#and that he would do anything to make sure emile. stays alive lmao

[hythlodaes]

thinking about. emile making an offhand comment about being an old man someday and estinien realizing just how much he wants to see him grow old. anyway.

[nadja-chamack16]

Side With The Height

Authors note: lmao I was supposed to post this basically years ago :/ (more like a month ago) but I got so self conscious about it and wasn't going to finish it... so before I regret posting this lol just know I had fun writing and there are probably grammar mistakes. I truly don’t know if this is going to be a chaptered thing but enjoy anyway! If you have any questions please let me know! and if you wanna be tagged for some reason let me know(?)

words: 3861

pairings: Eventual prinxiety, eventual logicality, Platonic demus

summary: Virgil wakes up in washington heights, the place where he's lived as long as he can remember. He goes through his usual day and we see a glimpse into his mind.

warnings: A lot of Spanglish (mix in between Spanish and English) is used, let me know if I missed anything

“ Lights up on Washington Heights”

Up at the break of day ”

Virgil woke up a tad bit late, which mind you was something very rare,  still on time to open the bodega though he was almost always the first one up anyway. Watching the Barrio wake up after he was wide awake and ready to start his day,  it made him feel like he was seeing the world from an outsider perspective but for once being the outsider was something good.

“ I wake up and I got this little punk I gotta chase away ”

He walked towards the bodega, one of the few things he still had from his parents and- Wait is that Remus? wait wait wait- is he about to spray paint the bodega?! His internal monologue was rudely interrupted, He bolted towards Remus, “what are the fuck are you doing?!” Remus wasn't a genius, but he could definitely tell that Virgil was pissed and he decide his best option was to run off to god knows where, he was a little worried that Virgil would run after him, but he still tried to look calm while leaving but was definitely failing miserably.

“ Pop the grate at the crack of dawn ”

Virgil knew how Remus was, he and Dee hung out a lot, (if it were up to Virgil he most definitely would not be, but he can’t monitor Dee all the time) But he never thought Remus would ever dare try to spray paint the bodega! “I guess you can’t trust people” he said under his breath while pulling up the metal grate covering his corner store.

“ Sing while I wipe down the awning

Hey y'all good morning ”

Virgil saw the piraguero, Emile, and had a short conversation with him. “Ice cold piragua. Parcha, china, cherry, strawberry, and just for today I got Mamey!” Emile said, he said it every morning so Virgil had most of it memorized by then and mouthed the words as he said them, “Oye piraguero Como esta? " Virgil asked, he didn't personally like small talk, but there was a few exceptions, “Como siempre señor Virgilio!” Emile winked. Virgil didn't hate his name or anything, his parents gave it to him and it had a story behind it, he just liked its “translation” into English a little better, when he was a kid, a few of his classmates had issues saying his name, and he didn't really like that, so he decided to use the name one of his teachers called him. He entered the store relaxed and involuntarily continued his internal monologue. Virgil enjoyed singing...when he was alone in the bodega...at an ungodly hour... before everyone was awake and bustling through the door, before anyone could judge him really, but deep down he knew nobody here would ever do that, everyone around him either saw him growing up or grew up with him, but anxiety won't stop pestering will it?

“ I am Usnavi and you prob'ly never heard my name

Reports of my fame are greatly exaggerated

Exacerbated by the fact that my syntax is highly complicated cause

I emigrated from the single greatest little place in the Caribbean

Dominican-

Republic ”

It didn't matter that Virgil was from this small tropical island in the Caribbean he still probably was the palest person in the barrio, and you couldn't really blame him, he was always working, trying to make ends meet, so he almost never went out, plus he moved to the barrio when he was a child, so he never got to really experience that Dominican heat, and those stunning sun beams crashing over one's skin through the palm trees while feeling the sand as he walked through one of its many beaches- anyway...he’s always lived in the barrio so, it’s not like he doesn’t have his culture with him, since there are other Latinos all around him, but he wants to one day experience all these things and not just day dream about experiencing his country with the only reference of that majestic place being stories Abuela had told him.

