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nitrateglow · 4 years ago

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Favorite films discovered in 2020

Well, this year sucked. I did see some good movies though. Some even made after I was born!

Perfect Blue (dir. Satoshi Kon, 1997)

I watch a lot of thrillers and horror movies, but precious few actually unsettle me in any lasting way. This cannot be said of Perfect Blue, which gave me one of the most visceral cinematic experiences of my life. Beyond the brief flashes of bloodletting (you will never look at a screwdriver the same way again), the scariest thing about Perfect Blue might be how the protagonist has both her life and her sense of self threatened by the villains. The movie’s prescience regarding public persona is also incredibly eerie, especially in our age of social media. While anime is seen as a very niche interest (albeit one that has become more mainstream in recent years), I would highly recommend this movie to thriller fans, whether they typically watch anime or not. It’s right up there with the best of Hitchcock or De Palma.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (dir. Sergio Leone, 1966)

Nothing is better than when an iconic movie lives up to the hype. Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef play off of one another perfectly. I was impressed by Wallach as Tuco in particular: his character initially seems like a one-dimensional greedy criminal, but the performance is packed with wonderful moments of humanity. Do I really need to say anything about the direction? Or about the wonderful storyline, which takes on an almost mythic feel in its grandeur? Or that soundtrack?

Die Niebelungen (both movies) (dir. Fritz Lang, 1924)

I did NOT expect to love these movies as much as I did. That they would be dazzlingly gorgeous I never doubted: the medieval world of the story is brought to vivid life through the geometrical mise en scene and detailed costuming. However, the plot itself is so, so riveting, never losing steam over the course of the four hours it takes to watch both movies. The first half is heroic fantasy; the second half involves a revenge plot of almost Shakespearean proportions. This might actually be my favorite silent Fritz Lang movie now.

Muppet Treasure Island (dir. Brian Henson, 1996)

I understand that people have different tastes and all, but how does this movie have such a mixed reception? It’s absolutely hilarious. How could anybody get through the scene with “THA BLACK SPOT AGGHHHHHHH” and not declare this a masterpiece of comedy? And I risk being excommunicated from the Muppet fandom for saying it, but I like this one more than The Great Muppet Caper. It’s probably now my second favorite Muppet movie.

Belle de Jour (dir. Luis Bunuel, 1967)

I confess I’m not terribly fond of “but was it real???” movies. They tend to feel gimmicky more often than not. Belle de Jour is an exception. This is about more than a repressed housewife getting her kicks working as a daytime prostitute. The film delves into victim blaming, trauma, class, and identity-- sure, this sounds academic and dry when I put it that way, but what I’m trying to say is that these are very complicated characters and the blurring of fantasy and reality becomes thought-provoking rather than trite due to that complexity.

Secondhand Lions (dir. Tim McCanlies, 2003)

The term “family movie” is often used as a synonym for “children’s movie.” However, there is an important distinction: children’s movies only appeal to kids, while family movies retain their appeal as one grows up. Secondhand Lions is perhaps a perfect family movie, with a great deal more nuance than one might expect regarding the need for storytelling and its purpose in creating meaning for one’s life. It’s also amazingly cast: Haley Joel Osment is excellent as the juvenile lead, and Michael Caine and Robert Duvall steal the show as Osment’s eccentric uncles.

The Pawnbroker (dir. Sidney Lumet, 1964)

Controversial in its day for depicting frontal nudity, The Pawnbroker shocks today for different reasons. As the top review of the film on IMDB says, we’re used to victims of great atrocities being presented as sympathetic, good people in fiction. Here, Rod Steiger’s Sol Nazerman subverts such a trope: his suffering at the hands of the Nazis has made him a hard, closed-off person, dismissive of his second wife (herself also a survivor of the Holocaust), cold to his friendly assistant, and bitter towards himself. The movie follows Nazerman’s postwar life, vividly presenting his inner pain in a way that is almost too much to bear. Gotta say, Steiger gives one of the best performances I have ever seen in a movie here: he’s so three-dimensional and complex. The emotions on his face are registered with Falconetti-level brilliance.

The Apartment (dir. Billy Wilder, 1960)

While not the most depressing Christmas movie ever, The Apartment certainly puts a good injection of cynicism into the season. I have rarely seen a movie so adept at blending comedy, romance, and satire without feeling tone-deaf. There are a lot of things to praise about The Apartment, but I want to give a special shoutout to the dialogue. “Witty” dialogue that sounds natural is hard to come by-- so often, it just feels smart-assy and strained. Not here.

Anatomy of a Murder (dir. Otto Preminger, 1959)

I’m not big into courtroom dramas, but Anatomy of a Murder is a big exception. Its morally ambiguous characters elevate it from being a mere “whodunit” (or I guess in the case of this movie, “whydunit”), because if there’s something you’re not going to get with this movie, it’s a clear answer as to what happened on the night of the crime. Jimmy Stewart gives one of his least characteristic performances as the cynical lawyer, and is absolutely brilliant.

Oldboy (dir. Park Chan-Wook, 2003)

Oldboy reminded me a great deal of John Webster’s 17th century tragedy The Duchess of Malfi. Both are gruesome, frightening, and heartbreaking works of art, straddling the line between sensationalism and intelligence, proving the two are not mutually exclusive. It’s both entertaining and difficult to watch. The thought of revisiting it terrifies me but I feel there is so much more to appreciate about the sheer craft on display.

Family Plot (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1976)

Family Plot is an enjoyable comedy; you guys are just mean. I know in an ideal world, Hitchcock’s swan song would be a great thriller masterpiece in the vein of Vertigo or Psycho. Family Plot is instead a silly send-up of Hitchcock’s favorite tropes, lampooning everything from the dangerous blonde archetype (with not one but two characters) to complicated MacGuffin plots. You’ll probably demand my film buff card be revoked for my opinion, but to hell with it-- this is my favorite of Hitchcock’s post-Psycho movies.

My Best Girl (dir. Sam Taylor, 1927)

Mary Pickford’s farewell to silent film also happens to be among her best movies. It’s a simple, charming romantic comedy starring her future husband, Charles “Buddy” Rogers. Pickford also gets to play an adult character here, rather than the little girl parts her public demanded she essay even well into her thirties. She and Rogers are sweet together without being diabetes-inducing, and the comedy is often laugh out loud funny. It even mocks a few tropes that anyone who watches enough old movies will recognize and probably dislike-- such as “break his heart to save him!!” (my personal most loathed 1920s/1930s trope).

Parasite (dir. Bong Joon-ho, 2019)

This feels like such a zeitgeist movie. It’s about the gap between the rich and the poor, it’s ironic, it’s depressing, it’s unpredictable as hell. I don’t like terms like “modern classic,” because by its very definition, a classic can only be deemed as such after a long passage of time, but I have a good feeling Parasite will be considered one of the definitive films of the 2010s in the years to come.

Indiscreet (dir. Stanley Donen, 1958)

Indiscreet often gets criticized for not being Notorious more or less, which is a shame. It’s not SUPPOSED to be-- it’s cinematic souffle and both Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant elevate that light material with their perfect chemistry and comedic timing. It’s also refreshing to see a rom-com with characters over 40 as the leads-- and the movie does not try to make them seem younger or less mature, making the zany moments all the more hilarious. It’s worth seeing for Cary Grant’s jig (picture above) alone.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (dir. Joseph Sargent, 1974)

This movie embodies so much of what I love about 70s cinema: it’s gritty, irreverent, and hard-hitting. It’s both hilarious and suspenseful-- I was tense all throughout the run time. I heard there was a remake and it just seems... so, so pointless when you already have this gem perfect as it is.

They All Laughed (dir. Peter Bogdonavich, 1981)

Bogdonavich’s lesser known homage to 1930s screwball comedy is also a weirdly autumnal movie. Among the last gasps of the New Hollywood movement, it is also marks the final time Audrey Hepburn would star in a theatrical release. The gentle comedy, excellent ensemble cast (John Ritter is the standout), and the mature but short-lived romance between Hepburn and Ben Gazarra’s characters make this a memorably bittersweet gem.

The Palm Beach Story (dir. Preston Sturges, 1942)

Absolutely hilarious. I was watching this with my parents in the room. My mom tends to like old movies while my dad doesn’t, but both of them were laughing aloud at this one. Not much else to say about it, other than I love Joel McCrea the more movies I see him in-- though it’s weird seeing him in comedies since I’m so used to him as a back-breaking man on the edge in The Most Dangerous Game!

Nothing Sacred (dir. William Wellman, 1937)

I tend to associate William Wellman with the pre-code era, so I’ve tried delving more into his post-code work. Nothing Sacred is easily my favorite of those films thus far, mainly for Carole Lombard but also because the story still feels pretty fresh due to the jabs it takes at celebrity worship and moral hypocrisy. For a satire, it’s still very warm towards its characters, even when they’re misbehaving or deluding themselves, so it’s oddly a feel-good film too.

Applause (dir. Rouben Mamoulian, 1929)

I love watching early sound movies, but my inner history nerd tends to enjoy them more than the part of me that, well, craves good, well-made movies. Most early sound films are pure awkward, but there’s always an exception and Applause is one of them. While the plot’s backstage melodrama is nothing special, the way the story is told is super sophisticated and expressive for this period of cinema history, and Helen Morgan makes the figure of the discarded burlesque queen seem truly human and tragic rather than merely sentimental.

Topaz (dir. Alfred Hitchcock, 1969)

Another late Hitchcock everyone but me seems to hate. After suffering through Torn Curtain, I expected Hitchcock’s other cold war thriller was going to be dull as dishwater, but instead I found an understated espionage movie standing in stark contrast to the more popular spy movies of the period. It’ll never be top Hitchcock, of course-- still it was stylish and enjoyable, with some truly haunting moments. I think it deserves more appreciation than it’s been given.

What were your favorite cinematic discoveries in 2020?

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davidmann95 · 4 years ago

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now that it's over, thoughts on Bendis' Superman as a whole?

pretenderoftheeast said: So, thoughts on Bendis' Superman and Action Comics' tenure altogether and separately now that it's over?

Anonymous said: Best and Worst things about Bendis' Superman run

Anonymous said: Now that it is over, what are your thoughts on Bendis' runs on Superman and Action Comics as a whole?

Anonymous said: Retrospective thoughts on Bendis' Superman as a whole now that it's, I guess, done?

Anonymous said: Hey so since Bendis’ Superman stuff seems to be done, what did you think of the run as a whole?

I decided to hold off a bit on writing on this one, if only so that I could reread the Action Comics side of it since Superman stood out in my memory a lot more. But now I have, and as we’re heading into a bold new era of Superman (and it’s coming in fast - just since I made my Superman in 2021 predictions we’ve gotten Ed Pinsent finally reprinting his legendary bootleg Silver Age Superman, Steve Orlando announcing his Superman analogue book Project Patron, an official shonen Superman redesign for RWBY/Justice League, PKJ’s Super-debut turning out far better than I ever expected, Superman & Lois’s first proper trailer largely taking people pleasantly by surprise, and my learning that there’s a Sylvester Stallone Old Man Superman analogue movie titled Samaritan coming out this summer) we’re ready to take a look back with at least a touch of perspective. I’ll lead with complaints, so everybody who’s been waiting for me to say that Bendis on Superman was Bad, Actually, savor this because it’s as close as you’ll get.

The Bad

* I hate to say it, but rereading that side of the run there’s no two ways about it: the structure of Action Comics as a whole is a mess. It baffled me from day one that it was the more acclaimed of the two books for so long - I guess people are hardwired at this point to think of ‘street’ stuff as where Bendis is supposed to be - because it was immediately clear that Superman had a well-defined story he wanted to tell, while Action was the usual Bendis off-the-cuff improvisation. It’s barely even a story in the same way, and it’s certainly not the ‘Metropolis crime book’ people took it as: it’s 28 issues of Superman and his supporting cast stuffed a pinball machine with the Red Cloud pinging off of each other as we wait to see who falls in the hole at the bottom, and partway through Leviathan and the Legion of Doom and 90s Superboy are tossed into the mix to keep it going a little longer. On an issue-to-issue basis it’s frequently really good, but the core plot of the book is *maybe* six issues stretched out over two and a half years.

* I’ve gone into this some before, but structure-wise Unity Saga also has problems: Phantom Planet rules but either it needed to be cut or the back half needed to be a year all its own in order to accommodate the scale of what it’s attempting. It’s got an interstellar civil war leading into the formation of the United Planets, family drama, Rogol Zaar’s whole deal, and Jon’s coming of age, and I’d say only that last one is really properly served. Even Jon forming the United Planets, while contextually somewhat justified in terms of 1. The situation being so far gone he’s the only one who’d even think in those terms, 2. Things being bad enough that these assorted galactic powers would be willing to try it, and 3. Him having the S on his chest to sell it, isn’t at all built up to within the run itself.

* Rogol Zaar sucks. He’s made up of nothing but interesting ideas - he’s an ersatz warrior ‘superman’ of a bygone age of empires up against the new model, he’s the sins of Krypton as a conservative superpower come home to roost, he’s while not outright said to be definitely Superman’s tragic half-brother and the culmination of everything this run does with Jor-El - but none of them manifest on the page, he’s just a big punchy dude with a dumb design who screams about how you should take him seriously because he’s totally the one who blew up Krypton. Even a killer redesign by Ryan Sook for Legion of Superheroes can’t fix that. There are lots of bad villains with good ideas who are redeemed with time and further effort, but I can’t imagine Zaar getting that TLC to become a fraction of whatever Bendis envisioned him as.

* The second year of Action Comics, after establishing itself in its first as one of the most consistently gorgeous books on the stands, leads with Szymon Kudranski’s weak output and then concludes with John Romita Jr. turning in some career-worst work. The latter is particularly egregious because for that first year Bendis writes a really collected, gentle Superman so him getting pushed into being more aggressive should have an impact, but Romita draws such a craggy rough-looking Superman in the first place that it mutes any sort of shock value.

* WE NEVER LEARN WHAT’S UP WITH LEONE’S CAR, WHAT THE HELL. You don’t just DROP THAT IN THERE and then NEVER FOLLOW UP.

The Good

* Superman got his real clothes back after 7 truly ridiculous years.

* Bendis fundamentally gets Clark’s voice in a way unlike almost any other writer - even all-around better writers of the character almost never approach how spot-on he is with having Superman speak and act exactly how Superman should.

* Supporting cast front and center! He writes a dynamite Lois, Perry, and Jimmy (even if many of Lois’s more out-there decisions in the run don’t end up retroactively justified the way you’d hope), Ma and Pa are more fun than they’ve been in decades in their brief appearances, he manages to turn having Jor-El in the mix into a positive, and the Daily Planet as a whole has an incredibly distinctive vibe to it like never before that I hope is taken as a baseline going forward.

* The non-Rogol Zaar baddies? All ruled. Invisible Mafia and Red Cloud are both brilliant ideas executed solidly if overextended. Zod as Kryptonian Vegeta, Mongul as a generational perpetual bastard engine primed to be incapable of self-reflection, and Ultraman as “what if Irredeemable but he’d never been a good guy and also he was a Jersey mobster” are the best versions of those characters by numberless light-eons. Lex is on-point in his sparse appearances. Xanadoth as a mystical cosmic monster older than time who still talks like a Bendis character is however unintentionally a hoot. The alt-universe Parasite is a more intimidating Doomsday than Doomsday ever was. And Synmar as an alien culture’s attempt at creating their own Superman and messing up the formula when they make him a soldier can and should be a legitimate major ongoing villain coming out of this run.

* Pretty much all the art other than what I mentioned already. Fabok does a good job bookending The Man of Steel and Ivan Reis does the work of his career anchoring Superman (special props to Reis as well for drawing the first ever non-Steve Rude interesting-looking take on Metropolis), and meanwhile you’ve got Jim Lee, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez, Doc Shaner, Steve Rude, Kevin Maguire, Adam Hughes, Patrick Gleason, Yanick Paquette, Ryan Sook, Brandon Peterson, and David Lafuente doing their own parts.

* Closely related to the art, all the little flourishes with the powers. Super-speed having a consistent visual with the background coloring changing, Clark internally putting numbers to the degrees of force behind his punches and what situations which numbers are appropriate for, ‘skidding to a halt’ mid-flight before crashing through a window, the shonen-ass major throwdowns as portrayed by Reis, how his super-hearing is handled as a prevalent element. Lots of clever bits that added flavor to what he does.

* While Unity Saga has problems, the whole of what Bendis does in Superman as a means of forward momentum for Clark and his world is excellent. The sort of three-act structure of:

** Clark is led to question his place in things over the course of a few adventures

** Involvement in the larger cosmos and the impact it has had through and on his family makes him realize the answer to his questions is that he needs to step up in a bigger way because there’s no benevolent larger universe to welcome Earth with open arms, nor a cosmic precedent for everything turning out for the best without some help

** As a consequence of the lessons learned by this change in the status quo Clark is inspired to make his own personal change in revealing his identity (with Mythological basically being an epilogue showcasing a ‘standard’ standalone Superman adventure while simultaneously highlighting his new status quo and how it fits in as a summing-up of Bendis’s take)

…does a great job of shepherding through ideas that lend a lot of forward momentum to Superman of the kind he hasn’t seen in a long time. Not perfect, but far lesser stories with far lesser ambitions have made huge impacts, so I’d certainly hope at least some of this sticks around even if, say, regardless of any retcons to the main line there are always going to be stories with Clark as a disguise and Jon as a kid. Oh, speaking of whom,

* KISS MY ASS, EVERYTHING WITH JON KENT RULED

Ahem. Probably a less confrontational way of putting that.

Do I think there was more gas in the tank for Jon as a kid? Totally, making him likeable and viable was the one really good thing the Rebirth era accomplished for Superman and I expect we’ll continue seeing more of it in the future one way or another. But whether or not him being aged up was Bendis’s decision, or working with marching orders to set up the eventually-(kinda-)discarded 5G, the coming of age narrative here is fire. He keeps the essential Clark Kent kindness and bit of Lois Lane cheekiness that reminds you he’s still their kid, which is a combination Bendis is basically precision-crafted to write, but his trials by fire give him a background entirely unlike the by-the-numbers “and here’s how Superman’s great kid grew up to be a great superhero too” narrative you’d expect while still arriving at that endpoint. If superheroes live and die by metaphors then Jon in here is what it means to grow up written as large as possible: leaving home for the first time (and seeming to shoot up overnight!), getting into the muck of how the real world works, being beaten down by authority wearing faces you’ve been taught to trust, scrambling to get through with the whole world against you, and in the end getting through by learning to rely on your own strength while keeping your soul intact and your head held high, and even managing to speak some truth to power. It gives him a well-defined life story with room to go back to and explore the intricacies of each leg of for decades to come in a way Superman hasn’t had since the original Crisis - someone someday is going to write a The Life & Times Of The Son Of Superman miniseries and it’s going to be one of the greats - and negates any question that he’s earned his stature as the heir apparent.

* Coming out of this, Superman’s world is fascinating. He’s out but rather than giving up his day-to-day life he’s openly spending part of his life as CLARK KENT: SUPER-REPORTER and part of his job on the cape-and-tights side of things is now KAL-EL: SUPER-SPACE-DIPLOMAT, Lois Lane coruns a foundation helping people whose personal continuities have been fucked over by Crisis shenanigans, Jimmy Olsen owns the Daily Planet but is still doing Jimmy Olsen stuff because that’s how he gets his kicks, and Jon Kent is going to college in the future. I’m not anywhere near naïve enough to think that’s how things are going to be forever, or shortsighted enough to think there’s no value left in the traditional setups, but god I hope these developments stick around for a long, long time to come and potentially become the new ‘normal’ as far as the ongoing shared universe stuff goes, because it all feels like the right and promising next steps to take for the lives of these characters. However it got here, for all the pluses and minuses along the way even if I maintain the former very much outweighed the latter as a reading experience, Bendis has a lot to be proud of if that’s the legacy he leaves on these titles.

* The recap pages at the desks!

#Superman #Brian Bendis #Jon Kent #Opinion

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theroundbartable · 4 years ago

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Dragon Island

“Absolutely not.” Sometimes, Arthur Pendragon was not only a prat, he was a downright Clotpole. Not that Merlin ever failed to mention it.

