#kingdom hearts ii novel | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

moiyume · 1 year

Text

death is the only end for us — chapter ii. imaginary

pairing: yandere!satoru gojo x fem!reader

sumary: Discussions about the past bring out an important revelation, [Y/N] will not surrender, she is willing to destroy everyone in her path to prove her innocence, even Satoru.

warnings: angst, threats, mentions of death, humiliation, yandere thoughts, spoilers from the main story.

word count: 2265.

more information about the history: here.

⠀⠀⠀⠀───◌┈┈───♡⃝───┈┈◌───

AND BY PLANTING MISTRUST, LOVE WILL COOL DOWN, GIVE WAY TO HATRED AND RESENTMENT. There is no way to mend a broken glass, when you put the pieces together, the cracks and scars of the breakage will be there forever, the glass will break again if you fill it with water. There is no way to mend the heart of someone who has already been betrayed or abandoned.

After ten years forced to live in ostracism you have learned that curses are not as bad as the wizards say they are. Curses are predictable, they obey the primitive instinct to kill humans and devour each other for more power, they have no filters, they are direct in what they set out to do. But people are not, people are cunning, people deceive, people betray, people change, people are not what they appear or say they are, and above all, no person can be trusted. Father, mother, brother, friend or stranger, it is the nature of human beings not to be trusted.

You have learned the hard way that you cannot trust anyone. No matter how well you think you know someone, you really don't know how much someone can change in a day, maybe even in ten years. It was a long ten years living a miserable life, hunted like an animal for slaughter across three continents, you saw and experienced many things, but nothing surprised you more than the falseness of the human being.

However, there is a proverb that says that the prey will kill the predator. In the game Gō the winner is the one who has the most pieces on the board, however it is not as simple as it seems, you need to knock down the opponent's houses if you want to ensure victory, because as in the animal kingdom there is no draw, only the strongest will prevail, the one who is able to continue living. It is a game of survival, but it is also a mental game, you beat the enemy destroying what he worked hard to build, you take his place and eliminate him. Satoru and you are adversaries in this battle. He vehemently believes that victory is his, but the foundation of the houses he plays with are as fragile as a house made on the sand of the beach, and like Gō's board, you will knock down all the pieces that hold him up.

He approaches you with a smug smile, there is no escape, it is only you on this empty hill, there are no trees you can use to hide, yet there is no way and no reason to hide when the Six Eyes search for you. You stop walking away and accept that there is no other option but to stand still, he seems pleased with your decision, the smile on his face widens. However, you will never surrender.

"I don't..." Disappointment tries to swallow your words, but you swallow your tears and face Satoru with clenched fists. "I'm not willing to give up my freedom just yet."

He takes a wrong turn with your words, to his ears they are just childish statements, but you are a human being and it is your nature to insist even when things seem impossible. The man in front of you falls into laughter and wipes away a tear that has run down the corner of his eye, it is annoying to see him mocking you, but to Satoru Gojo all people were such idiots that they were worthy of pity, and you were no exception.

"You act like you're a heroine from a light novel, that's hilarious." Satoru teases you with a smug smile on his face, you struggle to keep your cool, but a vein pops out on your forehead. "Seriously! Look at that pose! A great actress." He measures you from top to bottom. "Of our old group, you're the only one who keeps acting like a pre-teen, always wanting to prove to others that you're a martyr, it's ridiculous, don't you see?" He shoves one of his hands into his pocket and takes out a black blindfold and puts it over his eyes. "You have become such a pathetic person that it is hard to believe that you were considered a threat. Man, you killed civilians for nothing, I never understood the motives behind it, but honestly? I don't understand how we came to have anything, for a moment I even thought of you as an equal, but even Suguru did better in the villain role than you."

You are startled by those hostile words, he had never been so mean to you before, you even thought he would have some mercy for your bestie dying, but as usual you are expecting too much from Satoru Gojo. You never wanted to be a martyr, but there is some truth behind such hostility, the way you have behaved all this time as if you were being wrongly accused. Your hands have been dripping blood since the moment you were accused and the lives you took will haunt you until the day you die, but the people who died that night were not innocent and they were not civilians either, and the person who killed them was not you. You have put up with it all quietly, but this time you are determined to make a mess of it, as in gō, you will surround your enemies and let them fall alone.

"You're not entirely wrong." You admit waving your index finger towards him, mimicking his smug smile, I straighten my posture and take a step forward. "But I'm not the same girl you knew."

"Really? You still look like an idiot to me."

"Eh." You mutter amidst his debauched laughter. "The difference between the 18-year-old [Y/N] and the 28-year-old [Y/N] is: she doesn't mind crushing every ant that crosses her path."

You raise your hand towards his face and abruptly close it, making him take a step back, you laugh dryly and dullly, it's comforting to know that you're still able to mess with his head.

"Get out of my way, Gojo, before I crush you too." You threaten him, your will like a sharp sword about to slash his throat, he frowns and you step forward. "Don't tell me you don't know why no one had the courage to come to me." You watch his hesitation to give you an answer, but before he can say anything, you hold up your index finger to get him to shut up and listen, "Looks like you're the idiot here."

You place your hands together behind your body and lean forward, he is very close at this point, so you stand face to face, you feel the hesitation in his posture, his right foot goes back a step and a half before he steadies himself. You make no point of hiding your evil intentions beneath an innocent smile, the intent to kill is obvious, but it only comes from one side. Satoru may be many things, but you doubt he would kill you before he could experience the torture of the court again, he likes to play with his fangs and that would be his downfall. The moment he realises something is wrong, his hand comes towards your neck like lightning, however she is unable to touch you. The sky blue eyes shine in fury and you can't contain your laughter, it's not a genuine laughter, you just couldn't miss the moment to debauch his innocence.

"What have you done?!"

The scenery around you begins to change. The once bright and colourful landscape of the hill turns into a hostile, cold and gloomy environment, the welcoming atmosphere has become inhospitable, the peace you provided was false, as you had said earlier it is just an imaginary space. Satoru knows it is too late, however you give him the chance to move, and he approaches to attack me, but to his despair the distance between you is still the same, as if he cannot reach you, he is stuck in your trap, and you are waiting for him to place the piece on the board that will make him fall into ruins.

"What kind of cheap trick is that?!" He shouts in exaltation, unable to touch you, his steady footsteps crunch the frozen grass making an annoying creaking noise, he seems in a hurry. "What have you done to me?"

"That's not the right question, darling, try again." You reply in a playful voice and make the distance between you disappear, you grab his cheeks and lower his head so you can pull the blindfold off. "That looks really ugly on you, it makes you look like you have no forehead." You throw the piece of cloth on the ground, it's hard to believe that someone as vain as him chose to wear an accessory that would devalue his beauty so much, is that kind of thing fashionable in Japan? You would like to know.

"DAMN. [Y/N]!"

"Hm?!"

"What the hell is that?" He insists.

"You must be wondering why the Six Eyes don't recognise what's happening now, right?" He nods for you to continue explaining. "It's because you're not seeing anything, really. You taught me that for the Six Eyes to work, you need to see things around you, and okay, I know you can perceive the world on an atomic level, but I'm inside your head and not in front of you, got it? Or do you want me to draw?"

You tap your index finger on his temple and watch his eyes grow larger, it is satisfying to see him like this, for years you have kept a vow to Master Tengen not to use his true cursed technique for your own benefit, but you no longer have any connection to him, let alone the school. You cannot allow yourself to be the person who is passed over. You feel sweat drip down your hand, but it's not yours, rambling made you forget that you were still holding Satoru pinned in your hands.

"My cursed technique is called ████, by the way." You whisper, it's the first time you hesitate to tell Satoru something, you slowly back away until your hands can no longer touch him. "You must know what it means."

Satoru's skin turns as pale as paper, nostrils dilated and hairs standing on end, like an animal on alert, you would like to laugh and mock him as unassumingly as he did you, but you would not be satisfied with scaring him even more, you are not like that. You gather up a snowflake and the landscape has started to change again, this time it has started to crack, as if you were inside an old television full of static, living through a film locked in a stormy day.

Melancholy suddenly takes over you, you let out the air trapped in your lungs and watch the smoke of hot air, he's right when he says you're still a dumb teenager with childish aspirations. You turn your back and walk towards the "exit door" of the illusion you created to trap him, but before you go, you look at him over your shoulder, Satoru is staring at you with a weird look, clenched fists are at the side of his body, one leg is in front of the other as if he wants to come to you, but there is something holding him, only this time it's not you who holds him.

"When I disappear you will regain consciousness, I recommend you look around and be careful." You give him a weak smile and nod. "We will see each other again."

Satoru watches you enter a doorway of light that disappeared as soon as you stepped through it. His hands are sweaty and burning, nails are digging into his palm, blood drips down the spans of his fingers, it wasn't the first time an opponent had played a trick on him, but it's been so many since it happened he's forgotten how bad it feels to be tricked. A vein popped on his forehead and he began to laugh nervously as the word 'tricked' came to his mind, not much can be expected of you, you are clever and slippery as jelly, if he is not careful you will slip like sand or blood between his fingers.

"Bitch!" He roars exhausted and slaps his own forehead.

The space in which Satoru was trapped crumbled in a magical pass as he surged, soon the sound of horns and car tyres singing on the tarmac pierced his ears, regaining consciousness he hurriedly climbed onto the pavement. You dumped him in the middle of a busy avenue, it's your nature to play tricks on people, no matter how serious, you're the kind of childish person who would put a bucket full of water on the door to wet the first inattentive person who walked by. Drivers drove past him cursing and grumbling, but he didn't give a shit, his thoughts focused elsewhere, someone else.

- "We will see each other again" Satoru repeated and looked up at the sky, it was daylight a few minutes ago, no? He wondered if you could mess with time too and laughed bitterly, then brought his hand up to his face and covered his eyes, maybe nothing was impossible for you and Satoru resented that. "I hope so, but..." He paused before admitting to himself. "You have to pay for leaving me."

⠀⠀⠀⠀───◌┈┈───♡⃝───┈┈◌───

━ to be continued; ﹢ ⌑ ﹒

109 notes · View notes

princess-of-the-corner · 1 month

Text

Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix Recap: Port Royal (He's a Pirate)

First of all, credit to Mudarrow and KH Wiki.

Second of all, I forgot to mention this: To complete the Titan Cup in Jiminy’s Journal, you need to finish with a score of 5000 or more. All you have to do to unlock it is clear the Hades Cup.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled recap.

In order to reunlock the last three Disney Worlds, we’re gonna have to clear Port Royal first.

The game opens on the stone chest that holds the cursed Aztec gold.

X of Organization XIII appears to be very interested in the cursed medallions.

The cutscene ends as he approaches the chest.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy arrive at the Rampart, and Goofy notices that something (I’m guessing sound, but this isn’t a voice acted cutscene) is coming from the port.

Sora suggests they check it out, and the player is given control of Sora.

Progressing to the Harbor reveals that Captain Jack Sparrow has gotten into a tussle with some Undead Pirates.

“Zola! Some assistance!” the Captain shouts over his shoulder.

“That’s SORA, Donald, and Goofy!” Sora corrects, even though Jack only got his name wrong (in the novelization, him getting SDG’s names wrong is a running gag).

“Will ye leave a mate to perish?” Jack asks as “He’s a Pirate” starts playing.

“Aye-aye,” Sora deadpans, before running into battle to help him.

Captain Jack Sparrow rejoins the party, and you just have to defeat all the pirates to progress.

After the last undead pirate falls, Sora notes that the pirates were cursed.

“I thought we’d seen the last of the curse of the Aztec gold…” Sora remarks as he, Donald, and Goofy turn to Jack Sparrow, “What gives?”

“Some scallywag must’ve got greedy,” Jack theorizes.

SDG give him a Look.

“Oh I see,” he remarks, “You don’t trust me, do you?”

Donald and Goofy nod.

“Likely a wise choice,” Jack praises, “I AM a pirate, mates.”

“Jack! Sora!”

Elizabeth runs up to Jack and our trio of heroes.

Sora greets her, while a thought bubble reveals that Jack is aware that she’s going to try and get him involved in “sticky business”.

Elizabeth stops him from leaving, and explains that the cursed pirates have returned.

“Will had to find out why…” she elaborates, “so he went to Isla de Muerta – to check on the Aztec treasure.”

She’s not seen him since then, and so asks the others to take her to him.

Jack tells her to do it herself, much to her unamused reaction.

She reminds him (in a dry tone you don’t need voice acting to hear) that it would require sailing to a faraway island and fighting off cursed pirates.

“Well, if any lass could…” Jack starts.

“Are you sure he’s in trouble?” Sora asks.

“No, not certain,” Elizabeth admits, “But he’s been gone far too long.

“I wanted to go with him, but he insisted I stay here.

“I can’t just sit and wait! I’ve got to know if he’s all right.”

Jack remarks that Will is a lucky man, but wants to know what’s in it for him if he helps Elizabeth.

Elizabeth responds by pointing out that Jack still owes Will for saving his life, and Jack finally agrees to help.

In order to progress, you need to head onto the dock, at which point Sora, Donald, Goofy, Jack Sparrow, and Elizabeth will automatically board the Black Pearl.