“ I love it

Jesus, I'm jealous of it

And beyond that

Ever since my folks passed on I haven't gone back

Goddamn,

I gotta get home then ”

In case you hadn’t noticed, Virgil Loved his country and culture very dearly, and he took pride in it, sometimes when Abuela Carmen told him stories about his home country, he got a weird feeling, He was most definitely grateful that Abuela took her time to tell him in detail all these stories, so he could imagine what living there must be like, but he couldn’t put a finger on what this feeling was, jealousy? Maybe. Longing? Probably. Resentment? Possibly. Desire? Who knows. He wasn’t sure, the only thing he knew for a fact was that this feeling made him wonder what would have happened if his parent just stayed in the sunny bliss that is his country, and having such a thought made him feel guilty so, he tried not to dawn it for too long, and told himself that one day he would have enough money to go and live there for the rest of his days (a few years maybe? No, he wanted this) and experience his country...but he could also come back settle down, help Dee, so he can fend for himself, and maybe start dating, he could always try to ask R-

“ I'm gonna test ya later

I'm getting tested times are tough on this bodega

Two months ago somebody bought Ortega's Our

Neighbors started packin' up and pickin' up

And ever since the rent's went up

It's gotten mad expensive

But we live with just enough”

He had to cut that train of thought quickly, he couldn't be day dreaming about impossible scenarios when rush hour was coming, and everyone would be awake heading for work and would pass through his bodega and get his world- well barrio famous café con leche, but he had no idea what he would do today since the fridge decided to stop working, and he had started to panic a little, thank god for Abuela because he would have gone into full panic mode if it weren’t for her walking in, “Mijo what's wrong? You look stressed.” she always knew when something was wrong, “Ay, abuela my fridge broke... I got café but no con leche” he tried not to sound too disheartened and worried as not to raise any worry, “try mother’s old recipe, one can of condensed milk!” that was all she had to say, and he was instantly calmer, but it wouldn’t be Abuela if she didn’t end it with “Paciencia Y Fe!” she said it as she exited the store. She may not be his real grandma, but he certainly loved her as if she was his grandmother, hell mother even! She practically raised him for god’s sake!

“ In the heights

I can't survive without café

I serve café

Cuz tonight seems like a million years away!

En Washington—”

Then and there the barrio came alive in a matter of milliseconds and everyone was rushing through the streets, and the cars were honking, and everything lit up as if from a scene in a movie. He liked how he always knew who to expect at what time, it was comforting to have routine, and he guessed other people agreed with him because they were always on time, First up was the Rosario’s, they run the cab company down the street, Even, so they struggle in the barrio, their son Patton is off to college and tuition is ridiculously expensive so, everything they get is mad cheap. Virgil always knew everyone's usual, and the Rosario’s were no exception, “Good Morning virgiiiiiil” Larry’s singsong voice sliced through his thoughts, he automatically started gathering his usual,“Pan caliente, Café con leche” he said as he put the items in the counter, “put twenty dollars on today’s lottery” Larry said with a smile on his face, before Virgil could do anything Dot’s voice came through “ one ticket that’s it!” she said with a stern tone, her eyes still pretty playful, “hey!, a man’s got a dream...” she rolled her eyes and turned to Virgil “don't mind him he's all excited ‘cuz Patton flew in at three am last night” she was smiling warmly while thinking of her son, Larry’s voice caught her attention, and she looked up “don’t look at me, this ones been cooking all week” he said while making a gesture with his thumb in her direction, she rolled her eyes, “Virgil come over for dinner there's plenty to eat!” they took the bag off the counter and left the store.

“ Me and my cousin runnin' just another

Dime-a-dozen

Mom-and-pop stop-and-shop

And, oh my god,

It's gotten too darn hot like my man Cole Porter said

People come

Through for a few cold waters and

A lottery ticket,

Just a part of the routine ”

He sees Dee trying to sneak past and obviously failing, “Dante you’re late” Virgil tries to say it in a stern voice, “chillax you know you love me.” Dee smirked and got to work, Virgil couldn't hold back the smile any longer, he just sighed and started warming up for the real rush hour coming, there was going to be multiple people talking to him at once and even if he finally had Dee to help, he knew the both wouldn't be enough, but after years of this being his job, he knows how to handle many people talking to him at once and keep in mind these are Latino people, which meant there was several people talking to him at once but at twice the speed of a normal human conversation, and if they were on a rush make it four times as fast.

“ Everybody's got a job;

Everybody's got a dream

They gossip,

As I sip my coffee and smirk

The first stop as people hop to work ”

The last people to come before rush hour were Remy and Valerie work on the salon next door, and as always Remy was telling Val about the new chisme, and Virgil couldn't help but eavesdrop, it was his bodega after all, so he had to have some sort of right to do so, plus it wasn't like he tried to hide the fact that he was listening, if something surprised him it, he wouldn't try to stifle a gasp, but he never got to hear the gossip from the beginning, so he had to try to piece it together and sometime he didn't even get to hear the end, he started preparing their usual orders as he listened, “so, then Yesenia walks in the room” “ah ha” she smells sex, and cheap perfume” “uh oh”, “it smells like one of those reeves that you hang from the rearview” Valerie didn't really add much to the story just her random reactions to show she was listening, “haha no!,” “its true! She screams ‘who's in there with you Julio!’ grabs a bat and quick in me’ door…” Virgil started piecing some things together, they were talking about Yesenia getting cheated on, Julio probably had cheated on her with some gir-” he's in bed with José from the liquor store!” well that was a twist! Virgil couldn't help what he said next, “No me diga!” he and Valerie said it in perfect sync, he hands them their respective coffees, and they both say a simple, “thanks Virgil!”

