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jeminy3 · 4 years ago

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old archie x maxie (hardenshipping) doodles i never posted, from 2017 or 2018. they were related to some of the doodles in this post.

I have a lot of unpublished drawings of these guys, and i never did elaborate on my headcanons for them. The truth is, I was (and still kinda am) very anxious and embarrassed about this fixation, probably because it centers around villains and “woobifies” them, but also because after playing and researching more into ORAS, i discovered that my personal canon was contradicted by actual canon and i felt invalidated.

For the sake of posterity, I’ll summarize my old headcanons below. (It’s still pretty long, ugh)

A grunt in Team Magma’s hideout says that Archie and Maxie “used to be on the same team.” In canon, this probably implies that they worked together on New Mauville, Sea Mauville, or another unnamed project, depending on how old they are and how long ago those projects started and ended.

However, like many other fans, I thought this meant they used to be in Team Rocket together, and I elaborated an entire backstory based on that:

+ Maxie and Archie were part of a group of Rocket recruits attempting to start a branch of Team Rocket in the Hoenn Region. The project failed because soon after they arrived, Giovanni was defeated in Kanto and officially dissolved Team Rocket, causing a schism to form within the Hoenn team over whether to give up the project or not. This eventually lead to the team splintering into two factions, one lead by Maxie and the other lead by Archie, which eventually grew and rebranded themselves into Team Magma and Team Aqua.

-Maxie and Archie met and connected enough to start dating, though they were emotionally dysfunctional. As problems arose and the Team began to splinter, their relationship also broke down and their separation was very messy.

Maxie clung to the ambition of staying in Hoenn and building up the Team as a paragon of human industry, pushing away Archie and anyone else he deemed as “not useful.”

Archie also wanted to make the Team work, but not in the way Maxie and his side wanted, at the expense of nature. Archie felt hurt and betrayed as Maxie pushed him away and disagreed with him, making him contradict and lash out at Maxie even more.

This all culminated in a huge fight between Archie and Maxie and their respective sides, involving both Pokemon battling and actual fist-fighting. Local authorities were called in, causing the teams to scatter, but not before Archie and Maxie promised to face each other again, reforging themselves as bitter rivals.

-- Maxie

+ Maxie is (the pokemon equivalent of) German/Japanese, and was born on Cinnabar Island. His birth name was Maximillian Matsubasa Von Brandt, but he prefers simply “Maxie”. He IDs as bigender, asexual and demi-homoromantic.

His father is a Kanto businessman named Masaru Matsubasa. His mother is from somewhere in or near Kalos, named Melissa Von Brandt. They were both wealthy and successful business people who frequently left on business trips, Masaru travelling between Kanto and Johto and Melissa to her home country.

Maxie was often left alone or with a nanny at home. He was well-provided for and self-sufficient, but he was lonely and emotionally stunted. He had a passion for geology and engineering, and showed interest in contributing to helping Cinnabar’s local issues, which were often tense because of the limited land space. Homelessness and unemployment were high, and development plans to alleviate these were stymied by parties who lobbied for the preservation of the local Pokemon wildlife by any means.

Maxie’s parents were skeptical of his choice in career but still supported him, if only half-heartedly. This lead Maxie to study Cinnabar’s volcano, which he found to be very much active and possibly dangerous. He developed a plan to build in and around the volcano in such a way that it would utilize extra space inside the mountain for housing/businesses and its magma for natural energy to power the city, possibly circumventing its eventual eruption.

He presented this plan to Cinnabar’s city council, but was practically laughed out of the meeting for such an ambitious and dangerous idea, especially by the wildlife parties. This damaged his reputation and caused him to be fired/demoted from his job. His parents reprimanded him, regretting their decision to support him.

Lost and disgusted with his life, Maxie found recruitment with Team Rocket and left Cinnabar to join their efforts on the mainland. When he presented his research to their higher-ups, they were impressed enough to pass it along to Giovanni himself, and Maxie ended up contributing to the construction of some of their underground lairs, like in Celadon City.

This also made him a prime candidate for the Rocket Hoenn project as a lead engineer and scientist, and he joined the project with high hopes.

+ His interest in Pokemon was soured by his past and usually only extends are far as his ambitions, which means he views Pokemon only as things that can be useful to whatever projects he’s working on, otherwise they are a nuisance. After becoming the leader of Team Magma and having to train a personal team to defend himself with, he warms up to Pokemon a bit more.

+ Maxie plays up his confidence and genius, but does have moments of crippling self-doubt and anxiety. Deep down, he’s socially awkward and has trouble expressing his feelings, tending to bottle things up until they spill out in moments of anger.

+ Maxie used to be a semi-heavy smoker in his youth to cope with his anxiety. After becoming the leader of Team Magma, his health was suffering and his grunts were visibly uncomfortable around him, so for the sake of his own health and that of his team, he quit, with help and advice from Courtney and Tabitha.

+ Maxie hates his parents and hasn’t contacted them since he left Cinnabar, which was over ten years ago by the end of ORAS events. He avoids them to the point that he uses a forged identity in Hoenn, named “Maxie Stormfront.” ‘Stormfront’ is a reference from one of his favorite metal bands, the Doom Hounds, because he is a nerd.

+ Years later, Cinnabar’s volcano did erupt and destroy the town, displacing its human population. Maxie has mixed feelings about this – he’s not sure if it’s righteous karma for the City Council rejecting his plans, or a sign that his old plans were doomed to failure and he was better off leaving Cinnabar after all.

-- Archie

+ Archie is (the pokemon equivalent of) Black/Hispanic and a Hoenn native. His birth name is Archibald Rodriguez. He IDs as a cis man (or trans?), pansexual and panromantic.

He was born to his father, Alexander Rodriguez and his mother, Alicia Fuentes (Rodriguez after marriage) in a small fishing town on one of Hoenn’s coasts, with its fishery being its only major industry. Most of its residents are middle-class or poor, and few members pursue an education after high school, usually joining the local fishing industry.

In his youth, Archie didn’t care much for school or work, preferring to spend his days playing with the local water Pokemon and his friends, Matt and Shelly. However, this exposed him to the effects that overfishing and pollution had on the local wildlife, and he eventually grew to want to pursue a career as a Veterinarian, specifically for water pokemon.

His parents didn’t believe he would be successful and his town had few resources to help him. The most he could do was research at the local library and a then-primitive internet.

Worse, his town was outright apathetic to the damage their industry was causing to the local wildlife because they depended on its capital to survive.

+A possible traumatic memory involves a young Archie nursing a sick Magikarp back to health for weeks, only to later discover it trapped in the nets of the fishery his father worked at, doomed to become food/products. When he attempted to cut the nets and save the Magikarp, his father restrained him and reprimanded him, claiming “it’s just a fish, boy! They’re all just stupid fish!”

Eventually, Archie was a depressed drifter in his 20s, unable to hold onto work and unable to afford to leave to a larger city. He often fought with his abrasive father and his mother was coddling, but unsupportive. This made Archie a prime candidate for Team Rocket recruiters as they arrived on Hoenn, promising a way out of his backwater town, decent pay, and a career where he’d be appreciated and be able to work with Pokemon to change the world. He joined as a lowly Grunt, but was talented and well-respected within the Team.

-Archie has limited contact with his parents since he left home, only calling them once a year or so.

-Archie doesn’t like being referred to as his full name, it feels pretentious and brings back uncomfortable memories of his family.

+I used to headcanon Archie and Matt as biological brothers because of the “bro” thing, but I’m not sure about keeping that. If so, Matt’s name would be short for Matthias Rodriguez, because their parents liked pretentious names.

-Like some of his dialog implies, Archie is kind of depressed, pessimistic and cynical deep down, but hides it behind his boisterous, reckless attitude. At his worst, he’s downright bitter, uncaring of his own life or the lives of humanity in general, in favor of Pokemon.

#hardenshipping #aqua leader archie #magma leader maxie #rocket hardenshipping #pokemon oras #jeminy3 art #jeminy writes #long post #headcanons

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heartfragment · 4 years ago

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Heart Fragment Walkthrough: Kay

When you discover the secrets of your family's past, Kay is the first ally to appear. Kay does not define himself by the fact that he is blind; rather, he is dependable, energetic, and cheerful - like sunshine. But sometimes his happiness somehow feels like a mask that he puts on...

Note: Most endings have multiple ways of getting to them. This is a guide to guarantee you get them all, but feel free to mix and match or experiment with your own ideas!

Endings Overview

(for those who don't want a full guide, just the general idea of how to get the endings; if you want a step-by-step guide instead, keep reading!)

Kay branch 1 criteria: Certain traits will add points towards this branch. Branch 1 can be unlocked by focusing on the following traits: cautious, paranoid, nosey OR by having a heart that is orange or lower.

Kay branch 1, good end, romantic: end the route with a pink heart or higher

Kay branch 1, good end, platonic: end the route with an orange heart or lower

Kay branch 2 criteria: Branch 2 can be unlocked by focusing on the following traits: extremely high trust (bar to full is dark colored or almost fully dark colored), extremely low ego/selflessness (bar is pastel colored or almost fully pastel colored) OR by avoiding the traits paranoid, cautious, and nosey OR by heart that is pink or higher OR by selecting dialogue options that reinforce Kay's dependence on you.

Kay branch 2, good, romantic: end the route without any bad endings and you are guaranteed this, as there is no platonic end in branch 2

Kay bad ending 1: two potential moments can bring on this ending. 1st option is to keep your points with Kay low (a green heart or less is recommended) OR have the paranoid trait unlocked during Friday of Act 2. 2nd option is to have the paranoid trait unlocked during Sunday of Act 3

Kay bad ending 2: on branch 2 of Kay's route, have the nosey trait OR select to "search a bit more" when prompted

Kay bad ending 3: on branch 2 of Kay's route, have a dagger heart next to Kay's name

Kay bad ending 4: on branch 2 of Kay's route, choose "leave now" when prompted

Full Walkthrough - Common Route

Speak your mind

Steam achievement granted when meeting Shannon: "Best Friends Forever"

Talk to her anyway

Ignore him and say nothing

Sit across the room

Search your father's name

Read the obituary as well

Steam achievement granted when finishing on your laptop: "Finding Answers"

I guess that wouldn't be so bad

Don't ask her

Nice to meet you

Steam achievement granted when meeting Kay: "Mr. Sunshine Smile"

This is a bit too much to take in

3 updates will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner, check all of them

Knock first

Say you don't care

ask all the questions available

Pull away

Have a quick nap first

Steam achievement granted shortly after choice: "Nightmare or Daymare"

Tell Kay about it

You can

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner, check it

Wait for him to speak

Admit that's the reason

Sure

CREATE SAVE POINT 1

Go back home

Steam achievement granted shortly after choice: "Can you hear me!?"

RELOAD SAVE POINT 1 after getting the achievement

Go look at clothes

I'll try some things on too

CREATE SAVE POINT 2

The black and white one

You look great

RELOAD SAVE POINT 2

The pink and blue star print one

You look great

RELOAD SAVE POINT 2

The aqua blue one

You look great

Ask if you can draw Kay

Talk about something else

It would have been bad either way

Don't disturb them

1 new update will appear in the bottom right corner phone at night time after a scene transition, click it for a bonus CG

Search anyway

Try turning it back on

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner, check it

Steam achievement granted shortly after viewing phone update: "Project NMCI"

Yes

Kay

The panacea

Superpowers

...a good power to have

I won't do it again

I hope you open up to me more

Your father

Where have you been?

Your father

Not really

Jasper

Sure, let's go

Sit down beside him

Nice outfit

Steam achievement granted when meeting Natalia: "Fancy Outfit, Odd Demeanor"

The smoothie bar is nearby

Something simple/classic

You can come tonight if you want

Suggest joining StarxSocial

Yes

Kay

Scream

Who are you chatting with?

Talk about Kay

Yes

What was that post all about?

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner, check it

Tell me more about his powers

Am I going to survive this...?

Shannon will worry if I'm late...

Tell Shannon about Kay going missing

Why would I tell you that?

Steam achievement granted when meeting Clive: "Suspicious Werirdo"

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner at night in your bedroom, check it

Steam achievement granted when meeting Jasper: "Knife-Wielding Antagonist"

type in the name "Ceaton"

Steam achievement granted when you type in the name Ceaton: "That's Your Name, Right?"

Reach out to the hand

Steam achievement granted when you grab the hand on the first choice: "Trust in the Hand"

I don't trust him enough to tell him

You can come again

Select the orange/red fragments

Steam achievement granted when you select the fragments: "Fantasy Select"

Fantasy Intro / Act Zero

CREATE SAVE POINT 3

I don't think so

Tell him about the dream with Kay

Don't text her

I'm going to stay inside

I am scared, to be honest

Ask her about it some more

an eye symbol will appear at the bottom right of your screen, click it to read Lana's heart

I'm sorry for my outburst last time...

Touch his arm

I promise

Well...

Mention Kay going missing

Refuse to be friends with him

I don't trust him

Pancakes are great!

I don't want to talk about it

Walk in silence with him

an eye symbol will appear at the bottom right of your screen, click it to read Clive's heart

I need to keep an eye on him

when the beach search screen appears, find the orange feather in the water towards the center left of the screen

I'm happy

Kay Act One

So... what shells did you find?

Fine, I admit defeat

I should plan my next move

I need to look eventually!

Don't set it up for him

Cream and sugar

I'm not sure

I really miss him

Make something up

I prefer you don't pry anymore

I need to save Kay!

an eye symbol will appear at the bottom right of your screen, click it to read Jasper's heart

Investigate

Find the letter on top of the cliffs, close to the center of the screen

Climb anyway

I dunno...

Don't give up

I still want him back!

Kay Act Two

We are friends

Maybe a little... (for romantic ending) OR Quit teasing me (for platonic)

We'll just say we're friends

I'll get a sleeping bag for you

Whisper that he'll be okay

Ask Kay if it's okay

I'll help him interact with others

Go somewhere with Kay

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner in the kitchen during breakfast, check it

CREATE SAVE POINT 4

Jam

RELOAD SAVE POINT 4 AFTER GETTING THE BONUS CG WITH JAM IN IT

Syrup

Don't offer

I liked your smile

Yours makes me feel different

Tuck him into bed

Wake him

I promise

I do

Hold onto his hands (boosts romance) OR emphasize that he's safe (for platonic ending)

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner while in the living room prior to texting Shannon and/or calling your father, check it

Don't text her

...

It's rough

CREATE SAVE POINT 5

The Pirathon nature trail

I'm trying my best

Romance (boosts romance) OR happiness (for platonic ending)

Their music helped me through a lot

I wish I could show it to Kay

Cheer

That is a reason

I don't think of it that way

Grab his hand (romantic) OR reassure him (platonic)

They're not you

Run away

Steam achievement granted when you choose 'go back to him' or if you have high enough romantic points: "I Believe In Him"

Leave

Kay Act Three

Jasper is your past

...raised to hate me

...he's kind of cute (romantic) OR he's a good person (platonic)

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner when you get the Kay chibi CG, check it

You were pretty close

Say you aren't sure

I like short people (note: option boosts romance. If you want the achievement but want to ensure you get a platonic ending, create a save point here and then reload to choose the other option)

Steam achievement granted when you choose 'I like short people': "Short = Cute"

Go check on him

Stay back

Don't beat yourself up about it

I am afraid

Hand them to Kay

Ask Kay if he wants to tell her

You ARE Kay

Steam achievement granted if you selected all the choices above so far: "Come To Terms With It"

Why would you want me to do that?

