#//and as soon as lambda learns that not everyone is going to hurt him or secretly hates him he will have a much easier time getting to-

[mechahero]

what does your heart look like?

iced over, out of the sun

Your heart is very lonely, isn’t it? Is your fortress of ice self-made? Are others afraid of you, or are you afraid of them? Are you afraid of hurting them, or of being hurt? Vulnerability and connection can be frightening, but that’s no reason to shy away from their light, to tuck yourself small into corners, to build up frigid walls to keep yourself from feeling. You will heal when you allow yourself to draw closer to the flames and thaw.

[ralibo14]

TPN Brainrots part 1:

Another TPN manga panel redraw, but this time everyone goes down with me (because it's sad).

Also part one of my 'wonderful' tpn theories and head canons. It'll be long😅. There will be manga spoilers so please, read at your own risk😊.

First character I go through is... Ray.

He is one of the most complicated characters I ever saw (all tpn characters are, tbh). I always thought that people who have photographic memory are so lucky. Ray showed me that it's both a blessing and the curse.

Like in the picture above. You can clearly see that the first 2 kid waving at his direction. It's strange to know that there was a time when the Trio were one of the young kids and not the older ones. My first head canon is that Ray tried to save more kids, not just Emma and Norman when he was younger. When the blond haired boy leaves (first panel) he looks like he is about to cry (also the Trio is around 4 or 6) but when the other kids get 'adopted' Ray keeps his head low most of the frames (I'm convinced that when the second kid left he was already working as Isabella's spy.)

Ray coloration explained:

Purple eyes are self explanatory to me. I started draw him with purple eyes as soon as I found out he is Isabella's son. Purple in the hair and freckles? Well... I'm still very, very convinced that Leslie didn't die (at least not when he left the House). I always think about his situation, like what Norman got into with Lambda. The Ratri-clan is big but they need outsiders, to be soldiers, scientists, etc. And since girls from the Houses can only become Sisters and Moms... maybe some boys can become scientists and soldiers. (I can't believe I'm writing this but think about Andrew🤢... he was 100% not Ratri yet he could become an adult). So by this logic I believe Leslie could grow up too and (because I'm a sucker for happiness) he met Isabella again at some point.

Ray turning away:

On the second frame he is not looking at the girl who is leaving, but to the opposite direction. Why? Notice something else? Yes, Norman is missing too. Gilda has her winter jumper on so I figure Norman got sick again. Ray priorities his friends safety over everything else.

Also notice how Emma and Norman slowly get into the middle of the frame while Mom/Isabella get out of it? Pretty strong metaphor. It's the perfect example of 'Blood related family ≠ real family'. And while I'm a RayEmma shipper (obviously aged up version) I would never forget about Norman. He is as important to Ray as Emma. This Trio sticks together no matter what.

(older manga colouring ⬇️)

Now onto the hearth breaking stuff:

Ray's relationship with Isabella:

This deleted scene with Ray and Ayshe lives rent free in my head. Like there are two people with similar family situations and the one who lived int the middle of nowhere with a demon parent thinks positively about their parent, while the other, who grew up in a comfortable home like space with a human parent, thinks the opposite.

"But to me, she was always a monster"– Ray.

Like ufff... This sentence hits real hard. And it's low-key true from Ray perspective. He studied and read all the books in the House, not because he was interested, but because he had to. Norman is a genius, Emma learns real fast, Ray does everything he can to always get max points on his tests. But he also secretly planning his friends excape. Collects scraps of technology to build the device which makes them able to excape, plans his own 💀 carefully, so no one else will get hurt and on a top of that he is 'spying' for Isabella. Sacrifices people he wanted to protect. I can't imagine that inside panic when he didn't get max scores to that one test. I'm sure he was happy because Norman and Emma got their regular scores, but deep down he felt like he failed.