“ Bust it— I'm like— One dollar, two

Dollars, one fifty, one sixty-nine I got it

You want a box of condoms what kind?

That's two quarters Two quarter waters

The New York Times

You need a bag for that?

The tax is added ”

It was finally time, the long awaited rush hour, people were asking him the cost of things, where things were located, he even got some surprising questions, but he couldn't even stop and dawn on it for too long because he had a few people asking him questions, and he didn't want an angry mob of Latinos forming this early in the day, there was a few people here and there that came for only coffee but at this time people usually came to look for stuff that they needed like a few groceries or toiletries but this was for sure the most stressful part of the day, but it wasn't as bad as you might think.

“ Once you get some practice at it

You do rapid

Mathematics automatically

Sellin' maxipads and fuzzy dice for taxicabs and practically

Everybody's stressed, yes,

But they press through the mess

Bounce checks and wonder what's next ”

Virgil was used to this, he had this jump of adrenaline in his day-to-day life, and his need to make everyone complacent as they left his small bodega made him work extra hard, it was almost over though and the only way to truly know it was over was once Logan walked through that door, he and Dante would never tell Logan how happy, and relieved they were any time He walked in through the bodega door, Virgil was relieved when Logan entered the bodega? Yes, but was he happy? Kind of, since Logan and Dee would team up against him to poke fun at him, most of the time it had to do with Virgil’s love life but what can you do? The funniest thing was when Logan would try to beat Virgil to say what he usually got but Virgil was just faster and knew all of it by heart so, he always won, which frustrated Logan which in turn made him feel a little better when Logan and Dee bothered him about his love life, it wasn't something he liked to talk about so in turn he couldn't really argue with them about it, so he just tried to shut them up quickly especially since Roman was always the one to come after Logan, but he was usually distracted with something so even if they were talking about it, he wouldn't notice since Logan and Dante would shut up, and see what Virgil would do, now it was just time to wait for Logan to arrive, so he and Dee would be able to take a break.

“ In the heights I buy my coffee and I go

I buy my coffee and—

Set my sights

On only what I need to know

What I need to know—

In the heights Money is tight

But even so—

Even so—

When the lights go down I blast my radio!

En Washington “

The man of the hour walked through the door, Logan saw Virgil and Dante release A breath they were holding, he smirked, Virgil knew what that meant, his challenge for the day, try to beat Virgil to say what he wanted, mission impossible , Logan always tried to throw Virgil off guard with a tease, it never worked. “ you ain't got no skills!” Virgil smiled, this ought to be fun , “Logan!” virgil let logan start saying his order so then he could annoy Logan by interrupting him, “Yo, let me get a-” “milky way” he said as he put it on the counter, “ yeah, let me also get a-”, “daily news” virgil knew he was starting to get on his nerves once saw the way he looked at the paper on the counter, “ and a-” “post” virgil just smirked, logan’s smile was faltering, “And most important, my-” “ Boss’ second coffee, one cream-” LOgan always came for Mr. Rosario’s second coffee, he didn't really drink coffee from what virgil knew, “ five sugars” Logan tried to beat Virgil to saying it but they ended up saying it at the same time, dante just rolled his eyes, he knew Virgil would always win but he still cheered logan on. Once logan inevitably failed he tried to show his skills off to prove one day he might get to outsmart Virgil,“I'm the number one earner”, “what?!”, they both knew it was all in good fun,   “the fastest learner”

“what?!”, but sometimes virgil would irritate Logan and that's how they would end up with Logan teasing Virgil about him liking Roman, ,“my Boss can't keep me on the damn back burner!” “yes he can”  and Dante would be on LOgans team “i'm making moves, i’m making deals, but guess what” “what?” “you still ain't got no skills”, “hardee-har” virgil mocked, “ Yo, Roman Show up yet?” Virgil face was immediately up in flames, “shut up!” “hey little homie, don't get so upset” virgil know what to target on Logan but it was the same viceversa, “man..” he knew he couldn't stop this from happening anyway do he just kind of accepted it, “ Tell Roman how you feel, buy the boy a meal on the real, or you ain't got no skills-”