You can pick up a few Puzzle Pieces (since you can actually explore the Black Pearl for the first time), and then talk to Jack Sparrow to access the ocean map.

Select Isla de Meurta as your destination to continue.

After dealing with the enemy ambush, a cutscene plays.

Goofy looks off over the open ocean.

“Interceptor off the starboard bow!” he shouts.

Our heroes (and Jack) rush up to see the ship lazily drifting towards them, and Elizabeth notices Will’s unconscious body draped over the side of the ship.

She calls out his name, and Jack pays his respects.

“Stop that, Jack,” Elizabeth snaps, “We’ve got to rescue him!”

In the hold of the Black Pearl, Elizabeth wakes Will up.

“Elizabeth…”

“What happened?” she asks.

“The medallions… and… the stone chest – someone’s taken them…” Will explains, “Next thing I knew, we were attacked… but I couldn’t see who it was – his face was shrouded… in a black hood.”

“The Organization!” Sora remarks.

“We found a way out of the cave…” Will continues, “but the villain sent a horde of terrible creatures after us… I’ve never seen their likes before…

“I think I’m the only one who made it back to the ship…”

“Will…”

“Elizabeth… I feel rather…”

Will passes out again.

“Our turn, guys,” Sora remarks.

“You’d best go prepared,” Elizabeth replies, “We’ve no idea what’s out there.”

“Pardon me, lads and lass,” Jack intercepts, “but your captain will have no monsters today.

“Thank ye. We’re turning for home.”

“Just like that?” Elizabeth asks as Jack turns to walk towards the deck.

“Just like that!” Jack answers.

I suggest you save before going above deck.

Jack Sparrow is taken aback the second he steps onto the deck of the Black Pearl.

“Don’t remember invitin’ you,” he remarks.

The camera cuts to reveal the stone chest of Aztec gold on the deck, with X emerging from a Corridor of Darkness right next to it.

“So it was the Organization,” Sora states, “We’ll handle this!”

X briefly holds up a hand, then starts pacing and talking.

“The darkness of men’s hearts – drawn to these cursed medallions;” he opens, “and this Heartless – a veritable maelstrom of avarice:”

A large, skeletal, ghost-like Emblem Heartless, wielding a scythe-like pendulum, materializes behind him.

“I wonder, are they worthy to serve Organization XIII?”

“You want an answer now?” Jacka asks as “Sinister Shadows” starts playing.

“Precisely!” X answers as he vanishes through a Corridor of Darkness.

Cue boss battle with the Grim Reaper.

It can only attack by swinging its scythe around itself. It can also teleport to try and avoid damage.

Defeating it grants Sora Horizontal Slash (Unleashes a powerful attack that hits a target from left to right during a midair combo with [guard button]), Donald +4 Max HP, Goofy Draw (attract dropped items and prizes from a greater distance), and Jack Sparrow +15 Max HP.

The defeated Heartless falls into the ocean.

“Oh boy!” Donald cheers.

“Not over yet!” Sora reminds him, as X is standing behind the stone chest.

The Nobody pulls back his hood, revealing him to have blond hair and a beard, plus five earrings, two on his left ear, three on his right. All in all, probably the most normal-looking member of Organization XIII.

This is Luxord, and I promise you that you aren’t pronouncing that name correctly.

“Throw him overboard!” Captain Jack Sparrow orders.

“Aye-aye!” Sora agrees.

“Parley!“ Luxord declares.

“’Scuse me?” Jack replies.

“Barley?” Goofy questions.

“It’s a bit of a pirates’ code,” Jack explains, “Anyone who invokes ‘parley’ must not be harmed ‘til negotiations are complete.”

“This is no time for rules!” Sora protests.

“True,” Jack concedes, “But as we’re honorable pirates we should always stick to the Code.” He turns his attention to Luxord. “All right you, out with it!”

“I surrender the chest with my humblest apologies,” Luxord answers.

“Rather accommodating of you, mate,” Jack replies, “And for that you want…?”

“Just a few souvenirs…” Luxord answers as he reaches into the chest, “for the memories!”

“Huh?” Jack replies.

Luxord throws four cursed medallions into the air, letting four of his personalized Nobody subordinates grab one each and scatter over the edges of the ship.

“Oh no!” Goofy shouts, “We can’t stop the curse unless we have all the medallions!”

“Our friend’s about to learn what it means to cross a pirate,” Jack seethes.

“Oh?” Luxord questions as the ship rumbles.

The Grim Reaper bursts from the ocean, now rotten and surrounded by three ghostly skulls (each one alight with blue flames).

“Sora! Donald! Goofy!” Jack shouts, “He’s yours!”

The Grim Reaper swings its scythe, hitting Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jack Sparrow with a powerful gust of wind that sends them flying onto the Interceptor.

Luxord raises a hand.

“Fire!”

The Black Pearl’s cannons fire.

Will and Elizabeth step up on deck, and are helpless to do anything but watch as the Interceptor is blown apart.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy wake up on the wreckage of the Interceptor to find Jack Sparrow is now undead.

“You stole a cured medallion again?!” Sora exclaims in disbelief.

“Were I only that fortunate…” Jack Sparrow remarks.

“Fortunate?” Donald questions.

“So, uh, how come you’re all skeleton-y?” Goofy asks.

“Perhaps I got a touch o’ somethin’ from that monster what attacked us,” Jack guesses, “Yet, why’s the skin restin’ right on you three?”

“’Cause we’re not greedy!” Donald declares, prompting Sora and Goofy to give him a funny look, “What’re you looking at?”

“That still doesn’t solve the mystery,” Sora points out.

Jack turns around and walks off, reverting back to normal when out of the moonlight.

“Gawrsh…” Goofy remarks, trying to speak quietly but failing, “Maybe the reason we’re all okay is because we’re not from this world.” Jack pauses in his step.

“There must be different laws,” Donald observes.

“Yeah… we’re always just passing through…” a dour Sora notes, “Wonder when we’ll see home again…”

“Sora…” a worried Donald speaks up.

“Heh!’ Sora forces himself to perk up, “Just kiddin’ you.

“Lucky we didn’t get cursed, huh?”

“Quit yammerin’, mates!” Jack chimes in, “We’ve got to find ourselves a ship that’ll float.”

Welcome to the Ship Graveyard. The Interceptor’s Hold has a Puzzle Piece, and a treasure chest that holds the Feather Charm.

The Feather Charm allows Sora to summon Peter Pan.

Peter flies alongside Sora and attacks enemies with his dagger. Sora’s command menu remains pretty much unchanged, outside of the “Summon” Command now kickstarting Peter’s limit.

Additionally, Tinkerbell flies around Sora, healing 5 HP every 5 seconds. Her face even appears in a tiny portrait next to Sora’s and Peter’s throughout the Summon. Just like in the first game, she can even revive Sora the first time his HP runs out while Peter Pan is summoned (although her portrait will disappear after this). It costs 3 Drive Gauges to summon him.

His Limit is “Never Land”.

Tinkerbell boops Sora on the nose as photographs of Neverland (as it was depicted in the first game) flash on screen, before he and Peter fly into the air. The “Attack” Command becomes “Tiny Fairy” (deals more damage and blows the enemies away) and the “The Flying Boy” Reaction Command becomes available (drags enemies into the air, dealing weaker-yet-constant damage).

Using them enough time produces the finisher: Journey’s End (Sora and Peter deal damage to surrounding enemies as a photograph of Sora sealing Neverland’s Keyhole appears on the screen).

Ahem, as for Port Royal itself, outside of the Ship Graveyard: Intercept’s Hull, you arrive at the Ship Graveyard: Seadrift Row. One of the items you can find here in a normal chest is the King’s Recipe, which allows you to synthesize Goofy’s strongest weapon, Save the King (+9 strength, +0 magic, Item Boost for the ability). Also, unrelated to the game itself, but KH Wiki incorrectly lists the “Queen Recipe” as necessary for synthesizing Save the King.

Once the party moves past Seadrift Row, they arrive at the Ship Graveyard: Seadrift Keep, where Donald spots one of the Nobodies Luxord sent out with the medallions.

Though the Nobody appears to be made of empty clothing in a shape vaguely reminiscent of a humanoid version of the Organization’s insignia, it is actually a Gambler one of Luxord’s servants. As this is a lone Gambler, it’s easy enough to defeat, but all Gambler’s actually have the following two Reaction Commands.

“Stop Dice” can be used when the Gambler prepares a dice attack. This starts a minigame. If Sora can activate the Reaction Command when it shows an “O”, he’ll win and be rewarded with Munny. If he activates it when it’s an “X” instead, or lets 3.5 seconds pass, he’ll temporarily be transformed into a living Dice (his own face displayed on the “one pip” face) and will be powerless to do anything but bounce around until the transformation wears off.

“Begin Game” can be used when the Gambler prepares a card attack. Sora’s Commands in the Command Menu will all be replaced with “X”-es. However, a single “O”, will rapidly move between the Command Menu’s options. Hit the “O” to win Munny and stun all nearby gamblers. Hit an “X” or let 3.3 seconds pass to transform Sora into a card instead.

With “Jackpot” they’ll drop even more Munny when you win their games, and with “Drive Converter” they’ll drop Drive Orbs instead, making them a good enemy for grinding out levels for Master Form.

When the Gambler is destroyed, it leaves behind one of the stolen medallions, with Jack revealing they only have three left to recover.

“A pirate must have a keen eye,” he explains, “Else he won’t be sailin’ free for very long. Savvy?”

Elizabeth and Will Turner sail up with the Black Pearl to pick up our heroes and Captain Jack Sparrow.

The party has recovered a Cursed Medallion and retrieved a Map of the Ship Graveyard.

In a text box cutscene, Sora explains how Organization XIII’s behind everything that’s gone wrong recently.

Goofy has no idea where they went, but Will reveals that the hooded man (Luxord, but he never said his name so only Jiminy knows that), took the pirates and his creatures with him when he left.

Thus, our party has a new objective: Track down the remaining three medallions and return them to the chest.

How do you do this?

Gamblers can be found in some of the normal enemy spawns at the Ship Graveyard or Isla de Muerta.

If the Gambler has a Medallion, you’ll have a time limit to defeat the Gambler before it automatically despawns. I don’t know if this is an automatic game over, or if it just means you have to track that specific Gambler down again, but the Gamblers aren’t particularly tough enemies either way, so the real threat will be the Undead Pirates who might protect them, as they’re COMPLETELY invincible unless you can lure them out into the moonlight.

Collecting all the medallions causes the party to automatically return to the Black Pearl, wherein they discuss what to do next.

Namely, return the medallions to the chest.

Will figures it’d be with the hooded man, and thus Sora suggests he’d take it and the Heartless to Port Royal. After all, Organization XIII is after people’s hearts.

Will is horrified at the idea of the Organization siccing the Heartless on the townspeople, and even Jack Sparrow doesn’t even BOTHER trying to contain his disgust as he notes that the Organization “makes we pirates look like proper gents!” as he’s still fed up over having somehow been cursed.

Jack doesn’t even need much convincing to go protect the people of Port Royal, as he’s just as eager as everyone else to stop whatever the Organization’s plan is.

Before you enter the boss fight, make sure Donald has Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder Magic equipped. Talk to Jack Sparrow when you’re ready, because the battle will begin as soon as you arrive in Port Royal.

Indeed, the Grim Reaper is waiting for the party as soon as they disembark from the Black Pearl, hovering above the stone chest.

“Go!” Jack Sparrow orders before running off, “He’s for me!”

The Grim Reaper chases after the captain, allowing Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Will to dump the Cursed Medallions into the stone chest.

As soon as Sora drops the medallions in, the Grim Reaper reverts back to its uncursed form.

But Jack Sparrow is still a skeleton.

It seems as if the Heartless was the source of the curse, rather than the cursed gold, and thus they’ll need to destroy it in order to lift the curse and solve the Undead Pirate Problem.

Unfortunately, right as they realize this, the Grim Reaper strikes the stone chest with its weapon, scattering several medallions and even sucking up a few in order to turn itself undead again.

Cue boss battle!

At the start of the battle, there are only 652 Medallions in the chest. 107 are held by the Grim Reaper, and the rest are scattered across the ground.

The Grim Reaper can spin its weapon above its head to create a cyclone that’ll let it suck up loose medallions. It can also direct the burning skulls orbiting its body to attack in its stead. If an attack hits Sora while he’s carrying medallions, he’ll drop his medallions, allowing the Heartless to collect them.

In order to make the Grim Reaper drop medallions, you have to use magic to make it drop them. Fire causes it to run around flailing, Thunder makes it bounce, and Blizzard freezes it in place, each attack causing it to “bleed” medallions.

Melee attacks make the Grim Reaper drop MP orbs when its in its undead form.

When Sora is near the chest, he can use the “Return” Reaction Command to put all of the Medallions he’s carrying back in the chest.

The Grim Reaper is only vulnerable when all 882 medallions are in the chest, as that reverts it back to its base form.

Once it’s vulnerable, it more or less fights exactly like it did back in its first battle, but it can ALSO strike the stone chest with a gust of wind to blow out and suck up a couple hundred medallions.

When depleted to 70% HP, it gets an extra trick while undead: It can plant itself by the chest and start sucking out even MORE medallions.