“Arthur, I am going with you!”

“And what exactly can YOU do against dragons, Merlin? This is THE dragon Island! My father has been searching for this place for over a decade! There are rumors that there will be dragon lord's there as well! Do you even know how many knights have died since the purge started? Since my father fought these monsters and erased them from this part of the world? If we find this Island, we can end this war! But this is too dangerous for a servant. I can not waste my time consoling you, when the sea is making you sick, Merlin. I have battle strategies to discuss.”

Merlin huffed and crossed his arms. They were standing at the shore, far far away from Camelot. Uther Pendragon had a ship army remaining here in position. He regularly send out spies to find the home island of the dragon lords. Not that there were any actual dragon lords with dragon lord powers left. They were wiped out in the war. But their families remained. Those who valued their traditions and taught each other magic. But weren't the first son's and therefore had none of the abilities their kind was so proud of. But magic was another reason to have them wiped out.

About a week ago, one of Uther's spies had found a trace that lead them to an underwater cave. Barely shallow enough to have a narrow boat sail through. They had found runes engraved in the walls. And the spy was pretty ecstatic that this MUST be the entrance to the secret island.

Well... Since Arthur was the only knight known to have actually killed a dragon (which he didn't), his father found it absolutely logical to send his only son and heir on another suicide mission. Into unknown terrain, with unknown enemies and not one dragon, but a whole army of those impossible-to-kill-except-you're-a-dragon-lord creatures.

It was truly perfect. Arthur could finally proof his worth as crown prince.... again. And almost die.... again. Heroically of course. Uther was a genius.

And apparently Arthur was just as smart, because the idiot prince had decided to go on that mission WITHOUT Merlin. The only ACTUAL dragon lord left in the entire known universe. Not that they knew about that.

“Just so you know – I do NOT get sea sick. And I already know how to use the sails and stuff. Will and I often went out with the fisher of our town. Other than you who grew up in a fancy Castle with perfect temperature in every single room and hundreds of servants working for you. You may train, but you have NO idea how to deal with the weather, with the tides. You barely know how to dress yourself!”, as Merlin exclaimed the last part, he could basically feel the steam of anger from Arthur's nostrils flaring at him, while a few knights were snickering behind them.

The knights were, by the way, currently occupied readying the boat.

“Fishing on a boat and Sailing on the open sea is totally different.”, Arthur argued, causing Merlin to roll his eyes and facepalm himself. “Fisher's... sail, Sire.”, he muttered, causing Arthur to frown as if that confused him for some reason.

“I don't care. You cannot stop me. I'll come with you.”, Merlin's expression was final.

“I'm the crown prince of Camelot, Merlin. You have to do what I say.”

“I never listen to what you say. Why would I start now?”

In the end, Gwaine and Leon were ordered to drag Merlin away from the boat. All while Arthur ignored the very obvious argument (provided by Merlin and confirmed by at least two other knights), that he NEEDED Merlin. If as a servant or a navigator or maybe a warning radar for obvious danger that Arthur was certain to ignore. He NEEDED him. So, Merlin would definitely find a way.

“Hey, buddy. I gottcha.”, Gwaine winked at him, while Merlin was still trying to make up a perfect strategy, how he could sneak on the ship. Merlin blinked up at him, while Leon just rolled his eyes and pretended not to listen. “What?”, Merlin asked, confused.

“I got a few barrels of water and wine and stuff for the ride. Leon and I have already prepared an empty one for you. You get in and we'll sneak you on.” Merlin had never wanted to hug Gwaine more. “Thank you!!!!”, he beamed at them. “Wait, Leon? You're IN on the plan? You're not going to rat me out to Arthur, are you?”

Gwaine cackled. “It was HIS idea.”

“Huh?”, Merlin looked at the blond knight in confusion.

Leon was still looking away, as if embarrassed by his treason. “If you're not there, Arthur will focus all his attention on US. And I did not sign up for this.”, he was frowning. As if he was already dreading the following days.

“But... how long have I to stay in the barrel? I mean... If I step out too soon, Arthur will insist to turn around.”

“I can survive five days of Arthur being a whirlwind of emotions. You have FIVE days. Gwaine will sneak you out at night. Lancelot has agreed to help. I can distract Arthur, until you're in. Other than that, I was never involved.”, Leon was grimacing the entire time. He seemed exhausted, as if he had already had five different yet similar arguments today and wanted to throttle someone.

“Wow, thank you Leon.”, Merlin looked at him amazed. But Leon's frown only darkened. “Don't thank him.”, Gwaine whispered. “He originally asked, if we could dress you up like him, so he can stay in Camelot and have a vacation until we're back. You may not get sea sick. But HE does.”

“Why.... And he's still allowed on the ship? Wait, why don't we try that? Doesn't sound like a too bad plan. If Leon's sea sick anyway, people would leave him alone to suffer in silence, right?”

Leon sighed with exasperation. “As if that ever stopped Arthur from discussing battle strategies.”, he made a dramatic pause. “If I don't make it -”, Leon made a sound that reminded Merlin of a creaking door. “It was nice knowing you.”

“Don't be so dramatic, Leon.”, Gwaine rolled his eyes. “Honestly, what's with you? Since Uther announced this mission, you've been nothing but a drama queen.”, he scolded. Leon pouted a little. “I'm being realistic if anythikng. If the sea doesn't drown us, we don't freeze to death or a sudden storm destroys our boat, and we don't get horribly lost in that strange cave and starve to death, then we arrive on an island full of dragons who probably hate Arthur for killing the great Dragon. And being the son of a man who ordered the murder of all dragon kind. Not to mention him indirectly causing the death of the last dragon Lord as well. So we either die, or we die. I'm just planning ahead.”

“So dramatic.”, Gwaine mumbled. But Merlin frowned. Leon got a valid point.

“Be positive. What if we meet a bunch of mermaids?”, Gwaine winked at Leon. Leon frowned even further. “Which kind?” “The hot kind, duh.” “Which is?” Gwaine blinked. “Not this again. You're no fun.”

“No, no, Gwaine. Go ahead. Tell me. Which is the hot kind of mermaid? The Siren one's that lure you in with magic voices and then drown you, so they can rape your dead bodies and make more Sirenbaby's; The manatee's that only start to look appealing when you're so starved and Vitamin C deprived that you start hallucinating right before you pass out and die or the classic one's with boobs and a fish tails that make NO SENSE in their anatomy. Which I will be hearing you complain about for days. When all I want is peace and quiet.”, Leon closed his eyes – yet again- dramatically.

Gwaine was about to open his mouth to counter, when Leon added: “Also, we're knights of Camelot and mermaids are magical creatures. It's your job to kill them, regardless of how hot they seem to you.”

With that, Leon had set Gwaine's brain check mate and left him and Merlin standing there with their mouths comically wide open. Half in shock, half with laughter and amazement. “Holy shit, I think he's finally lost it.”, Gwaine laughed as he watched Leon slump down at the next tree and saying goodbye to the dry unshakable ground.

“Maybe we should ask George to come as well. Or convince Arthur to get him off the ship.”, Merlin muttered. After all, Leon was always a lot calmer when George was around. Maybe because George didn't bully him, did what he was told and was also a good person to be quiet with. George also seemed to prefer Leon as the one ordering him around, because Leon wasn't chatting endlessly. He was precise in his orders and didn't talk around the bush. They got along well. Because they didn't have to get along at all. They had the ultimate work-efficient dynamic. It was horrifying.

“Are you kidding? This will be hilarious.”, Gwaine grinned.

“Don't you think Leon deserves a break?”, Merlin asked, still startled by Leon's obvious irritation. “From work? Yes. From me? NEVER!”, Gwaine winked again. And Merlin already pitied the poor knight.

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

Leon was indeed... sick. The moment the ships left the haven, Leon was slumped over the reeling and holding on for his life. He was suspiciously green in the face and tried to avoid Arthur. Who was continuously ignoring Leon's condition and decided to ask him for how many days they had planned to be on sea. How many weapons they had and discussed whether or not they were actually suitable to kill dragons. And if there was enough food and water and so on and so forth.

He did not realize that the barrel Gwaine had decided to sit on had a few holes in it, that should not be there, were wine in it. Gwaine was chatting with Lancelot and occasionally Merlin, albeit in third person like... “I wonder what Merlin would think of this.”, and then get a hushed answer from underneath him.

The sea was relatively calm for the first three days. And Elyan, who was assigned to steer the ship, had no trouble finding the right path. Arthur seemed content too and left Leon alone on day two.

Leon was hardly eating. And if he ever did, he puked it out ten minutes later. By the third day, he was leaning against the reeling once again. Eyes closed with an obvious headache and ready to drink poison to free him from his misery.

Merlin was still sitting inside the barrel. Except for at night, when Lancelot would let him out, while Gwaine annoyed the prince. It worked surprisingly well. Yet, Merlin was a bit worried. Not necessarily to be found out. That was kind of part of the plan. No... By the way Arthur behaved.

The first two days, it was hardly noticeable. Arthur had focused on talking to Leon. Or Elyan or Gwaine and Lancelot. But after they had run out of conversational topic, Arthur had started to isolate himself. Merlin could see him through the holes of his hiding place. He was often standing at the reeling and staring out towards the horizon. He was eerily quiet. And appeared to be melancholic. If not slightly sad.

“Hey, Merlin.”, Lancelot whispered at an afternoon on day four. Merlin was still shocked that his disguise had apparently worked well so far. Then again, Arthur was terrifyingly oblivious to most of his secrets. “Can't you like... use magic to heal Leon's sickness?”

Of course. If anyone had it bad these days it was Sir Leon. Gwaine was currently occupied with drinking. Otherwise Lancelot would not have dared mention Merlin's illegal existence to him. “Do you think that's wise? What if they all notice? After all, Leon has been sick for three days now. If he was suddenly fine, wouldn't they ask?”

“And you think they'd explain it with magic? Merlin. Leon could have just gotten used to the sea. I'm sure no one will notice.”

“Are you sure?”, Merlin asked back and tried to focus on Leon's pitiful form. “I'm positive. Even if they think it's magic, they don't even know you're here. And what sorcerer would just appear on this ship, just to heal Leon?” “Good point.”

Merlin took a shuddering breath, as he strained himself to look through the barrel once again. Leon had his eyes closed and he was breathing harshly. Arthur was standing right next to him. Deep in thought. As if on cue, he suddenly straightened up, pushed himself from the reeling and went under deck.

Merlin nodded to himself. And then whispered a silent spell in Leon's reaction. There was a flash of gold for barely a second. But in that moment, Leon opened his eyes and looked at Merlin. Merlin froze. They locked eyes. Merlin caught his breath. “Lancelot. I think he saw.”, Merlin muttered, panic was slowly sinking in, along with the realization of the situation. Lancelot frowned. “What?”, he asked. “Lance, I think he knows.” “Merlin, stop mumbling. I'm certain you're imagining things.”

Leon's eyes flickered shut for a second and he took a deep breath. Then he held his head in slight irritation, before looking in Merlin's direction again. He ….. sighed in relieve. Slowly, he pushed himself up. Still holding his head, as he took a deep breath. He nodded at Merlin. Like he was... thanking him? Was Merlin really imagining this? But Leon smiled, stretched himself and rubbed at the dark circles under his sleepless eyes. As if to say: “finally.”

Soon enough, he was gone as well. Merlin opened his mouth to say something, but shook his head to himself, while Lancelot had a firm hand on his barrel.

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

It was night, when Merlin was finally let out of his barrel. The knights were asleep. All but the one on watch. Which was Gwaine, fortunately. Meaning, Merlin could safely leave the barrel, chat with him and eat in peace. He had slept through the day mostly. He trusted that Lancelot and Gwaine would stop anyone from opening this particular barrel during the day.

And if anyone got to close, he could always hear one of them say, this was the “victory wine.” Like this was the finest wine of them all and reserved for the day they managed to defeat the dragon lords. It was a good excuse. Albeit difficult to maintain, because nobody believed Gwaine could hold himself back from wine for that long.

Either way, for now it was fine. Merlin's legs were dangling off the watch tower, while Gwaine leaned against the rod behind him. The sails were up, because the wind was in their favor.

It was then, that suddenly, someone crawled up from under deck.

Even in the dim moonlight, Merlin could make out the shine of Arthur's armor. Everyone had already told him, wearing armor on a boat was absolutely insane. If he ever fell off the boat, he'd drown immediately. Because the weight would just drag him down. But the clotpole was too stubborn to listen. And right now it was as useful as a warning signal to them. 'Why is he up?', was all Merlin could think, as he nearly shrieked through Gwaine's mindless chatter and hid underneath a blanket that lay around behind them. Gwaine, surprised at his reaction, finally noticed the prince as well and waved at him, while Arthur gave him a startled expression. Merlin could have kicked Gwaine for drawing Arthur's attention to them.

“Gwaine? What are you doing?”

Gwaine rose both his eyebrows in amusement. “Oh, I'm on watch. You know. Talking to myself. Looking at the stars. Nice weather out, don't you think?”, he laughed suspiciously.

Arthur frowned and sighed, before climbing up the ladder with a sigh. He shook his head, as if used to these antics and hardly caring for them at all. Merlin hurried to shuffle behind Gwaine, so that Arthur wouldn't notice him. And Gwaine did his best to position himself in a way that Merlin was mostly covered by his frame. In a practiced manner, Merlin steeled his heart and his breathing and went completely still. A method he had accustomed to during his time out in the barrel.

By the time Arthur got up to them, Merlin might as well have vanished. That's how invisible he was. Though, to himself, he felt extremely obvious.

“So, er... Sire. Can't sleep?”, Gwaine asked. It was pretty late. Too late to still be up. Too early to have woken up again. Gwaine pat the ground beside him, so Arthur could sit down. It would be suspicious if he send him away. But Merlin was certain Gwaine did it to taunt him. “Not really.”, Arthur said and yawned. If Merlin could see through the blanket, he would see that the circles under Arthur's eyes were nearly as dark as Leon's had been.

His voice didn't really leave room for conversation. He sounded tired, as if he really didn't want to talk. And despite Gwaine's usual annoyance, he didn't press the matter. He hummed instead. For one, because it was Gwaine. Who would he be, if he wasn't drinking ale and doing noisy things all the time? However, this also served the purpose of covering up all unintentional noises Merlin could have made in the dead silence of the still night. It was too still. But they weren't used to the ever changing weather of the sea. Else, they would have been alarmed.

“It's funny.”, Arthur said after a moment of hummed silence. “What is, Sire?” “I would have thought Merlin would have sneaked on to the ship and come out by now.”

Gwaine laughed comically. Startled by the sudden comment. Arthur ignored him, but Merlin nearly smacked Gwaine for that obvious reaction.

“Well. That surely sounds like Merlin. But we would have found him in no time.”, Gwaine assured him.

“Yeah I know. Still.”, Arthur sighed and shook his head, before running a hand through his face. “I mean... Now that he's not here, I can't stop thinking that I basically left him alone with my father. You know my father. If Merlin doesn't behave, the king will certainly have him flogged. Or worse. I mean... he has these moments when he accuses random people to be sorcerers. What if I left him to one of those antics? Did I make a mistake leaving him home?”

Arthur sounded worried and he was suddenly found playing with his own hands.

Gwaine opened his mouth in surprise. “Huh?”, he asked. “I thought you didn't want him to come? ”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “He's still saver with my father than he is raiding a dragon infested island with us, isn't he?” That was.... an actual question. Not a rhetoric one, like one would expect. No. Arthur was seriously asking. His tone was probably supposed to be rhetoric, but he sounded too emotional. Too concerned. Too guilty.

Gwaine's mouth dropped open. Merlin's heart stilled. “Since when are you so worried about Merlin?”, Gwaine asked and sat up straight. After all... Arthur had never really shown his emotional side to Gwaine. Not like this. Not verbally. There would be lots of teasing, surely. Later on, of course. And Arthur should know that. But Arthur was sleep deprived and concerned and he needed to vent. That may not be wise. But since when do people do reasonable things?

“I'm not worried.”, Arthur denied immediately. Gwaine raised an eyebrow. Which Arthur noticed. “Look -”, Arthur started. “I couldn't take Merlin with us on this trip. Merlin is a servant and he's always unarmed-”

“That never stopped you from taking him on hunts.”, Gwaine raised both eyebrows now.

Arthur groaned. “That's different. We're knights. We can protect him from bandits. Dragon's are.... a whole different story. I faced one and I passed out and I still don't know HOW we survived. I know I killed it, but it was incredibly close. And this mission... I'm not sure we'll make it.”, Arthur let his head sink.

Gwaine paused for a moment. “Wait... you think we'll all die?”, he asked, eyes wide and suddenly terrified. “Of course not.”, Arthur said absently. But it was clearly a lie. “Jesus. You're in a good mood.”, Gwaine mumbled to himself. For the first time, he sounded worried too.

“So... you left Merlin in Camelot because -”

“I don't want him to die.”, Arthur confessed. Albeit reluctantly. “But … you said you thought he'd be here?”, Gwaine pointed out. Arthur breathed. Then he turned to look at Gwaine. “Is it selfish to wish he had ignored my orders?”

Gwaine blinked. “Huh?” To be fair, he had wanted to tease Arthur about the fact that nothing Arthur just said opposed the idea that he was – indeed – worried about Merlin in any way. But that last comment confused him and changed the focus of this conversation.

“I don't want him to die with us. But -”, Arthur bit his lip. “If I die, I'd rather die at his side. Is that weird?”

Gwaine glanced at the blanket, where Merlin strained his ears to hear every word Arthur was saying. Merlin's breathing was getting rigid. This conversation.... was unusual. Very... unusual for Arthur.

Gwaine blinked, then he forced himself to grin and make a more joyous expression. As he always did. Because positive energy was his thing. “Now now, princess.”, he put an arm around Arthur shoulder, which Arthur let him do with a disapproving frown. “Sounds like someone here got a small crush on our dear Merlin.”

Merlin fought the urge to kick him yet again, worried that this would reveal him from underneath the blanket. Gwaine was clearly overdoing it. He was clearly out to annoy Arthur. Merlin knew that. And he really wanted Gwaine to stop. This was humiliating and mean.

Arthur stared at Gwaine. At the laughing face. The poking and joking and attempt at humiliating him expression. But Arthur's stare didn't waver. And Gwaine's expression lost itself on the realization that he actually hit a mark.

“Wait – seriously?”, he asked and pulled his arm back. Merlin behind him froze. Merlin's inner turmoil was at Gwaine's antics. He had been so focused on cursing Gwaine, that he was completely startled by that sentence. He had not expected for Arthur to just.... not deny it. Which was basically a confession. Merlin's eyes widened. And he stared at the blindness in front of him. Once again, he was completely still. 'Huh?', he thought.

“You think it's weird.”, Arthur turned away, still fumbling with his hands. And had the little snide remark from Gwaine not been, maybe they could have pretended this sentence didn't mean so much. That this was simply about hoping his friend was here. That they just continued their conversation from before, without the additional information that Arthur – indeed – liked Merlin more than he ought to.

“I- what? No!”, Gwaine was quick to retaliate. “Of course not. I'm just surprised, is all. I mean... it's Merlin.”

“And?”, Arthur was frowning. As if ready to defend his friend. Which in itself was news to Merlin. Since when did Arthur defend him behind his back? Either way, this was Merlin they were talking about. And it was Gwaine he was talking about him with. There was no need to get defensive. “I didn't think you'd admit it! Especially to me.” The 'everyone loves Merlin, so of course I'm not surprised' was left unsaid. Needless to say. It was only Merlin who didn't recognize that implication.

Arthur let his shoulders slump. “Yeah well. If we're dying anyway, even you teasing me and telling everyone can't make it worse.”

“First of all. Rude. You underestimate me, Sire. You have no idea what I'm capable of. Second of all. Why are you all so dramatic these days? First Leon, now you? We haven't even arrived at the island yet and you're all planning our funerals! Who is to say we even find the island? Or the dragons?”, Gwaine flailed his arms, before putting a soft hand on Arthur's tense shoulders. His tone turned soft. Very unlike Gwaine. But it was not the first time he had worn that expression. He'd acted like this before. Tender and soft and fond. Mostly for Merlin, because Merlin was his first and therefore best friend. And he worried about him too. “And last, but not least. You'll see Merlin again, Sire. And even if he found out, he wouldn't tease you for this. Merlin has a good heart.”