Logan was interrupted by someone coming in and virgil was thankful for it... until he looked up to see who it was, Roman distractedly talking to the phone so he probably didn't hear any of that (hopefully), “Nooo! No no nooo! No no nooo, no-no-no! Nooo, no-no-no! No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no, no-no-no-no-no!” well now virgil was curious to who he was talking to, Roman had always been someone extra and comfortable around everyone in the barrio but to just walk into the bodega while having an apparent important conversation was surprising nonetheless, “Mr. Johnson, I got the security deposit, It’s locked in a box in the bottom of my closet, It’s not reflected in my bank statement, But I’ve been savin’ to make a down payment and pay rent, No, no, I won’t let you down—” Roman made a pause to listen to the person on he other end of the call and Logan took this opportunity  to talk “ Yo, here’s your chance; ask him out right now!” Virgil pushed logan to shut him up because Roman was right there and he could hear him! “ I’ll see you later, we can look at that lease!” Roman seemed relieved and a small smile started creeping its way into his face, he still didn't seem fully calm but he looked more at ease.

“Do somethin’, make your move, don’t freeze!” His silent awe towards Roman  was interrupted as logan pushed him towards Roman just as he ended the call, so he had no way of escaping the situation, “Hey!”  “You owe me a bottle of cold champagne”! Virgil had almost forgotten completely about their bet, the first one to get out of the barrio has to get the other champagne, “ Are you moving?” virgil said it almost as if he were disappointed which was a surprise to himself, “Just a little credit check and I’m on that downtown train!” Roman said it with a smile lighting up his face, Virgil noticed he was staring, adn tried to act fast “ Well, your coffee’s on the house”, “okay!” Roman took the coffee and looked down in a shy way with a small smile , virgil had never seen him like that, “Usnavi, ask him out...” he heard Logan whisper shouting at him and he sincerely hoped that Roman hadn’t heard that, “No way!” Virgil heard Dante say to Benny and that comment kind of offended him, “I’ll see you later, so…” Roman said awkwardly and turned to leave the Bodega. “ Oooh... Smooth operator, aw, damn, there she goes! Yo, bro, take five, take a walk outside!  You look exhausted, lost, don’t let life slide! The whole hood is struggling, times are tight And you’re stuck to this corner like a streetlight!” after that Logan took his things and left the bodega.

“Yeah, I'm a streetlight,

Choking on the heat The world spins around while I'm frozen to my

Seat The people that I know all keep on rolling down the street But

Everyday is different so I'm switchin' up the beat Cuz my parents

Came with nothing They got a little more And sure, we're poor, but yo

At least we got the store And it's all about the legacy they left

With me, it's destiny And one day I'll be on a beach with Sonny

Writing checks                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

to me “

Virgil’s mood dropped as soon as those words came out of Logan’s mouth, he knew Logan didn't mean anything by it but that didn't stop his heart from dropping onto the Floor of his store, this was one of his fears to be stuck with his Bodega and be left behind by everyone else, everyone that cares for him or at least he thinks they- He stopped dead in his tracks, He couldn't be thinking like that, his parents did everything they could before they died to get this corner store and one day he's going to go back to his country just like him(?) and Abuela want  and Dante will have a stable life with the income he will get from the store and  his life will be bliss.

“ In the heights I hang my flag up on display We

Came to work and to live and we got a lot in

Common It reminds me that I came from miles away D

R., P

R., we are not stoppin'

In the heights

Every day, paciencia y fe

Until the day we go from poverty to stock options

In the heights I've got today

And today's all we got,

So we cannot stop This is our block In the heights I

Hang my flag up on display Lo le lo le lo lai lai lo le!

It reminds me that I came from miles away! “

Virgil can practically hear people's thoughts and dreams circling through the air but to be honest Virgil didn't really hear them...he felt the electric buzzing that came with the streets of the place he was raised. It was one of the many things he liked about his barrio at a quick glance it isn't much just a little place in New York filled with immigrants that have bigger dreams, bigger than themselves and everyone around them… its as if You cant walk through these streets without bumping into somebody's dream.

“ I Hang my flag up on display Lo le lo le lo lai lai lo le!

It reminds me that I came from miles away!

