#lea is emotionally precious

[dontyouworrydaddy]

Can you please write about Konig & 141 with a significant other who is very introverted? Like, someone who can go hours and hours without talking and is more than happy to simply relax and enjoy a day of peace and quiet at home. Thank you so much. I love all your stories, they're my daily dose of smiling to myself.

ʷʰᵉᶰ ʸᵒᵘ ᵏᶰᵒʷ˒ ʸᵒᵘ ᵏᶰᵒʷˑ

Task Force 141 (+König) + gn! reader

STOPPPP THIS MADE ME SMILE SO HARD🤭🤭🤭🤭😭 I‘m so glad you enjoy reading my fanfics, please keep that smile! I love you so much xoxo💘💘💘

◡̈

König

You and König were an unlikely couple. While he thrived in the midst of chaos and action, you found solace in the peace with yourself. But despite your contrasting personalities, a deep connection had formed between you.

One sunny day, König returned from a mission, exhausted. As he stepped through the door, he was greeted by the familiar quietness that enveloped your home. You, sitting on the couch, deep inside a book, you looked up and offered a soft smile. König felt a wave of relief wash over him, appreciating the sanctuary you provided.

The two of you understand and respect each other's needs. König would regale you with tales of his daring escapades, sharing the adrenaline rush and the camaraderie he felt with his team. You listened attentively, providing a listening ear and occasional nods of understanding.

On one particularly challenging day, König returned from a mission that had left him emotionally drained. His usually charismatic and confident demeanor was replaced by a somber and contemplative expression. Sensing his need for silence, you wordlessly made him a cup of tea and guided him to the cozy living room.

Together, you sat in silence, the weight of the day's events hanging in the air. No words were exchanged, yet the unspoken understanding between you acted as a soothing balm. You leaned against König, providing him with a sense of comfort and support that he had never experienced before. It was a testament to the strength of your bond.

König started to appreciate the peace you brought into his life. Your peaceful presence acted as a respite from the chaos and turmoil of his world. He discovered the joy of simply being with you, without the need for constant stimulation or conversation.

You took pleasure in introducing him to the simple joys of life…a leisurely walk through a park, stargazing on a clear night, or curling up together to watch a movie in comfortable silence. The depth of your connection transcended words, and König found solace in the tranquility you embodied.

And you guys ended that night with nothing but unspoken words. But you could feel each others love.

Simon Riley

You and Simon sat comfortably on the couch in his small, cozy apartment, basking in the silence that enveloped the room. It had been a long day of action and chaos, and both of you craved this precious time to recharge. While Simon was known for his skill and proficiency in combat, you, on the other hand, were a reserved and introverted individual who found solace in silence.

As the evening settled in, you couldn't help but feel a slight excitement bubbling within you. Earlier in the day, you had watched a captivating movie that had left you in awe, and you wanted to share the experience with Simon. However, knowing how quiet and reserved you were, you couldn't help but hesitate.

"Hey, Simon," you began, your voice soft and gentle, "I watched this incredible movie today. It had such a compelling storyline, and the performances were amazing."

Simon turned his attention to you, his piercing blue eyes fixed on your face. "Oh, really? What was it about?" he asked, his voice carrying a genuine curiosity.

"It's about a young woman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after a major life event," you explained, your words slowly forming. "Throughout the movie, she learns to face her fears and finds her true strength. It was incredibly inspiring."

Simon leaned forward, his interest evident in his posture. "Sounds like a powerful story. What did you like most about it?"

"Well, there was this one scene where she confronts her inner hate" you said, your voice growing more animated as you recounted the scene. "The intentions were so beautifully done and the actress portrayed the character's emotions flawlessly. It was like watching a piece of art come to life."

Simon listened intently, his admiration for you growing with every word you spoke. He marveled at your ability to articulate your thoughts and feelings with such precision, despite your preference for quiet introspection.

"You have an incredible way of describing things, you know," Simon said softly, his voice filled with genuine admiration. "I've always admired your ability to find joy and beauty in the smallest moments. It's a rare quality and it's one of the many reasons why I adore you."

A faint blush crept up your cheeks as his words washed over you. Simon had a way of making you feel seen and appreciated, even in your quietest moments. It was one of the many reasons why you cherished his presence in your life.

"Thank you, Simon," you whispered, a warm smile gracing your lips. "It means a lot to me that you listen so attentively. Your support and understanding make me feel valued and cherished."

Simon reached out and gently took your hand in his, his touch bringing a comforting warmth to your soul. "You don't have to thank me, Y/N" he said, his voice filled with tenderness. "I‘m so happy to be with someone as incredible as you. Your quiet strength is what grounds me, and I'm grateful every day to have you by my side."

In that moment, as the two of you sat in silence, a profound connection existed between you and Simon. Words were unnecessary as your hearts communicated in a language only the two of you understood. In each other's presence, you found solace and comfort, knowing that being introverted didn't make you any less valuable or loved.

John MacTavish

You and John sat together on a cozy sofa, a fire crackling in the nearby fireplace. The warmth enveloped the room as the two of you basked in the tranquility of the evening. As a person who cherished moments of quietude, you found comfort in John's presence, someone who understood and appreciated your introverted nature.

John glanced at you, a soft smile gracing his lips. "You know, I've always admired how you can find so much joy in silence," he said, his voice warm and gentle. "You have this incredible ability to appreciate the little things in life, the quiet moments that often go unnoticed."

You turned your gaze toward him, your eyes reflecting a deep affection. "I guess I've always been drawn to the beauty of nothingness" you replied, your voice soft yet filled with sincerity. "There's something magical about finding peace in nothing and sharing it with someone you love."

He reached out and took your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. The touch sent a gentle wave of warmth through your body. "I feel so so blessed to have found you," John confessed, his voice filled with adoration. "Your presence brings a sense of calmness and contentment to my life that I never knew was possible."

A gentle blush spread across your cheeks as you leaned closer to him, your heart fluttering with love. "And you John, have a way of making me feel cherished and understood," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "It's as if you know how to speak the language of my heart, even when words escape me."

He tilted his head, his eyes shining with affectionate curiosity. "Tell me, my love, what's on your mind today? Anything you'd like to share or discuss?"

You pondered for a moment, relishing the opportunity to open up to him. "You know, I was thinking about the power of silence," you mused. "How sometimes, words can only complicate things. In the quiet moments, we can truly hear each other without any distractions."

John nodded in agreement, his gaze never leaving yours. "It's true. Silence can be a refuge, a space where understanding blossoms. With you, I've learned the beauty of being present in the moment, embracing the stillness, and truly listening to what's unsaid."

A sense of deep connection swelled between you as the conversation meandered into the realm of shared understanding. Hours passed, but it felt like mere moments, for time seemed insignificant in the presence of your love.

John Price

As you lay in John's arms, the two of you relish the tranquility of the moment. The outside world fades away, leaving just the comforting embrace of each other. You couldn't imagine a more perfect way to spend your time together.

John, ever the man of action, had always been drawn to those who possessed a fiery spirit. But when he met you, the depth of your quiet nature captured his heart like nothing else. Your introverted personality was a refreshing contrast to the chaos and noise that often accompanied his line of work.

In a world of constant turmoil and danger, you provided him with a sanctuary, a haven of calm where he could let his guard down and find solace. He admired the way you could go hours without saying a single word, finding comfort in the silence.

As you lie in each other's arms, John's fingers gently trace circles on your back, his touch conveying love. He knows that sometimes, words aren't necessary to express how deeply he cares for you. Your presence alone speaks volumes, and he cherishes every moment shared with you.

Your introverted nature allows you to appreciate the small joys in life, and that mindset has rubbed off on John. He finds himself savoring the simplicity of mundane activities, like cooking dinner together or snuggling up on the couch to watch a movie. It's in these quiet moments that he truly realizes how lucky he is to have you by his side.

He often wonders what goes on in your mind during those long stretches of silence, but he knows better than to ask. He respects your need for solitude and understands that sometimes, the most meaningful connections are forged through silent companionship.

Kyle Garrick

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, you and Kyle lounged comfortably on the couch in your cozy living room. It was your time and place where silence was treasured and cherished and today was no exception.

Lost in the pages of a book, you were completely engrossed in a tale that captivated your imagination. As you turned the pages, occasionally pausing to savor the words, Kyle observed you with affectionate fascination. He admired your ability to get lost in a world of your own creation, finding beauty in the quiet moments that others often overlooked.

Kyle was also a reader, but his tastes leaned more toward action-packed thrillers. However, your presence had opened up a new realm of literature for him. You had introduced him to the magic of introspective novels, inviting him into a world where the power of words could heal wounds and touch the soul.

He couldn't help but smile as he watched you silently flip through the pages, your eyes dancing with the emotions conveyed by the author's words. Finally, unable to resist the urge to engage in conversation, Kyle gently placed his hand on your shoulder, causing you to look up from your book and meet his warm gaze.

"You seem really invested in that book," he said softly, a tone of genuine interest lacing his voice. "What's it about?"

You blinked, momentarily taken aback by the interruption. However, you quickly realized that Kyle was genuinely interested in your thoughts and experiences, even if they were vastly different from his own. Setting the book aside, you smiled, grateful for his curiosity.

"It's a story about self-discovery" you replied, your voice hushed but filled with quiet enthusiasm. "It follows a protagonist who embarks on a journey to find their true purpose in life. Along the way, they encounter various challenges, both internal and external, that force them to confront their fears and embrace their own strengths."

Kyle's gaze never wavered as he listened intently, fully immersed in the conversation. It was as if time stood still, and the world outside ceased to exist. He hung onto your every word, cherishing the connection you shared.

"That sounds fascinating" Kyle responded genuinely, a spark of curiosity igniting in his eyes. "What do you find most captivating about the story?"

You took a moment to reflect, appreciating Kyle's genuine interest in your perspective. "I think what resonates with me the most is the protagonist's journey of self-acceptance," you answered thoughtfully. "It reminds me of how we all have our own personal battles and insecurities, but ultimately, it's through embracing ourselves completely that we find true contentment and inner peace."

Kyle nodded, his expression filled with admiration. "You have a unique way of seeing the world, and I find it incredibly inspiring," he confessed, his voice filled with warmth. "Your appreciation for the quiet moments and your ability to find joy in the simple pleasures of life it's something I've come to cherish about you."

A gentle blush graced your cheeks as you took in his heartfelt words. In that moment, it became clear to you that Kyle adored every aspect of your introverted nature. And you loved him for it.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #395: After Coco (Kingdom Hearts)

9:22am in the Morning.......

Lea: (Got up From the Couch and Starts Yawning) Morning, my peeps....

Xion: (Giggles Softly) Good morning, sleepyhead.

Roxas: (Snickering) How was your sleep?

Isa: (Holding his Mug of Coffee in his hands) You know....after everything that happened last night.

Lea: Honestly, I slept like a new born- (Noticed Everyone in the room looking at him with a Smirk on their faces) Uh...why are you guys looking at me like that?

Isa: No reason.

Roxas: Just Cause.

Xion: Yeah. It's not like we saw you being emotionally precious last night~

Lea: "Emotionally-".....................('Sigh Heavily') You're talking about me crying last night, are you?

Roxas: Now you're catching on.

Isa: Had no idea you were so Emotional, Lea. (Sips on his Coffee)

Lea: ('Scoffs') So I cried over a Pixar movie, big deal! Everyone cries while watching these movies!

Xion: True. But you kind of took it to the extreme.

Lea: To the extreme? Xion, all I did was tell you guys how much I love all of you. It really wasn't nothing to it.

Roxas: (Smirk Grew Bigger) Okay. But are you sure that we're the ONLY ones you cried to last night?

Xion: Hmmmmmmmm?~

Lea: ..........What are kids talking about?

*Flashback*

*Cellphone Rang*

Kairi: (Picks up her Phone) Hello?-

Lea: (From the Other Line) KAIIIIIIRIIIIIIIIII!!!

Kairi: Axel?! H-Hey, what's wrong? W-Why are you crying?

Lea: Kairi, you're the best, adorable little sister I ever have in my life! And I'm so happy be the big brother who LOVES YOU VERY MUCH!!!

*Call End*

Kairi: (Place her Hand on her Chest while her Heart Begins to Melt from Lea's Sudden Call) Axel.........

..........................................................

Lea: You're amazing kid, Sora!! And you deserve the world for EVERYTHING you done for us!!! THE WORLD!!

*Call End*

Sora: (Smiles Brightly while Blushes Appears on his face Bashfully)

..................................................

Lea: You're a smart kid, Riku!! You're worthy of being the Keyblade Master! Hell, you're practically a better Master than Mickey and Yen Sid COMBINED!!

.................................................

Lea: You're an honest to good kid, Ven! I really wish me and Isa get to hangout with you more when we were both DUMB KIDS!!!!

................................................

Lea: Aqua, Terra, you guys are the best teachers any of us can EVER asked for!! You're even the best Blueberry Mom and Muffin Dad any of us ever known!! I'm so glad we became BEST ADULT FRIENDS!!!

................................................

Lea: You're the most precious, most sweetest Cinnamon Roll I ever have the pleasure of meeting, Namine!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NEVER GIVING UP ON MEEEEEEEE!

