#THEY NEED TO MAKE WRATH OF THE MACHINE IN DESTINY 2. FOR ME.

[trans-estinien]

the eliskni themed raids were always my favourite. too bad ive only ever been able to play one of them.

[catracorner962]

The Nine Lives of Catra Applesauce Meow Meow Ch. 7 Destiny Part 2

Ass fatally kicked by Hordak in Destiny Part 2

Warning for suicidal ideation

“AAAAAHHHH!!!!” A scream broke through Catra’s hardened resolve when she found herself being slammed back by the blast from Hordak’s cannon. Heat singed her fur, body arching through the air like a hapless rag doll.

Catra  twisted mid-air, arms and legs splayed out, claws instinctively flashing outward the second she connected with the ground.

“Ughhh,” her chest pinched, her words tight. “H...Hordak...whatever you’re doing….”

“I know about Entrapta,”

Fuck….

A cold numbness flooding through her body as Hordak loomed over her, his weapon aimed between her eyes.

You’re in too deep now. There’s still a chance….he could believe you.

Catra held her breath, right arm tingling in pain. Swollen and bleeding from a gash down to her elbow.

Must’ve broken it…

She held the limp limb at her side, left eye squeezing shut in pain.

“Entrapta…” she sucked a thin breath, throat caked with smoke, “was a traitor. What else is there to know?”

Hordak glared, red pupiless eyes teaming with bloodlust.

“I. Trusted. You!”

He seethed, voice breaking but for a moment. Any discernible amount of hurt was quickly laced with hatred. The cannon on his arm spun, whirling red energy all around it.

Well, who’s fault is that?

Catra gasped, flinging herself away from its' aim just in time. The blast of fire and smoke nearly caught her as she dashed down the hallway, faster on four limbs than two, despite the one that cracked in pain each time she attempted to move it. Catra grit her teeth, surging forward in any direction, anywhere away from Hordak’s relentless wrath.

“Your days we're numbered the moment you crossed me!” He shouted, the weapon already recharging.  Catra’s heart pummeled against her chest, each beat crushing. Still she fled.

You did it now you insolent child!

Did you really think you could lie forever? How long did you think you could keep this up?

No...I...took over the Horde...I did! I’ve been running things for awhile now I…

“Ahhhhhhaa!” Catra stumbled, agony in her side caused her to crumple momentarily. She glanced down, hissing at the thick red blood oozing from some unseen wound, through her clothes.

W….when did that ha...happen?

She tried to focus, eyes blinking slowly. She picked herself up, running with a limp now, through another set of doors. The fiery blast sent her forward, her back scalding in agony. The smell of burnt flesh and fur assaulted her nose. This time she tried to land on her feet, but missed, her broken arm hitting against the hard floor. She tilted her head just in time, the side of her mask taking the brunt of the impact.

Breathe….breathe...just stand. That’s it...go... She coached herself through each stab of pain, talked herself through every bruising breath. The same way she’d done as a young cadet when Shadow Weaver would beat her. Even when she’d past the point of fighting, she could endure. That was not nothing. That was what she was best at.

Look around….y...your i...in the B...black Garnet Chamber…

She blinked again, focussing on the fixed point of the large stone for a few dizzying minutes before it came into focus.

“And after I’m through,” Hordak’s estranged threat mounted louder with each step. “You can’t even begin to imagine the punishment’s Horde Prime will inflict upon you.”

Ha! No one’s better at punishing me than myself, she thought bitterly.

Catra ducked behind the massive stone, crouching in the shadows, pressing one hand to the wound at her side. Her fingers instantly growing slick and sticky with red.

“Oh because he’s going to swoop down and fix everything for you at any moment right?”

Fucking idiot...lazy creep! We don’t all have a big brother to come save us! You’re the worthless one! The one who needs saving!

“You’re lying to yourself now!”

Hordak spun, firing off another round from his cannon. Catra shrieked, adrenaline pushed her through the scalding pain, making her dash out of the room once more. Another blast, this one larger, knocked her from her feet, sending her soaring through the air in free fall off one of the Fright Zone’s main buildings. This time she channeled her misery, flipping, feet first, arms spread and stuck the landing.

“Uuuuhhhh, fuck...f...fuck,” Catra half crouched, half fell to all fours.

Run, run, run, just get out of here. GET OUT...go...go….go! She ran forward, towards the forge.

That will buy time, he’ll have to go around the longway.

Catra stopped, panting for breath, large pools of the molten rock below bubbling. The heat wafting towards her from below. She glanced up, towards the massive clawed machines.

I can make it….it’s just a...just a little higher than usual….th...that’s right...I can..d..do it. Even if I don’t...it doesn’t ma…

“Aaarrrhh!” Hordak’s ruefully cry echoed down the hall.

Now or never,

Catra steeled herself from the agony of it and crouched, aiming for her landing point. She pounced, holding her breath with panic before landing clumsily. She rolled, cursing as her arm and side split in agony.

“Ahhh...n...no..hmmmph…”

He’s….a failure! I should be the one Prime rewards! I’ve done more to crush the rebellion then Hordak ever has! Yeah….hahaha! She giggled, for a moment, then straightened, watching Hordak below who had now entered the forge searching for her.

“Why would Horde Prime care about you?” She held her arm tight for fear of crying out in discomfort. “You’re a defect!” She screamed, “a mistake!” He turned, looking up at her with unrivaled hate. “HAVEN’T YOU NOTICED I’M RUNNING THINGS HERE!”

“Argh!”

Beyond words, Hordak swung his cannon, firing another blast toward her. Catra’s heart caught in her throat, letting out a small exhausted gasp before jumping from the platform. She reached out, claws catching on the large suspension tubes. Giddy with wrath Catra somersaulted through the air,  towards Hordak. Coming down fast she seized the arm cannon in one claw, using it to gain purchase and momentum, striking out with her fist, slamming gloved knuckles into Hordak’s face. He groaned, head knocked back. She jumped off his chest and swung around, kicking one leg up and then bringing it down upon the weapon with such a force it split and shattered. Hordak reeled, eyes red and wild, intent to kill. Catra snarled, fangs bared. No matter how hard the Horde had tried to purge her of her more feline instincts, it was a part of her and in her fire tinged wrath Catra now hissed and clawed.