My family came from miles away— In the heights It gets more expensive

Every day Every day And tonight is so far away—

But as for mañana, mi pana Ya gotta just keep watchin'

You'll see the Late nights You'll taste Beans and rice The syrups and

Shaved ice I ain't gonna Say it twice ”  

They all knew were they came from, the sunniest places a person could ever go to. They all know the situation that is happening in the barrio , how no one is really here to stay, how this is just a stepping stool towards a bigger dream...but they didn't care. They all will know soon enough what is to come but for now…

“ Turn up the stage lights

We're takin' a flight To a couple

Of days In the life of what it's like

En Washington Heights! ”

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

@malaya-is-a-hoe​ I did it sis 

[atopearth]

The Legend of Dragoon Part 4 - Moon and Fate

It's the final chapter!! It's definitely going to be a blast like the others, I'm kinda sad it's going to end😭 Woww, I can't believe Miranda hit Rose, that was so rude. She didn't need to take what Rose said so personally honestly, because it's obvious that Rose is heartbroken, confused and doesn't know what to do right now. I'm sure she's the one that wants to lash out the most yet she's holding it in! What right does Miranda have to hit her? Anyway, Death Frontier is such a nice place to train! I don't even need to run around for monsters because they jump on you instead! Now I can take everyone to Dragoon level 5~🥰 Death Frontier is a pretty annoying place though, I'm glad I just used a map online lol. Anyway, so the Ulara Wingly Forest are the ones who made a choker for Rose that made her time stand still for all these years in order to fulfill her mission.. Honestly though, I think if the Black Monster was someone Dart didn't know, I'm not sure if he would be able to come to terms with it so fast, but I guess it's a good thing that it was Rose because it made him understand her burdens better and how much it hurt her to have to do it for so many years just to protect this world. Ohh, so Charle Frahma who made the choker for Rose is the older sister of Melbu who was the leader of the Winglies. Zieg killed Melbu during the Dragon Campaign, but apparently there is another person named Faust who led the Winglies too. This name was mentioned somewhere else for a side quest I think? Hmm, even though Faust was Melbu's right hand man, he was wary of him due to his enormous magical power and how he was able to make an apparition of himself that had similar powers, so he somehow made(?) a Vanishing Stone that could make the apparition disappear just in case he ever needed it. Faust controlled the Tower of Flanvel that killed other species hmm, but it was shot down by a human contraption, the Spear Shooter, so now it's under the glacier huh? And I assume if they think he was dead after that, it probably either means he's still alive hiding there or his apparition still remains there to this day... So, even though there used to be five towers of Signet Spheres to be broken, now there are only three and that's why Zieg needed three Divine Moon Objects to break them and get access to the Moon That Never Sets. Ohhh, so that weird place in the Crystal Palace at Deningrad was actually a Signet Sphere! It was broken by the Divine Dragon! Guess it was meant to be... But I guess the Divine Moon Objects really are as simple as they are, they really are just items with enough amount of magical power to break the Signets. I see, Melbu and Charle both wanted different things, he wanted to rule and dominate whereas Charle wanted everyone to be free and at peace. She made the Signet Spheres to restrain the power of the Crystal Sphere, but Melbu realised her plan and so made the Divine Moon Objects to counteract them. So, Rose and Dart did resolve their "differences" with a fight at Death Frontier before coming to Ulara. She accepted death, but Dart told her that the Black Monster was dead, and that they were only left with a companion that was going on the same road as them. That was really kind of him to say tbh. I'm happy he told her that she's no longer alone and has companions now. Rose can rely on others now without carrying the weight of everything by herself🥺 I think it's kinda interesting how for a city that makes anything and anyone inside it immortal, there are so less...facilities, but there is a bar. They understand how immortality brings unhappiness and so they have a bar for Winglies to drink away the pain of immortality and yet no one chooses to step outside of this place to live a limited but possibly happier life. It's just... interesting to think about tbh. It was nice to stay the night in Ulara and look for our party. It's been a long time since we got to really interact with them considering how most of it has just been plot stuff, so it was nice to be reminded of all their respective reasons for going on this journey and for continuing it to the end.