*Call End*

Namine: (Place Both of her hands on her mouth in Shock while Tears Falling Down her Eyes)

..................................................

Lea: Vantias.......(Took A Deep Breath) I don't care what you.....or anyone else says........but to me, your family, and to all of your group of friends........... YOU'RE A VERY GOOD BOI!!!

*Call Ended*

Vantias: ........................The fuck?

*Flashback Ended*

Xion: And after that, you instantly went to sleep like a baby.

Lea: (Unconvinced) Okay. I know I cried to you guys about how I feel, but there's no way my emotions was that bad enough to call up the whole squad.

Roxas: You sure about that?

Lea: Yes. I am sure, Roxas. ('Scoffs') I mean.... That's sounds completely ridiculous on paper, am I right?

*Doorbell Rang*

Isa: You might wanna get that.

Lea: ('Sigh') Fiiiiine.....(Walks Towards the Door) I swear, I don't know what to do with you people most of the- (Eyes Widened once he Opens the Door) time......

Everyone of the Seasalt Family's friends stares at Lea with Sincerely, Smiles on their faces. Some with tears on their eyes (Sora, Kairi, Namine). (Except for Vantias, who turns away from Lea while Blushing)

Lea: Uhhhhhhh.....Good morning-

Kairi: Oh, Axel!! (Gives Lea a Big Hug) Thank you for being the Big Brother I never had. I love you so so much! (Gives Lea a Kiss on the Cheek)

Sora: (Hugs Lea next) Your a Sweetheart, Axel! I'm sooooooo glad we became friends!

Riku: (Happily Pat Lea on the Shoulder) You're a good person, Lea. Don't ever change, okay?

Ventus: (Patted Lea on the Back with a Smile on his Face) I'm always free to hangout anytime you want, Lea.

Aqua: (Gently Grab Both of Lea's Hands with a Sincere Smile on her face) Thank you for being our students, Lea. As well as our Cherished Friend.

Terra: (Smiles Softly) Yeah, man. We're really glad we met you.

Namine: (Hugs Lea with Tears in her Eyes) Y-You're too kind, Lea.....('Sniff') Thank you so much for being my friend! (Burst out Crying into Lea's Embrace)

Lea: (Surprisedly but Gently Hugs Namine Back) Kiddo.....

Vantias: Hey!

Lea: (Turns to Vantias) Yeah?

Vantias: .........................Thank you.

Lea: (Couldn't Believe What is Happening Right Now) Jesus.........I really did poured out all of my emotions to you guys, haven't I?

Xion: (Happily Nodded)

Roxas: (Smirks A bit more Sincerely) And you thought we were lying to your face this entire time.

Aqua: There's no need to be embarrassed, Lea. Your words, while completely out of nowhere, made us all really happy yesterday and even now.

Sora: And we just want you to know that each and everyone of us here loves you with all of our hearts too!

Lea: (Eyes Widened) ...........Damn you guys.......(Tears Coming Out of his eyes) You're about to making me cry all over again.......

Sora: (Immediately Hugs Lea Again) Oh Lea.

Kairi: (Joins in on the Hug) Don't cry. It's okay.

Roxas: (Joins in) We're all here for you, man.

Xion: (Joins as Well) And we're not going anywhere. I promise.

At this point, Lea was already Engulfed by the love and care his family and friends are giving him......When suddenly.....

*Ahem*

Everyone: (Turns to see Isa with a Small Smile on his Face)

Isa: While I would love to see this emotional presentation last longer, would you all like to join us for breakfast today since you're here?

Everyone: (All Agreed while Saying 'Yes' to Isa)

Namine: Yes, please!

Isa: ('Sigh') (Great......Now there's ten mouths to feed this morning.....Still, as long as they're all here.....I guess it wouldn't hurt to make everyone breakfast.....just this once.)

Inspired by @khtext

@26shann

@keyenuta

@albion-93

@cyber-wildcat

@chompycroc

@ma-lemons

[quandaryqueen]

I dont think people have asked this before, and I knows its pretty specific... but could you maybe do something with AK!riddler with a significant others parent that doesnt like him? Like its clear the mom/dad/brother/sister or whatever, doesnt approve of him and actively tries to make him look bad? But their significant other tells him they know their family members toxic view of him but they dont listen to them?

Disapproval

Arkhamverse Edward Nygma X Reader

I love this a lot omg 💝 I hope I did the request justice 🥹

CW family disputes, hints of abuse

The moment Edward was told about your family's curiosity about him, he was partly irked. Does he really need to meet them? But then again when you think about it, this certain step in a relationship is what one would call a leap. A big one at that, and he really does love you with all his heart (the one where others say he is lacking but no, it's only reserved for his one and only other lesser half) . And not to mention, how your parents would be stoked to see the smartest man in the world with their child! It wouldn't hurt to give your parents some sort of attention, why, everyone would be honoured to meet the Riddler! He supposes that it's because of you, and only you, would he go and meet about people who are, in his eyes, lesser than he is.

He's made his research, apart from your passing comments about your parents and siblings, from what he's heard you have a common familial relationship with them. That being fondness and distaste, well that's what he heard as a normal family interaction would be, not that he knows what it looks like but anyways-- your family couldn't be more normal, nuclear type of normal that is.

A family of five in a quiet neighborhood where you grew up into your lovely, precious current self. There was your mother who stayed at home to tend to you, your siblings and the house. Your father worked a boring office job coming home to his wife and three children, he wasn't all that emotionally close to any of his children, even suspecting of having an affair, passed away just three years ago. The eldest of the children is your sister, Lea, currently a journalist from Bludhaven. The second child is your brother Anthony, currently a kindergarten teacher at your hometown. You were the youngest, which had automatically made your older siblings hold their power over you with their age and yet they are naturally obligated to be protective of you.

In one instance made prominent to him, was when you recall your sister taking a defensive stance against your parents when you declined their career choices for you in college, as your parents would only pay for your education if you chose a certain lists of what they want for you. In the end, Lea, only a year in her career, had opted to answer to the financial needs of your first few semesters before your parents relented and helped Lea to pay for your college. As for your older brother, you always mentioned how he was always there for you, being by your side amid the tumultuous times wherein all you needed was an embrace.

Your family seems warm. Of course he feels no jitters when meeting them, he knows he is no common man to feel such a thing, why would he be nervous?

"My, look at you! Oh, my baby!" Your mother takes you in her arms, momentarily rendering you breathless before she turns her attention towards the very person she's been looking forward to meet.

So when the front door of your childhood home inevitably opens, he was faced by your mother, where he found hints of your features from her. She greeted you with welcoming arms, Edward catching a whiff of her sweet perfume. In more than one way, you were similar to your mother. How she let him in without much of a thought of his character, it was as if by nature she immediately knew that he isn't the sensationalised 'deranged lunatic obsessed with riddles and puzzles'.

"Y/N! It's so nice to see you again!" Anthony takes you in his arms, playfully ruffling your hair.

Upon entering the house, you were then greeted by your older brother, who, unlike your mother, froze in his tracks for a period of time.

"You must be Anthony. I've heard a lot about you." Your older brother snaps from his reverie when he realised the dark haired male holding his hand out.

"Good things, I hope..." Despite his anxiety, Anthony comes up with a response.

Edward didn't take notice the way Anthony froze, but he took note at how his hand shook within Edward's grip. And he was proud at the fact that he is still intimidating, why, they should thank you. If they weren't family, he wouldn't have thought twice about getting them killed to meet a goal. Just another name in a statistic. But anyways!

"Where's Lea?" You asked. Your eldest sister had always been a punctual nut, so it was weird to not see her front and center.

"Oh, caught up in traffic perhaps. You know her, she always bite off what she can't chew." Your mother dismissively waved her hand. "Now, Anthony could you please watch the cooking for me? I believe it's time to... Let this young man know who they're dating."

And so as Anthony tends to the kitchen, your mother has Edward to herself in the living room, with your various photo albums for him to show. You were glaring at Edward at the duration of it all, as he cockily smirked up at you and took a variety of pictures from your childhood and you couldn't do anything about it.

"And this was Y/N when they were in a play. What play was it again?" Your mother turns to you.

Simmering from embarrassment, you barely squeak out, "Romeo and Juliet, mom. I didn't even have a major role in it."

"Yes, but look at you! You were on stage!"

"I agree, Y/N. You look lovely." Edward agrees, smugly taking another picture for his blackmail collection.

"Edward..."

"Oh relax, calm yourself Y/N, it's just lighthearted." Your mother teases.

"Hey Y/N, can you help me here for a sec?" Anthony exclaims from the kitchen.

You sighed, sitting up and leaving your boyfriend and mother laughing amongst themselves and enter the kitchen to help your older brother... Well, he didn't seem to need much help, everything was settled there, the counters were clean, the dishes are washed and the food was just waiting to finish.

Without a prompt he pulls you by the wrist and walked you over a corner, where he repeatedly glanced over his shoulder and checked the volume of his voice.

"Anthony, what's--"

"Edward Nygma? As in, the Edward Nygma? The Riddler?" He spoke with such a rush you were almost sure he said that all in one breath.

"Yes, he is..." Your cheerful demeanor diminished when you realised how solemn Anthony was at the moment. "Why?"

"He's the Riddler, he's dangerous, how could you have not realised that?" There was a certain panic in his frantic voice, his grip still tight around your wrists. "Are you being held hostage? You can always tell me--"

"What? No! He's my boyfriend, he can never hurt me!"

"He's still a dangerous man and I'm worried about you!"

"I'm fine Anthony, he can never hurt me." You reassure, slipping from his clutch. Though there was a time you backhanded you across the face when you looked over his shoulder while he was working, but it was your fault because it was bothering him. If you don't do that again, he wouldn't hit you. At least you weren't being put out as a hostage for Batman to rescue.

"He's a the same guy who kidnapped journalists and Lea was one of them." Anthony's complexion paled with his unnerving and unneeded concern for you.

"That was before we were dating! He would never--"

"It doesn't matter! Why are you so damn stubborn?"

Despite the tension rising amongst you and your brother, you remain unheard from the living room.

"He would never hurt me. I promise..."

Anthony remain unconvinced, but he knew you wouldn't cave in that easily. Seeing as him asking for your assistance in the kitchen as a ruse, you return to the living room, where your mother and Edward were still going through old photographs.

Cooking was done, Anthony finally exits the kitchen to join the rest of you in the living room where he kept warily glancing over your boyfriend. So far, Edward was enjoying himself, why wouldn't he? Your mother has nothing but sweet to him and of course, Edward does love it when he's so effortless as establishing himself as a threat. And Anthony wasn't doing anything about it all, he just quivers in his corner like a helpless little dog.

Based on Anthony's reaction, you can only imagine how much of a hot mess it would be if your sister were to arrive. And she is a force that cannot be reckoned with, similar to that of your boyfriend's stubborn little head and sharp tongue. You wouldn't want to subject Edward under your sister, she knew him and does a dreadful job at keeping a filter in her vocabulary, she didn't know him the way you know him. Lea would spit fire at Edward with that tongue of hers.

After a long week after his defeat from Batman, this would be the first time you'd see him smile and with Lea's arrival, her blind distaste for people 'like' Edward, and her unabashed self... It won't go well for your boyfriend at all, he just wants to be happy for once, why can't they grant him this?

"And this is the three of them on Lea's graduation! Oh, I remember Lea was complaining about how her younger siblings are taller than her even when she's wearing heels."

"How tall is she, ma'am?" Edward asks your mother.

"Well this photo is five years ago hmm let me think... Oh I don't know, but she is now shorter than Y/N! It's fun to watch her pout when others are taller than her. If she sees you, she would be seething!"

Oh she'll be seething, alright.

"It's been lovely mom, but Edward and I will be on our way." You blurted out after thickly swallowing. It's best to retreat whilst Lea hasn't arrived yet.

"We are?" Edward raises a brow.

"But we haven't started dinner yet. Are you two heading off elsewhere?" Your mother asked.

"Yes." "No." There came the conflicting answers brought by the couple in unison, causing your mother and brother to look at you with furrowed brows.

You glanced over Edward, who seems to be confused of your sudden incline to get out of here. Weren't you who suggested to meet your family? Why, of all sudden, are you backing out? Now that he's enjoying himself?

"A-at your appointment with Doctor Crane, remember?" You stammered, your eyes wide looking over Edward.

His eyes squint at the slightest. Why the sudden eagerness to leave? "Yes, but didn't we discuss that we go tomorrow?"

"I-I don't think we did... Did we?"

"Yes, we certainly did."

"Oh how about this;" your mother butts in. "Since Lea is running late, how about we start dinner without her?"

Before you can protest, Edward answers without your input. "Of course, Mrs. L/N. That would be lovely."

By this, you were tense in your seat. Your brother's cooking was as good as you've always remembered, but you barely touched your food. The one time you tried to swallow it down you were met with the dread from the rampant thoughts about your sister's arrival and whatever hell she'll bring with her. Edward, who was seated beside you, has been confused at your sudden insistence to leave when he's having so much fun. Given, he requested you'd leave once he deemed it, but he doesn't want to leave. Not yet at least.

When you heard a vehicle stop by the driveway, you can only freeze in your seat. With no more time to run, you were settled to go down with a fight if ever it came to it. It would only be wishful thinking to be dreaming about Lea not opening her mouth about Edward.