Arthur looked up. Surprised by the comforting tone of Gwaine's voice. After all, Gwaine was not exactly the go to type, when it came down to emotions.

People often underestimate the clown friend. Radiating joy and fun doesn't always come from ignorance and obliviousness. It doesn't always mean they are secretly depressed either. Often, these kind of people have gone through much more than they let on. Often, they have learned to deal with their own emotions and come to the conclusion that having fun, being truly blissful brightens not only the world of others. It brightens their own as well. That doesn't make them less empathetic. It doesn't make them less understanding. Quite the contrary. They have a deep understanding of such situations and decided not to take it seriously. Because not everything has to be. And sometimes it's smarter not to think about stuff too deeply.

“You think?” Arthur's own voice was strangely hopeful. Like knowing he'd see Merlin again was all that mattered. Like the other comfort about surviving wasn't nearly as helpful. Or dare say, important.

“I'm certain.”, Gwaine grinned knowingly. Arthur smiled in relief at that. There was a pause between them, before Arthur added. “If you ever tell him about this conversation, I'll drown you in the ocean.”

Gwaine laughed at that. “No promises, princess.” Truth is, he could. He could easily promise it. But he wouldn't be Gwaine if he said that. It would be too obvious that he was hiding something as well. Arthur laughed.

“Nuts?”, Gwaine asked, suddenly and held out a can full of salted nuts. Startled by the question, Arthur almost bend over from laughing. “You're unbelievable.”, Arthur shook his head. Suddenly embarrassed that he confessed all this to Gwaine. But he accepted the nuts anyway.

The rest of the night was spend almost quietly. Which wasn't for long and Gwaine did his best to just distract Arthur. Which meant, it was just Gwaine and Arthur chatting about Merlin. It was mostly Gwaine. Because Gwaine's mindless babbling often meant talking positively about Arthur's servant. Arthur was already used to this.

For once though, Arthur was just as deeply into the conversation. “I think, if Merlin was here, he'd feel guilty.”

“Why is that?”, Gwaine asked, encouraging Arthur to continue. He barely concealed his grin, because Merlin was witness to all of this. Unable to move which would lead to exposure.

“Well... the last dragon lord died for him. And now we're visiting the last remains of his culture. Even if they have magic. I can't imagine Merlin be anything but devastated, when he meets them. I suppose the idiot would apologize to them. Like it was in any way his fault! Merlin can be such an idiot sometimes. One would think he wants to die, so often as he drinks poison for others or jumps into mid battle, unarmed. I'm honestly glad he has the decency to hide most of the time, while we handle things. I don't think I'd be able to concentrate on fighting, if he just -”, Arthur exhaled a deep breath and flailed his arms to imply Merlin running into knifes. “He's too brave for his own good.”

“Merlin is the bravest.”

“The bravest man I ever met.”, Arthur agreed and got a chuckled clap on his shoulder for that. “Look at you, Sire. Saying all these nice things about Merlin. Wait till I tell him about it.”

Arthur immediately recoiled. “Seriously, don't.”

“Why? What's so bad about him knowing that you care?”, Gwaine frowned in amusement. Thinking, that Arthur was just shy.

“He knows that I care. I'm pretty damn obvious about it. No need to put any more attention to it.”

Gwaine scoffed in disbelieve. “YOU? Obvious that you CARE? Really? This is what you call obvious?”

“What do you mean?”, Arthur frowned, honestly confused, while Merlin was trying to breathe even slower. Because somehow Arthur had shifted closer to the blanket. A hand was put on it. If Arthur himself made the wrong move, he'd accidentally pull the blanket off of him.

“Arthur. I don't think Merlin even knows you appreciate him at all.”

Arthur was stunned with silence. “You're joking.” Merlin blinked underneath the blanket. Just what on earth was Arthur talking about?

Gwaine stared at him. “Sire... what exactly do you understand about being obvious about this?”

Arthur frowned. “Well... Erm. I'm the prince of Camelot. My father has never allowed me to have friends that are not royal enough to be of knightly status. Merlin is a servant. Yet, he's my best friend.”

Gwaine stared back at him. “Have you told him that?”

Arthur blinked. “No... because my father would ground me, if I ever did. But I have...”, he slowly swayed to the side, searching for the right words. “I treat him like a knight. I take him on hunts where servants are not allowed. I used to punch him, too, like I would a knight, to cheer him up. Though I stopped that, because he said he doesn't like it. And I mean... I stopped. I wouldn't do that for just anyone!

My guards have been ordered to let him into my room, even if I ordered them to let no one in. If I don't want him around, I have to tell them that specially. I er... let him steal my food. He loves blackberries. So do I, but he doesn't need to know that.

He's always insulting me or my father behind his back, but I don't really throw him in the stocks for that. Which I should. That kind of talk is treason. He could be hanged for that, you know?

I give him unnecessary chores, just so he has a reason to hang out with me. And he doesn't get punished, though what he does is a really shabby job. Now that I think about it, I think I mostly pay him for insulting me.

I've defended him in front of my father. I have used my word as knight for him more than once. I have trusted him with my life and drank poison because he told me it was a good idea. Or because the choice was either him or myself. And I trusted him with the antidote or with taking my royal seal back to Camelot to whoever I want to precede me. I have saved his life and protected him in battle...”, at this point, Arthur was counting on his fingers and it looked like he was about to go on for hours.

However, Gwaine looked at him oddly, which made Arthur pause as soon as he noticed. “What?”, he asked, clearly confused with Gwaine's reaction.

“Well... just. I see what you mean.”, Gwaine was talking slowly. Realizing that yes... from Arthur's point of view, all of that was actually extraordinary behavior. But for anyone else... “But you do realize that most of that is just... Look. The things you describe...

Half of the stuff happens behind his back, which you don't tell him. So how would he know? Other stuff is like.... Merlin probably thinks he's just stealing your stuff. Defending someone innocent is not something you do for someone you like. It's something you do for strangers, if their life depends on it. It's something Merlin himself would do for anyone.

And... treating him like a person when he argues with you and taking him seriously is hardly an expression of love, Arthur. I know in your position that's different. But to anyone else. Jesus christ, how do I put this?

The only extraordinary thing about all this, is you risking your life for him. Which he would do for you – for anyone really – without even thinking. And YOU would die for your own people too. I hardly think he sees a difference in your behavior towards him and your general behavior to your people.

Merlin would risk his life for anyone. He doesn't even demand thanks for it.

What you do, is... for a prince.... extremely … er... let's say affectionate. But for Merlin, it's... how do I put it … less than the minimum.”

Arthur blinked. Finally Merlin shifted underneath the blanket. His eyes blinking rapidly now. Gwaine was right. This WAS how he saw things. But the way Arthur described the way he acted.... that wasn't just Arthur trying his best to be a good prince or person. This was Arthur trying his hardest to show he cared! Cared for Merlin! Merlin felt... touched? Kind of. The crush thing aside. That was a whole different level of work in process. (1) He felt his own face heat up with the knowledge that these things... These things that Merlin had guessed were normal for Arthur... that Arthur had done them on purpose. That he had actually thought about Merlin to make sure he was cared for. That this was a far as he could push himself and did it despite the risk of being scolded by his father.

Arthur's mouth was open now. Unable to retort or add on to his previous examples. “But -”

“You do know, Merlin still doesn't believe us, when we tell him that you risked your life getting him a flower, because he thinks we're messing with him, right?”

“That's ridiculous. That flower was needed for an antidote! What is there to doubt about it?”, Arthur exclaimed, almost furious. Merlin shuddered in surprise. 'Huh?', he thought to himself, his face flushing hard.

“Yeah. I know. He does not.”, Gwaine nodded eagerly.

“But... I thought I was so obvious? I mean... Even my father noticed! He's told me I was getting too close to Merlin. So I tried to hold back, but... I thought Merlin knew.”, Arthur appeared shocked. Like someone had just turned his entire world upside down.

“The king noticed?”, Gwaine raised both eyebrows in shock.

“Yes, I mean. When I came back with that flower, he threw me in the dungeons for it. He keeps reminding me that I'm not supposed to be friends with Merlin. He keeps offering me new servants! I've turned down five offers last week!”

Gwaine's mouth dropped open. “Woow.”, he made impressed. “If Uther thinks THAT's a lot. What kind of childhood did you have?”

Arthur looked up, surprised. “I dunno? A normal one I guess? I mean. I didn't have a mom and my father was always busy and Morgana and I were fighting all the time, so....”

Gwaine's eyes squished a little. “Have you ever even been hugged?”, he asked with suspicion.

Arthur straightened his back. “I'm.... not supposed to get close to people until I get married.”, he muttered. Gwaine stared and his mouth dropped open again. “I meant Uther. Did you father never hug you?”

“Was he supposed to do that?”

Gwaine's jaw dropped. “And here I always thought you just were a stuck up royal like anyone else. But your father abandoned you. No wonder you have no idea how to deal with emotions.” Arthur flushed and tried to retort, but then he closed his mouth. Embarrassed.

Gwaine hurried to correct himself. “I mean... considering all this, you're doing a lot, actually. You're a good man, Arthur. I wouldn't be your knight, if I didn't think you were worth dying for. Just. God damn it, I'm getting so mad right now. Your father is an asshole. I mean, I already knew that. But holy shit.”

Arthur frowned. “Don't talk about my father like this!”, he growled, but Gwaine stopped him again. “Nope. You don't get to decide that. You're in denial. He abandoned you. He keeps sending you on quests that could get you killed. He didn't even show you that he cares if you come back!”

“He cried when he thought I was dead though!”, Arthur commented, remembering the troll Catrina accident.

Gwaine blinked. “Good to know where he draws the line. What the fuck, Arthur.”

Arthur bit his lips. He felt defensive for his father. But... wasn't it bad... that he couldn't see a single flaw in Gwaine's accusation?

“Merlin is your exact opposite, you know.”, Gwaine suddenly said and slowly patted Arthur's shoulder. This time highly aware of the fact that this was probably the closest contact Arthur allowed for anyone. Apart from the fact that Arthur had a crush on Merlin and Merlin was the guy who dressed him.... Let's not get into that.

“I know.”

“He grew up with a mom who hugged him every day. Arthur, Merlin is the most affectionate person I know. He's extremely emotional and he's not afraid to show it.”

“I know.”, Arthur said again, but this time softer.

“Compared to that your way of dealing with things probably looks more like you're pushing him away.”

Arthur's head sank and his shoulders dropped. He grabbed the blanket tighter. “I know.”, he said yet again. Frustrated this time. 'I'm trying.', he didn't say, but they all knew it.

“You should talk to him.”

“I know.”, Arthur was defeated.

It was quiet between them once again and Arthur stared out on the sea. And from the distance, you could see the first sun rays of the day illuminate the wooden deck of the ship. Arthur stared at it, as long as it was possible to look into the direction. While Gwaine watched him with worry. Gwaine had almost forgotten Merlin was still there. Merlin, who was trying his hardest to appear invisible. And quiet. And still. Nobody could hear his loud heart beat, but Merlin himself. Though he could swear someone had to notice at some point.

“Rise and shine.”, Arthur suddenly said and smiled to himself. For the first time, the conversation went beyond Gwaine's understanding and he could just stare at him in confusion.

But Merlin could hear what Arthur was actually saying. It was the sentence Merlin always woke Arthur up with. In this context, it meant, Arthur was thinking of that. Of early mornings and Merlin in it. The way his smile slowly fell, Merlin could feel that Arthur was actually missing him. And hoping he was here. Unaware that his wish had already come true.

It took Merlin everything he had in himself, to not jump up from underneath the blanket and just hug him to death. Which he now knew would equal a marriage proposal to Arthur. Oh god, all those love potion incidents …. where Arthur hugged and kissed random women. The boy must have had a mental breakdown afterwards. Now that Merlin thought of it, Arthur used to behave really strange after those incidents.

Meaning, he wouldn't talk to anyone. He would excuse himself a lot. Would be anxious around everyone he was forced to talk to. And he'd be especially awkward around Merlin. Merlin's eyes widened once again with a start and it paralyzed him as he realized precisely WHY that had been. He flushed. And he was glad Arthur couldn't see him like this.

“Sire?”, Gwaine finally asked, still uncharacteristically gentle. Arthur shook his head. “Nothing. I'll go back to sleep. Leon should be up soon. I think he's already feeling much better.” Arthur sighed and pushed himself up. He let go of the blanket, making Merlin exhale a deep breath. Then he took the ladder down again.

One last time, he was stopped by Gwaine. “Wait, Arthur.”

Arthur stopped for a moment. “What is it?”, he asked.

“You like Merlin right? As in, you're in love with him.”

Arthur flushed, but he answered with a hesitant “yes.”. Which was like a major blow in Merlin's guts. Because being in love was an entirely different thing than having a crush. And yet, to have this confirmed... Merlin struggled to breathe.

“What will you do, if he doesn't like you back?”

There was a pause. A heavy one. Then Arthur sighed. “Gwaine... It's not like anything can happen between us anyway. Even if Merlin did like me back. I can't tell him. Merlin is the best friend I have. I couldn't bear to loose him. I won't let anything or anyone, not my father, not a potential wife, not even my own feelings get in the way of that. I won't ruin what we have. I couldn't live with myself.” And with that, he disappeared under deck. Leaving Gwaine behind, completely stunned.

Finally, Merlin pulled the blanket off of himself and dramatically breathed the fresh air around him. It had started to get really stuffy under that.

Gwaine turned around, almost startled. As if he had truly forgotten that Merlin had been there. They looked at each other for a moment. Unsure what to say.

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

The storm hit the boat without any warning. Maybe, if they had known about the “calm before the storm”, they would have noticed that there was – indeed – a warning. But they didn't. Because Uther didn't care that these knights had no idea about sailing. Or rather, most of them. The one's who did know about it, had been asleep, as Arthur had assigned none of them to keep watch.

They were lucky they made it in time to get the sails in. But as soon as the storm was raging, they had to hold on to everything for dear life. They had no time to fixate any of their belongings to the ship. Which meant that now, barrels and bottles and cups and knifes and anything they had lying about, was now thrown around their ears.

Those who had the great misfortune to get knocked out by a barrel, got thrown of the ship. But through all that, you couldn't hear the screams and the shouts. The storm was so loud, it deafened everything that was further than two steps away.

In a strange way, the storm came over them silently. Merlin had never managed to get back into his barrel. But he had shushed Gwaine to bind himself to the watchtower. The entire thing was about to be blown off, was it not for Merlin's magic.

In fact, while Gwaine closed his eyes, praying the storm to be over, Merlin used his magic to keep his friends safe. Albeit, there were too many of them. He couldn't safe everyone. But he DID manage to keep Arthur safe. Who was running around in that blasted armor and shouting orders to his subordinates. He was not lucky to be okay. He was lucky to have Merlin to keep him that way.

That was, until Merlin saw his own barrel being thrown off the ship. And Lancelot saw it. But Lancelot didn't know Merlin wasn't in there. Oh fucking hell no.

Lancelot screamed his name. And he managed to shout so loud, that Arthur turned around, totally confused why one of his knights would shout out the name of his servant in the middle of a storm. But Arthur, foolish, kind, love deprived Arthur, made the connection. And when Lancelot shouted at him to explain that Merlin was supposed to be IN that barrel that was now about to drown on the ocean. Arthur did the most foolish thing a prince could do.

He gave Leon the authority.... and – in a panic- jumped after Merlin.

Who was not in that barrel, but on the watch tower. Who watched and stared and couldn't believe what he saw. Because Arthur had just JUMPED of the ship for him. Fully armed with his sword and knife and wearing armor.

'That fucking idiot.”, Merlin mouthed and now panic washed over him as well. In a moment decision, Merlin yelled at Gwaine to stay where he was. And then he slid down the ladder. Not even bothering to use the steps. His hands already burned from the heat of the fraction. And splinters of the cold wood edged into his skin. But he didn't give a damn.

He ran over the deck, seeing panicked and confused faces everywhere and then he directly jumped after Arthur.

The storm wouldn't stop for another five hours. Thanks to Merlin, the casualties were little to none. But even after the storm had calmed and the sea lay still around them, while the knights tried to catch their breath.... Merlin and Arthur could not be found among the wrecks. And Leon's headache was returning. (1) The sentence: work in process is a mix of work in progress and processing something. I found that creative. It’s intentional :)

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#merlin tv #merlin bbc #bbc merlin #fanfiction #my writing #I'll try to post here too now #dragon island #chapter 1 #The calm before the storm #merthur #merlin #arthur #freya #edit later

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fletchphoenix · 4 years ago

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Self-Fulfilled Prophecy

Chapter 5 of the High School AU! Bit short to be honest. I intended for it to be longer, but all the extra content was adding up to like,,,over 5000 words and felt like it was dragging on for WAYYYYYYY too long, so I left it at a key scene. As always, thank you for your support and onward with the chapter!!

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Hugo knew what everyone said about him at school. How could he not? It was all people ever spoke about involving him - how he was the biggest playboy in the whole town and how people should ‘stay away’, though people never heeded the warnings. At that point, it was their own fault. They’d been told about how he was - about his human nature - so when people kept falling for him, they should have known what to expect. Although, he didn’t feel like treating Varian that way. He genuinely thought the boy was sweet and to take advantage of him when he was down wasn’t fair. There was also the fact that he made Hugo’s knees weak whenever he gave him a smile, but that was less important.

He should’ve anticipated the text from Leon, in all honesty. The boy was always on top of the latest drama in school, and if he could blackmail someone into giving him the inside scoop, he sure as hell would. However, Hugo was sure he’d picked the most secluded spot he could’ve to take Varian for their unofficial date, so how the boy had the evidence they were there was beyond him. His breath still hitched when he saw that too familiar name appeared on the screen of his phone, indicating the other had sent him a picture as rain poured outside on Friday night a few minutes after he’d dropped Varian off at home - an uncommon occurrence in the excessively sunny town of Corona.

Sweat formed small beads on his forehead as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt and stared at the picture in front of him. There it was - clear as day that him and Varian had shared a kiss on the beach. He couldn’t even deny it either, the picture blatantly revealing his face with a wide smile on it as he stared down at the boy in the sand, nothing but love in his eyes. It should have been a heartwarming sight - to see the moment captured for good in a photo of the pair, but...this was Leon they were talking about.

Leon certainly was a character. Hell, he was sure he’d just been suspended for homophobic bullying towards their chemistry teacher’s son a few days ago, so to see a picture revealing him and Varian in a less-than-friendly position from the boy who had LITERALLY the most republican parents on earth...needless to say, nausea built in his stomach. Why couldn’t it have been someone else to spot them? Why couldn’t it have just been no one? Why was it even such a big deal if Hugo liked boys anyway? It wasn’t as if he was hurting anyone in the process. Tension arose as a grey bubble with ellipsis appeared in the bottom left corner of the screen. Great.

Leon : Wow Atkinson. Never took you for one to be interested in someone like that little freak. Guess you really dropped your standards, huh?

Hugo resisted the urge to scream as his eyes scanned over the message. ‘Little freak’? Bold statement coming from someone who literally looked like a rat that had somehow mutated into a human form. Leon certainly didn’t make up for his personality in the looks department - Hugo felt sorry that his mother had no choice but to love a kid with a face like that if he was being honest. The grey text bubble appeared yet again before he had a chance to type a reply, a frown making its way onto Hugo’s face. Brilliant. The rat-man obviously wanted something from him if he was THIS eager to respond to him.

Leon : I’ll give you a proposal. You do me a little favour and I won’t expose to the school about what you really are. You wouldn’t want everyone to hate you, now would you? To think that Hugo Atkinson is just as much of a freak as that Zander kid..wow.

Hugo : What is it.

Leon : $400 . All I’m asking for so your little secret doesn’t get spread everywhere. How’s that sound, Hugh?