That will show him! Show all of them! He’s no match for me. He’s weak! A weak, lying, fool! He’s not worthy of anything! I’m the one who’s worthy! Ten times stronger than he is!

She landed on two feet again, just in time to jump and smash her foot into his side. Hordak screeched, stumbling backward. She smiled through her misery, watching him slip and slide across the metal floor. Catra huffed for air. Her back still radiated with raw agony, her flesh scrapped and bubbling, her fur burnt. The wound at her side now dripped onto the floor. Still, she stood tall, defiant. They always thought she was a nuisance, a trouble maker who wouldn’t go away. Indeed she was. She’d be a thorn in the side of the Horde until they were all destroyed.

“Now we can fin...finally end...end this! I didn’t need Entrapta, I didn’t need Adora or Scorpia! And….I...DON’T...NEED...YOU!”

Hordak made to regain his footing, but she didn’t let him. Catra lunged, claws out. She leapt on him, yanking out the first one's data crystal with a satisfying rip. Horak backpedaled and she kicked him again once more in the chest for good measure, standing back and watching him falter. He glared at her, clenching his fists. She only stood tall, masking the throbbing in her side

I win

She smiled, cathartic. Sweet dripping satisfaction, shallow but defiant spread across her face.

Let him try me.

Her ears twitched,

Something creaked above them, Catra’s eyes snapped up. Watching as one of the large beams above was pulled taunt and snapped, falling instantly, crushing Hordak where he stood. The whole floor vibrated, a plume of smoke enveloping her for a moment. When it cleared, Catra could only stare.

I...I did...it...I won….

Her arm ached with discomfort. Catra adjusted her footing, her vision beginning to darken.

I...won, I won...I won….

Whether she was trying to convince herself or relish in it. She did not know.

I won… I show them...it...it was worth it….no matter what. It was… I...I’ll…

“Hey Catra.”

That voice...no…

Catra stiffened. All fragile confidence diminished. She turned towards that voice. The wound in her side throbbing. Her vision continued to blur in and out. She stumbled forward, listless.

Blonde hair...red jacket…

NO!

“No! You...c..can’t do this!” Indignation swelled in her chest. “You can’t come in and take this from me now!”

“Woah!” Adora gaped, “I knew this would get a rise out of you but still! You really are obsessed aren’t you? Kitten.”

Double Trouble threw Adora’s head back in laughter. Catra watched, trembling. The rush of excitement and fueled drive to subdue Hordak now evaporated. Overcome by exhaustion.

“You know, it took me a while but I finally figured out your character.” They transformed once more, this time into Catra herself. She shivered, stomach threatening to wretch. Her arms and legs were so heavy….

“You try so hard to be the big, bad villain.” They circled her in her own form, leaning against her nonchalant. Catra flinched as her...Double Trouble’s tail flicked at her nose. “But your heart’s never been in it, has it?” They cocked a brow, inciting a weak fury in her.

“W...what are you…” her voice cracked, trying to keep her eyes open. “Stop! Stop it!’ In blind rage she lashed outward only for Double Trouble to catch her wrist tightly in their grip, pulling her inches from her own blue and yellow eyes.

“People have hurt you, haven’t they?”

Yes, a small childish voice whimpered.

Double Trouble pressed forward, even as they transformed. This time into Shadow Weaver’s omnipresent terrifying form.

“They didn’t believe in you,” that deep voice that had wormed its way into Catra’s soul and burrowed there now bit at her. Catra sniffed, her skin peeled and still radiated heat, each breeze sending searing pain across the bubbling wounds. Double Trouble did not relent, continuing to hold her grip tightly as they pressed forward. They transformed again, this time into Hordak.

“They didn’t trust you.”

Hordak…is he…

Catra tried to glance back over her shoulder to where the Horde Commander now lay but her head spun. She wrapped her free arm around herself, trying to cover her wound. Her knees now quaking.

P…...please...s...stop….stop it. P...please…

Hordak dissolved, changing back again into Adora. Those brilliant blue eyes, even when they weren't her own, starred into Catra cruelly. Double Trouble took her hand pressing it to the side of Adora’s cheek.

So soft….gentle...no NO! Stop it!

Catra let out a weak breath, with no strength to summon tears behind it.

Adora…

Resentment and rage and grief mixed in her stomach. Longing and loathing in equal measure, indistinguishable.

She let out a choking breath, blood sputtering onto her lips. With the last of her strength she wrenched herself free from Double Trouble’s grip, tipping backward onto the ground with a sickening thud, the breath snatched from her lungs.

She tried to get air, desperately, but the wound in her side still leaked. The burns on her back still fresh, each movement sending them splitting open. Her chest threatening to crack.

“But did you ever stop to think maybe they’re not the problem?” Double Trouble’s shadow enveloped her. Catra, heaved for air, trying to look at them with any shred of dignity she had left. They only frowned down at her, before transforming once more. This time she watched in abject horror as they grew larger in stature, shoulders spreading out, tail curling. The shadow overwhelming her now stretched.

No...please….

Scorpia.

If Catra had not already been dying. This sealed her fate for the seventh time. Scorpia’s ever kind, gentle face. A face she herself had brought to tears many times, those large forgiving eyes now sealed...not with contempt but with disappointment. And her words, her voice….

“It’s you. You drive them away, Wildcat.”

“W...why are you doing this?”

Catra begged, breathlessly. Her head was truly sinking now, barely able to  hear Double Trouble’s voice. How much blood had she lost? How deep had her burns gone?

“It’s for your own good darling,” Double Trouble crouched down, mercifully changing back to their own form. “We both know this was never what you really wanted.”

The only thing Catra wanted in this moment, she would get soon enough.

She groaned, glancing at the fingers that still pressed into her bloody wound. Vision clouding a final time, barely able to focus on the screen Double Trouble held before her.  

Tanks, bots, ships, troops, all of them destroyed. Brightmoon was nothing but defenseless. I failed after all.

“Y...you...be...betrayed me,” she gasped through bloody lips. Double Trouble only stood.

“It’s nothing personal darling. You knew how this ended.”

Whatever else Double Trouble meant to say was lost to the erratic beating of her heart. It’s frantic pumping noise rushing through her ears.