I don't mind

Tell him what he wants to know

Kay End Branch 1

Hold him close (romantic) OR continue holding his hand (platonic)

I don't mind (romantic) OR either other option (platonic) (note: choice only occurs if you have at least a yellow heart with Kay at this point)

Ask him again if he has a preference

I want to see you (romantic) OR Yes, definitely (platonic)

I feel that way too (romantic) OR I care about you, as a friend (platonic)

Steam achievement granted for reaching Branch 1 ending: "The Sun Will Rise"

RELOAD SAVE POINT 3

Fantasy Intro - Guide to Branch 2

Maybe we can hang out

Tell him about the dream with Kay

Text her

let's meet up soon

I guess I'll go sit outside for a bit

I am scared, to be honest

Leave the subject alone

I'm sorry for my outburst last time...

Touch his arm

I promise

I definitely don't regret it!

Mention Kay going missing

Give him the benefit of the doubt

I do prefer waffles, actually

Yes... I want to talk about it

Ask about his interests

Maybe I should give it a try someday

find the feather in the water near the center left of the screen

I'm happy

Kay Act One

So... what shells did you find?

Fine, I admit defeat

I should get some rest

I need to look eventually

Don't set it up

Tea

I'm not sure

I really miss him

Make something up

It's alright

I need to save Kay!

Rest for a while

Sure

I still want him back!

Kay Act Two

We are friends

Maybe a little...

We'll pretend to be dating

Steam achievement granted when you choose 'pretend to be dating': "Fake Date"

You can sleep in the bed

CREATE SAVE POINT 6

Whisper that he'll be okay

Ask Kay if it's okay

I'll help him interact with others

Spend the day together at home

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner in the kitchen during breakfast, check it

CREATE SAVE POINT 7

Jam

RELOAD SAVE POINT 7 AFTER GETTING THE BONUS CG WITH JAM IN IT

Syrup

Of course you can

I liked your goofiness

You will

Because I trust in you

I like having you around

Let him sleep on your shoulder

Wake him

I do

Hold onto his hands

Send a message to Shannon

I'm safe

It's rough

Yes

The Pirathon nature trail

I'm trying my best

Romance

Their music helped me through a lot

Maybe I'll redraw it someday

Cheer

You're right, it is

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner soon after the concert, check it

I don't think of it that way

Grab his hand

They're not you

You don't mean that

Tell the truth

Stay

Lay beside him

Kay Act Three

Jasper is your past

...raised to hate me

Yes

...he's kind of cute

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner while you speak with Gray in the kitchen, check it

It's okay

Agree with Lana

Approach him

Hold onto his arm

I felt afraid

Hand them to Kay

Ask Kay if he wants to tell her

That's for you to decide

You'd be happy I'm having nightmares?

Kay End Branch 2

You don't need to prove it

I don't see it that way

CREATE SAVE POINT 8

Go back upstairs

CREATE SAVE POINT 9

Search for Kay

I will be

Hand him the phone

Steam achievement granted if you have been consistently checking the phone for updates: "Kay Fan"

I'll go with you

1 update will show up on your phone in the bottom right corner while at Shannon's party, check it

Steam achievement granted for reaching Branch 2 ending: "Brighter Days"

Bad Ending #1

RELOAD SAVE POINT 5

The Pirathon Beach

Steam achievement granted for reaching bad ending: "Goodbye, my friend"

Bad Ending #2

RELOAD SAVE POINT 8

Search a bit more

Steam achievement granted for reaching bad ending: "The demon's lover"

Bad Ending #3

RELOAD SAVE POINT 9

Leave now

Steam achievement granted for reaching bad ending: "Death By Blonde"

Bad Ending #4

Note: There is an achievement in this ending that can only be achieved by having a low relationship with your father. If you've followed this guide so far, you should have the right stats to get this achievement.

RELOAD SAVE POINT 6

Let him sleep

Tell Lana

I want to keep him close

Spend the day at home together

Syrup

Of course you can

I liked your smile

You two aren't anything alike

I want to look out for you

Let him sleep on your shoulder

Let him rest a bit more

I do

Hold onto his hands

Send a message to Shannon

I'm safe

It's not that I need a break

Yes

The Pirathon nature trail

You're right

Romance

I had a crush on the lead singer

Maybe I'll redraw it someday

Stay quiet

It's not because of him

You aren't difficult

Say nothing

They are you

Run away

Lie to him

Stay

Lay beside him

Jasper doesn't exist anymore

... a hateful person

Steam achievement granted for having a low bond with your father: "He's Not Important :)"

Yes

... he's kind of cute

It's okay

Say you aren't sure

I have a preference for tall people

Approach him

Stop in front of him

I'll stay

Don't

You're not Kay

You'd be happy I'm having nightmares?

Just stay by my side

Any reason to get better counts

Go back upstairs

#heart fragment #kay jamison #walkthrough #heart fragment walkthrough #otome walkthrough #kay walkthrough #otome game #otome games #otome #english otome game #english otome games

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moved-to-void-kissed · 4 years ago

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Too Late to be Saved

Document link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GF_jZevunsCA5QKPWXfaVO_OO61ZaAtxkzPdoJNJHUM/edit?usp=sharing

When Aqua and Aria reach the Dark Margin at the edge of the realm of darkness, they meet Ansem the Wise, who is quickly sought by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. Aria angrily confronts the fellow Heartless, but finds herself unable to get back to the End of Sea before Riku and King Mickey arrive. (2351 words) Replaces the KH3 cutscene “An Unexpected Encounter” and changes some story events so that “Too Late” and “Braving the Darkness” no longer occur.

My first new piece of selfship writing on this blog, and oh boy is it a big one! I had a lot of fun writing this, so hopefully it makes for a good read, haha ^-^

A transcript of the document is under the readmore! Reblogs of this post would be greatly appreciated, since I was really happy with how this turned out, but they’re not required by any means~

“What is this place..?”

The blue-haired woman slowly walked forwards, marvelling at the sight before her. The endless dark caverns that she had wandered for so long had opened out to a clouded grey beach, lit by what appeared to be a glowing white moon above the horizon. The hard stone underfoot was giving way to soft sand of the same ash-like colour, as waves of murky water gently grazed the shore. It was an eerily tranquil place by the standards of all she had witnessed before, something her companion was quick to notice.

“There are no Heartless here.” she said. “I almost feel as though I shouldn’t be here, either. Aqua.. I think this might be the edge of the realm.”

“So, we’ve made it to the end?” replied Aqua, now making her way towards the shoreline.

“Yes, it would appear so. Whatever lies beyond this shore.. It seems less like part of the darkness, and more like something between dark and light. Something that doesn’t belong to either force..”

As her partner spoke, Aqua became aware that her voice was growing fainter. When she turned around, she saw that she had made far less progress towards the water, standing awkwardly some distance away with her wings curled around her body. She looked nervous, and unsure what to expect, yet the catlike ears poking straight up through her messy blonde hair showed that she was still as alert as ever, constantly listening for danger even in the silence of the new place they had stumbled across.

“Aria, it’s okay! We can keep going, if you’d prefer that. You look tense, and I don’t want you to be unsettled.” A worried expression flitted across Aqua’s face as she reached out to hold Aria’s hand - the sudden movement made her flinch in surprise, but she quickly and visibly relaxed as Aqua drew closer. When the two were standing together again, Aqua gently closed both of her hands over Aria’s, unfazed by the patches of open darkness that ran along them, and smiled as she looked down at her partner.

“Thank you..” she mumbled quietly. “I’m alright, I just- don’t know what to expect here.”

It was then that, behind the Keyblade Master, Aria spotted a hooded figure sitting some distance away, hidden by a black coat but appearing to gaze out over the barely-moving water. Though she still let Aqua hold her right hand, she slowly shifted to free her left and moved to stand at Aqua’s side in one fluid movement. Then she extended her left arm and a mass of dark energy enveloped the space beside her, dissipating quickly to reveal a jagged dark red Keyblade.

“Identify yourself!”

Her shout echoed across the shore, leading the figure to turn its head and slowly stand up. As it started to walk across the sand, it removed its hood to reveal an older-looking man with piercing orange eyes and wispy light blond hair. He looked tired, and his face bore the wrinkled lines of worry as he observed the two Keyblade wielders.

“Please, stay your weapon. I mean you no harm.”

Aria wasn’t overly convinced, but she could see that the man did not have the strength to be a threat, so she lowered her Keyblade. Aqua was curious to find out more, taking a step forward.

“Who are you? How did you end up in this place?”

The man sighed wistfully, folding his hands behind his back. “My name was.. stolen by another, and I can feel this place taking its toll on my memory. I’m sorry. I know that I have only been here for a fairly short time, and that I was sent here by the destruction of the machine I created to encode Kingdom Hearts in data.”

“Before that..” He turned to look out over the water again, unwilling to meet Aqua’s gaze. “I caused a great deal of misery to many individuals, through both my recent actions and my previous research. It is clear to me now that I was deeply in the wrong about some of my original beliefs.. Now, I can only hope for a chance to atone for my deeds.”

“It’s alright.” Aria’s Keyblade had disappeared from her hand. “I can see now that your heart holds a true desire for.. repentance, or something of that nature. I’m not sure what the right word is, but.. The point is that you won’t be harmed, by either of us.”

“Yes, of course!” Aqua added. “I think you’ll be safe here, at least, since the Heartless don’t seem to come here. And, I can’t claim to know what you’ve done, but.. What’s important is that you recognise your mistakes, and that you want to make up for them.”

The man seemed relieved, and turned back to face the pair with a shadow of a smile on his face. “Thank you, both of you. I admit that I was not expecting to meet anyone else in this infernal prison. If I may ask, what are your names?”

“Oh, there’s no time for that now.”

A dark portal had opened up, and from it stepped an imposing and well-built man in a similar black coat. He had slicked-back long silver hair and similarly piercing eyes to the old man, though his were a cold golden colour. Aria’s eyes narrowed at his approach, as it was clear that he was a powerful user of darkness, though the true nuance was only visible to her.

“What- What’s going on?” Aqua asked, turning to face the man with suspicion. He ignored her for the moment, focusing only on the older man, who in turn was glaring fiercely at the intruder as he approached.

“You..”

“Master.. I must have a word with you.”

“Master?” he echoed. “So now you mock me..” The disapproval dripped from his voice like bitter venom. The interloper opened his mouth to respond, but-

“Leave.”

Aria had broken away from Aqua’s grasp and now stood defiantly before the intruder, Keyblade still in hand.

“Excuse me?” The man raised an eyebrow and sneered down at her, surprised by her actions.

“I know what you are, Ansem.” she snarled back. “I have known your power since before you even existed. A villainous Heartless with a natural human form - the one that took the title of “seeker of darkness” and is shadowed by a twisted dark figure. You think you’re so strong, but you are not the one who holds power here.”

This last statement had clearly struck a nerve, and Ansem’s expression of contempt soured into anger. “You’re certainly an astute one.. But what makes you think you could possibly face me?”

“Have your eyes gone blind as well as gold? If I can tell what you are, you can tell what I am. I have seen more than you will ever achieve, especially now that you’re afflicted with some other presence. That-” - she pointed up at his eyes - “-is Xehanort’s power, isn’t it? If you’re with him, that makes you our enemy.”

At this point, Aqua’s worried expression had returned. “Aria, be careful..”

“Aqua, get that man somewhere out of the way. I’m going to stop this before it becomes a problem.”

“You are a fool to challenge me, girl!”

An eruption of darkness burst forth from the Heartless, and the powerful frame of the Dark Figure rose up from his shadow. Aria quickly leapt up into the air, spreading her wings to soar over Ansem’s head as he lashed out. To deflect the residual impact of his outburst, Aqua summoned a Barrier spell, then started to help the old man escape once he had turned around.

The force of that initial burst - not even a targeted attack, merely an effect driven by the might of his anger - instantly made Aria aware of the strength Ansem possessed, and she knew she would have to be careful. Her advantage was agility, as the darkness she could draw from her surroundings to aid her flight was limitless. She darted out of his reach and flew up and away from the Dark Figure’s grasp, firing shockwaves of unearthly blue energy at both it and Ansem. The monster seemed unfazed, but Ansem himself was slowed down in his pursuit of her, only to then retaliate with a barrage of violet orbs, which Aria was able to flit between. At every twist and turn, she flew further away from him, enraging him even more as he was forced to give chase.

“What is this insolence?!” Ansem yelled. “You should be obeying me!”

“Does it look like that matters?” she replied, deftly evading another blast of dark energy. “I already told you - you’re not the one who holds power here. Even if you did, Ves’ presence is enough to protect me. I don’t care what you think you deserve!”

Another flash of darkness, this time from Aria herself - she had switched her Keyblade from its dark mode to its diamond mode, now shimmering with cold blue light, and enveloped herself in a shadowy aura to strengthen herself. Still soaring on her wings, their black feathers gleaming with energy drawn from the realm, she sent a rain of insightful flames down from above, then her Keyblade became electrified and she hurled it spinning towards him.

“Maybe you meant something, once. But now you’ve let yourself be taken over by someone who’s not even strong enough to control you completely. Take it from someone who knows - all that does is weaken you!”

“Enough of this!”

Suddenly, the Dark Figure wrested itself from Ansem’s shadow and lunged forwards into the air, followed swiftly by Ansem himself, roaring and surrounding himself with a wall of intense darkness. As Aria dropped through the air to avoid his charge, a blast of ice struck him from behind. It was Aqua, channeling magic even without her Keyblade to act as a conduit. The impact threw Ansem off-course, but the Dark Figure swept around and managed to grab hold of Aria.

“Agh!”

“Let go of her!” Aqua cried, trying to fire more magic without hitting Aria. Ansem’s attention remained focused on the Keyblade Master, while the Dark Figure tightened its powerful grip as if to crush Aria entirely. She desperately writhed and struggled, holding onto the figure with her right hand and trying to slash at it with the Keyblade in her left. After a few moments, it became shrouded in a dark mist, as if dissipating, and she was able to slip from its hold when another direct hit from Aqua made Ansem stumble.

Anger still pulsed through him like a poison as he shouted at the both of them. “I will not lose to an obstinate recusant and a lost guardian with no Keyblade to protect herself!”

Clearing the space around him by emitting a shockwave of energy, Ansem started to summon a massive crest of darkness above him, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. The Dark Figure was still clawing at Aria, as if enraged at how she had stolen some of its power to escape it, but she felt confident she would be able to evade the incoming blow. She could tell that he was not at his full strength anymore, and the intricate crest was already starting to lose its shape, contorting into a misshapen orb of raw darkness.