"I'm here! Sorry I'm late." You heard Lea by the door, taking her shoes off and setting them aside.

"Lea! Come join us for dinner!" Your mother calls.

You can barely look over your shoulder when Lea had walked through the door. She pulls her seat beside Anthony, across Edward but then she noticed there were no plates in her place. She continues to talk even after standing up to fetch herself a plate from the kitchen.

"Gosh I am so sorry for my being late, I had to run something by the office first and traffic was atrocious. Apparently, Nightwing is on a chase with some bad guys. Chief was forcing me to get a coverage of the event but I booked it out before he can call me over."

She must not have noticed Edward yet, as she busily chatters. Lea eventually returned to the dining room and finally settled on her seat. She looks up at Edward, though she doesn't recognize him yet.

"You must be Y/N's boy-..." There it was, the terror in her countenance as she stared at your boyfriend.

Let's see... He's won the adoration of your mother, the terror from your brother. And from your sister... Recognition.

"Is this a fucking joke?" Lea looks over you. From the background, you hear your mother hiss at her for using profanities at the table. You meekly looked up at her, seeing her point at him. "You do know who he is, right?"

"This isn't a joke, I am dating your sibling--"

"Oh no I don't believe I asked you that question, Riddler." She returns the scowl he's given her, just as scathing and wrathful. "Y/N look at me, why are you dating him?"

"Lea! Please!" Your mother attempts to calm your older sister, holding on her wrist and attempting to pull her down to her seat.

"Mom, this man has done bad things! I was one of the people he kidnapped that one time!"

"We weren't dating at the time!" For the first time you looked up at her, eyes brimming with tears.

"As if that'd made a difference! Hey you, you remember me right? Or am I just one of the few hundreds whose lives you altered severely? One of the traps you made permanently paralysed a coworker of mine!"

Edward clutches a cutlery from under the table. Would it be bad if he were to silence her permanently? He is fucking right there and she talks as if he isn't right in front of her. He felt like a child all over again, listening to adults talking about him whilst all he can do was to clutch his hands and look down.

"Lea!" You yell as a desperate attempt to get her to shut up, whilst you squeeze Edward's hand from under the table.

"What? I thought you weren't convinced he is a dangerous man?" She mocks.

"He would never hurt me!"

"His records in Arkham says otherwise! He's a narcissistic bitch! He 'loves' you, sure, but I doubt that he wouldn't hurt you. You know I've been there." An abusive relationship for five years was what your sister endured. But you weren't enduring any battering from Edward at all, she wouldn't know what your relationship with him.

"You don't know him like I do!"

"I spent my days making reports about him and people like him! Dangerous people who are a threat to everyone whom they come in contact to and that inudes you regardless if he loves you or not!"

Like Anthony, you didn't want to further discuss this matter, especially when your sister refuses to back down and listen.

"This was a bad idea. We're leaving." Supressing a sob from the back of your throat, your message came out shaky. You stood from your seat, pulling Edward alongside you.

"Listen to me Y/N, I only want the best for you--"

"Oh my god, can you just please shut up for once?!"

Lea freezes in her tracks when you turned to yell at her. After that, your pace quicken and you no longer hear her attempting to have the last word, as she always does. And so you left your family back at your childhood home, leaving them stunned beyond their words.

The silence between you was deafening even after remove yourselves away from the tense situation back in your childhood home. You were particularly afraid to speak up, based on Edward's tensed countenance, only then did you notice him still clutching a knife in his hand and you figured to let him sit in silence whilst you drive away. The route back home to Gotham grew nearer, you took a glance over Edward on the passenger seat, who has somewhat cooled down.

"I'm sorry about my family. They shouldn't have talked to you that way. And I'm sorry for not defending you enough..." Warily glancing over him, he barely budged. You steady your breath with quivering jaws and you continue your statement. "I don't care about what they say, Edward... I know they're not true. They know nothing about us."

Still nothing. Even after you arrived, he makes an instant beeline for his workshop whilst you stayed in the car, steadying yourself. Your breathing continued with hurried huffs of air, tightly seeing your eyes shut in a poor attempt to stop yourself from crying.

Fuck, does he still even love you???

[jgroffdaily]

Groff and Michele, Back in Their Purple Summer

The text from Jackson McHenry’s Vulture newsletter, ‘Stage Whisperer’, which included an interview with Jonathan and Lea Michele this week:

If you were a young person with some awareness of Broadway in the mid-2000s, you probably got caught up  in the frenzy around Spring  Awakening, the musical by Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik that  depicted 19th-century German teenage angst by way of rock ballads and onstage  sex. In the fall of 2021, fifteen years after the show’s opening, the cast  reunited for a benefit concert to a crowd of adoring, now-grown-up fans. That  reunion is the subject of the HBO documentary Those You’ve Known, which premieres on May 3 and includes footage from the concert, the original show, and interviews with the  cast and creative team.

The documentary also  provides a close examination of the relationship between Jonathan Groff and  Lea Michele—the “country mouse” and “city mouse,” as they call each other—who  met and acted out a love story every night, while, as they describe it,  falling in love with each other. (Groff is gay and was publicly in the closet  when they first started performing, which perhaps complicated matters.) I  talked to the two of them over Zoom this week about returning to the show and  revisiting this history of their relationship in such explicit detail. Midway through, they both reached for tissues, because they had both started to tear up.

How well did you remember your songs and lines from Spring Awakening when you went  back for the concert?

 Lea Michele: The music,  it was just like right back into it. But the scenes? I truly did not remember one line. When we started the “Word of Your Body” scene, I was like, “are  these rewrites?” But you know, it was 15 years ago, and I did however many  episodes of Glee and other shows since  then, so it just left the building.

 Jonathan Groff: I felt  the same way. And we did the beating scene, and even as adults, it was so  intense. It taught me how much that show is asking of young people. Every  time I’ve seen it, the young people always rise to the moment, but, wow,  Steven Sater really respects young people to give them this intense material.   

 L.M.: When we  opened on Broadway, I was 19. Coming back to it now as a 35-year-old and  working through those scenes with Michael Mayer, our director, it was  exciting to have that challenge again. That role is really revealing,  physically and emotionally.

 J.G.: That he  was the director of Spring  Awakening saved our lives. It was 2006, before intimacy coaches,  and Michael treated us with respect, was very blunt, and wasn’t precious  about anything. It was very clinical. Michael’s way of being specific and  respectful when we were so young, in retrospect, means the world to me.

 What were  your first impressions of each other?

 L.M.: It was a  very simple moment. I remember seeing him and feeling like, “Oh I know  exactly who this boy is, with the extra gel in his hair from Lancaster,  Pennsylvania. I’m the cool New Yorker and I’m going to help him under my  wing.” We just worked on a scene together at the audition. I don’t know when  it went from that to something more, but it did.

 J.G.: Lea had  done three Broadway shows. Les  Mis, Ragtime,  Fiddler on the Roof.  And Spring Awakening  since she was fourteen [in development workshops]. I was like, she’s it. I  felt like I had a lot of catching up to do with her.

 L.M.: I think  we didn’t know that we needed something from one another. I’m a very outspoken person, and I think Jonathan needed a piece of that. And Jonathan has a kindness that’s so massive, and we’ve learned so much from each other.

 In the  documentary you two get very honest about the specifics of your own relationship, down to a moment where Lea says she showed Jonathan her vagina so he could see what one looked like…

 J.G.: And it is beautiful!

 L.M.: Thank  you so much for saying that, because you didn’t say it in the documentary! So  I’m happy that it’s a Vulture exclusive.

 J.G.: What the  documentary did do was send us back to that time. We were like, “we would  make out this hard every night?” We were like, this is why we are so close. We were doing this  super-intense thing at 21 and 19 years old. To make it not about us: Every theater kid that ever did a summer show with a group of people their same  age, these experiences change your life. I just saw my high school’s  production of The Sound of  Music in Lancaster, and I was telling them afterwards, “You’ll  think about this for the rest of your life.” I think this doc captures the  spirit of that.

 There’s a  part in the documentary where everyone talks about what they think “Purple  Summer” means as a lyric, because it’s so abstract, but we don’t hear your  takes, so: What does “Purple Summer” mean?

 L.M.: I’ve  often said that if you’ve ever experienced loss, you see life in different  colors than other people. And there is a beauty and tragedy with that  experience. For me, “purple summer” means that we’ll all experience a version  of that tragedy, but then we’ll also be confronted with the true beauty of  the world.

 J.G.: That was  beautiful. That should have been in the doc! I remember what it felt like to  sing it, more than what it literally meant. I remember the feeling back then,  and even this time around, this feeling of “we all just went through that  together, and we came out the other side different than we were before, over  the course of the night.” It was a feeling of resilience and community, down  there at the edge of the stage. We did it together, and here we are.

[nadziejastar]

How do you think Isa feels about the fact that when he was a kid he was taller than Lea but as adults he's shorter?

I wondered that, too. Axel was taller than Saïx.

A friendly and childish boy, and his good friend who's cool, collected, and mature beyond his age.

But as kids, Isa had a decent bit of height on Lea. IMO, Isa would love the fact that Lea grew so tall. It’s part of their dynamic. Isa was the mature and adult-like one.

“Huh? Are you okay? Lea!” Startled, Kairi hurried over to him. She had never seen a man older than her cry like this before. Not this hard, certainly. 

And Lea was always the childish one. What I found interesting was that he never showed this side to anyone else. He was always the calm, mature, responsible adult with Roxas and Xion. But with Saïx in KH3, he acted more a kid. When Saïx mentioned his upside-down tears, Lea said “Don’t need ‘em” in a way a first-grader would, lol. Basically, the real Lea is a crybaby.

Lea: Would you get lost? I’ll clobber you tomorrow.

Saïx: Hmph. I expect no less.

Although I don’t really like the way Lea and Isa were handled in KH3, I do think there was an attempt to keep the underlying idea of their relationship intact. I think the idea was that Saïx was wasn’t expecting to survive his final fight with Lea. He was going to bring Roxas and Xion back to atone for his sins, then he was going to fight Lea to the death and perish (this idea doesn’t even make sense with Saïx being a Nobody, since afterwards he’ll just be recompleted. But I still think that was the idea of their clock tower scene). 

Saïx knew Lea would be reluctant to fight him to the death. So, in order to spare Lea pain, he was putting on a tough guy act on the clock tower. Him making fun of Lea’s tear marks was him trying to be cool and mature, so he’d seem unaffected by the upcoming battle. After all, he’s not a crybaby like Lea. Lea later calls him out for this act he was putting on. Saïx acted like a jerk on purpose, so that Lea would want to clobber him and wouldn’t hold back during their fight. I think Nomura was trying to stay somewhat true to Isa’s character.

Axel: Well, even if things change, we'll never be apart--

Xion: As long as we remember each other...right? Don't worry, Axel--we got your hokey speech memorized.

In Days, Axel said this. It was something he remembered Isa telling him in the past.

Hayner: Well, I doubt we can be together forever. But isn't that what growing up's all about? What's important isn't how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other. Right?

When Hayner said it, it was about growing up and not being together anymore. It was supposed to sound trite, like something off of a fortune cookie. And Xion refers to it as a “hokey speech”. IMO, part of their backstory was that Isa was going to sacrifice himself. And he was hurting inside just as bad as Lea was. But he hid all of that pain and didn’t cry. He acted like he was okay with disappearing since it was better that way and he told Lea they’d never be apart as long as Lea kept him in his thoughts. He wanted to spare Lea pain, so he acted “mature” about his death.

“Where’s Kairi?!” Sora shouted toward the voice. 

Saïx looked down at them from the stage. “Kairi…? Oh, I expect she’s catching up with her friend from the darkness,” he said as if it were nothing of much concern. 

“What’s that mean?!” Sora demanded. 

“She doesn’t need you anymore.” Saïx smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. 

That was the world’s most obvious lie, Sora thought. 

But Isa was covering up his own childish side. He wasn’t really okay with dying and being apart from Lea. In KH3, Saïx was lying to himself. He was acting so aloof to distance himself from his real feelings. He thought Lea lost his tear marks because he didn’t need him anymore. Lea was all grown up. He wasn’t a crybaby who would bawl his eyes out if he lost his precious Isa. He moved on, basically. 

So, Saïx accepted his own death and was going to let Lea be with Roxas and Xion, his new best friends. It was better that way. Deep down he was jealous and longed for Lea’s affection. But since he felt like Lea didn’t need him anymore, it was just better for him to just disappear and let Lea be happy. Saïx felt like he didn’t deserve to be with Lea and was trying to take himself out of the picture in a way where Lea wouldn’t feel guilty.

Saïx had no response for that. A moment went by before he spoke again. “You’re letting yourself get too attached to them.”

“Right, sir, of course, sir.” That was all he wanted to say to me? 

But just as Saïx started walking away, he caught a barely audible murmur— “You’ve changed.” 

He listened to Saïx’s receding footsteps, and his gaze dropped to his own feet. “You sure I’m the one who changed?” he said under his breath. 

Of course, Lea saw through his act. The real Isa is not as mature as he tries to portray.

