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coeursetcolores · 4 years ago

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What I Would Add/Change About: Dead or Alive 6

Hello internet! As you probably know, I love video games and I would talk about my feelings for the ones I’ve played for hours. Unfortunately, I don’t pay too much attention to the various gameplay and added content mechanics, so I don’t feel as though I’m qualified to give full-on reviews; my focus is usually on the story and characters, but I am learning to keep a more open eye. So, I’ve decided to start this series! On the anniversary of a game I’ve played’s release, I will talk about what I think a game could have included to improve certain elements or what I think they should have just changed all together about something in it. I will make sure to include what I liked about it as well to keep these from getting too negative.

This is all just my own personal opinion and if you disagree with me, that’s perfectly okay! If you’d like to talk about a point I made, please let me know, but please try to respect my opinion as I respect yours.

Fair warning, I won’t talk about online stuff. I’m not an online gamer, that’s just not me.

Well, with out further ado, let’s get started!

Today is March 1st. Two years ago in 2019, Dead or Alive 6 was released. Bet you guys didn’t know I was fan, did you?

Yes. Yes I am. And there is one thing I love more than that entire series all together.

Kasumi.

I love that woman.

I have yet to see any other woman that I would even consider loving as much as her.

Amazing main, best girl, gripping protagonist, top-tier waifu.

But back to the subject!

Almost seven years since Dead or Alive 5 was released and left it’s audience wanting more, today we ask: Did it live up to seven years of expectations?

For me...

YES!

...Mostly.

I had a real fun time playing when I could (I didn’t have constant access to the console I played it on, don’t ask) but even with how polished the series has gotten, there were a few things that left a sour taste in my mouth.

Let’s go over them, shall we?

SPOILERS AHEAD!

To keep a positive spin on this criticism, I’m going to talk first about all the things I absolutely LOVED about the game:

IT’S. STUNNING. The graphics look amazing, and the slow-motion and visible injuries along with DOA5′s sweat and dirt gives the fights such a weight, it’s brutally gorgeous and I love that video games have reached that level of detail.

Voice acting is good, and I’d have to give best performance to Karen Strassman’s Helena just for her after fight in Kokoro’s story mode because. My gosh. The way she begs Kokoro not to leave her is just heartbreaking, and to do all that while doing an accent is just amazing.

Funniest part of the game was definitely when Zack told Tina she couldn’t be governor. I love how he just shot her down in a whole series of her dad failing to drag her away from her wild dreams through fighting, Zack accomplishes it just by reminding her how the law works.

Kasumi is safe! ...Apart from all the evil clones sent after her. But Ayane is finally leaving her alone!

Helena in the ending. My gosh, the way she just shuts NiCO down and calls her out on failing to move on healthily is a good message about properly dealing with grief and really shows how much she’s grown in the series from the vengeance seeker she started as.

I genuinely liked the addition of Marie Rose. She had a cool design and her character was really charming. The team could easily have made her super annoying, but she was pretty solid, and I appreciate that.

Kokoro’s dress with the beret. It’s just too cute!

I still love kicking opponents off the stage.

Still glad the series hasn’t decided to sink into hyperrealism.

COLORS! ...Those are dying in video games. :(

The story for the most part is interesting and every character gets to shine in their own special way.

Diego was really cool, I always love the addition of an untrained street fighter keeping up with these professional martial artists, it really goes to show that in a fight anything can happen.

I really loved watching Tina and Bass become a tag team, aww! Tina does love her daddy!

The costumes, as always, are awesome.

Vibrant backgrounds, as expected.

The fact that it happened! I was worried I’d never see my sweet Kasumi again!

Alright! Now that we got all the things I unquestionably loved about the game down, here are some things I feel the game was missing.

ADD:

MORE KASUMI! If she’s your heroine, give her more screen time! (What do you mean I’m biased?!)

Have some more time with Kasumi, Ayane and Hayate, show just how conflicted they are by their tragic circumstances when they have to work together when they all know that they will never be able to go back home together. That ending scene was bittersweet, but I feel like they could have done more.

Bring Bayman into the alliance? I mean, he does want revenge on Phase 4. I get that he kinda works with them, I just think they could use him more.

Have Kasumi have a fight with the main Phase 4? I think it’d be interesting to have this clone weapon, who hates that she hurts people, face off against the original who’s now accepted the brutality of the world and will show no mercy to those who stand in her way. I feel like it’d give Kasumi some introspection and see just how much she’s changed; in a way, Phase 4 is a lot like how Kasumi started: she didn’t want to hurt anyone and make enemies, but she couldn’t do anything about it. The difference is Kasumi became the way she is because of her own choice and beliefs while Phase 4 literally can’t stop herself.

Have Lisa explain herself, geez! What is up with this woman?! What are her goals exactly?! Wait...how is she still alive?! Woman straight up had a building fall on her! Why are we just letting her walk away?! LISA!! GET BACK HERE!! WHAT’S YOUR DEAL WOMAN?!!!

So...I guess we still don’t get to beat the crap out of Donovan? Sigh...guess they’re saving that for 7. Hopefully.

And that’s all I think they could have added. And now, here’s everything I think they should have thought about twice.

CHANGE:

Really? You’re just going to bring Raidou back for the final boss? Really? Why not use prime Phase 4, that would have been interesting, a final boss who doesn’t WANT to be the final boss? Come on DOA, you’re better than this! You had seven years to make a final boss! If you couldn’t think of one, just go DOA2 and pull something random out! There’s even another tengu you could have used! Who even remembered Raidou at that point?!

LESS. HONOKA. My gosh, she’s annoying! I’m sorry, I’m sure she has fans, but she just irritated me! Not only was she shoehorned into the plot, but she’s also a total Mary Sue! And that voice, AAAAGGGGHHHH! This is not a knock on Kira Buckland, she’s cool and great at her job, but AAAGGGHHHH! With so many three-dimensional and interesting characters, she just falls flat (metaphorically, of course).

Was Nyotengu actually necessary? I get that the tournament itself is just a distraction now, but she honestly bored me.

Why does Helena’s mother need to come back to life? Seriously, what did M.I.S.T. see in reviving one of the mistresses/mothers of their rival? Is this supposed to like torture Helena or something? This was just unnecessary, there was no reason for this. Sorry Maria.