After treading through the Home of Gigantos back to the Twin Castle of Fletz, it was nice to just be able to ride the ship to Rouge (Haschel's hometown) haha. On another note, we finally get to know who Princess Lisa has been admiring with her telescope all this time!! I should have known I guess, because just like Princess Lisa, Nello was the first one I talked to and I was so happy for him because he's finally succeeded in growing greens on barren land, so he hopes to be able to make the whole Barrens into a place of green. It's still hilarious that Princess Lisa was stalking Nello with a telescope this whole time though hahaha. It was also nice to take Albert to Princess Emille so he can have a proper farewell with her. I think it was really sweet how he shared his fears with her and she accepted it wholeheartedly and wished for his safety. It was sad that she couldn't find it within her to send him off because she knew she would plead for him to stay if she did, so it's understandable. I hope they get a happy ending later on. Wow, there were so many Wingly cities and they were so organised about everything?! They had the birth city where they only allowed selected babies with strong magical power to live, they had the death city for where all the "deaths" went, the magical city to research magic and the law city to like govern and rule with their justice system in a sense. Lmao at the Mayor of Rouge's description of a random stick in the water, I honestly thought it was a stick but it's literally a tower hahahaha. It's definitely one of the cities with a Signet hahaha. On another note, I see, Martel was gathering stardust to save her daughter and to wish for happiness for her after her coma. I think it was really sweet how the stardust we gathered for her made her daughter wake up, but the daughter told her that having her mum and baby brother with her was happiness already, so she didn't understand why some lady told her she would be granted happiness in her dream hahaha. She's a wonderful daughter. Omg though, to think that the last prize of the stardust would be the Vanishing Stone! Isn't that the thing that will make Faust's apparition disappear? I guess this is important for a side quest then... Ohh wow, it was so cool when the sea split and a path was made to the Magical City of Aglis! I guess someone has been there all these years?? It's kinda amazing how Savan has been here by himself for thousands of years just waiting for Rose. Initially, he researched magic hoping to revive a world where Winglies ruled, but after watching over the world through his mirror, he realised that wasn't needed. But, when Rose appeared, he found a new meaning to his research in saving the world etc by seeing her courage and endurance, he then made the Psychedelic Bomb and Moot, where the former has lots of magical power and the latter can probably seal the Moon That Never Sets? I like the individual challenges of courage each character had to go through in order to activate the Psychedelic Bomb and make it more powerful. Seeing Kongol face head on with Emperor Doel and believe in his friends now was really nice, he isn't estranged by his past where he was alone fighting for the dream of every species being equal through violence, he is now fighting for it with his friends and the people that helped them come here to save the world. I think Albert's one was really fitting. Like, it was obvious that he needed to stay here and prioritise his duties as a Dragoon before a king, but I think it was something hard for him to choose, because as a king, he has to carry the responsibility that he is on this journey and not protecting Serdio. I think it was nice to see how much Bardel's little sister's death actually weighed on Meru, but also how she needed to overcome that to have the courage to continue on this journey to save the world. I also liked Haschel's one where he needed to accept the past that he wasn't able to stop Claire from leaving. It's hard to face, but it's true. I think Rose not needing a choice was perfect for her. She has already come to terms with what she must do to continue her journey and will not waver, so it was unnecessary for her to even hesitate, and I really liked that. And, as expected, Dart's one was related to choosing to save Shana no matter what. Courage to love but also to save the world, from the moment he went on his journey, he already possessed such courage (as expected of the protagonist haha). It's kinda cool how the Psychedelic Bomb is actually an item you can use in battle! It's also repeatable, nice! As expected, Zieg was able to manipulate the Last Kraken (guardian of the Moot) and I guess now our hope of sealing the Moon That Never Sets is gone... I feel so bad that Savan ended up dying alongside the Signet Sphere and Moot... I didn't think the Dragoons could create such a reaction against the Signet Sphere... It was nice that the magical creatures and Savan prepared for Dart and them to be teleported to Zenebatos before they died. They may have perished but at least they did their best for the future they believed in... Anyway, now that we have Coolon, the wings that Savan provided for us to fly back to previous cities, it's a bit easier to access side quests! Still have to run through annoying places midway zzzz but I guess it's a tiny bit more convenient lol.