You're ultimately still a crybaby, but you don't need the marks anymore. It seemed like you didn't need me either. Yes, I thought that I didn't need you with me anymore. That's why I sacrificed myself to that man. If you didn't need me, then I no longer held meaning.

Isa was quiet and only comfortable opening up to Lea. He really, really needed Lea emotionally and was very attached to him. He was the original “stray puppy”. I think Lea must have made him feel safe and protected. So, Lea will always be his little crybaby (in a very affectionate way). But he’s not a little kid anymore. He’s strong, dependable, reliable, and able to protect him. That’s why I think Isa would like the fact that Lea grew tall. It makes him feel safe.

[tvkla]

HSHQ TASK FORTY SEVEN  /  tekla’s love language.

GIVING: 

i. QUALITY TIME. 

tekla is a woman on a mission, always has been !  when she was younger, time management wasn’t exactly her strongest suit, and there was apprehension on coming off the wrong way or offending people — she wasn’t as good at saying no as she is now. her time is extremely precious to her, especially the time that she carves out of an already busy schedule. if she takes the time to spend with you, it really means you’re special. this goes for friends, family, and of course, especially @thcrc. 

with thore, they are both busy, they both have separate lines of work that don’t always converge — when they do, she’s all business. but it’s in the evenings as they’re winding down for the night, the mornings when they wake up, when they’re getting ready to go somewhere, when they plan something together or when she begs him to take her somewhere on a respite from their life, even if it’s just for dinner is, when she makes the effort to be completely and absolutely present. she cherishes that. it strengthens their bond, it gives her life.

ii. PHYSICAL TOUCH.

her physicality speaks volumes. tekla has a sinuous and fluid form, it’s often easy to tell when she’s completely relaxed around a person. she’ll touch friends on the arm or elbow while talking, nudge them playfully, lean on them if they’re sitting next to each other, squeeze them when she gets excited, clasps their hands in hers sincerely when she is listening to something deep, loops their arms with hers when they’re doing something mundane. with the best of friends, this happens a little more in subtle ways — part of it is a sense of belonging and safety, it not only bolsters her emotionally and psychologically, but it’s something she wants known. her friends. her favourites. it is less about being possessive than it is about love and pride.

with family & thore, hugs are plenty, but she is careful not to overstep. nilsa of course gets the full brunt of her urges. she doesn’t love being attached to thore at the hip during events, it’s counterproductive, but when they are in safe, familiar territory, some part of her body is always touching his: whether her hand rests on his lap, or their knees are pressed against each other, or she is absentmindedly rubbing his arm, or has her fingers laced with his. in a way, he is like her social power battery, she feels him around her and a surge of energy boosts her to carry on doing whatever she’s doing. i don’t think i need to explain how physical tekla is with thore when they’re alone together ;) , she loves playing with his hair, it’s one of her favourite things and can be annoying about it sometimes. 

RECEIVING

i. PHYSICAL TOUCH. 

this is really not as relevant for platonic relationships as it is for thore & her family. as far as romance goes, nonsexual acts of physical touch were not as important to her from a romantic partner until thore — she can’t explain it, and neither can i. it’s this inexplicable form of comfort and need for it that drives this. if he doesn’t reciprocate the way she touches him of his own volition then what’s the point ?  

ii. ACTS OF SERVICE.

i feel like this is self-explanatory. loyalty and understanding are two things that are very important to her, and people with both tend to get into her closer circles very quickly. this is because these are the types of people who learn what she needs the quickest and are there before she even realises she’s bitten off more than she can chew, or might need a little boost. 

just look at the important people in her life: 

thore, because he’s been raised to treat women the way they want and need to be treated. the croÿs may be problematic, but they are loyal and it is the occasional lack of support in actions that sometimes make her struggle to feel valid despite @fannicroy‘s sweet words, @olimpiacroy’s praise and @lcvcntc ‘s occasional acknowledgement. @ebbv got her through a very trying time in her life when she was entering into the glücksburg clan officially without tekla ever needing to ask and surpassed nearly everyone in her wedding party. she will return the favour or die trying ( or lavish time & attention where ebba needs it because it’s how she gives love best: see first section ). i’m mentioning very very few people — there are a few more, but i am tired and lazy and very sorry about that.

                                                  xoxo, brought to you by lea,                                                       happy valentines’ day !!

[semi-imaginary-place]

KH3 is like half a game, it feels incomplete and clunky. It sets up events that never happen and tries to force moments without having the build up to support them. The game does some things really well and reaches some truly heartfelt emotional beats and solid character moments.

3:48 PM - 31 Jan 20191 reply0 retweets1 likeReply 1 Retweet  Like 1 View Tweet activity

The Disney (and Pixar) worlds were pretty well incorporated and mostly able to contribute thematically to the game unlike sometimes in past games were the worlds were kind of just dropped into the game.

The Toy Box much like Halloween Town brings up how dolls/toys/those who begin as inanimate objects can gain hearts. Monstropolis allows a plausible  entry point for Vanitas with the connection between fear induced scream  energy and the negative emotions of the unversed.

Of all the worlds, I enjoyed Sora's time with the Big Hero 6 gang the most. Their interactions felt genuine and I had a lot of fun watching them. It also had the most complete arc of the worlds with the continuation of the movie's theme of living after loss.

Most of the worlds' story arcs felt incomplete. Starting in Olympus we are left hanging with Pete finding Pandora's box and the city in ruins. The story just kind of ends. There also was not enough time and build up to give significance to Hercules' choice to rejoin the mortals.

In Twilight Town, with all the discussion surrounding hearts and data from Coded to KH2 to KH3, that a whole other Twilight Town exists was completely dropped. It felt like the game was leading the audience somewhere and then never followed through.

With the Toy Box, the Sora, Goofy, and Donald leave and don't come back with Woody, Buzz, and the others still stranded in another world just hoping to one day meet Andy again. The search for Andy and the other toys is the main arc for this world and its never resolved.

While some worlds aren't quite as obviously half a story arc, all of them could have used more time. Many of them assume you have already seen the source material. In Frozen, Hans being the villian is the big twist but with the first half of the movie cut, there's no impact.

Pirates of the Caribbean makes no sense to anyone who hasn't seen the movies. I wish there was a scene of Sora unlocking Tia Dalma given how it was setup to happen. There was good characterization for Sora here though on how both he and Jack are free spirits.

The Winnie the Poo part while sweet (because I love Winnie the Poo sections) doesn't go anywhere. Sora just loses his connection with Poo and disappears from the cover, and then a few mini games later he's back. Sora's comment on how their bond has weakened never goes anywhere.

In the other games you search for lost pages or help Poo regain his memories, here there is no story. It's a lost opportunity to do, well something,  but that can be said of much of the game. They could have used this part to talk about how relationships must be nurtured.

The ending also fell a bit flat because of the buildup-payoff problem. The game tries to show the characters despairing only for someone to swoop in and give them hope. The problem is that in the Keyblade Graveyard they do this so many times it loses its impact.

Given the amount of stuff this game should have resolved, not enough time was spent on that. Instead precious time was spent trying to create sequel hooks. In doing so, the cohesiveness of the game as a unit was compromised. The game was too short for all they tried to achieve.

At times the narrative would point "Look! its a  happy/sad/intense/etc. scene", but without a proper build up, these  scenes lacked emotional weight.

I'm conflicted on KHUX in KH3.  I liked Chirithy reuniting with Ven, Laurium possibly remembering, and Strelitzia's maybe cameo. The black box stuff could have been cut. Its to connect  KHUX with future games, but it does nothing for the Xehanort saga and bogs KH3 down.

Then there is the mysterious girl with connections to Lea, Isa, and Ansem that we are only hearing of now. Who is she? Is she Ava? I don't know but they should have saved it for another game.

I thought all the keyblades of the Union members coming to help was a nice touch, but why did Ephemer of all people show up? He was a Dandelion; the player was the one who chose to stay (except the player has no canon appearance in khux which makes them hard to depict).

On one hand I got really excited looking for my KHUX username but on the other hand it was a little too 4th wall breaking and took me out of the game. The other 4th wall leaning scenes with Axel didn't do it for me either.

I did like the definitely-not-instagram loading screens. They were just this side of absurd to be amusing. It was cute. Humor is a subjective thing but I didn't like the increase in jokes in this game. It broke immersion for me.

Some were funny like Verum Rex. Others though felt forced. KH3 had more Donald, Sora, and Goofy poking fun at each other. At first it was fun, but then they kept doing it and it got old.

Maybe its because of all the jokes and narrative problems broke my immersion in the game or maybe its because I'm older now, but KH3 wasn't as magical an experience for me as the other games.

I don't mean magic in how many spells Donald can cast but in that sense wonder, that the extraordinary is possible. That sense of magic is why the Roxas prologue of KH2 is one of my favorite parts of the franchise.

Part of it also is that the section where Sora goes saving everyone's hearts from the Lich after they "died" didn't reach me emotionally. Which is a shame since the part right before where Sora runs around in the Final World and talks with the stars is one of my favorite parts.

I was surprised we didn't see more Dives to the Heart and battles at the center of the heart given the Terranort, Ventus-Vanitas, Xion, etc. After Sora got the power of awakening I was expecting him and Riku to use that to free Xion and Terra.

And then we would get an epic battle where Terra finally kicks Xehanort out of his own body. I also wanted to see Aqua beat up Xehanort. Aqua's suppose to be super strong from spending 10 years in the Realm of Darkness.

Kairi deserved better. Kairi deserved more. 3 games (II, 3D, III) on how Kairi trains to become a keyblade wielder and she doesn't get to do anything. Why was she kidnapped anyways? The answer is to give an excuse for Sora at the end to have a "I must do this alone" moment.

Kairi was kidnapped just so Sora could angst over her and so he could go save her. She deserved better.

The developers really pushed the Sora-Kairi romance this game. I was disoriented since we since the last game we saw a lot of romantic indications was 17 years ago in KH1. Riku got third-wheeled this game.

Enough complaining, parts that worked pretty well/were well executed: Big Hero 6, Monsters Inc, Sora finding the Door to Darkness in Destiny Islands and Aqua returning to the Realm of Light, Sora's interaction with other characters(Rapunzel, BH6, Jack, etc), the Final World.

Visually the environments are amazing! I was so happy running around everywhere. Its pretty. (and the heartless are cute)

KH3 was on the low side for number of worlds visited. Again, I'm surprised how (comparatively) short the game is. There was a lack on Final Fantasy characters as well (or well videogame characters given how TWEWY was in 3D).

I would have loved to see a Moana world. Moana, Maui, and Sora interactions would have been great. Thematically it would have worked too since Moana's plot centers on how Te Fiti losing her heart changed her.

In every KH there's always been some wham moments and that didn't happen to me at all in KH3... until the every end with Luxu. Many of us have been suspicious of Xigbar for a very long time. His organization chair height is too high. He seems to know more than he should...

As much as I am complaining, I do like the Kingdom Hearts III. Its a good game.

I've said it before, but KH:coded is a thematic summary of the entire series and one of the important points in that game is how Data Sora understands hurt. Data Sora understood how to live through hurt and this is something we see Sora learn as well through the games.

In CoM Sora did not understand this. All the way to 3D he did not know how to deal with hurt so when Roxas shared all his pain, that contributed to Sora sinking into darkness. In KH3 though Sora has grown and can accept hurt.

I would have though liked to have seen a more overt conclusion to Sora's relationship to darkness. Sora has always had darkness in him, he's not a princess of heart (or Ven) and there were hints before KH3 that he was falling to darkness.

Anti/Rage form are a manifestations of that darkness. Maybe this was just sloppy character writing, but Sora is noticeably meaner during KH2 and at the end he says "maybe the darkness has gotten to me, too". In KH3, besides rage form Sora's darkness isn't directly addressed.

Back to UX. The devs connected the epilogue, the secret reports, and UX well. That's all that was needed really. From Backcover we already know the black box is important. KH3 shouldn't have wasted time focusing on it.

And about X girl )Shuld?? idk). It really is awkward how they bring her into KH3. If she's the reason Lea and Isa got into this mess they should have dropped a line in 358/2 or one of the other games something like "Don't forget we're doing this for her"

Another good scene was Aqua giving Ven head pats. This gave me life.

Scala ad Caelum was built inverse on top of Daybreak Town. I didn't notice! Never mind what I said earlier, there's the "oh shit... what" moment. I'm just going to sit here mind blown thinking of all the implications...

[xiiishadesofgrey]

Kingdom Hearts III: A Long Time Coming

As we’re about a month after the release of KH3, I wanted to get out my thoughts on the game (there are spoilers below). I might be talking into the void, but hey, that’s what fandom’s all about. Anyway, let’s rock.

First things first: I loved the game. I’m biased, because I’ve been in love with this series ever since I saw the first trailer on tv all those years ago. I have some criticisms, but please never take those to mean that I don’t love this game because I do.