She knew the signs by now. Not too much longer…

Double Trouble crouched down before her once more, one long finger flicking her nose.

“End scene,” they pushed her nose and Catra teetered backward, watching them through the haze of her vision as they disappeared down the corridor. She managed to scoot herself backward, sitting up against one of the slabs of metal debris that had come crashing down. Several feet away, Hordak lay still under the rubble.

It’s better this way….Adora….why couldn’t you just stay? None of this would’ve happened if you just...if I had just…Scorpia...I never should’ve...and Shadow Weaver never believed in me. I was a fool to think she ever would. Hordak….Entrapta...i...it’s better like t...this….yeah…..b...better for e...everyone...

Thoughts sloughed together, her vision clouded, she leaned her head back against the hard metal, each breath catching. Catra folded her arms over her middle, trying to curl up, and close her eyes.

Please…..j...just let this be the last time… I don’t want to do this again...please just let me go. I don’t want to...I don’t want to get hurt again… that small girl inside her shriveled and not yet avenged pleaded.

But Catra rarely got what she wanted.

[latin-dr-robotnik]

What about the best game soundtracks of the 2010s?

So, I’ve been on and off thinking about and drafting this post for most of the year, and it’s finally time for me to unveil it to the world: we are now very close to the end of the year and the end of the 2010s, and while Sonic soundtracks have mostly kept their god-like status, I for sure played and listened to a lot more games than just Sonic. Because of that, I’m kinda in the mood to remember and revisit some of the games with the best soundtracks out there. 

Disclaimer: remember this is merely a personal list, where I take into consideration the game soundtracks that influenced me the most due to overall quality or hype surrounding them. I’m aware of the limitations of the giant task of listing 10 years of VGM, so this post is also an open invitation to all sorts of discussions for the myriad of games I’m surely gonna miss, and maybe even a door into other fandoms I used to take part or still am. If you have a game or a particular track you think it deserves the spotlight, then keep the discussion going!

Also: I’m only listing games with fully original soundtracks, but at the same making an exception for commercial songs created with a particular game in mind, released and then featured in said game (for example, A7X’s stuff for the Black Ops series).

I’m going to include Sonic games just for the sake of highlighting specific tracks. So, what are your favorite soundtracks of the 2010s? Here are some of the best for me:

Non Sonic games (in no particular order):

PAYDAY 2 (2013) - Highlights:

Hot Pursuit;

Backstab;

Break the Rules.

Mega Man 11 (2018) - Highlights:

Fuse Man;

Block Man;

Dr. Wily’s Gear Fortress.

Sunset Overdrive (2014) - Highlights: 

Total Annihilation;

I’m On The Run; 

I Don’t Want Your Company.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Zero (Yakuza 0) (2015) - Highlights: 

Judgement; 

Heart Break Mermaid; 

Pledge of Demon; 

Queen of the Passion; 

I’m Gonna Make Her Mine; 

Koi No Disco Queen. (sorry i got carried away for a while ‘cause this game and its ost are both so great)

Furi (2016) - Highlights: 

My Only Chance; 

6:24; 

Wisdom of Rage.

Super Mario Odyssey (2017) - Highlights: 

Steam Gardens; 

Jump Up, Super Star!; 

Break Free (Lead the Way). (I mean, Mario finally has not one but TWO proper vocal tracks, one of them being Sonic-esque as fuck, and in a mainline game no less? WHAT TIMELINE ARE WE EVEN LIVING IN?)

Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) - Highlights: 

115; 

Abracadavre (Ascension DLC 1 was such a biiig hyyype back in 2011, I clearly remember those days); 

Not Ready to Die. (featured in DLC 2, Call of the Dead, using the classic ‘Damned’ Zombies menu melody)

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013) - Highlights: 

I’m My Own Master Now; 

It Has To Be This Way; 

The Stains Of Time. (also the first two tracks were featured in LakeFeperd’s fangame Sonic Chrono Adventure, lol)

Undertale (2015) - Highlights: 

This game needs no highlights, we all know it. But if you insist... 

Well, here’s where I put the most influential song of the entire decade; 

Ruins; 

It’s Raining Somewhere Else.

Freedom Planet (2014) - Highlights:

Main Theme;

Relic Maze 2;

Thermal Base 1;

Final Boss 2.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017) - Highlights: 

Hyrule Castle (I’d say both versions, but the marching steps playing outside are badasssss); 

Breath of the Wild (greatest main theme of all decade, no doubts); 

Kass’ Theme (man, I hate that Nintendo blocked the full version of that song on YouTube).

Shovel Knight (2014) - Highlights: 

In the Halls of the Usurper (Pridemoor Keep); 

Tango of the Troupple King (what a fun highlight from Plague of Shadows); 

A Cargo of Fineries (Flying Machine); 

Hitting Close to Home.

Celeste (2018) - Highlights: 

Resurrections; 

Confronting Myself; 

Mirror Temple (Mirror Magic Mix); 

Golden Ridge (Golden Feather Mix); 

Farewell.

Katana ZERO (2019) - Highlights: 

You Will Never Know; 

Sneaky Driver; 

Monster.

Cuphead (2017) - Highlights: 

Floral Fury; 

Dramatic Fanatic; 

Railroad Wrath; 

High Sea Hi-Jinx.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) - Highlights: 

The Wolven Storm; 

Hunt or be Hunted; 

Land of a Thousand Fables.

Spark the Electric Jester (2017) - Highlights: 

Lunar Bass (Stage 10); 

Flower Mountain Canyon (Stage 2); 

Sunset Heights (Stage 6) (no, not the one from Sonic Forces); 

Megaraph Fortress (Stage 16); 

Special Boss (a.k.a. the obvious Crush 40-esque song for a Sonic-esque game)

The Messenger (2018) - Highlights: 

A Melody To Break the Curse; 

Civilization in the Sky; 

Hills of Destiny.

Spark the Electric Jester 2 (2019) - Highlights: 

Floresta Blanca; 

Castela Blanca (a.k.a. Sunset Hang Castle); 

Technoria City; 

Titanic Tower. (no, not the one from Sonic BTS, same composer tho)

Sonic games (in chronological order):

Sonic Colors (2010) - Highlights: 

Planet Wisp Act 2; 

Aquarium Park Act 1; 

Vs. Orcan & Skullian; 

Nega Wisp Armor (Phase 2); 

Speak With Your Heart.