My head canon here is that Ray always gets nightmares if he is alone or in an unsafe place. And 'thanks' to his perfect memory his nightmares build up from actual memories (like we see that in the Seven Wall Arc). Also he doesn't get sick often but when he does... it's like a memory fuelled fever dream, with hallucinations and etc.

Ray's healing journey starts after the Jailbreak Arc. As soon as Mom is not around anymore, he ever so slowly starts to let down his guard and starts to show more and more emotions. His relationship with Yuugo/Mister is like a greatest archivment in his case. The playful, sarcastic 'arguments' and the way he openly said his opinion on things in front of Yuugo and Lucas. Shows how much he changed and opened up.

Isabella on the other hand... her change of heart and feelings were a mistery almost to the very end. To be honest I hated her most of the time, until the Back to Grace Field Arc. (Older manga colouring again⬇️😅)

Two things in this page which are very important.

1: Ray's guard is up again in no time, when he sees Isabella, while her emotionless mask is cracking. This is the first time we get a little inside of how she really feels about Ray.

2: Flashback of the two most important things that connects them. The song and the way they were forced to sacrifice others to stay alive.

The lullaby is very important, because it's calming and feels very intimate (like a normal parent-child relationship should be).

You also can't convince me otherwise that Ray didn't hummed this lullaby at least once in the B06-32 shelter to help the youngest kids fall asleep.

And now... onto the last picture. Their goodbye.

Saddest part ever! Never forgiving for this decision.

Ray and Isabella were never allowed to talk even two short sentences with each other without any consequences. In the House they had to play their assigned roles. Then they didn't see each other for almost 2 years. Finally they had to save half of the team from getting unalived... And they moment they would have time the last twist happens... leaving us with a sad ending.

Epilogue and Human World Arc...does little to compensate. Although I can't get over the fact that Yuugo's, Conny's and Isabella's 'ghosts' helped Ray found Emma in the Human World.

Speaking of finding Emma. My last head canon for Ray is the following;

When they found out that Emma lost all of her memories from the Demon World. Ray couldn't help himself but whisper a "I wish this happened to me". And everyone looks at him with an understanding smile thinking he blames himself for this... But in reality he really just selfishly thought (only for seconds) that he could forget everything happened on the other side.

Okay. That's all. Sorry for the supper long post and I'm forever thankful if you read through my brainrots 🥰😘. Also let me know if I should cover more characters like this. I'll obviously do Emma and Norman but if there any other characters you want to see please let me know🥰🤩💖.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

I have had a weird idea. A AU where the demon god, during the moment where everyone travel to the humans world, speak with both Norman and Ray to ask them if they want to share Emma's payment. Of course they say "yes". They didn't even ask what is the payment. They will share it, they will not let her pay alone.

The price? All three are de-aged to their 6 years old self. And send in different forbidden zones of the world, but with their respective mother and sibling if they have one.

Emma (now 6) falls in the same location that in canon, with Sienna and Carol (3). She has lost all her memories. Sienna has had a vision of the demon god telling her to enjoy this new chance. Or something like that. She is hesitant to call the others because she is afraid that her daugthers be taken of her. She needs a lot of time to heal, to learn to know her daugthers and to turst other humans. They'll be the last to be found.

Norman (now 6) falls with Mathilda and Rossi (7) in a opposite forbidden zone of the one where Emma is. Mathilda has had the vision of the demon god too and wants to enjoy this chance. She has thought that Norman was dead so much times. She thinks that nobody will want to leave her her kids. Rossi, who is kinda smart, realizes her fear and speaks with her about telling the truth to the rest of the Grace Field kids. He doesn't tell them by himself (zeven if he could) because he wants her to trust them. He sees how much she is hurt and can't trust perople. Norman doesn't remember anything but has very realistic dreams. Some are innocent (like one where he dreams about being very sick and having two friends triying to speak with him), but when he'll be 11 again, he'll have nightmares about Conny's death body and Lambda. They'll be probably found after Ray and Isabella.