Story

My main issue with the plot of KH3 is that I think pacing was a weak point in this one. Now, I’m used to playing through mostly irrelevant Disney worlds the whole time and then getting a plot dump at the end. I know how this series works; that’s not my issue. The problem is that there are a lot of characters who would pop in to do something pivotal, and then make an equally swift exit without any real closure. Demyx and Vexen come to mind, but even the non-benched OrgXIII members didn’t do much besides serve in the boss rush and make their goodbyes (while the other fighters politely waited before continuing to rough you up).  We knew there was going to be a huge cast of characters, but for the ones that served to move the plot forward, in a lot of cases I was left feeling like I didn’t have an answer for why the roles had to be filled by them in particular. (Connections to KHUX were blurry at best, though that’s more of an issue with series planning than with this game on its own. I’m okay with using Luxu as a cliffhanger, though, since that’s more of an intentional setup.) Motivations weren’t explored and many of the characters ended up just where they were before: lost, floating in the void.

I was also a little put out with the game’s treatment of the main heroes.  Riku and Mickey spend 5/6 of the game throwing themselves against a wall, staunchly refusing Sora’s help.  Meanwhile Sora (aka the player) is supposed to just wander around until the Power of Waking comes to him all deus ex machina style? That’s not a plan, and it makes for a meandering plot. And when you finally do get to the Realm of Darkness, lo and behold, the power was in him all along, meaning that we’ve all wasted a lot of time in what we’re supposed to believe is a pretty urgent situation. If I’m considering this within the framework of the KH universe, it means we should probably never take direction from Yen Sid again.  If I look at if from a real world perspective, it’s a rather poor excuse for the player to visit the obligatory worlds while the main plot gets compressed to a cutscene movie at the end of the game.  Either way, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

And finally, I was truly disappointed with KH3′s treatment of Kairi. I try to be understanding. I get it, she’s not the main character. But here’s the thing: the writers set Kairi up to be in a position of agency, if not power. She has a keyblade, she has the benefit of legitimate training in no less than a genuine hyperbolic time chamber (more than Sora has ever had the benefit of, mind you), and she has a history of being eager to pull her weight as a Guardian of Light.  Plus, she’s a Princess of Heart.  You’d think this would lead to her being able to contribute to the fight in more ways than just believing in Sora enough to keep him from keeling over when he loses his cool (another thing I took a bit of issue with, but I won’t digress here).  But no, Kairi is demoted very solidly to damsel in distress when the plot finally sees fit to release her and Lea from their bubble. To be blunt, I call bullshit. I think she deserved better as a character, and I think if they weren’t going to do anything with her having a keyblade, they shouldn’t have wasted all that time making it happen. In the last fight, she and Lea were more liabilities than anything. I think they both deserved better than that.

End(?)

Obviously, the end of the game contains a culmination of the complaints I’ve mentioned.  I’m overjoyed that my favorite characters get their lives back, but a lot of that takes place without direct player contribution (for example, Roxas showing up by himself, having melded with a replica body offscreen, or Namine being a footnote in the closing scenes). I acknowledge that the player character doesn’t need to (and shouldn’t) be the sole instigator of action in a game, but for some of these instances, having these points basically narrated to me felt like things were coming together because they had to for the plot to resolve, and not because our own actions had led to an optimal outcome. I didn’t feel like we had earned all of the pieces falling into place the way they did.

I mentioned unclear motivations before. All I will say about Xehanort is that I don’t quite see the connection between the story they’ve been selling us for him literally this entire time and the story he painted for his motivations at the very end. I don’t feel one way or the other about them trying to redeem him, but I don’t feel that that was a well-established path to try to take with the character they’d built. It’s important to give evidence throughout if that’s the final claim you’re going to stand on, and nothing in any previous game has ever hinted at the “noble reset” MO.

And then, there’s Sora. My precious sunshine child. They damseled Kairi so hard that Sora died got lost in an alternate universe. I had two problems with this: 1) it just made me sad, and 2) it was like...completely unaddressed. I get it, you’re leading into the next saga, and that’s admittedly an excellent hook. But like, I feel like a plot point as pivotal as the main character functionally disappearing warrants some sort of ... visible reaction from his friends and comrades??? To have that emotional fallout completely unaddressed makes me feel like the story wasn’t complete. And not to make a somewhat unrelated gripe, but I feel like if they had space to make us watch the entire Let It Go song, they had space to let the audience know that Sora’s disappearance actually had some effect on the people he’d saved.

Experience

So, given all that grumbling, what did I feel about the overall experience of the game? I actually thought it was very positive. The gameplay - both exploration and combat - was very smooth and exciting. The worlds we visited were well-executed and fun (though San Fransokyo felt deceptively small, somehow). The graphics were awesome. (I’d been concerned that the new engine would lose some of the Kingdom Hearts feel, but I think they really nailed it.) Yoko Shimomura triumphed as always with a stellar soundtrack. (I found myself humming along to the Arendelle and Corona themes for hours.) The plot, obviously, was great despite my issues with the execution in this particular chapter. I think that most of the problems that I mentioned earlier with pacing and details stem from there being what I consider to be too many plotlines to handle in one ~40 hour game. I wouldn’t want another side game of course, but I think that the telling of the story might have benefited from the Dark Seeker saga continuing into a KH4. The plot is sprawling, as we all know, and it just needed a little more space to resolve everything cleanly.

(Side note: I missed my FF friends, but I understand why they weren’t present. Like I said, there was too much going on as it is.)

Aside from that, I personally got to spend a lot more time with my brother than I have ... probably since KH2 came out, to be honest. We promised to only play together, and we took turns with the controller just like we had to do in the good ol’ days when we were kids. And we’ve always played the main games together, so this was a really nice throwback. Closing this chapter of the story was impactful for us as individuals, but sharing the experience was just as great. After several years of being pretty closed off, I feel like this reminded me how to be a kinder sister. So, I thank the KH franchise from the bottom of my heart for that.

All things said, I really enjoyed the hell out of playing this game. At the end of the day, I think that’s all you can ask of a game, really. This one did much more than that, though. It largely followed through on my hopes for the characters, and definitely fulfilled my technical expectations. Most importantly, it felt like it came through on my immense emotional investment in the series. I cried (a lot), like I knew I would. Heck, I might even play it again sometime. lol  ...Maybe not right away, since I still have to heal emotionally. But yeah. Thank you for the ride, KH. I won’t make this sound like a goodbye because you still owe me some closure. But thanks.

Here’s to the next half a lifetime. :)

[aspidities]

Hola dearest Overlord 😊😘 my asks for you: 7, 29, 30, 35, 36

Y’all want a bitch to be wordy today, oh okay I see how it is. 👌🏼💋

7. Talk about your biggest insecurity

Guhhhh ffffff do I have to.

I’m riddled with insecurities, and despite this fine-ass body being a treat and a pleasure for anyone lucky enough to look at me….it’s one of my biggest. I’ve gotten curvier as I’ve gotten older and my skin isn’t damn flawless like it used to be and I pout about that.

Other than that, I have always always always had this awful self-fetishizing hatred imagining that people are just white lying or being polite when they give me compliments. I was raised always told ‘you’re beautiful/you’re talented/you’re a shining star’ and I never….fully believed that because I heard it so often I just assumed all parents have to do that? So when someone says ‘oh your writing touched my life’ or ‘you look really good’, I can’t internally process that as truth, so my mind just goes ‘nah dog they’re lying to be nice, so pretend right back’.

I unno. I fight that ‘Brenda’ voice a lot but she does her best to tear my ass up on the regular.

29. Talk about what turns you on

Yes! I like this question much better. Muuuuch better question.

Unnf what doesn’t turn me on?

Thick thighs, green eyes, long lashes, high asses. I like women who are a handful of tits, a handful of ass…women who can handle themselves but need to be handled. I like pursed lips, raised eyebrows, smirks, sass mouths. I like women who know themselves, know what they want, and ask for it with no shame. I like women who read, women who read poetry in bed, women who want to paint all over my body.

I like moans, noises, dirty talk. Tell me all about what you want me to do to you; I’ll do that shit. I like when a partner begs. I live for the pleading, desperation, not just a show of ‘okay I’ll say please’. I like when I can make a partner like something they’ve never considered a turn on before….like paddling, impact play, anal play, collars, master/slave dynamics…etc, but that gets into more of my fetish list.

I just in general get turned on seeing someone else turned on. Seeing them want it. All that fire and here I am just waiting to dance with it.

ETA: holy SHIT JILL THATS A LOT MORE DUDE OKAY HANG ON

ETA #2: okay these will be shorter because I’m now lazier

30. Talk about what turns you off.

Ironically? Neediness, although I like begging. Guilt tripping, emotional manipulation, threats, etc, however all take me to a bad place and I go hard and dark instantly. You’ll get ghosted.

I also don’t like people who are uninterested or afraid of life, people who instantly go ‘gross yuck’ when I talk about snakes, people who are uninterested in anything but themselves. People who don’t read or have a favorite artwork or a passion that they’re quietly ashamed of how obsessed they are with it, or, conversely, people who are way too ashamed of their own passion.

I’m also not into blondes. Most of the time.

35. Tell about something you need to stop doing.

So many stupid things. Smoking as much weed, emotionally distancing myself at a glance, catching feelings at a glance, looking to other people for stability or balance, not relying on my own emotional compass&;.etc

36. Talk about your guilty pleasures.

Real Housewives of motherfucking Atlanta.

*cough*

Fruit tarts. Lemon crullers. Shiny new sex toys. Snake talk. HOURS OF SNAKE TALK. Fried things that should not be fried. McDonald’s French fries. Fruity cocktails. Masturbating to awful, degrading straight cis porn with like, throatfucking and gangbangs. Foie gras (I’m sorry duckies). Karaoke even though I cannot sing. Constantly researching new animals/planning habitats/making room for cages even though I have precious little and that is 8’ Lea what are you doing….

I ain’t guilty though.

[starhoodies]

My trip to the KH World Tour Orchestra!

(I took these two with me LOL)

Hi guys! Whew today was a long day for me! Emotions are still raw, but I have so much I wanted to share from this concert! I have a few photos and I wanted to tell you guys all about the music, visuals, merch, seeing Shimomura and Nomura on stage, ect!

So the drive to LA was full of traffic and the theater's parking was a nightmare to navigate through but oh my god it was so worth it to be there. 

I grew up with Kingdom Hearts but I was too young to be apart of the times where cosplayers were super frequent and hype was ramped up as much as it was mid-2000s, so it was so amazing to finally be in a room...full of KH fans for once. 

Once I was in the lobby for the showing, I was able to get my hands on some merch just 10 minutes before the thing started! LOL They had CD’s (they were sold out when I asked ahhh TvT), Kingdom Keyblade conductor batons, shirts, show guides and ticket pouches.

This is what I got! All of it coming to about $130 LOL 

I’ve got some (pretty bad) shots of the guide if ya’ll were interested! There’s interviews as well as character bios and snippets from all the games. Helps to get caught up if you’ve missed a game OR all of them if you’re like my mother.

So once we got settled into our seats (Mum and I were at the back of the pit! So we were right near the show!) I didn’t take anymore than this because it’s against policy and I didn’t want to be rude. (That didn’t stop a dude behind me from flashing a pic during Xion’s theme though smh) I got one quick while they were warming up with character themes.

 The show started up with The orchestrated version of Hikari along with the DDD opening and let me tell you I was a ball of shaking and crying tears. My poor mother held onto my arm the entire time. Once I saw Sora burst through that book page I was done for. 

You can follow along the soundtrack in which order they played everything in on youtube so I won’t get into what was played, but during Dearly Beloved we got to have a little speech from Kairi! (Japanese VA with subs) It was set up as a kind of letter to Sora letting him know about her training. (I’m pretty sure a lot of people are aware of what she says but I’ll mention here just in case!)

 She mentions the usual kairi things about missing him and how how he should always remember to keep at his cheerful self. She mentions how Lea won’t stop apologizing to her even after forgiving him and that how it’s hard not to like him what with finding out he has a best friend he wishes to be reunited with. She says she catches him staring at her sometimes and when she asks why, he can’t explain it, but feels as though he should remember something (HHHHHHH)

We have something similar from Xion about thanking her friends for being there for her and introducing her to all these new things. She specifically thanks Roxas for saying her name, because she started feeling as though she had a heart from then on. My creys. (It was at this point my mom was like “why does the red head girl keep changing her hair color LOLOL)

There was a few scenes from the Japanese dub that were showed like, the Ventus’s “as my friends, please put an end to me” and Roxas’s “Guess my summer vacation’s over” scene. Aqua has the little bit where she’s wanting to wake Ven up and how he and Terra are her strength to keep going. 

The character songs were so much fun to watch clip shows to. The Lazy Afternoons and At Dusk, I will think of you reaaaaally got me emotional from the transition to the twilight town trio + roxas to Axel, Xion and Roxas. HOOO BOY.

Destati was gorgeous, The final boss theme KILLED, My mother loved twinkle twinkle holidays, and The other promise brings a tear to my eye as always.

I was so emotionally drained after the first half I couldnt get up to get a drink during intermission. And afterwards they showed the new trailer!! :DDD Everyone went N U T S my dude. There was so much OOOing and AAHing it was so good.