Sonic Generations (2011) - Highlights: 

Crisis City (Modern); 

Stardust Speedway Bad Future US; 

Mission (3D Blast Saturn Theme); 

City Escape (Classic).

Sonic 4: Episode 2 (2012) - Highlights: 

Metal Sonic Theme; 

Sylvania Castle Act 3; 

Sky Fortress Act 2.

Sonic Lost World (2013) - Highlights: 

Midnight Owl; 

Snowball Waltz; 

Dragon Dance; 

Juice Archipelago. (a.k.a. Delfino Plaza 2013)

Sonic Runners (2015) - Highlights: 

The entire game OST---I mean, 

Fly Away; 

Magical Snow Day (perfect timing, huh?); 

End of the Summer.

Sonic Mania (2017) - Highlights: 

Stardust Speedway Act 1; 

Egg Reverie; 

Mirage Saloon Act 2; 

Press Garden Act 2.

Sonic Forces (2017) - Highlights: 

Infinite; 

Moonlight Battlefield (Aqua Road); 

Red Gate Bridge; 

Network Terminal (Interior); 

Virtual Reality (Supporting Me Remix); 

Fading World (Imperial Tower).

Team Sonic Racing (2019) - Highlights: 

Ice Mountain; 

Green Light Ride (Tyler Smyth Remix); 

Bingo Party; 

Haunted Castle; 

Sky Road.

Honorable mentions:

Sonic Before the Sequel (2011/12) - Highlights: 

Hilltop Heights Act 1; 

Titanic Tower Act 2; 

Metro Madness Act 1; 

Butt Funk (Rocky Ride Act 2).

Sonic After the Sequel (2013) - Highlights: 

The Adventure Continues (Horizon Heights Act 1); 

Smokey Bear Says (Foliage Furnace Act 2); 

Stellar Lights (Technology Tree Act 2); 

Wolf Rayet (Technology Tree Boss); 

Ghosts With Guitars (Moon Mansion Act 2); 

Serious Influence (Redhot Ride Act 1); 

Neon Paradise (ATS Version) (Parhelion Peak Act 2); 

Red Moon (Storm Station Act 3); 

Mach Σ (Dream Dance Act 1).

[toradh]

And for the top 5, I’m sending your ask right back at you! =D Top 5 (or 500) pieces of video game music!

HAHAHA EVERYTHING YOU DO IN LIFE COMES BACK TO YOUOK HERE YOU GO, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER (except alphabetical per game lol)

I’m gonna… put this under a cut for length. Oh boy.

Chrono Cross (fun fact: I’ve never played the game but I own a copy of the soundtrack):-Scars of Time-Fields Of Time - Home World-On The Beach Of Dreams - Another World-Departed Souls-Dragon Knight-Prisoners Of Fate-Magical Dreamers - The Wind, Stars, And Waves ~-The Dream That Time Dreams-Dragon God-Life ~ A Distant Promise

Assassin’s Creed II:-Earth-Ezio’s Family-Venice Rooftops (my first contact ever with AC was the Soul Calibur version of Venice Rooftops and at that very moment I KNEW I had to play the game that it originally belonged to. No kidding!)-Master Assassin (it’s from Brotherhood but yada yada)

Assassin’s Creed III:-Main Theme-Ratohnhaké:tonThe Liberation soundtrack was also amazing, I could listen to the Main Theme for days.

Dissidia Final Fantasy:-the openings and ending medleys, and also that new version of The Man with the Machine Gun is killer

Final Fantasy IV:-the goddamn opening of the Nintendo DS remake

Final Fantasy VI:-Terra’s Theme

Final Fantasy VII:-the battle theme and boss battle theme, who doesn’t love it-the main theme once you had spent enough time in the menue to actually ever hear the end of it-Cosmo Canyon AKA Valley Where Stars Fall whatever and Become a Great Soldier-Words Extinguished by Fireworks-Listen to the Voice of the Stars-and of course Aerith’ theme-Towards the Mountain-The Day of Our Last Moments-Perfect Jenova-Carmina Burana reloaded uhm I mean One Winged Angel, too, of course-also the opening and ending credits from Crisis Core which is a mediocre game, but it let me hack n slay, had the infinitely more lovable protagonist, and it had some cool music remixes

Final Fantasy VIII (oh boy, the FFVIII OST is my fav right after IX, although the latter wins every other race in the franchise)-Liberi Fatali and also the Overture AKA the motherfucking opening credits when you insert Disc 1 for the first time-The Landing-Force Your Way (honestly this game has some of my favourite of favourite battle themes EVER; the feeling of beating up bosses after spending hours, HOURS in the menue to set up your team is incredible lol; like OH MY GOD MY PLAN ACTUALLY WORKED)-The Mission-The Stage Is Set-Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec-Premonition-Drifting-The Oath-Trust Me-Lunatic Pandora (gives you a headache if you listen to it for too long tho lol)-Compression of Time-The Castle-Legendary Beast-Maybe I’m A Lion-The Extreme-the Ending Theme (yep, including Eyes One Me! I mean it’s cheesy but it kinda grew on me…)(basically the entire end of the 4th disc is a blast, not gonna lie)

Final Fantasy IX (buckle your seatbelts!):-Place I Call Home/A Place to Call Home/whatever AKA the opening credits-Living by the Sword-Hunter’s Chance-Marsh of the Q Tribe-Sword of Confusion-Eternally Good Harvest-Roses of May-City Under Siege-Protecting my Devotion-Light of Destiny-Chamber of a Thousand Faces-Mount Gulug-Four Mirrors-Concurrent Battles-Terra-You Are Not Alone-Assault of the Silver Dragons-Organum (which is an obscure organ version of the opening credit theme which gets a billion variations throughout the game anyway; it’s on a bonus soundtrack CD that I bought at one point before I finally got my hands on a copy of the actual OST)-and of course the One True Melodies of Life

Actually 90% of the soundtrack

Final Fantasy X:-People of the North Pole-A Fleeting Dream-Suteki Da Ne, too

Final Fantasy XII-the boss battle theme-the Esper battle theme-also the Imperial March I mean Theme of the Empire