Hugo thought back to Varian, chewing his nails. Of course no one would think of them differently - Corona was a very progressive town in many ways, but he wasn’t out to Donella yet and had no idea how she would react. Plus, he didn’t know if Varian had told his..whatever Rapunzel and Eugene were to him, and if they’d be fine with that either. He didn’t want to risk either of their reputations being ruined, but it was a massive sum of money to pay and he wasn’t sure if he could even GET that much at all. He let out a sigh and let his head rest against the forest green pillows on his bed, shutting his eyes from a moment and taking a few deep breaths. He just couldn’t risk it - him and Varian weren’t even together anyway. One kiss didn’t equate to a whole relationship between the two.

His mind drifted to the frequent dreams he’d been having about the boy. They’d all seemed so real, raw with emotion and bizarre scenarios that even his brain couldn’t have concocted. They all seemed like they were important - part of something. He racked his brain to think. What if they were a..past life of some sorts? Some kind of prophecy or future life the pair was destined to live? Was Varian really his soulmate or something? Hugo had always thought that stuff was made up, used to convince people with no hope of a proper relationship into thinking there was hope out there for them, but..now he wasn’t so sure. Everything had fallen into place when Varian came into his life - as much as he’d annoy the younger boy, he couldn’t help but fall in love with him. Maybe Varian was part of his destiny?

He shook his head. He was thinking too deep into this. He’d kissed him once after taking him out on an unofficial date. That didn’t immediately make them partners - just showed they were..moderately interested in each other. ‘Moderately interested’ for Hugo being that the other never left his mind and he couldn’t focus if the other boy wasn’t near him at all times. Yeah, it was completely normal. Just...moderate interest in each other! He couldn’t risk people thinking anything different about them though, so he picked his phone up and typed out his response quietly.

Hugo : One, we had socks on. Not gay. I can get the money to you in a week, alright?

Leon : Deal. See you Monday, Atkinson

Hugo set his phone aside and stared at his ceiling.

Lets just pray Leon knew how to keep a promise.

#varigo #varian and the seven kingdoms #varian x hugo #varian tangled #tangled varian #hugo tangled #tangled hugo #alchemy boyfriends #varigo high school au

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pokemonswshbutionlyplayedsword · 5 years ago

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I’m curious as to how other gym leaders reacted to piers becoming a gym leader, especially ones like Kabu and Opal who could probably see how he was struggling more before that. Do you have any other gym leader hcs?

Great question, anon. Before we get into it, we have to cover a few quick things.

Timeline of Piers’ life:

Went on Gym Challenge (Age 12, still lived with abusive parents, Marnie was not born yet) –> Marnie is Born (Age 13, Parents are still around, and still abusive, but only to Piers) –> Parents Left (Age 15, Marnie is Age 2) –> Became Gym Leader (Age 18, Marnie Age 5, Morpeko is given to her shortly after)

Piers’ family wasn’t very wealthy, but they had a house and enough food for one meal a day. I’ve been skirting around it for a while, but Piers’ parents were really shitty. They spent most of their cash on drugs and alcohol, and were verbally, emotionally and sometimes physically abusive. They manipulated Piers almost every day. They were not cruel in any way to Marnie when she was born, but they were still addicts. They were neglectful to her. I know these things can be kind of touchy, so I will add a tw in the tags. I always say this when I have smth like this, but if there’s an additional tag that you need me to add, please let me know and I will be happy to do it for you.

Not all of the gym leaders that are gym leaders in the game were gym leaders when he became one. The gym leaders that are still around in the game and were there when Piers joined their ranks were Milo (Who Was Pretty New), Nessa (Also Very New), Kabu (Who Had Been a Gym Leader for a While), Melony (Had Been a Gym Leader for a while), Opal (Had Been A Gym Leader for a Very Long Time), and Raihan (New). Leon had been Champion for some time now, and was also part of the group that Raihan and Piers had been in when they went on the gym challenge, though he was probably the youngest there, as he was 10 and most other kids were 12.

OKAY, now we can get into the actual headcanons.

Milo:

-He was a new gym leader when Piers joined the ranks.

-Milo was part of Piers’ group in the gym challenge, but they didn’t interact much.

-When Piers became gym leader, there were a lot of rumors about him being a bad person (bc he’s a dark type user) that Milo believed so he avoided Piers for a while.

-However, when someone becomes a gym leader, the others are supposed to visit and get to know them. This is when Milo really met Piers and learned about his situation with Marnie (vaguely, Piers doesn’t pour his life story out for anyone). And he changed his mind.

-They get along alright. They don’t hang out much, but they’re friendly towards eachother.

-Bonus headcanon: Milo is the tallest person in his family. He and his younger brother get along very well and are quite close.

Nessa:

-Like Milo, Nessa was new when Piers joined.

-She did not partake in the gym challenge, so she never saw Piers battle before. She was a bit skeptical since he always looked “dead” to her.

-When he became a gym leader, she was the first to march over to Spikemuth and welcome him to the team. She learned about Marnie and Piers’ situation (again vaguely) and was absolutely smitten. She thought it was so sweet that Piers was taking care of her and she absolutely loves little kids. She thinks Marnie is just the cutest.

-They get along well, and bc crazy shit always seems to happen at his concert, Piers will call Nessa just so she can get her drama fix.

-Bonus headcanon: She’s got an insane appetite. She can eat for like hours and still be hungry (and skinny cause she’s also got a crackhead metabolism). She’s scared away more than one date with this.

Kabu:

-Kabu’s not great at reading people, but when Piers came to challenge him, he could tell he was stressed and upset. He figured it was nerves, so he gave Piers the same advice he always does “You can challenge me as many times as you’d like.” Piers beat him in the first try (w/o dynamax so yeah he doesn’t need help with battles Kabu)

-Years later, Piers became the gym leader and Kabu came to congratulate him. Learned about Marnie and was all “oh is this what you seemed upset about? People are usually unhappy about being separated from family during the challenge” and Piers was like “um no she wasnt even born yet” so Piers ended up telling Kabu about his parents.

-Kabu tries to be supportive of Piers and help him feel better about his parents and past abuse (but Piers is already doing better bc he has Marnie). Piers appreciates it, but Kabu and Piers aren’t very close.

-They get along pretty well because Kabu really respects Piers’ strength both in battles and emotionally.

-Bonus headcanon: Opal thinks he’s a fool who focuses too much on pokemon battles to even notice anything else around him. She is correct. Sometimes he gets so involved in training he doesn’t notice his pokemon accidentally set his clothes on fire.

Melony:

-By the time Piers made it to Melony’s gym, he was tired, upset, frustrated. His parents had berated him for not dynamaxing, but he wanted to stay true to Spikemuth. He ended up telling Melony this after their battle. She comforted him and stayed with him until he was ready to move on from Circhester.

-Not long after Piers’ parents vanished, they got back in touch. Piers needed her help with Marnie and she practically adopted them. She brought them groceries, invited them to dinner and holidays. Really, she saved Piers more times than he cares to count.

-She was so thrilled to hear Piers was a gym leader. She always knew he was a talented trainer and was sad when he decided he didn’t want to do battles anymore. She’s glad he’s able to do both training and music at the same times, bc he loves them both and is good at them.

-They get along fantastically and see each other on a regular basis just bc they’re practically family. Piers gets along well with Gordie bc of this, but now that they’re fighting, Piers comes around less. He doesn’t like to hear people getting angry and doesn’t want to have to pick a side.

-Bonus Headcanon: Absolutely the best hugger. She always wears fluffy clothes, she’s pretty tall and somewhat stout so she’s pretty soft herself. Everyone loves Melony. There’s not a single person alive who can say they genuinely hate her.

Opal:

-Opal may be a fairy type trainer but she’s like a PSYCHIC. Give her 3 seconds and she’ll know your name, your favorite food, your favorite color, your BMI, your great great great great grandfather-

-She knew something was up with Piers the second she saw him, and being who she is, used her quiz to figure out what it was. Eventually, he spilled and told her everything during the challenge. She gave him some solid advice about protecting himself and sent him on his way with his badge.

-Later, when he became gym leader and she came to see him, she was able to get what had happened after the gym challenge out of him. She offered some more advice and then played with Marnie like old ladies do.

-They’re pretty friendly. Piers is slightly scared of her and she knows it, but she really cares about Piers and hopes he’s doing okay.

-Bonus headcanon: “I’m old, I can do what I want.” -Opal

Raihan:

-Raihan was the challenger that knocked Piers out of the gym challenge during the finals/semi-finals. Raihan was obsessed with how strong Piers was and kept trying to coax him into challenging him again and dynamaxing. Piers left after he lost and didn’t bother to see the rest of the challenge. Piers went home to his parents, who were livid that he lost.

-Not long after Piers’ parents left, he ran into Raihan again, who quickly figured out that it was just him and Marnie. Not long after that, Raihan became a gym leader and used that to help Piers get by and coax him back into training his pokemon.

-It was Raihan who got him to become the new Gym Leader for Spikemuth, so he was very happy. He was the one who introduced Leon and Piers.

-They’re close friends, even though Piers doesn’t act like it.

-Bonus Headcanon: Raihan was raised by a single father. His mother died when he was very young and he has no memory of her. Time to be sad, fellas.

Leon:

-Leon became champion in the finals that Piers was beaten in. He bested the old champion and then met back up with Raihan, who became his friend over the course of his gym challenge. Raihan spoke of nothing but beating Leon and finding Piers. Leon wasn’t very familiar with Piers. They never really met.

-When Piers became Gym Leader, Leon was supposed to go congratulate him, but he was really busy. Raihan weaseled his way into his schedule and dragged him to Spikemuth. There, he met Piers and Raihan explained Piers’ experience from his parents (which Raihan found out about later on) to his situation with Marnie. Leon really began to feel sympathy.

-Leon attempted to become friends with Piers, and it worked to an extent (through Hop I suppose mostly). It wasn’t until much later that Piers and Leon would become good friends.

-They’ve always been on friendly terms, though.

-Bonus headcanon: When Leon became champion, he became very arrogant and distant from his family. Hop was born after he became champion and he wasn’t the best bro at first. He simmered down, though, and really began to bond with his family again.

Thanks for the ask! This one took a while to write because I hadn’t really thought of that.

#pokemon swsh #pokemon piers #pokemon marnie #pokemon milo #pokemon nessa #pokemon kabu #pokemon melony #pokemon opal #pokemon leon #ask #anon #tw abuse #tw neglect

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caffeinated-tater-art · 6 years ago

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Any fun new highkey telenovela AU thoughts? Or other AU ideas you have?

I’m gonna come clean, I have A LOT of highkey juliantina au feelings that im afraid that im just gonna word vomit all of it in a long ass fucking novel and I dont wanna subject yall in that drama ajksdhkaj but here some :

-Juliana and Valentina have known each other since they were young. Juliana is the kid who she would runaway with into the nearby spring and play there. She teaches Juliana how to swim but poor girl just cant get a hang of it. They would get dirty and muddy, but they dont care cos afternoons like that was an escape for both of them. An escape from Valentina’s castle of a house thats always empty and the quarrels and chaos that’s always present in Juliana’s home.

- when they both grew up, Vale became the house princess who has a natural talent in the winery business and Juliana worked in their fields. Their relationship remained close, but these idiots are in so deep in their bubble they didn’t notice theyre already inlove—- until Leon introduced the son of his compadre, Lucho to Valentina with obvious intention to pair them up. Juliana was not having this, but what can she do? Valentina is still technically Don Leon’s daughter and she’s just a farm girl… Valentina sees the immediate change in Juliana, the way she distances herself and how Juliana starts to refer to her as senorita, something Juliana never did before.

-Valentina does not like this distance so she tries to get her and Juliana alone somewhere to talk because she doesnt want to lose her ////bestfriend////.

-however, for some cosmic reason, Lucho always appears every time she and Juliana are trying to get private. Stealing her away and inviting her to some party saying that her papa would be thrilled to see them both there. Of course Vale cant say no if Leon is involved.

-A lot of people were invited at the party and Valentina and Lucho seems to be the talk of the crowd. It may be because of how Lucho wraps himself around Valentina like they’re a couple which would certainly rouse interest since both of them are children of the most influential families in the country.

-Valentina’s attention was definitely somewhere else so she excuses herself from the crowd and steps out of the garden. Just by the edge of the vineyard view, she sees Juliana, in a simple white summer dress, her soft dark hair was down and gently caressed by the soft summer nights breeze. She was stunning.

-Their eyes catch each other from across the room and for a moment, the room felt like it was just both of them. Valentina didnt even know that she was attending, but just seeing her there was more than enough to calm her mind.

-Upon finally seeing Valentina, Juliana can’t help but exhale, like she’s been holding her breath this whole time afraid to drown at the presence of all this people she doesnt know. Only Valentina can ease her like this.

-Until, Sergio reappears beside Juliana with two drinks in hand, a sly grin and puffed chest. ‘So, how am I doing so far as your date tonight?’

hahahahhahah I word vomited im sorry, as for another AU…think Juliantina but is starwars, Juliana is a rebel spy working to infiltrate a Sith temple where Valentina was being groomed to be a Sith lord. ((:

#juliantina #high key telenovela au #i word vomitted im sorry #i have a LOT #i havent answered some asks cos tis gonna be a long ass fic if I do #idk how to now make things short and fic sized #shoot me im sorry :(#i really ffng love this crack au tho ahwahhah #the transmigration is not a thing here so when belchino would not happen #leocobo wont happen too

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jake-marshall · 7 years ago

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Ace Attorney (obvs.), Rune Factory, Harvest Moon, what you know of the MCU

Doing this meme. ANswers under Cut

Ace AttorneyFavorite Male Character: Overall, Diego or Jake. But when I’m having a bad day, Fulbright B)Favorite Female Character: Our Lord and savior Mia FeyFavorite Het Ship: Welcome to jake-marshall.tumblr.com also known as Mia/Diego central. Jake/Angel and Maggey/Gumshoe are other faves.Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): In Black/Bright we trust! B) Also Klav/Daryan and the DADS (Datz/Dhurke). Juniper/Thena is my #1 F/F ship but Fran/Adrian and Metis/Aura are Good Shit (TM)Least Favorite Male Character/Least Favorite Female Character: There’s the obvious answers, villains like Kristoph, Gant, or Dahlia, but as for characters we’re supposed to like that I’m personally just not big on, Sebastian and Pearl. I don’t dislike them, I just don’t really have any investment or thoughts on them, and their storylines don’t really affect me the way other characters’ do.Least Favorite Het/Slash (both M/M and F/F) Ships: There’s a number of ships I just don’t like on their own merits, and then there’s a fair amount where I’m rather ambivalent, but am more turned off by the shippers’ behavior than the ship itself.

the ships above I have blacklisted because of a strong mixture of both reasons ^(Before anyone preaches at me that it’s up to me to control my own internet experience, I make it a point to keep my dash a happy place by not following/following back any blogs that post these ship; the tags are more for when I’m creeping through the character tags.)

Dirty Little Secret: Ummmm? Idk? I guess maybe that while the list of characters I find attractive is a short list, not every person on this list is public knowledge. Some are. But not all, and I’m going to keep it that way. No I don’t want to fuck Kristoph. Headcanons: I guess, some headcanons I have that are tied to canon, that I’m really fond of are a) Kristoph’s first trial being the trial where Dahlia is sentenced and b) Fulbright’s first few months on the force directly intersecting with the events that lead up to Turnabout ReminiscenceUnpopular Opinion: IDK? Maybe that I don’t h/c Edgeworth as gay? Or that I unapologetically like Diego/Godot, lol.Rune Factory:(I’m going to have to split my answers into different categories at some points, just based on the nature of the game, the context in which I play the game - that is, as a boy or a girl - affects my answer)Favorite Male Character: Hnnnghhhh. As an overall character, I think tbh Dylas has become my fave? But Vishnal won me over as best husbando.Favorite Female Character: THIS IS SO HARD there’s too many ;w; I really really love Margaret. But dating/marrying Karina was amazing, the amount of development she goes through.Favorite Het Ship: My favorite Protag het ship is RF4 female player character (Frey)/Vishnal, which I never expected until I played the female file on RF4... but I’m sort of a sucker for butler/maid + their “master” (as my next answers will cover). My favorite het ship out of the supporting cast is Gaius/Evelyn from RF3, they are SO CUTE I CAN’T.Favorite Slash Ship (Both M/M and F/F):I don’t really ship any of the male protags with any of the bachelors, but as for the female protag, I really like the idea of Frey/Forte. A princess and her knight. As for the supporting cast, I live a Dyldo appreciation life (they are hate-love done right) and as for F/F, I really like Electra/Maerwen from Tides of Destiny... the rich girl and her tsundere maid, lol.Least Favorite Male Character: Other than the big bad, Ethelberd, GOD, Jake from RF2...HGNNNHHH he’s just a dick? And racist lmao I mean I get it’s because of ~abandonment issues~ and that RF2 has some less than stellar writing but one would think he chills a bit with his hate-on for humans as he befriends you and/or marries Cecelia or Yue. NOPE. Least Favorite Female Character: I really found Collette from RF3 to be annoying, and not in an endearing way. :\Least Favorite Het Ship: Out of Protags, I don’t like Kyle/Mana from RF2, like, at all, mostly because it feels like the game forces it. Most of the RF/HM games have a “default” bachelorette that’s presented as the “Main” bachelorette of the game, plot-wise, but with Mana it’s just really not done well, from how you meet through the events. As for supporting cast ships, I’ve seen Leon/Forte from RF4 quite a bit and it just rubs me the wrong way. Probably because I don’t like Leon a lot but also, just... ships where one character perpetually teases the other and it’s supposed to be “flirting” just isn’t cool with me. I know Leon doesn’t mean to be malicious in his teasing but with Forte, I feel it’s not a good approach and I don’t think it makes them compatible in the least.Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Again, I don’t really have any preferences with the male protags and the male villagers, but one I particularly don’t like is Kyle/Barrett from RF2... mainly because I think Barrett and Dorothy are meant for each other but also, just... I feel it’s played as though Barrett’s animosity is just him covering his ~true feelings~ and lmfao that’s like... not at all? his character? It’s just not something that makes sense to me. I actually think all the female protag ships/female villager ships are cute enough; no preferences either way. OUt of the supporting cast, I know Forte/Margaret is popular and there’s nothing wrong with it, it just doesn’t click in that way for me.Dirty Little Secret: If I could personally marry any rune factory character... listen... I love Gordon. I love him so much. He is COMPLETELY my type, the noble bro. I don’t care if he’s like 50 and has two kids and is a priest. Headcanon(s): I guess this is a fairly popular headcanon within the fandom but I do think Zaid and Doug could be pretty closely related and I wish there were more RF games to explore more about the different Elf and Dwarf tribes.Unpopular Opinion: Shit, umm...I guess, I don’t think Rune Factory 4 is the best game for someone new to the franchise to start with. It’s the best game, by far, IMO but I think it is SO involved, so fleshed out that it could be insanely overwhelming.Harvest Moon:Favorite Male Character: Fffffffff so many. It’s so hard for me to pick between Vaughn (my first fave) and Owen (my #1 husbando). Gustafa is up there too.Favorite Female Character: Again, there’s so many wonderful ladies. Selena and Candace are opposite ends of the spectrum but both so amazing. I might be slightly more partial to Candace because...Favorite Het Ship: With the male protag, I adore Kasey/Candace. Female protag, Chelsea/Will was my first OTP and probably always will be. Out of the supporting cast/rivals, there’s too many to choose from, but Nami/Gustafa and Luke/Selena are so good. And honorary mention to Galen/Nina for breaking my goddamn heart.Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): I actually only have one slash ship with the protag, and that is Philip/Dirk from ToTT but GOD DO i SHIP IT HARD. Out of the villagers, I can’t resist Luke/Owen for M/M and Gina/Dia (again, rich girl and her maid).Least Favorite Male Character: Buhhhhh Chase. I mean he’s just an ass. I feel like Neil from ANB is way ruder, and Rock from AWL/DS is just a complete fuckboy, but I’ve played ToT/AP so much that Chase sticks out to me the most.Least Favorite Female Character: There’s a lot of boring female characters tbh :| Elli comes to mind. Ellen, Renee, Celia... lol a lot of the girls with short brown hair, apparently.Least Favorite Het Ship: I mean as far as Protag ships, none of them I absolutely hate. I don’t really like any protag pairings with a candidate who appears in a future game (example, Gretel/Amir in Grand Bazaar, when Amir later appears in ANB as an eligible bachelor), because to me it seems like the person left your protag in the preceding game, lol.