Oh, so Rig’s mind controlled now? Would have been great if they had foreshadowed that in 5. You know, so it wouldn’t have come out of nowhere and helped explain his whole 180 when he was introduced!

Does Jann Lee really need another rival? Just focus on Lei Fang, she’s awesome!

Bit more meta, but did Rig and Christie really need new voice actors? The new ones are fine, but it just seemed unnecessary.

I’m really mixed about how story mode is laid out in modern DOA. On the one hand, putting everyone’s stories in one playthrough really makes it hard to really get attached to one, which I think is a very important aspect of fighting games. On the other, doing it in this style really helps keep the general plot coherent and easier to follow. I think a good way to handle this would be to make different story modes; a campaign to follow the whole vs. Donovan storyline and a different one that has each character’s individual story outside of the main plot.

Alternatively, divide the story between the tournament and the fight against Donovan; ‘cause I don’t think the Mugen Tenshin clan and their allies are going to be in any tournaments anytime soon.

BRING BACK UNLOCKABLE OUTFITS! Outfits may be understandable for DLC, but it’s just so much easier to unlock them all! I’m not made of money!

Even with all these negatives, I still had a great time playing! It was great to see the cast I loved so much (with one in particular) come back and beat the crap out of each other and I can’t wait for the next one!

...In five years.

#Rambling #Dead or Alive #DOA #Dead or Alive 6 #What I Would Add/Change About...#New series #Criticism #Praise #My Silly Personal Opinion

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twdmusicboxmystery · 4 years ago

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TWB 1x08 + TTD Clues

Hey Everyone! So here, at last, is my TWB post. Sorry it took me an extra day to get it finished. But before I get into the awesome TD symbolism, I want to say something. Today is Thanksgiving in the states. It’s a day we eat lots of good food and appreciate everything we have and tell each other what we’re thankful for.

So today, I just want to say that I’m extremely thankful for this fandom and for all my lovely followers and fellow TDers. It’s been such a huge part of my life for these past years. It’s kept me company and shaped me in ways even I probably don’t appreciate. So thank you so much for all being on this journey with me. I’ve no doubt that our girl is coming home. And soon!

Okay, onto the episode. First, a quick run-down. Most of the episode is centered around whether or not Silas killed Tony and what they’re going to do about it. We do get a humdinger of a twist at the end: Huck is a double agent.

I rewatched part of episode 1 because I thought I remembered the lieutenant colonel (Julia Ormond – I’ll just call her LC, okay?) saying something to the girls about having a kid. And she did. It’s in the scene where Hope and Iris talk to her in the dark, still back at the University, and she gives them the map. She says she has a daughter who’s older than them and who is a soldier from the CRM, so she’s away from her mother a lot and LC misses her. Guess who that daughter is? It’s Huck. So, she’s been a spy for LC this whole time, and has been living at the university colony specifically to do her spying. When she “scouts ahead” of the group, she’s often reporting back to her mother.

LC asks Huck how “the asset” is and Huck says the asset is fine. My fellow theorists and I talked about who the asset actually is, and we’ve agreed that it’s probably Hope. I think the most obvious answer is Iris, because she’s more the “main” character and the one LC connected with the most in episode 1. But I think that’s misdirection.

Not only because of the flashback conversation Hope had with her dad, where he hinted there might be something she needed to know that he hadn’t told her, but also because Huck is always with Hope. She’s the one Huck is friends with. Anytime the group splits up to check things out or look for supplies, Huck goes with Hope. Like she’s protecting her or something. So for now, our theory is that Hope is the “asset.”

But let’s turn to Silas. We finally get flashbacks as to what happened with his father. And this is where more his Daryl-ness comes in. His father was super abusive. Silas beat him up in a fit of rage/self-defense. And while his father didn’t die immediately (it wouldn’t be fair to say Silas actually beat him to death) he died later of his injuries. And then as a walker, he attacked Silas’s mother and Silas had to put him down. It’s all pretty brutal and you understand why Silas is kinda messed up.

The point is, he has rage blackouts. That’s what happened with his dad. Silas goes into a rage and actually blacks out and, for at least a time, doesn’t remember what happened. So in the episode, even Silas thinks he probably killed Tony and Percy. I don’t think he did. The best evidence is that, when it happened with his dad, he didn’t remember what happened immediately, but within a few minutes, it does come back, and he remembers what he did.

In this episode, he doesn’t remember what happened with Tony and Percy, and it never comes back to him. And they specifically show us that that’s not how it worked with his dad. So, I’m thinking someone hit him over the head and that’s why he doesn’t remember: he didn’t do anything. But even he doesn’t believe that.

So, this struck me as being Silas’s Them episode. He’s super sad, hates himself, grieving a lot of things, and at one point even sort of gives up and is going to let a walker bite him until Hope shows up and saves him.

But the biggest thing is that he leaves at the end. Felix and Huck are trying to decide whether to leave him behind or not. They don’t want to, but they don’t know much about him and, in their eyes, he could be dangerous. Even if he doesn’t mean to, he could have another rage blackout and hurt someone.

Iris talks to him and says “just tell me you didn’t kill anyone and I’ll believe you.” He says he can’t because he thinks he might have done it. Then he just leaves so he’s not a burden on them anymore.

TONS of Beth dialogue at this point. Iris says he’s “gone.” He says he’s glad he got to know Iris (what Beth said of Zack in 4x01). So he leaves by himself and Elton wants to go with him (Hope finally confesses to Elton about his mother, so this episode ends very sad).

But here’s the real kicker, guys. At the end, we see Silas walking through the woods by himself, and he’s wearing his headphones. A walker comes toward him. The walker immediately caught my attention because it’s blond and female. Truly, it wasn’t any more or less Bethish than any other blond walker we’ve seen, but it still jumped out at me after all the other Beth symbolism around Silas in this episode.

He grabs a board or a branch and kills it. Doesn’t seem like that big a deal. He does injure it in the forehead, but it’s on the right side. And you know, no gun or anything.

But then, at the VERY end, it shows the walker lying in the road up close and we see Silas walking away in the distance.