I was pleasantly surprised on how the show felt centered on the kh gals most of the time? Of course Sora and Roxas were the stars of this thing, but they used every cutscene of kairi that like existed, and despite that not being... a lot, it felt nice having her in the spotlight for a bit. (It was a lot of her doing love interest things sadly, but like seeing her just exist was a breath of fresh air)

My only personal con is a super petty super nitpicky “could use more riku” not because he missed out on any screen time, he had a good amount, it’s just I don’t recall  him getting a lot of time for himself which surprised me, but it wasn’t even that noticeable. It seems everyone had time to say a bit but him. Which is super odd considering he’s Riku LOL (I don’t recall Namine or Lea getting to say anything either. BUT HEY KID YOU’RE SPOILED ROTTEN ANYWAYS. YOU HAD UR CHARACTER SONG AND YOU GOT TO WALK OFF INTO THE SYMBOLIC III OF LIGHT WITH UR BUD AT THE END YOU’RE FINE.

Yoko Shimomura came off and on quite often actually! She was so precious! She kept thanking everyone for coming and everyone cheered so loudly for her. She first showed up saying: “Thank you everyone for making this possible” and then her translator showed up and Yoko just said “Um...I speak Japanese” and laughed as she continued in her native language while her translator...translated. 

At the end of the show she actually played the ending credit theme for us! ( THE CONDUCTOR SHOWS UP WITH THE KEYBLADE BATON AND USES IT TO CONDUCT IT WAS SO CUTE.)And thanked us for coming again.

AND THEN. Yoko continued with here concluding statement with “We have a very special guest for all of you.” AND RIGHT FROM LEFT STAGE COMES A SMOL, SUPER CASUAL, TETSUYA NOMURA. EVERYONE LOST IT EXCEPT FOR MY MOM WHO WAS LIKE “????” 

THIS TINY SASSY MAN WAS LIKE “Well you know I was here yesterday. And that the trailer came out yesterday...so I really don’t have much to say.” 

He starts talking about how he and Yoko will return next month (d23??) for “THE FINAL INFORMATION” as the translator put it.(I’m thinking III release date?) He and Yoko bicker and banter in rapid japanese and the poor translator could barely keep up. “LA was where me and Yoko started working together. It’s good to be here.” He says. Yoko laughs and states that “ahhh yes five years...or twenty years ago?? I like to think I’m still young.”

AND...tbh I was so SPENT I don’t remember much after that. They said their thank yous again and we were on our way. Honestly, I was melancholy it was over. I didn’t want to leave. I want to ingrain this into my memory forever.

My mom said afterwards that she had no idea what was going on but she wasn’t bored for a second. Haha!

Ahh, I guess I’ll have to try and get to D23 now! Let me know if ya’ll thinking about going too! I’m sorry my pics of the guide weren’t great LOL my phone’s awful. 

[abcnewspr]

ROCK’N ROBIN PRODUCTIONS AND ABC RADIO ANNOUNCE SEASON TWO OF ‘ROBIN ROBERTS: EVERYBODY’S GOT SOMETHING’

The Fan-Favorite Podcast Returns June 21 with All-New Captivating Conversations

June 19, 2017 – Rock’n Robin Productions and ABC Radio announced today the return of Robin Roberts’ inspiring podcast "Robin Roberts: Everybody's Got Something." The first episode of the second season will be available for download and streaming on Wednesday, June 21st with subsequent episodes released each Wednesday. The 10-episode series will continue to feature aspirational, positive and intimate discussions that resonated so deeply with listeners in season one.  Roberts, the Emmy Award-winning anchor, who has been exceptionally candid about her own challenges or “somethings,” gives listeners a front-row seat as guests share with her their challenges, struggles, and offer inspiration and hope for others.

"After a debut season filled with candid and uplifting conversations, we are thrilled to have Robin return with ten new emotionally satisfying episodes for listeners," Steve Jones, Vice President, ABC Radio.

The new season kicks off with award-winning actress Gabourey Sidibe discussing her unapologetic and witty debut memoir, This is Just My Face. Sidibe, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the film “Precious,” gets candid about her unconventional rise to fame. She brings a fresh and honest voice to illustrate her family life in Harlem with a polygamous father and a gifted mother who supported her two children by singing on the subway. Her memoir hits hard with self-knowing messages on friendship, depression, haters, race, weight and more.

Additional guests this season include actress Lea Michele, Grammy Award-winning singer Patti LaBelle, former NBA player Kenny Anderson, Gospel recording artist Mandisa and many more. Each episode will be available through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News and ESPN mobile apps, Google Play Music, RobinPodcast.com, and ABCNewsPodcasts.com.

To catch-up on Season 1 of “Everybody’s Got Something” visit www.robinpodcast.com.

Rock'n Robin Productions and ABC Radio are the producers of "Robin Roberts: Everybody's Got Something.” Alexandria Goodson and Josh Cohan are producers and John R. Green is Executive Producer. ADT is the exclusive sponsor providing limited commercial interruptions.   About Rock’n Robin Productions:

Headed by Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, Rock'n Robin Productions is a full service, award winning broadcast and digital production company based in New York City creating new and exciting programming for network, cable, and online audiences. From documentaries and news driven specials, to entertainment and sports programming and short form digital series, regular clients of RRP include ABC, ESPN, espnW, and WebMD.  For more information, go to www.rocknrobin.tv 

About ABC Radio:

ABC Radio syndicates America’s largest commercial radio news network, ABC News Radio, along with the ABC Radio Lifestyle and Entertainment network, ABC Sports Radio and ABC Radio Digital to over 1500 radio stations and multiple digital distributors.  ABC Radio reaches more than 73-million listeners each week across broadcast and digital audio platforms.  ABC Radio is part of the Disney ABC Television Group.  For more information: www.abcradio.com 

[blackhakumen]

Fanfic #27: Lauriam Against the World! (Kingdom Hearts)

7:00pm Struggle Battle R ....

Lauriam: ('Groan') I can't believe I'm actually doing this....

Elrena: (Shrugged) I mean, to be fair, you did provoke them. Hell, you got even Namine pissed off at you.

Lauriam: You know, I'm amazed that neither of these brats went after you as well.

Elrena: (Smirks) Well, I'm not the one who's talking shit about their precious fire boi, now did I?

Lauriam: Whatever....I just wanted to to get this over with as soon as possible. You're welcome to help if you like.

Elrena: Nah, I'm pretty sure you got this one, bud. Plus, this is mostly your problem sooooooo.....

Lauriam: (Facepalms) Why am I ever friends with you?

Elrena: (Teasing) Cause you like me~ (Quickly notice that the kids are arriving) Oh. Here they come~

Sora: (Summons his keyblade with anger in his eyes)

Elrena: (Chuckles) Man, it's been too long since I've seen his mad little face again. Wonder how he'll be able to kick your ass this time....

Lauriam: Oh trust me, Sora won't be so lucky like last time. That, I can guarantee you.

Kairi: (Summons her keyblade with determination in her eyes)

Elrena: Little Miss Princess got herself a keyblade... that's something.

Lauriam: ('Hmph') Her and Lea are still beginners compare to everyone else. I'll have no problem with her.

Xion: (Summons her keyblade with a rare anger in her face)

Elrena: So I guess the Little Miss Nobody is going to go all in too? That'll be interesting to watch.

Lauriam: Yet another fool I have no problem dealing.

Roxas: (Summons both Oathkeeper and Oblivion)

Elrena: Wait...since when the hell did the squirt was able to have two keyblades this whole time? Did we missed something before we got axed?

Lauriam: It only matters if he's able to use these blades skillfully, which I highly doubt he could to begin with.

Ventus: (Summons his Keyblade)

Elrena: Ok, so is this kid's like Roxas' long lost twin or...

Lauriam: I don't know, nor do I care...

Namine: (Cracking her knuckles with an upset face)

Elrena: (Suprised) O-oh shit! She's gonna knock your ass out with her fist!!

Lauriam: ('Hmph') I doubt she'll land a hit on me...

Elrena: So, you're ready to get your ass kicked by a bunch of kids?

Lauriam: I'm ready to fight but I won't be the one who'll be taken down that easily.

Elrena: Whatever. Just get out there and give me a decent show.

Lauriam: (Sighed before walking towards the group)

Roxas: Well, look who finally decides to show up?

Lauriam: You said to be here at 7pm. So here I am. I'm surprised you all are willing to go through with this (Had his eyes on an upset Namine) Some more than others.

Xion: Well, we don't take kindly to someone who hurts our friends. Especially if that person in question, doesn't deserve it in the first place!

Kairi: And if we have to kick your sorry ass to teach you a lesson, then so be it.

Lauriam: So you all came here to defend a failure of a keyblade warrior's honor? Cute.

Namine: (Livid) Don't you dare call him that, you ungrateful monster! Unlike you two, Lea actually worked hard to earn that title! And we will NOT stand by here and let you insult him like that!!!

Ventus: (Calming down Namine) Easy there, Namine. Save that energy for the fight.

Namine: (Blush a little while calming down) R-right. I'm sorry...

Lauriam: Honestly, you really think the six of you could actually stand a chance against me?

Sora: (Getting in his battle stance) We've faced worst before. Facing off against you would be a cakewalk!! So put your money where your mouth is!!

Lauriam: ('Heh') Very well. But don't think I'm taking all of so lightly.

Twenty Five Minutes Later....

Lauriam flew back against a wall with a huge crash.

Elrena: (Laughing) Aw man!! You're getting destroyed out there!!

Lauriam: (Struggling to get up) H...how?....How were they able to gain the upper hand this quickly?!...

Elrena: I dunno. Power of Friendship or whatever? Either way, they're knocking you the fuck out! It's pretty hilarious if you ask me.

Lauriam: Maybe I'm starting to underestimate them too quickly...

Elrena: Or maybe your just getting weak.

Lauriam: Well I don't see you doing anything!...

Elrena: Like I said, that's your problem. Not mine.

Lauriam: I hate you....

Elrena: Love you too, pretty boy.

Sora: Hey!! You have enough yet?!

Lauriam: ('Tch') I'll admit.... maybe I let my guard down earlier, but I'll most certainly make you brats regret ever facing me.

Kairi: You asked for it. Let's get him, you guys!!

???: Alright, that enough, you kids!!

Before anyone could make another, the kids and Lauriam stopped what they're doing and turn at the person who stopped their fight. It was none other than Lea and Isa themselves.

Sora: (Suprised) Isa... Axel!

Isa: ('Sigh') Honestly, we leave you kids for a couple of minutes and you're already getting into a fight....

Lea: (Crossed his arms) Alright, kiddos, unsummon your keyblades or whatever and tell me what's going on. You guys were never the type to start fights. What makes you want to do this?

Kairi: (Feeling a little guilty) We didn't mean to cause any trouble or anything. We just wanted to teach this jerkface over here (Points at Lauriam) a lesson for making you feel bad.

Isa: So you thought the one way you could do that is to challenge him to a fight?

Roxas: Hey, in our defense, this guy totally had it coming. There was no way we were going to let this slide!

Xion: (Went over to Lea and gave him a hug) We'd saw how much he hurt you earlier. Physically and emotionally. We couldn't help but to fight him, you know?

Namine: (Went over to join on the hug while in tears) We just wanted to fight for your honor. But instead we'd only caused trouble for you and Isa.... We're so sorry, Lea.

Lea: (Sighed before hugging both Xion and Namine back) Hey now, I'm not mad or anything. In fact, I'm actually starting to get better now than I was earlier

Sora: Wait... really?

Lea: (Smiles Softly) Well, I mean, obviously I'm not too keen on you guys picking a fight like that. But the fact that you did it only to look out for me honestly means a lot. Really, I couldn't thank you kids enough.

Ventus: (Smiles Softly) You don't need to thank us, Lea. We're your friends. We always stick together, no matter what.

Lea: (Smiles Brightly while stretching his arm out wide indicating that he wants a group up) Alright. Bring it in, kiddos!

And like that, the rest of the kids happily rush over to Lea for a group hug. And much to Isa's dismay, Kairi gently drags him over to join in on it as well.

Lea: I love you guys.

Xion: We love you too, Axel.

Five Minutes of Group hug later...

Lea: Welp, I'm starting to get hungry now. How about I treat you all to dinner? It's all on me.

Isa: And by him, he means me...

And with that, the gang happily walk away from the Struggle Battle R to a nearby restaurant somewhere nearby. Leaving both former nobodies alone.

Lauriam: ('Groan') This might be the most humiliating moments in my entire life....

Elrena: (Smirks) I dunno if I agree with you on that, pretty boi. I'm having a good time so far.

Lauriam: You enjoyed seeing me lose back there, did you?

Elrena: Pretty much. But hey, it could be worse. At least you didn't lose to Demyx.

Lauriam: Yes...that in itself would be a mockery of the century.

Elrena: Amen to that. So...you wanna grab a bit to eat.

Lauriam: ('Sigh') Sure. Why not?