As for rival pairings, LOOK I LOVEEEE Julius - honestly, he’s one of the better husbandos in ToT/AP - but Julius/Candace pisses me off so much. He bullied her to the point that she has no self-esteem, and then he’s all like WHUPS MY BAD I DID IT BECAUSE I LIKE YOU, well TOUGH SHIT JULIUS. CANDACE DON’T OWE YOU ANYTHING. I really like them becoming friends, repairing the damage Julius did, but I feel pairing them together is Candace “settling”, not to mention it’s basically saying Julius was okay for doing what he did, and that’s not fair to either of them.

Least Favorite Slash Ship: (Both M/M and F/F): for protags, Mark/Vaughn from IoH/SI just because I absolutely can not see Vaughn being interested in men, lol. Plus it’s usually just written as a gay version of Chelsea/Vaughn which is, by and large, also poorly done. For villagers/rivals - I really do not get Chase/Gill. At all. They’re both cynical and socially stunted in their own ways and I just think they’re too much alike for a relationship to be of any benefit to them?Dirty Little Secret: I don’t really have one when it comes to HM?Headcanon(s): Maybe they state otherwise in Story of Seasons (which I haven’t played, but Cam and Reina left Bluebell/Konohana partly because of not wanting to deal with Ash’s drama anymore, lol.Also, Neil is Vaughn and Gwen’s son. No, I mean I could see it physically but that would imply Vaughn is a shitty father lol.Unpopular Opinion: Save the Homeland is a great game? Idk I’ve only played a little bit of it and it gets a bad knock because you can’t marry in it but it has some of the better plotlines out of the whole series and is compulsively replayable.MCU (or, my limited knowledge of MCU):Favorite Male Character: You Only Loki Once. >:3 Favorite Female Character: Peggy freakin’ Carter Favorite Het Ship: Steggy /clutches heart/Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Stucky!!! I haven’t seen enough movies to have a F/F ship, tbh.Least Favorite Male Character: Other than the baddies, idk, I don’t really have any feelings towards Hulk/Bruce Banner. Of course that could change if I see more movies.Least Favorite Female Character: Not really a fan of Darcy.Least Favorite Het Ship: Again, I don’t really know much about their characters, but Bruce/Natasha isn’t something I care about one way or the other.Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): I can’t believe I can’t just say “Other than Incest” but this one is so popular and the fact that people DON’T consider it incest should tell you exactly why I loathe it so much: Thor/Loki F/F, again, I got nothing.Dirty Little Secret: I don’t know? This isn��t really a secret I guess but I cried EXCESSIVELY to my counselor over Falcon after seeing TWS for the first time.Headcanon(s): Not sure I have any? I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about them for these characters.Unpopular Opinion: Hmmmm. Even though I really love Cap, I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily “team Cap” in the whole Civil War thing. From what I understand, Tony seemed to become more hated by Cap Fans (someone correct me if I’m wrong) but I came away after CA:CW surprised at how much I really did not hate him at all and understood his side of things.

Thanks for the ask, Holly!

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randomidiocyncrazies · 5 years ago

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Future Foundation: Danganronpa -IF-

lmao i’m wading back into the Danganronpa fandom after literal years, and i just crave fic of the DR1 kids interacting with Future Foundation after the events of Danganronpa IF? I kinda assume they get picked up by the FF shortly after getting out? iirc Kizakura was in a squad on the front lines trying to rescue them. idk if ppl would know to mount a rescue at HPA w/o the killing game actually happening, but since Jin Kirigiri still gets executed I think a rescue attempt makes sense.

(this follows Mukuro’s characterization from Danganronpa IF, in which she’s a lot more sympathetic than her portrayal in DR3. spoilers for Danganronpa, Danganronpa IF, and Danganronpa 3)

So since FF was camped out near Hope's Peak, Mukuro would have to run before she gets apprehended by the FF—like sure, she’s prepared to accept her punishment for causing The Tragedy, but she also wants to take Junko down with her own hands... and the FF radical faction will definitely execute her w/o a trial on the spot if they get a hold of her, especially since she’s dressed up as Junko.

Even if FF agents believe she’s not actually Junko, since Yukizome’s still brainwashed, the manipulation of Munakata (and by extension Sakakura, not that he needs much encouragement) to take extreme violent action will be a major obstacle here. As much as I want drama between the class 74 trio and class 78 regarding Mukuro’s possible fate, I think reasons for Mukuro’s capture instead of immediate death are pretty weak? I’d wager that even the moderate faction in FF thinks she should be killed immediately, being the former right-hand woman to the mastermind thus too dangerous to keep alive. (Again: SHE’S DRESSED UP AS JUNKO WHEN THEY LEAVE THE SCHOOL.) In order to take Junko down in what was implied to be a mutually assured destruction maneuver, Mukuro probably separates from class 78 immediately after leaving the school grounds and stalks keeps an eye on them from a distance, Naegi especially, between working out a plan to confront Junko.

(like, i guess class 78/the moderates could argue that as Junko’s right-hand woman, Mukuro has insight into the mastermind’s plans that nobody else has? but I’m not sure if the radical faction is willing to listen, esp since there’s no way to ensure she’s not feeding them false info... maybe a combination of Kimura’s truth serum and the reassurance from the moderates that she’ll be executed as soon as they got the necessary info out of her would stay the radical faction’s hand for now??? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I can see Yukizome letting Mukuro go if FF has custody of her, assuming she thinks Mukuro is still loyal to Ultimate Despair and foiling the class 78 killing game is part of a long con, with the added benefit of pushing Munakata further along an extremist stance and further destabilizing FF leadership. if she thinks Mukuro had truly defected to the side of hope, i think she’d 1) try to kill Mukuro, or more likely 2) commit suicide/grievous self-harm and frame Mukuro for it, thus ensuring Munakata & Sakakura would devote their resources to wipe out Mukuro and anyone associated with her. Also, independent of what Yukizome planned, Sakakura would want the job of personally ending Mukuro, but he’d be fine with waiting until her interrogation is complete as long as that’s what Munakata wants.)

OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT, the potential interaction between Mukuro & Yukizome was too good to pass up, considering Mukuro was the one who helped brainwashed Yukizome into Despair in the first place... if there’s a way for Yukizometo be saved and cured of brainwashing, it’d probably have to come from Mukuro, since there’s no reason to suspect Yukizome otherwise (which means she wouldn’t get found out/cured). does Munakata change his tune re: rehabilitation once Yukizome was proven to be a Remnant? or does he break from the knowledge that he never once suspected the woman he loves is an agent of Despair (the real Yukizome essentially ‘died’ ~a year ago, the thing wearing her body is, for all purposes, a stranger)? For Sakakura, he has to contend with the fact that he didn’t notice anything wrong with one of his (very few) best friends, and he’d see it as his fault that the real Chisa is ‘gone’, b/c he let Junko go (nevermind that Junko would’ve killed/brainwashed him and/or Munakata instead if he refused to comply)

like, Yukizome had only been brainwashed for a little more than a year (2 years at most) by this point, so she had less time to manipulate Munakata and Tengen, and Munakata seemed fairly reasonable in Despair Arc... so maybe it won’t be that hard to convince him to give the Neo World Program a try, as an attempt to cure her. (on the other hand, think of all the drama if Munakata snapped and decides that Yukizome must die since she’s an agent of Despair, regardless of how she got that way, and Sakakura is visibly conflicted about this order because there’s hope for rehabilitation, but ultimately moves in for the kill as per Munakata’s orders... the class 74 trio makes me sad haha)

(either way Mukuro does not make it out of this version of events alive, if she’s apprehended by FF—best scenario she takes out Junko and goes down with her, but she’s more likely executed by FF for crimes against humanity after her interrogation, or killed by individuals bearing a grudge. i guess there’s a version of this where FF believes she had atoned sufficiently to warrant life-long imprisonment instead of execution, so she has a chance of survival, but it’s a very very very long shot imo. Best way to make sure Mukuro remains in play is to have her leave class 78 before they encounter FF.)

Now for the other DR1 kids...

the IF timeline had Makoto regain his memories and tell the others, but Kirigiri’s memories were tampered with even more extensively than the rest, though at least Mukuro had told her what her talent is—Kizakura has to deal with the realization that Kyouko 1) is still angry at her father because their reconciliation had been wiped from her memory and 2) she has no idea who Kizakura is. I think Kirigiri would join the FF and work in Kizakura’s branch at his insistence so he can keep and eye on her for Jin, eventually winding up in the special investigations unit under Sakakura (lmao).

(on a happier note, at least the DR1 kids and FF know it’s possible to regain their memories—maybe a variation of the Neo World Program could help with that too? kinda slow going since they don’t have Matsuda’s knowledge tho)

Assuming all the DR1 kids join up with the Future Foundation (FF would actively try to recruit them, both because they’re symbols of hope but also because they want to keep an eye on them to find out more about the mastermind):

Naegi: since he’s the one who regained his memory and convinced Mukuro to switch sides, he’d be a person of interest for sure. the conflict between him and the radical faction is on some level still about their methods and ideologies about hope, but there’s also the fact that they find him incredibly suspicious (esp with Yukizome’s subtle encouragement). Why is he the only one who regained his memories? How did he convince Mukuro, the second-in-command, to betray Junko? How do they know he’s not Junko’s spy, etc etc. most likely in FF custody as an intern, assigned to 14th division (public relations) after he’s been thoroughly vetted

Ishimaru: enthusiastic to join, because helping to restore peace and order is 100% his thing! likely to be assigned to 2nd division (day-to-day operations of FF, peacekeeping, facilities etc) imo. the one to deal with Mondo for facility plans. his goal is to get into the 1st division (overall direction and leadership of FF)

Fukawa: extremely reluctant, and it didn’t take long for FF to discover Syo, which complicates matters. she’s technically in FF custody as an intern because of Syo’s unpredictability and the danger she presents. as Fukawa she would’ve been placed in the 10th division (education and culture revival), but as Syo she’s most likely involved as a field agent for 14th or tester for the 9th (weapons R&D)

Sayaka: initially only joins up because FF promised to help her look for her idol friends and keep them safe, tho she later sees her position as an important one to bring hope and happiness to people (which was part of her goal to be an idol). assigned to the 14th division and involved in certain projects from the 10th as well

Leon: i think he’s a little reluctant in the beginning. probably requests to be assigned to the 14th with Sayaka—because the division more or less serves as the public face of FF for the general populace (path to achieving stardom/popularity), and he wants to protect Sayaka (tho i can see it being awkward when she confesses to plotting his murder in the killing game), plus his athleticism could come in handy for field missions imo. if his relationship with Sayaka is too strained following her confession, I can also see him in a division that interacts with the general populace like the 13th (front-line aid and relief)

Yamada: the relative security and prestige of being in FF appeals to him. assigned to the 10th division due to his extensive knowledge in different entertainment media. clashes with Mitarai on individual opinions, but they have similar worldviews and are in sync with each other when push comes to shove

Asahina: given her personality i think she’d be eager to help rebuilding the world. probably joins the 13th division like in canon, and worries about Sakura (who’s in the 6th and encounters supporters of Despair often).

Chihiro: would be willing to join, especially once they know how much their expertise could help the world, and especially if approached by Gekkougahara to help class 78 regain their memories via another take on the Neo World Program. there’s also the mystery of why Monokuma’s system looks like their work... 7th division (tech & software security and development) is perfect for them

Kirigiri: as mentioned above, i think began her career under Kizakura in 3rd division (HR and recruitment) but joins 6th division (policing, investigative force) in the special investigations unit afterwards. she’d be interested to join FF and conduct her own investigations pretty much right off the bat imo.

Mondo: reluctant, but willing to join if FF can locate the Crazy Diamonds/keep them safe. assigned to the 6th for his brawling skills and willingness to engage in violence, but later requests to be placed in 12th division (infrastructure restoration) because he’s tired of destroying shit, and it’s a huge problem for him when he had to go up against female Remnants/despair junkies during his time with the 6th. the one who primarily deals with Ishimaru when 12th and 2nd division interact for plans to expand FF facilities

Sakura: assuming Monokuma already approached her to be the mole before the DR1 kids escaped in IF, she’d want to tell the FF what she knows about the mastermind and make up for accepting the offer back then. probably joins 6th division (specifically, the policing unit) under Sakakura (y’know how Sakakura loathes Naegi for being the one to defeat Junko in canon? he’s probably envious of Sakura for ultimately being able to defy her while he couldn’t. but because Junko is still alive as a target to be taken down here, i think don’t he's quite as resentful of Sakura, tho still incredibly petty. also i just think the Sakakura-Sakura connection of being physical powerhouses who were blackmailed by the big bad really neat! both also had/have difficulty with romantic love—Sakura thought it was embarrassing for her as a fighter to have tender feelings before her LI convinced her otherwise, while Sakakura is dealing with homophobia and the fact that the guy he’s in love with is already involved with his other best friend, who he cares a lot about as well)

Togami: I can see him joining in order to use FF resources to rebuild the Togami conglomerate after he finds out it had been taken over + destroyed by the impostor, so from Togami’s PoV it’s a business arrangement. most likely joins 14th (like Sayaka he knows how to work a crowd) but i can see him in 3rd as well, though probably not when they need to make nice with potential recruits

Hagakure: he’d stay as long as it looks like FF is the safest place to be... assigned to 14th, same as canon?

Celes: being a member of FF comes with its own prestige, but even then it takes a lot of negotiation to convince her to stay. I think she’d be intrigued by the 5th division (intelligence and espionage), which puts her in contact with brainwashed!Branch leader Yukizome...

#danganronpa #danganronpa 3 #dangan ronpa #dangan ronpa 3 #DR spoilers #DR3 spoilers #DR3 #DR1 #Future Foundation: Daganronpa -IF- AU #pls... i want all the DR1 kids to interact with the Future Foundation...#(i want the DR1 kids to survive)#(i want Yukizome be not be brainwashed anymore........)#ric writes #FFDRIF #long post

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vacantgestures · 6 years ago

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Ascendant Recollection :CH 03:

Franchise: Kingdom Hearts

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama

Love Interest: Riku

Rating: Teen

The gang makes their way to a new world, filled with ups and downs. Still that’s the least of their problems, as the aforementioned underlying force from Yukari’s dreams, posses a new threat.

I quietly slinked into the cockpit and took a seat, in the fourth empty chair, next to an unmanned console labeled "Teeny Fighter Controls." The boys hadn't immediately noticed when I came in as, they chattered away. Although Sora seemed to be more or less, listening then having been fully involved in their conversation. He was mostly looking about, taking in all the buttons and switches, and the view of space that hung over our heads, as the cock pit allowed a full 360 view. Amidst his ogling, he seemed to catch me sulking in my seat as when I looked up, he was there on his haunches, resting his chin on the arm rest.

"You okay?" He asked with big, eyes.

"Uh huh..." I responded half-heartedly, as I pulled my knees into my chest on the chair.

"Well... How was your ten minute nap?" Sora supplied. "I thought you were tired."

It was very clear I was in a mood. It was even more clear that Sora was trying get me to talk. In all Honesty, I truly wanted to say something-- to everyone, but I still wasn't... confident, I guess, about how factual the dreams were. I mean, yes, they seemed incredibly detrimental to share at this point, but how was I supposed to say to a bunch of strangers, and Sora, that I could see things while I slept? I mean, I'd been having these dreams for the length of several months, and only now was the crazy stuff coming to life.

Maybe I should wait.

"You think... Riku and Kairi are together, like we are?" I asked. I wanted so badly to talk about the point in my dream about where I'd seen Riku, but I held back. Besides, I wasn't even sure if everything was legit yet. And if they were... there where was Kairi?

"Hmm..." For a moment, Sora hummed in thought. His half lidded eyes contemplated endless possibilities in a matter of seconds. "Maybe." He finally said. "I mean, it's hard to say for sure at this point. We've ran into some pretty crazy things, but we also met nice people."

"More or less..." I said, recounting the fact, that Leon thought it was a good idea to beat up kids over holding a civil chat.

"And you and me turned out to be Keyblade wielders!"

"Sworn protectors of the world with endless opportunities of death at every turn." I remarked sarcastically.

"They're bound to be just as well off as we are! Who knows, maybe even better."

I looked down in to his deep blue eyes the sparkled with excitement. For a moment, we shared a small grin, delighting in the fact that we could still hope that our friends were in good health where ever they may be.

Yet still... I couldn't help but feel guilty about not sharing what I'd managed to learn.

I bit my lip as I prepared myself to speak. "Sora... I've been meaning to tell you that I-"

"We've come across a new world!!" I little voices boomed from all around it. It took a minute for me to gather that it had been chip's voice coming from the intercom that was connected throughout the ship.

"Convenient..." I grumbled.

"Great!" Donald exclaimed, as I watched him hit a series of buttons before realizing he'd thrown the ship into a state of rest. "Let's head out immediately."

I watched as he and Goofy made their way out of the cock pit, confident we'd follow.

"Sweet!" Sora exclaimed, rising from his spot next to me.

I frowned, yet still felt a bit of relief as I stood up and hesitantly followed the boys down to the air lock.

The four of us huddled together around the exit. Donald felt the need to wait until this moment, to lay down a few ground rules.

"Alright." He announced. "Before we head out-- something the two of you need to be aware, of, as Keyblade wielders. Protecting the balance and fighting monsters is a pretty big job. But, one thing to make absolutely clear is that you-- under no circumstances, tell anyone you are from off world."

"Why not?" Sora asked.

"To protect the borders of the world!" Goofy stated confidently, grinning as he stuck a finger in the air.

"That's 'Oders' of the world, you dimwit!" Donald corrected

"But that very order is being disrupted by the Heartless, isn't it?" I asked thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure the whatever world we go to, has already run the risk of having its whole state of peace of coherence pretty much thrown out the windows."

"Which is why, stating the fact of us being off worlders, will make an even bigger mess of things." Donald, agreed. I watched as he moved to unlock the hatch. "It's pertinent that we keep business on a need to know basis."

As he swung the door open, we were met by and impressive light show of energy the swarmed around the outside of the ship. A force field maybe? I watched as Donald and Goofy neared the exit, peering carefully outside.

"Now, we're about to set foot on new ground." Donald informed turning back to look at us. "One thing to note is that you, under no circumstances, jump the air lock. Once we get down there, let's make sure to stick together, got it?."

Sora and I nodded, wordlessly.

"Alright. Let's get to it." Donald said, as he and Goofy step foot outside the ship.

For a terrifying moment, I was led to believe, that these two were completely nuts as they had leaped to their deaths.

Sora and I rushed to the exit to catch a glimpse of our new friends, go plummeting to their doom. Yet, once there we found no sight of them. They'd completely vanished.

For a moment, we stood with expressions mixed with awe, horror and confusion-- completely unsure of what to think.

"Do you think..." I finally asked.

"Only one way to find out!" Sora shouted, taking a few steps back.

"Wait a minute, you aren't thinking of-- Sora, no!" I tried to stop him.

"Here I gooo!! Augh!"

As Sora got off to a bit of a running start, he'd accidently shoved me half way through the exit, sending me dangling over the side. Noticing his mistake, he tried to somehow stop himself, as he reached out to make a grab at me. But he'd been much too late, as he'd sunk into the light that buzzed around the ship.

Breathless, I found myself, once again gripped by fear, as I fumbled to try and keep myself from falling in, as well. But I was hardly holding on by the pads of my fingertips as I slipped and fell away from air lock and into the bright light, screaming for my life.

Kingdom Hearts: Ascendant Recollection

Chapter 03

A Wonderland Deception

On top of the weird tingling and the slight dizziness from light travel, it was a weird experience to say the least. Getting zapped down to a new world, would have actually been quite exhilarating had it not included falling through an thicket of trees, and smashing my face into just about every single one. When I hit the ground, the loud thud of my head against the thick trunk, almost dulled out the sound of a little girl screaming in fright.

I was starting to have a real bad relationship with trees at this point.

