate writing in he first place), they'd be writing little prompts for that system instead. End result is when you talk to random farmer NPC #344 outside of town they say "Crop's doing well this year, here's hoping a dragon doesn't attack us" instead of "I've got nothing to say". I think on paper that's a genuinely good and interesting way to improve an antiquated open-world problem like that. Should it be helpful? Probably not. Would it be interesting? No. Would it be a little more flavourful than what we currently have going on? I think so!

It's not an AI shill fever dream, I can see exactly how it would work and I'd bet money that there's a studio doing something like it in R&D right now. I imagine it'd also probably be pretty adaptable between projects too, so the similar system could be applied to different areas of the world.

Should it be trusted to give the player directions or do any sort of leading that a narrative designer should do? Almost certainly not because it would be inconsistent and have too big a possibility window, and AI is nothing if not horrible at performing essential tasks that might block progress.

Should it be done with the tech as it is now? Hell no, unless you want to wait five seconds for every reply to be generated and for it to be tied to some server bank that's guzzling all of Arizona's water. Also it would probably need an internet conncetion to work, which is asking a lot for an open world game.

Should it be done by these studios who are more interested in using it to replace labour and make the end result cheaper to make so they can keep more profits off he top? No, and that's the real reason why the applications of this tech sucks - because spoiler alert they'd all love to save money.

Obviously this concept isn't doable right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ships in a game in some form within 5-10 years tops.

Again I get why at this point in capitalism there's almost no applications of machine learning that are easy to trust, nor should we ever believe studios are doing it for any reason outside of trying to make development cheaper. I just think when it comes to tech it's worthwhile to keep execution in mind separate from intent; Tech isn't implicitly evil, it's the system it's built under that is. :)

[jomeimei421]

you got any orv fic recs 🙏🏼

BOY I sure do. This list is going to be pretty long, so I'll put it below the cut.

Mei's ORV Fic Reccs

Spoilers for ORV until the epilogue!

Post-Epilogue by the1864

GEN, yoohankim if you squint. This one is one of my favorite ORV fics at the moment so it's going first in this list! It picks up right where 551 leaves off, and every single character is written absurdly well, especially the main trio! Great if you're looking for KDJ recovery stuff.

Rendezvous by WindsofTime

Joongdok. A reimagining of select scenes from ORV, if KDJ and YJH made more use of Midday Tryst, told from YJH's point of view. A tiny bit different from canon, but not enough to call it canon divergence. The babygirl YJH fic ever. Op GETS him.

The False Last Act by younglegends

GEN. If you read any fic on this list, please read this one. I can't say anything about it without spoiling parts of it, and I really don't want to do that. Extremely well executed. Lovely, comforting, and will make your stomach flip like you've stared too long into the abyss. Read this fic TWICE. Read it TWO (2) TIMES.

My Cooking was Always Better with You (Now if only you would eat it) by pave_ment

GEN, joongdok if you squint. For those who lament over the fact that we never got to see any scenes from YJH's 81st regression cooking adventure I present to you: Dungeon Meshi AU, ft. chimera KDJ and bratty chef adventurer YJH. Enjoy!

Tell Me I Did Good Until Now by featherx

GEN. with a little sangsoo on the side. KDJ returns post epilogue, but stays a child in body and mind. This one had me reeling for the whole week when I read it. Sweet and melancholy. I especially loved YJH being bullied by children. KDJ is really, profoundly loved in this one.

An Incomplete Record of Correspondence Between The Magnificent, Unbiased, Genius Author Han Su-yeong and The Jackass Who Dares to Edit Her Work by Dragonomatopoeia

Joongdok. Yoohan's annoying arguments in the ORV shared google doc. The concept and title alone are too funny to not put on this list.

The Prologue Past the Epilogue by AVoresmith

Yoohankim, though mostly just JD at the moment. Of all the ORV fics I've ever read, I think this fic comes to closest to imitating the actual writing style of ORV along with nailing the characterizations with pinpoint precision. Also contains a JD kiss chapter that is more intense than any actual nsfw scene they could have wrote. There are some caveats to this recommendation though:

It gets slightly NSFW in the latest chapter.

Biyoo is several hundred years old and is treated as an adult, not a kid. There will be mention of Biyoo in relationships with adult partners -- including implied YJH. In my opinion it's handled tactfully, but it's also something that might turn some people off to this fic, so please be aware!

LGY has a big puppy love crush on KDJ. Obviously completely one-sided, but it's there.

Home Invasion by misoriri

GEN. KDJ gets shingles and has to be taken to the doctor. YJH breaks a door and then looms in the kitchen like an evil lamp post. JHW bites a tomato like an apple. LJY gets demolished at Club Penguin Card Jitsu. A short read, but hysterical. KCom is so fucking funny in this.

I saw you in a dream by featherx

GEN, Doksoo if you squint. OD meets the HSY of his new worldline, and can't help feeling like he knows her from another time, another place. Had to lay down after this one. Solid 999 and SP fam content, as well as typical YHK style cosmic unbreakable bonds.

We are A Woven Thread by ksalientian

Yoohankim. A reincarnation AU. I read this one a while back but I found it again recently and it still hits just as hard! The cosmic codependence trio finds themselves trapped in another looping cycle, but as is always the case with them, they always find each other and are okay in the end.

A Short Pause by Je_te_veux

GEN, but can be read as JD. An episode set between 517 and 520, a day in the life of YJH, and having some time to think. JTV is a Chinese writer, and you will need to copy and paste into a translator to read their fics, but genuinely they are one of the best ORV writers I've ever read. This fic is one of the ones I always come back to. Really excellent YJH characterization.

Honey and Ginger by Rivani

Yoohankim. Good old fashioned fluff sickfic! The banter is very well done; the three of them are insufferable <3

Too Many Cooks by SonaSona

Yoohankim. KCom makes dinner. HSY makes herself a nuisance. Sona's prose is incredible, and her characterization of the main trio is impeccable. Light, sweet, with just a touch of the ORV brand melancholy. Yoohan is always funny.

There are more but this post is getting pretty long so! Enjoy 👍

[carlyraejepsans]

flowey (vibrates autistically)

favorite thing about them: flowey's role as a player foil/mirror! if you've followed me for a while you likely know i'm obsessed with undertale's meta elements, and flowey's execution as a character concept is a good 90% of that. he really sells the entire game. also go watch andrew cunningham's what was so good about UNDERTALE anyway and Experience Autism. oh and jacob geller's Time Loop Nihilism for more flowey reset adjacent topics that make me lose my goddamn mind.

least favorite thing about them: iii don't think there is? like i said, he's a fantastically executed character. maybe i wish he was a bit more visibly involved during the story? just because he's fun to see onscreen. but that would take away from him as a narratively defiant character, and it's also really fun to speculate on his time in the underground from what little information he lets through. so uhhh nothing he's perfect and i love him so much BECAUSE of the atrocities <3 love and light

favorite line: I'm emotionally mentally and physically incapacitated every time I think about "Not in a world without love. Not in a world without you."

brOTP: papyrus flowey friendship FTW. alternatively, i like to think frisk and flowey keep contact and become buddies post pacifist.

OTP: i don't care about his character enough from a shipping pov to have one lol

nOTP: idem

random headcanon: i think i mentioned this before, but i like the idea that Papyrus helped him choose his name when he first started to get uncomfortable going by "asriel". or maybe it was asgore! they have similar naming habits lmao

unpopular opinion: not sure what's popular tbh. uhhh i don't think sans would hate him as much as some people believe? especially in the TPE. he's his brother's best friend after all. flowey IS a sore loser though so he still holds a grudge. HOWEVER. maybe the memories from his time as Asriel, feeling everyone's emotions through their souls... well, let's say it's a bit less sharp than it was originally.

song i associate with them: oh god there's so many. definitely skeleton song by Kate Nash and Beekeeper by Keaton Henson. also feelin so matryoshka by the scary jokes and bad luck! by jhariah

favorite picture of them:

jackass <3

[chzdavmpr]

Ok so I have read all of the manga Versus (The one by the author of One Punch Man) that is currently out, and this post will just be a collection of thoughts I have about it. Btw, if you haven't read it, I would definitely recommend reading it, or at least the first 2-3 chapters to see if it's your cup of tea. Go in completely blind tho. Trust me. Spoilers below for chapters up to 10a.

Firstly I gotta say, the concept is a very enjoyable one. One might say it's a little close to the multiverse concept, which many people are tired of at this point. But for me the idea is different enough here in execution that I feel it's still nice and fresh.

The worldbuilding is very fun. The way each of the 13 worlds (that we know of so far, I don't think they'll introduce more but who knows) look different visually, to where you can easily tell which one a character is from just by their clothes, or which world a location is from just based off looks, is just super satisfying.