Final Fantasy XIII:-Blinded by Light (VIOLIN BATTLE THEME VIOLIN BATTLE THEME)-Saber’s Edge-Lightning’s Theme-Caius’ Theme from FFXIII-2 (which was a waste of time BUT it had Liam O’Brien. Can I just have a poster of Liam O’Brien’s voice pls)

Final Fantasy XV (I still haven’t played this thing lol):-Too Much Is Never Enough (I bought sheet music lol)-Somnus (both instrumental and /w lyrics)-Departure-Wanderlust-Ardyn and Ardyn II-Labyrinthine-The Hydraeans Wrath-Homecoming

(notice a pattern lol)BTW every single Distant World CD is a fucking gem and you should buy them

Kingdom Hearts whatever (I’m not gonna go through the individual titles):-Dearly Beloved in all versions ever released-Disappeared-Another Side-all of Vanitas’ battle themes-Ventus’ themeand of course Hikaru Utada’s songs I love that woman; and also the orchestral/instrumental arrangements that were used in the trailers.

Tales of Berseria:-BURN (why is it capslocked tho)

Tales of Destiny:-Yume De Aru Youni-Irony of Fate in that goddamn epic remix from that orchestra CD thingy

Tales of Symphonia:-Starry Heavens and the sweet instrumental version that plays when you thought you had lost all your teammates but they come back and help you while you rescue that one team mate whose affection for Lloyd was highest

Tales of Vesperia:-Ring a Bell

Tales of Xillia:-Progress

Tales of Zestiria:-White Light-Zaveid the Exile-Flaming Bonds are Being Tested-Melody of Water is the Guide in Spiritual Mist (can we set a petition for Mikleo to play his own trial theme on the piano, yes, sign here, thank you)-Competing with the Honor of the Land-Fight Between the Wind and the Blinking Sky-Rising Up

(why do these trials themes have so long names bleurgh. So yeah AKA ALL THE TRIAL THEMES)

(basically all the Tales openings lol)

The Legend of Zelda… oh god why are there so many games.So I’m only gonna go through my two favs:

Ocarina of Time:-Lost Woods-Windmill Hut (aka the Song of Storms)-Gerudo Valley

The Wind Waker:-Dragon Roost Island-Molgera’s boss fight theme

also the bonus orchestra CD from Skyword Sword was so good :O

Valkyrie Profile:-Take A Flight

Xenogears:-Stars of Tears-Grahf, Dark Conqueror (only a JRPG would name a villain Grahf tho lol)-Premonition-Awakening-The One Who Bares Fangs at God-Small Two of Pieces (PLEASE I NEED SHEET MUSIC FOR THIS WHERE CAN I FIND SOME; legally if possible lol)-the battle themes aren’s bad, either(fun fact: I’ve never played this game, either)

Xenosaga stuffz(never played that either lol. I didn’t listen to the complete soundtracks, either, only bits)-The Miracle-Kokoro (whoever came up with that song title has guts, but it’s seriously super beautiful, and Joanne Hogg makes a comeback on vocals!)

BTW I never played anything Wild Arms, either, but I really the openings for the first and third game in the series, respectively.Oh and that one boss battle theme from Shadow Hearts II! (I think it’s called Hardcore to the Brain?) I actually never played that thing, but I watched my sister (who’s super fond of the game!) for like 90% of the plot I think.

…Would you believe that this a selectionI… I’ll better not go into movie soundtracks*faints*

…Uhm, do anime songs count lol

[mebwalker]

Psyche entering Cupid’s Garden by John William Waterhouse, 1903 (WikiArt.org)

ACT FOUR

Act Four, Scene Four PSYCHE AND THE RIVER GOD

After Cupid tells Psyche that he is the god of Love, he disappears. So does the garden, a garden reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. Psyche is suddenly alone on the shores of a large river experiencing the worst of pains: happiness lost. Psyché’s former happiness is conditioned by memory. Happiness lost does not differ much from Paradise Lost. It could be that happiness lost is conditioned by memory. It is greater happiness than happiness as it happens.

1555 J’aimais un Dieu, j’en étais adorée,/ Mon bonheur redoublait de moment en moment, Et je me vois seule, éplorée, Au milieu d’un désert, où pour accablement, Et confuse, et désespérée,/ 1560 Je sens croître l’amour, quand j’ai perdu l’amant. Psyché (IV. iv, p. 57) [I loved a god; was beloved by him; my happiness redoubled at every moment; and now behold me, alone, bewailing, in the midst of a desert, where, to increase my pain, when shame and despair are upon me, I feel my love increasing now that I have lost the lover.] Psyche (IV. 4)

In Psyché, happiness lost is also conditioned by guilt. Asking Cupid to reveal his identity was a transgression. Cupid had changed his appearance so he would not seem a god to Psyche:

Aussi, ne veux-je pas qu’on puisse me connaître, Je ne veux à Psyché découvrir que mon cœur,/ 940 Rien que les beaux transports de cette vive ardeur/ Que ses doux charmes y font naître; /Et pour en exprimer l’amoureuse langueur, /Et cacher ce que je puis être /Aux yeux qui m’imposent des lois, 945 /J’ai pris la forme que tu vois. l’Amour à Zéphir (III. i, p. 37) [‘Tis because I do not wish to be known to Psyche. ‘Tis my heart, my heart alone, I wish to unfold; nothing more than the sweet raptures of this keen passion, which her charms excite within it. To express its gentle pining, and to hide what may be from those eyes that impose on me their will, I have assumed this form which thou seest.] Cupid to Zephyr (III. 1)

Psyche feels so forlorn that were it not for the River God, she would gladly throw herself into the river. She cannot “sully” his stream, says the River God, nor offend “le Ciel,” Heaven. Moreover, the River God tells her that happiness lost is at times regained.

The River God tells Psyché to flee. He sees Venus approaching, whose anger is umuch greater now that her son Cupid, a lesser god and a mere child, did not kill Psyché, but fell in love with her.