Sitting up, I rubbed the back of my head, and blinked the black dots out of my eyes. Slowly my vision began to clear and the image of a blond girl, in a plain blue dress around maybe... eight to ten years old fazed into being. She looked at me with big black eyes. Her body language was apprehensive. She seemed just about ready to run.

But... and you know I was probably losing my mind at this point from all the concussions I was getting and what not-- but this girl... actually seemed incredibly... small!

She stood near the sole of my sneaker, blinking fearfully up at me. I wasn't able to really tell, but in comparison to her, I was at a height much larger than the clock tower back at Traverse Town. She was probably no bigger than my pinky.

"Oh! I had no idea you--- How--? You’re so tiny! I didn't even see you! "I stammered over my words apologetically, feeling frantic about not having seen her. I could have squished the little girl, and never have known!

"It's not that I'm small, but perhaps, that you still seem to be quite tall."

"Still?" I asked. "You mean I should have shrunk before I got here?"

The girl nodded. "Was that not clear? That door knob specially stated to, sip the drink so you could shrink."

"Ah..." I paused for a moment, rubbing my head once again. Bad enough I had to keep up with this girl's rhymes, but I had no idea what door she was talking about.

Coming to think of it, I'd landed in some thicket, alone, without my team. I'm supposing, Sora's fancy summersault out the airlock, left nasty effects for me and my crash landing, alone in the new world.

"Well how do I get to your size?" I asked.

"The shrooms, that around here, loom. Tall they are, but bland tasting treats. They'll help you shrink if you attempt to eat."

I glanced around once again and realized that the trees, I'd come crashing through were indeed not trees, but mushrooms in which the girl had pointed out. In fact, this hadn't been the oddest, thing as I began to truly survey my surroundings. I sat in what I could only assume was more like great expanse of a possible field. Along with mushrooms, enormous blades of grass shot hundreds of thousands of feet in the air. The base of a giant tree trunk loomed so high in up, that it faded out of existence-- or at least just so, that I couldn't make any part of it out from where I sat with my size. I almost got tunnel vision when a gargantuan butterfly swooped down and picked up such a great wind that It tussled my hair.

Turns out, that I wasn't the biggest thing here. Great...

I looked back down at Alice, nearly shaking from the sheer disbelief of this world's capacity. I don't think I'd have too much trouble keeping the world order intact, here.

I turned to find a mushroom, at my height. Gripping it in my hand, I ran a thumb over it, feeling for the texture. It was a boring, unexpecting looking mushroom. It was almost impossible to believe that it would make me shrink.

"One bite?" I asked, looking down at the girl.

"That's right!" The girl nodded

Hesitantly, I pulled a small piece from the thing just to test its flavor. I wasn't keen on putting foreign plants into my mouth. Mushrooms were fine, but magical ones from other worlds??

Carefully setting the small piece on my tongue I, bit down and met a chewy texture I really had no tolerance for. I would have spat it out had I not felt obligated to grow smaller. Continuing to process the chewy plant in my teeth, I swallowed and quickly began to feel the effects.

At first my stomach bubbled before bursting into a fit of Butterflies. And before I knew it, the world around me increased in size and I went plummeting, once against, towards the dirt, right at the girl's feet.

I groaned, sick of the falling.

"Are you alright?" The girl asked.

"Quite..." I said with a bit of a cheeky grin, standing and brushing the dirt from my clothes. "So... I'm sorry to bother you but, I'm a bit lost. I was kind of here with my friends, but I've gotten separated from them somehow. Have you by any chance seen a boy with brown hair, dressed in red, come through here-- or anyone for that matter?"

"I wish I could say but, I've been alone this whole day." The girl said, with a droopy frown. "In fact, a little white rabbit is what I'm in search for. But the Cheshire cat failed to give a proper tour. So, now I'm quite lost in this maze. It feels less like hours and more like days. And worst still... the creatures with their odd features. I've been out running them for a while. Although, I haven't seen them in the last mile."

Quickly deciphering her poetry speak, I noted that this girl had been thrown into a pretty odd predicament herself. She was in a place she wasn't familiar with and was searching for white rabbit, she'd most likely lost multiple times. Some... cat gave her bad directions and now she was here in this ticket, alone. I had to presume that the creatures she referred to were Heartless.

"Well... I don't mind tagging along to keep you safe from the creatures. We can search together to we find who we're both looking for."

"Sure!" The girl cheered, clapping her hands and twirling about, excitedly. "Oh! By the way, how do you do? My name is Alice, and you?"

"I'm Yukari." I nodded, glancing about the path. "Ah...Which way do we... "

"Follow me."

On recommendation, I followed Alice diaper into the thicket of enormous shrooms and towering blades of grass. The expansive dirt, crunched softly beneath our feet as we walked. For a good while, the walk had been far from eventful so, I supplemented the silence for a bit of chatter. I asked plenty of questions, allowing Alice to do the majority of talking. At the same time, my mind began to drift away.

I wondered where my party could have turned up and if we'd meet at any point during this visit. I was so... small in the world, it was almost mind shattering. I tried not to think too deeply about it when we passed enormous insects and a bed of rude and pretentious flowers, that hung over our heads, and prodded over our appearances.

The wandering came to an end, when our surroundings began to shift from lush vegetation, to a manicured hedge maze. The sound of men, singing a light hearted tune, hung in the air, and I couldn’t help but notice a strange shift in the artificial sky that boxed in over my head. Sure it was bright and blue, but there was something incredibly off about the place.

"This way, perhaps!" Alice shouted excitedly as she made a sharp turn around a wall of hedge.

"Hey, wait!" I called, chasing after her. "It could be danger...ous..."

My words trailed off as I ogled at what lay before me.

"I... must have completely lost my mind..." I said under my breath as I watched Alice, merrily joined in with what appeared to be a group of... card men.

When I say, card men, I actually mean, they were literally people made of playing cards. Their bodies were a tall length of Bristol paper, decorated with spades, respective to their number. They heads, hands, and feet were all spades as well. I marvel with confused amazement at their incredible articulation, as they bent and jumped and danced around. All the while I noticed they been holding paint brushes, dripping wet with red paint. I watched as they messily slapped the paint onto what appeared to be white paper roses that sat, elegantly folded within the beautifully treated, trees that had been forced to grow into the appearance of spades.

The faint, musical number floated about the small clearing, bringing life to the artificial beauty around me. I almost settled into the mood when loud yelled, tore into my ears.

"WHO'S BEEN PAITING MY ROSES RED!?!?"

My soul nearly left my body, I had been so scared.

The three card men, leapt from their tree and scrambled about the placed until they had the neat idea of stacking themselves together, to hide their presence. Alice, afraid of the disembodied voice, just like the rest of us, had run to my side and cowered behind me.

I did say I'd keep her safe, didn’t I?

The world began to shake as, aggravated stomping came from the exit, opposite of the way Alice and I came in. An enormous, menacing shadow, creeped slowly into view from over the hedge's height. I could feel Alice's grip on my arm tighten. My breath got stuck in my throat as I stood there. I was somehow more afraid of whatever the consequence of painting roses red, than the actual... thing... that was advancing.

"WHHOOOO WAS IT!!??" The voice demanded once more.

From the darkness, the figure emerge and stared wide eyed as a plump, round woman dressed in a regal red and black umbrella dress loomed above us. She had puffy sleeves and a raised collar, that seemed particularly pointed. Her big pudgy face was red with rage. Her hair was a tangled mess that seem more aggravated by her mood than anything. Atop her had sat an itty bitty crown that was barely holding its own.

A legion of card men, came trucking into the scene on either side of this women. Seemingly very aware of the culprits, they surrounded the three card men who'd made a poor attempt to hide. Ripping them a part, they were dragged over towards the angry woman and thrown down in front of her.

"YOU THREE!!" The woman, exclaimed, loudly, pointing her small, chubby finger in the direction of the guilty party. "WHO!! Painted My Roses Red??!"

I watched, completely paralyzed as the cards tried their hardest to hide amongst each other, shifting the blame and pointing fingers before finally giving up and admitting to their actions. "W-we did Your Highness." One of them said. "We thought you might... like them r-red."

"Oh? So you did, did you?" The queen asked. Suddenly her beast like features vanished, as she reverted into a friendlier version of herself. But this was short lived as she immediately resumed shouting. "Who Told You, You Could Don't Such A Thing!? OOOF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!"

On que, red card soldiers emerged to take away the perpetrators, who were dragged away sobbing and begging for mercy, perhaps, never to be seen again. I clamped my molars tightly against each other when the angry peach of a women, stepped in front of me. Her face was serene, almost as if she was enjoying a cool summer breeze.

"And Who... might you two be?" She asked. She had that gentle tone in her voice that heavily hinted on apprehensive.

"Alice..."/"Yukari"

Both of us spoke together, afraid that hesitation would get us killed.

The woman... or I supposed I should call her the Queen, eyed us as though we were mere, ugly looking ants. I could feel Alice shaking as she gripped my arm tighter. I would have been too if I hadn't been trying to figure out where to look, out of the lady's royal respect. So I kept my eyes strained on the perfectly trimmed grass beneath my feet.

"Perhaps you already know this, but in case you might need a refresher, I am The Queen of Hearts. And I hereby dub you two guilty of treason."

My stomach lurched from where it had been lodged in my throat. "Tr-treason??" I blurted out.

"Cards!" The Queen shouted. "Take them away!!"

Panic filled me, as my eyes darted frantically about at the card soldiers that closed in on me. I turned, looking for Alice who'd already been grabbed up. She screamed and pleaded while struggling to get free.

"No, no, no! Let me go!!" Alice squealed over the hollering and thrashing.

"Alice!" I shouted. I would have rushed to her aid but, I was grabbed up by a few of the card soldiers. Surprisingly, they were stronger than I presumed, and their grip on we was uncomfortably tight.

I turned my head to search for the Queen who'd put us in this predicament.

"Please!!" I shouted. "We haven't done anything! Let alone commit treason!! Let us go so we can explain ourselves."

"SILENCE!!" The Queen shouted, exploding int a fit of red rage!! "The two of you appear, suspect, as those who've attempt the theft upon my heart!!"

"What?!-- Augh!" I was yanked back by one of the card soldiers, that was trying to now bind my wrist. “No!" I shouted. "I-isn't there a sort of trial or something!?! To prove our innocence."

I watched, as the Queen stared over me, her anger slowly dissipating. Her expression was quickly replaced with that of contemplation.

"STOOPPP!!" She yelled, suddenly.

And everything ceased.

The cards that succeeded in binding my hands, held me by my arms, and shoulders so I wouldn’t escape. I looked for Alice who looking up at the queen with a horror stricken face.

"Indeed." The woman, said as a devious grin slowly grew onto her face. "A trial, of course. It's only way. I'll hear your plea, but then it's OOOOOOOOOOF WITH YOU HEADS!!!"

Seemingly used to this sort of behavior, the cards knew exactly what to do. They took no time in shoveling Alice and I out of the clearing, past the maze. It didn't take long before we were roughly ushered into an "open air" court room, existing within the hidden recesses of the hedge garden.

Even as artificial as the hedge maze was, there still managed to be something regal in the appearance of the "room." An enormous long, red rug with gold trim laid, through the center of the area. It looked like a normal court room with jury and judge panel. There was the witness and defendant stands and everything. The only issue was, no one was around.

As Alice and I stood at our spread podiums near each other, I could already feel that this was going to go horribly for the two of us. The Queen sat as the judge, reclining happily in her chair. What we were waiting for, I had no clue at the time, but soon found out when a nervous looking rabbit came running into the scene.

"It's him!" Alice whispered to me, almost excitedly.

I watched as a white rabbit dressed in an a red outfit of puffed sleeves and fancy frilled collar darted up the spiral of stairs that wrapped up around tall pedestal, likely made just for him. Once at the top, the rabbit drew out a horn, and inhaled sharply before blowing out a sort of commencement tune, that settled over the court room.

"Court... is now in session..."The rabbit said, in between labored breaths. I watched as he wiped his brow with a handkerchief and stood silently at the ready.

"These two are the culprits!" Accused the queen, promptly starting the meeting, cutting straight to the chase. She aimed her little gavel at the two of us, waving it back and forth, from me to Alice. "There's no doubt about it. And the reason why? Because I say so, That's Why?"

"Why, this meeting is absolutely flawed!!" Alice cried out, stamping her little foot in protest. "Neither she nor I have done anything wrong!! I don't know whether or not, you're truly Queen. But, I've never seen someone so self and... and so mean!"

The Queen let go a very exaggerated gasp, placing a hand at her chest. I glanced about me as the card soldiers all around came undone and started to low-key panic from where they stood. I could only assume what was about to unfold as I turned back to the Queen of Hearts, now ready to fight my way out of the situation if I had to.

"You dare defy me?!?! Both of you are guilty!!! Guilty of the theft upon the heart of Queen of Hearts!! OOOOFFFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!"

The card soldiers leapt into action, moving faster than I could think. They yanked and pulled at my hair and arms, struggling to force me into submission.

"No, No!! Oh, Please!" Alice squealed, as they closed in around her.

"Hold it right there!!" A voice bolted through the air, like a rooster breaking the silence of dawn.

Raking my head free from the grip of one of the card soldiers, I found Sora barging into the court yard, with Donald and Goofy immediately behind him.

"You Dare Interfere With The Proceeding Of This Court!?" The Queen hollered. Her temper completely dissipated at this point. "Manner less! The Lot of You!!"

"Just wait a minute. We know who the culprits really are!" Sora declared.

"Yeah!! It was the Heartle--" Goofy began to speak, but quickly covered his mouth, realizing he'd almost said too much.

"Hogwash!!" The Queen spat. "You couldn't possibly know what you're talking of, lad. Have you, any proof?"

"Well... uh..." This was where Sora's 'planning' went south. I assumed he brashly rushed in to save the two of us, but with no forethought.

"Very well." The Queen hissed, as she glared infernos in the party's direction. Her nostrils flared aggressively and, it almost looked like steam was spewing out of her ears. "I shall humor your claim. Bring me evidence of these girls' innocence. Fail and it's Off With All Your Heads!!"

At this, the card soldiers, roughly picked both Alice and I off of the ground and shoved us into a cage.

"Until your investigations are through, the Court is adjourned!"

The slam of the gavel marked the definitive end of the session. I could truly feel the harrowing sensation of our predicament, when the boys approached Alice and my, engagement.

"Yukari, where on earth have you been this entire time??" Sora asked, keeping his voice level.

"I'm going to assume it has something to do with my... erm... rough exit." I said, eluding to the events prior without dropping any hints of our being aliens to this world. "I've been here probably just as long as you but, got... 'turned around' a bit." I punctuated my statement with air quotes.

"Well this is a fine mess." Donald said rubbing his temples. "This is what happens when you meddle in the affairs of other worlds. Now what are we supposed to do about... all of this?"

"Hey, I hardly did anything." I snapped a bit, keeping my voice low. "But Queenie up there is impulsive. She does what she pleases, and I for one can't be so sure, that even if you find your evidence, she'll let us go."

"Indeed." Alice whispered, standing next to me at the bars. "It would be a far cry to believe she'd hear it if you plead."

"Oh--" Sora seemed a bit thrown. "I know it seems a bit hapless, but we're definitely going to get you guys out of here. Don't you fret."

"Not at all. With Yukari here, I feel I've got a lot of gall." Alice smiled.

Her faith in me was shocking, considering I couldn't help her escape the Queen's wrath. I suppose it's more to do with my keeping her company than anything else.

"We've just got one problem.” Goofy interjected. “We don't even know where to start looking for any proof."

"There does in yonder woods, reside the Cheshire Cat." Alice suggested. "Do seek him out and ask him where this proof is at."

I realized, Alice had spoken of him before. But, the way she did so made me think he might have been a bit misleading. I would have debated if that were a good idea or not. But before I could speak, the Card that stood guard next to the cage seemed to grow irritated, at our discussion.

"Enough talking already! Get a move on.

Sora gave me one last, worrisome glance before the party strode away.

I sighed as I plopped myself down near the back of the cage. Pulling my knees into my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and tried to keep my through from souring. I watched as Alice took a seat as well, elegantly sitting mermaid style as she clasped her hands into her laps. The look on her face was troubled, which made me feel worse.

"I'm sorry about this mess." I said. "But those guys were my friends. I trust they'll definitely help us out of here."

Alice shook her head. I took it she didn't blame me, considering how we got here. "Of course you aren't to blame. Yet even with your friends help, I'm worried all the same. Without you here, I'm sure I'd have much more to fear..."

I nodded, resting my chin against my knees as the two of us patiently waited for the boys to returned. We settled into the quiet, not wanting to draw more attention to our situation. It wasn't even long, before Heartless exploded into the room, with the boys bounding after them.

"Oh no..." I grumbled, as I neared to bars of the cage.

"Here's the evidence your Queen-liness!" Sora shouted, taking down the Heartless as they surged towards the Queen of Hearts. Right as one was about to drive its claws into the Queen's chest, Sora leapt onto the judge panel and destroyed it, sending it bursting in a fit of darkness.

"How Dare You!?" The Queen exploded, probably more shaken at the fact that she'd almost been attacked. "The proof is nothing but a farse!! This is all the evidence I needed to confirm that you are the ones attempting to steel my heart. Off With Their Heads, All of them!! SIEZE THEM!!"

Suddenly, the cage lurched upwards, shoot up towards the sky before locking in place, raised above the court yard.

"Sora!" I shouted to him.

"Don't worry abou-- Augh!!" But his words were cut through as he was cut off when the legion of card soldiers, leapt onto him. To my great dismay, a curtain suddenly wrapped around the circumference of our prison, obscuring our view of the outside.

"No. Nope!" I said, getting up shakily, trying to maintain balance. Carefully I made it to the latch and tried to rip the door open with force. Of course, this thing was high grade, thick metal or whatever so it didn't budge. I attempted kicking it in, but this only managed to rock the cage. Alice yelped in terror, trying to keep her balance.

"Sorry." I told her. "I'm just trying to get us out of here, so I can hel--"

And then it struck me. The Keyblade.

I mean, it was a Key, maybe I could somehow get it to--

"Yukari!!" Alice screamed.

My head shot towards her, wondering what the problem could be. But when I looked upon her, I found, a pool of what looked to be inky darkness, culminating at the bottom of the cage. What was more alarming was that it wasn't just latched on to Alice, but myself as well.

"Oh Goodness! What is this?!" She cried out, trying to pull herself free, yanking her leg out with her hands. But no matter how much she managed to free herself, the stuff latched back on to her.

What was more frightening was that it began to suck her in.

For a second, panic whipped over my senses and I was frozen in place. My mind raced with frightening possibilities of what would happen if she was completely consumed. Where on earth was this coming from? A dark tendril, latched onto my wrist and yanked my down, into the pool. I fought against it as much as I was able, but when I wouldn't come to Darkness, it came to me.

Where I thought I was panicking before, I was truly freaking out now. Somehow I was tumbling through an expanse of dark fluid that curled and tightened around my body. I shouted, silent cries that were stolen away by the Darkness around me. I tried to call out to Alice, but it was fruitless. I fought against a tugging sensation that occurred all over my body, like a swarm of evil hands pulling me deeper into the darkness. I fought until I felt another pull, one much more pure, yank me in the opposite direction.

Suddenly light erupted from my chest and everything came to a halt.

"Sleeeeepp~" A hiss sounded in my ears.

I found it almost startling. But not as startling as another voice that loudly buzzed though my head.

"Get up."

My eyes, shot open.

Slowly I sat up, with great confusion. The two voices that chased each other in my head, sounded nothing alike. One raspy and evil, while the other was warm and inviting. At first, I wondered if I'd imagined it, before I noticed a body, of pure white, standing near me.

"Stand." The voice of a women spoke. But even as such, I saw no indication of lips or eyes. Whoever this had been, was a complete silhouette of light.

"Who.... are you?" I asked, a bit apprehensively.

Last time I even looked upon a creature completely eclipsed in black, I was always almost eaten. Who's to say this lady didn't have the same intentions.

"We must hurry, if you want to help you friends." She said, completely dodging my question.