And then it pans over, and his walkman and headphones are on the ground next to the walker. He left them behind.

And the thing is, I don’t know why. Did he just abandon the music? Or did it stop working? I almost wonder if the walkman broke when he was fighting the walker.

If that’s the case, it’s a MASSIVE parallel to the broken music box. Lying next to the blond walker. With the forehead wound.

See why I’m having feels about this episode?

So, either he’s just a massive Beth proxy, or he’s heading toward wherever she is. I almost feel like the writers are telling us Silas is heading toward Beth. (And granted, I’m not at all objective about this; it’s totally my TD hopefulness kicking in. But there’s one other reason I think this could be a thing. I’ll come back to it in a minute.)

Huck said something weird, too. When Iris told everyone Silas had left, Huck asks Felix, “Do you think he’ll change his mind and come back for us?” It’s just a weird way to word it. Why would he need to come back for them? Besides, they’re going to look for the girls’ dad, so they’re not going to hang around in the same place.

I feel like that’s definitely a foreshadow on the writers’ part. And it really may just be a Silas/plot thing. But it suggests that at some point he’ll return to save the group in some way. …Which is exactly what we’ve always thought about Beth, no?

Let’s talk about Percy for a minute. They couldn’t find his body, but there’s a trail of blood that ends at the river. The thing is, they’re all assuming Percy is dead. They think either he’s a walker and staggered away, in which case the river current simply took him. Or that even if he was alive when he staggered away, he was wounded, and no one can survive the river’s currents and undertow. If he went in wounded, he’s probably dead anyway.

It just stuck out to me that that’s EXACTLY what we think happened with Beth. The group went back for her, didn’t find her body, but maybe some blood or a trail that Daryl followed for a time, searching for her. But they’re assuming she died/staggered away as a walker (hence blond tree walker in 5x15) but they never found a body.

I siriusly doubt Percy is actually dead. It’s just meant to look like he is. And my main theory throughout the episode was that Percy must have killed Tony and framed Silas. No idea why he’d do that, but we’ve already discussed that Percy has kind of a sinister vibe about him, and I’m happy just going with it and waiting for them to eventually explain what happened and why.

But the reveal about Huck at the end throws a wrench in things. We have a second suspect, now. I still don’t know why, exactly, she would kill Tony and either kill or attempt to kill Percy, but the two of them did know a lot about CRM resources and were kind of flouting their rebelliousness and thievery. If she’s loyal to the CRM (because LC is her mom) maybe that would be enough for her to kill them. Or maybe something else went down we have no idea about yet (kinda like at Grady?). Or maybe it really wasn’t her. No way to know, yet. But it’s an interesting possibility.

There were plenty of other symbols to be had in this episode, but I don’t think I need to go over most of them, because by now you all know how to interpret them. Lots of stars.

Boots. Pig references. Clocks. The scene where Elton and Iris talk and he tells her the stars she THINKS are dead are actually very much alive. (If that’s not on-the-nose, I don’t know what is.) And don’t forget the title: The Sky is a Graveyard. Lots of focus on the stars, including a shooting star indicative of Sirius, a blue bird toy at the playground, a song called “The Crosses Made.” Oh, and there were tons of dinosaurs behind Silas, especially in his room in flashbacks, which was interesting.

So yeah, you get the idea.

I said I had one other reason to think Silas might be heading toward Beth, right? Well, this didn’t come from the episode. Rather, it came from TTD, which they did for both FTWD and TWB this past week.

Among others, the actor who plays Silas (Hal Cumpston) was on. At the very end, as Chris Hardwick always does, he asked what the actors could tease about the rest of the season. Various answers were given, but Hal Cumpston said, “Rick.”

Now, don’t anyone freak out. The way he said it, laughingly, made it obvious he wasn’t being serious. He was teasing. It actually reminded me a lot of Lauren Ridloff being asked about Connie and Daryl and teasing a shower scene. The huge grin on her face is what let’s you know that’s not actually happening. She’s just having fun teasing fans about it. This was similar.

And let’s be real: if Rick WERE going to show up in TWB, no way they’d let this kid spoil that for everyone.

But one other possibility comes to mind: Beth. I have no idea if she’s what he was alluding to, but given the “new sheriff in town” symbolism and how interchangeable Rick and Beth symbolism is, it wouldn’t surprise me. I could be wrong, of course. I’m just throwing it out there as a possibility.

And given how many Beth parallels were in this episode, to have him say this on the TTD right after? Yeah, giving this a long, hard, side-eye.

That’s all I have for today. Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #beth is coming #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

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mimiplaysgames · 6 years ago

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Strength to Protect the Things That Matter (Ch. 18)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua (eventually) Rating: T Other characters: Aerith, Tifa, Leon (Squall), Ienzo, Cid, Garnet, Noctis Word Count: 4,750

Summary: Terra has prayed for years. He wanted relief from having no one to talk to in the dark, except with the monster of a man who stole his life. One day, when two boys get a lead, he gets his chance - less than a week - to set things right before he loses everything again.

AO3 FF.net

A/N: So this is supposed to be the ending of the previous chapter, but it was so long that I cut it. But I just really, really didn’t like the way the previous one ended and pushed to release this one as soon as possible. I finally got him to Traverse Town! I felt that he needed to go on a mission, and I’m not actually a big fan of rehashing Disney plotlines. I will use Disney worlds in the future. But the crossover nature of Final Fantasy as it’s treated in these games give me the legroom to try something a bit more original, and it was a great opportunity to actually world-build. For any Final Fantasy fans out there, these next few chapters will especially be for you~

Dream

He’s supposed to fly straight to Radiant Garden, but he tells himself that he has a bit of time to spare.

On his glider, Terra speeds through the black space that surrounds him, whipping past the millions of stars that may or may not be threatened by darkness. To him, it’s impossible to tell. Usually, he’d rely on his heart as a guide to find a place to land. At this moment, however, he has his mind set on one location.

He wills himself to picture it. The image of the castle in his mind is perfect like it was before, with its pristine windows intact. The towers are still standing, supported by the chains that keep them up. The grass is green, the sky is bright, the wind is breezy... and it’s home. Twelve years abandoned and neglected, what will it be like now?

It shouldn’t be far from where he is.