Then she saw where Ansem was aiming.

“Don’t you dare!-”

In the instant before the orb struck her, all Aqua saw was a flurry of feathers, and then came the dark impetus. Something fell from her sash as she was knocked to the ground, and she was only aware of something- someone- Aria being launched through the air above her, sent flying further back into the dark.

Just then, a shower of stars came soaring in from the direction of the otherworldly beach. Their light seemed to pierce through the darkness like a blade through fog, and Aqua couldn’t help but feel a surge of hope as she saw them strike the Heartless.

“Oh no you don’t!”

A familiar and determined cry from none other than King Mickey himself - the little mouse had leapt to the fray and brandished his Star Cluster Keyblade to help Aqua out. From behind him, another Keyblade wielder in plaid clothing was running towards them, carrying a sword of grey metal with ease.

Aqua recognised him immediately, even though he had grown considerably. “Riku! Mickey! Is it really you?”

“Gah..” Ansem staggered back to his feet, clearly injured from Mickey’s attack, and glared at them all in turn. “You have not won this.. You will not prevail!”

Another dark corridor opened up, then it was gone, and he was gone.

“I don’t feel good about letting him get away like that..” said Mickey. “Should we try and go after him?”

“There’s no time!” Riku exclaimed, his green eyes clouded with concern. “We need to get you out of here, Aqua, and bring Ansem the Wise with us, too. I don’t know how long the corridor I made will stay open for.”

“Wait, but-”

Mickey nodded at Riku’s words with a determined expression. “You’re right. I’m not leaving without you again, Aqua!”

All the while, Aria was desperately flying.

The light of all their hearts, and of the corridor, was blinding, especially for one so accustomed to the dark - but she kept racing forwards, using them as a guiding beacon. Sharp spikes of rock loomed down from the ceiling, as if the jaws of a monster were trying to consume her, to keep her trapped in the realm that had already held her for so long. No. She wouldn’t lose her. This would be her only chance to escape.

The lights flickered, once, twice, three times - and then it was all extinguished. Fatigue from her injuries mixed with overwhelming emotions brought Aria to the ground with a sob. She crashed to the floor just metres away from where her love had been so cruelly rescued, clinging onto what Aqua had so sadly left behind.

All she had left was a blue glass Wayfinder.

#third time's the charm..#a call from the void #creations from the void #selfship #selfshipping #love: wayfinding waters (aqua)#selfship: survivors of the dark (aqua/aria)#self‑inserts #self‑insert: darkness' champion (aria)#kingdom hearts selfshipping #this post is okay to reblog!#I hope that's everyone who wanted to be tagged! if i've missed someone off or tagged someone who didn't want to be then please let me know

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lifblogs · 4 years ago

Text

Get Lost More Often

1915 words, read on ao3

Anakin decided he was an idiot. He wished he had come to that conclusion before taking a hike around Lake Louise in Banff National Park and getting lost. Obi-Wan had warned him against it, but he’d wanted to go anyway. And here he was, freezing his ass off on his way up a peak. Why did he need to climb his way up instead of returning to Fairmont Château where there’d be a nice cozy bed, and hot chocolate, and one of those electric fireplaces? The wind had had the audacity to snatch his map out of his hands, so now he had to get up high to make sense of his surroundings. Hopefully if he made it to the top he’d be able to see the hotel and plan a route back in his head.

It wasn’t that Anakin wasn’t smart. He just did reckless things from time to time. Okay, all the time.

Anakin stopped his hike upwards, and tried to find the best path to continue onward. Right now the ground was becoming more rocky than ever, giant boulders clustering together. He realized it was the perfect shelter for a predator like a lynx or a cougar, and unfortunately there were quite a few of those. But he figured he’d smell one before he was in danger. Maybe. A very tentative maybe. And then there was the off chance that some other large animal would bother him.

He cursed himself as he grabbed hold of a rock and started to climb, his durable hiking boots thankfully helping him scrabble upward. Through the lush greens of the conifers he was able to see a gap, and past them, down, down, down was the lake: all a brilliant aqua that would surely kill him within fifteen minutes of submersion.

Despite being lost and bitterly cold the trip was still worth it just to get a look at that extraordinary glacier melt.

A twig cracked, and Anakin scrambled up and over the rock. He turned, but nothing caught his eye.

Probably a squirrel. Hopefully a squirrel.

Rather than staying in one spot he had his eyes roam all around for at least a minute. He spotted movement in a tree, and was surprised that it was a lot of movement, a branch making a loud thwack as it snapped back into place. Right above that branch was a black furry mass clambering up the trunk.

Closer inspection showed it to be a black bear.

If you let a black bear know you were there and proved that you were big it was relatively harmless. So Anakin stood to his full height, waved his arms, and shouted a greeting at it.

The bear startled, and nearly fell out of the tree, which set Anakin laughing. And then it was on its way.

Anakin had to be on his way now too, taking note of the lengthening shadows. He did not look forward to the idea of being stuck out here at night.

“Just keep climbing,” Anakin told himself as he took to a rocky path through the thinning trees. “Find the hotel.”

~~~

“He should’ve been back by now,” Obi-Wan told the small young woman in front of him.

He had gone to one of the lodges near the hotel that had local rescue and rangers. The woman he was speaking to was short and slim, and had her brown hair up in a bun. A few curls had come loose. She seemed all business in her brown ranger’s uniform, yet she had come out from behind her desk to comfort him.

Obi-Wan was stroking at his beard, anxious from Anakin’s absence. The woman whose name tag read Padmé Naberrie had a reassuring hand on his arm as he gave her all the information he could about his friend.

“I’ll find him,” she assured him, and then she set to work, gathering gear, relaying information, getting someone to cover the desk.

Obi-Wan sat in one of the beat-up handmade wooden chairs.

Oh, Anakin. Why are you always like this?

This vacation had been Anakin’s idea. Obi-Wan would’ve preferred somewhere warmer, and had thought that’s what Anakin had in mind when he used the word exotic. Heading north to try and see all of Canada’s lakes had, however, been how Anakin defined the term. So instead of relaxing at a beach or even just inviting his friend Cody over for drinks, he was here, waiting for Padmé to head out so Anakin could be found.

When she seemed about ready, a heavy backpack hoisted on her shoulders, Obi-Wan grabbed his own pack.

“I’ll go with you,” he offered.

“No offense, but you’ll only slow me down.”

“But I’m strong,” Obi-Wan argued. “And I can move quickly if need be. Please, I just want to find my friend. He’s like a brother to me.”

She eyed him, probably trying to figure out just how muscular he was under his jeans, flannel, and fleece-lined jacket.

“Fine,” she relented. “But there are two rules and two rules only: do exactly as I say, down to the letter, and follow my footsteps about four to five feet back.” Obi-Wan frowned in confusion at that last one, and despite the seriousness of the situation, her brown eyes seemed to glimmer with amusement. She started leading him out, as she offered further explanation: “You don’t want to get hit with the branches that snap back after I pass.”

“Right.”

Padmé led him over to a large all-terrain truck, and once they got in, they headed out.

“So tell me about Anakin,” Padmé inquired.

Obi-Wan did, even as the road became dirt and then their path took them off of it, the vehicle bumping along and jostling them inside.

~~~

Anakin reached the summit of the peak, but there was a slight problem: it was sundown. Sure, he could see the hotel, but traveling there in the dark? Maybe he could stay here. He had a flashlight, he had plenty of back-up batteries. And there was a bigger problem than the dark and cold if he decided to travel. From what he could tell with where the hotel was positioned, he’d have to hike across grizzly territory, or risk taking a much longer route and getting lost yet again.

~~~

I wonder how Obi-Wan’s doing with looking for me.

There was no doubt his friend was looking for him, or had gotten someone to help. He was just like that: always caring, always ready to save Anakin’s ass despite his feigned reluctance.

Then he had a better idea than traveling in the dark and lower temperatures. He could make a signal fire. So Anakin set to work, and in fifteen minutes he had a decent fire going. Now all he could do was sit and wait, he supposed.

Anakin settled down onto the ground, and then started in on the water and energy bars he had in his pack.

“There, did you see that?” Obi-Wan asked, pointing at a flicker of orange light that was up high in the darkness.

He and Padmé had been traveling on foot for some time now, Obi-Wan following her lead because he had no idea how she was able to figure out where Anakin had been, though he noticed she’d often travel back and forth in straight lines, doing that for many yard sometimes, until she’d hurried them on. Despite his worries for Anakin he liked being in her presence. He trusted her, and he wasn’t totally sure why. Maybe it was her sure and steady demeanor, and the calm, reassuring way she spoke to him.

“Yep,” she told him. “Come on.”

Anakin wasn’t sure how long he sat there, working on deep breathing to calm his nerves every time he heard something moving, which was near-constant. The night was loud with all kinds of night-time creatures, and it left him uneasy. He huddled closer to the blazing heat of the fire, pulling his jacket tight around him, and shoved his hands into his armpits. Eventually, he heard steps clumping against the ground, branches and undergrowth rustling, rocks clattering.

Eventually it grew so close that he was on his feet.

Stupidly, he asked, “Who’s there?”

Turned out it wasn’t so stupid after all because next thing he knew there was a petite woman in a ranger’s uniform stepping into the light of his fire.

Anakin let out a breath of relief, which was cut off in an excited shout as Obi-Wan stepped out from behind her.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” the ranger asked.

He grinned at her, beyond relieved by her presence. “I’m fine. Mostly just cold and hungry.”

Obi-Wan put an arm around him. “Come on, let’s get you back.”

The ranger said, “You know, you really shouldn’t travel out here alone.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And you should’ve had a map.”

“The wind took it.”

“Better to stick to a trail.”

“I got that… now.”

But Anakin was too happy at being found to be annoyed. He was actually glad that she clearly cared.

All conversation that didn’t have to do with getting back to civilization died down.

A few hours later—hours of pain-stakingly making their way down the peak and around the lake with only the light of their flashlights—they came to an open area where there was a large truck parked on the dirt.

“Nice ride,” Anakin commented, as he climbed in, Obi-Wan relinquishing the passenger’s seat for him.

Anakin had expected something a bit clipped from the ranger, but to his surprise she grinned at him.

“Want to see how fast it can go?”

Anakin soon had a look to mirror hers. “Hell yeah.”

They set off, the night racing past them.

“Not to be a downer, Padmé,” Obi-Wan cried, “but hitting something and overturning this isn’t really what I had in mind!”

“Relax,” Anakin told him.

“Relax? You were missing all day.”

“Yeah, and I’m here now.” He turned to his savior. “So, Padmé, is it?”

“Yep.”

“Pretty name.”

“I could say the same for you.”

He laughed. “But at least you have the prettier face.”

“I wouldn’t exactly say that.”

“No?”

“Well… maybe. But hey, maybe I should get lost more often.”

“Do you two mind flirting later?” Obi-Wan asked.

Padmé flashed Anakin a secretive smile that left a giddy feeling soaring through his stomach.

~~~

When they made it back to the lodge, Padmé gave Anakin her number.

“What are you doing up here anyway?” she asked him as she handed him the slip of paper.

“Exotic vacation. Wanted to see all of Canada’s lakes.”

“That’s ambitious.”

Looking her up and down and liking what he saw he responded, “I’m an ambitious kind of guy.”

“Great, then take me out with you next time. Or we could do something else. Are you staying at the Fairmont?”

“You bet!”

“How about I see you there tomorrow night for dinner?”

“Can we do dessert too?”

“Only if you’re thinking about the same dessert I am.”

“Hell yeah, I am.”

She gave him a quick embrace and kissed his cheek before saying, “Great, it’s a date.”

“It’s a date!” Anakin called as he left, getting into Obi-Wan’s car.

“You got her number, didn’t you?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Sure did.”

“I’m getting exiled tomorrow night, aren’t I?”

“Yes, you are.”

Obi-Wan sighed, and rolled his eyes, and then pulled out onto the road. “I swear, you’re going to be the death of me, my young friend.”

#AU_gust #AU_gust_2021 #star wars #prequels #star wars fanfiction #star wars prequel fanfiction #star wars au #anakin skywalker #obi-wan kenobi #padmé amidala #anidala #au #fanfiction #writing #my writing

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random-mha-thoughts · 5 years ago

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Home (Dabi x Reader)

Pairing: Dabi x Reader

Someone requested on my Wattpad: “Can I request a Dabi x reader where he is tired and came home and we play him a song in the piano and he falls asleep on our shoulder?”

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1,254

Tags: @yuki-osaki @liviitehe @iamsoftsodonttoucheume-blog @bunnythepipsqueak

a/n: Well, the drama from earlier today has passed, so have some soft Dabi. I’m happy someone requested something for him, he’s probably my favorite of the LoVs. I wrote this in kind of a hurry, so there might be more errors than usual, and I expected it to be shorter, but it kinda ended up longer than I thought, so enjoy! Tomorrow I’ll be doing the clingy Todoroki request (FINALLY!!) before I probably take a break until the end of the week to focus on studying for my finals.

Dabi's life as a villain is tough, to say the least. Being one of the leading members of the League of Villains doesn't allow for much of a personal life. it definitely wears him out more than he wants to admit himself. There are even days when he doesn't return home for up to a week.

But, the days when he does come home are the best days.

Home for him isn't really his house or apartment, it belongs to you, his loving sweetheart who he met by chance one rainy day. He was looking for an empty building to squat in for the night when he met you. You were on your way back from a friend's house and accidentally bumped into him. He couldn't place the feeling of why he decided to follow you, but it was a life-changing decision nonetheless.

Dabi managed to sneak onto your floor, picking the lock of the supply closet next door and residing there for the night. He spread a few sheets onto the cold floor and used a bag of some powdery substance as a makeshift pillow. While his thoughts were running wild as they do every night, he played with his fire in his hand, flickering on and off in the small room.

And then he heard piano music next door. The melody flowed slowly, none of the notes too hurried, like a leisurely walk on a Sunday morning. The minor key implies the underlying dark themes, the song carrying a message of recovery or rebirth. Dabi drinks the song in, somehow moving the soul he thought was stone cold after certain events in his earlier life. His eyes grew heavier as the sound lulls him off to sleep. In the morning, he left a note and slipped in under your door.

"Your music gave me the best sleep I've had in years. Let's meet tonight."

He thought you would be put off by his half fried appearance, tattered clothes, unkempt hair, and metal piercings, but you weren't. It was awkward for him to pull off something like a date at a park, but as he spent more time talking to you, the more he felt you two hit it off. At first, he explained his job as a travelling contractor of sorts, which would explain why he was often absent. As your relationship grew, he became more and more enamored by you and it filled him with guilt that he was hiding his true nature from him.

One day, he was so badly injured and bleeding, and he was in your area. Without giving it a second thought, he stumbled through your door with wounds too severe for a construction accident, and he had to come clean. Dabi thought you would be appalled by his behavior and his lie. All you did was wordlessly dress his wounds, put your supplies away, before drifting over to the piano on the other side of the room.

"You said my playing gave you the best sleep of your life the first night we met," you said, lifting the cover off and sitting down at the small bench. "I should play you something else so you can rest again."