When it starts doing this, Sora needs to run up to its weapon and use the “Hinder” Reaction Command to spin around it, stopping the Medallion draining. This leads into “Loot Launch” which allows Sora to strike the heartless with its own weapon, scattering many of the medallions it had already consumed.

When the Grim Reaper is on its last legs, it will absorb ALL of the medallions and vanish into its burning skulls, supersizing the skulls so they can stomp all over the battlefield and send out fiery shockwaves. You just need to survive the onslaught.

Also, if you let it curse itself AGAIN at even lower HP, the Grim Reaper will counter the “Return” Reaction Command by planting itself near the chest to suck the returned medallions right back out, which can be used to bait it into an ideal position of using “Hinder” and “Loot Launch” to knock even MORE medallions out of it.

Defeating the Grim Reaper rewards Sora with a Magnet Element (upgrading “Magnet” to “Magnera”), Donald with Flare Force (Grants Sora access to Donald’s “Duck Flare” limit command. Donald rides on Sora’s shoulders, granting him the “Rocket Flare” Reaction Command. “Rocket Flare” sends a series of target-seeking rockets. Using Rocket Flare four times grants “Megaduck Flare” the finishing move. Donald conjures a barrage of firework rockets to home in on a single enemy and damage all the surrounding ones), Goofy gets +4 Max HP, and Jack Sparrow gets +15 Max HP.

Defeating the Heartless did indeed break the curse on Jack, but Luxord was still able to capture the Grim Reaper’s captive heart after it was defeated.

“Sora, bravo!” he praises, before vanishing into a Corridor of Darkness.

Jack Sparrow asks what his deal is, and Sora explains that he’s part of an Organization that’s collecting hearts.

“First, they release Heartless into different worlds,” Sora explains, “We defeat those Heartless. Then, they get the hearts.

“We’re never gonna stop them like this!”

“What’s the plan, then?” Jack Sparrow asks.

“We’ve got to find their stronghold and finish them off once and for all,” Sora declares.

Jack Sparrow answers, truthfully, that it’s probably the strangest tale he’s ever heard.

Will and Elizabeth ask what they can do to help, and Jack notes that there’s something they CAN do to make Sora’s job a little easier.

As the camera fades out, Secret Ansem’s Report 6 is unlocked:

My choice to befriend darkness here in the midst of nothingness was a sound one.

The moment I stared straight ahead with a calm heart, neither rejecting darkness nor fearing it, I gained a newfound power.

A superhuman power—the power of darkness.

It is likely Xehanort and the others were enraptured by this power, eventually becoming its prisoners.

I do not intend to allow my heart to be devoured by the darkness, as they did, of course.

With this new power, I uncovered a "corridor of darkness” that connects the realm of nothingness to the outside world. While it is still difficult to come and go as I please, my banishment is now a thing of the past.

To deceive Xehanort and my apprentices, I first used my power to change form before returning to the realm of light.

As I had suspected, Xehanort had become a Heartless.

Under my name, he commanded other Heartless in quests to snatch away the hearts of many different worlds.

At the center of the heart Xehanort has stolen was “Kingdom Hearts,” which attracts tremendous darkness itself and attempts to send any and all matter back into its depths.

The other five have disappeared. Have they become Heartless, like Xehanort?

Or did they vanish after Xehanort exploited them?

I became familiar with an unusual “entity” while pursuing the truth.

It is the soul and body that remain when a being loses its heart.

When a Heartless is born, these entities disappear from the realm of light, to be reborn as entirely new beings in a completely different realm.

Back on the high seas, Jack, Will, and Elizabeth dump the stone chest into the depths of the ocean, ensuring that it and its cursed gold will be forever lost to the abyss.

Organization XIII will never weaponize the curse again.

Jack Sparrow then claims that he only did this because he couldn’t have the Organization and the Heartless competing with pirates like him, with Elizabeth noting that they thought he was trying to help the townsfolk. Jack claims that a pirate always looks for profit first and foremost, and Sora jokingly notes that he thought he had turned over a new leaf.

“The question is, what’s beyond the leaf? Savvy?” Jack Sparrow replies.

Elizabeth realizes Jack wants a reward, and Jack confirms that he wants the Keyblade.

Sora acquiesces immediately, much to Jack’s confusion and suspicion, knowing immediately that there’s some kind of catch.

So, he’s not surprised at all when the Keyblade magically returns to Sora’s hand. While Sora implies that having the Black Pearl should be enough for Jack Sparrow, Jack just figures he can put together a pirate crew and take the Keyblade himself later on, figuring he’ll figure out a way to hold onto it for more than a fraction of a second by then. He notes that he’d like Will and Elizabeth to join his crew once he has the Keyblade, and Elizabeth agrees pretty much instantly, perhaps figuring that there’s no way Jack would ACTUALLY be able to take Sora’s Keyblade.

Goofy ponders that Jack might be able to wield a Keyblade himself someday, noting how similar he and Sora are (???).

“Are not!” Jack and Sora reply in perfect unison.

Cue everyone laughs ending!

Port Royal’s story closes on Jack Sparrow sailing the Black Pearl off into the distance as Will, Elizabeth, and Sora note that Jack’s the best pirate to ever sail the Spanish Main, “He’s a Pirate” playing in the background.

Back in Gummi Space, Chip and Dale pick up the same weird reading from before, noting that it gets stronger every time Sora helps somebody.

With that, Agrabah and Halloween Town have been reunlocked.

And with Magnera, we can continue Atlantica’s story. (Behind Atlantica, a massive city the size of five worlds is slowly becoming visible.) Next time, it’s back to Atlantica.

Honestly I like this boss battle.

Don’t get me wrong it sounds like absolute hell to playthrough but the mechanics, in theory, are neat!

Also Jack being sure that if anyone could go off on their own and save the day it’d be Elizabeth.

#submission

7 notes · View notes

nrhartauthor · 2 years

Photo

“Only soulmates can hear your thoughts.” Twin Flame Love, a winter season N.R.Hart © 2022 Twin Flame Love 🔥 now available to order! Link in my stories 🛍🎄 “Legend has it there is always a reason why souls meet.” N.R.Hart I wanted to write a fairytale , a love story and a romance novel all in one. 📖👑 N.R.Hart. ♥️♥️♥️ Twin Flame Love by N.R.Hart This book will be for anyone who has shared a sacred bond - an unexplainable bond - an unbreakable bond. a soulmate or twin flame experience. This poetry will reflect this special bond. “An ancient bond between souls.” ©2022 N.R.Hart]] 🕊 🕊🕊 • Poetry and Pearls I & II are in full color 🌈 with all my original floral posters inside divided into the four seasons Winter Spring Summer Autumn because I feel there are seasons of the heart too. 💗 These books are beautiful works of art.🍃 • Love Poems to No One ,Beauty and her Beast, The Last of the Romantics 🌹 beautiful rose floral hard covers in black including all my original black & white posters divided into the four seasons Winter Spring Summer Autumn. The perfect little size to carry with you everywhere. 🍃🍃🍃 These books are a trilogy series. Pick up your copy today. You will want the set! 👉🏻 If you have pictures of my books please tag me. I love seeing where my books end up around the world 🌎 Thank you! Love, N.R.Hart ❤️ All my books are available @amazon https://www.amazon.com/poetry-pearls-romantic-n-hart/dp/1512179272/ https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Pearls-Romantic-II/dp/0578428660/ https://www.amazon.com/Love-Poems-No-One-Romantic/dp/0578451166/ https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Her-Beast-Romantic-Poetry/dp/0578616440/ https://www.amazon.com/Last-Romantics-Romantic-Poetry/dp/0692168591/ https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Flame-Love-Soulmate-Poetry/dp/B0BND3GH3W/ #nrhart #nrhartpoetry #nrhartbeautyandthebeast #poetryandpearls #lovepoemstonoone #beautyandherbeast #thelastoftheromantics (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmX9_fXsxAY/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#nrhart #nrhartpoetry #nrhartbeautyandthebeast #poetryandpearls #lovepoemstonoone #beautyandherbeast #thelastoftheromantics

71 notes · View notes

nanshe-of-nina · 2 years

Photo

Favorite History Books || Isabella of France: The Rebel Queen by Kathryn Warner ★★★★☆

Isabella of France (c. 1295–1358), who married Edward II in January 1308, is one of the most notorious women in English history. In 1325/26, sent to her homeland to negotiate a peace settlement to end the war between her husband and her brother Charles IV of France, Isabella refused to return to England. She began a relationship with her husband’s deadliest enemy, the English baron Roger Mortimer, and with her son the king’s heir under their control, the pair led an invasion of England which ultimately resulted in Edward II’s forced abdication in January 1327. Isabella and Mortimer ruled England during the minority of her and Edward II’s son Edward III, until the young king overthrew the pair in October 1330, took over the governance of his own kingdom and had Mortimer hanged at Tyburn and his mother sent away to a forced but honourable retirement. Edward II, meanwhile, had died under mysterious circumstances – at least according to traditional accounts – while in captivity at Berkeley Castle in September 1327.

Though she was mostly popular and admired by her contemporaries, her disastrous period of rule from 1327 to 1330 notwithstanding, Isabella’s posthumous reputation reached a nadir centuries after her death when she was condemned as a wicked, unnatural ‘she-wolf’, adulteress and murderess by writers incensed that a woman would rebel against her own spouse and have him killed in dreadful fashion, or at least stand by in silence as it happened (the infamous and often-repeated ‘red-hot poker’ story of Edward II’s demise is a myth, but widely believed from the late fourteenth century until the present day). Isabella’s relationship with Roger Mortimer and her alleged sexual immorality, as well as her frequently presumed but never proved role in her husband’s murder, became a stick often used to beat her with; a typical piece of Victorian moralising by Agnes Strickland declared that ‘no queen of England has left such a stain on the annals of female royalty, as the consort of Edward II, Isabella of France’. Strickland’s work divided the queens of England, seemingly fairly arbitrarily, into the ‘good’ ones such as Eleanor of Castile and Philippa of Hainault, and the ‘bad’ ones such as Eleanor of Provence; Isabella of France, naturally, fell into the second category. Her reputation fared poorly between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, and well into the twentieth: in the early 1590s the playwright Christopher Marlowe called her ‘that unnatural queen, false Isabel’, a 1757 poem by Thomas Gray was the first to apply the ridiculous ‘she-wolf’ nickname (which had been invented by Shakespeare for Henry VI’s queen Margaret of Anjou) to her, and in 1958, exactly 600 years after her death, Isabella was still being called ‘the most wicked of English queens’. The French nickname sometimes used for her, la Louve de France – the title of a 1950s novel about her by Maurice Druon – is simply the translation of the English word ‘she-wolf’ and has no historical basis whatsoever. (Although it is sometimes claimed nowadays that Edward II himself, or his favourite Hugh Despenser the Younger, called Isabella a ‘she-wolf’, this is not true; one fourteenth-century chronicler, Geoffrey le Baker, called her Jezebel, a play on her name, but otherwise no unpleasant nicknames for her are recorded until a few centuries after she died.) An academic work of 1983 unkindly calls Isabella a ‘whore’, and a non-fiction book published as late as 2003 depicts her as incredibly beautiful and desirable but also murderous, vicious and scheming, and claims without evidence that she ‘had murder in her heart’ towards her husband in 1326/27, called for his execution and was ‘secretly delighted’ when she heard of his death. Her contemporaries were mostly kinder. With the notable exception of Geoffrey le Baker in the 1350s, who was trying to promote Edward II as a saint and who detested Isabella, calling her an ‘iron virago’ as well as ‘Jezebel’, fourteenth-century chroniclers generally treated her well, and it is certainly not the case, as is sometimes claimed nowadays, that they called her a ‘whore’ or anything equally ugly and harsh because of her liaison with Roger Mortimer. Most fourteenth-century chroniclers seem uncertain whether Isabella even had an affair with Mortimer at all, and a few depict the two merely as political allies and call Mortimer Isabella’s ‘chief counsellor’, which may be a more accurate portrayal of their association than the romanticised accounts so prevalent in modern writing. In the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, writers have mostly been keen to write Isabella sympathetically and rescue her from the unfair calumnies heaped on her head for so long – an impulse to be applauded – but in doing so have tended to go too far in the opposite direction. As a result, Isabella is depicted nowadays as a tragic, long-suffering victim of marital cruelty, impoverished and deprived of her children, who is miraculously transformed in 1326/27 into a strong, empowered feminist heroine bravely fighting to end the oppression of her husband’s subjects and to get her children back. This is no more accurate than the old tendency to write her as an evil she-wolf.

Portrayals of Isabella of France down the centuries say far more about the societies that produced them and the prevailing attitudes towards women and their sexuality, in particular women who step outside the bounds of traditionally conventional behaviour, than they do about Isabella herself. For all the piles of chronicles, non-fiction books, novels, plays, poems and articles written about the queen over the last 700 years, have we come close to knowing the real Isabella at all, or has she only ever been an image of what we think she must have been like, formed from our own experiences and cultural expectations? Can we discover the real Isabella underneath the centuries of myth? The queen would surely not recognise herself and the events of her life in the way she has so often been portrayed: either as a malevolent and vengeful murderer, or as a despondent martyr treated appallingly for many years by her despised husband and his lovers, or as a time-traveller parachuted into the Middle Ages from the twenty-first century with modern attitudes towards sexual equality. Isabella was far more complex: neither wicked nor saintly, she was a fascinating human being with both excellent qualities and flaws, who did laudable things and other things not so praiseworthy. She was a product of her time and place – Europe in the fourteenth century – intensely proud of her royal birth and high position, steeped in Christianity, taught that she must marry in a political alliance to benefit her father’s kingdom and happy to do so, taught also that she must obey her husband and bear his children.