1584 Ton trépas souillerait mes ondes, 1585 Psyché, le Ciel te le défend, Et peut-être qu’après des douleurs si profondes/ Un autre sort t’attend./ Fuis plutôt de Vénus l’implacable colère:/ Je la vois qui te cherche et qui te veut punir, 1590 L’amour du fils a fait la haine de la mère,/ Fuis, je saurai la retenir. le Dieu du fleuve (IV. iv, p. 58) [Thy death would sully my stream, Psyche. Heaven forbids it. Perhaps after such heavy sorrows, another fate awaits thee. Rather flee Venus’ implacable anger. I see her seeking thee in order to punish thee; the son’s love has excited the mother’s hatred. Flee! I will detain her.] The River God (IV. 4)

Psyché et le Dieu du fleuve par Edmond Hédouin (théâtre-documentation.com)

But Psyché does not fear Venus. She has the beauty of a goddess, but such was not her wish. Her beauty was a gift to the king, her father. However, a mortal cannot be divinely beautiful. It appears gods themselves usurped Venus’ supremacy, endangering Psyche. As for Cupid, he is a lesser God than Venus who is a lesser god than Jupiter. When Psyche nearly dies, he is powerless. There is a hierarchy among gods, so Jupiter, the greater, will therefore be a deus ex machina, in a play that owes much of its immense success to stage machinery. Psyché is a pièce à machines.

J’attends ses fureurs vengeresses./ Qu’auront-elles pour moi qui ne me soit trop doux?/ Qui cherche le trépas, ne craint Dieux, ni Déesses,/ 1595 Et peut braver tout leur courroux. Psyche (IV. iv, p. 58) [I shall await her avenging wrath! What can it have that will not be too pleasant for me? Whoever seeks death dreads no gods or goddesses, but can defy all their darts.] Psyche (IV. 4)

Enters Venus.

Orgueilleuse Psyché, vous m’osez donc attendre,/ Après m’avoir sur terre enlevé mes honneurs,/ Après que vos traits suborneurs/ Ont reçu les encens qu’aux miens seuls on doit rendre?/ 1600 J’ai vu mes temples désertés,/ J’ai vu tous les mortels séduits par vos beautés/ Idolâtrer en vous la beauté souveraine,/ Vous offrir des respects jusqu’alors inconnus,/ Et ne se mettre pas en peine/ 1605 S’il était une autre Vénus: Et je vous vois encor l’audace/ De n’en pas redouter les justes châtiments,/ Et de me regarder en face,/ Comme si c’était peu que mes ressentiments. Vénus à Psyché (IV. v, p. 59) [Insolent Psyche, you dare then to await my arrival after you have deprived me on earth of my honours, after your seducing charms have received the incense which is due to mine alone? I have seen my shrines forsaken, I have seen all the world, enslaved by your charms, idolise you as the sovereign beauty, offer to you a homage until then unknown, and not stay to consider whether there was another Venus at all; notwithstanding this, I see you bold enough not to dread the punishment your crime justly deserves, and to meet my gaze as if my resentment were but little matter.] Venus to Psyche (IV. 5)

Reading from Molière by Jean-François de Troy (Paris 1679 – Rome 1752) c. 1728 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

ACT FIVE

Scène première (First Scene) PSYCHE

In Act Five, Scene One, Psyche has been enslaved by Venus, but accepts her plight because she asked Cupid to reveal his identity. Her sister had instilled fear, and fear is powerful. Yet, if she learned that Cupid’s anger had not relented, to grief could surpass her. Would, however, that she could see him and know that he feels pity for her.

Si son courroux durait encore,/ Jamais aucun malheur n’approcherait du mien:/ Mais s’il avait pitié d’une âme qui l’adore,/ Quoi qu’il fallût souffrir, je ne souffrirais rien./ Oui, Destins, s’il calmait cette juste colère,/ 1695 Tous mes malheurs seraient finis:/ Pour me rendre insensible aux fureurs de la mère,/ Il ne faut qu’un regard du fils. Psyche (V. i, p. 62) [If his anger lasted still, no anguish could equal mine; but if he felt any pity for a soul that worships him, however great the sufferings to which I am condemned, I should feel them not. Yea, thou mighty destiny, if he would but stay his wrath, all my sorrows would be at an end. Ah! a mere look from the son suffices to make me insensible to the mother’s fury.] Psyche (V. 1)

Act Five, Scene Two PSYCHÉ, CLÉOMÈNE, AGÉNOR.

In Act Five, Scene Two, Psyche sees her former lovers. They are ghosts. But they nevertheless live in a forest, where they are alive because love caused their death. But Cupid (l’Amour) is punishing her sisters.

Ces ministres ailés de son juste courroux,/ Sous couleur de les rendre encore auprès de vous,/ 1785 Ont plongé l’une et l’autre au fond d’un précipice,/ Où le spectacle affreux de leurs corps déchirés/ N’étale que le moindre et le premier supplice/ De ces conseils dont l’artifice/ Fait les maux dont vous soupirez. Agénor à Psyché (V. ii, p. 65) [Those winged ministers of his just wrath, under pretence of restoring them again to you, cast them both to the bottom of a precipice, where the hideous spectacle of their mangled bodies displays but the first and least torture for that stratagem the cunning of which was the cause of the ills you now endure.] Agénor to Psyche (V. 2)

Psyche and Charon by John Roddam Spencer Stanhope, 1883 (WikiArt.org)

Proserpina by Dante Gabriel Rosetti

Psyche and Charon by John Roder Stanhdam Spencope, 1883 (WikiArt.org) Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874 (Tate, Britain)

Psyche Opening the Golden Box by John William Waterhouse (Wikipedia)

Act Five, Scene Three PSYCHÉ

Psyche feels sorry for her lovers and her sisters. But her own suffering is about to end. She has been sent to the underworld to fetch beauty for Venus. Proserpine has put it in a gold box. Psyche thinks punitive tasks have tarnished her beauty. So, she opens the box to take a little and the vapours it contains make her faint.

Act Five, Scene Four AMOUR, PSYCHÉ

Amour flies down and fears she may be dying. His mother arrives but will not revive Psyche unless Cupid marry a spouse Vénus has chosen. insisting that she choose a spouse for him. This he will not accept.

Act Five, Scene Five AMOUR, PSYCHÉ, VENUS,

Vénus refuses to save Psyché, which Cupid cannot do. He is a god, but a lesser god.