"My... friends?" I asked. "Wait... where am I? What happened to Alice, is she--"

"You are in the Darkness between." The woman, voiced beginning to walk away. Her steps were so light in comparison to my own, against the wet, dark ground. "Your enemies pulled your through it, in order to capture you. Perhaps they intended, to use or destroy you... But in the end, their intentions are not pure, either way. As for Alice, she has lost the battle with the darkness and was captured. She's already within the enemies grip."

For a moment, I considered her words. "Well... Well we've got to go and save her!" I suggested.

"You are not ready." The woman said. "To face the enemies alone, would be suicide."

I pressed my lips together, knowing any further suggestions, would be met with disapproving responses. I wanted to suggest taking Sora and the others, but I had no idea what was going on, how I ended up here, or even how I'd get back.

"Due to my deep connection with you... I only managed to pull you away from their grasp."

"Deep connection..." I echoed. "Then... who are you? You seem a lot like that screeched thing. But somehow... different at the same time."

The woman, stopped, to do what I could only assume was ponder. "I suppose one could call us the Ladies of Light and Dark respectively. While I reside within your heart to protect you... she seems only intent on your destruction."

"D-destruction??" I stuttered. "Wait! Do I even get a reason as to why??"

But the woman let go a yelp, clasping her fingers to what I had to assume was her forehead. "I... cannot fully recall." She said. "For whatever reason... those memories are sealed off. I cannot even remember how I came to be here."

"Wait... your memories are--"

"But this is not important. You enemies have sent a heartless out to destroy your friends. You must hurry to their aid, as they cannot defeat it without you."

"Flattering." I grumbled. "But Sora's got a Key too. I'm pretty sure that--"

"Now..." The woman, dubbed as the Lady of Light, threw up her hand and created a sort of... portal made of bright, shimmering, golden light.

"Wait... Seriously?! You can't just throw all of this on me and not even explain!"

"SCREEEEEEEEEEUUUGH!!" A loud hissing sort of cry, sounded from behind us.

I filched, turning back to pear into the infinite Darkness to see what I knew was approaching.

"You must leave, now." The woman's voice was urgent. "You will get your answers, when we meet again."

"But I don't even know--"

"SCRAAAAAAAAAGH!!!"

"Now!!" The Lady of Light grabbed me by the shoulder, and shoved my through the portal. The greatest inconvenience of my days was being tossed through the air twice now. Sadly, where I thought those would be my last times, I couldn't have been more incorrect as I went hurdling through the air, screaming my lungs out as I fell through an enormous room of pinks and whites. The place around me seemed full of three dimensional objects, put upon passing them, they all turned out to be false, drawn surfaces. I screamed harder when I noticed a large, round table below me, that I couldn't decipher as a real one or a flat 2D plain as I went rocketing towards it.

But I did manage to make out three little figures stood upon the tables top, scrambled about.

I plummeted, right into the arms of Sora who'd ended up crumpling, unable to support the weight of a girl who'd fallen from the sky.

"What the heck!?" Sora shouted, picking himself up.

"What is that???" I responded frantically, ignoring Sora's mild curses.

Erupting from below the edges of table was an enormous... Heartless. For lack of better terms, the thing was odd-- sporting doubled limbed, double jointed legs, that looked good for jumping. It was a mass of folded paper like arms that that did nothing more but absent mindedly juggled batons of fire about while stomping around the room.

The table beneath my butt, had suddenly vanished. My party happily went slamming right into the floor below.

I yelped in pain as I massaged the side of my face. Glancing around at my team mates, they looked a lot worse for wear. How long that they been dukin' it out with... whatever this guy was. I turned to look for the Heartless only find an enormous black shoe coming down upon the four of us.

"SCRAAAAM!!!" Donald shouted.

The four of us all leapt in opposite directions, narrowly missing getting squashed likes ants. I rolled to a halt and quickly got to my feet and summoned my Keyblade. I glanced about me, taking a mental note of where the boys all landed, before gazing up at the towering Heartless above.

"Can I ask?" I shouted. "What in the world is happening!?"

"Talk later." An unfamiliar voice sung. My eyes darted all around the expansive room in search of the one possessing the voice. It didn't take long to find a disembodied, floating cat head spinning around on the ledge of the gigantic fire place. Slowly, it came to a stop, looking directly at me before it's body, of deep purple and pink stripes came into existence before reclining in his spot-- a big grin spread long across his face. "Fight! For now that the gang is all here, the Heartless can be defeated."

"This was all a trick!" Sora shouted, as he rolled beneath an attack from the papery arms of the Giant Heartless boss.

"A trick??" The cat, who I quickly began to gather was the Cheshire, tutted. "Nothing of the sort. The Cheshire Cat is always here to help those in need."

Upon those words, the Giant Heartless rose it's firey buttons over its head. Spinning them in its hands, fire quickly began to manifest before he plunged his twirling weapons down upon our party as a wave of fire came surging directly at our quartet.

"Some assistance?" I could barely hear the cat's words as the four us screamed for our lives.

I almost hadn't realized the twinkling, magical aura that fluttered brightly around Sora and I. Too panicked to think I shoved my Keyblade out before me to block the oncoming attack. To my great surprise, a flurry of a blizzard shot from the tip of my Keyblade and swamped half of the Giant Heartless in ice and snow.

"Wak!!" Donald voiced. "You just did magic!!"

No kidding. I could really feel it too, as I suddenly felt completely drained. Much like the Heartless, half of my body from the right arm up and bit down to my waist was frosted over. I shivered aggressively with teeth chattering as I tried to find warmth, drawing back my key. Looking up, I watched as the Heartless shivered and twitched trying to recover from my spell.

"That was amazing, Yukari!!" Sora shouted, throwing a fist in the air.

"But incredibly dangerous!" Donald added. "If you're gonna use magic, you'll have to focus it. Channel it through your Keyblade. Don't just throw it around recklessly, or you'll burn yourself out."

"Yeah.." I nodded, shaking the cold away. Slicing my Key through the air, I could see it glitter with little flecks of frost. "Sora. We've gotta rely on magic to take it down." I said.

"I mean... I'll try." He said, ready his blade, looking determines regardless.

The Heartless, now somewhat recovered, groaned as he weekly took a step in our direction.

"Looks like that really did a number on it. Sora, follow my lead." I ordered. "Donald, can you back me up with some stronger ranged spells? We're gonna try and freeze it for good, but I think I used up most of my magic already...."

Donald nodded.

"Goofy, we're gonna need you in front to block his fire. Together we can take him down!"

"Yeah!!" The boys all shouted before we broke huddle and rushed into action.

Sora, Donald and Goofy and I rushed the big boss, with Goofy holding up the front. He bravely blocked fireball after fire ball, while we all ducked numerous oncoming swipes of his baton. I could tell it was getting annoyed with us by the way it started stomping around.

Donald held up the rear, casting spells that did more area damage than, to the Heartless-- which was outright perfect as Sora and I hit him with little blizzard spells as we darted around the thing’s ankles.

The Heartless began to slow, stopping in its tracks and, bending it's odd legs to their fullest as it crouched down low.

"It's gonna jump!!" Goofy shouted, breaking formation as he ran for any possible cover.

The four of us completely dispersed as it leapt high into the air, nearly hitting the ceiling of the room. It was then that a bright idea formed.

"Donald!!" I shouted. "Watch it's trajectory!! Aim you magic at where it lands. Sora!! Focus on the enemy, keeping firing your ice!!"

The boys did just as I'd ordered, casting magical cold spells all over the place. It was only when the thing came back down, that I had grown increasingly worried. Now completely frozen, the Heartless would only be good for a frosty explosion!!

"Duck and cover!!" I shouted, turning to run. Instantly I slammed into Sora and together we'd plopped into a heap on the floor, only to attempt to scramble back to our feet to get to safety.

"Firaga!!" I heard Donald shout as he and Goofy appeared ahead of us.

A big, blazing fire exploded from the tip of Donald's staff, right at the moment where the Heartless hit the floor and erupted into a explosion of snow and ice that, had it not been for Goofy’s shield, would have impaled us all.

For a good while, the frost hung in the air, obscuring our vision. But whence it cleared we found the heartless, frozen and in pieces. While no longer functioning, it had still not completely disappeared. Sora and I quickly disposed of the thing, sending off yet another one of those large, pink crystalline hearts that floated up into the air, before vanishing out of sight.

"Phew!" Goofy exclaimed, wiping his brow. "Glad that's over."

"Good, lord... What is all that racket?!" A voiced whined. I looked to find a talking door knob yawning sleepily. It's baggy eyes looking our party over with great distaste. "Do humor me a bit and tone down the brawl, could you? A door knob isn't to get any rest around here, he can't..."

The thing, finished off its sentence with a grand yawn, opening it's maw perfectly wide, and holding it just right for us to notice something beyond the depths of his... esophagus.

Suddenly both Sora's and my Key lurched towards the door, as if being controlled by some guided hand. Promptly, a beam of bright light shot from the tips of out blades and right into the door knobs mouth before dying away. A loud clunking noises sounded before the door knob could, conveniently close its mouth.

"What... was that?" Sora inquired.

"Sounded like something... locked." I suggested.

The four of us continued to gaze on as something fell from the door, and rolled onto the floor at Goofy's feet. To which he picked it up to inspect what looked like a sort of bright green rock.

"Ahyuck, it's a Gummi black!" Goofy explained.

"It's doesn't look like a normal piece tough. Let's have it here." Donald urged, as he took it from Goofy to look over himself. As he turned it in his hand, he hummed in thought, furrowing his brows. "Haven't seen one like this before..."

Clapping suddenly filled the air, cutting through our revelation. We all turned back to the newly appeared table that sat in the middle of the room to find the Cheshire cat, once more.

"Superb performance! You're powers certainly do bloom true, if I do say!! Keep it up and someday you'll be florist! I can't wait to see what you'll do next."

I frowned at such a poorly placed pun.

"Who are you, really, Cheshire cat?" Sora asked. The tone in his voice informed me that he'd met with this cat more than he'd liked to.

"Alice is neither here, nore there-- or available for any occasion." The cat echoed. It was only then that I realized that his body had phased out of existence, while his voice reverberated impressively around the great room. "She's past from this world to where I cannot speak... Borne off by the shadows, she has fallen to the darkness of obscurity. Perhaps, your feminine friend could shed some light upon your situation. Tip toeing around the truth will only get you thrown into deeper Darkness."

All of the boys' eyes landed on me as, I became the new subject of interest.

"Yukari... what's he talking about?" Sora asked. "Does this have something to do with why, Alice... didn't come back with you?"

He Donald and Goofy traded worried expressions. I bit my lip, now fearing what I'd been putting off. But if what they Lady of Light had said, about our enemies was true... then I suppose it was indeed time to tell the boys about the dreams.

"We should get back to the ship." I sighed. "There's... something I've been meaning to tell you."

To Be Continued

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#Kingdom Hearts #AR #KHAR

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aerisse-remade · 8 years ago

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literally just me complaining abt vocaloid/its fanbase

ok i got a good starting point so its Time to Complain

before i start complaining im just gonna say that some of these were taken from my ooooold pet peeves posts on tvs that i made in like. 2013. so if you see those now, keep in mind that i may no longer be bothered by certain things or ive just become less harsh in general. but some of them i still agree w obv. also i dont mind if anyone who actually reads this wants to add on to this post or to start a discussion (pls do!!!! i love hearing others thoughts) but pls either send me an ask, an im, or just reply bc i dont want to have a long chain of reblogs

also sorry again @ app users

i really cant stand certain headcanons, but the absolute worst ones are that the male vocaloids are huge perverts or even pedophiles....or any vocaloid in general. leave them alone!!!! why do u hate certain vocaloids so much that youd call them a fucking pedophile??? pedophilia isnt cute or funny, its fucking disgusting. and this might be very presumptuous of me but if you hc any vocaloid as a pedo you're disgusting too. [also if any pedos are reading this (bc i know some of you freaks go into the search) if you interact with this post or me at all, you'll be reported and blocked]

i also hate when ppl call any vocaloid (or ANY character for that matter) shotas or lolis. bc yknow...those terms are rooted in pedophilia, and once again pedophilia isnt cute or funny. like this literally isnt up for debate, if you try to defend that shit you'll also be reported and blocked

listen....i know vocaloids dont have canon sexualities so all hcs are valid...but when ppl hc luka or mayu as straight i die. i mean i hc most of the vocaloids being lgbt+ but especially luka and mayu. luka is like the biggest lesbian and mayu is also gay af

this one might be controversial?? idk but it kinda bothers me when ppl take a japanese vocaloid, change their skin colour, and then say theyre poc now. like japanese ppl arent white so werent they poc before?? like im genuinely confused. is the term poc for nonwhite ppl in general or specifically for darker skinned nonwhite ppl? bc ive seen both ways. also the issue here isnt making a pale vocaloid darker (bc im all for that!!! we need darker vocas) in general, its just when ppl imply that japanese ppl are white ig. (if you cant tell already im white, so if i said smth wrong, please correct me!)

i hate when ppl whitewash leon and lola. like ik they dont have official designs, but they are still canonically black (not to mention the whitewashed designs for them are ugly af....especially white, blond hair + blue eyes leon). also i dont like whitewashed merli, wil, bruno, and clara either

speaking of bruno and clara, i hate how even their official designs were whitewashed due to racists complaining abt their old designs!!! like. ppl literally sent death threats to the artist of their original designs

i hate pikos design. its not even anything in particular, his whole design is just ugly imo

i hate yohioloids boxart. i absolutely cant stand the way the artist drew his face, it looks like that generic straight girl fujoshi anime artstyle. i hate it lmao

this one also might be a big no-no but i honestly cant stand the western producers' fanbases? i cant even get into most of the western producers works. i like ghost as a person (they seem pretty cool), and i like their instrumentals, but i dont like the vocals/rhythm of most of their songs? and their fanbase is just....annoying. they treat ghost like a god or smth (which they themself is uncomfortable with!!) and idk basically im just tired of seeing ppl shit themselves over communications. this isnt supposed to be hate either, im just genuinely confused nd tired. also circusP's fanbase is also annoying bc i feel like his songs appeal to edgy 12 yr olds (like circus monster and insanity) who constantly spam his comments sections with "lol im psycho too!!!". i havent looked into his comments sections for a while now so if this has changed then im glad ig

when ppl call galacos hair rainbow....like, blonde, brown, yellow, red, and blue dont make a rainbow. mayus hair is rainbow tho!!

speaking of mayus hair, it bothers me when ppl forget she has rainbow hair?? especially fanartists. i understand if you know she has rainbow hair but you didnt include it bc its hard to colour in. its ok. but like....straight up forgetting?? im confused how do yall not notice it

also when ppl think mayus bday is December 5th. like yeah its her release date but her canonical bday is may 6th. pls im so tired of ppl saying "happy bday mayu!!!" on dec 5th but nobody saying shit on her actual bday....

also this might b petty but i dont like how most ships involving mayu are het. Let Her Be Gay

when ppl say mayu is a ritsu rip off...,like the only design similarities they have are those little hat things and the piano motif. thats it. also they were designed by the same person (hidari) so ofc theyre gonna have some similarities

this might be elitist of me but when ppl claim to be "vocaloid trash" or hardcore voca fans yet they dont know who unpopular vocas like big al and mew are. also when these same ppl (those who claim to be hardcore fans) cant even name a single producer

recolours and genderbends. u know what im talking abt...,the bs "shion family" or mikuo, luki, etc. theyre boring tbh

also when ppl think kaitos last name is canonically shion....like he doesnt have a last name. same with meiko being sakine. meiko sakine is a fanloid, not the actual voca meiko

obnoxious fangirls/boys in general. yknow, the "lenkun is mine!!! xdddd" kind. pls...,.grow out of that phase already...

ppl who call vy2 roro. or ppl who think thats his canon design. pls im so tired

ppl who think gumi extend/lily/cul/merli/etc look like "sluts". like bye

ppl who draw/make mmd models of voca appends, yet their "append" design is exactly like mikus

ppl who dont source their art or dont source it properly. zerochan and weheartit are not sources.,,,

ppl who complain abt there being "too many vocaloids". like vocaloid isnt even marketed to you, theyre marketed towards music producers lmao. let producers have a wide selection range

ppl who think vocaloid is a weeb thing. like yall will call literally anything japanese weeb shit. like....not all vocaloids are even japanese. and even if they were, smth being japanese nd having anime styled mascots doesnt automatically make it for weebs. vocaloid is a professional software. im so tired of seeing ppl like "omg im such a weeb im listening to vocaloid" or "im reliving my weeb days by listening to vocaloid" or "if u listen to vocaloid ur a weeb" fuck outta here w that bs

now this is a personal thing, but i just cant stand voca crossovers with mlp..,,im so tired of everything being ponified

ppl who hc rin and len as siblings AND ship them. like its fine to ship them if u dont hc them as siblings but if you do....,yall nasty. incest is nasty

i really dont like kailen, kaimi, yuki/kiyoteru, kairin, gakurin, etc. theres more ships i dont like but i'll probably make another post abt that sometime

honestly i dont really care for most f/m amd m/m ships in general? gimme the wlw

ppl who ship the child vocas (ryuto, yuki, una, oliver) with adult vocas without aging them up. i mean even if its aged up its still kinda weird but not aging them at all is Bad

....also heres a super petty and personal one. when ppl say that white ppl cant kin/id with most vocaloids. like some white kid thinking theyre miku is in no way comparable to actual real world racism. as long as theyre not claiming to actually be another race it shouldn't matter. get mad over smth that actually matters lmao

basically just kin drama in general. like its fine to be uncomfortable w doubles but like....dont harrass them or send them hate or anything. let them be

also ppl who take vocaloid at face value and cant have fun. ykno, those ppl who are like "how do yall ship software and make headcanons for them?? get a life lol". like hey. its fun. let us be

theres probably more but i cant think of them rn. if i do think of more i'll just compile them into another post and call it part 2 or smth lmao

#mayu.txt #long post #like. really long #i wanna tag this as vocaloid for organization but i dont want it in the actual tag #so im just gonna write some more tags #bc after the first 5 tags nothing counts/goes into the actual tag #but itll still show up on your blogs tag #so yeah #vocaloid

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damoselcastel · 7 years ago

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Nohr sib behavior as children used to surviving abuse: during the prologue how Leo bails Corrin out via flagrant deceit, in Conquest during the razing of Cheve Camilla warns Corrin defying Garon would cost their lives, the Elise/Harold support revealing that her oldest brother is more of a father figure than her actual father is, these speculations over the situation of Chapter 3 where Marx has been called upon to act as executioner before have merit. In a DLC Marx admits as a child his greatest fear was to be caught by his father late at night while out of bed, and this had to be before Gooran…the implications are bad.

If you don’t mind, I can provide the context and answer for the Concubine Wars. So this, like the difference between concubine and mistress, is another of the details that Treehouse decided to scrub out of the English localization of FE14.

The CW is something mentioned overtly in the Leo(n)/Elise supports. As far as localization goes, this change was made-

English B rank: Leo: There were so many vying for his favor that they frequently turned to violence. Some even turned on members of their own family. Elise: What?! How could someone do that to their own family? Leo: I suppose they lost all sense of self-control in their effort to rise in position. I agree, it certainly does not speak well of their character.

Japanese B rank: Leon: But because of that, the women Father favoured had violent quarrels. I heard stories about the children of concubines on bad terms killing each other. Elise: That's….! Even though they were siblings?! Leon: Well, it can’t be helped. To raise their own status, there were a lot of concubines who used their own children.

Within the game itself this tidbit dovetails well with the implications that there’s people Marx had regretted killing to the point of suicide, in addition to how/why Camilla could consider killing someone you love a mercy. The Jp!script Marx/Nyx support give us some key lines hinting to his involvement and feelings regarding the above-

Nyx: You don’t really want to kill people. But, while fighting, you have no choice but to take the lives of your enemies. It seems like you’re suffering between those opposing demands. [….] Nyx: I didn’t run away and kept living in order to atone for what I’d done… but in the end, all I could do was kill on the battlefield…. It was unbearable. To atone by killing more people, would that really be helpful…. Marx: …… Perhaps we really are alike, Nyx.