Ray (now 6) ends with Isabella (who has survived but is severely hurt) in another forbidden zone, away of the others. They are in a zone where they have access to medical help. Ray remembers his 6 first years but not below for now. His last memory is the deal with Isabella (because of course it has to be THAT memory) but he's very lost. A lot of humans? Adult humans? Adult men? Where are Norman and Emma? He's a ball of anxiety, he's stressed and listen Isabella because survival instinct. People make genetic tests to be sure that they are related and so, they are left together. They speak a lot as soon that Isabella can have a long discussion. There are a lot of turst issues from Ray but he's six, and a part of him trully wanted to be loved, trully wanted Isabella to sayè that she doesn't want him to die. Ray will remember while growing up but only the most important things. It means that, when he'll reach the night between 11 and 12 again, you can guess what he will remember. They'll probably the first who will be found by the grace field children.

Of course they say "yes". They didn't even ask what is the payment. They will share it, they will not let her pay alone.

They are so good 🖤🧡🤍

Also Emma & Carol and Norman & Rossi biosibs truther.

Interesting to think about Matilda and Rossi interacting since he's aware of the farm system and has a vague idea of what Matilda went through having him, so even with being given a new chance, she's never truly able to pretend for a while like Sienna might be able to.

I'm assuming this plays a part in why Isabella and Ray are found by the other Grace Field children first though. Despite having two people who are fully cognizant of their situation, Rossi might feel guilty pushing for them to go out and find the means to contact the others with the same amount of fervor the kids have looking for Emma in canon.

I hesitate to call Matilda selfish without knowing exactly how much time it takes for them to be found, but since it appears Scribbles didn't make any stipulations about the mothers needing to raise the trio in isolation from the rest of their family, it is an interesting throughline to explore, weighing wanting to maintain the facade of a single mother raising two sons who wasn't the victim of systemic generational abuse and exploitation and the damage that did to her mind, body, and spirit, against her youngest-turned-oldest son's desire to reunite with the rest of his family that he misses terribly.

I'm assuming it's more that she's slower going about it and subtly reluctant about pursuing any leads they might have as opposed to being outwardly antagonistic toward Rossi whenever the matter comes up, but still, at some point after a lot of introspection you'd like to believe a parent would be mature to make that sacrifice of their personal preferred comfort for the benefit of their child. If not, though, it's interesting to think about how that affects her relationship with him, if it creates a distance between them by the time they're reunited, and how the Grace Field children might view her for keeping them separated from their brothers longer than they might have had to be.

(Chapter 55 showing Rossi being comforted by almost all of his brothers present in the bunker.)

His last memory is the deal with Isabella (because of course it has to be THAT memory) but he's very lost. A lot of humans? Adult humans? Adult men? Where are Norman and Emma? He's a ball of anxiety, he's stressed and listen Isabella because survival instinct. People make genetic tests to be sure that they are related and so, they are left together. They speak a lot as soon that Isabella can have a long discussion. There are a lot of trust issues from Ray but he's six, and a part of him truly wanted to be loved, truly wanted Isabella to say that she doesn't want him to die.

OOF the highlighting of adult men here is particularly interesting with how being in the care of Sisters and Isabella his whole known life, they're the greatest unknown to him, so him developing a bit of misandry because going with the devil you do known over the one you don't. Same with him clinging to Isabella and listening to her despite the tumultuous emotions he undoubted has about it.

Assuming Isabella doesn't have some degree of amnesia, it's also interesting to compare how she handles the information Ray tells her to Matilda and Sienna and if that factors into why they're found first, with her actively seeking out the family she knows can help them to both provide comfort for her son and closure to the children she raised who are missing their lost siblings.

[jbbarnesnnoble]

Hello lovely humans!

I’ve recently hit the 500 follower milestone and want to celebrate with another challenge! This time, dark fics are welcome! 

I have a lot of prompts here and what doesn’t get used will probably be put aside for a future challenge. I like to make sure there is a wide array of prompts to be chosen from and tend to go overboard. Whoops. 