Time for side quests! It's kinda silly but it took me until we got to Vellweb to realise that Shirley was the White Silver Dragoon from the Dragon Campaign that we saw in Rose's memories. To be fair, Shirley as a ghost doesn't look as radiant as before so it took me a while okay?! Haha, anyway, I'm glad that even though Shirley isn't able to take the other four Dragoons to rest, she at least had the time to ask Rose to help them. I see, the reason why Syuveil (Jade Dragoon) can't rest is because after researching life and death his whole life, he realised the darkness of the world where death lies and fears going there... I guess ignorance really is bliss... Rose's words giving Syuveil hope that life is just a great wheel where you cycle through life and death may give him the hope that he can experience the warmth of life again, and I hope he does. But whatever is awaiting him, he may be able to face it better now. Omgg, Damia (Sea Dragoon) was only 15 when she died!! That's so terrible... I mean, sure she had special powers due to being half human and half mermaid, but in the end, the fact that she stayed here all this time because she didn't want to go to the after world alone really shows how much of a kid she still was and how scared she must have been... I guess it's nice that at least the other Dragoons will join her... Ooh yeah, Belzac (Golden Dragoon) was the one who was trying his best to protect Shirley but they both ended up dying... It's pretty sad though, it's kinda like how Zieg did his best to protect Rose, and at least he succeeded... It was kind of unexpected that Kanzas (Violet Dragoon) was a man that killed many and kinda had memento dolls for every kill, yet somehow Shirley's nobleness was what attracted him into joining the Dragon Campaign and hoping to find a "brighter place" by fighting with them instead of just killing without any other meaning to his life. I guess Shirley really must have been a beautiful soul to attract so many people haha. It's rather saddening to see Rose's memories when she goes to Fort Magrad, because the Zieg there says that even if one of them dies, their affection will last forever. For Rose, it really did, but for Zieg, is that really true? Otherwise, it's nice to see the place where Diaz rallied up the humans and the the Dragoons to win back their freedom from the Winglies. The Polter Armour was much easier than the Dragoons though! You just need a Talisman to keep things less annoying and then just heal as needed lol. The Dragoons did much crazier damage and their skill animations took so long haha. As for the Magician Faust, I'm pretty glad I got the Legend Casque (I spent a lot of time farming those robots for money with Miranda loll) for my team because his magic counters and his amount of turns are pretty dangerous lol, he would have done so much damage if I didn't have them! I would have had to heal every turn I think lol. Otherwise, it's kinda crazy that he's been plotting world domination in this hole for 10,000 years, like, does it take that long to try and mobilise his Flanvel Tower again? 

Anyway, Zenebatos is an interesting place. I found it funny how you can change the law! And lol, I checked out getting arrested and being sent to the prison for fun, and lolll, Kongol saves Dart and them because he was too heavy for them to teleport him straight to the prison hahaha. It was annoying how you had to do the whole process again to go to the Death City Mayfil though😭 The Wingly battle music gets so repetitive btw lolll. Anyway, Mayfil is a very interesting place, because it keeps a lot of the dead and those who haven't "completely died" because of their respective reasons for wanting to stay in this world. It was interesting to see the Dragon Spirits like the Divine Dragon who couldn't die properly because it was so prideful and couldn't accept its death, but at the same time, it was sad to see Lavitz. I didn't expect to see Lavitz, and I didn't expect to see him manipulated in his death, so I'm glad we freed him, because it seems that he wasn't able to die properly because he was so worried about Dart and his journey.. Why is he such a bro?! T_T So, I'm really glad that even if it was in death, he was able to see Dart and Albert one last time and be able to show them where the Signet Sphere was. It was really heartwarming to see them all together again even if it was brief. Dart's right though, Lavitz lives on in their hearts. Anyway, as expected, the last Signet Sphere is broken as well, but nothing deters Dart since he's not going to give up until it's really the end! The Divine Tree is kinda creepy, like just thinking about how species came from these fruits and how if the God of Destruction were to be born, it would be through one of these fruits too. Soa really is playing with them by dictating everything as if all the species are his pawns. 

Omgg the individual battles! I know they're not too hard, but I still remember being so surprised with them as a kid that it's made me paranoid into levelling every character at least a bit now in every game I play lmao. Anyway, it was nice to finally see a bit more background to Miranda's story. As a child, she was so hurt and broken over her mother leaving her, it changed her into becoming a strong and independent person, but as she became strong, she couldn't shake off the loneliness of the abandonment and the lack of love. She always focused on the fact that she was abandoned and never wanted to understand why it was such a difficult decision for her mother to leave her (since the father was terrible and always took her money to drink etc). I'm glad that even if it took a long time, Miranda has finally come to terms with the pain of her childhood and can maybe believe in love and friendship more now. Haschel facing the Claire that couldn't bear the burden of his strict discipline from a young age was quite disheartening to see, but I'm glad that after going on this journey with everyone and having time to think about it himself, he was able to realise that what was important wasn't his ancestral art or the amazing latent potential of Claire, but instead Claire herself. It’s just sad that he’ll never really get to see her again... It was really nice to see Kongol's first meeting with Doel. No wonder why Kongol admired Doel so much, he met him when he was a child after all his clan had perished. He found a new reason to live with Doel. It was cool to see a more wholesome battle this time around. Kongol has always been a good guy, so it was nice that he just needed to overcome his admiration for his brother's strength in order to feel that he's really strong enough to help Dart. It was sad to see that not only did Rose have to kill the Darkness Dragon to get the Dragoon Spirit to fight in the war against the Winglies, but she also ended up having to kill the baby Darkness Dragon she raised because it got out of control. She's killed so many people and creatures because she always prioritised the people and world above all else, and it honestly hurts to see her be hurt by all that. I'm glad that Doel killing Albert's father was addressed again, it was somewhat brief though since you're not really sure whether to believe in Doel or Albert's memories, but Albert is right, even if it was true that Carlo wasn't a great king, Doel didn't have to kill him like that and then reign in the way he did after. His reign was consumed with the idea that power dominates and it definitely killed and hurt a lot of people just as it saved some. But I also think that if Albert didn't go on this journey with Dart, he might not have necessarily been a great king either, so I think this was a good experience for him to learn through Doel that power isn't everything, and that he needs to rely on others and not just himself like Doel did. I really liked Meru's ordeal. Although Meru isn't exactly prideful as a Wingly, I'm sure she was at least a little worried about going to the outside world herself when she's never met humans before, so I think it's nice that she met Dart and them and understood that there wasn't any need at all for Winglies and humans to segregate each other, because everyone is equal and should be the same. Btw I love the wacky room with the static and then the moon showing up, it's such a cool room!