The familiar melody caressed his ears, and he hummed along in his head as he pattered over to sit next to you. As the song drew to a close, you turned to him with a smile of acceptance. "I like you just the way you are. I'll be here to take away your weariness, always."

From then on, he found himself coming back to you more often. The two would talk about the most superficial things as the weather at first, but as the clock ticks down later, Dabi's secrets came out. You became the only person he would seek out whenever he could. There's always a part of him that think you hated him for being a villain, but your kind nature reminded him of the warmth of his mother; the child could be the devil himself, but she would always love him.

Now, he would come back to you like it was his dwelling place. You are his guiding light, his way of unwinding, his safe haven.

Just like each night, Dabi uses his key to unlock your door, but he makes sure to knock three times so you know it's him. You're already home, in the kitchen finishing up dinner for you two to enjoy. You smile when he wraps his burned arms around you from behind.

"How did you know I'd be here tonight?" He moves a stray hair behind your ear.

"Because it's been a week since you were last here, and you usually try to come every week," you answer matter-of-factly.

He pulls you away from the stove and sits you two on the couch, still holding your hand just to keep you tethered to him somehow. "What would you have done if I didn't come?"

"Eat it for lunch tomorrow. Or I'd just leave it for you to have tomorrow or whatever next day you would return." You study the worn creases under his scalded eyes, brushing one of them lightly with your thumb. "Though you look like you need a talk more than food right now. Spill."

Dabi lays back on the couch in a huff. "Shigaraki's being a kid again. Sometimes I wonder just how this whole thing'll turn out when we have a literal ten year old as our leader. You should've seen this guy destroying Overhaul..."

You look on as he tells his story, wanting to relieve his exhaustion in any way you can. Starting small, you massage his fingers in your hand, avoiding his metal staples whenever possible. "Shigaraki needs one good punch in the face when he goes off like that."

"Yeah, and I'd be the one to do it if it weren't for Kurogiri stopping me." His aqua eyes bore into yours affectionately. There's no label on this relationship, and in a way, Dabi preferred it that way. He's obviously attached to you, but trying to put how he feels into a neat box isn't something he'd want. He already knows what you mean to him and vice versa, and you two act accordingly.

His eyes flicker to the piano just briefly in passing and you already know what he wants. You guide him by the hand and sit him at the bench with you. "Same as usual?"

Both of his arms circle your torso and he rests his chin on your shoulder. "Play whatever you feel." Dabi already feels his body relax just being near you.

The music fills his ears as your fingers dance over the keys. His eyes first try to follow your delicate movements as the soft melody plays. It sounds airy, light, dreamy almost at first, before it takes structure into keeping the same melody and building on it to become slightly more intense and passionate, holding onto the remnant of its original innocence.

All the sensations around fills him completely: the music stirring the small weightlessness from him, your shortened breathing as you play, the warmth and scent from your skin. It's something he misses whenever he's not around, but more importantly, it's somewhere he feels he belongs. Even in his childhood, he felt he wasn't welcome in the house he was born. Dabi knows there will always be a place for him here, right next to you, as he drifts off with a smile on his face.

#dabi x reader #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #dabi fluff #mha dabi #bnha dabi #gender neutral reader #request #dabi imagine #dabi scenario #mha x reader #bnha x reader #mha fanfiction #bnha fanfiction

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blackhyena · 4 years ago

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gothank you @slutteryingreen for tagging me to uhhh. do this deep dive i guess.

1. Do you prefer writing with a black pen or blue pen? black ideally but like, whatever’s there in practice? i seem to have got hold of an aqua blue bastard right now and i feel somewhat foolish

2. Would you prefer to live in the country or city? i love the country but i need to be in a city where everything is convenient and it feels like im part of.... something at least. the idea of being far from amenities is quite frightening to me given how paranoid i can be lmao

3. If you could learn a new skill what would it be? i know i already play guitar but i would like to be actually genuinely good at it rather than mediocre. i also would like to be better at doing makeup, and i’d really love to be able to make my own clothes alas i can’t even work a sewing machine

4. Do you drink your tea/coffee with sugar? i do not

5. What was your favourite book as a child? omg megan horrible histories is such a shout. i did love those dragonology/egyptology/pirateology books though i still have them somewhere cause im not throwing away QUALITY like that

6. Do you prefer baths or showers? showers

7. If you could be a mythical creature, which one would it be? Oh To Be A Gender Non Conforming Vampire

8. Paper or electronic books? paper

9. What is your favourite item of clothing? my assorted flashy blazer collection

10. Do you like your name or would you like to change it? i mean.... it’s unusual, and i suppose that makes it feel very personal to me. but then also i love my nicknames/alternative names so much, i have genuinely considered changing it, but then i also like the idea of going by several variously

11. Who is a mentor to you? ummm. literally? my supervisor

12. Would you like to be famous and if so, what for? i still daydream about being a musician, that hasnt changed since i was really small haha. though sometimes in my daydreams i am also a screenwriter/director maybe. i don’t know. id hate to be super famous though megan is on the money, gotta be niche

13. Are you a restless sleeper? hmm, i take ages to get to sleep but when im out i am OUT. as in people have to make sure im not dead out.

14. Do you consider yourself a romantic person? in every sense of the word!

15. Which element best represents you? this is probably just from astrology shit but i think air is also quite representative of me!

16. Who do you want to be closer to? oh to be close to someone! in this economy...

17. Do you miss someone at the moment? SEE ABOVE. everyone!!!!!

18. Tell us about an early childhood memory: my two cousins arguing over who got to give me a horse-ride in my nana’s living room, meanwhile i’m crying in the corner begging them not to fight

19. What is the strangest thing you have eaten? oh take your pick! chicken hearts, ostrich, springbok.... all very delicious would recommend

20. What are you most thankful for? im very loved by my family and friends 🥺 even though i can get insecure and not realise it, it’s something i need to commit to heart more often.

21. Do you like spicy food? yes but my body does not. doesn’t stop me though!

22. Have you ever met someone famous? ive met miles kane! and jason manford. and some randos from coronation street. oh and kate mulgrew. and lee mack, who was getting my train along with catherine tate. there’s probably more ive forgotten.

23. Do you do you keep a diary or journal? lol NO but i do have a planner because if i didnt my life would have fallen apart completely by now.

24. Do you prefer to use a pen or a pencil? pen.

25. What is your star sign? libra

26. Do you like your cereal soggy or crunchy? crunchy... but i also don’t eat cereal. ive fully gone off milk (no pun intended)

27. What would you want your legacy to be? that i created something beautiful or though-provoking, or at least funny

28. Do you like reading, what was the last book you read? ahah if i didnt like reading doing what i do then id be FUCKED. i just finished reading the ebb-tide by robert louis stevenson!

29. How do you show someone you love them? i get them something nice... i suck at expressing it because i’m so nervous it won’t go down well. a gift does nicely to get around that.

30. Do you like ice in your drinks? i guess?

31. What are you afraid of? failing.... being forgotten.....rejection.... oh and wasps, hugely. bug sounds freak me the fuck out!!!!

32. What is your favourite scent? woody, earthy rain smells. and jasmine/honeysuckle too i suppose

33. Do you address older people by their name or surname? i... whatever they go by????

34. If money was not a factor, how would you live your life? my house would be so beautifully hideous and full of beautifully hideous clothes.

35. Do you prefer swimming in pools or the ocean? pools, just cause i can’t be dealing with salt water in my nose where it has no business being

36. What would you do if you found £50 on the ground? i .... GUESS i would turn it in to see if anyone had lost it, but you can bet i’d be fuming

37. Have you ever seen a shooting star? no!!! i think i’m too short-sighted to pick most of them out. really mad about that actually why did you ask

38. What is the one thing you would want to teach your children? im not planning to have kids but i did come to a conclusion that, while formerly i would have simply told them to be kind, i would also tell them to be smart. because natural intelligence aside critical thinking is a GIFT and they should rightly question everything rather than taking it as gospel.

39. If you had to have a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it? urgh i know exactly what i would get and if covid/money/parental expectations truly were no object i’d be getting little fragments of cathedral architecture from all the cities i’ve lived in tattooed on my wrists.

40. What can you hear now? the garage door creaking open under our flat

41. Where do you feel the safest? at home, with a cat curled up on my bed.

42. What is the one thing you want to overcome/conquer? insecurities yes.... anxieties.... fears.... all that. i should get therapy probably

43. If you could travel back to any era, what would it be? it would not be permanent because i do NOT want to live without modern niceties but i WOULD go back to the eighteenth century/regency.... and just meet some people i’ve been reading about in the flesh, and see if they live up to the hype.

44. What is your most used emoji? red love heart emoji....

45. Describe yourself using one word. odd...

46. What do you regret the most? not sticking up for people being bullied at school. i know it was a self preservation thing at the time and i was a kid and didnt necessarily know better but like.... i wish i hadnt tried to distance myself from it, i could have been a lot more empathetic and made the world a bit kinder for people going through it, you know?

47. Last movie you saw? belle!

48. Last tv show you watched? succession

49. Invent a word and it’s meaning. you know when you give your cat a gentle shove and it rolls over dramatically onto its back? that’s tipcat.

i tag @ceolfriths @wutheringdyke @mycravatundone @colubride @renfield @goblinmarquess

#text post

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cyberramblings · 5 years ago

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Kingdom Hearts BBS, DDD Blind Thoughts

Spoilers for Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep and earlier titles in the series. Also warning that I have insomnia and these are utter ramblings on the last 24 hours of blindly binging the Kingdom Hearts series as a total newcomer to the series. Haven’t played three yet and just started Dream Drop Distance. With that warning.....

Birth by Sleep was a ton of fun. We ended up needing to grind a little to make Aqua playable, but that ended up forcing me to learn the game mechanics much deeper, and even my friends leveled up their playing of the game! It was really cool to unlock some of the high tier spells like Triple Firaga and Thundaga Shot, although I do wish we had gotten to chance to unlock even more. I should remember how much more fun the game was after some internet research.

It was very satisfying to unlock the true ending so easily. We had only missed 2 of the 12 required Xehanort Reports. The 2 we needed involved grinding the arena for maybe an hour total and then 5 minutes of finding a treasure chest. We were then able to roll smoothly from Aqua’s finish into the final episode.

Aqua’s fight against Braig was laughable easy, but the final fight against Vanitas/Ventus was slightly tougher. The real challenge was fighting Terra/Xehanort but then the REAL challenge was phase 2 of that fight. I got them all on the first try! It was a really enjoyable flex of my gaming skills in front of the friends.

From a story standpoint, Birth By Sleep had my favorite story of any KH game so far, by a huge margin. I liked certain elements of the KH2 ending (Riku and Sora teaming up, Kairi’s keyblade) but BBS has been the only game where I had any sense of purpose or desire to see how it ends. They did a great job of having each of the 3 routes reveal new information even if played out of order (Xehanort taking over Terra, Vanitas having Sora’s face, Aqua taking care of comatose Ventus).

Obviously it helps to have Leonard Nimoy and Mark Hamill join the cast, plus Aqua’s VA absolutely dominates every scene she’s in. Terra’s VA reminds me a lot of Leon’s monotone edgy boy voice acting (David Boreanaz or otherwise). Of course Ventus shares a VA with Roxas, but the twist of Vanitas being Haley Joel Osmont is really great because he sounds so much older. I think it would have been easier to predict that twist if I had recently heard more of HJO’s Sora voice in Dream Drop Distance or KH3.

Aqua is, of course, the great standout character from BBS. From the start, we got attached to her because of her known prevalence in KH3 on top of her cool design, Arrow voice actress, and the fact that we could finally play a girl (plus one with more human proportions than Kairi). It worked out really well how we saved her for last and had to kind of unlock the secrets of her play style by finally mastering the various gameplay systems.

I much prefer the command deck system compared to the gameplay of KH2. To be fair, these are the only two KH games I’ve beaten. I’ve only barely touched KH1 and Chain of Memories. I felt like BBS did a good job of fusing the action gameplay of KH2 with the (potentially) satisfying deck building of CoM.

Re: Coded is a fucking mess. I might actually go back and play it on a DS emulator just to see the gameplay, but god damn the story is a flimsy excuse for a retread. I almost wish we had skipped it entirely, but just watching the opening and ending worked out pretty well. In the end, it’s literally just “Mickey is gonna give Sora the memories of all the other protagonists” which is badass but probably going to be mentioned again before being relevant. I will say that the ending with Riku and Sora being summoned by Yen Sid for the mark of mastery test is fucking badass and elicited quite the reaction from all three of us. The series is finally starting to have that feeling of “the stakes are high and I want to see what happens with these characters”.

This was expressed most fully in the intro to Dream Drop Distance. Step 1: invoke Disney Magic with a silhouette of magician Mickey. Step 2: Orchestral Simple and Clean. Step 3: use entirely new cinematic footage instead of splicing together an AMB. Step 4: show every keyblade wielder standing side by side. Apparently that’s enough to make me actually cry. We all got very excited by this intro, so it was a bit of a let down to start the game and be seemingly replaying KH1 again.

Of course that’s not the whole game, but I’m still not sure what the whole game is. Riku and Sora have to...wake the seven sleeping worlds to earn their mark of mastery? Are they dreaming all of this, or what? Seeing The World Ends With You was cute for like a second before realizing that I know almost nothing about it. Flowmotion is similarly kinda neat at first but quickly becomes annoying, but maybe it will grow on me with time.

Speaking of fun at first but quickly annoying: Dream Eaters. The Pokémon-esque system seems like a time waster that’s perfect for 3DS but maybe not so much for our tourist play through. The Dream Eater designs are cute when they’re on your team, but strike me as a bit annoying when fighting the same ones over and over. Heartless and Nobodies felt more generic, but that made them feel a little less repetitive to fight over and over. I see the same god damn rainbow colored Panda every god damn fight. To be fair, I think each world randomly contains certain types of Dream Eaters every time you visit it.

Speaking of Worlds, I’m not really looking forward to Hunchback of Notre Dame or Pinocchio world, but at least they’re new worlds instead of retreading Halloween Town, Agrabah, Olympus, Neverland for the millionth time. What I am looking forward to is The Grid from Tron Legacy! I don’t think we’ve seen any Disney world that specifically spotlight a sequel to a Disney world we’ve already seen. We revisit Halloween Town, Agrabah, Beast’s Castle, Olympus, Atlantica but only for some minor follow-up fluff. The Tron world in KH2 meant a lot to me having just seen the film. The Lightcycle combat could’ve been a little more true to the original, but the visuals were so faithful plus having Tron’s actual actor was so fucking cool. Sora and gang getting Tron outfits was so cool too. Also would’ve liked to have a disc fight, but the Sark/MCP fight was spot on. Hopefully we can get both of more in DDD!

It’s a perfect excuse to revisit The Grid since Legacy looks so different from the original. Now, The Grid is not a true world in KH2 but instead part of Hollow Bastion’s computer system. I’m curious if The Grid in DDD is a sleeping world or something that exists within another world, or if it is somehow connected to the KH2 Tron world (which would get real weird real quick if that version of the Grid is a copy of the original, but Legacy is supposed to be set in The Grid 30 years later).