Votre Psyché : son âme va partir,/ Voyez, et si la vôtre en est encore éprise,/ Recevez son dernier soupir./ Menacez, bravez-moi, cependant qu’elle expire: 1925 /Tant d’insolence vous sied bien, /Et je dois endurer, quoi qu’il vous plaise dire, /Moi qui sans vos traits ne puis rien. Vénus à l’Amour (V. iv, p. 69) See! her soul is even now departing; and if thine is still smitten, receive now her last breath. Threaten and brave me if thou wilt, but she must die. So much insolence suits thee well; and I must needs bow to all it pleases thee to say, I, who can do nothing without thy darts. Venus to Cupid (V. 5)

Rendez-moi ma Psyché, rendez-lui tous ses charmes,/ Rendez-la, Déesse, à mes larmes/ Rendez à mon amour, rendez à ma douleur/ Le charme de mes yeux, et le choix de mon cœur. L’Amour à Vénus (V. v. p. 69) Give me back my Psyche, restore to her all her charms, surrender her to my tears, to my love, to my grief; for she is my eyes’ delight, my heart’s happiness Cupid to Venus (V. 5)    

Acte Five, Scene Six PSYCHÉ, VENUS, JUPITER

Jupiter descends. Cupid tells him that he will no longer be the god of Love unless Psyche is returned to him. Jupiter asks Venus to be less severe.

Ma fille, sois-lui moins sévère. Tu tiens de sa Psyché le destin en tes mains[.] Jupiter (V. vi, p. 72) My daughter, show thyself less severe towards him; his Psyche’s destiny is even now in thy hands. Jupiter (V. 6)

She forgives her son but will not allow him to be married to a mere mortal.

Je pardonne à ce fils rebelle; Mais voulez-vous qu’il me soit reproché/ Qu’une misérable mortelle,/ 2010 L’objet de mon courroux, l’orgueilleuse Psyché,/ Sous ombre qu’elle est un peu belle,/ Par un hymen dont je rougis,/ Souille mon alliance, et le lit de mon fils? Vénus à tous (V. vi, p. 72 ) I forgive this rebel son. Yet would you have me submit to the reproach that a contemptible mortal, the object of my wrath, proud Psyche, because she displays some charms, has defiled my alliance and my son’s couch? Venus to all (V. 6)

Jupiter therefore transforms Psyche into a goddess. She will be immortal.

Hé bien, je la fais immortelle,/ 2015 Afin d’y rendre tout égal. Jupiter (V. scd, p. 72)  Well, then, I make her immortal, so that all shall be equal. Jupiter (V. 6)

Conclusion

Cupid, a god, will be married to Psyche, a goddess. Psyche’s divine beauty clashed with her mortal self. That has been resolved. Psyche’s beauty remains divine, but eternally so, as befits a goddess. In Greco–Roman mythology, such a metamorphosis is acceptable. The Tale of Cupid and Psyche is Roman. It is the third of seven tales or “digressions,” told in Apuleius’ Golden Ass. In short, Psyche is not defying God. She did not defy Venus. 

Molière modified the Tale of Cupid and Psyche. For instance, his Psyché is not asked to take a lamp in order to tell whether Cupid is a serpent, dropping hot oil and awakening Cupid (see Sources and Resources). However, despite modifications, Molière is retelling Apuleius’ Tale of Cupid and Psyche, a metamorphosis. Psyché differs from other comedies in that the young couple could not marry without the intervention of a deus ex machina who is a god, Jupiter himself, the chief deity of Roman mythology, but his intervention could not please Venus unless her son’s spouse is immortal. So, Jupiter’s only recourse is to bestow immortality unto Psyche, to Venus’ immediate relief and the young couple everlasting happiness.  Our dénouement is an apotheosis. 

RELATED ARTICLES

Apuleius’ “Cupid and Psyche” (4 August 2013)

A Reading of Molière “Psyché” (Part Two)  (12 September 2019)

Psyché, varia (7 September 2019)

A Reading of Molière’s “Psyché” (Part One) (6 September 2019)

Sources and Resources

Psyché is a toutmoliere.net publication

Psyché is Gutenberg’s [EBook # 7444]

http://www.maicar.com/GML/Psyche.html

Love to everyone 💕

Jean Baptiste Lully – Psyché  “Chantons les plaisirs charmants” (V. 3)

Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss by Antonio Canova (Google)

© Micheline Walker 14 September 2019 WordPress

A Reading of Molière’s “Psyché” (Part Three) ACT FOUR Act Four, Scene Four PSYCHE AND THE RIVER GOD After Cupid tells Psyche that he is the god of Love, he disappears.

[mindthump]

Destiny 2 is a test: Can Bungie live up to its promises? http://ift.tt/2qEskNl

Bungie made promises for Destiny that went unfulfilled for years, and clearly wants to avoid a repetition with Destiny 2.

Thursday’s gameplay reveal for Destiny 2 shared more than footage of updated graphics, fresh abilities, and new weapons meant to make the Destiny devoted drool. Bungie delivered a full-on preview that would have felt right at home at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (the big game trade show in L.A. each June), and showcased that the studio is attempting to avoid the mistakes it made on Destiny 1. Increased access to endgame content, making sure players have enough content to keep them busy, and a gripping story are Bungie’s priorities.

But not everything promised at an E3-style press conference is actually delivered when the game ships. Here’s what we hope Bungie delivers on, and where we still have room for concern.

Above: Ikora, Cayde-6, and Zavala (left to right) are the stars of Destiny 2.

What’s encouraging

Destiny 2 will try to address lack of access to endgame content

When Destiny players are finished with the campaign, and when they’re achieved mastery over the standard player-versus-player Crucible modes, they have three options for fresh challenges.

Raids are six-player activities that require precision shooting, puzzle-solving, and acrobatic prowess. Nightfall missions are punishing versions of regular story quests. The Trials of Osiris is a weekly multiplayer tournament that leaves little room for error. Destiny players need skilled, dependable partners for all three, and that’s not always an easy task.