Inspired by: @khtext

@keyenuta

@ma-lemons

@miki-13

@journalsandjasminetea

@ink-correctsmashbrosbloo

[disarmingly]

fanfic asks i’m going to post answers in numerical order as i got some numbers asked twice which is cool but i definitely am the idiot who will lose track if i don’t do it in number order! also i’ll throw it under a read-more bc i tend to get rambly and so it all gets quite long! like seriously i apologize i wanted to give it my all but like i may have written too much >_<;;;

i'm gonna preface with: i was confused by these first two because i thought is this the same question but then figured maybe 3 was ff and 4 is not ff? T_T;;;;

3 [ name three favorite writers ]

the truth is i admire a lot of people and not all of them actually post their work unfortunately. however, xiajin ( @j-ungah)  is one who does, for which i am very grateful. it's easier though for me to say the THINGS i like best i.e. i really admire people who do humor in…how do i say it? ah well it's best for me when it's fluid within other feelings -- like the lightheartedness makes the punches and ups and downs of other aspects of their stories just shine? i am fairly unskilled with lightness/humor and i am repeatedly and eternally in awe of people who weave that facet of the heart into their narratives so believably. ^^;; i also admire what i think of as a seven-sense experience -- which is to say something about a writer whose descriptions dialogues and everything in-between??? create a thing i feel hear smell taste see, yes, but also a thing i dream, i thing i wake up to or from….that kind of suspension of my reality. ^^;;; which just smacks of escapism i know hahakjsfsdlfds OTL but it is what i like! some other part of why i don't have a lot of names rn is that when i'm focusing on writing i don't read as much fic? and on the flipside when i'm not trying to write then i read like everything under the sun thrice over ^^;;; but i've been in writing/trying to write-mode since i posted This Time Around so…yeah!  

4 [ name three authors that were influential to your work and tell why ]

this is really hard! but i left out one writer on my past book rec list so i'll mention him here. john steinbeck! i know that most people/schools/etc tout him for grapes of wrath T_T;;; but like….i tried really hard to like it for a friend who is basically married to that book and i just…couldn't? i tried with of mice and men too but that book is like being beaten up by the written word and no one to patch you up afterward. but. BUT! let. me. tell. you.

east of eden

this book is falling apart like i've read it until it's shreds and i don't wanna give up the copy i have because like…i have so many notes in it? i have dates written down and things i don't remember ever writing or what they reference but getting a new one would be like…idk i can't do it yet. i'll have to soon just bc i carry it around everywhere and i need it but..this book, warrants steinbeck being mentioned in and of itself. if you haven't read it, i cannot rec it enough. like i am not honestly a huge fan of anything outside of fantasy or science fiction but this is my exception. no amount of applauding is going to do it justice. but suffice to say he's got this wickedly good balance of ideas, execution, emotion, and rationale and i just feel so much it is a book that HURTS and yet i kind of…what's it like? it's like if it took me years and years to climb a tree just to see what i can see from the top, then learning to climb back down. sitting under that tree. feeling…like a conversation happened?

T_T i ramble but yeah. john steinbeck's east of eden.

other than that: diana wynne jones, CLAMP (cries forever), cs lewis  

6 [ how did writing change you? ]

before i wrote i drew and i painted, which i find hilarious now because lolololol what IS visual art, it’s hard work and talent hybridized with quality hearts (me: /stares at all my fave fanartists for real) kdsfdsfdlsfjlds but yeah uh writing happened because i loved reading. i thought: these things make me feel less displaced in the universe, if only a little. ah well, more to the point, writing in and of itself changes me in every day life almost to a fault: i think a LOT about what i say, even when i’m perceivably rambling. i over-think it too. writing in every-day life makes even the most awkward cat potato (me) better able to hold a normal conversation, which come to that isn’t the MOST important thing, but it is a thing that changed because before writing i basically stood still and tried to hide in my own shadow (unsuccessfully btw.) now i stand very still, hope no one talks to me, but am able to at least talk back if they do ^^;; 

if this question means how did ff writing change me otherwise...is it stupid to say on several times, writing ff has saved me? is it melodramatic? probably. i think it does though. i’ve said several times i don’t do wonderfully in-person (ability to converse even so) and it’s painfully true. i don’t know that i believe i ever will. i’m in plainest terms, too afraid. ff writing has given me opportunity to connect with people despite my shortcomings in this way though. sometimes someone says they related to a certain thing or they feel content or a familiar sadness but not in a bad way and that is So Much to me. like can you imagine being in complete darkness and seeing a small light in the sky or the ground or the sea suddenly? that’s what those are.

so writing is helping me change, i hope, from someone who has had the growing fear of being lost forever, to being a little less lost, a little less unworthy. to be fair, writing in and of itself for me is often a lost feeling but those sparks of Found are irreplaceable and whether they happen when i write or when someone responds to the writing, i carry them with me to the best of my ability. because they’re precious. because i need them. and i’m grateful. 

writing separate from ff is something i also hope will change me, but i have yet to figure out a way to share that and for now i have a lot of stories on my Intentions to try to actualize, so my side poetry is a sidecar project and that’s okay.

11 [ do you listen to music when writing? ]

yes! in fact i tend to make playlists for my stories when i’m done usually consisting of what i listened to….even if that's a silly thing to do ^^;; i think about sharing them sometimes haha but it’d be linking a bunch of youtube links so idk if that’s dumb sdlkedfsoijlefdjoslk sometimes it’s bangtan and often it’s movie scores i.e. ghibli stuff ....oh and video game osts too!!! a hodgepodge! 

12 [ favorite place to write ]

home because i need as much control over my environment as possible. i honestly don't understand how people can get any writing done outside in the city because it's like one massive attention-deficit lmfdlsfdsfkdsjl but kudos to the people who can…!

13 [ hardest character to write ]

LMFSLKFUOIJWFLSK gosh um…i think for me the way i would phrase this is that the character i am most nervous writing???  yoongi. he features predominantly in my writing because i find his transparency about his journey(s) relatable and something to always be grateful for. unfortunately being relatable presents the ever present pitfall possibility of projecting onto someone, which i don't want to do. even when writing him as a character, i still want him to resonate true to the real deal in as much as possible in the world created or the canon suggested. i want to do right by him, very badly, and for better or worse that means i can almost never enjoy writing him because i'm so worried the whole time. the moment of peace is when i either post or delete, but both leave an uneasy feeling if i'm honest, and perhaps that's always going to be true -- with my favorite people and my favorite ideas i guess.

14 [ easiest character to write ]

like 13 i'm cheating and changing this to the character i'm least anxious writing and that would be namjoon. i love him a lot but for whatever weird reason i'm not having heart palpitations every time i have to write a line of dialogue for him. is it because i've watched and read everything of him the most? not really. i think i've re-visited more kookie things out of all of the ot7, but namjoon has a vibe i get, a wavelength i'm on almost all the time and i can't quite explain it since it's not like i'm talking about a person i personally Know. but what i mean is, i feel like i do? he makes me feel comfortable with him at the colloquial level both verbally and emotionally so i don't overthink him as much as i do say yoongi, jungkook, and hoseok -- all beloved but also sharp points of vulnerability for me.  

17 [ favorite AU to write ]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh….well. the way it's phrased it feels like it means ongoing AU??? which would be time and again drabbles supplementary to This Time Around (the initial oneshot).... (even tho from hereon out everything else will transpire BEFORE the current chapter up lololololol way to be confusing right) but if it just means like what universe, period, huh gosh. all your stars are my stars too au probably.

20 [ favorite character to write ]

i CAN'T pick

21 [ least favorite character to write ]

i don't have one unless you count 'difficult' as leas favorite but that's really not true for me s-so...

22 [ favorite story you’ve ever written ]

?_? ahhh the story closest to my heart?    tie between all your stars are my stars too verse, and this time around verse. haha i keep picking those two but honestly despite being two very different worlds the pulse is actually the same.

23 [ least favorite story you’ve ever written ]

so far away

still disappointed in myself because to this day i don't know what i can do to make it better i just know it could be and it's so specific i just don't look at it anymore. it is by far the one i've revised the most and i'm sure that's weird haha...but it means so much to me...if it was a friend in my past, this story would be the friend i should have done more for, didn’t, couldn’t, and will regret until i can either come up with an answer or just have to square with said regret and say we don’t always get it the way we want it. hm. i admit when i posted it i hoped i’d be less disappointed with myself over time, but apparently not so.

24 [ favorite scene you’ve ever written ]

T_T no idea … do you have one, anon? /waves white flag/ i guess i'm just cheating through all these asks OTL forgive me but i guess a favorite would be any scene that a reader feels connected with them/resonated personally or moved their feelings into a place or shape they didn't expect but are okay having? 

25 [ favorite line you’ve ever written ]

sjflkfesdipokleds /covers face/ im really sorry i just don't…have one…ah...i can’t look too closely...but i always appreciate when readers have favorite lines and copy paste them to me any given time like it’s so nice? ;_; it’s so nice ahhh

26 [ story you’re most proud of ]

since i kinda hard passed the last two with this one huh like i guess if i can qualify this as 'story i consider deleting the least often' that would actually probably be my ONE vmin  fic i wrote so far -- sidereal -- lmfdlskfdsfjdsl sidereal -- and it's not that i think it's especially good but more so that i know/ don't question what i'd change about it because it came together start-to-finish very naturally…and that's funny since i had never written them before.

27 [ best review you ever got ]

listen. every review is the best review T_T seriously every review, every bookmark's notes, every ask….(well as long as it's not mean!) ah is a use of someone else's time they did not have to give me but they did and that? that's huge. fanfic is interesting bc it's a thing done for pleasure but unlike say, fanart, there is no readily apparent way to make it marketable? so i think of those words left as review or ask or whatever… as a manner of wealth, if it makes sense, a currency of kindness motivation/encouragement and hope -- that even if i dislike my writing/ find majority fault within it at the end of the day….. there are people out there who don't dislike it too, which is amazing and a relief.

28 [ worst review you ever got ]

hmmm well tech it wasn't a review but like i have gotten a LOT of asks regarding ... .- ...- . -- . + stardrop that range from disappointment that i wrote/published stardrop at all [i knew it would garner some of this but i have haha had more than i thought] to just flat-out regret for having read any of them in the first place. now, as someone who doesn't see any time in the near future where i'll like my own writing, having someone use the words 'regret reading' are….it's upsetting. i feel silly for how much it gets to me but i'm a weak spiral of a person in many ways, so asks like that send me running to hover over the delete button all the time, not just on that story but every story. but i know LOGICALLY it's just an extreme reaction of mine so i don't follow through but yeah my fight or flight response is very much flight lolololol OTL

as for not that uh probably the smattering of asks that came through when i posted 'follow' …one of which asked why i portrayed jungkook so stalkery (as far as i'm concerned, i didn't. he admires namjoon same as some of us admire our own internet idols or whoever)

32 ... .- ...- . -- .   [ alternate title for (insert story title) ]

IN fact i almost called it 'equilibrium' but while relevant that seemed too vague...

33 ... .- ...- . -- .   [ alternate ending for (insert story title) ]

jungkook wakes up. jungkook wakes up and he's raining, brings his hands to his eyes and can't stop, can't speak, can't anything but rain. jungkook wakes up, curls on his side, and cries cries cries until he falls back asleep.

a moment later, the door to his room slides open. two pairs of eyes worry after him into the dark where they recognize three things: 1. jungkook may never forgive himself; 2. there is nothing either of them can do about it; 3. when the captain named namjoon and the mechanic named yoongi forced jungkook into an escape pod at just the last second, their intention was to save him but the result is not so simple.

with unpredictable caution, taehyung enters the room, jimin's hand at his back, doesn't bother to speak quietly, well-acquainted at this point with how deeply jungkook dreams, how desperately. biting the inside of his cheek, taehyung shakes his head. "what are we gonna do?" after a moment, he glances to his right as jimin brushes past him to draw jungkook's blankets up more securely around him, combs soft fingers through his sweat matted hair and says,

"the best we can."

38 [ do you reread your own stories? ]

other than to proofread? no! i'm still very immature as a writer so the reality is if i go back to read something i have a 99% likely will delete because i see all the flaws and things i want to do better but don't yet have the skill to achieve??? but i know i can't or shouldn't literally wipe everything away Just Because, so…@_@;;;

40 [ which one of your stories would you most like to see as a movie/series ]

time and again drabbles or this time around

46 [ share a scene of a story that you haven’t published yet ]

*

the night of taehyung's sorting, jimin jumps out of his place at the table to go meet him but a hand circles around his wrist, holds him there. when he looks down, he finds taemin, all calculated cat expressiveness that reminds jimin of yoongi except taemin has a contradictory warmth about him. yoongi is cool to the look the touch and everything until you get inside him; then he's warmer, jimin would dare say, than he himself is, but so few people know it it's hardly worth mentioning. he blinks. frowns.

"i'm going to say hi."

"no."

jimin pulls. taemin sighs.

"do you think for a second they won't use him against you."

it's not a question and for good reason. jimin sits down again, quiet. hollow, learns at age twelve about thinking ahead and expecting the worst.

if only to protect the very best.

truth be known, he doesn't mind being a slytherin. it's easy to just say no one is trustworthy than to say everyone is. but the history of his family creates a whole additional spectrum of uncertainty. 'park' is so common a name one would think it wouldn't be so obvious except jimin's family has been in and out of the wizarding world papers for quite some time. try as they might to undo a history that predates them by decades, it's hard -- no, impossible. slytherin is one thing. heir is another. wealth. jimin is twelve but the world is much older and his so-called peers fall somewhere in-between.

anyway.

what he wants: to say hello to his dearest friend.

what he doesn't want: to bring said friend trouble, no more than he already has.

jimin looks over at taehyung, watches as hoseok helps him with his baskets and...swallows.

it hurts.