Oh, I like that DDD has the command deck system but I don’t like the pets, I don’t like the link system, I don’t like reality shift, and I don’t like flowmotion. It just seems like BBS with all the RPG features crammed into the pet system with a bunch of gimmick infused into the combat system. Admittedly, gimmick is one of the biggest strengths of the KH franchise, but flowmotion just seems silly. Perhaps I’ll like it more when I get used to it and potentially get to customize the moves.

I’m not sure yet how I feel about the drop system, but I do like getting to play as Riku. I think multiple protagonists is a smart way to stretch the assets and tell 2 stories per world. I rather enjoyed the way Aqua, Terra, and Ventus interacted with some of the Disney worlds. Hopefully we get something similar in some of these worlds.

The dive mini game is definitely gimmicky nonsense clearly designed for the 3DS. In general though, all the games in these collections look great and feel great. I suppose that is why Days, Coded, and Back Cover are cutscenes: to keep the average quality of gameplay roughly somewhere in between KH1 and 2 between all the titles. In fact, I think KH1 is easily the worst feeling out of all the ones thus far. I’ve always complained about KH hopping between systems, but now I can’t really complain about that anymore. My complaint still stands about the games being overly complicated. Plus, the games are clearly taking themselves way too seriously, but that’s very clearly part of the charm.

Really, I suppose the games aren’t that complicated if you heavily condense Chain of Memories, cut out Coded, and try not to think too hard about the phone games. Then it just becomes: Sora defeats the heartless, Sora defeats the nobodies, Roxas backstory, Aqua/Terra/Ventus, training/prep montage, then KH3. Oh, and try to forget that somehow the upcoming rhythm game is canon.

#kingdom hearts #kh #kingdom hearts birth by sleep #birth by sleep #dream drop distance #kingdom hearts dream drop distance #kh ddd #kd: ddd #kh bbs #kh2

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kessielrg · 5 years ago

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[DA+KH] CODEX: Aqua’s Letters 1: An Apology

Summary: An unofficial part of @chibi-mushroom‘s Dragon Age AU for the Kingdom Hearts series. In which Aqua writes an apology to Anora. I was going to bundle this with another letter, but I couldn’t make it work. Even though that letter was going to be a ‘here’s how we got here’ kinda deal. Minor spoiler, but a lot of Aqua’s letters are going to be recap to Ventus at the Circle. Couldn’t manage to get something together for this one though.

Rating: K

Word Count: 835 words

Anora,

I don't know what to say. Well, maybe I do, but at the same time I don't think I can. There's just… so much I need to say. So much I should have said. But… I guess, above all;

I'm sorry.

Genuinely

completely

shamefully

sorry.

You have all right to be furious with me. The more time I spend away from the Circle, the more I've come to realize how absent I must have seemed to everyone else. Do you remember when we were younger, and I was usually placed in the classes for others almost twice our age? I never felt like I belonged with them. Even with you, whose magic never seemed to truly take shape until you were a bit older, I never thought I belonged in the tower. There was always some imbalance somewhere -between skill and age- that I sunk into a habit of studying and tuning almost everything else out.

And that included you. I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry.

If I could take that kiss back, trust me when I say I would. But I wouldn't give it to anyone from the Circle. Not even you. It hurts writing this, because now I know how you truly felt, but please, Anora, you have to understand; rumors are like wildfire in the Circle. They don't even have to be true to spread from one corner to another. I'm not even sure I see other females the way you do. When I first left the tower, I thought that -no matter what happened at Ostagar- I would be free. But you've heard and have seen what truly happened. That possibility is no longer an option.

However... there may be someone I would have preferred to give it to. I'm not sure about it though. This is not the time for fairy tale romances. But it... it's becoming harder to know which is adrenaline, and which one is affection...

I did notice your hints. Not all of them, I'll admit, but there was one instance that I haven't forgotten. Do you remember, several years back for Wintersend, you decorated my bedpost with those paper snowflakes? You had made so many, you could barely see the bed itself. What amazed me the most was how much detail you had put into them. Each one was different, some enchanted into different colors, and I wondered (still do!) how long it must have taken you to make them all. If I could, I would have kept them there forever. But, as you remember, Knight Commander Cid had forced me to take them down. You looked so crushed when I told you about it.

At first, I thought it was because you had spent a lot of time making them. You were disappointed that all your hard work was going to be thrown out. But as I took each paper snowflake down, I realized you had written things on them. One had my favorite bread recipe on it. Several others had bits of the Chant of Light copied down. Most everything else was whatever had been on your mind when you made that particular snowflake. 'This one looks dumb.' 'I should take a break.' 'Whoever made dinner tonight should be sacked.' 'I'm going to get food poisoning next time they prepare dinner.'

(Funny how that last one happened recently. Did you ever find out who it was?)

I sat there laughing at it all. I'm not sure why- perhaps it was because these delicate snowflakes had such random things written on them. Incidentally, I wasn't aware you knew so many colorful words. It was definitely a surprise. But then I saw a snowflake with something written on it that made my heart stop. 'Pink and blue. Complementary but distant. Please remember me.' I think that was the moment it hit me. I knew why you were upset. It wasn't because you spent a lot of time on them, or because they had to be taken down- it was because you were trying to show love to someone you thought didn't notice.

I should have said something then.

But I didn't.

Words will never be able to express how awful I feel for avoiding you, and everyone else.

That particular paper snowflake was the only one I kept. For the longest time, I used it as a placeholder for the books I was reading. When one of the corners ripped, I stopped using it as a placeholder and placed an enchantment on it. A simple one; designed to make sure it didn't rip or fade away with time. I left it in the trunk by my bed when I left. The trunk was locked so I didn't think of getting anything from it at the time. I've sent a request for someone to send me your snowflake; I'd like to keep it with me. To remind me of the Circle, and of you.

When we end the Blight, we'll talk more in person. Promise.

-Aqua

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starorionvn · 5 years ago

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Piercing Gaze

It’s been a while since I posted an update. As I’ve mostly been doing writing and programming recently, I figured I could post a sample of writing from this project. For context, Aqua and her housemate Jasper attend a yearly cultural festival. During the festival, Jasper gets separated from Aqua, and now she is searching for him.

----------------------------------------------

Aqua: "(My phone's signal doesn't seem to be working. How lovely.)"

Aqua: "(Ugh, this is horrible. Despite there being so many people around me, I actually feel so alone.)"

I took another glance around the festival grounds. Couples, groups of friends and families were scattered all around and mingling with each other. Lineups formed for each booth. Somehow, a man dressed in what I thought was a yukata caught my eye.

Aqua: "(He's stunning.)"

My heart was left restless and my mind was smitten.

Aqua: "(I wonder what he's doing alone in the middle of a festival like this. Is he a model, or something?)"

As my eyes kept drifting towards him, he stood in one spot, looking around.

Aqua: "(Maybe he's waiting for his girlfriend.)"

I was soon in his line of sight. At that point, I wanted to turn away, but my eyes seemed to be glued to him. My thighs pulsed with heat. The anklet I was wearing jingled as I took a step back. The warmth from the summer’s air slowly embraced my face.

Aqua: "(That's silly of me to care. I'm wearing a mask too. He surely wouldn't notice if I were looking at him. Still though, Jasper really is nowhere in sight.)"

As I looked around, a masked man appeared right in front of me.

Masked Man: "You alright?"

Aqua: "Huh...?"

Masked Man: "I've seen you pacing back and forth around here. Are you lost?"

Aqua: "Same could be said for you. You've been standing around, are you looking for someone?"

Masked Man: "..."

Masked Man: "It seems like all my friends have ditched me."

Aqua: "Some friends they are."

Masked Man: "Yeah."

Aqua: "Then again, the person I came with also decided to run off on his own."

Masked Man: "Oh, that's horrible."

Aqua: "I don't think he left purposely. We just happened to get separated."

Masked Man: "That would make sense. It sure is crowded tonight."

Aqua: "Mhm."

Masked Man: "Hm, maybe we can keep each other company while we look for each other's groups."

Aqua: "We can do that."

Masked Man: "I think I'm going to buy a drink, do you want anything?"

Aqua: "Sure, could I get maybe some grape soda?"

Masked Man: "Oh, you like grape soda too? Everybody seems to make fun of me for it, saying it tastes like medicine."

Aqua: "You have good taste, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Their taste buds don’t work. Ours are just fine."

Masked Man: "I like the way you think."

Masked Man: "Anyway, just stay right there. I'll bring you a soda then."

Aqua: "Thank you!"

He walked off, merging with the crowd. I patiently waited in the spot that we were talking in.

I waited...

... And waited...

And waited some more.

Aqua: “(I've been waiting forever for this guy to come back with the soda. My phone battery is dead now too. From the look of the sky, it's already been a while.)"

???: "There you are!"

Aqua: "Huh...?" Jasper: "I was looking all over for you! Where did you run off? Stay close to me. I don't want to lose you."

Aqua: "Where did you go?"

Jasper: "Ta-da!"

He pulled out a plastic container with some sushi rolls.

Jasper: "I wanted to get you some salmon sushi. It was almost sold out. I just happened to get the final pack for you."

Aqua: "Jasper...”

Aqua: "(He really does remember my preferences, even though it's been a while since we lived together.)"

Jasper: "Amazed? Falling for me now?"

Jasper: "Be careful now, watch your step~"

Aqua: "I'm not going to fall or any--"

And on cue, I just happened to nearly trip, but fortunately, Jasper pulled me into his embrace. While it was loud from the festival music, I felt the beating of a heart that started to beat faster and faster. It was almost as loud as the drums in the background. Jasper soon positioned me back to where I was.

Jasper: "Sorry, you were about to fall. You would've tripped otherwise."

Aqua: "N-No, thank you for that."

He had a warm smile on his face.

Jasper: “This festival is so nostalgic in the best way possible. I'm so happy that I got to spend tonight with you.”

The both of us walked into the festival, enjoying our last days of summer.

Somewhere in the distance, I felt a gaze that pierced through me. I'll never forget the vague feeling of darkness that stirred within me that night.

#visual novel development #writing sample #otome game #indiegame #oelvn #evn #english visual novel #miasmaoverride

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unchartedterritoria · 6 years ago

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Dangerous (Sam Drake x OC) - Chapter 29

*NEW CHAPTER*

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 * Chapter 2 * Chapter 3 * Chapter 4 * Chapter 5* Chapter 6 * Chapter 7 * Chapter 8 * Chapter 9 * Chapter 10 * Chapter 11 * Chapter 12 * Chapter 13 * Chapter 14 * Chapter 15 * Chapter 16 * Chapter 17 * Chapter 18 * Chapter 19 * Chapter 20 * Chapter 21 * Chapter 22 * Chapter 23* Chapter 24 * Chapter 25 * Chapter 26 * Chapter 27 * Chapter 28

As always, you can read the story thus far on A03 HERE

Tags: @jodiereedus22, @shambhalala, @missdictatorme

Reviews and comments are always appreciated!

A hard knock on the door of the motel room announced Sully's arrival. Still cautious, Sam hastily threw the garish, flowery comforter over the assortment of weapons he had gotten from the Ricker brothers just an hour earlier. He gave a quick glance through the crack between the heavy drawn drapes, enough to see the casual short-sleeved style button-down that Sully always preferred.

"It's me, open the door," Sully's gruff voice came from behind the door as he noticed the slight rustle of the window coverings.

Sam closed his eyes and sighed, running a hand through his hair, feeling the dark cloud of inevitable guilt-laden ass-chewing that lay behind the door in the form of Victor Sullivan.

Sam undid the flimsy chain lock and deadbolt, opening the door. Before he could begin to argue and explain his actions in vain, pain ricocheted through his head, the unexpected punch to the nose, making him stumble backward. Tripping awkwardly over his own feet, he landed square on his ass next to the bed.

Sully strode through the doorway, looking the rather imposing figure despite the cane in his right hand, which he used to slam the door closed behind him.

A few drops of blood caught on Sam's upper lip. He wiped it away gingerly with the back of his hand, careful not to touch his nose.

"I deserve that," He said, getting to his feet after a moment, sure that the bleeding had stopped and that his nose wasn't broken.

“You deserve a lot more than that,” Sully threatened.

“I know I do.”

“What kind of shitstorm have you gotten her into?”

Oh good, getting right into things.

"Something a lot bigger than I thought it was," Sam sighed sourly, leaning back against the door. His hand reached up occasionally to touch his nose while Sully paced elliptical patterns through the tiny motel room Sam and Faith shared. "Sit down before you fall down old man, you're looking a little pekid," He told Sully. Taking his own advice, he pulled out a chair and sat down at the small table.

"Don't tell me to sit down! I'm just fine," He said defiantly. Sully took a few more obstinant strides around the room. A layer of perspiration shone on his pale face before finally, he resigned himself to the chair across from Sam, muffling a gruff groan as he sat.

“How's the leg doing?” Sam asked.

“We'll talk about me later,” Victor answered quickly, shutting down Sam's meager attempt at small talk, “Now tell me what's going on.”

Sam took a readying breath. “How much did you find out from Nathan?”

“The high points. Lincoln's treasure. Springfield. Something about a goddamn barrel here in the Keys... Remy St. James,” He added the name of their fallen friend last. A stoic sadness in his dull green eyes, it was the hardened gaze of a man experienced with death and loss. “Damn shame. He was a good kid.” Sully reflected.

"That he was," Sam said, his face guilty and ashen as he shook a cigarette out of the pack next to the half-full ashtray on the table.

"Well, if that was the highlights, they don't tell me squat. Give me the play by play," Sully asked, adjusting his injured leg under the table.

Sam spent the next half hour chain-smoking and retelling the events of the last 67 days. The activities and finds in Springfield, the horrible and harrowing situation that had unfolded in the basement of the abandoned Edwards house, the previous three weeks of searching for any clues and finally finding a lead at the Martello Museum. Sam made the decision to keep what brought them to the museum, treasure hunter pillow talk that morning after Mother's Day, to himself.

“And that's when he grabbed her?” Sully asked.

“Yeah.”

“And you are absolutely sure it was Jasper?”

“Oh, I know it was him. Son of a bitch even left me a goddamn note,” Sam said bitterly, stubbing out the butt of his cigarette in the overflowing ashtray. Anxious, he pushed himself away from the table and strode around the space.

“A note?”

"Oh yeah, 'I've taken your queen, your move,'" He mocked in a thick Georgia accent. Sully frowned.

“Your queen?”

"Yeah, like it's a fuckin' chess match. You wanna see my move, Jasper? You wanna see my move?" Sam ranted to the warm air, giving the bed a kick with his boot, it made the weapons of his makeshift armory clack together. "Yeah, I'm gonna take these guns, shove them up your ass and leave a giant fuckin' divot where you stand. How's that for a fucking move?" Sam snatched the comforter from the bed, leaving it in a crumpled heap as he started to stuff the weapons in black duffel bags.