#historyedit #litedit #isabella of france #house of capet #house of plantagenet #medieval #french history #english history #european history #women's history #history #nanshe's graphics #history books

82 notes · View notes

2dou · 3 months

Text

people you'd like to know better!

hello beloved mutual @skijjiki <3 thank u for tagging me!

3 ships:

ONLY THREE..... OKAY....

gnawing on my arm nobody judge me but

narumitsu: (let's see those molars besties) these guys have had me in a choke hold since like October of 2021??? big fan of like how deeply unhinged they both are. they're perfect for each other in that way. i have almost 400 bookmarked fics for these guys on AO3. this is The Most fics i have bookmarked for ANY pairing.

wangxian: i LOVE mxtx's novels im a big fan of the main pairings in each series but these two are near and dear to my heart,,,, the misunderstandings and miscommunication.... the tension.... THE CONFESSION SCENE. HELLO. who is doing it like these two freaks genuinely. i miss them so bad

klapollo: ace attorney brainrot real these guys are everything to me. fucking HELLO. i love that apollo is the most insane little freak in this series. he has magic eyes and he has like three dads but he is fully convinced he's the normal one. hilarious that hes easily dazzled by Klavier and acknowledges it regularly but cannot clock the fact that Klavier wants him carnally

first ship: realistically, probably like Kim possible/Ron stoppable. remember the movie. i sure don't but i DO remember freaking out over those two kissing. HOWEVER. i think the first ship I actively looked up fanfiction and fanart for was uhhhh cat guy and the mc from fruits basket when i was like 11

Last song: deco*27 the vampire

currently reading: crooked kingdom since my library loan is due in like 5 days; also want to finish harrow since I'm borrowing a physical copy from my friend and i CANNOT hold onto this book for 4 months like i did when I borrowed six of crows from my coworker

last film: i think it was a quiet place part II? according to a note on my phone:

a quiet place! and part 2 they were sooo good i love experiencing tension when watching horror movies and a lot of the time i don't! pleasantly surprised by john krasinskis foray into horror

wow i had feelings about those movies. i haven't watched a single movie since those lmao

currently craving: pulled pork..... i mean I'm probably going to have this for dinner in a minute but i am So Hungry lol (i had it... it good)

tagging @averagemartian @piedbirb @ethanhuntfemmefatale and anyone who wanna do it mutuals or not

#shoosh vale #tag game #i have GOT to read the books howls moving castle is based on #I've heard great things about them

4 notes · View notes

queerstuffonscreen · 8 months

Text

Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017) [I]

Episode length: 40-45 min.

Country: USA

Genre: Drama, Mystery

Language: English

Based on the Pretty Little Liars series of young adult novels by Sara Shepard, the series follows the lives of four girls — Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily — whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their queen bee, Alison. One year later, they begin receiving messages from someone using the name "A" who threatens to expose their secrets — including long-hidden ones they thought only Alison knew.

Season 1

Episode 1: Pilot

Episode 2: The Jenna Thing

Episode 3: To Kill a Mocking Girl

Episode 4: Can You Hear Me Now?

Episode 5: Reality Bites Me

Episode 6: There's No Place Like Homecoming

Episode 7: The Homecoming Hangover

Episode 8: Please, Do Talk About Me When I'm Gone

Episode 9: The Perfect Storm

Episode 10: Keep Your Friends Close

Episode 11: Moments Later

Episode 12: Salt Meets Wound

Episode 13: Know Your Frenemies

Episode 14: Careful What U Wish 4

Episode 15: If at First You Don't Succeed, Lie, Lie Again

Episode 16: Je Suis Une Amie

Episode 17: The New Normal

Episode 18: The Bad Seed

Episode 19: A Person of Interest

Episode 20: Someone to Watch Over Me

Episode 21: Monsters in the End

Episode 22: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Season 2

Episode 1: It's Alive

Episode 2: The Goodbye Look

Episode 3: My Name Is Trouble

Episode 4: Blind Dates

Episode 5: The Devil You Know

Episode 6: Never Letting Go

Episode 7: Surface Tension

Episode 8: Save the Date

Episode 9: Picture This

Episode 10: Touched by an A-ngel

Episode 11: I Must Confess

Episode 12: Over My Dead Body

Episode 13: The First Secret

Episode 14: Through Many Dangers, Toils and Snares

Episode 15: A Hot Piece of 'A'

Episode 16: Let the Water Hold Me Down

Episode 17: Blond Leading the Blind

Episode 18: A Kiss Before Lying

Episode 19: The Naked Truth

Episode 20: CTRL:A

Episode 21: Breaking the Code

Episode 22: Father Knows Best

Episode 23: Eye of the Beholder

Episode 24: If These Dolls Could Talk

Episode 25: UnmAsked

Season 3

Episode 1: It Happened 'That Night'

Episode 2: Blood is the New Black

Episode 3: Kingdom of the Blind

Episode 4: Birds of a Feather

Episode 5: That Girl Is Poison

Episode 6: The Remains of the 'A'

Episode 7: Crazy

Episode 8: Stolen Kisses

Episode 9: The Kahn Game

Episode 10: What Lies Beneath

Episode 11: Single Fright Female

Episode 12: The Lady Killer

Episode 13: This is a Dark Ride

Episode 14: She's Better Now

Episode 15: Mona Mania

Episode 16: Misery Loves Company

Episode 17: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Inferno

Episode 18: Dead to Me

Episode 19: What Becomes of the Broken Hearted

Episode 20: Hot Water

Episode 21: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Episode 22: Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

Episode 23: I'm Your Puppet

Episode 24: A DAngerous GAme

Season 4

Episode 1: 'A' is for A-l-i-v-e

Episode 2: Turn of the Shoe

Episode 3: Cat's Cradle

Episode 4: Face Time

Episode 5: Gamma Zeta Die!

Episode 6: Under the Gun

Episode 7: Crash and Burn, Girl!

Episode 8: The Guilty Girl's Handbook

Episode 9: Into the Deep

Episode 10: The Mirror Has Three Faces

Episode 11: Bring Down the Hoe

Episode 12: Now You See Me, Now You Don't

Episode 13: Grave New World

Episode 14: Who's in the Box?

Episode 15: Love ShAck, Baby

Episode 16: Close Encounters

Episode 17: Bite Your Tongue

Episode 18: Hot for Teacher

Episode 19: Shadow Play

Episode 20: Free Fall

Episode 21: She's Come Undone

Episode 22: Cover for Me

Episode 23: Unbridled

Episode 24: 'A' is for Answers

Watch on HBO Max or Hulu

See Pretty Little Liars post II season 5-7

3 notes · View notes

dan6085 · 8 months

Text

Here are some TV series with high ratings from Rotten Tomatoes:

1. **"Breaking Bad" (2008-2013):** A high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine producer teams up with a former student. (Rating: 96%)

2. **"The Wire" (2002-2008):** Explores the city of Baltimore and its relationship with politics, media, schools, and the maritime industry. (Rating: 94%)

3. **"The Sopranos" (1999-2007):** Follows the life of mob boss Tony Soprano as he tries to balance the demands of his crime family with his personal life. (Rating: 92%)

4. **"Fargo" (2014-present):** Inspired by the film, each season features new characters and storylines, all connected by crime and moral dilemmas. (Rating: 94%)

5. **"Better Call Saul" (2015-present):** A prequel to "Breaking Bad," focusing on the evolution of the character Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer. (Rating: 97%)

6. **"Game of Thrones" (2011-2019):** Based on George R.R. Martin's novels, it explores the power struggles among noble families as they attempt to control the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. (Rating: 89%)

7. **"Stranger Things" (2016-present):** Set in the 1980s, a group of kids in a small town encounters supernatural forces and government conspiracies. (Rating: 87%)

8. **"Black Mirror" (2011-present):** Anthology series exploring the dark side of technology and its impact on society. (Rating: 83%)

9. **"The Crown" (2016-2022):** Chronicles the reign of Queen Elizabeth II from her wedding in 1947 through present day. (Rating: 90%)

10. **"Mindhunter" (2017-2019):** FBI agents investigate and understand serial killers by interviewing them and applying psychology. (Rating: 97%)

11. **"BoJack Horseman" (2014-2020):** An animated series following the life of an anthropomorphic horse actor dealing with self-worth, addiction, and relationships. (Rating: 93%)

12. **"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (2017-present):** A housewife in the 1950s discovers her talent for stand-up comedy and pursues a career in the male-dominated industry. (Rating: 86%)

13. **"Patriot" (2015-2018):** An intelligence officer tries to prevent Iran from going nuclear, leading to various high-stakes and darkly comedic situations. (Rating: 91%)

14. **"One Day at a Time" (2017-2020):** A sitcom focusing on a Cuban-American family dealing with everyday life struggles. (Rating: 99%)

15. **"Sherlock" (2010-2017):** A modern adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes detective stories. (Rating: 78%)

16. **"Veep" (2012-2019):** Follows the life of former Senator Selina Meyer as she becomes the Vice President and later, the President of the United States. (Rating: 93%)

17. **"Westworld" (2016-present):** An amusement park for rich vacationers, the park is looked after by robotic hosts until they start malfunctioning. (Rating: 78%)

18. **"The Good Place" (2016-2020):** Afterlife comedy where a woman realizes she hasn't been a good person and tries to earn her spot in the "good place." (Rating: 97%)

19. **"Rick and Morty" (2013-present):** Animated series following the misadventures of an eccentric, alcoholic scientist and his good-hearted but easily influenced grandson. (Rating: 94%)

20. **"Chernobyl" (2019):** A historical drama miniseries depicting the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and its aftermath in the mid-1980s Soviet Union. (Rating: 96%)

Please check Rotten Tomatoes or other reliable sources for the most current ratings and reviews of these TV series.

2 notes · View notes

teapots-and-hats · 1 year

Text

List of Final Fantasies I have played (almost) until the end so far

Just putting this on screen so people know how much deep into one FF hell I am AKA how much I possibly know it's plot, characters and lore.

I also say "almost" cuz some I reached end boss but got too frustrated/tired to actually finish the game. Final Fantasy and spin-offs

Final Fantasy VII + Crisis Core + FF7R Intergrade

Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy X + FFX-2

Final Fantasy XII

Final Fantasy XIII + FFXIII-2

Final Fantasy XIV (up-to-date with current patch)

Final Fantasy XV + all DLCs + read Dawn to the Future Novel

Final Fantasy XVI + all DLCs

Final Fantasy Tactics

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Dissidia Final Fantasy + DFF Duodecim + Opera Omnia

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins (no DLC)

Not Final Fantasy but related / had crossover with FF:

Kingdom Hearts

Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories

Kingdom Hearts II

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance

Kingdom Hearts III

Fantasian

Bravely Default

Drakengard (haven't actually played but I got so fascinated by its lore I watched a gameplay for all of them... kinda regret doing that for DOD2)

NieR (I know the general plot and lore because I read some novel based on Replicant and went after the game's lore after finding out it was connected to Drakengard. I have both Automata and Replicant here waiting for me) + played Reincarnation

#final fantasy #games #personal #square enix

8 notes · View notes

forevermagik · 9 months

Text

13 video games to get to know me

vaguely tagged by @rarmaster. Sort of pulling from an old tweet thread about this. Ish. In sort of a particular order, but don't think too much about it.

Under the cut 'cause this is long

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - gave me feels about time shenanigans and destiny and stepping up to the plate and waiting for the person you care about and character growth and childhood friends. Also reincarnation and the self, and are you who you think you are, or are you who you were destined to be? Very much my shit. It's my favorite Zelda game.

FFVIII - also time shenanigans and destiny and proving destiny wrong and forging your own way and making your own luck and standing up for what you believe in. Also, there is something about the fact that my disc 3 (out of 4) was broken and I had to replace it 3 times just to get past the part on the moon so I could finish the game. Definitely makes it more special I think. The patience and dedication. (Also, I know a game has wrecked me when I'm writing fanfiction for it. And then taking characters from this game and putting them in other fanfiction. (Okay, it was Kingdom Hearts so it only kind of counts.) But I definitely added Rinoa to my KH long fic and have no regrets about it.)

Kingdom Hearts II - Yeah it was only a matter of time before something KH showed up on this list. I chose KHII because it's honestly my favorite to play. It's a really good balance of mechanics, controls, and skill that I feel other KH games don't necessarily have. Plus, I mean, somewhere between here and Days, I had enough ideas to start writing a longfic that basically is the length of 4+ novels.

Dragon Age Origins - I really enjoyed the concept of starting out in different places but coming to the same result in Ostagar. I loved making the best of a shitty situation and getting to know a bunch of people who were also coming from shitty situations but somehow we all were what it took to save the world. And my choices mattered! (Well, as much as they could in a BioWare game.) Also a game I wrote fanfic for - though never finished the fanfic. But that doesn't change the fact that sometimes I think about what would've happened if all the potential Wardens had lived.