The Rules: 

1. Use the hashtag #JBBNN500 

2. Dark fics are welcome - Just be sure to utilize trigger warnings and indicate that it is a dark fic. 

3. Even if you aren’t writing a dark fic, use trigger warnings if the content warrants it. If you write something that has heavier themes, like those that delve into mental health topics, be sure to label it appropriately. 

4. Selecting Prompts: Just let me know which one you want to do! 2 people per prompt! Tell me which subheading and the number of the prompt so I can mark it down! If it’s a lyric prompt, please give me the song and the number! 

5. You don’t have to be following to participate! 

6. Deadline: January 11, 2021

Yes, I’m giving about 3 months for this. January 11 also happens to be my birthday, so I figured that would be a good date to choose. 

The subheadings are: dialogue prompts, sentence prompts, quotes from popular media, and song lyrics!

Find the prompts under the cut! 

Dialogue Prompts

“Life is made up of maybes and regrets. I don’t want this to be one of them.”

“You can’t do this. It’s my choice to make, and mine alone. If you don’t agree with it, the door is there. Feel free to use it.”

“I used to be afraid of the dark, you know. Until I learned that the real monsters thrive in the light.” 

“So, what you’re saying is if I gave you a nickel, you’d do it.”

“No, I don’t know how the cheese got there, and honestly, I don’t think I want to know.” 

“You’re sounding more like a cult leader every time you open your mouth. Don’t think I’ll be accepting any Flavor Aid from you anytime soon.” 

“How did you...you know what, I’m going to forget I saw a thing, and go read a book. Or bathe in Holy Water. Or both. Both is good.” 

“If you say one more word I swear--” “One more word” “I hate you” 

“You can’t come in here singing my favorite song and expect forgiveness, that’s not how this works!”

“No. You mean nothing to me. You never did. You never will.” 

“But if it did, it would work and you can’t convince me otherwise.” 

“You are simultaneously the smartest and least intelligent person I have ever meant. Truly, an amazing accomplishment.” @bonkywobble​

“Next thing you’re going to say is that ghosts are real...please tell me that’s a joke” 

“All I’m saying is, I could do that blindfolded.” 

“But why was there pizza on the ceiling?” 

“If you write me a four thousand word essay on why you think that’s a good idea, then sure.” 

“I didn’t think you were serious. Do you know how illegal this is?!” 

Sentence Prompts

Feel free to change the pronouns used to suit your needs, even if they aren’t bracketed! You can also change the tense if you need to! 

The January rain fell, feeling like razors against [your/her/their] skin as [you/she/they] stared out over the horizon.

This was it, the moment where life as [you/she/they] knew it ended.

 [His/her/their] gaze fell on [her/you], like a lion circling its prey. 

You never thought that it would come to this, come to being the one to end it all. 

You took a moment to calculate [his/her/their] next move, figuring out the perfect counter. 

Hanging by your ankles from a tree was most definitely not how you planned on spending your Saturday. 

Glancing around the room at the decor, one thing was obvious: it was [his/her/their] doing. 

Hurt was the only thing you felt, the only thing you could cling to in this abyss.

Lies, it had all been lies and they were crumbling around you. 

The screech of tires on the pavement sent a shiver down your spine.

He/She used to love this time of year, the beauty of it all. 

It was like climbing Everest: ambitious, dangerous, and maybe a little insane. 

Forgiveness was not something you were willing to offer so freely, not this time. 

Chaos may as well have been the code name of this mission. @nekoannie-chan​

Silence was your new best friend, one that never seemed to leave you alone.

That smile, that smile was something you could get used to waking up to every day. 

Your face twisted in disgust as you realized what you had fallen into.

You were beginning to wish you had taken [him/her/them] up on that trip to Madrid. 

Quotes from Popular Media:

With these prompts specifically, you can use the full thing, paraphrase, etc, since some of them are quite long, or just write something based off an idea it sparks. 