Your queen. Sully turned the line over in his brain. He scanned the room, his greying eyebrows furrowed.

With Sam having stowed his small arsenal away, Sully could see the large, singular dip in the middle of the mattress. The dip one could always find in the beds of an old married couple.

Samuel, please tell me you didn't, he thought, looking around the room again for another sign. The small pile of clothes that looked haphazardly thrown to the ground included Sam's t-shirt with a shiny aqua bra strap poking out from beneath it. That was all he needed to see.

“Samuel, I asked you two things, keep her safe and keep your hands to yourself.”

“Huh?” Sam poked his head up.

"I told you, I warned you, and you still couldn't do either!

"Alright, you know what, Victor?" Sam huffed, hastily zipping closed the last bag, and throwing it next to the door. "You got to ask your questions, now you're gonna answer mine. Who is Faith, and why is she so goddamn important to you?"

“Sam-” Sully said quietly, staring blankly at the table.

“No,” Sam interrupted. “No, this who time all I've gotten out of you is keep her safe and keep her out of my bed. I wanna know why.”

Victor silently drummed his fingers on the worn Formica. "You don't know," He said softly, the hint of sympathy in his voice made Sam cross his arms in confusion.

“Should I?”

"Where do you keep your whiskey?"

Sam went to the single cupboard above their sink/stove/fridge combination and drew out a bottle of Jameson and a glass. He put them both in front of Sully and sat back down in his chair. Sully grabbed the bottle and poured a third of a glass of amber liquid. He slid it in front of Sam.

“You're gonna want this boyo.”

Sam eyed the old man guardedly. “Is she your kid, Victor?” He asked, finally getting out the question that had been floating in his head for weeks.

“What?”

"You've never given two shits about who I fool around with, and now suddenly, you're acting like you're gonna chop my balls off if I touch here. Something like that, it's a dad thing to do; So I gotta ask, is Faith, your daughter?" Sam challenged.

“No, she is not my daughter,” Sully said with a mirthless chuckle.

“Is she your granddaughter?”

"No, now be quiet for a minute, and I'll tell you," Sully huffed with some annoyance before he continued. "Faith's grandfather was a fellow squid. We served together in the war. During one tour, our ship took two torpedoes in the side. I got knocked around pretty good, and Hank, that's Faith's grandpa, made sure I got my bruised, broken, and bleeding ass off that rig. Fella saved my life."

Sam leaned back in his chair, his head cocked to the side in interest. Victor Sullivan rarely spoke about his time in the Navy and his time during the war specifically.

"Hank was a hell of a guy. After we got out of the service, we'd get together a couple times a year and knock back a few. Talk about the old days, catch up. On one of these visits, he asks me for a favor. His daughter and her husband were looking to go on vacation. Somewhere that wasn't too touristy, but that was still a nice place to visit. He knew that I traveled a lot for my work and asked if I could hook him up with something nice for Sussi and her husband. Hank had never asked me for more than a quarter in almost 40 years, not to mention I owed him my goddamn life. So I took care of it for him."

Sully stopped for a moment. He rubbed his mustache and let out a deep sigh. Sam began to wonder with some annoyance where this story was going and when Victor would get to some concrete answers.

“I took care of all of it for him. I even had a place in mind when he'd asked. I'd just been down there, doing a little recon for you, Nate...and Rafe Adler.”

Sam's chest tightened at the mention of Rafe's name.

“Two full weeks in a king suite. Beachfront. In Panama. 18 years ago.”

Sam gripped the glass in front of him with both hands to steady the tremors that rolled through his body.

"You ever really get a good look at Faith's eyes? I swear they're the exact same as her mothers," Sully added after a moment, not sure if he should continue ripping the scab off the double decades' old wound that still oozed and throbbed for Sam in the night.

Sam could picture Faith's face perfectly. Her high, full cheeks. The small upturned nose that she called her ski jump. And her warm brown eyes that had stared right through him just that morning as they lay naked together quietly. Her eyes always seemed familiar to him, as if he had seen her his whole life somewhere.

Disbelief and denial crashed over him as he, at last, realized where he'd seen them. In his dreams. In his nightmares.

“You can really see it when she's angry,” Sully added quietly. The last nail hammering the truth home. The loud bang of the spike bringing on the memory of the night Sam had met Faith Spencer 68 days ago. When she had gotten in his face about family, her eyes ablaze with anger.

The same eyes of the woman that had called him a fucking animal those 18 years ago.

Sully smoothed the tops of his tan slacks with his sweat heavy palms. “I didn't have a clue until I dropped in on Hank two months later and found Sussi sitting at his kitchen table feeding Faith's father his dinner through a straw.”

Saliva flooded Sam's mouth as the bile rose in the back of his throat. He swallowed it back hard.

"I asked if they'd caught the guy," Sully continued. "When she told me he'd died in an escape attempt with two other men, I put two and two together." He sat back in his chair, his hands folded across the slightly bulging belly that had come with his old age. "I'd created this perfect clusterfuck of a storm, and of course, I blamed myself. Hank and Sussi, even Everett forgave me. Never blamed me in the first place cause that's the kind of people they were. Good people. Still didn't stop the guilt, it turned my visits from every couple of months to every couple of years."

Sully sighed, his lips tight together, but the heaviness that was in his eyes was gone, the burden of keeping this information to himself lifted.

"And this wasn't just about keeping Faith from finding out; it was about keeping it from you too."

Sam's jaw clenched, his head lowering in anger. None of it gone unnoticed.

"Before you go flying off the handle, let me finish. There was no sense dredging up the past and its accompanying bullshit. Not for you. I know you still have nightmares, Samuel. I've heard you wake up yelling in the middle of the night enough times to know that."

Sam dropped his head, unable to hold Sully's gaze as a rush of unnecessary shame shaded his neck red. Unaware of what he did in his sleep, he had always tried to keep his nightmares private. He figured, no info, no questions; No autopsy, no foul.

"I thought that if I could just keep a distance between the two of you, I could keep the past in the past." Sully leaned forward and grabbed the untouched glass from in front of Sam. "Guess we both failed pretty spectacularly, eh?" He muttered sarcastically before taking a swallow.

The seconds past. Sam still sat motionless, staring blankly at a random fixed point on the chipped table. The silence eventually proved too heavy for Sully to take.

“Christ, will you say something?”

"I'm leaving at 6AM. Be ready by then," Sam uttered in an emotionless monotone as he stood and strode out the door, closing it behind him quietly, leaving Sully and his cigarettes sitting at the table.

#sam drake fanfiction #sam drake x oc #samuel drake x oc #OC X Sam Drake #uncharted fanfiction #dangerous #My writing

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mimiplaysgames · 6 years ago

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the stars bear witness

Terraqua Week Day 2: Future Masters

Summary: Underneath the responsibilities of Keyblade Mastery are two adults who are still figuring out what to do. Terra and Aqua sneak away for a quiet moment together.

Notes: Today is the day - this was supposed to be my Terraqua Zine piece but I scrapped it for another idea. It’s given me plenty of grief but I’m glad that I can dust it off and finally share it. I hope it’s enjoyable! @terraquaweek

Read on AO3

Some nights, like tonight, are stronger than the friends I have with me.

There’s a place deep in the woods, right by the riverbank, were the Master used to meditate. He believed the energy there gives us second chances - something about the way the water strolls without a care to look back or to know where it’s going. Right now, it sounds like a fantastic idea.

When I say I want to go, Aqua doesn’t bat an eyelash even though it’s the middle of the night; it’s late enough that we both know sleep has left long ago and shut the door behind it. She’s more than ready to peel herself off the most boring book in the library and her eyes have already frozen themselves open.

I get why she’s taking her teaching duties so seriously, but I don’t see the point in making it that much harder to be awake for her lessons.

In spite of that, she gives me a lazy smile, and invites herself. “I know you want me to go with you, anyway,” she says, and it’s completely true. I used to get so annoyed at her for reading me so easily.

We whisper and tip-toe across the castle, even though it’s humongous and there’s no way the other students would hear us. I know this for a fact. I know because I can hear their heartbeats, doors away, slowing down as they fall into slumber. That sounds completely crazy, I know - it’s a power that stayed with me since my days in darkness. I’ve been a literal bodyguard on behalf of anyone who used me this way for over a decade, and so… the skill is burned into me. Aqua doesn’t know yet, and no, I’m not proud.

Yet for some reason, I can’t bring myself to speak to her at a normal volume and tell her that they’re soundly sleeping when she’s darting looks around to see if we bothered anyone. She takes my hand when the cold breeze nips us, and I lead her down a trail that sneaks far away from the security of the training grounds.

We used to hold hands like this as kids: always stay together and keep each other safe, per the Master’s rules. I can’t lie, I’m glad we haven’t dropped this habit even though we don’t need it anymore.

Or maybe I really do need it. I never wanted to go alone, and… I guess there’s always that one possibility something might go wrong.

Remembering what I’m capable of almost makes me want to cancel this night out, tell her to go back inside and try to sleep as I walk it off into the forest, where the lanterns don’t shine.

But I know her, and she hates conversations like this.

She’s stubborn too, conjuring herself a little companion, an orb of light, to lead us the way into the ticket so we don’t get lost. It drips dotted sparkles on the ground, like a pathway back home when we’re done. Very handy. It’s almost like she nearly expected me to object on her behalf, because I know the dark isn’t good for her, and she’s already nipped the conversation before it can happen.

Yeah, it’s good that Aqua is with me. She’s usually the smarter one - usually, when she’s not mad. Despite her expertise, I’d say she’s probably fire where I’m icy. She’s soft when I’m rigid, understanding when I’m short-sighted. She’s light when I’m darkness. When I’m blind, she sees.

We approach the river hidden by weeping willows, where logs wait for us to sit and watch the ripples stroll by. There’s more than a million lanterns in the sky to see out here, but I think I now realize I’ve never needed one to guide me back home when I have her.

It’s nice, just being away from the castle and be… us. Terra and Aqua, instead of respectful Keyblade Masters who are admired and perfected in the minds of others.

Masters… I start talking about the Master, how he said the stars keep watch over us. It’s what keeps us all connected through a stronger light. The three of us believe that he’s up there somewhere, watching what we’re doing right now.

“He used to say that if you cried out here, under the stars, we’d be able to hear you from the other side of the mountain,” I say.

“That’s right, I completely forgot.” Her whisper gives out, shivering until it makes sound. Her fingers are locked with mine, and her gaze travels somewhere else. Whatever she’s remembering is a happy thought. “I’m glad you haven’t changed.”

Of all the things she could have said, I’d never understand what possessed her to say that.

“You know what I mean,” she corrects herself when she sees my face. “I’m glad you remember these things. It makes me feel like I’m back home.”

“You mean, you don’t feel like-?”

“It’s not the same.”

“Yeah,” I sigh, “it’s not.”

When it’s this quiet between us, I hear the crickets. I can even feel them rub their wings together.

“Well,” she says with a kick in her voice and a squeeze of my hand. I hear how proud she is of herself for being a teacher. “Ready to practice?”

No, thank you.

“Sure.”

It’s a good distraction for her, giving me private lessons. No one really tries to treat her any different, and certainly Aqua would prefer to befriend our students. At the same time, in the classroom, she is Master Aqua, Survivor of the Realm of Darkness.

But when Aqua has her mind set on something, it’s tunnel vision, and there’s something nice about that when I’m unsure.

It’s probably why she encourages me to do it here, away from the scrutinizing glare of the castle walls in a forest that doesn’t care what our names are. Here, there’s no talk about how to define a Keyblade Master, or what our next missions are and how long we’ll be separated.

Straddling the log underneath us, Aqua holds out her hand, her glowing orb as white as a pearl hovering above her palm.

I ask her for the third time if she’s okay with this.

I don’t know if she ever tires of reassuring me, but she does again with no complaints.

I can’t really compare to how she’s so willing to face the darkness despite what she’s been through. She’s braver than me.

What I can say for sure is that we’ve never once considered there would be a day when my hand would hover above hers like this, that I’d will darkness to pour out of it slowly, skating the surface of her light, its tendrils wrapping it in a small embrace.

Eerily, it feels like brushing her cheek, or rubbing her palms. Whatever I’m touching feels as real as holding her. Which terrifies me.

The point is to cover the orb entirely without smothering or destroying it. But it’s an accident that happens too frequently, like I hurt her without meaning to, even though she keeps saying she’s not in pain.

It happens because her light is vivid and powerful, and I have to exert a tremendous force just to do a decent job of covering it, and I always do too much.

I hate it when I do that.

I hate that I still have darkness.

Aqua wants me to stop feeling ashamed over it, but she doesn’t understand what a hard request that is. I can’t not feel ashamed, and of course I stop before I even try.

“Terra,” she says when the tendrils let go, when I draw the energy back into my hand and pull away. “I don’t want to push you but…”

“I know.” We all have darkness. We all have the capability of getting swallowed by it. Since it will stay with me forever, might as well be at peace with it.

After all, if I don’t ever want to hurt her or Ven again, it’s something I have to control properly.

Her other palm rests on the back of my hand, leading it back over the orb and she keeps it there, sandwiched in-between her touch. I like it too much to tell her that it’s distracting.

Then of course there’s that nagging need at the back of my mind that wants to impress her, that wants to prove myself so I stop thinking about what her touch feels like and try again.

I hold her with my other hand. It’s palm on dorsal on palm on dorsal, like we need to delicately contain the light and darkness in-between, like what we hold in our hands is a safe space for me to make mistakes, to make her light flicker, to make darkness spit and burst out from the sides. As long I don’t destroy what she has, I can find some way to sleep without feeling like shit about myself.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she says to me.

There’s nothing to be afraid of. She says this to herself each and every time before she walks into a dark room when she thinks no one can hear her… when she thinks I don’t notice how her shadow quivers.

“The castle is safe,” I reply and she doesn’t know what I’m talking about. “I can’t say the same for myself.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

Maybe I am. “There’s more to it.”

If there’s anything I appreciate about Aqua, it’s how she doesn’t let me go. It’s how she waits for me to finish without prodding. She knows me, she knows I’m scared to say what’s next.

So I start the only way I know how.

“There’s a rabbit too terrified to move out of a hedge back there.” I point behind me, listening to the escalated heartbeat hiding in that bush. “Let’s see, there’s an owl watching for prey and it doesn’t care we’re here.” I nod my head towards the direction across the river, where the shadows are very still.

The more I speak, the harder her stare becomes. I speak with ordinary words but nothing is making me sound like a normal person.

“What are you talking about?”

I breathe first. It does shit to calm me. "I can tell where everyone's shadows are. I can feel them move." It takes a second to realize that I'm staring at our fingers, where darkness slips through the cracks because it's too intimidated by the light underneath. "Think of it as a leftover tip from the Thing."

The Thing, of course. The other Keybearers call it the Guardian but I've never felt like I did a good job with such a title. We've talked about the Thing many times, and I'll hear stories of how the others came across it, and how it stalked them during fights, and I simply get too tired to even broach the subject anymore. I don't know why I even bring it up now. This darkness comes from the Thing and I would rather scrub myself clean of it.