I love how the concept is almost an inverse of One Punch Man and Mob Psycho. Where instead of the protagonists being overpowered beyond belief, it's every single enemy that's OP. It makes for a really fun dynamic, especially when written by One.

That being said, as of writing this, the most recent chapter is released is 10a, where Hallow is just about to fight Kiva, and I really really hope that they do not just have Hallow become strong enough to beat him. I feel that would defeat the point of the whole story. We saw a bit of that when Alio was able to somewhat hold his own against the giants and new humanity using a super ultra final technique, admittedly he still lost after like 20 seconds, but I think that for this story that's 20 seconds too long.

It takes a few chapters to just kinda introduce the premise, but once it got that out of the way I really liked the characters. They have very expressive designs, unique character traits, and work off each other very well even the nobodies just introduced in the giant mission to die have so much character (except the machine world ones, since they all have identical armor) it really makes you invested in them, and ups the stakes when the story shows that they do not have any plot armor and all of them can die.

Kayla is especially great. So far giving big neurodivergent vibes. Zaybi is another standout character.

The Natural Enemies are all pretty fun. Some of them seem pretty simple, like the giants, but others I want to know more about so much. Like what's the deal with Recreation Hell World? Couldn't they just go in there and start shooting the games? Do they like hypnotise you to force you to play? Or Misfortune World, do they just have kaiju or do they just have a lot of natural disasters? If it's the later how are they suppose to fight bad luck? Aren't the bandits of Lawless World definitely like the least of a threat since they are just humans? How is Mad God World going to fit into any of this, cause that one seems like a big deal? All of these questions and more are the kinds of things that keep me wanting to read more the most, it's such a fun setting.

Small note: WHERE ARE THE GAMERS? They literally appear in 2 panels (seen below). They are in the war room, they accidentally explain what their natural enemy is, and then they just aren't even in the background of any of the other panels of that room, or anywhere for that matter. Did they just walk home and no one stopped them?

I love the fashion of New Humanity.

I do not like PanePane.

[neverlearnedtoread]

Uprooted

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐; my favourite kind of fantasy - classic fairytale with a side of 'dont worry about the details' and 'you gotta believe in the heart of the cards!'

Oh?? 👌😉😏

a really sharp, quick-witted, and willful female protagonist going 'fuck it!' every few chapters or so and doing something crazy (crazy fun) to drive the plot forward, off a new exciting cliff

a soft magic system that really shows off in the best light what makes soft magic systems so valid. its all about the metaphors!! you have to measure the chocolate chips with your heart!!!

nature is so magical and beautiful and deadly. specifically if you treat trees bad they will form a sentient vengeful forest to raze your civilization to the ground and salt the earth with your bodies

kasia. i love an atomic blonde unkillable bad bitch with the strongest queerplatonic vibes with her best friend from birth

a CLASSIC grumpy 'beastly' male love interest. he seals himself away in a lonely tower, makes girls hang out with him for 10 years at a time, and unironically calls himself 'the Dragon'. he even has the audacity to be offended that everyone thinks he's creepy!!!!!!

No.. ❌🤢🤮

if you like having explanations for how magic works and any semblance of a hard magic system in your fantasy, put this book back. 'round here we operate on Vibes Only, babey!!

similarly, if your love language is words of affirmation and/or you think that fanfic-style romance plotlines should stay in fanfic, this romance is Not For You. this is not a judgment, only a warning

Summary: Agnieszka loves her home in her little village in the valley - you know, except for the evil forest simply known as the Wood that's been around as long as there have been people in the valley, with terrible creatures and sentient walking trees. And the century-old wizard known only as 'the Dragon' living in the tower overlooking their land, who takes a young woman every ten years to serve him. But what Agnieszka dreads the most is that her best friend, Kasia, will be chosen next, and that Agnieszka is helpless to save her. Until the day of the choosing, when the Dragon picks Agnieszka instead.

Concept: 💭💭💭💭 I've never gotten along that well with a book blurb, but this one does its damn job - gives me enough plot premise to get me interested without giving it all away, and doesn't make me feel like I've been lied to once I start the book! some stories really don't do what they say on the tin, or take ages to get there at all, but Uprooted starts off exactly at the spot the blurb said it would - with a girl, in a valley, scared of a terrible wizard, about to be whisked away to a tower.

Execution: 💥💥💥💥💥 This story is EXACTLY what it says it wants to be, down to the cadence of the prose - a Polish folklore-inspired fairytale. The rhythm of Novik's narration even fits right - one day I'll get the audiobook for this and get to hear it the way I read it in my head, like a grandmother's bedtime story with twists and eddies and crescendos at the all the right bits. I was in love with the aesthetic of every character, they fit perfectly into the backdrop of what this story was.

Personal Enjoyment: ❤❤❤❤❤ This book aligns to my tastes much the same way An Enchantment of Ravens does, and shares of lot of the same elements without ever feeling derivative - smart girl meets magic boy, causes all kinds of irreversible political upheaval, and lives happily ever after being just as they are - a Girl with The Audacity. its a tale as old as time, and i'll hear it told just as often

Favourite Moment: you know its a good book when you really can't choose a favourite moment - one that comes to mind is agniezska choosing to save sarkan from being grafted onto the heart-tree in the Wood instead of setting fire to it. the 'fuck it!' energy agniezska brings to her moments of crisis is SO good, plus the motif of her always reaching out to sarkan to cast magic together - 'hey real quick, cast a spell with me while you're being pulled into an evil magic tree trying to twist your magic and life force against us. couldn't hurt, eh?' and then it WORKS

Favourite Character: now yall know i love a sarkan-esque character - pathetic wet cat men who are so offended by their own squishy feelings are a great time! and kasia is SO bad bitch extraordinaire, her and agnieszka's love for each other literally makes the plot go - every time, every time without hesitation she puts herself as the last thing standing between agnieszka and the Wood. but agniezska herself is really Something. the way she uses magic, her connection with nature and her refusal to be anything else than what she is - a grubby young woman who wields kindness as her weapon against the world, who holds onto her humanity with both hands and teeth - she shapes this fairytale to be the story she wants it to be, one of connection and empathy. and im still thinking about her introducing the lord of the whole valley to her mother 🤣 power move!!

[3rdvoice]

Letter Column

I remember a while back somewhere seeing some concept sketches of an early Spondule and Navichet, and at the time you indicated that you were working on a much much shorter version of the comic than what you have now. My question is, was there any specific thing about the short comic that you were working on before that made you want to explore the world more? Or was it more along the lines of lots of really little things that interested you as a whole? Also, did you have to change the characterization of Spondule and Navi? Did you have to remove any characters that would not fit the story as it is now? - Louie * November 22, 2023

Yes I initially had S&N in my head as characters for a series of black-and-white graphic novels that were sort of self-contained. As I was coming up on the end of Vattu, I got together a coherent little pitch for a 200-250 page graphic novel, which overlaps significantly with the material now online as the “1st Passage.” Publisher was not interested in this book! Which was fine and kind of expected. And then I was in a sort of open-ended spot: Vattu would be ending, I was going to have the first Clean Break in years where I wasn’t working on anything at all, and I had to decide how to move forward career-wise !!

So I go back and forth about this a lot, between thinking about THE WORK and THE CAREER, that is, the material conditions that make it possible for me to make the work. I did feel, in developing the early S&N work, that there was potential for it to be a Bigger Thing. But it can only exist in the way that it’s possible for it to exist! It feels like it would’ve been useless to explore the idea of a much larger story if I was aiming to just pitch a self-contained graphic novel. But after the pitch fell through, I got obsessed with this idea of doing a really Maximalist self-published thing. I don’t know what to DO with my career but I know the sort of work I can make, and I figured I could double down on that in the most intense and enormous way possible, and HOPE FOR THE BEST?? So that was the context in which I started thinking about the bigger 3V thing, and I still don’t know if any of this makes sense career-wise, but it does at least feel like I’m making the best thing I can and as I move forward through it I’m building something that amounts to Some further stability for me to keep doing it. I dunno if that makes sense. I am lately just drifting away from the idea of art as the execution of an uncompromising vision. The whole thing is compromise! Would I be doing better work if I was independently wealthy or had a partner who made a lot of money or whatever and didn’t have to worry about fitting what I’m making into “the industry”? I don’t know! But every part of it is some sort of compromise!!