Undertale - I feel like this one speaks for itself a fair bit. Being kind. Choosing mercy. The power of friendship. (Assuming you go that route.) But also, consequences of actions. Choosing to be good. The lesbians win. Sometimes a marriage isn't recoverable. Sometimes kids are just kids. The horror I felt when I realized how the game changed based on your kill count? Yeah, definitely restarted and figured out how to do a full pacifist run. Wrote fanfiction for this fandom too. A couple of shorter one shots. Because I like operating under a "what if everyone lives" sometimes.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Yes, another Zelda game. Twilight Princess is very much vibes for me. Another Link who steps up to the plate even though he was just a goat farmer. Zelda trying to reconcile her past. Midna's entire fucking existence. Also, there is so much that haunts the narrative in this game if you look hard enough. I want to know more about it. I don't want to know more about it. It's perfect as it is.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl - Play Subspace Emissary. I'm begging you. Epic team ups. Character development in a fighting game. Trying to save the world from a greater evil that's destroying everything. Former enemies setting aside their differences to wreck shit together. Some of my favorite moments include Peach and her tea and then Zelda also has tea. Also Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf deciding that the Big Bad is a bigger problem than their differences. So much good stuff here.

Thrillville - This game has everything. "You've inherited a park from your crazy uncle go manage it." It's a rhythm game, a side scroller, a coaster builder, a racing game, and so much more all packed into one. I spent way too much time getting every high score for the cheerleading mini game. Also Event Horizon is the best. I go back to this game for comfort.

Yoshi's Story - This is also a N64 game. I worked very very hard to get to the end of this game while keeping all of my Yoshi's alive. (Did I absolutely reset if I died so I didn't lose the Yoshi? You bet I did as soon as I learned I could do that.) I spent a ton of time trying to figure out how to unlock everything in that game (when the internet was still new for this sort of shit) and I *still* never managed it. I tell myself one day I will, but I probably won't.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Maybe it's cheating to say this game? It's also the newest game on here because I really focused on ones that were formative for me at a younger age. However, if there's one Zelda game I wish I could go back and play for the first time again, it's this one. That's it, that's the vibe.

Tetris 64 - I very specifically mean this one. There is something about making a square that makes my brain go BRRT. It makes happy noises. I play this game to destress. I remember racking up lines and building the 7 wonders of the world alongside my fam. It's good shit.

Shrek Super Party - Honestly, this one is about the fun memories of playing with my family. We would mimic the voices of the mirror and poke so much fun at each other while playing. We'd compete for high scores in some games, and just accept that others of us were just better at others. So so so much fun and a lot of fond memories attached to this game.

Mario Party 1 - Okay look, you're probably like, "magik, why are there not one, but TWO party games on here?" And my answer is that Mario Party 1 was the first game that my family and I played together that we actually like, worked for a common goal. (Tetris notwithstanding.) Like sure, we'd play racing games and stuff, but there was something about Mario Party when we got our 100 stars and then Bowser came to steal them and we played his map for the first time? And then Eternal Star? I have *vivid* memories of sitting on a chair with a TV tray in front of me with my food in one corner and the controller in another as I waited for my turn or mini games. And we all just sat there, playing a STORYLINE that hadn't been there until then. Except it had been? So, I mean, that is a very specific scenario to me. I cannot do that again for the first time. But that's okay.

Honorable mentions:

Mario Kart Double Dash - while this game doesn't have all my favorite Mario Kart tracks, there's something about the mechanics. Two racers, with power ups linked to racers. The ability to play two people one kart?!? Wild. The mindmeld required to do that and the experiences I had playing with my friend and sibling growing up. Also, Baby Park is insane.

Super Mario 64 - I played this game a lot with my friend as a kid. We shared a save file. My younger sibling was not a fan of seeing this game in their dreams because they watched us play it all the freaking time. We just worked to get gud and beat the game. Before school. After school. Over the summer. It was like, goals.

Mario Party 2 - Costume changes based on the worlds. That is all.

Some non-video game media that fucking rewired my brain that you should consider:

Owl House - I have not been this wrecked over a TV show in years. I have not been this wrecked over media in years. But if you haven't noticed, it's been Owl House hours on my blog for the past several weeks and that's not stopping in the near future either. But there's something about seeing myself in Eda. Along with the tight writing. The excellent magic system. The characters. The parallels. Everything.

New Who - I specifically mean doctors 9-11. Tennant was like, my favorite doctor. But 9 has some amazing episodes. And River, another of my beloveds, is primarily featured with 11.

Middlegame - Time. Loops. Siblings. TIMELOOPS. Dodger, I love her.

So You Want to Be a Wizard - Technically, I wasn't really wrecked until much later in the series, but the way magic works in this universe is fantastic. Also, I so wanted to be Nita and find a manual like she did. Alas, I did not. So instead I write my own stories.

Mistborn - Listen, you do not read all three of Era 1 in three days, make a shitton of playlists, and think about it for hours on end and not say it didn't rewire your brain. (This is currently, effectively, what I am doing with Owl House apparently.)

Arcane - Again, siblings. The vibes. Victor. The will-they-won't-they between Caitlyn and Vi. The music. The vibes.

#13 games #video games

2 notes · View notes

oveliagirlhaditright · 1 year

Text

I remember when I used to read a lot of SoKai fanfiction in the 2006 era, a lot of people would write Sora with the dialogue, "Say, (someone or another)," even though he only ever said that once. LOL. But at least with the novel here, we can now argue that he's said the "Say, Kairi" thing twice.

#kh #kingdom hearts #sokai #parallels #sora #kairi #sora and kairi #kh1 #khi #kingdom hearts 1 #kingdom hearts i #kh novels #kingdom hearts novels #kingdom hearts 2 novel #kingdom hearts ii novel #tomoco kanemaki #also i should mention that i'm totally not calling out any fanfic authors with this of course! in fact. i did this myself i think. lol

17 notes · View notes

meltykarasu · 9 months

Text

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, The Novel review

Again written by Tomoco Kanemaki, illustrated by Shiro Amano.

The Bottom Line: A stellar adaptation by default, stripping the maligned gameplay systems from the series's most tightly written stories.

I'll try and break it down quickly: Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is oft spoken of with derision in the fanbase because of a strange gameplay system involving numerical cards filling in for attacking, magic, items, and abilities of prior titles. I, personally, really love the gameplay — especially of the GBA original, which is one of my top 3 games of all time — but can understand the frustration of new players who often bounce off the title and skip straight from Kingdom Hearts to Kingdom Hearts II, assuming that the portable spinoff is, like many handheld adaptations of console titles, a purely superfluous experience made to capture kids' hard-earned allowances.

This is a mistake.

Anyone who played II without playing Chain of Memories would have met with confusion at new characters and oblique references to the events of the game.

Chain of Memories is also one of the most tightly written stories in the franchise — owing partially to the then-lack of necessary prerequisite titles to play and the fact that it introduces much of its own lore.

It is a mystery story involving a castle whose floors take the form of remembered places and the sinister group occupying it, dealing thematically with repression of memory.

The group — Organization XIII — becomes the focus of the next small arc of games including II and the famously nonsensical title Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days.

There is an unfortunate side effect of how the game was written and therefore how this novel has to be written, that being the fact that every world here has to be from Sora's memory. You don't get any new Disney worlds or characters, and of the ones cut from the novelization of Kingdom Hearts, you won't be seeing them in this novel. This is a shame because the Halloween Town segment in Chain of Memories is a fantastic piece of writing that pushes thematically right up to the conclusion, and it's not present here.

However, the novel works incredibly well at getting into Sora's headspace and the uncertain nature of our own memory. As the individual world sets in the game could be tackled in any order, this could lead to a disconnect in how Sora acts, but with how the novel is structured, there is a clear throughline of narrative intent.

The novel is split into thirds — two covering Sora's story, and one covering the Riku-centered Reverse/Rebirth mode from the original game, discussing what exactly Riku was doing during Sora's plot. As the gameplay of this mode was largely filler, they add multiple scenes — creating dialogues at times or providing additional viewpoints on the events previously depicted.

The translation remains very good and, because I'm a pedant about these things, I want to highlight that the translator used both the GBA and PS2 localizations, which have slight differences in lines, and chose which lines felt more effective for dialogue purposes.

Would I Suggest Reading This Over Playing The Game:

This is a difficult one because I adore Chain of Memories, but yes.

Chain of Memories does a poor job of explaining its gameplay systems to the point that it is an active detriment to itself, but the story is one of the best — you'll notice I've tiptoed around spoiling literally anything about the plot.

What it subtracts isn't noticeable — you'll, well, forget all about it for the sake of the tightening of the remainder of the plot.

#meltylnreviews

2 notes · View notes

princess-of-the-corner · 2 days

Text

Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix Recap: Agrabah (Only Second Rate)

Okay so… It turns out that Agrabah has the lower battle level, so we’ll actually be heading over there first.

If you did NOT clear Agrabah’s first episode before clearing the Battle of 1000 Heartless, you’ll be forced to play through it NOW instead, at which point the second episode will unlock.

Remember how the first game would change some cutscenes in skippable worlds to reflect Maleficent’s and Riku’s current states in the story? Maleficent disappearing from cutscenes in Olympus Coliseum and Monstro after her death, and Riku’s and Sora’s interactions in Monstro becoming FAR more hostile if you put its story off for long enough?

Yeah, KH2 doesn’t do that, so Pete will STILL be antagonizing Sora and causing trouble even though they’re supposed to be allies against Organization XIII.

And turning Jafar into a Heartless would be counterintuitive to working together against Organization XIII.

Oops.

Anyways, upon disembarking in Agrabah (assuming you’ve cleared the first episode), the first thing the player sees is red smoke billowing out of the concrete box Jafar’s lamp had been sealed in last time we were here.

The Peddler, here a distinct character from the Genie, is on the ground, trembling before the thunderous smoke, Jafar’s no doubt empty lamp laying on the floor next to him.

Iago flies into the dungeon to check in on all the ruckus, just in time to see the newly freed Jafar bellowing with laughter at his newfound freedom.

Jafar stops laughing and turns to Iago.

The camera zips up and out through the boarded-up ceiling of the dungeon as Iago screams in fright.

We cut the Peddler’s shop in a textbox cutscene, which now has gilded walls, a gilded roof, and a gilded floor. The shelves are stocked with valuable treasures, there are piles of gold coins behind the counter, and the Peddler also has a giant, bejeweled trophy that’s roughly the same size as Sora for some reason.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy beam right in there for some reason.

Donald looks around, surprised by how spiffy and shiny everything is, only to bump into a valuable-looking vase/urn/pot (not sure which).

“You break it, you buy it!” the Peddler warns, before noticing it’s just Sora, Donald, and Goofy, at which point he casually greets them.

Sora remarks that he made out like a bandit, but the guy we JUST saw release an evil genie insists he is just an honest merchant who earned all of this through hard work. Which I guess is… Theoretically possible… Given that the only other people who could POSSIBLY be paying customers are Princess Jasmine and Aladdin. Possibly the Genie if he doesn’t feel like magicking something he wants into existence. So, he could PROBABLY make a killing by virtue of being the only other person in town, and the only one selling anything.

Goofy remarks that everything certainly looks nice, and the Peddler reveals that everything is on sale.

Sora decides to cut to the chase, asking if the Peddler’s seen anyone in a Black Coat, hoping to learn if Organization XIII had been there.

The Peddler denies it, and thus Sora and co decide to keep looking.

We then fade into a voice-acted cutscene, where Aladdin, Abu, and Iago barge in.

“Sora! Don’t let him get away!” Aladdin shouts as Abu charges the Peddler, who somehow managed to escape.

Sora asks what’s going on, and Aladdin reveals that the Peddler released Jafar from his lamp.

Cue Sora flashing back to a bunch of Jafar scenes that never happened in Kingdom Hearts I, Chain of Memories, their Manga adaptations and novelizations, or any Aladdin media unaffiliated with Kingdom Hearts. Even though we had flashbacks to KH1!Agrabah in Roxas’ prologue. But hey, the Bandit Heartless from KH1 and COM appear here, so that’s a neat touch!

We then fade back to a textbox cutscene as Aladdin warns SDG to be careful.

“Jafar may be out to take over Agrabah again,” he explains, “But I’m sure he wants revenge too.”

Sora remarks that he’s probably still sore about the whole “getting sealed in a lamp for all eternity” thing.

Aladdin elaborates that Iago saw the whole thing, and tells him to spill it.

Iago insists that he’s already told Aladdin everything he knows.

Aladdin threatens to never talk to Iago again if he’s being dishonest, and that gets Iago to admit that he knows where Jafar is.

When asked to elaborate, Iago starts tripping over his tongue, but at Aladdin’s urging, he says Jafar’s at the Desert Ruins.

Sora declares they can get the jump on him, and tells Iago to lead the way.

Aladdin has rejoined the party!

Inside the Peddler’s remodeled shop is Vexen’s Absent Silhouette. The LAST Absent Silhouette.