But she laughs, and I swear my heart forgets to beat. "Is this what Ven meant when he said it was impossible to sneak up on you?"

“Did he seriously say that?”

“Yeah,” she sniffs. “He doesn’t understand how you always know where he is when he hides.” She hums, like she’s grateful for the laugh. “He thinks I’m crazy for not noticing but I thought he was exaggerating.”

“He wasn’t.” Thinking about him automatically makes me think about rolling around, about excited conversations and Chirithy patiently waiting on the edge of the bed. “Right now, Ven’s not even sleeping. He’s just talking to Cheers.”

“Is that right.” Sounds like he’s going to get the surprise of the morning when she’ll bug him about procrastinating on his beauty rest.

She takes a moment to think, a small smile breaching her face. “So, when I ask you if there is something creeping around the castle...?”

“There’s really nothing.”

She smiles, gripping my hands harder. Tears fall, like she’s been told that she’s going to survive. Her eyes thank me. Wow, I never really thought about it, if I did that much good for her.

“Why are you still so hard on yourself, though?” Her smile fades away.

There’s a thousand easy answers to that. “Because I don’t want to have this. Everyone else gets to grow up as typical Keyblade Wielders but…”

She nods.

“I also have an unwanted gift from the darkness.” At first she doesn’t look at me when she says that, her smile morphing from its temporary joy to a familiar melancholy.

I wonder if she knows how sad she sounds all the time.

She lets a hand go free, finding its way to her chest as she flutters her eyes closed. Suddenly I’m reminded of her first magic lessons, when I thought it would take her forever to cast Fire because she needed to take ten minutes to concentrate before even trying.

Now, I can’t gauge how much time passes by in silence before something finally happens. A cold, humid wind trickles by us, despite that it’s summer.

Here I am, vulnerable and unprepared with my legs wide over a log, and I’m surrounded by many Aqua’s, her orb of light almost shedding through them. Most of them look down on me, angry, disappointed, confused, sad. As sad as she sounds a lot of the time.

These phantoms have no shadows, so to me they don’t exist even though I can clearly see them. They’re scary.

When it’s more appropriate, I’ll joke that the only thing creeping around the castle is her.

“I can’t control them,” she explains quickly, and I hope she’s not assuming that I’m taking their stares personally (I am). “I can’t even make them move.”

I shrug. “They’re pretty badass.”

Aqua snorts. “You always have a way of making me feel better,” she says and I’ve never realized.

When she lets go of them, they swiftly disappear, but the cold lingers and it almost makes me suspicious that they’re still around, despairing about things she won’t talk about. Like there are thoughts she keeps secret.

“I never meant to make you sad,” I say. We’ve talked a little about what the last twelve years were like for her. I know where those phantoms come from.

“You don’t,” she says with such confidence just to remind me that she doesn’t blame me for anything and I almost want to force her to.

To punish me or get angry with me. To stop kissing me goodnight or confirm to me that the Master must be so disappointed, wherever he is. But she never does. Why not?

“Why not?” I blurt out.

At least she’s smiling again. “All I’ve ever wanted was to have you back. I mean, I’m angry, yeah. I am. But I feel better when you’re around. I need that.”

She scoots closer to me, the smell of her shampoo with blends of vanilla and lavender in my face. The white sheen of her orb makes her eyes bluer.

“Terra, I’m glad you’re here. It’s spotty, sure. I always feel bad when you stay awake just to help me sleep but... we’re Masters together. Just like we wanted.”

It’s my turn to snort. “I don’t mind staying up, obviously.”

When her smile reaches her eyes, that’s when I think she’s prettiest. “I don’t either.”

I do mind it when she leans away from me when I try to kiss her.

“The stars are watching,” she says, like a teacher bringing the entire class’ attention to shame one student.

I don’t have a good enough retort, so I huff. Think about the usefulness of my foreign, unwieldy powers. If this is the way she wants me to kiss her, so be it, I’ll get the tendrils moving again to cover her light.

“We should try some pranks on Ven,” I whisper.

“Between my clones and your honing abilities-”

“It’d be hilarious.”

“See, you haven’t changed.”

“Excuse me?”

“Twelve years later, and pranks still make you smirk like a child.”

“Ven deserves it.”

“... I’ll only deny that a little bit.”

I don’t say out loud that I’m grateful for her - I really should work on expressing myself better, and I only hope she knows.

Aqua has always been good with magic but it’s a special sort when she makes me forget about what worries me despite the fact that I can’t heal from this.

I snigger about the darkness with her for a simple night in the woods and it’s suddenly a miracle that I can wrap her light in a black veil, like it’s no big deal. A hovering, black orb as deep a hole in space with all the energy locked inside, floating in between our hands. It’s hard work, yes, and I tremble from the effort, but now she wants to see how long I can keep it up.

I’ve forgotten how dark it is out in the wild.

But she’s like a star, and they shine best in a night like this.

They’re too far away to really give me anything to see, but she’s close enough that I slowly make out the blue in her eyes.

One simple kiss is never enough and always leads to a second, a third.

I let go of the veil to hold her face, her sheen blinding after several seconds of being caressed by the darkness, bright enough to stop us from seeing the stars.

#terraqua #terqua #terraquaweek #kh fanfic #terra #aqua #kingdom hearts fanfiction #terraqua week #OH. MY. GOD.#i'm so nervous about sharing this one you have no idea #my fic

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cherrygorilla · 6 years ago

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6 Year Anniversary and Coral’s Character Profile

Hi there! Sorry for not being very active on here, life’s just been very hectic at the moment adjusting to university life, but I promise that I’m still working on content, I just don’t have a great deal of free time, so it’s a slow process. But now that I’m more settled I should be able to get into a proper writing routine. Fingers crossed!

But anyway, the reason I’m making this post is because around six years ago I made my fanfic account and posted my first chapter of my first story and ever since then I’ve just fallen in love with writing more and more. I’ve loved being able to hone my craft and improve and evolve my characters as I’ve grown up. It’s so crazy to think that I’ve been doing this for so long and that I’m still hanging around! I didn’t have much time to prepare anything for this milestone and I wouldn’t have known what to do anyway, so I thought that now would be as good a time as any to post the character profile I’ve been working on for Coral since she was created, along with my account, all those years ago.

I got the questions for this OC character profile thing from my wonderful friend @foreveralwaysanauthor , who wrote similar profiles for her characters Makana and Xander, so be sure to check those out along with her stories! But here’s my profile for Caroline “Coral” Samantha Cole! I hope you like it!

Appearance: obviously, including any quirks, how do they carry themself, average clothing

Tanned complexion, freckles across nose and cheeks, blue eyes, cute dimples, curly golden hair, great curvy body, kind of on the short side, bright smile, most often carries herself with confidence, wears a lot of bright colours, shorts, playsuits and summer dresses but likes to take fashion risks and isn't afraid to draw some attention by wearing something out there

Preferences:

Sexuality: because of the time she lives in I don't think that she'd ever act on any feelings she didn't think would be accepted by others, because at the core of everything that's all she really ever wants, but if it really came down to it and she was able to explore her feelings freely I think she'd come to realise that she's bisexual

Favourite food: the banana bread pudding her mom makes

Favourite colour: aqua blue, or gold, if she was really going to indulge herself

Favourite animal: dogs, especially puppies

Favourite weather: sunny

Favourite season: summer

Favourite time of day: she's rarely up to see it, but she loves sunrise, when the stars start to disappear and the sun streaks the sky with all the pretty colours

Favourite music: she's open to anything as long as she can sing along, but she does love a show tune

Foods that they will/will not eat: she's really not picky so she'll try anything, unless it involves tuna

Religion: she wasn't brought up in a particularly religious family, they celebrate christmas, but in more of a commercial way, so she doesn't really have much of an opinion on religion

Political Beliefs: again, not super political, she just thinks everyone should be able to be treated equally

Hogwarts House: Slytherin, hands down.

Personality: calm, rude, oblivious, introspective, stubborn, etc

She was practically born a drama queen and her enthusiasm can be a little overbearing at times but she's got a big heart and is a total softie if you get to know her enough for her to trust you. She's fiercely loyal, almost to a fault, and pretty stubborn if she gets something set in her mind. Speaking of getting something set in her mind, she's super determined; if she has a goal and won't let anything stand in her way. She's no stranger to jealousy, although she'd never admit it, and has a wild temper if the wrong thing sets her off, but she feels every emotion so intensely that sometimes they just get the better of her, which can be both a great and terrible thing.

Family:

Who are their parents? Jacqueline and Brett Cole

What is their relationship with their parents? She's really close to her parents. Yes, she can get a little feisty sometimes and isn't a stranger to getting argumentative if she thinks something is unfair or if they're getting on her ass about something, but they raised her in a supportive, loving home and their guidance earned them her total respect. They're firm but fair when they need to be and she certainly keeps them on their toes, but they're always there if she needs them to be, whether it's to offer a shoulder to cry on, provide some much-needed advice or just to have a good laugh and cheer her up.

Do they have siblings? She has a twin brother, Thomas "Tanner" Cole

What is that relationship like? Being a twin is the only thing she's known, especially because she's the younger of the two twenty three minutes (something that Tanner likes to remind her of constantly), so she's had someone to goof around with from the second she left the womb. They may share a birthday down to the hour, but Tanner still like to exercise his big brother status from time to time, even though he knows deep down that Coral has enough fire in her belly to handle any threat far better than he could. They don't have a secret twin language and they don't have a telepathic twin connection, but they are incredibly close. They don't always see eye to eye on things, but they feel everything in a very similar way and they can read each other really well, so it's pretty difficult to keep secrets from one another. They were inseparable from birth, pulling faces to make each other laugh and taking their toys on grand expeditions along the beach from the minute they could walk and talk and as they grew older their bond, despite their differences, only grew stronger. As with all siblings, there were days when they annoyed the crap out of each other and couldn't stand to be in the same room unless they were pulling hair and yelling threats, but the anger never hung around for long. All it would take would be one joke or one dumb look and they'd be back to the being the best of friends. They're there for each other no matter what having someone around who understands you and what you're going through completely all the time is incredibly convenient.

Family Life:

What was it like for them growing up? She had a great childhood. A lot of her time was spent outside, either playing with her brother or her friends (often both together), and the rest was spent at dance and acting classes. She loved being a part of school plays and dance recitals and would practise in the living room every night after dinner. She loved the bedtime stories that her dad would read her and her brother every night and some of her fondest memories are of when she would play dress-up with her mom on Saturday mornings. Her parents always made time for her and Tanner and they certainly didn't go short of love, laughter or attention when they were kids. It was as idyllic as an all-American family could have hoped to have been really.

Are there things that affect them in their present state from their childhood? One memory that stands out, in particular, was when her mom and aunt took her to see a play at the local theatre. From the second that she saw the lady in the glittery dress parading around the stage, singing and dancing as the crowd whooped and hollered, she was hooked. She knew she wanted to be like her one day, up on that stage in front of an adoring crowd. And then they got their first television set, where she could see these actresses from the comfort of her own home and her life was changed yet again. She'd sit gazing at the people flickering on the screen for hours, even after her parents told her that it would rot her brain. She simply didn't care, she was too fascinated to look away. All she knew was that she wanted to be in that black and white box like them one day.

What was their discipline like as a child? Coral's always had a feisty side, even from a young age, so she's no stranger to trouble. But she's never been inherently bad and would never be malicious unless provoked, so a good telling off and a grounding was usually all it took to keep her in line.

Were they rich, poor or somewhere in between? Somewhere in between, if not slightly on the richer side. They didn't have heaps and heaps of money, but they lived pretty comfortably and their house was one of the nicest amongst her friends, which meant that it was usually the go-to house for hangouts (something Tanner and Coral loved).

Cultural History: does this affect the character, do they have cultural traditions that they follow

Not necessarily. Their grandmother is Hawaiian and they take yearly trips there to visit family and immerse themselves in the culture but not a great deal of that is incorporated into their everyday life. That doesn't mean that they don't love the traditions they do take part in when they're there though; the luaus are one of the best things they do all year.

Flaws: every character should have a flaw (maybe they are really caring, but it leads to them being too trusting and getting manipulated; maybe they are super smart, but they have a hard time connecting to people as a result; etc)

Coral has an almost obscene list of flaws, as most human beings do. She's stubborn and argumentative. She's feisty and brash and overbearing. She's a total drama queen, she's naive, she's vain, she's driven to a fault, she's overly emotional, she's flaky if uninterested, she falls in love too easily, she takes everything very personally (not ideal if she wants to be an actress) and she has a terrible temper. But I'm sure that there is more that I just can't think of at the moment. She's a bit of a hot mess, but she owns it.

Blank Spots: everyone has a bit of ‘basic knowledge’ that they somehow missed or misunderstood (it happens for everyone), what is the character’s ‘blank spot’

She thought that limes were just lemons that weren't ripe yet for longer than she'd care to admit.

Wants: what does the character want most, what do those around the character want for them

This is an easy answer that everyone around her knows the answer to. She wants to be a star. Well, she wants to be an actress, but ultimately all she really wants is stardom and she won't let anyone get in the way of that.

Needs: what does the character actually need (this can be different from the wants, and often should be for character growth; however, the character growth can happen even if the wants and needs are the same by having the course of events be contrary to the characters expectations)

She needs to get a strong head on her shoulders. She needs some guidance and maturity before being let loose in the world and she needs the right support behind her. But most of all, she needs love. She needs to feel loved and she needs to have a connection with someone where she can open her heart and embrace her vulnerability instead of hiding it away.

Fears: what is the character afraid of? both literally and existentially

Failure to achieve her dreams, disappointing her family, being alone, being ridiculed, spiders and clumps of hair in drains

How do they handle:

Disappointment - If she's disappointed in herself then she'll really beat herself up about it, but if someone else is disappointed in her then it'll absolutely crush her and she'll get super upset

Anger - Not very well at all; she's got a pretty bad temper and it rears its head more than it should. She's not afraid to fight for something she believes in and isn't one to back down from an argument easily. It also takes her a while to calm back down too.

Embarrassment - If she's acting she doesn't get embarrassed at all. But if it's just Coral and something embarrassing happens to her then it's crippling. She's so image-conscious and self-absorbed that if there's a possibility that something could taint that then she won't be able to let it go until she's fixed it.

Attraction - She's a total flirt and will happily play into any interest that is directed her way, but playing coy is as far as it goes with her; she's never been one to make the first move and feels much more comfortable using her alluring nature to attract attention rather than seeking out suitors herself.

Betrayal - Loyalty is a huge deal for Coral and she's very protective of those close to her. She places massive amounts of trust in her friends and they often reciprocate that, so betrayal is a massive issue for her and it's really difficult for her to cope with. She is quick to turn on someone and it's very hard for them to regain that trust if they've lost it.

Fight or flight - In most situations she's not afraid to fight, but if she feels really overwhelmed and out of her comfort zone then she switches to flight mode and bolts.

Money - Luckily, money was never an issue for her when she was growing up. But all the time she's spent flipping through magazines full of celebrities and the lavish lives they lead has left her with quite an expensive taste.