Characterization of S&N themselves has been pretty clear from the start, though they have gotten specified and the vibe has changed a bit as the setting shifted towards something denser and bleaker. Well I guess Navi is somewhat more affectless and inward-looking than she at first seemed. And the dynamic between the two of them has really clarified in ways that I didn’t foresee.

rice-boy.com

[catiuapavel]

I completed every main mission and sidequests in Cornia (excluding the forbidden level 40 area)

This game is so fun and refreshing to play. When I played Ogre Battle March of the Black Queen a few years back, I dreamt of a game in the same vein that could grant you more control over how battles play out and Unicorn Overlord is a far more layered iteration of the timid concept I imagined. Going through all these menus and setting all these conditions, testing them out, doing it all over again to optimize them... This is so thrilling. I love micromanagement.

The more gameplay devices are introduced (like watchtowers, catapults, balistaes, rams, units to rescue in the middle of nowhere), the more fun it gets. Thanks to these elements coming into play one at a time, the stages never feel dull or the same.

I'll say Cornia on expert mode was hardly that difficult. It provided fun challenges so I don't mind. I'm just surprised that the highest level of difficulty feels like a normal mode. That being said I'm not a good judge of strategy games difficulty because I'm pretty much like that:

The presentation of the game is sooo beautiful. The hud, style and environments all fit so perfectly together. So few games seem to understand the value of these things nowadays and it's refreshing playing such a well-crafted one. I just wish there were more parity in character design: men with sillier outfits and animations and (a handful more) women with... let's say more pragmatic ones.

The soundtrack has been alright so far but I'll say: BOY am I glad to get out of Cornia. I think the area could have used 1 or 2 more songs for diversity (even if they kept a similar style or leitmotiv). Drakenhold is delivering in terms of music already!

Unfortunately the only tar so far is that the story is just so very... mid. At best, It's simple and serviceable even though you feel like you've seen it a hundred times before. At worst it's... mind control to handwave morality and responsibility away. However, I don't want to judge it too hastily and I hope to be surprised eventually.

Mostly, I'm genuinely, desperately, hopeful that recruiting everyone merrily will have dire consequences at one point or another. As much as I enjoy collecting every little guy on the continent, defeating a boss set on murdering you and/or terrorizing the countryside and having Alain choose between executing them or recruiting(/releasing) them after hearing their tragically lukewarm backstory (and everything ends well and fine) is becoming jarring. I want to feel regret, I want to feel pain. I want my decisions to come back to haunt me. I want to be crushed under the weight of my actions.

(DON'T tell me whether that's the case or not)

But so far the characters are just bad until they're good and once they join your ranks, they are unconditionally loyal. It lacks conflict and makes everyone far less interesting as a result.

(side note: this one isn't recruitable (thankfully) but Gaston in "Province of Famine" was one of the worst parts so far. You've got a tyrant pillaging his subjects' reserves, depriving them of food while bragging he's enjoying several lavish meals in a row with the most episodic cartoon villain presentation, but when you defeat him suddenly he wasn't actually that bad and was just keeping a reserve in case of famine. Surely... There was a way to write this with a bit more nuance and with less contradictions. The worst part? I called that one as soon as the stage began so it wasn't even shockingly bad, just disappointingly so.)

Still, the characters themselves feel engaging enough. The writing is decent when it comes to interpersonal relationships. I've set one foot in Drakenhold and I was delighted to see Travis and Aubin come into the picture once again. It makes me hopeful the greater cast will develop outside of rapport conversations. And if the narrative truly doesn't deliver later on... I will have these lively and diverse characters to fall back on at least.

[alitheakorogane]

My SAGAU Playlist (Imposter AU) - PART ONE

When I read stories, I usually think of corresponding songs that could fit with the story.

When I had fallen into the world of SAGAU recently, songs that fit the concept of the Imposter and Villain AU suddenly appeared in my mind.

Here are some of them:

Even though the actual meaning of the song is disturbing, Mind Brand (MARETU), especially the first chorus, perfectly echoes the real Creator's emotions as they remembered how Teyvat's citizens harshly treated them when they were branded as the "Imposter", and was killed by the Archons' hands. Now they are out for revenge, damning them to the Abyss. This is the first chorus from JubyPhonic's English version:

Though I shouldn’t care, I couldn’t wait to finally see them all in hell... (I’ll drag them as we crawl) Ah, doing it right, feeling that high, taking what’s mine And I feel just fine! You took it all away so now this hero cries in pain! Holding you tight, fighting all night, telling me why But I can’t rewrite, The memories I made of you and me, won’t go away! WELCOME TO THE MIND F**K!

The famous Bad Apple (Alstroemeria Records), especially the extended version, also fits the category. The parts of the song, especially the English version, actually tell the deep thoughts of the Creator from the day they were hunted to the day they took revenge.

The extended version of the song perfectly portrays the SAGAU Villain AU, especially with these lines:

This time you're not hurting me! This time I will take a stand! All the hatred in my eyes building up an evil plan... Standing lonely in the night, with the darkness by my side Looking deep inside myself, and revealing only fright!

This part of the song Hayloft 2 (Mother Mother) activated the animation meme love in me, and had the urge to make a SAGAU version of this:

An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg A shot in the heart doesn't make it unbreak She really didn't wanna make it messy She really, really didn't, but the girl gone cray!

According to the lead vocalist, Enemy (Imagine Dragons) is "about reconciling internal conflict in a world where sometimes it feels impossible to trust even yourself." In a nutshell, this song is a battle cry of one voice against the world. Seems familiar, you say?

Well, in SAGAU Imposter AU, it's impossible to trust anyone, even themselves... when the fake Creator looks and sounds like them. They can't trust anybody in this AU when the people the Creator had trusted could backstab and execute them if they lower their guard down.

Tell you you're the greatest But once you turn, they hate us... Oh, the misery, Everybody wants to be my enemy! Spare the sympathy, Everybody wants to be my enemy-y-y-y-y! (Look out for yourself!) My enemy-y-y-y-y (Look, look, look, look)! (Look out for yourself!) But I'm ready...

Have you seen the MV of Dernière Danse (Indila)? It's a French song with its title meaning "last dance", but according to some, it was a song about pain. In the song, Indila tells the story of a young foreigner who fights racism every day and about the pain she may feel. In the MV, the protagonist (Indila) looks like a desperate girl who was walking around the metro after being kicked out and shunned by everyone, and there looks like an apocalypse coming in Paris. She realized in the middle of the song that she was the cause of it and sacrificed herself to stop it. In this way, she rebels against the whole world and shows her strength.

I like to listen to this song when SAGAU fics now narrate on the events of the real Creator going to be executed by the Archons while the people start cheering for the death of the 'imposter' (who was the real Creator). Especially at this part of the song where there was a chorus of voices singing along with the main singer:

In this sweet pain,  Of which I have paid all the offenses Listen how big my heart is I am a child of the world... I move the sky, day, night I dance with the wind, the rain... A little love, a bit of honey And I dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, dance!

[krello-png]

Feelings on Xicor and DB AF as a whole!

Posting a thread I had back on Twitter here, though I'll be expanding on a fair bit since I have MUCH more room to breath so, let's get into one of my favorite subjects in this fandom, AF fan culture!

The fandom in the 2000s is really fascinating to me as someone who wasn't "there", the show and manga were 100% DEAD, there were only games that retold the same story from Z to GT during that time and yet because of a certain localization that was happening the fanbase was kinda thriving, constantly making new stuff. There was ZERO actual new story content and yet the fans just took it upon themselves to make shit and keep that flame going! New transformations, endless sagas, whole multi work fan manga that just spawned from a dead series that happened to get an English Dub with a different soundtrack.

Arguably at the center of most of this was this guy right here, XICOR, third son of Goku and the main villain of AF (or at least, it's first arc.). People talk about how a character like Xicor is rather boring and yeah that is true, the character of Xicor is boring, but it's not he himself that's the fun part, it's what he represents that makes him interesting!

He's undeniably fascinating if ya think about it.

His design? Ripped from a fan form. This pic is from like, 04' if I recall correctly and it's not even a new character, it's Goku in Super Saiyan 9. That's why he has Goku's Gi but green, the spikes are there cause apparently it's a dragon form??? Who'd have thunk it eh?

His character? Basically every villain that came before him and then some, a high and mighty powerhouse with an ego to match. Eager to take the throne atop the universe where his father supposedly sat as West Kai had told him. Ruthlessly evil to his core and merciless, in other words, very generic.

His backstory? A hodgepodge of several different fanfics from around the same time that combined into what we know now. The illegitimate third son of Goku, born of West Kai and Goku's DNA because she had taken his blood (or seduced him depending on the fic!).

It's just endlessly interesting what he represents, he feels less like a real character to me and more like an icon. Something that embodies DB's OC culture and general fandom in a lot of ways, whether the fans would admit it or not, he's a mainstay in this fandom that won't go away. No matter how far removed we get from that era.