*

around the middle of the second month taehyung goes missing.

it's yoongi that lets jimin know, which makes jimin feel guilty all over: i should have already known.

"did they say when they last saw him?" he asks, rushing around more than he knows yoongi prefers but yoongi is loyal and yoongi is yoongi; he rushes with him, this way and that.

"hobi says yesterday, supper."

biting his lip until it bleeds, jimin experiences what a person always experiences when he knows this might be all his fault: wrenching self disgust, fear, anxiety that crawls around in the chest and twists around the heart like a curse. but feeling bad won't do anything; feeling bad won't find his best friend (who might not want to be your best friend anymore, his heart whispers and it's cold, it's distant, it's terrifying.) yoongi's hand in the sleeve of his robe jerks jimin to a stop so fast he almost trips, except yoongi holds him up while muttering a spell under his breath, the tip of his wand a sharp tap against jimin's strawberry pin (a thing he wears every day in the knot of his tie.) it lights up briefly, blue.

"if i find him before you, that'll happen."

then yoongi is gone in another direction. it makes sense. the school is offensively massive and jimin has never detested it more in his life.

*

growing up, jimin lived by the sea and taehyung came to visit him every other summer. they collected seashells and named all the fish they happened to find and made castles they planned to live in one day when they were older.

"this one's your room."

holding up a piece of sea glass shining aquamarine, jimin held it over the sun, turned back to face him and said, "then it's yours too."

*

the room of requirement is for any given thing. for taehyung he needs a place to be found and for jimin, he needs to stop losing.

it takes him two days to find the boy whose sleeping patterns he knows by heart, the boy whose dreams felt often like his own dreams when they were much smaller; it takes him two days and seven hours and forty-one minutes. but he finds him.

when he opens the door, it's some god sized gift to have taehyung meet his eyes.

it's a human sized gift to receive a careful smile.

and it's everything else to crush him in his arms and breathe him in and keep him there, everything to say,

"i'm sorry."

"me too." a pause. "those strawberries were for you," and the way taehyung says it isn't a guilt-trip. it's just him being genuinely regretful he couldn't give them to jimin the way he wanted to but this makes it that much sharper.

jimin bursts into tears.

*

that summer they go to taehyung's home and jimin eats every strawberry taehyung offers him, which means he gets fairly sick, but he disguises it as something else as best he can and almost doesn't feel so sick at all anyway when taehyung, wide-brimmed straw hat a halo on his head, laughs a sunrise sound and sings a sunset song. it's very windy during their visit, so jimin lays a charm on taehyung's hat to keep it from flying away.

*

49 [ writing advice ]

1. don’t give up. -- which for me and i guess a lot of people whether it’s art or just life, is truly the hardest. but i am constantly attempting to apply to writing what i try to apply to my livelihood: this idea that the most contemptible thing to do is to surrender. i was thinking about lord of the rings the other day and trying to figure out who i hated the most 8D;;; because my train was stuck and i was viciously trying to not freak out....anyway i kept thinking of denethor...and he’s not you know out and out a villain but he’s just so vile to faramir and on top of that he has clearly given up. he’s got this twisted saccharine doom about him that is somewhat because he’s lost his mind but he lost himself first. 

i know this is a really dramatic mental deviation but it’s what i think about ^^;;; the temptation to give up is constant, it’s not a thing that goes away -- which is why i wrote ‘begin’ to address this idea that sometimes the hardest thing is to start, and then to continue in the face of a trouble that has no permanent cure. the moment you give up you lose you, and of course you lose your art. what’s that cliche??? you can’t get something for nothing. i hope that doesn’t come across condescending or bad. i just know for me i have to yell at myself all the time about it, so that’s why it’s first on the list OTL don’t give up, or in the words of bangtan: no no no not today! ^^

2. i used to believe you couldn’t force writing but i think what the more accurate way for me now is to think: i can’t force Right Writing, like it isn’t necessarily good as i throw it down initially and sometimes that’s as good as it’s going to be until i reach a point in that piece that helps me rebuild/recreate/reword the first parts that i KNEW at the time weren’t very good but couldn’t do more with...like perspective within your own narrative i guess, which can’t be gotten without pushing ahead. 

so for example, i disliked everything i had with call and answer from the beginning to the end but the only way i got it all done was to write something every day a paragraph or two maybe, just to get draft one done. then i could look at it the next day to proof-read, put one part before another part, etc, etc, the things that went into making it something i could bear to post. ah so basically if it comes a little naturally that’s awesome but i know for me the most frustrating thing is not being able to control when that happens or why, and since i still want to write, this was my ‘solution’ so to speak -- write it, don’t delete it, look at it in an hour or the next day but move forward even if you’re not 1000% sure with it. like i know this doesn’t work for everyone but it is what has at the moment, kept me afloat. it’s not fun but for whatever reason, it is a method i have employed time to time. 3. write what YOU want to, not what anyone else wants you to (unless it’s like a request you’re fulfilling which case that’s up to you of course!) but in general like....i think there’s a misconception that to write big you have to write for everyone but you can connect to a lot of people by telling a very specific story -- they may not dive into every part, but if there is even one aspect of a story i feel recognized by (a moment, a turn of phrase, the resolution, the problem, whatever) then that’s often enough for me. it’s like with people, we don’t get every part of each other -- even the best of friends, or lovers or whatnot -- but the parts we do get mean so much. same for me with stories.

4. give better advice than me lmfdslkf omg 

feel free to send other numbers or if i missed one let me know........omg but you probably wouldn’t want to after this huh? lmdsfijfoklfeds ^^;;; wow if you read all that uh....thank you but also i’m sorry ;; lmfdsojklefds T//////T!!!!! <3 ;3;

[knight-without-armor]

Jean and Lea for ship memer cause I love these nerds B)))

send me a ship and i’ll tell you…

who is more likely to hurt the other? neither they will protect each other foreverwho is emotionally stronger? I feel Lea is.who is physically stronger? Jean got that muscle thowho is more likely to break a bone? JEANwho knows best what to say to upset the other? neither they are not ever thinking like that they care about each other >:(who is most likely to apologise first after an argument? both of themwho treats who’s wounds more often? Leawho is in constant need of comfort? Jeanwho gets more jealous? I would Jean. With customers as often as they come and Lea being as cute as she is, he’d probably get a bit jealous someone would hit on her but he is very chill.who’s most likely to walk out on the other? neither. they like each other too much.who will propose? JEANwho initiates hand-holding when they’re out in public? Jean. He is very respectful of space, so any sign of someone not being into something, even just for the moment, he backs off but he does like small signs of pda.who comes up for the other all the time? who hogs the blankets? Jean is guilty.who gets more sad? i feel jean bc stuff he sees in the military who is better at cheering the other up? Jean, in a wordy sense, but Lea would probably be quick to make some bomb baked goods and that is a good pick me up too.who’s the one that playfully slaps the other all the time after they make silly jokes? Jean would never even playfully hit her, but he would make silly jokes.who is more streetwise? Jean.who is more wise? For sureeee Lea.who’s the shyest? Leawho boasts about the other more? JEAN IS ALL FOR BOASTING ABOUT LEAwho sits on who’s lap? Well.. Jean would squish smol precious Lea, so she’d sit on his lap.

[nadziejastar]

I saw your post about the book and I gotta be honest: I kinda like Roxas and Ventus being separate characters.

Well, you’re definitely not the only one. Out of all of the things I’ve said on this blog, my opinion on Roxas/Ventus has probably been the most controversial. It’s the one thing that makes people the most upset. For me, it’s rather simple: I think the story was setting up a FAR more beautiful and touching conclusion when Ven and Roxas were considered the same person with the same heart. 

By making them different, the meaningful connection they were building between Ventus and Lea was totally ruined. Lea met Ventus by picking up the memento Terra left him. This was his most prized possession. It’s when he regained his sense of self, and when he began to love Terra like a brother. Terra was his weakness that Xehanort used to lure him away from home. Ventus was devastated when Terra began isolating himself from him. When Terra left, Lea was the one to comfort Ven after he picked the toy Keyblade up. Axel played the exact same role for Roxas as Terra did for Ven. He was the protective older brother figure. Their meeting was destiny.

The situation with Axel/Roxas was kind of reversed from Lea/Ven. Lea and Isa were happy and innocent best friends. Ven was jealous of them when he met them. When Roxas meets Axel, he was a very sad and lonely person with a best friend shaped void in his heart. The most precious thing to Axel was his memories of the past. He ate ice cream with Roxas all the time because that’s what he used to do with Isa. It soothed his broken heart. Axel never talked about his past or his pain over Isa with Roxas because it was too heavy of a subject and Roxas wouldn’t have understood. 

But you could tell how sad Axel always was if you read between the lines. This is why he was my favorite character. Axel was trying to recapture his past, while at the same time hiding it all from Roxas. Ventus and Lea could understand each other in a way Roxas and Axel never could because both of their best friends were vessels of Xehanort. Ven needed to save Terra and Lea needed to save Isa. Lea’s connection with Ven only has meaning if Ventus remembers the time he spent with Axel as Roxas in 358/2 Days. In KH3, I thought Lea’s friendships with Roxas, Ventus, AND Isa felt emotionally hollowed out and lacking in substance or deeper meaning. 

[aion-rsa]

Why Netflix’s The Rain Should Be Your Next Dystopian Binge

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

The third and final season of Netflix’s The Rain is almost here and if you haven’t already checked out the Danish sci-fi series then now is the perfect opportunity. So why should you make the time? Besides the fact that you’ve probably already finished fellow twisty Netflix series Dark and are looking for your next binge, this less recognised drama has a lot to recommend it. And with new episodes landing soon, there’s still time to catch up.  

Without wading too far into spoiler territory, the show follows a small group of survivors living in Denmark several years after a virus has wiped out the majority of their friends and family (how far the virus has spread outside of the country or even the immediate area is unclear). In this case, the virus is transmitted through the titular rain after being absorbed into the atmosphere, and so we begin the show with siblings Simone (Alba August) and Rasmus (Lucas Lynggaard Tonnesen) as they spend the first six years hiding out in a bunker.

There’s a chance the central premise of killer weather has already turned you off, but make the logical leap and it’s actually a clever way of building tension. Imagine being in danger of immediate death as soon as the sky starts to look a bit dodgy. 

Simone and a newly adolescent Rasmus come out of hiding to find that the world is not what it was, with people living in fear and fighting over food and shelter. They run into another group comprised of fellow main characters – hero-type Martin (Mikkel Boe Folsgaard), troubled Patrick (Lukas Lokken), sweet Lea (Jessica Dinnage), and awkward Jean (Sonny Lindberg) – and together they try to make it out of the quarantine zone. 

It might be a strange suggestion to spend your precious downtime during a global pandemic watching people deal with the fallout of a disease that’s seemingly succeeding in wiping out most of humanity. But while there are certainly elements of The Rain that can hit a little close to home right now, it sits just far enough in the world of fantasy that its twists and turns provide a nice distraction from the very real dangers outside of your own door.

This is not a tween version of The Walking Dead. In other words, it prioritises hope for a potential future over nihilism and the fear of everyone and everything that isn’t part of your existing group that so many of these narratives sink into. Often the characters are actually too quick to trust others (besides the token dissenting voice), leaving the audience screaming at them to be more suspicious, but it lends the series a human quality missing from a lot of similarly dystopian fiction. 

Fans of character-driven shows will also find a lot to like in The Rain, as the mystery of how the sickness was unleashed and the often grim realities of surviving in a world that has given up on humanity more often than not take a back seat to the relationships between the characters. We begin with Simone and Rasmus, who spend six years alone before deciding to venture out, and it’s this sibling bond that drives the rest of the series.

And, of course, there are plenty of romances to go around too. Some of them you can see coming a mile away but others take a while to develop and are genuinely worth rooting for. And refreshingly, friendships are given equal importance as couples and familial relationships, keeping all the characters emotionally relevant throughout. 

Characters are developed via Lost-style flashbacks, but these are more like distorted slideshows than narratives in and of themselves. We’re offered only a glimpse of their lives before, and how they specifically got to the place where we meet them. 

Like most good dystopian series with characters in the young adult age range, The Rain has a satisfying narrative undercurrent of the next generation rising up to build a better world than their elders. As Simone uncovers the truth about her family, she and the audience discover that her father may have been more involved with the world’s predicament than she knew, and almost all of the older characters we meet are completely out of touch with how to move forward in any productive or morally righteous way.  

For all of the doom and gloom that comes with a premise like this – and the show does often look how it feels with the Nordic weather offering everything a desaturated, muddy aesthetic – The Rain is ultimately a show about a group of people who choose each other over and over again in spite of the forces working against them. 

The second season veers a little more into hard sci-fi as a driving force rather than a background element and makes the virus into a monster to fight against (another Lost similarity) rather than an unseen danger, but the characters remain the primary concern. Presumably, the third run of episodes will effectively wrap things up for the ongoing mysteries as well as each of our main players, making The Rain one of those rare shows that has been given the right amount of time to tell its story.

With short, compact seasons that have little to no fat and, it should be said, a fairly good dubbed option for non-Danish viewers, it could be the perfect bitesize binge.

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