“There are so many stories where some brave hero decides to give their life to save the day, and because of their sacrifice, the good guys win, the survivors all cheer, and everybody lives happily ever after. But the hero... never gets to see that ending. They'll never know if their sacrifice actually made a difference. They'll never know if the day was really saved. In the end, they just have to have faith. Ain't that a bitch.” -Epsilon, Season 13, Red vs Blue 

“We're so arrogant, aren't we? So afraid of age, we do everything we can to prevent it. We don't realize what a privilege it is to grow old with someone. Someone who doesn't drive you to commit murder or doesn't humiliate you beyond repair.” - Daniel, P.S I Love You 

“After centuries of men looking at my tits instead of my eyes and pinching my ass instead of shaking my hand, I now have the divine right to stare at a man's backside with vulgar, cheap appreciation if I want to!” - Denise, P.S. I Love You

“Life isn't just death. Don't ignore the living.” - Vada Sultenfuss, My Girl

“Life's full of barbaric customs. But I hope they all end with a kiss like that.” - Vada Sultenfuss, My Girl 

"You're a little scary sometimes, you know that? Brilliant ... but scary." - Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 

"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 

"I’ll be in my bedroom, making no noise and pretending I’m not there." - Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 

“Sweetie, this is one of those times when I know what's right and everybody else is confused.” - Angela Montenegro, Bones, Season 3 

“Oh, God. I'm in the middle of something, aren't I? Oh, look! Dead guy!” - Cam Saroyan, Bones, Season 5

“Don’t make it sound trivial when you know it isn’t. You keep talking about how we just need a little more time, but you’re not the one having to struggle.” -Nora, RWBY, Volume 7

“It's called survival. But I forgot, you two at best are functional morons.” - Crowley, Supernatural, Season 5, Episode 10

“I once had to judge a tighty-whitey contest for Lambda Kappa Pi. Trust me, I can handle anything.” - Elle Woods, Legally Blonde 

“How were we supposed to know? It's not like we run background checks on all her boyfriends.” - Kathryn Kennish, Switched at Birth

“Don’t try to get on my good side. I no longer have a good one” - Ouiser, Steel Magnolias 

“I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” - Shelby, Steel Magnolias 

“You have the handwriting of a serial killer” - Clairee, Steel Magnolias 

“I didn’t know if you would hire someone who might be married to someone who may or may not be a criminal” - Annelle, Steel Magnolias 

Lyric Prompts

What Do You Think Of - Lauren Alaina ft. Lukas Graham

What do you think of when you think of me?

When you look back on us what do you see? Is it the good times, is it the bad times, is it somewhere in between? 

I can’t even drive down 8th Avenue because the whole damn town reminds me of you

Hurts to Know - 1551

But you stayed when I made another promise to keep

And you waited and waited for the life you saw in your dreams 

You walk in and begin to try to heal me again, but each night is a fight that’s getting harder to win.

Sick - 1551

Everyone I meet feels like another target

I’m feeling sick, I’m feeling twisted, I wasn’t home before this feeling existed 

I never knew that wrong could feel so right

seven - Taylor Swift

Sweet tea in the summer, cross your heart won’t tell no other, and though I can’t recall your face, I still got love for you

Passed down like folk songs, the love lasts so long

I think your house is haunted, your dad is always mad and that must be why 

We’ll hide in the closet, and just like a folk song, our love will be passed on 

the last great american dynasty - Taylor Swift

How did a middle class divorcee do it? 