And that's not even getting into the story he's attached to, or rather the concept. DRAGON BALL AF, After Future! Or perhaps it's April Fools? AF is never concrete. It could be anything and everything. It's far beyond what it originally was, beyond what the creator of that "SSj5" image intended. Hell, it's not SSj5 at all, it isn't even Goku! But as far as the fandom is concerned, that didn't really matter.

What had originally began as one fan story, one image really, eventually became something that would define basically any Post GT story line. A lot of them having similar elements with wildly differing execution, from Goku's third son to Cellbuuzer or any manner of unholy creations one could dream up in their heads.

I think to some degree everyone involved in spreading the idea around knew it wasn't "real" but there's something insanely cool about how it became this big community fan project with ideas anyone could use in their own stories.

I honestly can't speak to the quality of AF Origins cause I've never read it myself but Toyble and Jiji's AF Doujinshis are probably the most well known versions of the story aside from maybe PGV's take, but I can't speak on that either cause it's insanely long and it's lore is.. complicated to put it lightly.

Toyble's version of the story takes the Xicor premise and runs whole hog with it, the majority of Xicor's agreed upon characterization is found here and the action is a damn fun read if you're into this kinda thing.

The real highlight is probably the art and what little bits of humor are present, it feels very Toriyama like at it's best and I've no doubt it's why he landed a job doing official work.

It's a darn shame that it never truly finished but the ending we did get was kinda sweet and I'm more than happy with that.

Jiji's AF is a lot longer and has the benefit of actually being finished, with multiple arcs that are quite fun. The highlight is probably the story with Marble and seeing Goten, Trunks and Uub handle a threat on their own.

The last arc being a repeat of the Shadow Dragons is not my favorite conceptually and their designs even less so but it's really nifty to see everyone handle their own Dragon so, I give it a pass.

Both are rife with heavy amounts of ripping shots from the original manga and tracing in some instances but I can't say I'm too bothered by it. As they're still fun to see as real takes on AF in some form. There's definitely better fan manga out there but these are the ones I wanted to highlight.

There's so many more fun and bizarre things from this era of DB's fandom history that I wanna highlight and go in depth on but I'd be here for a million years if I did so I'll leave on this:

I honestly believe there's no fandom that's like Dragon Ball's, Sonic's fandom is close, but that was never a dead franchise. This fandom can be annoying, offensive and quite unfun sometimes, but I adore it at it's best. It's a wildly interesting ride I'm happy to be part of!

[quaranmine]

45 for the drabble game if you're still taking them? :3

I already did 45 here, so i did a random number generator instead and got 31! honestly this drabble took an entirely different tone than this song i swear the vibes are not the same help

What? Me, worry?

┈ ┈ ┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈ ┈ ┈

Scar likes to work on a project during the evenings in Tumble Town. Jimmy spots him in the tavern nearly every night, huddled next to the warm light of lantern. He's always writing in a book, or sometimes sketching.

Jimmy decides that tonight, he's gonna check that out.

"Howdy, Scar," he says, sitting down in the chair directly opposite of the man.

Scar jumps practically out of his chair. "Oh!" he cries. "Oh my goodness, you scared me!"

Jimmy grins. "You were awfully into that book, weren't you?"

"Oh this?" Scar asks, shutting the book. "Nah, it's nothin'. So what can I do for our illustrious sheriff tonight?"

"Didn't have much to do," Jimmy responds. "Just wanted to come over here and see what you were working on. Can I see it?"

Scar deliberates for a second, before passing the book over. "Sure."

Jimmy flips it open. It's filled with sketches of beautiful buildings, alongside messy notes and lists of blocks. There's some areas of color where it looks like Scar had been experimenting with block palettes.

"Dude, this is gorgeous!" Jimmy says. "I had no idea you were an artist!"

This succeeds in making Scar a bit bashful. That in itself is a feat, one which does not escape Jimmy's notice. He smiles a bit smugly. "Are these for Tumble Town?" he asks. "I love them!"

"Ah, well, no not exactly--" Scar says. "They're for my theme park."

"You're building a theme park?" Jimmy asks. "Like, here?"

"No," Scar says. "I was building it at home."

Jimmy looks at the drawings. They're a little messy, with lines going every which way, but in a way that still looks somehow careful and deliberate. Maybe practiced is a better word than messy. They're sketched in the hand of a practiced artist. Some pages have been marked off, and Jimmy realizes that they're all failed iterations on the same building design.

"You built all this at home?"

Scar takes the book from Jimmy and flips to some pages closer to the front. He points out a building on the page. "Not all of it. I built this one before we left. But the park was still unfinished when we went through the rift. It's been my project since we joined that world. I've wanted to build one for years and finally got the chance."

"Can you show me it?"

Scar laughed. "Well, not until the rift gets fixed at least. We're not going anywhere right now. But I guess you can come visit when all this is over."

Jimmy's chest squeezes a little at that. He doesn't want the rift to be fixed, because he doesn't want the hermits to leave. He doesn't want Scar to talk about his home, because he wants this to be his home.

But he can see the effort put into these plans. And they're exactly that, plans. He's seen how Scar works on them diligently every evening. Scar's not going to stay. Scar's going to leave eventually so that he can execute these plans.

"No, like, walk me through it right now. Here."

Scar's eyes light up at that, and he wheels himself around the table so that he can sit closer to Jimmy. He starts at the beginning of the book.

"My good sheriff," Scar says, in the voice of a showman, "allow me to introduce you to the greatest theme park in the world. It's a place of magic and mystery! It is a place where all can come and leave their worries at the door."

Jimmy hangs on his every word.

"Welcome," he says, "to Scarland. This is my concept art for the park, but I have built all of this already. I created this main walkway, you know, so it could be this grand entrance! And I landscaped these gardens to go with it."

"They look amazing," Jimmy says. "Man, you're such a good builder. I can't imagine how great it must look in real life."

Scar's smile is radiant. He goes on to to explain his choices for each building facade. He explains how the lights on top of the building swivel to provide light when needed but be out of the way during the daylight. He explains the purposeful placement of trees to keep the area aesthetically pleasing. He tells Jimmy about how he recorded morning and night messages to be played through the park loudspeakers, and gives Jimmy a demo of what they sounded like.

By the end, Jimmy almost feels like he's there. He flips through the book once more, looking at all the concept art for Scar's future builds. They're all beautiful, each and every one. Scar has even included plans for rides and exhibits in each one. He's made notes about what components he would need to make them run. He's written ideas for shows that could be put on in the theater he's going to build.

"This is the most magical place on earth, you say?"

"Of course," Scar says.

"I think I can feel it," Jimmy says. "I think I can feel it."

>> still accepting asks! give me a number 1-100 and specifiy if it's for spotify, and i'll try to write you a short drabble based on the song. i may or may not get to it though full disclosure <<

[cookiesuga55]

Challenge: Choose a random* tidbit in the cookie vault and do your best to turn it into a proper prompt!

*Completely random, no peeking… ;)

WOW anonie you really got me~

I have decided to change the cookie vault to the 🍪COOKIE JAR🍪, where I will definitely, maybe, hopefully take all of my million of unfinished works (some good, some very much not. I'm sorry in advance my lovelies uwu), and turn them into bite sized fics, au prompts, and little nibbles for you all <3

I've been struggling to write a completed fic for almost a year now due to graduate school, and I think that making the Cookie Jar could be a great way to get me writing again for fun and post things that I would only keep to myself otherwise.

These are imperfect, and not as well executed as when I write a proper fic, or make a long AU prompt that I am fully invested in. However, I want to be open and free with my work, rather than nervous about only posting what is polished and fully developed. Not everything will be to one's taste, and that's okay 😌 I've been slowly evolving in my kinks, and writing about them is a way for me to experiment and figure out how I feel about new things. I love you all a lot, and I would rather share these ideas, than have them sit and collect dust. This will be a fun way for me to share all of my rambles in a safe space, enjoy writing for pure fun with no pressure, and hopefully make your day a little bit brighter.

As they say: for every finished, successful artwork, there are a thousand unfinished, rejected, and unpopular ideas. I want to start sharing mine with you.

So- to kick this off... LET'S CRACK OPEN THE COOKIE JAR. I shall take a prompt (coined cookie crumbs) and turn it into a lil treat for you.

Weighting for Love

Tags: ABO, wolf hybrids, Namkook, w/g, concepts of vore/ cannibalism, wolf hybrids eat prey hybrids, they're vicious lil babies, slight blood kink, predator/ prey, wild packs + forest setting, softness- physical and metaphorical, saccharine, breeding, is it a sugar cookie fic without Jungkook getting fat? no.