Challenging it transports Sora, Donald, and Goofy to the sight of Vexen’s final battle: The Re:Chain of Memories version of the Old Mansion’s gate.

The Absent Silhouette transforms into Vexen in a flash of ice, and Vexen telekinetically levitates his shield in front of him.

His opening move is to surround Sora with a stream of data and encase him in a block of ice. In order to escape, the player must use the “Struggle” Reaction Command 10 times, which will produce the “Smash” Reaction Command. “Smash” prompts Sora to shatter the ice.

Vexen, however, is completely invincible, meaning Sora, Donald, and Goofy will have to chip away at his shield’s HP before they can damage him.

Worse yet, at all times, an Organization Sigil is crawling along the ground, and will scan Sora’s data whenever it’s below Sora’s feet. Vexen can teleport the sigil directly to Sora by freezing him, forcing the player to break out of the ice all over again.

There’s a data bar in the upper corner of the screen. It starts at 0, but if it’s filled, it’ll increase to 1.

When that happens, Vexen will spawn a Replica of Sora’s Anti Form, known as “Clone Sora”. Just like Sora’s Anti Form, it can instantly zip to Sora’s location and hack at him with its claws. Worse, this animalistic copy will get MORE health every time the Data “levels up”. If it’s destroyed, then the level-up will instead revive it with the boosted health it would’ve gotten if it had still been alive.

Fortunately, the Data Level caps out at 5.

Additionally, Vexen can summon various Ice Attacks both when he’s been disarmed, and will restore his shield after retaliating, so be careful.

Vexen’s Shield and Clone Sora are both considered bosses, and as such can only be defeated by Finishers, Limits, and/or magic. None of which Sora has access to in Anti Form, which he has an increased chance of entering when using Drive Forms due to Vexen being an Organization member.

Additionally, Clone Sora can FUSE with the Shield to perform powerful attacks, in a dark mockery of Drive Forms, so be aware of that.

When Vexen is defeated, his absent silhouette fades into snowflakes.

Sora’s rewarded an Armor Slot, Donald +3 Max HP, and Goofy and Item slot.

Additionally, it leaves behind a Lost Illusion and the “Road to Discovery” recipe (1 Lost Illusion, 1 Tranquility Crystal, 3 Tranquility Gems, 5 Tranquility Stones, and 7 Tranquility Shards). This recipe allows the Moogles to synthesize Vexen’s Shield, Frozen Pride, meaning Goofy can carry the weapon of a guy who was violently immolated in front of Sora about a year ago!

…

Anyways, in order to progress to the Desert Ruins, you need to exit the city through the front gates.

Upon getting there, our heroes discover (in a voice-acted cutscene) that the Desert Ruins are covered in a raging and suspiciously localized sandstorm.

Iago very loudly and hammily (even for him) suggests that they’re gonna have to turn back now.

Aladdin instead remarks that they’ll have to find another way, to the ruins, at which point the Genie zips in from out of nowhere to remind him that his best friend is a reality-warping genie who can EASILY wipe a little sandstorm away.

“Want to see a little something I like to call ‘Sandstorm Sweep’?”

SDG all answer to the affirmative.

“Take it away, Genie!” Aladdin encourages.

The Genie prepares to hammily end the sandstorm, only to get disappointed when he sees that it’s JUST a massive, localized sandstorm covering an oddly specific region of the desert, remarking that just “one lousy sandstorm” is too easy, proving his point by poking the air behind his head without even FACING it.

The magic zips on over, swirls around and encompasses the entire whirlwind of sand, and casually dissipates it.

SDG and Aladdin are no less wowed, and Iago annoyed, and the quintet swiftly realize that the Genie vanished while they weren’t looking.

“How about giving me a challenge next time, eh Al?” a genuinely board and somewhat stir-crazy Genie requests.

Just head in the direction of the ruins from the Palace Wall to skip past the boring desert travel.

Our heroes arrive at a mound that overlooks the ruins, which are all askewed at weird angles and partially buried in a MASSIVE pit/crater in the middle of the desert, which’ll make traversing them rather tricky.

“Now what’ll we do?” Aladdin asks.

The Magic Carpet swoops in from out of nowhere to give them a ride.

“Nice timing, Carpet!” Sora greets/lampshades.

Sora hops into Carpet and flies down into the valley/pit/crater, and a watery shadow of Jafar’s sorcerer/vizier form materializes in a puff of shadow as Agrabah’s battle theme starts playing.

Now it’s time for THIS game’s Magic Carpet ride!

Use the left shoulder button to lock the commands and control the camera, and the right shoulder button to lock the camera and control the command menu.

Sora can use the attack button to attack enemies from a distance. The left stick moves Sora front, back, left, and right, while the right stick moves Sora up and down.

As soon as Sora flies near Jafar’s shadow, it teleports away, seals Sora inside a box of invisible barriers, and spawns in a swarm of Rapid Thrusters.

Sora can use the attack button to charge an enemy from a distance, and still has access to his magic via the Command Menu. If he jumps, he’ll land back on the Carpet. Basically, his gameplay is almost identical to his on-foot gameplay, you’re just controlling his movement with the Magic Carpet instead of moving Sora around.

As soon as the last Heartless falls, the barriers drop, and Jafar’s shadow reappears.

You now have to chase it around the ruins.

Whenever Sora gets close enough for the targeting reticle to appear, Jafar’s shadow will fly to its next “stopping point”. Sometimes, when his shadow reaches these points, Jafar will start channeling his magic through it to cast a spell. It will not flee while doing this, allowing Sora to interrupt the spell by attacking it, though this will prompt it to flee to its next stopping point.

When Sora corners it in front of an invisible barrier, Jafar will drop the barrier and have his Shadow flee through narrow valley/corridor to a large tower in the middle of a sinkhole/sandpit (I don’t know my terminology), sending flying Heartless at Sora to try and slow him down. You don’t have to defeat them, you JUST have to reach Jafar’s shadow on the roof of the tower.

Jafar’s shadow will then cast a barrier over the roof of the tower, locking Sora in with a bunch of flying Heartless, and then vanish in a puff of darkness. The barrier will not drop until all of the Heartless have been destroyed.

After that’s done, a monument will appear on top of the tower in a puff of darkness. Examining it with a Reaction Command reveals three pictures of various “switches”. These “switches” consists of sets of floating orbs at various points in the ruined city, and Sora has to use different spells to hit all of them at once. Fira if they’re a ring, Blizzara if they’re a horizontal line, and Thundara if they’re in a vertical line. Be warned, they HAVE to line up so the spell will hit all of them in one blast, and they start out in a “3D diamond” formation until Sora gets close to them. There are three Switches total, and each of them will require a different spell.

They get color coded when you’re close, so it’s more about timing and defeating the nearby Heartless so they don’t get in the way.

When all three switches are hit, a doorway into the tower opens in a flash of light, and Sora is given 45 seconds to get in.

Entering the tower takes Sora, Donald, Goofy, Aladdin, and Iago to the “Ruined Chamber”, which has a Save Point, a large chest containing a map of the Ruins, a second large chest that contains the final Torn Pages, and all of your party members as NPC’s you can interact with.

Going deeper into the Ruined Chamber reveals that Jafar isn’t there.

Some nudging from Aladdin and Donald gets Iago to fess up: Jafar intimidated Iago into luring Aladdin, Sora, Donald, and Goofy to the ruins. (Thus, why Iago was so reluctant to say anything back at the Peddler’s Shop, he was debating whether or not to tell the truth in that moment, but his fear of Jafar won out. Him suggesting they turn back was him trying to NOT go through with it without blatantly defying Jafar’s will.)

Iago was too afraid of Jafar to NOT go along with it, but Aladdin cuts off Iago from disclosing what Jafar THREATENED to do to instead ask where he ACTUALLY is.

Iago, still terrified of what Jafar might do to him, but also feeling guilty, admits that Jafar is PROBABLY attacking the palace now that all of his enemies are sufficiently distracted, and then goes right into describing how scary Jafar’s eyes were, but nobody’s having any of it.

Sora points out that Iago can’t really be their friend if he’s trying to play both sides just to save himself, so it’s clear that at this point they KNOW he cares enough about their opinions for that to actually sting.

Iago, while backing away from the others as they tell him off, accidentally triggers a trap, causing the entire ruined city to start rumbling.

The Magic Carpet swoops in to take them away, and we get an on-the rails escape sequence ala KH1’s trip to Agrabah.

Unlike that one, however, Sora isn’t flying out of a cave, so we instead get the carpet swooping around and between buildings and diving near the ground for no apparent reason.

Waves of Heartless appear to impede Sora’s escape, and they get sent flying away on the blow that gets them into low HP, causing them to go splat (or well, “poof” since they’re made of metaphysical vapors instead of squishy guts) against the first hard surface they hit. Heartless can also be knocked into each other to deal damage, which is the only way Sora can take out the Fat Bandits that spawn.

Additionally, some of the towers topple over when Sora flies near them (though the carpet will always maneuver Sora out of the way before he can get hurt), again making me question why the Magic Carpet is going for the scenic route instead of taking them straight for Agrabah. It makes for a fun gameplay sequence, but a VERY confusing story sequence.

Anyways, the Carpet collapses form exhaustion once they reach the Palace Walls, and Aladdin tells it to rest up.

Iago tries to rally everyone up to go get Jafar, but they’re all still mad at him.

Reminder, the Palace Walls should PROBABLY be called the city walls instead, as the gate just leads to the Bazaar, so you’ll have to go through there first.

Past the Bazaar is Agrabah (again, confusing names are confusing), and just outside of the loading zone for the palace is the Peddler.

You have to use the “Interrogate” Reaction Command to progress the story in a textbox cutscene.

The Peddler instantly realizes they’ve caught on to his tricks, but is more of a gracious loser about the whole ordeal, agreeing with Sora when he says that you can’t keep shady stuff a secret for long, and helpfully explains everything:

He had snuck into the palace to “borrow” some treasure, when he heard a voice.

The voice had ordered the Peddler to “Release me!” and claimed to be the TRUE Sultan of Agrabah when the Peddler asked who he was.

The Peddler laments having fallen for such a tall tale, proposing that he must’ve been under Jafar’s spell.

Sora sarcastically asks if he’s SURE the treasure had nothing to do with it, and the Peddler, to his credit, admits it MIGHT have influenced him a LITTLE bit.

“But Jafar, he never gave me a thing…” the Peddler continues.

Sora wants to know where he got the treasure from then, and the Peddler explains he got it from a man in a black coat.

Organization XIII had, for whatever reason, bribed him to tell no one of Jafar’s return, as they claimed they would turn Jafar into a Heartless and destroy him, thus meaning there was no reason to worry Agrabah.

Sora is just incredulous that the Peddler bought that.

The Peddler reminds Sora that he’s a merchant, and thus will buy anything if the price is right. He points out that the only reason the transaction fell through is because Iago had seen him release Jafar.

“Oh, you’re so kind…” Iago replies (possibly sarcastically, there’s no voice acting so I have no clue), before sulking/sighing when SDG+Aladdin just turn to look at him.

You can now continue to the palace, where Jafar has chained Jasmine to the door.

“Just wait, Jafar!” Jasmine snaps, “You’ll get exactly what’s coming to you!”

“Indeed I will, Princess…” Jafar agrees, “All of Agrabah will belong to me, while you…” He laughs. “You my queen, shall weep at my side for all eternity!”

Jasmine pulls on her chains and tries to glance over Jafar’s shoulder.

Jafar glances back (just in case), before turning his attention back to Jasmine.

“Right about now…” he grabs her chin, “Your precious Aladdin is whispering your name with his last breath.”

Cue Jasmine noticing Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Aladdin have showed up to thwart Jafar, prompting Jafar to notice them as well.

“What was that you were saying, Jafar?” Aladdin taunts as SDG ready their weapons.

Jafar notices Iago perched on Goofy’s back.

“You dare defy me!” the wicked genie snaps as the eyes on his cobra staff light up, “You useless bird!”

He aims his staff at Iago and Goofy, prompting Goofy to raise his shield and Iago to cover his face with his wings.

Jafar then fires the blast at Aladdin instead, only for Iago to fly out and take the hit instead.

The quarter drop their guard to check on Iago when his smoking body hits the ground.

“Iago!” Goofy calls out.

“You’ll all be joining him very soon!” Jafar announces as he raises a pillar of thundering smoke and swirling magic around himself.

With a groan, he transforms back into his genie form, hovering above his enemies as “The Encounter” starts playing.

He throws a tower at Sora and Aladdin, prompting the two to flee as the Magic Carpet flies at them to help.

Jafar teleports into the skies above Agrabah, and cackles as he demonstrates his phenomenal cosmic power.

Sora and the Magic Carpet confront him.

Boss time.

Jafar’s attacks mostly consist of yeeting debris from destroyed buildings at Sora, spinning around, throwing glowing punches at Sora, shooting fireballs at Sora (when at 70% HP or lower), and raining lightning on Sora (at 40% HP or lower).

Basically, he does not fully exercise his phenomenal cosmic power.

Although his desperation attack DOES have him transporting himself and Sora into a dark void where he telekinetically yeets destroyed buildings at the kid, so that’s a plus.