When Destiny players don’t have enough friends online for Raids, or the Nightfall, or Trials, they often turn to websites like DestinyLFG or The100 to find partners. Use of either site is tantamount to rolling the dice and hoping a team doesn’t pull a player that isn’t experienced enough to be of any use, or who doesn’t have the requisite gear to keep up with everyone else.

Or a jerk who makes racist, sexist, or homophobic comments. Or someone that refuses to listen to directions and insists that they know a better way to do things.

To address this issue, Bungie has created a feature for Destiny 2 called Guided Games. Destiny Clans will now be able to advertise themselves in-game, rather than having to post Clan pages to Bungie.net. The Guided Games feature will enable players to look through lists of Clans, find one that looks attractive, and offer to play Destiny with the Clan’s members. Clans, in turn, can advertise an open slot on a Raid or Nightfall or Trials team, and pick up a new player to fill the group. The Guided Games feature could remove a major roadblock to players’ capability to enjoy Destiny’s satisfying endgame activities.

Above: Destiny 2 will feature new matchmaking systems to help players find one another.

Patrol maps might become key sources of content

Unlike most first person shooters, Destiny features large, open maps as well as more traditional story missions with a beginning and an end. When Destiny players go on Patrol missions, they have the freedom to go where they live, and choose from an array of different activities that usually don’t take very long to complete.

The problem with Patrols in Destiny is that they grew stale. The available missions are repetitive, and players who’ve finished the story and made headway into the endgame may have no reason to bother with Patrols anymore, which removes a large chunk of Destiny’s content from rotation.

Bungie announced even larger maps for Destiny 2 and a collection of new activities for players on Patrol, like “adventures” that sound similar to traditional MMO quests doled out by characters you meet on the open maps. Bungie described “Lost Sectors” as something akin to dungeons in fantasy-type MMOs, discrete areas with a boss character to defeat and loot to earn. It would be nice if Patrol missions remained a fun, viable option for all Destiny players even when they’ve advanced into the challenging endgame activities.

Destiny 2 begins with strong characters 

The biggest disappointment with Destiny is the lack of an adequate story. The narrative in Destiny is a throwaway tale that felt divorced from the rest of the game. It was unmemorable, and certainly not up to snuff with the tales told by Bungie in the Halo series.

Destiny 2 focuses its story on three characters that are voiced by Hollywood talent, and who Destiny players have come to love over the past three years. Cayde-6, Ikora Rey, and Commander Zavala, played by Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle), Gina Torres (Firefly, Suits), and Lance Reddick (The Wire, Fringe) respectively are the tentpoles on which the campaign in Destiny 2 is hung. When the Last City is destroyed by the evil Cabal, Cayde, Ikora, and Zavala are scattered, and the player’s mission is to find and bring home our three heroes.

Because Cayde, Ikora, and Zavala are characters with whom Destiny players have established relationships, Destiny fans will have more motivation as characters in the narrative themselves, which should provide a forward momentum and sense of direction that Destiny campaign lacked.

Above: Destiny 2 players will face off against old enemies, on new worlds.

What’s worrisome

Only one Raid

There was a wide disparity between the quality of the Raids in Destiny. The Vault of Glass was an eerie challenge for which players had not been prepared by the campaign. Platforming, puzzle-solving, and extreme team coordination were new aspects of the Destiny experience for players who tackled the Vault, and it was amazing.

Crota’s End, the second raid, was too easy to beat. King’s Fall, the third raid, was akin to the Vault, a foreboding adventure with satisfying puzzles and challenging platforming sections. The fourth and final Raid, Wrath of the Machine, was better than Crota’s End but still not very exciting.

The point is that Raids are difficult to construct, and so it’s understandable that Bungie hasn’t had time to devise more than one Raid for the release of Destiny 2. But the danger here is a repeat of what happened with the Vault in Destiny until Crota’s End was released, running the same Raid over and over again for lack of a second Raid to challenge players.

No details on how Guided Games work

It is entirely possible that rather than solving the problem of lack of access to endgame content, the Guided Games feature could simply drag the same sort of risks involved in using DestinyLFG or The100 and put them into Destiny, rather than keeping them outside the game.

We really need to hear some details as to how Guided Games works, and how it will solve these problems, before believing that Bungie really has a handle on this issue. It’s just as likely that MMOs and FPS games simply do not mix well in some cases, and that problems forming groups for Raids in particular are an inevitable consequence of this unlikely blend of genres.

Above: Destiny 2 will be released on PC as well as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Who knows where players will go?

Image Credit: Bungie

A PC release may splinter the audience

I play on both PCs and consoles, and now I’m faced with an uncomfortable choice that Destiny didn’t force me to make: which direction do I go in?

The chief concern here is visual fidelity. PCs can kick the crap out of consoles where visuals are concerned, and the Destiny 2 gameplay footage shown Thursday was beautiful. Bungie has a real gift for creating artistic, vivid visuals, and they’re going to shine on a souped-up gaming rig much brighter than on the PlayStation 4 Pro, or the standard Xbox One.

And then there’s always the mouse-and-keyboard versus control pad debate that PC and console gamers love to indulge in. When highly competitive multiplayer activities like Trials of Osiris demand the pinpoint precision of rapid headshots, the sensitivity of a mouse could be a huge draw for Destiny players that have the option to migrate from the console versions.

Considering that only 50 percent of Destiny players finished a Raid, according to Bungie’s presentation on Thursday, splintering the player base across three platforms instead of two might make it more difficult for players to find groups for Raids, even with the new Guided Games feature.

Destiny 2 could be as many steps back as steps forward for the franchise

Bungie’s Destiny 2 reveal showed off improvements that seem to address key complaints players had with the first, but until we have a chance to run through the story, explore the new, open worlds, and try to find Raid partners, they’re all promises that Bungie may or may not be able to deliver on the day Destiny 2 launches.

As a Destiny player with around 2,000 hours sunk into the game, I’m willing to be patient with any early missteps with the sequel. My concern is the friends who tried Destiny, bailed out early, and never came back. I had to use DestinyLFG and The100 for months before I finally found an endgame Clan, after which Destiny became an entirely different experience.

I’d like to be confident that Destiny 2 will have a much smoother launch, and that Bungie will have solved the first game’s looming issues. So far I’m optimistic, because Thursday’s presentation showed that Bungie really does understand what it did wrong with Destiny.

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