4.8k words

Prompt: Deep in the forest, once Omegas accept courtship with their future mate, they’re plumped up by their Alphas. It’s a declaration of being a good provider, and it is essential if the pair want the pack's blessing in order to exchange mating bites. If an Omega is soft and fat, then the pack accepts that they’re well-taken care of, because it shows that they aren’t going hungry. It shows that they’re loved. If an Alpha isn’t able to fatten up their future mate during courting, then they don’t have the hunting skills required to support even more hungry mouths to feed with a future of pups.

Everyone blessed Namjoon and Jungkook’s courtship right away, mainly because Namjoon has been one of the highest-respected young Alphas for years. He's strong and powerful, but with a quieter, gentle side that reveals itself in their courting. Jungkook would have never guessed that the huge, meaty Alpha would blush and bring the Omega wild flowers in secret.

Namjoon was quiet and deadly on pack hunts. It was what he was best praised for. His hunting skills were unrivaled, and it became apparent incredibly quickly that the fiery Omega Jungkook was his chosen. Jungkook appreciated that in his pack, Omegas weren't expected to be submissive like he witnessed in the neighboring clans. Even if the pretty Omega was built delicately, that didn't mean he would roll over and let an Alpha go unchallenged. And Namjoon apparently liked that fire. A lot.

Jungkook watched jealously year after year as his older friends were courted, softened out, and then mated.

Everything in Jungkook's life changed when the next spring mating season arrived. Namjoon brought Jungkook a plethora of hunting gifts, and the lean Omega quickly chubbed up underneath his care and courtship. In the packs on the east side of the mountains, no Alphas bear mating marks. It is incredibly uncommon, but Jungkook’s bite is branded in Namjoon's skin in the exact same way that the Omega wears Namjoon’s mating mark with pride.

Now after the mating ceremony, the entire pack is delighted that there are pups on the way, because Jungkook is round and well-fed, fat with his Alpha’s love and sporting purple kisses each morning from Namjoon's affections. Jungkook's own paintings on his Alpha are better hidden, usually spattered across Namjoon's hips and stomach, and occasionally up his jaw, where Jungkook likes to claim him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~cookie jar~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Omegas wait with baited breath at choosing ceremonies for Alphas to deposit a gift at their feet. If an Alpha is especially interested, they will press a kiss to the insides of their wrists where tiny scent glands are. Jungkook has received 2 gifts and no wrist kisses, but he passes the time by weaving a circlet of grass and flowers as he watches the joined packs mill around. Not everyone reveals their intentions during the formal choosing ceremony, it's really more of an official start to the mating season, and the beginning of all of the springtime festivities that will last until autumn harvest.

However, over the coming weeks, Omegas that are old enough to mate stare with envy as other Omegas begin getting chubby. As pairs couple off in preparation for mating season, Omegas are doted on and fed to gain the pack's blessing.

Jungkook has happily picked fruits and flowers with the mated Omegas for years, and dreamt of the day when his small waist would round out and grow soft with the love of a sweet Alpha. He watched with quiet adoration as Seokjin first grew with kisses from an Alpha, then Taehyung as he was courted and put on weight until he was mated, and most recently, Jimin. Jimin and Jungkook snuggled for years on end in their mother's nests, so Jungkook was able to tell when his best friend began softening and getting squishy. He was so much better for cuddling without boney limbs. Jungkook latched onto Jimin’s softness and whimpered with terribly concealed jealousy as Jimin’s tummy and thighs filled in. Each day, he came home from being courted by Alpha Min Yoongi, and his stomach was pushed out, full with whatever courting treats Yoongi had fed him in the golden sunshine.

Jimin was sweet and kind about it, as Jimin always was. He hugged Jungkook back and let the younger Omega jealously squeeze his growing form and whine about how he wanted to be chubbed by an Alpha so badly. Jimin let him grope his tummy with envy and squeeze all of the weight that seemed to pudge up more every week as the spring turned into summer. Jimin’s mating ceremony was a whole year before Jungkook’s was. He couldn’t help but feel a little bit discouraged as the following spring came around, and his other Omega friends had promising suitors. Nobody seemed to take a true liking to the quiet Omega with big eyes that was more inclined to sit in the cooling spring, weave baskets, and giggle as the koi fish nibbled at his toes than gossip with the other Omegas.

That was, until one day a shadow fell across him while he was working in the water. Jungkook blinked up from where he was sitting, and Alpha Kim Namjoon was shuffling back and forth like he was uncomfortable in his own skin. Namjoon was one of the packs most promising young Alphas. Strong, and one of the best hunters. Namjoon’s Omega grandmother had raised him, since his parents had passed when he was young. Jungkook liked Namjoon's grandmother. She said nothing but praises about her grandson, and Jungkook trusted the old woman. She was the one that had taught Jungkook how to weave baskets instead of just crowns of flowers.

What was Kim Namjoon doing here? The Alpha had never even spoken to him. Aside from rumors that Namjoon was being trained as one of the next pack leaders, and showing his strength and calculated skills in hunts that brought in bounties for the pack, Jungkook only really knew anything about him by association, because he was apparently close friends with Jimin’s mate, Yoongi. That didn't mean that he had ever spoken to him before.

“Namjoon-ssi?” Jungkook shielded his eyes from the sun that shone around Namjoon’s head like a halo. The Alpha was flushed high in his cheekbones, a color that was very attractive with his caramel tanned skin.

Jungkook blinked. Namjoon had asked him how to… weave? Jungkook was confused. The Alpha's grandmother knew how to weave amazingly. He could just learn from her. But Namjoon sat with him in the spring and watched with careful eyes as Jungkook showed him the knots and patterns over and over, even as the Alpha struggled because of his long fingers and big palms. Jungkook was just as shocked when Namjoon came back the next day, asking to watch and learn again. His own products were.. Well, endearingly horrible. Somehow along the way, they became friendly on a first-name basis. When Namjoon leaned in to watch Jungkook’s nimble fingers underneath the water, the Alpha’s deep, cozy scent settled on his skin and made his Omega all but purr. Jungkook had to keep his wolf in check and make sure that he did not let his eyelids flutter, or his ears flick, or his tail wag.

One day though, Namjoon leaned so close that Jungkook’s wolf took over and mistook the gesture. Namjoon’s warm, delicious scent wrapped around him and his soft, soothing voice soaked into his bones. Jungkook’s head lolled to the side as he exposed his bare, smooth neck and his scent gland to the Alpha in invitation and submission. His cheeks heated up bright red the second that he realized what had happened, but Namjoon was… uncharacteristically sweet about it. Alphas weren't supposed to be sweet about this kind of thing, but he gently realigned Jungkook’s head, gave him a bashful smile, and reassured him that it was okay.

And then Jungkook was all kinds of confused. His friends Jimin and Taehyung teased him for how much time the popular Alpha was spending with him, but. If Namjoon had wanted him, shouldn’t he have just leaned in and pressed his nose against the sensitive patch of skin on his neck that pumped out his scent? Shouldn’t he have breathed deeply and spread his own scent back on Jungkook in return? It was customary to scent when an Omega was attracted enough to bare their neck. And now Jungkook understood why, rejection was way worse. It was mortifying, even if his invitation hadn’t been intentional. It was still embarrassing.

The next day, he was quiet and a bit irritated when Namjoon showed up, uninvited and maybe.. Unwelcome? Jungkook was trying to be alone to brood in peace. He had abandoned his usual spot in the pack’s nearby stream in hopes that Namjoon wouldn’t find him. Jungkook had hidden himself away some twenty minutes in a meadow and was weaving flowers together, muttering to himself in confusion and a bit of self-loathing that he has subconsciously grown attached to Kim Namjoon’s scent, his quiet voice and gentle hands... just to be rejected.

He could almost smell the Alpha now if he concentrated hard enough. A shadow fell over his work and he snarled in irritation that he just wanted to be left alone. When he looked up with sharp eyes and saw… Namjoon, his nimble hands froze.

The Alpha was shifting, just like he had been the first day that Jungkook had spoken to him weeks ago. Like he was feeling too big for his body and unsure what to do with his powerful limbs. Jungkook didn’t know what to say, and was about to bite something snide when a full, ripe strawberry was pulled from behind Namjoon’s back, and the large Alpha held it gently with two large fingers by the green stem. Namjoon's cheeks were the same color as the fruit as Jungkook looked up again in confusion. 

“F-for you… Omega,” The Alpha mumbled the last word and Jungkook’s spine tingled at hearing him be addressed… like that. By this Alpha. By an Alpha that he liked. Heat bloomed in his cheeks, and Jungkook smartly replied. 

“W-what?” 