The wedding was charming, if a little gauche 

And they said “There goes the last great American dynasty. Who knows if she never showed up what could have been.” 

epiphany - Taylor Swift 

With you I serve, with you I fall down 

Something med school did not cover

And some things you just can’t speak about 

Chapters - Brett Young

Chapter one, I was raised on the Dodgers 

There’s no perfect life, you can’t hold back time

Everybody expecting perfection 

Things change in the blink of an eyelid, guess my body knew way more than I did

The Daughters - Little Big Town

Girl, know your place, be willing and able 

Girl, watch your mouth and watch your weight

Pose like a trophy on a shelf, and dream for everyone but not yourself

I wash the dishes, feed the kids, and clean up all this mess, do my best, forgive myself, and look good in this dress

It Won’t Always Be Like This - Carly Pearce 

I remember how I couldn’t wait to get out of my hometown, now I’m looking for every excuse to go back on the weekend

I remember hearing the door slam, twenty-two, didn't have a clue who I was, who I could trust, and who were my real friends

The heart won’t ache forever, no matter how hard it gets, it won’t always be like this

Next Girl - Carly Pearce 

You overlook a lot when he looks like that

He’ll charm your mama with that smile, hide the red flags for a while 

He’ll make you think it’s love, but I promise you it’s not 

Bar Back - Lauren Alaina 

You can have that coffee shop we went on our first date

I’ll give you back that sweatshirt, that one you know I love

I’m taking back that little hole in the wall, the red door sign saying “come on in y’all”

If I Was a Beer - Lauren Alaina

Honey you’re in luck, ‘cause I’m a fine, fine, wine. I’m a slow sweet pour, I can be a little bitter, but I ain’t a hard hitter, like a 30 from the grocery store

Waiting for Superman - Daughtry

She says “he’s still coming, just a little bit late” 

She’s talking to angels, counting the stars, making a wish on a passing car

If life was a movie, then it wouldn’t end like this 

Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi

When you hurt under the surface, like troubled water running could, well time can heal but this won’t

Before you go, was there something I could have said to make your heart beat better?

Our every moment, I start to replay, but all I can think about is seeing that look on your face  @arrowsandmixtapes​ 

Hard to Forget - Sam Hunt

It's kinda funny how I can't seem to get away from you, it's almost like you don't want me to

You’ve got a cold heart and the cold hard truth

Told me to leave all your things out on the porch on the swing

Oh you’re breaking my heart, baby you’re playing hard to forget 

This is It - Scotty McCreery

You can open your eyes

Can’t you see forever 

On top of the world here together

If there ever was a time for a perfect kiss, this is it 

Wish You’d Miss Me - Chase Wright

I was good for you, you were bad for me 

I was solid ground, you were broken wings 

I gave you love you gave me pain

You gave me hell, I gave you grace 

I knew all along that you were gonna leave 

What a Man Gotta Do - Jonas Brothers

I’m not trying to be your part time lover, sign me up for that full time @unnuevosoltransformalarealidad​

This Feeling - Chainsmokers ft. Kelsea Ballerini 

I lay out all my reasons you say that I need help

They tell me think with my head, not that thing in my chest

They got their hands at my neck this time 

I tell you all my secrets and you tell all your friends 

Hold onto your opinions and stand by what you say 

What Are You Gonna Tell Her - Mickey Guyton 

She thinks life is fair 

But what are you gonna tell her when she’s wrong?

What are you gonna tell her when she figures out that all this time you built her up just so the world could let her down? 

Do you tell her not to fight? 

Can you look her in the face and promise her that things will change? 

[perfect-corroscience]

Chapter 33: The Departed

Finally, some free time inbetween my upcoming final and a break before summer courses/work... 

“But why take up arms against their own kind?”

In the last chapter, the Oxsecian king was forced to make the painful decision of authorizing Operation Neogenesis – where some will depart in hopes of another world while the rest stay behind to combat the Animata. There was a brief moment of levity in Princess 36AIS’ birth. That won’t last.

33-1 It’s a declaration of war. Revolution is here.

              The Oxsecian ship, 6 seconds before destruction…

              The king gazes around the evacuated ship.

              “Just live to fight another day… It’s true I believed that at the time. Until that moment, that is.”

It’d be too optimistic to expect everyone to be okay with this, even if everyone staying behind on the Oxsecian homeland was fine with their sacrifice. So, a rebellion sets up the field for this chapter.