Anyways, to make attacking Jafar easier, you have to fly past his glowing hands and attack his abs. Once his abs run out of HP, Jafar will crouch over and clutch his stomach, allowing Sora to use the “Roll Up” Reaction Command to grab the tip of Jafar’s tail and wrap him up with it.

When that’s done, Sora can use “Spin Burst” to make Jafar spin until he’s dizzy, at which point he’ll become stunned, allowing you to attack his head.

When he recovers, he’ll briefly paralyze Sora through sheer force of will.

All of Jafar’s attacks can be guarded PERFECTLY by Reflect.

You can damage him at any time by attacking his head and shoulders, but defeating his abs and making him dizzy will make damaging him easier since he won’t be moving around as much.

As you are riding the Magic Carpet, Sora controls EXACTLY as he does in the Desert Ruins.

Defeating Jafar grants Sora the Fire Element, upgrading Fira into Firaga.

“No…” Jafar groans as his body glows and sparks, “How can I BE defeated again, by a pack of filthy street rats?”

“Don’t mess with street rats!” Sora shoots back as he flies back to the palace with the Magic Carpet.

Jafar can only groan and shout as his body pulsates, until it explodes into a burst of magic sparkles.

Its genie destroyed, Jafar’s lamp evaporates into black smoke before Sora, Goofy, and Aladdin can reach it.

Cue Genie materializing in a flash of magic sparkles, lamenting that they fought Jafar AGAIN and didn’t even invite him.

Aladdin apologizes, noting that things happened a LITTLE fast.

Genie lamented that he had new moves he wanted to show off (possibly referring to the Limits he can do as a Summon).

“But, Genie, we still need your help!” Donald points out.

“Who’s gonna fix Agrabah?” Sora asks.

He’s not kidding, there’s rubble everywhere, a wall in the background has a MASSIVE hole in it, Jafar REALLY did a number on the city during his duel with Sora.

Genie is PUMPED up, ready to not only fix Agrabah, but TOTALLY remodel it into an upgraded version of itself.

“You won’t even recognize it when I’m through with it!”

“Just like it was, please,” Aladdin begs sheepishly.

“Really?” Genie asks, “Same old, same old?”

Aladdin and Sora nod.

“All right.”

Genie sends out sparkles to apparently fix Agrabah, but as the game doesn’t load up a different map, they just use a cheated camera angle to keep the battle damage out of sight.

Genie requests that Aladdin let him install a swimming pool or two next time.

Sora receives the Wishing Lamp keychain (+4 Attack, +3 Magic, Jackpot: Increases the drop rate of Munny, HP, and MP orbs by 50%).

The next cutscene loads back into an undamaged Agrabah as Sora, Donald, Goofy, Aladdin, and Jasmine gather in front of some stalls, with Iago sulking in the shadows.

Sora remarks that Agrabah seems to be back to normal, and Aladdin thanks Sora for his help.

Sora somewhat playfully tells Iago to behave himself, “Got it?”

“I most definitely got it! No more lookin’ out or number one!”

Iago also admits to a bit of an insecurity of his, while he’d LIKE to be Aladdin’s friend, he’s not entirely that he can do anything to help Aladdin the way Genie can. He’s not JEALOUS of Genie, he just feels inadequate.

Sora points out that friendship isn’t exactly all about “service”, and that it’s usually enough to just enjoy each other’s company and have fun together.

Aladdin asks what SDG do for fun, and Donald and Goofy demonstrate their “funny faces” to answer him.

“That’s… not quite what I meant,” Aladdin replies, mildly put off.

Sora remarks that they should probably head out.

Iago tries to say something, but his lower jaw and upper jaw don’t QUITE match their movements, and he instead just ends up feeling some pain in his beak.

Goofy checks in on him, and Iago remarks that he can at least still fly.

Goofy still follows after Iago to catch him, just in case, only to walk right into and break a stall, prompting the others to wince.

The Genie takes that in his cue, ready to fix-up/upgrade something, asking Aladdin to at LEAST let him add a freeway or something.

Aladdin insists that everything’s fine, but Genie’s APPARENTLY going through some magical reality warping withdraw and starts shooting around magical sparkles everywhere.

“Sora! Donald! Goofy! You guys are too much!” Genie declares, “If you’re ever in the mood for some more cosmic razzle-dazzle, gimme a shout, okay?”

“You got it!” Donald replies.

Aladdin remarks that Sora’s done it again and asks him not to forget about them.

“I won’t,” Sora promises.

“And Sora… about that friend of yours, the one you’re looking for…

“You’ll find him,” Aladdin declares, “Trust me.”

And with that, Agrabah’s story has finally concluded.

Next time, we STILL don’t go to Halloween Town, because we still need to return the last page to Pooh’s book.

See ya then!

All of those fights sound like an absolute pain in the ass.

Though ‘defeating his abs’ sounds hilarious.

#submission

3 notes · View notes

two-white-butterflies · 10 months

Text

coaxed you into paradise visualizers

The following graphics below may contain spoilers for both Coaxed you Into Paradise and As Lovers Often Do.

Please proceed with caution.

What will be written here is not for sure going to be the main storyline - I'd like to think of this as my guide in writing the series.

"...her half-brother, Aegon II then had her fed to his own dragon, Sunfyre - and her nephew, Prince Daelon was forced to watch."

Queen Rhaenyra's life was filled with cruel suffering - after the death of her last child, Jacaerys, all remnants of humanity faded from her. It earned her the nickname: Rhaenyra the Cruel for all her deeds.

"It has been decades since the death of my sister - even longer since our dearest Alyssa decided to leave us. I often think about it. If there was something that we could've done to prevent it." - Princess Saera to Prince Daemon.

"Our sister always had a peculiar way in expressing her emotions. Do you know what the portrait means?" Viserra turned to look at her younger brother - she was one of the few people that could remember Princess Alyssa Strong. Despite that memory, she still couldn't understand what the painting meant. "I don't know, but it has an effect on me. It makes me feel suffocated." Daelon replies.

"A portrait of an old woman carrying a babe, what could that mean?" Viserra ponders for what felt like an eternity. "Mayhaps she felt alone. Mayhaps she is both the old woman and the babe. Mayhaps she felt like she was the only person that she could rely upon." Daelon hypothesized - the painting was interesting.

Life was breathed into the portrait - and he wished nothing more than to interrogate the one that created it, but alas his sister was with the gods. "Mother," both of them paled - they were not allowed to look at the painting. "It is a mother's conscience." Saera answered with a thin-lipped smile, before turning around and leaving. - From the novelization of Maester Munkun.

"...and soon, all of Saera and Daemon's children grew to be formidable rulers. With Viserra as the Lady of Highgarden, and Daelon as the King of the Seven Kingdoms." - According to Mushroom.

"The realm seldom spoke about the Dragon Twins - with King Daegon taken by fire and Princess Alyssa by water. Their deaths became an end to House Strong and its legacy." - According to Septa Gray.

"The Ladies of the Reach have clever tongues - even my trained heart cannot help but mellow at their tune. However, they should know better - their silver tongue came from us, from my ancestors Princess Viserra and Princess Rhaena." - Queen Daenerys Targaryen to Jon Snow.

"The Dance of the Dragons was over - but House Targaryen was forever ruined - its legacy was torn apart. Until the return of the dragons - a few years after Robert's Rebellion." - From Unknown.

"A century passed without any dragon hatching - then suddenly with the revival of Daenerys and Naerys - there were three dragons. You should understand that this is the age of prophecies, my friend - and you wouldn't want to be on the losing side." - Tyrion Lannister to Bronn.

"Our house colors are black and red; but in the times of war white always wins. You are green, impostor - but me and Queen Daenerys Targaryen are white." - Lady Naerys Velaryon to Young Griff.

#coaxed you into paradise visualizers

6 notes · View notes

nrhartauthor · 2 years

Photo

Control. “I loved him because I could be me in every way others never see.” Twin Flame Love, a spring season @n.r.hart © 2022 Twin Flame Love 🔥 now available to order! ✨✨✨ There is still time to order for Christmas. Place your order today! Link in my stories 🛍🎄 “Legend has it there is always a reason why souls meet.” @n.r.hart I wanted to write a fairytale , a love story and a romance novel all in one. 📖👑 N.R.Hart. ♥️♥️♥️ Twin Flame Love by N.R.Hart This book will be for anyone who has shared a sacred bond - an unexplainable bond - an unbreakable bond. a soulmate or twin flame experience. This poetry will reflect this special bond. “An ancient bond between souls.” ©2022 @n.r.hart 🕊 🕊🕊 • Poetry and Pearls I & II are in full color 🌈 with all my original floral posters inside divided into the four seasons Winter Spring Summer Autumn because I feel there are seasons of the heart too. 💗 These books are beautiful works of art.🍃 • Love Poems to No One ,Beauty and her Beast, The Last of the Romantics 🌹 beautiful rose floral hard covers in black including all my original black & white posters divided into the four seasons Winter Spring Summer Autumn. The perfect little size to carry with you everywhere. 🍃🍃🍃 These books are a trilogy series. Pick up your copy today. You will want the set! 👉🏻 If you have pictures of my books please tag me. I love seeing where my books end up around the world 🌎 Thank you! Love, N.R.Hart ❤️ All my books are available @amazon https://www.amazon.com/poetry-pearls-romantic-n-hart/dp/1512179272/ https://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Pearls-Romantic-II/dp/0578428660/ https://www.amazon.com/Love-Poems-No-One-Romantic/dp/0578451166/ https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Her-Beast-Romantic-Poetry/dp/0578616440/ https://www.amazon.com/Last-Romantics-Romantic-Poetry/dp/0692168591/ https://www.amazon.com/Twin-Flame-Love-Soulmate-Poetry/dp/B0BND3GH3W/ #nrhart #nrhartpoetry #nrhartbeautyandthebeast #poetryandpearls #lovepoemstonoone #beautyandherbeast #thelastoftheromantics (at London, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmMHvmfuAUc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#nrhart #nrhartpoetry #nrhartbeautyandthebeast #poetryandpearls #lovepoemstonoone #beautyandherbeast #thelastoftheromantics

22 notes · View notes

sleeping-in-the-sky · 2 years

Text

Those Halcyon Days (Infinite Blue)

“Plotting these schemes, pulling the strings… It has been painful. It is still painful,” Brooklyn confesses. His voice, usually rich and warm like honey and hearth, is ragged as he shares his sins. "But I have come too far for this to be all for naught, I can’t- I shouldn’t- stop now for the sake of the nation, for the sake of the duchy, for the sake of the people and you-”

His voice cracks. The hand holding his cup is trembling, and the amber liquid contained within ripples.

Brooklyn x Reader, Vampire & Royalty AU. Reader’s gender or pronouns are not mentioned. Also posted on Ao3 here.

CW: Blood, character death, grief.

-----

Author’s Note: The vampire lore in this story doesn't have the classic "to become a vampire, you need to get bitten by a vampire/drink vampire blood" rules. Instead, I borrowed my incredible friend's homebrew vampire lore (with permission, bless her heart). The condensed version of her lore is as follows:

Vampires are, on a metaphorical level, a representation of trauma that haunts people. In a lesser sense they also represent regret and guilt. Every vampire is the tragic protagonist in their own Ancient Greek play, doomed from birth to fall to a cataclysmic disaster. They can be the instigator of this tragedy, and then vampirism is a sort of purgatorial punishment for them, or they could be a victim, perhaps dying in an extreme circumstance where they never received closure and they’re still searching for it, etc.

To become a vampire, the vampire-to-be must have lived a life of tragedy and misery, leaving an unrepentant wake of destruction in their path. Then, as their human body dies, or after it has died but before rot sets in, blood must be ingested by the vampire-to-be. This is not necessarily a vampire’s blood. Even animal’s blood will function well for this purpose. That’s it. Other vampires are not needed to create a new vampire. In fact, in certain conditions, vampires can even turn on accident.

-----

Act I: Cloudless Blue Skies

The children’s laughter rings throughout the town, excited voices mixing as they share old tales and imagine new ones. Armed with satchels full of toys and snacks, they race through the streets fueled by innocent excitement.

The adults engage in friendly chatter as they walk down stone-cobbled paths. Some start their daily banter with the lively street vendors, others wave goodbye and head home, all of them going about their humble lives to support their families.

The elderly bask in the gentle afternoon rays, watching their grandchildren and passing along the stories of old; tales of magic casting miracles and curses, legends of heroes fighting against dark-dwelling demons of sin.

From the open window, the young lord hears them all yet pays no mind, for he has more pressing matters to attend to. With a feather duster in one hand and a rag in the other, he continues his mission to make the entrance hall spotless, ignoring his servants' pleas to stop. After all, today was the day for his spouse’s arrival. Why shouldn’t he help make the manor as presentable as it can be?

He hears the creaking sound of the mansion gates opening, and he turns to see you - dressed in your best attire, hands clasped nervously in front of you - but with a quizzical look on your face. No doubt wondering why the head of the household, a high-ranking noble of the kingdom, and your new husband, was doing the duties of a maid.

He brushes away his embarrassment with a small cough before setting down the cleaning supplies. “Brooklyn Hayes, thirty-fourth head of the Hayes Duchy, at your service, ” he says with a graceful bow. He raises his head, and as soon as you lock eyes with that golden gaze he visibly softens.