Namjoon grimaced in pain that Jungkook didn’t somehow just get it, whatever this was. Namjoon made a soft whining sound out his throat and swallowed hard. “This strawberry is from me. To you. As a g-gift. Would you please accept it?”

Jungkook’s tummy fluttered as this gorgeous Alpha- maybe the pack’s best Alpha, was shyly in front of him and offering him a courting strawberry. Jungkook couldn’t help it. His cheeks bunched up into a smile and he beamed at Namjoon, all of the flowers in his lap forgotten. His scent accidentally sweetened with excitement. Jungkook was very intentional about his words.

“Thank you… Alpha.” He leaned in and kept his eyes on Namjoon, peeking up out of his lashes. Jungkook parted his lips and bit the strawberry, accepting it, and his lips brushed against Namjoon’s finger tips. The Alpha wasn’t able to cut off the low whine that bubbled up out of him, or the way that his tail swayed back and forth behind him. His wolf was happy. 

Namjoon scurried away afterwards, but Jungkook caught a glimpse of the dark red splotches on his cheeks before the wolf fled away from him. Jungkook’s mouth was still full of the ripe summer fruit, and he giggled as the pack’s most esteemed Alpha scampered away from him: Tiny and unthreatening. 

Jungkook couldn't really believe it. He was a little bit suprised, yet entirely delighted when Namjoon showed up the next day again with a basket full of strawberries and a white daisy. It only solidified Jungkook’s thoughts and quenched his worries. Kim Namjoon wanted to court him. During Mating Season. Which meant that he wanted to mate him. Jungkook couldn’t keep from grinning and squealing into his pillow like a pup when he fell into bed that night, his tummy full of sweet, ripe strawberries and his lips flushed pink from the way that the Alpha’s fingers had gently swiped over his lips while they sprawled in the meadow during the sunset.

He had all but knocked down Jimin’s den after dinner time and promptly tugged up his own shirt to show the chubby Omega the way that his tummy was adorably pushed out, full of sweet fruit that had been hand fed to him by the Alpha. Jimin’s eyebrows had shot up when Jungkook giggled with glee, settled his paws on his own tummy and beamed in explanation, “Kim Namjoon.” He could just imagine getting more and more strawberries until he was as round as one himself. 

The next day, Jungkook wove Namjoon a laurel wreath with flowers that he thought would suit the Alpha's skintone and fur coloring the best. When Namjoon showed up as Jungkook was patiently waiting for him by the forestline, he bashfully smiled up at him, then pushed himself up on his tip toes and settled the crown of flowers on Namjoon’s silvery hair around his large, pointed wolf ears. He made sure that his fingers combed through the locks and brushed over the base of Namjoon’s ears, just to ever so gently drag his claws down the back of Namjoon’s skull and neck. The Alpha rumbled in an accidental show of the deep pleasure that the touches gave him. Jungkook blushed, but he kept his gaze boldly locked to make sure that he wasn’t incorrect. That Namjoon really did want to court- and maybe mate him.

The Alpha spread the widest grin, and his long fingers came around Jungkook’s wrist. He asked, breath husky and sweet, “Jungkookie. Can I please scent you?”

It was unlike Alphas to ask to scent an Omega, but the respect that it implied made Jungkook's lips fall open in a shocked little pout. He was tempted to retort if you have to ask… but he could see how kind and respectful that Namjoon was being.

Jungkook softened his features, tilted up his face and smiled.

“Yes, you have my permission, Alpha. Thank you for asking.”

Namjoon lifted Jungkook’s wrist and first nuzzled his nose into it, breathing deeply. Jungkook watched his silvery ears fall in bliss, took in how his eyelids fluttered, and admired the way his tail swayed back and forth. The Alpha made a low, soft rumble of pleasure, and Jungkook almost yipped with how badly he wanted to be kissed. Namjoon’s full lips pressed against the inside of Jungkook’s wrist. It made the Omega’s knees shake.

“You smell- so good. Like honeysuckle-” Namjoon exhaled against his skin. His tongue dipped out at pressed against the small scent gland. The lick shot tingles up Jungkook’s arm. He did everthing in his power to not whimper even as his own dark ears grew heavy with relaxed pleasure. His Omega started purring.

Namjoon smiled against his skin and his nose twitched and he mumbled “more… want more-” He nosed up Jungkook’s bare arm, up to the cut off sleeves of his summer tunic, and nuzzled his face right into the side of Jungkook’s neck. This time, Jungkook couldn't keep his Omega back, and he accidentally made a soft yipping sound of want. Jungkook's head lolled to the side in euphoria at being scented by this Alpha, and his knees stopped working entirely. Strong, large hands came to his waist as Jungkook collapsed against Namjoon’s thick chest. He'd intended to stand upright, not accidentally grip the Alpha’s thick biceps and cling on for dear life as his trembling thighs threatened to slick up.

Namjoon’s chest rumble deepened from Jungkook being plastered against him, and the Alpha slowly slid his tongue across Jungkook’s scent gland for a taste. The most embarrassing sound fell out of Jungkook, and his bones turned to liquid. He fully melted into Namjoon, limp against him as pleasure pumped through his veins and clouded his mind.

The Alpha wrapped both thick arms around Jungkook and he thumbed at Jungkook’s small waist. Namjoon purred into his neck as he rubbed his bare skin with his fingertips, “You're so small. So skinny. Alpha will have to change that. We need to feed you up, sweetheart.” Namjoon gently squeezed Jungkook’s waist, and Jungkook made a second, incredibly embarrassing mewl as his scent all but pumped out waves of pleasure, his belly heated, and his thighs trembled.

Namjoon grinned against his flushed skin and gave him a little nip, an affectionate gesture. “In case my intentions weren’t perfectly clear, Jungkookie-” He licked over his scent gland again, and Jungkook feebly clawed at the massive Alpha’s back, wanting to crawl into his skin. “I want to mate you.” 

Jungkook panted, feeling dazed and drinking in Namjoon’s scent. The Alpha let him regain his senses by petting up and down his back soothingly as Jungkook whimpered from the touches. Eventually, his mind slowly pieced itself back together.

Namjoon had this much of an affect on him and his Omega… just from scenting? Jungkook swallowed hard. He would be melted honey in his hands if- when Namjoon kissed him. Jungkook could finally stand, and he pulled back to look Namjoon in the eyes. The silvery Alpha was so pretty with the flower crown on. Jungkook claimed him with utter confidence and a smile tugging at his lips. “If you couldn’t tell… I want to mate you too.” Namjoon’s face shone with the brightest beaming dimples, and he kissed each of Jungkook’s cheeks. It wasn't quite what he was expecting. His lips tingled with want. But he’d accept cheek kisses... For now.

The following evening, Namjoon returned from the pack hunt, clothed only in loose trousers as all of the Alphas did during the hunt. Namjoon had caught three deer, which was the biggest haul of any hunter that went on the trip. They were slung over his shoulders in triumph and he deposited them all at the pack’s central hearth. Jungkook giggled and watched as Namjoon received many kisses on his cheeks from the elderly, wholesome Omega grandmothers that fawned over all of the hunters.

After Namjoon let himself be the subject of all of the grandmothers telling him what a good pack member he was, he broke away with a smaller rabbit hybrid slung over his shoulder that had been hidden beneath the deer he carried. Some wolfs' eyes followed him amidst all of the celebration of the hunters' return, Jungkook included.

Namjoon made his way through the crowd and found Jungkook standing with some other mated Omegas. Namjoon smiled at him, flushed and glistening from the hunt. It wasn't doing anything helpful for Jungkook’s health to see him like this. Not that he hadn’t seen Namjoon post-hunt before but… Jungkook hadn’t really been looking. Not in a way that he allowed his mind to think ‘that will be mine to enjoy…’.

There was a lot of Namjoon to enjoy. His golden chest was thick with muscle and his abdomen lean, tapering into narrow hips and powerful thighs. Jungkook whined as the Alpha stood in front of him in all of his glory, but it was loud enough in the celebrating camp that he hoped Namjoon didn’t catch the sound. Jungkook swallowed hard, not sure where to look.

Namjoon dropped down to his knees and placed the bunny at Jungkook’s feet, a clear, blatant, declaration of courting. The surrounding people turned and stared. Namjoon’s warm hands settled on Jungkook’s waist and he looked up at him with sparkling eyes. “Will my Omega accept my gift from the hunt?”

His thumbs gently rubbed back and forth over Jungkook’s hipbones, making his skin tingle. So many people were watching. Jungkook nodded shyly and blushed at all of the attention, but he wanted to make his acceptance clear. He leaned down to press a kiss to Namjoon’s cheek, and spoke clearly. “I would be honored, Alpha.”