Which is why he stops for a moment, floating in the empty space as he breathes heavily inside his helmet. He has either been wandering for miles, or flying around in circles.

Yes, he hasn’t been back to help repair the damage it suffered when Xehanort destroyed it. He assumes no one has. But it still stood when he left it.

Terra grips his handlebars tightly, and it would have hurt if he didn’t have his hands covered by his thick gloves. Under no intention did he ever think that would have been the last time he saw the castle. Usually homes continue to exist. There are supposed to be there for anytime a loved one needs shelter. They are supposed to last forever.

I can’t lose it now. I don’t need it. I just need them. We can make a new home somewhere else.

This is harder to make himself believe, and Terra sat alone, telling himself over and over again that he doesn’t need his home anymore. Each time he thinks it, he gets a little more nauseous and more willing to beat the handlebars of his glider. This is exactly what Xehanort told him that day.

It isn’t home. They are.

He shakes his head furiously, and steers his glider off to the opposite direction before cranking it to full-speed.

So much has happened since he last stepped into Tifa’s restaurant that it already feels like being in a past life. Since it’s still in the middle of the day, it is closed. But the front door is open, which means that she’s around here somewhere.

The wooden tables, benches, and chairs are all perfectly set up, ready to be used when the evening comes around. The bar area in the corner is clean, all the bottles and glasses neatly arranged. Behind the bar is the usual doorway he would take where he would find the stairs that lead to his former room.

He puts Rainfell down on a table close to the bar and calls out Tifa’s name.

“We’re closed!” It’s a reply he expects, but the voice isn’t hers.

Aerith briskly walks into the bar area and jumps when she sees him. She runs to hug him, happy to have him back. Tifa follows close by, and her hug is much more motherly, like she is welcoming dear family.

He chuckles as she lets him go. “I haven’t even been gone for two full days.”

Aerith leans over, her arms wrapped behind her back. “That just means you’re popular with the ladies.” She sits on a stool by the bar and pats the one next to her, which he takes.

Tifa gets behind the bar and starts filling a glass of water for him. There is a clipboard on the surface right in front of her; it looks as though the two of them are doing inventory.

“Please tell me you’re closer to finding them,” she says.

He hasn’t realized just how thirsty he is. “Actually, yeah.”

“I’m so glad to hear that.” Tifa exhales slowly and brings out groups of martini glasses to the bar so that Aerith can start counting. “The bed upstairs has fresh sheets in case you need them.”

“I’m supposed deliver something to Traverse Town by tonight. Keyblade wielder duties and all.”

“Then you need to stay there. But either way, until you find a new one, you’ll always have a home here.” Funny. It’s almost like fate is giving him another break. She smiles at him, and places her hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry but I still don’t have all the ingredients necessary to remake that potion. You’ve been rationing it, right?”

There is less than a quarter of that brown stuff left in its jar. “I have enough, don’t worry.” Making sure she doesn’t sense his mood, he brings out the sack that holds the two paopu fruit. “Can you freeze these for me?”

“Interesting shape,” she says as she peers into the bag.

“They’re only for Aqua and Ventus.”

She holds her hand up. “Say no more, I’ll freeze them right now.”

Aerith props her elbows on the bar and rests her chin into both of her hands, a dreamy smile on her face. “I hope your story has a happy, romantic ending.”

Terra scoffs into his water. “What are you even talking about?”

She smacks her lips and shoos him. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“I think I should really stop talking too much.”

Aerith purposefully wrinkles her nose. “Actually you don’t talk very much at all. It’s the little things you say that give it all away, mister.” She nods quickly as if to make her point.

Tifa reappears laughing to herself before lifting her hands to imitate the clicking of a camera with her fingers. “When you find her, I’ll need to be ready to capture all the little magic moments.” She laughs harder, with Aerith reaching for her from across the bar and getting in on the joke.

He picks up Rainfell from the table and proceeds to go through the doorway. “It’s funny how you think you’ll get away with doing that. I’ll fight you over it.”

“I resent that, Terra,” she calls out from behind him as he heads up the stairs. “You’ll regret ever fighting me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he calls back, chuckling a little.

The upper hallway is tight, and the small door to the left leads to his old room. It’s free of dust and the window is open, allowing a nice breeze inside. He makes his way to the floorboard that squeaks the loudest. Aqua’s armor is still safely stored under it.

Sitting on his knees, he rests Rainfell on his lap, tracing the blade up to its teeth. It figures that it has not allowed him to wield it since he called for Xehanort’s Keyblade: Aqua would have given him a lecture about it if she was there, and since their weapon is an extension of their very own hearts, souls, desires, it would have agreed with her.

The Keyblade is straighter than he remembers from all the times he sparred with her, bearing a darker blue hue. Wondering if it now carries a different name, he gently places it into the crease of the floor knowing that it’s safe there.

As he walks down the streets, he notices the tiny changes that make all the difference: Aerith has been busy filling them with flowers, and some of the fountains that have been broken before are now running.

It’s only several blocks until he sees the group of white tents that store weapons, desks, and supplies for the people of the Restoration Committee. Leon is there, going through what else - reports (it always seems to be the case for him). But at least he looks far better rested now than ever.

Cloud, Lightning, and Zack are nowhere to be seen.

“You’ve been gone for so long, I nearly didn’t recognize you,” Leon says as shakes Terra’s hand.

“I’m glad to see my absence isn’t missed.”

“You must be a lucky charm, then.” Leon rests his hands on his waist. “We haven’t had an attack since you left. The others are actually expanding out in the fields. Light wanted to take back some territory to keep the Heartless away from here.”

Terra takes a long breath. Any good news for these people is welcome. “I hope they’re okay out there, fighting Heartless on their own.”

“They can definitely take care of themselves, don’t worry.” Leon reaches into his back pocket. “Before I forget, Aerith made this for you. She wanted to make sure you were ordained by me.”

A purple card naming Terra an honorary member of the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. “There’s an actual formality to being named one?”

Leon cocks his head and shrugs. “You’ve been ordained into the Committee. Congratulations, there you go.”

And that was it.

Terra puts the card into his own pocket. “That’s good enough.”

Leon gestures his head to the side. “The package you need to take is almost done. Follow me.”