“Pleased to meet you… My dear.”

Act II: Soft Clouds

The silk curtains sway to the rhythm of birdsong as the breeze leaves soft kisses on your cheek and entices your book to turn its pages. You set the novel down and look out the window, watching and listening for signs of life in the town. Your town.

It’s a good day.

As if right on cue, you hear two knocks at your door, and Brooklyn enters the room. He looks a little fatigued, but his usual grace is prevalent as he kisses you in greeting. “My dear, I was thinking of going to the café by the town square for lunch,” he said. “Would you like to join me? I heard they’ve added new tea cakes to the menu.”

He doesn’t even need to wait for a reply - the joy that lights up your face says it all, and he laughs. It’s a deep warm chuckle, and you can’t help but give a bashful smile in response.

“Well now, shall we go?”

The town square is bustling with its usual activity when the two of you arrive. The younger ones cheer and wave at the passing stagecoach, and the adults smile and bow respectfully. Your heart flutters as you accept a tiny bouquet of daisies from a particularly brave child, grateful at how accepting the townspeople were to you, an outsider.

Entering this arranged marriage was quite frankly, intimidating; joining the household of the famed Hayes Duchy, and even marrying the head of the family! But you soon learned that those worries were for naught. Despite his formality and status, you found that Brooklyn was just a kind and gentle man, and although you sometimes found his quirks odd - one of them being his penchant for excessive cleaning and organizing - he was someone you found worth and happiness being with. And for the townspeople, as soon as they saw how smitten their lord was with his new spouse, they quickly welcomed you with open arms.

Seating yourself on the café terrace, you watch over the plaza as Brooklyn graciously pours the two of you a cup of tea. A warm floral scent drifts lazily through the air. “I unfortunately have to continue my work right after this,” he says. “The royal court has been rather… disorderly lately. I truly do apologize.” He reaches across to take your hand in his, and he genuinely looks regretful.

“I hope to spend more time with you soon… But until then, I will cherish these moments of respite we share.”

Act III: Raindrops

It’s a quiet evening. Despite the relaxed ticking of the clock reminding Brooklyn it was close to midnight, he sits in his office, head in his hands, and lets out a sigh as he contemplates his course of action. Political strife had always been rampant under the thinly stretched tarp of noble appearances. But the cauldron, filled to the brim with unspoken resentment and hidden agendas, bubbled relentlessly underneath the covers and with the soon-to-be passing of the current king, he knew that all it’ll take was one more drop for everything to come spilling out.

To allow the Hayes duchy to shift from its longstanding neutral position would be adding more than a single drop to the cauldron. Opposing the first prince and his supporters was akin to a death wish, but with every bit of knowledge and experience Brooklyn wielded he knew that if he didn’t help the second prince succeed the crown it would lead to a future more torturous than death.

But was he prepared for the sacrifices, the cost, of purposely starting fires? Raking back his hair in frustration the duke abruptly stands and leaves the study, letting his legs decide where to go down the dark hallway without any direction while he relentlessly ruminated over his options. It wasn’t until he stopped in front of a mahogany door did he realize he was in front of his bedchambers.

Carefully, in an attempt to not make a sound, he pushes open the door. Under the plush comforters you were fast asleep, clutching a pillow in your arms as if it were your victim placeholder instead of your husband. Brooklyn couldn’t help but crack a smile. A cuddler, you were; it seemed like you were never fully comfortable until you were cozy under a dozen blankets and snuggled up to something, or someone. Yet another thing he adored about you. He sits on the edge of the bed and gently traces his thumb against your cheek, then shifts his attention to the open window. Singing cicadas, the gentle wind, all joining together as the chorus of Night, envelop him in a soft embrace. The townscape with his people, wrapped in their own dreams, glows dimly. Beside him, you murmur incoherently in your sleep and turn to nuzzle your face into his hand.

Guilt courses through his veins and threatens to swallow him whole, but he knows what must be done. Contrary to the heavily corrupt first prince and his faction, a noble exists to serve the people. And you, this town, this province- was his everything.

So with a deep breath, he lifts his hand and willingly steps into sorrow.

Act IV: Rainstorm

Steeling your nerves, you raise a reluctant fist and give two raps on the door. Hearing the muffled approval for entry you enter, a maid carting tea and sandwiches following close behind.

Most of the study is in its usual pristine condition. The antique bookshelves and their contents are sparkling with the prideful work of the servants, but Brooklyn’s desk is a mess. The usually carefully stacked papers are in a haphazard heap with the noble in question sitting surrounded by clutter, and when he raises his head to meet your eyes worry leaps into your throat. Despite his usual dignified attire, fatigue shone through in the shadows under his eyes and the delayed reaction as it finally registered that it was his spouse that stood before him.

Finally, he lifted the corners of his lips in a forced smile. “My apologies… It’s been a while since I’ve last had tea with you, yes? I suppose I do need the break.”

He leaves his prison-like workspace and joins you on the velvet chaise couch. The maidservant, despite casting worried glances toward her master, quickly finishes setting the coffee table and excuses herself. Like clockwork, Brooklyn lifts the porcelain teapot to serve you and then himself a cup of tea. Watching him move with his natural ease of grace was a routine for you, but unlike other days where you would be filled with peace, your mind was scrambling, searching for the right words to say.

But it was Brooklyn who broke the silence. “I’m guessing you’ve caught wind of the storm.” After a moment of hesitation, you nodded. News of riots breaking out at the capital, exposure of previously-hidden corruption of nobles, and instability in trade were rampant, and despite many pointing blame to the first prince you’ve heard subtle rumors that the mastermind behind them all was your husband.

When you relay what you’ve heard, Brooklyn goes silent. Finally, he confirms that the gossip was true. “Plotting these schemes, pulling the strings… It has been painful. It is still painful,” he confesses. His voice, usually rich and warm like honey and hearth, is ragged as he shares his sins. “I have long since accepted that I would be making sacrifices. But the number of innocent casualties, the suffering I’ve caused the civilians as a result of this was not anticipated. Or rather… I was foolish for not thinking this would happen. But I have come too far for this to be all for naught, I can’t- I shouldn’t- stop now for the sake of the nation, for the sake of the duchy, for the sake of the people and you-”

His voice cracks. The hand holding his cup is trembling, and the amber liquid contained within ripples. He takes a shuddering, deep breath. “You should flee,” he says, and your eyes widen. “I cannot fathom how much misery is yet to come. Leave me, and seek shelter be it with your family or another noble, but I’m terribly afraid to put you in the way of danger, so-”

His words die in his throat as your hand, firm and steady, takes hold of his. Anxiety and fear for the situation and the future gnaw at you but when you see your husband overburdened like this, all you could think of was to stay by his side.

“... Thank you, my love.” Brooklyn searches and finds comfort within your compassion and loyalty. “I want no harm to come to you, and I’ll arrange things so you can escape at a moment's notice. But at the same time… I am grateful that you choose to stay by me.”

“…I realize it’s selfish to say, but right now, I can’t help but wish that you continue to stay by my side. As of right now, you are the only thing that brings me ease.”

He sets down his tea, and in an unusual show of weakness, pulls you into him in a tight embrace. As you tenderly run your fingers through his brown hair, you could faintly make out a nearly-inaudible thank you as Brooklyn buries his face into the crook of your neck.

Act V: Thunderstorm

The mechanical ticking of the grandfather clock reminds Brooklyn that it was a few more hours until Night ends her reign and lets Day come to take her place. But unlike several seasons ago when he first waged this torturous political war, as he toiled away at his papers and plans the weight on his shoulders felt lighter. The first prince’s faction was steadily weakening, and it was only a matter of time before the king names the second prince as the official heir to the throne. The deaths of the innocents that were caught up in this mad dance still twisted his heart and crushed it with guilt, but maybe, just maybe, if all goes well, their deaths would not be in vain and all of the sleepless nights would be worth it.

He neatly caps his fountain pen and stretches in his seat. Maybe it’s finally time to get a decent amount of sleep. With his old orderliness he arranges the documents into neat stacks before leaving the office, finding friends in the shadows of the hall he walks down, and he looks forward to embracing you in slumber.

But when the heavy doors slowly open he’s not greeted by the steady sounds of sleep. There’s a figure standing by the bed and at first, Brooklyn wonders if it’s you. Although rare, it wouldn’t be unusual if you needed to get up during the night for a drink of water. But his eyes adjust to the darkness and he notices there’s another figure in the bed and he realizes it’s you, and under the silver moonlight shining coldly through the window he sees patches of blood, and then he hears it - gasps and wheezes, of your life slowly slipping out with every weak breath you take.

The standing assailant, in a familiar uniform but with an unfamiliar visage, turns and charges at Brooklyn, but his thoughts dissolve and blood rushes to his head, and in what he could only comprehend as a fit of vengeful malevolence, disarms the assassin and uses their own dagger to slit their throat.

There’s no time to think, to cry out for help, to identify the killer. He lets the body collapse in a heap to the ground and rushes to your side. He grabs the blankets with shaking hands, trying to use them to stop the bleeding, but even in the darkness of the callous night it’s clear that the wound was deep, your eyes look back at him as frantic as the beating in his heart as he whispers your name over and over like a prayer to the gods, your lips quiver and move as if you’re trying to speak-

For a split second he hears footsteps from behind. Then sparks of lightning shoot through him as he looks down and sees the tip of a blade in his chest and a glimpse of another figure behind him. The next moment he’s engulfed in what feels like hellish flames and a tidal wave of cold sweat, and the last thing Brooklyn feels is the metallic taste of blood in the back of his throat before darkness crashes down, swallowing him whole.

After what feels like simultaneously nothing and all eternity, vague sounds worm through the darkness and slowly give way to light as he lifts his heavy eyelids. Blinking slowly, it takes him a few minutes as he realizes the swarming figures around him are his servants, all in a myriad of emotions. They’re talking fast to him and to each other, moving about in a blurry dance and when with aching limbs he slowly sits up he feels nothing - no warmth, no grief, as empty of a husk as the cold lifeless body laying in bed in front of him.

Act VI: Fog

Brooklyn wasn’t sure how long time had passed since then. It could have been days or weeks, but through it all he feels as though he was drifting through a hazy dream. He has a vague recollection of another duke in the first prince’s faction arrested for the attempted assassination of the Hayes duchy, and that was the last raindrop of the political storm as it allowed for the first prince to quickly lose his influence. He remembers being invited to the royal capital for the second prince’s coronation, but he also remembers declining. Something about entering the sunlight-dappled palace didn’t feel right to him.

There’s a memory of your casket, lovingly decorated with orchids and carnations, and he even remembers placing a stuffed bear inside so you have something to snuggle with while you rest in eternal slumber. But when the priest starts to lead the prayer, it feels like an inferno was lit in his chest- and he leaves, pocketing the memory of your last peaceful expression deep within him.

He remembers his servants and guards leaving one by one - did he let them go? He probably did, solitude suddenly feels more comfortable. And soon the mansion was empty except for him, besides a few friendly townsfolk and old employees who, out of concern, visit him once in a blue moon.

Brooklyn drifts through the greyscale hours of his new everyday, living in the darkness that he suddenly finds comforting until one day without much thought he brews himself tea and realizes that out of habit he’s set out two teacups.

A breeze slips through the cracked window and flits around the empty mansion before leaving a kiss on his hand. The porcelain teacup slips through his fingers and shatters into a million fragments on the carpet, and it feels like a wake-up call to what was his reality.

It sets in that he won’t ever be able to see your uncontainable giddiness at the café, he won’t wake up at dawn to your arm slung over him, he won’t be able to feel your presence and the comfort you brought. All of them, now only existing in his memories.

But closing his eyes the only images he can conjure is one of your frantic expression before slipping away and the restful smile in your coffin and it’s enough to make him crumble.

A torrent of thoughts and emotions race through him and he clutches and claws at anything and everything - his face, his hair, the tablecloth. Anguished sobs rip out of the shell of his former self until there’s nothing left. Sullen eyes glance around the desolate manor and he feels sharp canines piercing his bottom lip, tasting despair.

From then on, all communication ceases from the Hayes duchy. When the newly crowned king sends a messenger to the providence, he is later found as a corpse, pale and empty of life and blood. The same fate meets the next several visitors.

The house is soon abandoned by the kingdom.

Act VII: Grey Skies

The children trade secrets in hushed whispers, spreading their tales of the broken manor hidden in the corner of the town. The brave ones, gathering their wits and curiosity along with their unenthusiastic friends venture to explore, but none make it inside.

The adults walk briskly to and fro through the graying town, still smiling at their children who scamper down the street, but the street vendors are quieter, and there’s no waving at any fancy carriages that run through the town because none come at all.

The elderly speak between themselves of love and nobility; tales of the years before the reign of the current king, how the benevolent lord of the now-gone duchy selflessly protected those who lived within.

But Brooklyn hears none of this, for why does it matter? The life he once knew, so vibrant and beautiful, was ripped and torn away from him, along with you.

And the eternity he must endure for atonement feels so hollow.

He sits, in solitude, in the dust-laden, cobweb-littered mansion.

#Infinite Blue #Brooklyn #Reader Insert #Brooklyn x Reader #fanfiction

12 notes · View notes