In Japanese-only extra canon material the drama CD gives us confirmation of more Nohr sibs:

Marx: Lazward, how many princes and princesses do you think once existed? Lazward:…huh? Marx: Father had many mistresses. So long ago I had many siblings, but all there is left is those that stand here today. There are those that fell in battle, those that were executed, those that were taken by Hoshido, those that got involved in struggles between mistresses and murdered one another. Lazward: …no way… Marx: ….being unable to protect them, I regretted it many times…

A lot of Eng!FE fans were aware of these dead royal kids and the Concubine Wars through the shared consciousness of the internet, so Treehouse’s removal of it just comes off as even stranger. Personally the Nohr kids sucky childhood makes tons of sense within the historical examples of Harem politics.

Hey I was reading your FE Lords Ranking (very interesting btw). I never played Fates so I got a bit confused: is the Nohr siblings being abused a headcanon then? I mean, everyone just throws it around everywhere when talking about them I thought it was canon.

I haven’t played Fates in over a year so I wouldn’t be able to easily look for quotes, but essentially it’s a reasonable extrapolation based on how they behave and what they say about their earlier lives in supports. The three eldest (plus Azura) all have memories of the concubine wars, in which Garon’s various concubines and their children violently competed for favor in the court and even killed each other off. It’s implied if not outright stated that Garon had other children, and the ones in-game are just the only survivors of those wars. All of them have also been subjected to the harsh behavior of slime!Garon, who’s been impersonating their father for so long that Elise apparently has no memories of the real man. Corrin bears the brunt of this that we actually see, being kidnapped and locked away from the rest of the world until they’re allowed a chance to join their siblings in a trial by fire. It’s clear though from how the rest of them act that they’re used to harsh disciplinary measures. (Conversely, Xander is the only one old enough to have clear memories of the real Garon, which helps explain why he’s the most determined to support the king on all three routes and comes off as a bit stupid willfully blind.)

Like I said though, I haven’t played Fates in a long time so if anyone else wants to add anymore specifics feel free.

#FE14 #META #nohr #hope you don't mind me piggybacking #why Treehouse #localization woes #translation vs localization #long post #reblog

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newsonlinegroup-blog · 7 years ago

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The Jungle: Bringing the stories of the Calais camp to the UK

Image copyright Leon Puplett Image caption Audience members have a unique vantage point from the tables of the fictional Afghan Flag cafe"Everything is happening on top of everything else - just as it was in the Jungle." Joe Robertson is describing the set that's been created at London's Young Vic, where audience members can share bread and tea in the Afghan Flag, a fictional cafe that's the setting of the play he's written with university friend Joe Murphy. The play is named after the Calais camp that became home to thousands of refugees and migrants. The playwrights, known as the Two Joes, travelled to the camp to volunteer, setting up a makeshift theatre called Good Chance. It's a phrase that not only means hope, but was also used by those desperate to reach the UK when they believed they had an opportunity to make it across the Channel - through whatever means. The Jungle - before and after demolition Characters from the camp Things have now come full circle with the launch of the play, which has received five-star reviews from the likes of the Guardian and Independent, who praised its "warts and all" take on the camp. While the camp may not exist any more, having been bulldozed in 2016, audiences can experience it in a way through the play, sitting on ramshackle benches and watching the action unfold around them. Image copyright David Sandison Image caption Joe Robertson, left, and Joe Murphy met at universityThere are cast members who lived in the real Jungle and seating areas named after the countries from which the camp's inhabitants came. So while the storyline (based on a Sudanese teenager called Okot who is on a mission to get to England, and the role of British volunteer Beth, who is keen to help him) is fictional, there is no getting away from the reality upon which the play is founded. We caught up with the Two Joes between rehearsals ahead of the opening night of the play, directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin. "It's like the Jungle itself in microcosm," says Robertson of the staging. "There are conversations happening over each other. I think audiences will be very taken aback but also very excited by it. I hope it reveals something about the situation that if you've only seen it on the news, or read about it in the papers, that you wouldn't know."

'Community and warmth'

"You could never finish a conversation in the Jungle," says Murphy. "Everything was of such importance and urgency that you would get interrupted. We wanted a set and atmosphere that re-created that for the audience and also symbolised the breadth of nationalities and the diversity of the place. There's almost a play before the play as well - when you book a ticket on the website, you have to choose which country section you're going to sit in." Robertson continues: "Normally in theatre, you're sitting back - but here, you're leaning forward on the table in front of you. There's something about that, not being able to let it pass by you. You're there, and you're attentive. Image copyright David Sandison Image caption Teenager Okot - John Pfumojena - is a central character in the drama"The Jungle itself was full of makeshift buildings - these places of community and warmth where people could eat and talk together. In our play, the Afghan Flag echoes what those places were used for - both for a place for meeting when there was a crisis or when there was a celebration." Murphy says: "It's been very interesting speaking to people after the show. They've been generally very reluctant to use the word 'enjoy' when giving their reaction - we've never had that with a play before. I think it speaks to the complexities of it. One of the questions the play asks is 'how do you help?' So I think people leave expecting something of themselves, and with a sense of urgency and hope." Image copyright David Sandison Image caption Gap year volunteer Beth, played by Rachel Redford, arrives in the Jungle wanting to help outBut Robertson says the play almost never came about. "We never really intended to write a play about our experience there or to try to replicate the stories we heard and things we experienced. "The main thing was to allow the people who lived there to tell their stories to each other, to have a space where different nationalities could come together. We lived there for seven months and grew to know so many people. We saw experiences that affect everyone living there - the Paris attacks changed so much, profoundly, both in France and the UK. "It seemed like the story was writing itself while we were in Calais. During the evacuation of the site that March, we had the germ of the idea - telling the story of the place and eventually how it was destroyed."

'Full of life'

Murphy says when casting the play, "it was essential to welcome a range of different experiences" - which is how three former residents of the Jungle came to appear in it. "They bring their experience directly to the play," he says. Others who have been refugees, or whose parents were refugees, are also involved. "A huge part of the work the theatre does is to help artists develop their work when they arrive in a new country - something we believe is essential to starting a new life." Robertson says the play is "full of life" - adding that "it's a riot". Image copyright Leon Puplett Image caption Ammar Haj Ahmad, John Pfumojena and Mohammad Amiri on the raised walkways that cut through the middle of the cafe"Because that's what it was like," he explains. "You'd hear a song, and people would be dancing." But he adds: "Calais was such a failure in many different ways. It was a terrible place - there were so many kids there, and there still are. We've tried to look back at what we did, what the group of volunteers did, and ask, what happened? "I really hope it's a play that's not just for people of one political viewpoint but for anyone who's interested in that question - and wants to know more." Good Chance is setting up a pop-up theatre next to a refugee reception centre in Paris. It will open next year. The Jungle is at The Young Vic until 9 January. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]. Read the full article

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larryland · 7 years ago

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by Macey Levin

Berkshire Playwrights Lab (BPL), based in Great Barrington, MA was founded ten years ago by theatre professionals Joe Cacaci, Jim Frangione, and Matthew Penn with the intent to nurture playwrights and their new works by presenting staged readings several times each summer. Originally based at the Mahaiwe Theatre, they are now in residence at the new performing arts center St. James Place. They have presented over 40 readings including James Anthony Tyler’s Some Old Black Man which is now receiving BPL’s first fully staged production. It is an auspicious beginning after a rocky rehearsal period.

Just before rehearsals began Tony Award winner (Joe Turner’s Come and Gone) Roger Robinson had to drop out because of his role in the TV series How to Commit a Murder was to start filming. He was replaced by Adolphus Ward who suffered severe heart issues three weeks ago and is still convalescing. Fortunately, Robinson’s schedule was changed and he was available to resume the role of Donald. It was announced at the opening performance that as a safety factor he may occasionally refer to a script. Though he did, it was not a disturbing element in this taut and insightful production.

Roger Robinson is Donald

Leon Addison Brown is Calvin.

Director Joe Cacaci.

Playwright James Anthony Tyler.

NYU professor Calvin Jones (Leon Addison Brown) has brought his 82-year-old father Donald (Robinson) from Greenwald, Mississippi, to his penthouse apartment in Harlem. What starts as a minor tiff over an old afghan the elderly man wants to drape over Calvin’s contemporary stylish sofa evolves into a battle of wills covering breakfast, photos on the piano and life-altering decisions. Father and son are very very different people with difficult personalities. Donald is cantankerous and prone to mercurial emotional changes while his son is precise, orderly and restrained. They never learned how to communicate. Each accuses the other of years of not listening and not being appreciated or respected. Not until Donald enters painful ground does Calvin reveal the hurt he has suffered at his father’s hands.

This comes out in the context of cross accusations reflecting old disagreements. When Calvin was a skinny six year old he was challenged by a strapping kid three years older. He ran away for which his father has often criticized him. Donald has taken it as a personal affront that his son didn’t follow in his footsteps and stayed in Mississippi doing manual labor as opposed to striving for a different, better, life. The greatest conflict arose when Calvin married Theresa, a white woman now deceased, with whom he had a son. Donald, a victim of Jim Crow and the unwritten prejudice of Mississippi’s social culture, felt betrayed and insulted by the marriage and has never forgiven his son.

Leon Addison Brown (Calvin) and Roger Robinson (Donald) in James Anthony Tyler’s “Some Old Black Man,” directed by Joe Cacaci, presented by Berkshire Playwrights Lab at St. James Place.

Though the play is about African-American culture, the same story could have been written about Indian or Jewish or Catholic families. The universality of the problems and conflicts inherent in familial relations personalizes the play. Given the fact that we are all involved in familial structures of one kind or another and that we are simply human beings is enough to involve ourselves in both conflict and devotion. Ethnicity has nothing to do with experiencing human reactions. This seems to be playwright Tyler’s firm statement.

Some Old Black Man is beautifully written; however, the first fifteen minutes or so are jammed with expository material. As the characters reveal the causes of their anguish we are drawn into the drama of their lives. The occasional unwilling tolerance of each other adds contrast and texture to the profound pain they feel. The contrasting speech patterns and vocabulary Tyler utilizes further displays the difference between the two men’s life experiences and place on the societal ladder.

The acting is both subtle and dynamic. Brown’s early self-control in face of his father’s contentious attitude belies the wrath he is repressing; even when it comes to the fore it is still measured but obviously issued from deep pain. Early on he tries to be gracious while withholding his testiness at Donald’s slights and criticisms. The old man is a character shaped by the indignities of his early years. Robinson makes him unsympathetic and charming at the same time he is berating Calvin or defending his combative remarks. He has a number of hilarious lines that ease the tension for the audience. Though he referred to the script the performance is convincing and solid.

Director Joe Cacaci keeps the pace of the show moving with little wasted time as his actors have created a relationship that is familiar in its verisimilitude. Carl Sprague’s multi-layered but simple set is realistic and suggests a fashionable upper middle class residence. Matthew Adelson’s lights enhance the emotional evolution of the relationship. The effectiveness of this production is that the audience was rapt as they watched this touching portrayal of two men in the throes of a love/hate existence.

Berkshire Playwrights Lab presents Some Old Black Man by James Anthony Tyler, Directed by Joe Cacaci. Cast: Leon Addison Brown (Calvin) Roger Robinson (Donald); Scene design: Carl Sprague; Costume design: Stella Giulietta Schwartz; Lighting design: Matthew Adelson; Stage Manager: Norman Anthony Small; Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission; Saint James Place, 352 Main St., Great Barrington, MA; From 8/12/17 closing 8/27/17

Opening: August 12, 8:00pm, Performance and Reception ($55). August 13-27 ($30-35) – Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3 pm. Click HERE to buy tickets, or call (413) 528-2544.

REVIEW: “Some Old Black Man” at Berkshire Playwrights Lab by Macey Levin Berkshire Playwrights Lab (BPL), based in Great Barrington, MA was founded ten years ago by theatre professionals Joe Cacaci, Jim Frangione, and Matthew Penn with the intent to nurture playwrights and their new works by presenting staged readings several times each summer.

#Adolphus Ward #Berkshire Playwrights Lab #BPL #Carl Sprague #Great Barrington MA #James Anthony Tyler #Jim Frangione #Joe Cacaci #Leon Addison Brown #Macey Levin #Matthew Adelson #Matthew Penn #Norman Anthony Small #Roger Robinson #Some Old Black man #St. James Place #Stella Giulietta Schwartz

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teefa85 · 7 years ago

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And the final manga writeup! I might comment back later if I goof with my translation app in a few sections (you all know what ones they’ll be...XD). But here is just my initial commentary.

A warning...this involves a certain fight that I always have LOTS of opinions on. I will most likely comment more on versions of that in another post later on, once I gather thoughts. Buuuut there is still A TON of stuff on that. And some stuff unique to this manga. So...words...

1. Rutee's entrance is more amusing than anything to Hugo. Far cry from the actual conversations they had in the Original/Drama CDs/Other!Manga. It seems like there's no recognition that she's connected to him...at least in the Remake when it wasn't mentioned, Rutee wasn't actually a strong part of the conversation. It is kind of a letdown...since the whole "bodysnatcher tries to manipuate his victim's child with their familial connection" thing was very telling of Miktran.

2. Miktran possessed Hugo is one hammy mofo by this point! Between doing Xellos' finger wiggle, the evil laughing, the crazy excited faces. God...he's having even more fun than he was before. Yet still not mentioning any direct connection to Rutee.

3. Despite the fact that Rutee claims not to care a shit about Hugo...she sure looks upset when talking to him. Hugo's expression of shock looks genuine too. Or confused. Maybe she addled Miktran and Hugo got a moment to emote before he took control back...I dunno.

4. Rutee uses water as a distraction while Stahn and Woodrow jump in. She heals Philia, and then the water comes back around and surrounds Hugo. This is so Philia can zap him while the water is closing in! Of course, it doesn't work since this battle goes on for a bit more and while possessed Hugo has some sort of a healing factor, but it was an A+ idea!

5. Stahn and Woodrow both get cut up, and Hugo aims a huge ball of energy for Rutee so she pushes Marian out of the way. Then blocks the damn thing!! Man is Atwight OP in this manga!

6. Now, for the entire segment, Marian has been shutting her eyes every time something violent happens. She's been shaking like a leaf both from the monsters and from Hugo when he's approaching or, well, doing anything. Then, as Hugo is about to slice Rutee in two...Marian jumps in, grabs his sword arm, and when Philia's attack hits (as she was also trying to rush to save Rutee with a spell), she dislodges Berselius and runs with it! Damn she sure grew a spine!

7. Stahn takes that instant to slice Hugo open and end the fight...finally! Since Miktran knows his vessel's finally toast and all. Rutee goes to heal Stahn before Hugo starts speaking to her.

8. So I was plugging shit into my translation app...because I wanted to know what Hugo was saying to Rutee. Or thinking...I'm not exactly sure he was actually audible. But before the view switches back to Marian, it seems he mentions being sorry and not wanting her to die.

9. Marian begins feeling something from the sword. Because Miktran has decided to up his assholishness from EVERY other version of the story combined by snatching her body next! He even teleports her right to the Eye of Atamoni at the end of the scene between Rutee and Hugo.

10. Rutee of course yells at Hugo, even bringing up Leon's name. My attempts at translation seem to suggest he's telling her to go somewhere, but eh...not sure. Only being able to input furigana in software or lookup kanji via the same software has its limitations, since I might not get what it means for two different phrases to be used together.

11. Even though Hugo doesn't explain ANYTHING to Rutee, his concern for her life is clear enough to her. After she yells confusingly for a tad, she does call him "father" while crying. There's...a reason my ranking of this particular segment of the game is rated on how emotional it is. Because this family gets so little...any bit of emotional connection, even as sad and tragic as this, is important!

12. I think...Miktran controlling Marian is probably the creepiest thing ever! Seriously...the evil look behind even her cute expressions... You can tell the douchebag is milking his choice of bodies for all it's worth! Ugh...can I just load up my ToD PSX file (as ToDR is saved at the end of Leon's Side and thus no Miktran fight) and beat on him for two hours straight...?

13. There is a long talk about Karell and Harold, and a flash to Karell's fight with Miktran...as well as a flash of Hugo in his research room 18 years ago. But I'm not 100% sure what's going on. The voice speaking through Marian hasn't said directly who he is, nor do the Swordians. Dunno if they're changing the plot THAT MUCH and it's not really Miktran but a malfunctioning Swordian (either due to injury or because Harold got pissy after Karell's death). I don't know any of the words being used...might play with it later. But I'll just say "Miktran" for the rest of the summary since he's the culprit in every other version. And even if they don't know who it really is, it could still be him working through Berselius just never revealing himself...

14. This...is a long conversation. Yeah...I need to look deeper at it later on when I'm not watching LPs at the same time. Faces get more and more disturbing as we go along, though.

15. The view goes back to the hallways, and where Hugo lays, as Leon an obviously caped figure, walks through. Kid...you're not being very ambiguous as to who you are...

16. Marian is actually able to fight back against Miktran somewhat! She is pleading for Stahn and everything. It doesn't last long...aaaaand then it's back to disturbing faces!!!

17. The look on Leon's face when he arrives...ohgod the poor boy appears so broken. Miktran...I fucking hate you...so very much!! And the looks he and Rutee give each other...so much emotion!!!!!

18. Stahn gets blasted...and before Possessed!Marian can give the final blow...Leon calls up stones to help shield his friend! It's awesome! Although Dymlos telling Leon just exactly what's going on seems to break the poor baby more...

19. Well...now we FINALLY get a "possessed character uses connection to another character to try and lure them to their side" with Possessed!Marian trying to sway Leon. There's just one teeeeeensy problem...she calls him "Leon" instead of "Emilio" and right after that he snaps to yell back!

20. Stahn tries to strike but Leon stops him because, even if she's possessed, he can't stand to see Marian hurt. Knocks the hick on the ground and Possessed!Marian begins creeping on him again. This time...he decides to take matters into his own hands and stabs her...RIGHT THROUGH THE FRIGGIN TORSO!!!!

21. So after Marian drops Berselius, she's set free since she's no longer useful as a body. Leon immediately thinks of her real self and rushes to grab her, crying...poor baby...

22. As Miktran or whoever is in Berselius starts bitching about his "perfect plan" failing (I do know the word for plan and I looked up the other stuff), Stahn throws it right into the Eye of Atamoni! So nobody gets revived to wreck havoc in human form. Serves King Asshole right (I'm going down with calling it Miktran because I like finding reasons to broil on that dick).

23. I see the word yuurei and the correct kanji is there...so lol at Rutee and Stahn calling Leon a ghost! He yells at the boy and they all welcome him back. Seriously! Rutee even says "welcome home!!!" My heart...

24. Wait...it took Rutee this long to heal Marian?! And she survives...HOW?!!!!! That injury was very similar to the one Hugo had in the other manga...and now I made my self sad AGAIN!

25. So it's Berselius being thrown into the Eye of Atamoni that causes the reaction and thus the sacrifice of the other Swordians. Blah...blah...blah...we all know that part...although the Swordian/Master convos happen after everyone's in the Eye instead of before. And Leon gets his own goodbye scene in something other than Destiny 2.

26. Well...I don't know if my translation is right. But it seems like in the end they're saying they don't think it is Berselius. Yeah...Miktran confirmed but no one even knows it's him! Ohgod I love it when he gets screwed over...thus some of my headcanons about his time in Hugo's body...

27. After their escape on the Draconis, there's a short skip. Rutee in a short skirt and a tunic shirt. Marian in a normal blouse, vest, and skirt! Hghhh...they're all so adorable! I also like how Rutee has hair clips...very similar to the ones I've seen in various anime.

28. Rutee and Stahn talk before Philia and Marian enters, and Marian gives Rutee a letter from her brother. I didn't look too deeply into it, but the shot of him with the sack shows he's probably mentioning going on a trip. But interestingly...he signs it "Emilio Kartret(Katrea)." Earlier in the story, when he was alone with Hugo (or it could have been Hugo talking alone...I forgot), he uses "Emilio Gilchrist." So he takes on their shared name after the story...and while it was probably just easier for him it's also cute to think that it's due to his and Rutee bonding.

29. Leon's traveling cloak...oh how cute!!

There's also some illustrations at the end, but if I decide to comment on one (there's a particular one...try to guess knowing my obsessions), it'll be later since I don't have time to plug it into the translator.

#teefa reads untranslated tod manga

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