On top of some long tables is a large wooden box and a smaller one. One of the scientists from Ansem’s castle, the quieter one with gray hair that is mostly done in front of his face, is filling the smaller one with potions.

It’s a wonder how he can get anything done with that much hair covering his face. Terra remembers from his time being imprisoned that this young man’s name is Ienzo, although they have never exchanged any sentences.

When Ienzo sees them, his expression freezes, almost as if he is trying to stop any semblance of surprise. He audibly clears his throat and adjusts his lab coat as he prepares to welcome them.

“Leon.” He nods his head at the commander of Radiant Garden’s military. Then he pauses as he stares at the Keyblade wielder.

“It’s Terra.” He holds his hand out, and Ienzo reluctantly takes it.

“Y-yes, I remember.” When he stops shaking his hand, he pulls on his collar. “I feel I must apologize profusely for the, um-”

“It’s fine, it wasn’t that big of a deal.” The only thing that makes this more awkward than it should be is the fact that Leon is still standing right there, like a watchdog.

Leon crosses his arms. “I’ll give you guys some room, but I won’t leave you alone with him.” He is clearly talking to Terra, but his gaze is focused on Ienzo, almost like a warning.

Ienzo clears his throat and forces a laugh as Leon walks away. “I’m sorry, it’s just that you look so much like him. Frighteningly so.”

Him... Terra forces a smile. “Actually, it’s the other way around.”

“Y-yes, of course. I didn’t mean to suggest...” Ienzo pulls a chair out for Terra to sit. “This isn’t the first time I have heard about a heart being stored in someone else. I’m actually working with Sora about this very same issue.”

Terra tenses a little. Does that mean he knows about Ven? That can’t be since Sora doesn’t know... Please don’t say anything. Don’t say Ven’s name. I can’t protect him if he hears.

Ienzo takes a shaky breath. “I just didn’t... I only found out about such things recently. I had no idea Xehanort was... someone else. None of us did.”

“It’s okay. There probably wasn’t a way for you to know.” Terra crosses his arms.

“I feel that I must apologize to you again.” Ienzo sits on his own chair.

“Why?”

“I just need to get this off my conscience. I grew up with Xehanort. He has been there for most of my life.” Ienzo nods as his eyes drift off. “I don’t know if you can relate, and perhaps this will be difficult for you to hear, but I aspired to be like him as I studied with him. He was just as much my teacher as Ansem the Wise.”

Terra stops breathing for a bit, and Ienzo notices. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No. I actually kind of wondered what he was like... as me.” It’s a strange thing to confess. The thought usually makes him clench his teeth, but curiosity is a strong force.

Ienzo exhales forcefully and struggles to grin. “He was respectful, yet emotionally distant. He commonly said that being emotional would only get in the way of work, and it was best to focus on the task at hand. He was incredibly intelligent. Myself and Even never really compared. He was a prodigy.” He nods to himself as he looks down to the ground. “We all thought we would make a tremendous break through in science, studying with him.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“We were trying to see if we can effectively take control over the mind.” Ienzo braves himself to meet Terra’s eyes as he says this. “I know - it’s an awful subject to study. It’s what led to the breakout of Heartless. But when you are so involved in such a project, and you are so close to getting final results - I think we were all consumed in trying to get answers. I know I was.” He rubs his hands together. “I deserved to be turned into a Nobody I suppose, for what I did. Xehanort had vision and charisma, yes, but I failed to see him for the monster he really was. For that, I ask for your forgiveness.”

“Of course.” Terra nods, forming a small smile and releasing the grip he’s been holding on his biceps.

Another nervous laugh. “You’re truly kind.” Ienzo gets up and fetches a notebook close by. “May I ask you a few questions, then? I-If you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead.” Terra crosses his legs. The movement is not comfortable or known to him. He has no idea why he wanted to do that, and uncrosses them.

“Do you have any memory of being Xehanort?”

“No. it was all...” Terra swallows a hard lump. “The only thing I saw was darkness. There was nothing else.”

Ienzo takes some notes down. “Interesting... I imagine you should be Xemnas’ age by now, but it looks like you’re quite young still. That is probably why.”

“What is probably why?”

“It sounds like your heart was cast in the abyss that exists inside all of us. It acts as a sanctuary to keep us so that our hearts don’t break. You haven’t aged because your heart has been sleeping for most of that time. It hasn’t experienced anything, any life. You can’t develop with no experience.”

Terra laughs, but it isn’t because what Ienzo said was funny. “A sanctuary? It was anything but.” He nearly goes on to talk about the agony and how often he has nearly given up, but doesn’t.

“I didn’t mean to suggest that it should be pleasant.” Ienzo tugs at his collar. “But there is no other way to explain it. That darkness is what houses our hearts. It’s like a mother’s womb. Yes, light is what gives us hope and illuminates every single thing we can see and interact with. Without it, there is no reason to live. But darkness... It can distort and disgust our perceptions, and it can make the most evil doings clandestine. But when we need to hide or protect ourselves, it’s the only thing that can actually give us shelter. No one survives under so much scrutiny under the light, if that makes sense. Only light judges.”

Nothing is really easy to understand anymore. This must be what it’s like to be an adult. He can’t help but think of Eraqus in this sense.

Ienzo laughs nervously again. “I’m sorry, I must sound like Xehanort. I suppose I still agree with him in those concepts. May I ask where he is now? Is he in that same abyss you were inhabited?”

Terra places his hand on his chest. “I don’t think so. He can hear what we’re saying, and see what I see.”

The scientist takes too long of a moment to speak again. “Is he wrestling for control then?”

Terra’s voice is low. “Yeah.”

“I can’t help you with that. Using a Keyblade against the heart is dangerous indeed, and it shouldn’t be tried.” He writes more notes. “I do have another question. Do you remember being Xemnas?”

“No.“

“Really? Being in the castle didn’t spark some familiarity to you?” He stops writing. “Xemnas spent quite some time there. He had a room to himself that he loved to pass the time in. Some of us were aware that he used to speak to himself, but I don’t know what exactly was stored in that room.”

A mindless clone of him, which tried to destroy all of the worlds at once, treasured her armor. Someone who has his face but has no history with her and therefore no business wanting to talk with her. It’s good that he doesn’t exist anymore, or else I’d punch him in the face.