Namjoon beamed up at him and squeezed his waist in excitement.

That night after all of the hunters bathed in the stream, Jungkook sat by the fire as everyone ate deer, but he got to have bunny- a delicacy. He was leaning against Namjoon’s legs as the Alpha was required to sit on a large stump until the pack had eaten his own kills. Jungkook was thankful that his Alpha was considerate of the size of prey he had brought him for courting. Jungkook was in no condition to eat an entire deer, and he was thankful that Namjoon had considered his smaller size when hunting for him. Once the three deer that Namjoon had brought were consumed by the pack, and another Alpha was brought to the stump for the few squirrels that he had hunted, Namjoon sunk down to Jungkook’s side. He wrapped his arms around him, pushed his nose into his temple, and rested a paw on Jungkook’s tummy. Jungkook was feeling incredibly full as he tried to finish up the small prey, fitting the very last of it into his belly and panting from the effort. His tummy bulged in Namjoon’s grip, and the Alpha purred and rubbed it. “Your appetite will grow as I feed you up, sweetheart. It will get easier, I promise. Until then, I will keep finding small prey for you- although my instincts tell me to hunt the biggest prey I can find.”

Jungkook nodded, flushed and thankful, and he snuggled into Namjoon’s side. His mouth was stained red, as all of the other wolves’ were, but he turned and crawled into Namjoon’s lap, and pressed a soft kiss right onto the Alpha’s lips. Namjoon instantly smiled against his mouth, and Jungkook had to wait a few minutes for the adorable Alpha to stop grinning before he cupped his cheeks and kissed him again, much more thoroughly. That night, as the fire was tended and the stars slowly crawled across the sky, Namjoon’s paws found their way to Jungkook’s overfilled belly. He gently rubbed deep circles, rumbling happily at how his future mate was currently fat with his hunt, and Jungkook purred at the feeling of being full from his Alpha’s care for him.

Throughout the next few days, as Jungkook's predator tummy slowly digested the prey, it felt like he was constantly receiving a warm hug from Namjoon. On the third morning when he woke up, Jungkook rolled over and mewled as he felt his middle squish underneath him. He sat up and yanked up his tunic to look. He had some softness in his tummy. He poked his belly to make sure that he wasn’t imagining it, and watched the flesh sink underneath his greedy fingers. He grinned down at the soft fat filling in his belly from his Alpha’s gift.

Jungkook scampered to Jimin’s den and showed him the warm layer of pudge that was resting inside of his waist and hips from eating an entire bunny himself. He earned many kisses across his cheeks and ruffles of his ears from both Jimin and his mother. Jungkook couldn't keep himself from preening as the first few pounds of love were settled in his waist, promising to grow.

The gifts of prey became more frequent, and Jungkook started to feel like Jimin had last summer when he was courted. Every night, he was going to bed with something warm, delicious, and fattening sitting inside of his stomach, with his lips swollen from kisses.

Jungkook went hunting a few times with Namjoon to learn how the Alpha did it so well. When Jungkook successfully caught a chipmunk hybrid as his first prey, he instantly deposited it with pride at Namjoon’s feet and told him that his tummy needed the courting gifts too. Namjoon had barked a laugh because it was unheard of for an Omega to hunt and gift prey to an Alpha, but Namjoon gratefully accepted the gift with a deep kiss to Jungkook’s lips and heavy scenting that still made his knees weak.

Jungkook snuggled up against Namjoon for naps in the summer sunshine, and the Alpha’s warm palms pet over his sides as he purred and felt how Jungkook was filling out. He whispered praises that had Jungkook’s belly fizzling and him slicking up embarrassingly. “My baby is getting plump… Alpha is feeding you well.” Namjoon patted Jungkook’s soft belly as it pushed out supple and fat without anything even in it. That night, Namjoon had caught a deer and fed Jungkook as much of it that would fit into his belly before giving the rest of the prey to the pack. Everyone looked fondly as Jungkook sat in Namjoon’s lap. His belly was so full that it was stretching his tunic, and the Alpha’s paws were lovingly rubbing and massaging the stuffing to help his tummy digest it. Jungkook felt so fucking pretty as he chubbed up on his Alpha’s courting gifts. His chin was soft, his belly warm and full, and his waist was round.

Jungkook's soft body fit so well in Namjoon’s adoring hands, and squeaked and giggled as the Alpha gripped his thighs and asscheeks in the dark of the forest while kissing his neck and whining for Jungkook’s kisses and pets in return. 

Jungkook fattened much faster than the rest of the Omegas partaking in mating season, and their mating was the first to be blessed by the pack, to both Jungkook and Namjoon’s delight. Jungkook’s once small waist was bulging, and his belly jiggled when he trotted. All of the mated Omegas fawned over him, kissing his chubby cheeks, petting his ears, and cooing to him at how well Alpha Namjoon was taking care of him. That it was obvious by how well Jungkook was fattening up that his Alpha clearly adored him. Jungkook blushed under so much praise, and giggled as small pups wanted to squeeze the thick roll of his lower belly and pouted that someday they hoped to be mated too.

Back in the safety of his den, he adoringly pet over all of his weight too, in love with how soft he was because of Namjoon constantly feeding him. He snuck into the Alpha’s cave a few times, always to Namjoon’s delight and grabby hands as he squeezed the Omega in his thick arms and snuggled with him like a bear. Namjoon’s paws snuck beneath Jungkook’s tunic and wobbled his belly, purring deeply into his ear as Jungkook jiggled in his hands, a sign of love and being cared for. On more than one occasion Namjoon's palm had to be pressed against his mouth to keep him quiet as Namjoon kissed and adored his body, prepping him for the mating ceremony with his tongue and fingers. Jungkook arched into his touches, mewling into his large hand and trying to keep quiet to not wake the rest of the pack.

As the Harvest Moon approached, and along with it the moon goddess's blessing of all of the mated pairs, Namjoon hunted and fed Jungkook every night, intent on keeping him full and satisfied. Jungkook fell asleep with a rounded, firm belly full of prey every evening, and woke up snuggled in Namjoon’s arms, soft and bloated. He was kissed awake with his belly bulging at the bottom and stretched with new chub from being fed so well. The Alpha greedily squeezed the plump roll, feeling the ample padding that Jungkook was growing as he fattened up his future mate. Jungkook’s belly finally rested heavily in his lap, his chin doubled, and his chest and limbs soft and squishy. He sat cute and fat at all of the summertime fires, letting Namjoon feed him treats and fill him in with more squishy weight. The pack members cooed in delight and squeezed Jungkook's full cheeks at how well he was being courted.

When their mating came on the night of the Harvest Moon, Jungkook shyly asked to bite Namjoon too. The Alpha agreed instantly.

They shared a fat squirrel hybrid as a treat after getting knotted, much to Jungkook's delight- Namjoon had discovered that Jungkook had a taste for sweet, plump prey rather than large, lean, powerful prey, and he was keen to oblige him. With both of their bellies full, Jungkook’s soft and sweet in Namjoon's hands as the prey promised to fatten him even more, Namjoon sunk his teeth into Jungkook's shoulder, making him cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure. With his neck and shoulder bloody and throbbing, Jungkook returned the bite, branding the Alpha with his own signature too.

They licked over the blood until they both healed, and Namjoon kissed every inch of Jungkook, adoring his weight and growling over and over with possession as he sucked dark bruises onto him. Jungkook giggled and moaned at being so adored, squishing underneath Namjoon’s paws and jiggling underneath the smallest touches. He drooled at being so fat to wobble as Namjoon mated him again throughout the night, and the Alpha salivated at it too. Namjoon groped his belly as Jungkook was knotted and bred enough times for his belly to bloat, and he purred in pleasure as he enjoyed the fat jiggles of his mate.

[misc-obeyme]

I can admit some of their outfits look a little interesting, but I may be the only one who loves this event 🤣 They kind of remind me of musketeers, mostly Mammon and Beel are who I can remember off the top of my head.

I'm a sucker for masks too (Mammon looks mysterious to me, my bias is showing) but I JUST HAD A PHASE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER WHERE I WAS OBSESSED WITH THE MUSKETEERS IN DIFFERENT MEDIA AJSJDJ

- ✨ anon

omg I totally had a musketeers phase too! I read the Dumas books and everything. They do kinda have that musketeer style happening, huh?

Anyway, I'm sure you're not alone! I just have a problem with the blacked out eyes specifically lol. I would be okay with the masks if it wasn't for that! The masks themselves look fine! Interesting, even!

But I have to say they went way too overboard on some of these outfits. I like the general concept, just not the execution. And unfortunately, that seems to be the case for most of the outfits they make, to be honest.