Enemies will be a mix of Bow and Staff, but they’ll mostly be Lightning attribute and will absorb it as well. Sword, Darkness and Graviton units are the way to go. These Shock Lasers also have that suicide attack for when they get low on health and

Yeah, that Shock Laser nearly took out 2/3rds of my team! For reference, Puprope^ was level 81, Sheena 74, Korin and Bahl 90  - as you can see, Bahl had some lightning resistance too. 

You’ll definitely want to bring some units with Anti-Lightning Capsules; if you’re lacking in units like those, Lightning Visors and Helmets are otomo drops in 8-6 and 22-6 and can be upgraded to Lightning Shields (Anti-Lightning Shield, Self at 20% reduction for 2 turns) or Radiant Shields (30% Lightning damage reduction for 2 turns).

I swapped Rikken out after this stage for Seiryu^. It wasn’t there at the time, but as of this writing, Seiryu had got an Omicron otomo that lets him spawn anti-lightning capsules (obtainable from the trading post), making him/his lambda well worth bringing.

The stages will also mainly be compounded by these barriers being everywhere; they block chains and make movement a bit annoying.

33-2 “She’s missing, sire. Princess 36AIS is nowhere to be found.”

And you, if you aren’t careful.

There’ll be Oxsecian enemies, too, naturally.

33-3 The eyes of the rebels smolder with anger and hatred.

The eyes of the rebels smolder with anger and hatred.

The pain of abandoning their home must be tearing them apart.

But why take up arms against their own kind?

 Of course there’s a myriad of reasons, sensible or otherwise, that drive people to turn against each other. There was a rebel furious at the fact that their king was supposedly abandoning them – and yet, there’s more.

This machine has quite the range. Thankfully this stage, at least, doesn’t have any blockades.

There we go. All that Lightning won’t be quite as dangerous.

33-4 “…I wanted to prove them wrong.”

You know, little things like these can say a lot about a person. Evidently the king was a softer, gentler man before his homeworld was destroyed.

Some of the Oxsecian enemies are somewhat susceptible to Shadowbind (and other status ailments), so there’s that.

These guys drop Green Rings – 33-9 in particular is a good spot for farming them.

33-5 “Absolutely nothing. If he learns of this, it means our heads.”

A new face: these guys will spawn those vortexes (re: hazard) laterally, then vertically.

33-6 “Demolish it.”

A wall of barricades rises high overhead, cobbled together into a makeshift stronghold.

The king is curt:

"Demolish it."

More barriers – a sign we’re getting closer, it seems. The Shock Lasers in this stage are all the row-hitting ones.

33-7 Step by step, you press onward with the king, into the heart of the rebel stronghold.

              Countless traps. Ambushes. Delay tactics. Pincer attacks.

              “They sure fight dirty, don’t they…”

              While these guerrilla tactics slow you down, they fail to halt your advance. Step by step, you press onward with the king, into the heart of the rebel stronghold.

We’re met with a new foe, with an interesting adjacent skill. Observe:

They’ve become physical walls! Not a bad idea to focus on taking them out first if you can, but besides their skill they’re more a nuisance than anything else – and, luckily, they don’t also buff Magic Defense.

33-8 His flashing blade spares no one, striking without hesitation or mercy.

We’ll get a glimpse at his strength pretty soon.

Pictured: Defender helping a Generator. A bit annoying if you don’t have a lot of Darkness/Graviton mages, I guess.

Cute, they’re protecting the generator. I think the Shock Lasers are more of a threat, in all honesty…

Well, unless you’ve stacked enough capsules to just straight up go “nah” to Lightning attacks.

33-9 The memory of cradling a tiny bundle of warmth in his arms surfaces.

“Frail and fragile as a dream” is a really good metaphor for describing babies. Is it any surprise the king is so hellbent on getting her back?

Four battles with a boss at the end. The barricades are present for the first three. I got curious and tried to see if a Disarmer would get rid of them – no such luck.