“I suppose it’s not so strange that you can’t remember anything,” Ienzo continues. “Xemnas shared many, many similarities with Xehanort, so it really wasn’t your mind that directed him. You cannot command powers of nothingness, then?”

Terra’s eyes widen. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

In Ienzo’s hand, a dark leather tome form out of thin air. “I still remember how to do it. We all do. Keyblade wielders strictly perform with the dichotomy of light and dark. But nothingness is separate from that. It’s an energy that draws from a mental state that can be achieved through meditation. It comes simply by existing and not through any feeling, which is what light and dark need. It is ironic - Xemnas always told us that we didn’t exist. Initially, Nobodies cannot feel which is how we came about these powers.” Ienzo silently commands pages to fly around him, some doubling and others melting into one. “We can then amplify them with thoughts - and perhaps with emotions - once we learn to control them. You must understand, nothing is just nothing. It is up to us to define what that looks like. Xemnas for example was a gifted mage.”

“Those two words strewn together do not describe me at all.”

The pages and the tome disappear in smoke. “Well, I mention them to be useful. Powers of nothingness should have no effect to your heart or mind, which I’m sure are under some strain.”

That’s an understatement.

Leon approaches them. “Sorry to break up your get-together, but Terra, you have a package to deliver.”

“Y-Yes, I’m almost done with that.” Ienzo moves to put more potions in the box along with a booklet of notes. He doesn’t meet Leon’s gaze at all. Among the mostly green potions in the smaller box, he puts in two bright purple ones.

Ienzo gestures to Terra, pointing to the purple potions. “These two are incredibly rare. Xehanort invented them. They are designed to numb the heart, actually, and these are the very last that we have. Do be careful with them, since the recipients have requested these specifically.”

Terra’s mouth drops open. “Why would anyone ask for these?”

“Because they make it harder for Heartless to detect you,” Leon says. “Because they make turning into one hurt less. And because it has been approved to send them over.”

Terra nods once, remembering that Cloud has stated that the people leading Traverse Town are ones to be trusted.

After closing the smaller one, Ienzo starts to lock the larger one. “Inside this one are a number of books and electric bombs. They will not go off without being prepared first, but do be careful and don’t shake them.”

Ienzo then gathers his notes into his arms and firmly shakes Terra’s hand before leaving. “Until next time, Terra.”

With him gone, Leon pulls out a sizeable bag filled with 2,000 munny - the payment for the delivery.

“He seems a bit nervous around you,” Terra says as he accepts the bag.

“Ansem’s apprentices and the military are not exactly on good terms.” Leon leans on one leg. “They’re still loyal to the old man, and there are some people who are apprehensive about the possibility of him coming back to Radiant Garden. They don’t want him to lead again, since they blame him for the catastrophe. Truth be told, there are some people who don’t like the idea of the military leading either, even though we are the ones restoring the city.”

“Where is he now?”

“No one knows.” Leon stacks the boxes, and taps them. “Anyway, don’t worry about us. You’re needed somewhere else.” He pulls out another card, with handwritten notes. “These are the people that the delivery is for.”

It is difficult to read these complicated names, made harder due to Leon’s illegible handwriting.

“If you can’t find them, look for a guy named Cid. He’s one of our own, actually. We sent him to help them out. They are all stationed at the hotel there.”

It is a lie if Terra isn’t grateful that Cid is a name he can remember. “Will do.”

Leon reaches out for a handshake. “Don’t be a stranger.”

If there is anything that gives more spectacular sights than the Land of Departure, it’s Traverse Town.

The sun is starting to set, casting multitudes of shadows across the cobblestones that make the streets. The architecture is highly stylized and picturesque, almost like it comes straight off a book he read when he was younger. The town is a stop for all sorts of travelers - incredibly tall people, anthropomorphic people, extremely short people, and Moogles. It’s probably why no one really pays any attention to him, floating on his glider with these two wooden packages strapped behind him.

It’s not the easiest to get anyone’s attention, either. Everyone seems to be in a rush, and will either deny his request for information or outright ignore him. Eventually he gets directions to the hotel. It’s up in the second district, which is more modern but no less impressive, with an endless stream of tourist shops, a fountain, and a tall clocktower. The hotel stands tall and wide, and a worker there gives him a trolley.

The inside of the hotel should be fancy by normal standards, but it’s a mess. The lounge area is filled with desks covered in papers. Terra passes by an open room which should have been reception but they use it to store the weapons. He is told that past that hallway is the restaurant, which feeds those who work and live here.

He is directed to a back room, where a man sits in front of several computer monitors, right by another door off to the side that is closed.

The man is older, and fumbles with a toothpick in his mouth. “You the new Keyblade wielder? Terra, am I right?” His voice is gruff, his attitude absolutely matching the lack of patience heard from his mouth.

“Yes, sir. I’m looking for Cid.” He keeps his hands on the trolley.

“You’re looking at him.” He glances at the packages but doesn’t ask any questions. “I guess I should say ‘Welcome to Traverse Town.’ It’s a place where most people can flick their fingers and create magic tricks. I’m sure you heard we’re in a rough spot. There’s not that many fighters here, it’s mostly just women.”

It’s an awful thing to say and Terra is about to snark back but quickly shuts it. “I’ve met a lot of strong women.”

Cid doesn’t have the time to reply. As if on cue, young woman opens the door behind them, and by all accounts she’s stunning. Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, with white, flowing bell sleeves and a large crystal around her neck, she’s the epitome of femininity. Her hair is long and ebony and drags as she walks. She’s short, shorter than Ventus, but she walks gracefully and has an air about her that screams regality, as though her height means nothing.

“A newcomer?” Her smile is warm, her accent posh.

“My name is Terra.”

She gasps with glee, and runs up to the packages and starts to open them. Her smile widens and she silently laughs, like she has been given life-saving medicine.

“Um, those packages are actually for...” Terra pulls out the card with the names.

“Give that here.” She motions with her fingers and reads off the card. “Ah, I’m on here. My name is Garnet.” She folds one arm under her bust and bends over with the other arm extended, as if she is bowing for a grand ball. “You can say I am the second-in-command. All the inhabitants here think of me so.”