This game has a tendency to make all the outfits look absolutely gaudy for some reason. I don't know if they're just trying too hard to make each one unique or what. But my favorites tend to be the ones that are less extravagant - the yukata and yokai outfits or the bunny boy outfits, for instance. Then there are some that have the potential to be great, like the white suit outfits, but they just go overboard with things like the little hats and weird fabric flares and bizarre boots. If they'd just cut back a tiny bit, all of these outfits would probably look really nice!

In the current event, I wouldn't mind Barb's outfit nearly as much if they just got rid of the hat. I don't know why they insist on including hats so frequently. They look so silly. I'll never get over Dia's fedora from that one outfit... I can't remember which one it was, but honestly if they had just left that off, it would have been nice.

Don't get me started on the pirate outfits.

So to me, this is just another in a long line of too-much outfits and that's just this game's style. I'm willing to overlook so much when it comes to outfits, but the blacked out eyes cross the line for me, I'm afraid!

I would love to see an actual musketeer event, though! I think that'd be so cool! They're all dueling with fancy swords and defending their king and traipsing around a palace! Well, okay, I realize my vision of musketeering is likely not historically accurate. And how would they incorporate all the Catholic? Well, it's about aesthetics anyway so let's not worry about it lol.

Also the event story itself is fine for me so far, but we also don't know how it ends. I mean, of course the white wolf wants MC, it's charmed by them just as much as every other living thing in the Devildom.

Whoops sorry, ✨ anon I think I got a bit off topic! Anyway, while I'm sure you're not entirely alone, even if you were, you are free to enjoy the event and outfits as much as you like! I'm happy that you're happy and that these outfits are able to remind you of a fun time in your life when you fell in love with something!

I think that's great, blacked out eyes or not! 💕

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part VIII

I mentioned in my KH II revisit that KH I is the only Disney property since Beauty and the Beast was released in 1991 (the live action remake very much included) to tell a good story with Belle and the Beast. The latter character acting as a parallel to Sora for the beginning of Hollow Bastion is a great touch too. And if Belle's dialogue boxes don't really "sound" too much like her, I do like that she stands apart from the rest of the princesses in the library, doing research. None these details are labored over, but they're smart and appreciated choices in direction and plotting.

And, speaking of plot - every time I come back to this game, I have a renewed and deepened love for how the story is handled in this section of the game. The subversion of the "chosen one" and "hero's journey" archetypes is so beautifully done, clear and impactful without straying into obnoxious meta-commentary on storytelling, and Sora and Riku (as they were in this game) are the perfect characters to go through that subversion. I daresay I don't know of a better example of a pair of rivals coming to a head and defying the expectations everyone had for them (well - everyone but Kairi). And the fact that, as a consequence of that subversion, Donald and Goofy end up (briefly and indirectly) allied with Maleficent is one of the many gutsy story choices I cannot believe Disney allowed to go through for this game.

The twist with Ansem is the only clean villain twist in the series - that is, it's the only one that works without at least one asterisk. And the Princesses of Heart (again, as they were in this game) as a plot device is a great way to take a Disney concept, darken it a little, and make it a organic and integral piece of the crossover. And that all this takes place on Hollow Bastion is appropriate, because of all the original elements created for the series, that world (yet again, as presented in KH I) is the most successful at uniting Disney sensibilities with Square/Final Fantasy sensibilities, aesthetically and narratively. It's the ideal penultimate stage for a game like this.

But with all that praise out of the way - the way the series has developed since KH I has made me ambivalent about quite a bit surrounding Hollow Bastion. And that is not fair. No one involved in making KH I could have known how the series would pan out, or that Kingdom Hearts would ever be a series. If an element works in the initial entry of a series but ended up being developed in a negative way, that shouldn't take away from its effective use earlier on. But it's impossible not to at least dwell on consequences and alternate possibilities with KH at this point.

To start with the weapon at the heart of the series - Most of the dialogue and lore dropped in KH I treats the Keyblade as a singular entity, a mysterious and powerful object that has bestowed itself on chosen bearers, good and evil, throughout history. The Keyblade of Heart and Mickey's Keyblade popping up in the third act does not easily square with that set-up, even with a last-minute note about the "two keys" in The End of the World. I can accept the Keyblade of Heart as a unique creation of the princesses' hearts by Ansem while possessing an intended wielder of the Keyblade, and Mickey's having one is an admittedly satisfying eucatastrophe. I can't say I have any thoughts on how certain plot points could have been resolved without those two blades either. But with how out of control Keyblades have become since, part of me wishes that they could have found a way to make the story work with there being just the one and only Keyblade wielded by Sora.

Part of me also wishes that Maleficent never came back after her defeat here. As much as I love the idea of her story in KH II and the concept of her "origins" in BbS, the execution in both games is uneven (the latter more than the former), and nothing since has been remotely satisfying. On the other hand, I'd be loathe to see anyone else representing the pinnacle of Disney villaindom, so for that reason alone, I'm less torn on Maleficent than I am the Keyblade issue.

Where I'm most torn so far as villains go is with Ansem. Playing this game again, I found the slow reveal of his true nature so successful, and so satisfying, that I had to reconsider my thoughts about KH II. As much as I enjoy just how improbably effective the twist about "Ansem" being Xehanort is, it is a dilution of what was an immensely pleasing arc. I'm now wondering about a KH II with no DiZ and no villain twist - just Xemnas as the Nobody of Ansem, a man who corrupted himself and his apprentices.

And now it's time to revisit a point I raised in Part I: the Princesses of Heart. It's always bothered me that Alice is one of them, and I admit that's entirely because of my persnickety ways. For one thing, if Wendy isn't pure enough to be a Princess of Heart, then Alice - of a similar age and disposition - shouldn't be either. But Alice is also not royalty of any kind, not in her books, not in her film, and not in Disney's many marketing ventures. You can say that "Princess of Heart" is really just a pithy way of saying "seven maidens whose hearts happen to be devoid of darkness and therefore have vague yet potent powers," but when five of the six taken from Disney are royals by birth or marriage, Alice sticks out like a sore thumb.

To be sure, it's not as if the KH team had a lot of options to choose from at the time. The only realistic options for a sixth princess who really was a princess in 2002 would have been Ariel and Pocahontas. It might have been fun to bring the latter into KH, but it's hard to imagine her ending up captured by the Heartless, and harder still to imagine Disney wanting to remind people of a film they'd already begun to sour on as a company. As for Ariel, I'm more than content to have her as a party member who can fend for herself. I also don't think you can be counted pure of heart if you cut deals with sea witches, however innocent your motives.

Really, Alice being in the line-up wouldn't be more than a minor itch in my anal-retentive mind...if it weren't for the fact that, by her not being a real princess, the door was opened for Kairi not to be a real princess.

And again, that wouldn't be more than a nitpick if it was just a matter of rank; it's not as if Kairi needs to be a princess to be a good character. But the way the game handles her, I don't think anyone could be chastised for thinking that Kairi was Hollow Bastion royalty. Her heart inside Sora's stirs at the castle slide in Deep Jungle. She has memories of living in a castle, of being told bedtime stories by her grandmother in the library of the castle of Hollow Bastion. Ansem calls her "princess" multiple times. I know that in the extra Ansem Report added in Final Mix, he just refers to her as "a girl," but if that was always the intention - if Kairi was always meant to be an ordinary girl who happened to be a Princess of Heart - then they really shouldn't have put so much effort into suggesting otherwise.

And now consider that it took until Melody of Memory for any meaningful expansion on Kairi's past in Hollow Bastion, and how perfunctory it was compared to the piles of lore and backstory spent on Xehanort, the Organizers, the Nameless Star, Ven, and his stupid focus-pulling cat. I think that, had Kairi been established as the princess of Hollow Bastion and a pivotal figure to a pivotal world, that would have given her real estate within the lore that would have made it harder to ignore her for so long in the narrative. Then again, given how quickly the series' priorities seemed to shift even within CoM and KH II, maybe it wouldn't have mattered.

Kairi is also tied into my one major gripe with Hollow Bastion in KHI, which is one of my only major gripes with the story as a whole. Remember how Sora tells Kairi to stay in Traverse Town, telling her that she'd be in his way? And remember how, when he gets back to Hollow Bastion, the six Princesses of Heart tell him that they're barely keeping the darkness at bay and that it's costing all their vaguely-defined power not to give in?

Gee, if only there were a seventh Princess of Heart who could lend her light to theirs. And if only we knew who she was and where she was. And if only we had a spaceship we could use to bring her to Hollow Bastion. And if only, should Sora be foolish enough to leave her behind, all his friends from Traverse Town followed him to Hollow Bastion and could have brought her along with them.

If only...if only...if only...