Lack of sleep - She just gets a little cranky and snappy. She's not much of a coffee drinker, but if it helps her get through the day or makes her seem a little more sophisticated then she'll stomach it to give herself a boost.

Alcohol - It makes her really giggly at first but then she loses all her inhibitions and moves into the frame of mind where she thinks everything is a good idea. Soon she hits a wall though and either crashes back to the reality of sobriety or spirals into a black-out, drunken mess. No matter what though, she's a tipsy disaster when she drinks.

Injustice - She's not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right and will fight for justice if she truly believes that something is unfair, no matter what anyone else says. She'll always trust her gut instinct.

Mental illness - It's not something that she's had to deal with at this point in her life, but as she struggles with issues later on in her life I think it will be difficult for her to cope with due to how much she allows her emotions to impact her.

Grief - Again, she's a super emotional person and allows her feelings to deeply affect her, so grief is really overwhelming. She doesn't shut herself away, but sometimes the pain becomes so great that she can't comprehend or articulate what she's feeling anymore, to herself or to others.

Exercise - She's never been super sporty in the traditional sense, but she's been dancing since she was three and has taken up cheerleading in high school, not to mention all the surfing she does in her free time.

Defining moment: is the character’s defining moment going to happen to them during the story or has it already happened (characters can have more than one defining moment)

Coral hasn't had a defining moment yet in the story, but there is one pretty major one coming up within the next few chapters, which impacts the lives of many of the characters, so keep your eyes peeled for that. She'll have quite a few distinct, defining moments in the story though that all shift her life onto different paths. So things are about to take a turn for her!

How do/would they feel about:

Glitter - Loves it! Duh!

Ferris Wheels - They're pretty fun, especially at the top when you can look out and see for miles around.

Camping - She does like being outdoors, but sleeping on the ground with bugs and no satin pillowcase is not really her jam.

Coffee - Thinks it tastes gross but makes you look sophisticated, so she'll make the sacrifice if she's feeling particularly tired.

Crispy or floppy bacon - crispy; floppy bacon weirds her out

Mushrooms - pretty indifferent, she doesn't hate them but she doesn't love them either

Twilight books/movies - A teen movie about vampires? Not really her sort of thing...unless she could be in it.

Guns - She's pretty against them all; she just doesn't understand why anyone would feel the need to possess such a dangerous weapon. But we'll see how that opinion holds up as the story progresses...

Extras:

Do they have a signature smile? - Of course, she's been practising her smile for the paparazzi for years!

Do they have a tell when they lie? - Nope, she's an actress and is a master when it comes to lying convincingly; if she has to convince a whole audience that she's a totally different person then she should surely be able to keep up a little lie.

Do they have any nervous tics? - She gnaws on the inside skin of her lip.

Do they speak loudly, softly or average volume? - A little on the loud side; she wants to be heard, she loves the attention.

What is their quality of voice? - She's got a bright, clear voice when speaking but if she opens it to sing then the real power is unleashed.

Do they gesture when they talk? - All the time, she's super expressive when she talks and is always using her hands to exaggerate things.

Do they have a good understanding of personal space? - Most of the time, but if you're one of her best friends then she's much more likely to invade it.

How do they greet other people? - Usually with a 'hey' or a 'hi' and one of her megawatt smiles

How do they say goodbye? - Probably just by saying 'bye' or 'see ya' or maybe just waving, unless she's pissed at you, in which case you'd be lucky if she even looked at you, same goes for greeting people

Is there anything that they always have with them/on them? - She always has a hair tie and tons of perfume on. You can always count on her to have mints too.

Do they remember faces or names better? - Faces, she's hopeless with names unless they're important to her.

What does the character admire most in others? - Loyalty, ambition and kindness

Pet peeves - Loud chewers, people standing too close in lines and people who don't cover their mouth when they cough or sneeze

What grosses them out? - Not washing your hands after using the bathroom and when her boy friends scratch their balls and shove their hands in each others faces.

#sorry it's so long #you know I get carried away with these things though

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themurphyzone · 6 years ago

Text

Absolutely Disastrous Ch 9

Ch 9: Bonding Over Brunch! The Man Who Stepped Out of the 70s!

It took another hour and a lot of twisting, turning, and five narrowly averted disastrous fates before they stumbled out of Petalburg Woods alive. In hindsight, taking directions from a businessman who almost tripped face-first into Cascoon evolution grounds hadn’t been the best idea.

The path led to a long bridge that appeared to be a popular fishing spot for both fishermen and novice trainers. A fisherman yanked up a Magikarp, and Melissa had to grab Zack’s arm to stop him from retreating into the forest.

Zack gulped, eyeing the bridge suspiciously. “There aren’t guard rails on that thing! What’s stopping a Magikarp from feasting on the bones of a helpless passerby?”

“Don’t worry, bones aren’t in a Magikarp diet!” Milo exclaimed. “In Hoenn, Carvanha is the only unevolved fish Pokémon with enough jaw strength to even break a bone.”

Zack made a strange noise in the back of his throat.

“You’re great at this reassurance business,” Melissa drawled.

Milo smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I’ll leave the unnecessary horrifying details out next time.”

“We’re good,” Zack said. “I’m just gonna dip into my happy place for a moment and forget about the existence of fish Pokémon.”

“Can’t ignore them forever,” Melissa said. “Eastern Hoenn, remember?”

“Still a long way off. There’s plenty of time for me to procrastinate on confronting my fears.”

“Guys, I know you’re both a little cranky, but there’s nothing a little food won’t fix!” Milo pointed to a building labeled ‘Pretty Petal Flower Shop and Café’. A brilliant red flower framed the entrance, and several berry trees were lined up perfectly in a dirt field next to the pond.

“This isn’t over, Underwood,” Melissa growled. “I’m only dropping it cause food takes precedence.”

Zack crossed his arms. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Chase.”

A worker greeted them at the entrance. She gave them a dainty bow, her bright red hair bouncing with the motion. “Hello, welcome to Pretty Petal! My name’s Rita, and I’ll be helping you out today! We have a ton of great selections for traveling trainers, but first we ask that you either recall or release your Pokémon into the field. We also have outdoor seating if you need to keep a close eye on them.”

“I say field,” Melissa said. “Poochyena hasn’t really gotten acquainted with everyone else yet.”

“Field,” Milo agreed, knowing that Diogee would never willingly go into a Poké Ball.

“What they said,” Zack replied.

Rita beamed, leading them around the building and into a large enclosure. The gate was high and looked strong enough to withstand an entire herd of Lairon.

“Here we are!” Rita declared, sweeping her arm to a line of Pokémon bowls filled to the brim with kibble and berries. “Pokémon food is complimentary so they can chow down to their heart’s content!”

Diogee immediately dug into a bowl of sliced Pecha berries.

“Diogee!” Milo scolded. “Wait for your friends!”

Rita laughed. “Hungry little guy.”

Mudkip, Poochyena, Torchic, and Treecko were released, and they wasted no time in claiming a bowl for themselves.

“Okay, we’re going into the restaurant to eat, so behave yourselves,” Milo lectured. “We’ll come back for you in an hour or two.”

Only Treecko gave any indication that he heard Milo, since the others were too engrossed in an eating contest.

Rita playfully shooed them into the restaurant, gathering up menus as she passed by a podium. A large archway separated the café from the floral shop, though in terms of decorations the two areas were indistinguishable.

Milo noticed every customer in the restaurant had a glass filled with a colorful smoothie.

“Smoothies are a specialty here,” Rita explained when she caught him looking. “We raise the berries that go into them with a whole lotta TLC!”

She led them in a booth that had a huge metallic sunflower dangling precariously above their heads.

“Um, Rita?” Melissa said nervously, pointing up at the decoration. “Do you think we could be seated somewhere that doesn’t have an object with the potential to cause a concussion?”

Before Rita could respond, the ropes holding the sunflower snapped. The resulting crash drew everyone’s attention.

“Nothing to see here!” Melissa snapped at the curious onlookers. “Please return to your food!”

Several people quickly reseated themselves in tables without dangling objects.

“Sorry about that!” Rita quickly chirped. “Guess we got check that structural integrity, huh? How about over here?”

Zack moved a potentially breakable vase out of the way while Milo and Melissa settled in.

“Could you give us a few minutes?” Milo asked.

Rita put down the menus and hurried off to greet a family who’d just entered.

Melissa flipped to the smoothie section and pointed at one with a wicked smirk. “I dare somebody to try this one.”

Try our Super Spicy Kiss Your Taste Buds Goodbye Smoothie!

Blended with hand-picked Tamato, Cheri, Razz, and Figy Berries!

Special note: We at Pretty Petal Flower Shop and Café will not be held liable for burning eyes and lips. Read the menu yourself before complaining, okay?

“With our luck, I wouldn’t be surprised if it burned the flesh off our bones,” Zack said.

Melissa rolled her eyes. “What is with you and bones today?”

“He’s got a bone appetit,” Milo claimed. He earned a punch to the shoulder for that.

Zack shrugged. “Can you really blame a guy for wanting to keep their insides on the inside?”

Even with Melissa and Zack bickering over the subject of bones at the lunch table, they all managed to find something on the menu by the time Rita came back to take their orders.

“Sitrus Berries are more acidic than Oran,” Rita said helpfully to Zack, who was having trouble deciding on his smoothie. “The Tropical Punch smoothie is all the rage these days. Nanab and Pinap Berries pair really well together, and-oh, Dakota, it’s been a while! How’ve you been?”

Dakota grinned lazily, slipping his hands into the pockets of his red and yellow tracksuit which reminded Milo heavily of ketchup and mustard. “Eh, same old thing. Just realized I left my other tracksuit in our…my old apartment. Had some important stuff in that one.”

“Aw, that’s too bad,” Rita said sympathetically.

“Yeah,” Dakota agreed. “First time this week I had a chance to slip out from the rest of the team and this happens. These new trainers? Don’t think I’ve seen them around before.”

“This is our first time here. We really wanna try the smoothies,” Milo said.

Dakota nodded in approval. “Yeah, the smoothies are great. Especially the Tropical Punch one.”

“That’s what I ordered!” Milo exclaimed.

“You got good taste, kiddo,” Dakota said. Something buzzed in his pocket, and he ran his hand through his brown curls with a heavy sigh. “Sorry, I gotta take a call.”

“You wanna join us when you get back?” Zack offered.

Dakota agreed to the invitation rather quickly, then he headed to the bathroom to answer his cell phone.

“You kids are so nice,” Rita sighed. She lowered her voice so she could barely be heard above the bustle of the restaurant. “He went through a messy breakup recently. He and his partner were a bit of an odd couple, but they were so cute together. And lately he’s been working on a Pokémon habitat restoration project, but he’s been so distracted that he can’t focus on it. Just don’t tell him I told you all this, okay? Oh, and we already know what he likes to order so we’ll be fixing that up. I’ll go ahead and get these to the kitchen! Be back with your drinks soon!”

Once Rita left them alone, Melissa placed a finger on her lips. “Don’t mention the breakup to Dakota. We need to be sensitive.”

“Since when are you-“ Zack cut himself off when Melissa started cracking her knuckles. “Okay, sensitive! Got it!”

“He’s better than Sara,” Melissa said. “When Dr. Magnezone and Time Infernape broke off their partnership, she was sobbing on the floor with a gallon of double fudge ice cream.”

“Then she obsessively read angst fanfics for the next two weeks,” Milo added. “I think she was just making it harder on herself.”

Dakota came back in five minutes, and Rita dropped off their smoothies not long after that.

Milo, Melissa, and Zack glanced at each other awkwardly, waiting for someone to broach a topic of conversation. Dakota seemed oblivious to the atmosphere and sipped at his own smoothie.

Eventually, it was Milo who broke the silence. “Do you have any Pokémon?” he asked, figuring that talking about Pokémon was safe enough.

“Yeah, Sharpedo and Swalot. They’re good loyal partners,” Dakota said. There was a touch of bitterness in his tone though, one that made Milo wonder if inviting him to their table had been a good idea after all. “Huh. I can’t believe I forgot to ask your names. I would’ve been scolded for sure by-well, never mind.”

Milo pointed to each of his friends in turn. “I’m Milo, that’s Melissa, and the worrywart over there is Zack.”

Zack scowled. “I am not a worrywart.”

Melissa and Dakota snickered into their napkins.

“Melissa and I are childhood friends,” Milo continued. “We met Zack at the beginning of our journey. His dad was stuck in the middle of a lake cause this Patchy guy was releasing way too many Magikarp into the water, so we fought him off with Diogee and the Hoenn starters. It was so cool.”

“So you met Patchy then,” Dakota said casually. “Guy’s a real nutcase. He took initiation into the group way too seriously. Talking like a pirate was only required for the first three hours of membership.”

Melissa almost choked on her smoothie. “You know Patchy?”

Dakota shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich as soon as Rita set his plate on the table. “I’m his boss. We banned him from taking part in karaoke night. Couldn’t carry a tune. And he always insists on sea shanties.”

“So…what’s your occupation?” Zack asked, sounding like he’d prefer not to hear their answer.

“Boss of Team Aqua,” Dakota said.

Everyone stared at him blankly.

“Okay, so you’ve never heard of us. S’cool. We’re just trying to revive the ancient Pokémon Kyogre and make it rain enough to provide new habitats for Pokémon. Nothing more to it than that,” Dakota continued to eat his sandwich as if he hadn’t said he’d planned on disrupting the delicate balance of nature. “And between you and me, water’s a ton cooler than magma.”

“Obviously,” Zack muttered.

“So, uh, good luck with that?” Milo said.

“Thanks,” Dakota grinned. His phone buzzed frantically this time. He checked the caller ID. “Sav again. Sorry she keeps interrupting like this.”

He headed for the bathroom.

“Does he look like someone who’s trying to revive a legendary?” Zack asked.

“No, he looks like a displaced time traveler from the ‘70s,” Melissa said. “If I were trying to revive Kyogre, I’d at least wear blue to match.”

“He has more of a warm color aesthetic, I think. Fall colors,” Milo added.

They finished their meal without Dakota, and Milo signaled Rita over for their check.

“Dakota said you’d offered to pay for his meal,” Rita smiled as Melissa studied the receipt closely. “That’s really sweet, you know.”

The receipt crinkled in Melissa’s hand. “Where is he right now?” she asked pleasantly, though there was a dangerous edge in her voice.

Milo hauled Zack away from the table and towards the side door that led to the outdoor enclosure.

“Oh, he left a few minutes ago.”

“HE DINED AND DASHED ON US?”

Rita tapped her chin in thought. “Ah, I remember now! His partner used to have these really loud arguments with him outside cause he always forgot his wallet! Dakota must have a lot of tracksuits if he can never remember which one he put his wallet in!”

She laughed, completely oblivious to Melissa’s irritated glare.

Melissa slammed a wad of Pokédollars onto the table and stomped past Milo and Zack.

“Dakota owes me for the sandwich and smoothie, plus taxes and interest.”

#milo murphy's law #absolutely disastrous #oras au #vinnie dakota #melissa chase #zack underwood

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