She looks back down on the card and addresses Cid. “Speaking of commanders, where is Noctis?”

“His royal heinie is sleeping in the next room. Where else would he be?”

Cid returns to work on his computer, complaining about all things Noctis. How Noctis doesn’t listen to his advice. How Noctis is too quick to lunge himself at Heartless when he should be busy looking after his people. How Noctis is too young for this kind of job, among a longer list of other things. Garnet turns to Terra with an expression that mimics laughter while pointing her thumb at Cid, as if to say can you believe this guy?

The door that is closed slams open. There stands a young man with spiky black hair, some of it lazily covering his face. He dresses completely in all black, some of it adorned in leather, very cool and very casual, as though he wants to make a statement based on what he wears. He is undeniably annoyed, his eyes half-lidded.

“Cid,” he says, “you’re loud.”

Garnet spins to face him, her hair swaying around. “Noctis, this is Terra, the new Keyblade wielder.”

Noctis smacks his lips several times before shaking Terra’s hand, a welcoming but timid smile on his face. Not unlike Terra at all.

“Welcome.” His voice is raspy, but it’s hard to tell if that’s normal for him or if it’s because he’s still waking up. “You’ve made our lives easier, and we’re all grateful for you Keyblade wielders.”

“Glad to be of service.” Terra scratches the back of his head. “I’ve been hearing so much about the trouble here, but I actually don’t really know that much of what’s going on.”

“Let me take you up to the roof and brief you.” Noctis walks out the way Terra came in, Garnet following behind him.

He actually takes them outside, where he starts to go up the fire escape. “Every two nights, one particularly nasty Heartless attacks us. It comes an hour before midnight each time, and it only stays for ten minutes. Then it disappears and we rinse and repeat the night after next.”

This is surprising.

Monsters and beasts made of a deep, putrid darkness exist, which are usually ancient and they are known in legends. One in particular is the legend of Chernabog. These fiends tend to be ritualistic, much like the way this Heartless is being described, which means that this has the potential to be something that will continue to target and haunt people. It will continue to grow.

“Obviously, we haven’t been able to get rid of it,” Noctis says as they reach the top. He places his hands on his waist and scoffs with disgust. He wears his emotions so obviously that it gives Terra the impression that Noctis will always be easy to read. “The fact that it only stays around for ten minutes means that we never get it weak enough to destroy it. Sora, Riku, and Lea have fought it together and it didn’t make much of a difference, either.”

Garnet leans on the railing, a loving smile on her face as she looks down on the people in the streets far below. Then she gets serious. “I don’t know what horrid person that thing came from. But the number of deaths and missing each of those nights is daunting.”

She turns to face Terra and smiles. He isn’t confident enough to tell if it’s forced. “We call it Kefka.”

“Well, I’m here to help,” Terra says, and she returns with a solemn smile before facing the streets again. Noctis nods and pats Terra’s shoulder once.

The clock tower rings. It is six in the evening. But it’s the sound that catches Terra’s attention.

It’s an electric bell, and he’s heard this exact sound before as he watched Naminé sink into the water. There isn’t any way to describe this sense of just knowing it’s true. His stomach drops and his chest tightens as he stares at the clock tower, checking to make sure it is the same sound. Yes it is. Yes it is.

Does that mean Aqua is here?

#terraqua #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kh fanfic #terra #final fantasy crossover #tifa lockhart #aerith gainsborough #squall leonheart #ienzo #cid #garnet til alexandros #noctis lucis caelum #ahhhhhh we are finally in traverse town #OMG #i have spent months planning this #i'm so excited #and it's so crazy #my fic

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b00ksandcleverness · 8 years ago

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Honestly just poly rangers anything if u r taking prompts. Something abt the family's of each of them? Like Zack and Billy's moms and Trini's fam and Jason's fam and Kim's fam and idk what this is, I just rly like poly rangers

POLY RANGERS IS LYFE

Ok so before I get on with writing this, here are my poly ranger sexual/romantic/platonic pairing headcanons to stave off some questions. Trini is exclusively sexual with Kim. Her relationships with the boys are platonic, but she loves cuddling with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Kim is very occasionally sexual with Jason, but is platonic with Billy and Zach. Sometimes she just likes to kiss whoever is nearby, as does Zach. Jason and Billy are also mostly exclusively sexual with each other. Sometimes, when the mood strikes, Zach joins in with Jason and Billy, but he’s not often bothered with sex. I feel like Zach is a huge cuddle monster and him and Trini can usually be found cuddling somewhere.

I’m not too ready to add Tommy in yet simply because she isn’t developed, but I love Tommy as a girl, and in my headcanons she’s definitely pan or bi and super flirty with literally everyone. She’ll punch your lights out if you even think her full name (Thomasina). She won’t be in this fic, but if people want to see more of her with the other 5, send me prompts!

Feel free to come yell about your headcanons with me! Ok, here we go...

----

The first parental unit they tell is Billy’s mom.

Well, it’s more that Billy blurts it out during one of his babble fests they all adore, and they all hold their breath wand wait.

She’s so happy that Billy is happy and accepted and understood that she doesn’t blink twice before welcoming them all to the family and asking if they like cookies and apple juice. She has an avalanche of questions later, but they know she’s just trying to learn and they all answer her questions happily

Zach’s mom figures it out by herself. She chatters at Zach for a solid 20 minutes in Chinese while the others stand and wait apprehensively for the yelling to start, for them all to be kicked out, but then Zach hugs her as tightly as he dares and they all let out a sigh of relief and laugh as she tells them about all the polyamorous couples in Chinese mythology. They promise they’ll study them for her, and these lessons become a normal weekly occurrence that just makes Zach even more proud to have her as his mom.

Jason’s father yells. A lot. He doesn’t kick them out but he tells them they’re just kids and how could they be so naiive, how could they think this is okay, how could they think about flaunting this in public, what would people think, how could they not think of their futures, and on and on and on. Their shoulders don’t slump but Billy and Kim both start to shrink as the yelling gets louder and finally, finally, and maybe surprisingly but really not, it’s Trini who speaks up first. She gets right up in his face and tells him to shut up and to stop bullying the people she loves.