Melbu Frahma possessing Zieg by transmigrating his soul to Zieg's body was something I kinda remembered along the way, but it's kinda saddening to see Rose and Dart have to face this. They solidified their resolve to defeat one of the most important people in their lives and it turns out that he was being controlled all this time... I knew it was about time for Lloyd to appear again, just because he needed to give the Divine Dragoon Spirit to Dart, but I'm so annoyed that he appeared just to be killed for that, it makes me so sad because even though he killed lots of people, he dreamed of a utopia for this world. I hate that he just died like that... Otherwise, I love that Meru never really expected anything from this journey when she first followed Dart, but now that she's experienced how awesome this world is, she wants to protect it and I think that's really cool. I have to admit, after farming the 00parts for my Legend Casque and Armour of Legend, it really makes the last boss battles really easy lol. Not complaining though since the last battle still took so long lmao. The Divine Dragoon Cannon was a pretty cool skill, but yeah wow, Dart looked pretty cool and monstrous as the Divine Dragoon haha. Anyway, I guess it was to be expected, but Rose and Zieg killing Melbu Frahma and sacrificing themselves to make sure of that was understandable, I mean that's where everything started so killing him again should be where everything ends. It's sad that Zieg never got to properly talk to Dart, I mean I had questions too, but seeing Rose and Zieg finally get to be together forever made me happy for them even if it's in death. I guess they can reunite with all their friends now. As for the rest of party, Haschel and Kongol staying in Rouge to teach children was really cute. I'm also really glad to see Princess Lisa get to finally talk with Nello lmao. Meru and Guaraha going around Lohan and just enjoying themselves was hilarious but wholesome. Miranda staying with her sisters and the Queen was expected, but it's nice to see her have a brighter disposition. Albert marrying Princess Emille was a great moment, since he's finally back to being king and taking care of his people haha. Dart and Shana rebuilding their home in Seles was such a heartwarming moment though, he's finally able to prioritise what's most important to him as Lavitz told him to, and is making a happy family. It was so nice to see.

Overall, I really enjoyed the game! I think the last disc was a bit rushed compared to the rest and was a bit too “scripted” for me in some parts, but I still really liked it all. Like, even though it felt really scripted, I really enjoyed how each character had to get past their mental barriers to further strengthen their resolve, it's kinda corny but I really like those haha. I loved the variety of Additions, I feel like Rose could have had more but oh well, I spent the whole game levelling up everyone's Additions at my own pace and only really finished them all when I got to the Moon, which I'm glad of, because once I finished it, I got bored of them hahaha. Anyway, back to the story, I really enjoyed Dart and everyone as characters. I absolutely loved how well Haschel and Meru got along since they were both such big kids, but I also really loved how Dart and Shana developed their relationship. Lavitz was such a bro that I could never forget even though he only appeared in the first disc, but I think his existence really makes you realise how important it is to cherish the people next to you when you can. However, I think what I loved the most was Rose's story. You only get glimpses of it until near the end, but I think Rose as a character really grows on you, and makes you really feel for her circumstances once you realise that she was fighting alone for 10,000 years. So, I'm really glad that she got to be with the real Zieg in the end. Kongol is the wholesome and kind giant that I never knew I needed. He was such a cinnamon roll that I couldn't help but like him. I'm sorry young me called you ugly and never used you!! Young Lily was such a fickle girl lmao. But yeah, I really loved the whole journey because it was really fun to get to know about each character and their motivations alongside the plot, I still kinda wish we got to see more of Lloyd but oh well, I'm okay with it I guess haha. The Divine Dragoon was pretty monstrous looking btw haha, but otherwise 9/10! I loved the game! I'm glad that my childhood memory of loving this game still persists through adult me! Definitely one of my favourite classic JRPGs. Now, I really want to play Thousand Arms again lol.