Two pincers with everyone in the chain is a good way to make sure every enemy dies. As an aside, it’s weird to look at screencaps like this and know I’m using only a “mere” CT+2 mover when past chapter 34 I’ve got Bonna^ holding an Eternal Hourglass.

And here comes the boss.

True to its name, it’s got hefty defenses and health. But what is a bulwark?

According to the OED:

1a. A substantial defensive work of earth of earth, or other material; a rampart, a fortification.

2a. (Transferred and figurative) A powerful defense or safeguard. Sometimes applied to persons.

Oh, I see.

It’ll cycle through its skills in roughly this order: Lightning, 2 outer columns + Missiles, 2 outer columns + move > Lightning, 2 outer rows + Missiles, 2 outer rows > Electric, 4x6 Grid + summon an Oxsecian Medicbot > repeat the outer column/rows attacks > Missiles, 4x6 grid + summon a Medicbot > repeat

As always, I kill off the mobs first. By this point I’d stacked enough Electric-resistance to be able to tank any Electric attacks the boss uses.

At roughly 66% and 33% HP, it will summon reinforcements, not including the Medicbot that it already summons as part of its pattern.

The medicbot spawning is pretty notable since it has a roughly 10-12% chance of dropping Green Rings; you could position your team out of range of the bulwark’s attacks, let it cycle through and spawn a Medicbot, and kill the mook for Green Ring drops. Repeat until you get tired. Ideally of course this is on the 2x drop day and you have some Treasure Hunters with you.

33-10 The king curses his carelessness, but it’s too late.

Oh shit. They just fried Proto!

When the party faced off against King 54B2, I warned to make sure you’re not in his lateral range. The reason for this was because his Royal Blade, 1 row skill hurts like hell.

He’ll move of his own volition and quite literally cut down the rebels, leaving the floor with a “Stand aside!” We’re left to finish off the few rebels remaining.

On the second floor, he’ll do the same thing to the rebels here and give us a simple command: “Cut them down!” I’m pretty sure someone’s made a joke about how Sword units are great for this chapter.

On the third and final floor, you don’t even get to fight the enemies. He’ll use Royal Blade again, say “Harm her and I’ll have your heads!”. And as he leaves, he asks, “You still dare defy your king?”

This might as well be a glorified cutscene… but I like it. It does a good job at showing the king’s rage and strength: he’s enraged after seeing Proto – his trusted friend – throw himself in harm’s way to protect him, his daughter is quite likely in danger, and he is easily cleaving through the rebels with one attack.

The king cuts down the leaders of the uprising and roars a defiant challenge to the rest. The rebels surrender one by one.

36AIS is safely recovered as well. All seems to end in a decisive victory for the king.

However...

It is in that moment of triumph that the rebels achieve their objective.

"What... what is this?"

              The king is bewildered.

              "Do not make me repeat myself!"

                A retainer steps forward. His hands tremble for a moment but his gaze remains steady.

              "Forgive me, sire, but you are naive. Too naive. So we took it upon ourselves to establish these classifications."

                A note beside 36AIS's name reads: "Fit for enlistment."

              The names of several other members of the royal family are branded likewise.

              "Injustice! It was rigged from the start!"

              The people erupt into a storm of outrage.

 The truth is this:

              The Oxsecian people were divided into two groups: one that would depart their homeworld and one that would stay behind. This classification was based on their biological data with no regard for their wishes.

              Those deemed biologically inferior were relegated to the latter group and declared "fit for enlistment." It was a convenient euphemism.

              Members of the royal family aside, the "enlisted" had been left behind. Deserted.

                Understanding dawns on the king at last.

              "I told you to leave the choice to them, did I not!?"

              "Which is why I said you are naive, sire. Someone had to do the dirty work or none of us would have made it off the ground."

                The ship rumbles with angry voices, dark resentment sweeping through like a tidal wave.

              And then, a violent and blinding explosion blooms in the distance.

                "It's... gone. Our planet is gone!"

What a tragic end to the chapter. In the next chapter, we’ll conclude part 1.5.