It’s quiet for a long time after that, and Billy straightens and Kim just breathes and they lean in to Jason and Zack while Trini stares down Jason’s dad until he turns and leaves the room. She harrumphs and turns back to her partners and coaxes smiles from all of them while she trembles with adrenaline. Later, back at Billy’s house, she snuggles into Kim who’s sandwiched between her and Zach and allows herself to relax and remember that she has them and she has Billy’s mom and Zach’s mom and dreads what her parents are going to say next.

Jason’s dad surprises them all when the next week he invites them all over and tells them he’s been doing a lot of research. That he loves Jason and he doesn’t understand yet, but he’s going to try and to please give him a second chance. He apologizes to Trini and Kim and Billy, and shakes Zach’s hand. Jason tells them the next day that he’d gotten the first hug from his dad he’d had in 5 years. They have hope.

Trini tries to introduce them slowly to her parents. She’d told them all that her mom was overbearing and that her dad was just oblivious and that neither of them had reacted well to her coming out - obviously. First, she brings Zach. Because Zach is a boy and Zach can be polite and winning when he wants to be. Trini’s brothers love him and her parents are suspicious. Next is Kim, who adults absolutely adore. Well. Most adults, because apparently Trini’s mom really doesn’t like Trini hanging around with pretty girls. Trini’s dad gives her an encouraging smile and Trini helps Kim escape before the barrage of questions beats down on her shoulders.

Jason and Billy come as a package, and Billy is sweet and Jason is charming and he’s Jason Scott and her mom seems to give in a little when she sees that these 4 odd kids keep coming around. But one day they’re all studying in Trini’s living room and they’re supposed to be alone so they’re not watching themselves and Trini’s mom walks in on Trini cuddling with Zach and Kim while reading her book for AP Lit and Kim just happens to be stealing a kiss from Jason while her arms are still wrapped around Trini, and Billy’s head is in Jason’s lap and it’s all wrong, all to fast, and Trini thinks she actually witnesses her mom’s head explode with the shout of her name.

“Trinity Maria Alverado! What the hell is going on in my house?!”

Trini’s mom is the first to kick everyone else out. They all tell her behind her mom’s back that they’ll be close, that they’ll come if she needs them, that they love her and all she can do is watch them close the door behind them.

Her mother calls her father while still screaming at her, demands that he come home early to deal with this.

Trini’s count of how many questions her mom asks has reached two hundred and sixteen without enough breath for her to even answer one by the time her father gets home.

“Trini, your mother says you’re sleeping with 4 other people?!”

Trini closes her eyes and prepares to explain to a brick wall. She really wishes her partners were there, but she has a faint connection to all of them and she caresses them in her mind.

“No, papí, I -”

“Don’t you dare lie to him, Trinity! I saw what was going on in this room! I saw -”

“You saw Kim kissing Jason. Because Kim likes to kiss people. I like to cuddle, and so does Zach. And Kim is the only one I’m, like, you know. With. So she cuddles with me too. And Jason is with Billy, so he’s really the only one that Billy is ok with touching a lot. And we all love each other, mamí, but it’s not wrong, it’s beautiful.”

“What do you mean, Kim is the only one you’re ‘with’? Are you having sex, Trinity? You are far too young to even be considering sex, and you’re not even married. Are you still pretending to like women? You know your father and I don’t support that, Trinity, I thought we’d come to an agreement! What I saw today...”

It goes on for hours. Trini tries explaining that there’s nothing sexual between her and the boys. Just Kim, even if they don’t ‘believe’ in her being gay. She tries explaining that yes, they’re all in a relationship because no matter how scared she is she’s not going to hide them like some dirty little secret. She’s proud of them and their relationship and maybe it’s stupid of her but she’s not backing down and she’s not moving again. She tries explaining 50 different ways but no matter what she says they don’t change their questions, they don’t change their minds. They send her to her room with a final “We are so disappointed in you, mija.” and the moment her door closes she’s out the window, running. She doesn’t have a destination in mind, but apparently her partners know her better than she knows herself because when she finally finds herself on top of her rock, they’re all sitting there. Waiting. With open arms and soft words and hot chocolate and music. She doesn’t go home for 2 days.

Trini’s parents tell her they’re moving a week later and Trini threatens to apply for emancipation. She’s not taking this shit any more. They don’t move, but for 2 months the only members of Trini’s family that talk to her are her little brothers (who understand much more easily than adults ever will. Who love their cool big sister no matter what. Who still love to cuddle with her if she promises not to tell any of their friend ever. Who don’t understand why their parents are mad at Trini, so she tells them it’s big people stuff and they’re lucky they’re still kids).

Kim’s parents are never around. She’s avoided talking about her family for so long with her partners that they knew something wasn’t right. She tells them over e-mail and doesn’t receive a reply. She stresses and worries and agonizes over what will happen when they’re both home again, but when they finally are it’s the usual false platitudes and nightly shouting match and absolutely nothing about the e-mail.

One time, they’re all at her place and her father comes home early (parents coming home early seem to be their downfall). He tells her politely that her friends should probably leave for the night. That it’s late, and dinner would be soon, even though it’s not even 5pm. Trini’s the one who spots her tensed shoulders, her quickened breathing, and asks if she needs Trini to stay. Kim shakes her head - she’s dealt with what’s coming before, and this time she has them all there for her after.

Kim’s dad shouts too. It’s worse than Jason’s dad, because his words are shaped to cut on purpose, not out of ignorance. She shrinks as she always does, trying to give the words less of her to injure. He tells her that she’ll never bring them over again, that they’ll never mention the subject within a mile of their home ever again, that it will be forgotten. The next day her parents leave on another trip and she hugs Zach’s mom and Billy’s mom and Jason’s dad so hard because sometimes, she just really wants a parent who cares.

Angel grove whispers about them, they know it. It’s a small town, where everyone knows everyone, and where gossip spreads faster than wildfire. But they have each other, and they have 4 parental figures who love them and accept them. They have Zordon and Alpha 5 and their purpose. They have music and adventures and really, what else would they ever need.

dunno what this turned into, but hope you liked it!

#poly rangers #power rangers #clever writes #fanfic #ingeneralfangirl #ask and you shall receive

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